The narrative is about to take a thrilling turn as we delve into suspense and mystery for a while.
After what felt like an eternity of tense silence, Aditya's smile grew wider, almost unnaturally so. His eyes gleamed with a hint of something darker as he leaned in slightly, his voice dripping with sinister amusement. "What do I want?" he echoed, his tone sending a chill down my spine. "I want to see just how far you're willing to go. How much are you willing to sacrifice for the truth?"
"Listen, if you're after money, then you'll have to turn to these two," I pointed at Raghav and Kabir, "because I'm broke. Can't offer you anything there," I said with a casual shrug.
"Money? That's so cliché," he smirked. "I want something more... intense. Something that gives me pleasure and you, pain."
"Whoa, hold up," I interjected, raising my hands in defense. "That's a pretty terrible way to describe a sex toy."
He scrunched his nose in disapproval. "Who raised you?" he asked, before taking a deep breath and speaking calmly a few moments later. He chuckled softly and continued, "Well, it's not too complicated. I just need a small favor from you. I need you to retrieve something for me—a valuable item that was stolen from me recently."
Aditya's eyes gleamed with anticipation as he waited for our response. The tension in the room was palpable, each of us considering the potential consequences of accepting his offer.
"You're a twisted freak, you know that?" I glared at him, my voice edged with anger. "What makes you think we can't get the information we need without your sick games? There are plenty of other sources out there."
Aditya's laughter echoed in the quiet room, sending chills down my spine. "You can certainly try," he said, his smile chillingly confident. "But what if I told you that you'll eventually come crawling back to me?" He removed his glasses, revealing a calculating gaze. "I'm not just a minor character in this story. I'm deeply intertwined in it. What if I told you that, on someone's orders, I've been slowly poisoning Sana?"
I was stunned, unable to process the sudden turn of events. Aditya lay on the floor, blood seeping from his mouth, while Kabir stood over him, fists clenched and covered in blood.
"Kabir, stop!" I rushed to intervene, panic rising in my chest. "He's not worth it."
Aditya sat up, wiping the blood from his mouth with a grin that sent shivers down my spine. "Impressive punch, Kabir. That one really got me." He chuckled, the sound mixing with the metallic tang of blood in the air. "But don't worry, Shortcake," he said to me, "I haven't actually poisoned your friend. It was just a ploy to get your attention. However, I do have some crucial information that you might find interesting."
I stared at him in disgust, unable to comprehend the depth of his deceit. "Are you even a psychiatrist?" I asked, my voice trembling with anger and revulsion.
Aditya shrugged nonchalantly, a twisted smile playing on his lips. "Psychiatry is just a cover," he admitted. "I'm actually a full-time businessman. I deal in truths and lies, and I'm also a part-time hitman." His words hung in the air, filling the room with a chilling sense of danger.
I glanced anxiously at Kabir, his expression inscrutable as he stared down at Aditya. Turning to Raghav, I saw the confusion mirrored in his eyes. He mouthed, "What's with the silence?" I shrugged helplessly, mouthing back, "I have no idea."
Returning my attention to Aditya, who was still smiling, I knelt down to his level. "Enough games," I said firmly, my voice tinged with anger. "Just tell us what you want, straight and clear. No more spinning webs like a damn spider."
Aditya maintained his smile, his eyes gleaming with something unsettling. "I want you," he said calmly.
I recoiled in horror. "What the fuck did you just say?"
He moved closer, his presence looming over me, and before I could react, I found myself pinned beneath him. His eyes bore into mine, filled with a predatory intensity, and blood from the corner of his mouth dripped onto my cheeks.
"Get off me, you sick bastard!" I screamed, pushing against him with all my strength. Surprisingly, I managed to shove him away forcefully, sending him crashing into the side table next to Sana's bed. He lay there, stunned by the impact.
Kabir knelt beside me, his arms enveloping me in a comforting hug. "You did well," he praised softly, his voice a soothing balm.
"It all happened so fast," I murmured, burying my face in his chest as I caught my breath. His hand rubbed my back reassuringly, grounding me in his comforting presence.
Meanwhile, Raghav cautiously approached Aditya's motionless body, checking for signs of life. His eyes widened in disbelief when he found no breath or pulse. Stunned, he staggered backward, his voice trembling as he uttered the chilling truth, "He's... he's dead."
"No, no, this can't be happening," I muttered in horror, staring at my hands as if they were stained with blood. "I... I killed someone."
Kabir's voice cut through my panic, calm but firm. "Listen to me, it wasn't intentional, and I'll take responsibility for it if needed. You're not alone in this."
Raghav knelt beside me, his expression a mix of concern and determination. "We'll find a way out of this. No one is going to jail," he reassured, his voice steady.
"I don't see how," I retorted, my frustration boiling over.
"Calm down, Aryan," Raghav urged, his tone firm but soothing. "Solutions don't just appear out of thin air. We have to work through this."
Kabir remained silent, his gaze fixed on Aditya's seemingly lifeless body. After a tense moment, he spoke up, his voice calm yet tinged with suspicion. "He's not dead. This is just another one of his twisted games."
Moments later, Aditya rose from the floor, stretching as if nothing had happened. He shot Kabir a look of disdain. "I hate how you never fall for any of my tricks," he remarked with a hint of annoyance.
I stared at him in disbelief, feeling a mix of shock and realization. So, this was what Sana meant when she talked about snakes and creeps among us. Had she been dropping hints that I missed? It was a troubling thought.
