Chapter 96 - I'm Back To Take What Belongs To Me...

|Eshan|

Honestly, I had no idea if it could be Innaya's father or not behind her kidnapping. I only knew that her father was not part of her life since her childhood. There had never been a reason for me to find about him from outside sources. I wanted to earn Innaya's trust. I wanted to make her comfortable enough, so she could share  everything with me on her own. Innaya mattered to me. Nothing else did.

"No," Arjun replied, without looking up while his fingers never stopped working.

Barun who had been silent ever since he entered the room, took a glance at Arjun. There was disapproval in his eyes as he disdainfully criticised Arjun. "Arjun, work is not important now. We need to go to the police." 

"Yes, Eshan. Barun is right, we better hurry." Sameer nodded his head, looking at Arjun from corner of his eyes.

Sahil's sneaking glances were not lost on me. He was being unusually silent.

I ignored him as I tried placing a face and name to the person who could be behind this. 

"No need. I've hired a team. They would take care of the things. They are much faster, much efficient, and more trustworthy," Arjun nonchalantly replied. 

I had accidentally discovered Arjun's identity otherwise, I would have also questioned his actions. In other people's eyes, he was not taking the situation very seriously, but I knew better. He was the one who could be of the most help in this matter.

Maybe, it could be someone related to Innaya's grandfather. If that was the case, then grandma and mom, would be ideal choice to look for. I could not call mom though because of her health condition.

"I will call grandma. Maybe, she could help us," I announced, forgetting that she was old too. I did not see another alternative. Maybe, Innaya's family could help regarding her enemies, I doubt if there were any. I could not be sure though. 

Sahil suddenly shouted, "Wait." On receiving my glare, he meekly added, avoiding my gaze. "What would you tell her? That Innaya is kidnapped? They'll be worried. We should first search..."

"Oh, now you're being thoughtful? Where was this thoughtfulness when you were being a douchebag?" I sarcastically snapped. I could still not forget his words and actions.

"I... I'm sorry," he apologized.

The knock on the door stopped me from berating Sahil. I frowned when even after giving the permission to enter, nobody came in.

Sameer who stood closest to the door, opened it. From where I was sitting on the bed, there was no one outside in my peripheral vision. I found it strange. "There's no one," Sameer stated after looking around.

I accidentally discovered an envelope on the ground in front of the door when I lowered my head. My heartbeat raced up. Arjun had said that the video was delivered in the CD, so that meant the envelope might belong