"Don't try to justify your actions," Kabir retorted, his tone firm. "Your games have consequences."
Aditya chuckled, unfazed by Kabir's words. "Oh, don't judge me, my dear friends," he said with a mischievous grin. "I'm just a fan of chaos, a blend of Joker and Loki. I can face a thousand deaths and still come back, for I am burdened with glorious purpose."
"I couldn't care less about your so-called glorious purpose," I spat out, my frustration boiling over. "If you're Loki, then I'll be Thanos, ready to snap you out of existence."
Aditya burst into laughter, tears of amusement forming at the corners of his eyes. "But that's where you're mistaken, shortcake," he taunted, his smirk widening. "Thanos wasn't afraid of consequences. He embraced whatever came his way with bravery. Meanwhile, the moment I was declared 'dead', you were gasping for breath, afraid of the fallout."
"That's enough from you," Kabir interjected firmly, his eyes piercing and his voice unwavering. "Give us the information you promised, and then you can leave."
Aditya pouted, feigning innocence. "But what about the payment you promised? I can't work for free, you know."
"Enough games," Kabir repeated, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Aditya shivered under Kabir's intense gaze, his demeanor shifting to a strange mix of admiration and longing. "I love how you make me feel, Kabir," he confessed with a lovestruck expression. "If only you were mine."
Disgust filled me as I listened to his words. "What the fuck is wrong with your head?" I demanded.
"Everything," Aditya replied flatly, a chilling acknowledgement of his twisted nature.
"Stop with the games and just tell us," I exclaimed in frustration.
Aditya chuckled, his smile unnervingly pleasant. "Alright, alright, no need to get worked up, shortcake," he teased. "Let's get serious this time. Sana's death wasn't an accident. No, no, it was something far more sinister." He leaned back, his gaze sharpening. "A meticulously planned murder, if I may say so."
Our eyes widened in shock, mirroring the disbelief and unease that rippled through us. This revelation was beyond anything we had anticipated. Someone had orchestrated Sana's death deliberately? But why?
"Who?" I asked, my voice trembling with a mixture of fear and urgency.
Aditya merely shrugged, his expression a facade of innocence. "Oh, that's for you three to uncover," he replied casually, his tone dripping with mischief. "Do you really think I'd hand everything to you on a silver platter? You're her men, the four horsemen... oops, missing one, aren't you? I suggest you find that missing piece soon."
"Why don't you take that spot?" Kabir's voice was quiet but firm.
Aditya's smile turned sinister, his eyes glinting with malice. "Ah, Sana's dear brother," he sneered. "You're just like me, aren't you? A bit twisted in the head, perhaps?"
"It was a simple yes or no question," Kabir persisted, his tone unwavering.
Aditya's response was flat and indifferent. "No, then," he replied monotonously, his expression remaining unchanged. "You couldn't even be bothered to retrieve that item of mine that was stolen, and yet you expect me to assist you further. That's hardly fair, don't you think?" His words dripped with a twisted sense of satisfaction at the imbalance of power.
Kabir pondered for a moment before posing a proposition. "If we retrieve that item for you, will you join us in this... mess?"
Aditya's response was unsettlingly enthusiastic. "I love being messed up, if you're the one messing me up," he replied, his eyes filled with an unsettling admiration.
"Dude, rein it in," I admonished, feeling a mixture of disgust and concern. "Your obsession with Kabir's control over you is disturbing."
Aditya's grin widened as he turned to Kabir. "What if I told you there's something else I desire now? Something even better," he teased, his voice laced with anticipation.
Raghav, growing impatient, cut in. "Just spit it out."
"I want Kabir," Aditya declared, his eyes fixated on Kabir with an unsettling intensity. "Never before have I felt such excitement, such thrill at the sight of a man. You, my love, are different. You understand me like no one else ever has. You challenge me, put me in my place. Being with you feels like where I truly belong." His words dripped with a mix of obsession and longing.
Before I could object, Kabir cut in with a decisive question, "What's in it for us?"
"Kabir, wait," Raghav started, but Kabir interrupted him, his gaze fixed on Aditya. "For Sana's sake, I'll do whatever it takes."
Aditya's smile widened as he greedily eyed Kabir from the floor. "I'll tell you everything," he promised, his voice tinged with eagerness. "From the beginning to the end. How Sana got involved with the underground, what she's been through in these past days and weeks. Everything."
"Alright," Kabir sighed, relenting. "But no funny business with me."
Aditya smirked, feigning innocence as he rubbed his hands, stained with dried blood, over his face. "What's love without a little fun?" he quipped. "Okay, scratch that. For this information, you'll do as I say for a week."
"A day," Kabir countered firmly, staring him down.
Aditya shrugged, visibly shivering as he held his shoulders. "Oh, it's so cold in here," he remarked with a sly smile. "What did you say? It's my Ice Prince, Kabir. Oh." His tone was filled with mockery and veiled threats.
"Only a day," Kabir reiterated firmly.
Aditya's smile turned saccharine as he replied, "Ah, my Ice Prince, that's quite harsh of you. But alright, a day it is." He grinned provocatively. "Am I making your heart skip a beat? Because you make mine go 'ringa ringa roses'." He observed Kabir's silence and continued, "My mother always said love was painful, so I was always afraid of it. I never loved anyone in my life. But then today, I saw you, and desire flooded me like rainfall in a drought." He tilted his head, his tone suggestive. "You bring out the worst in me."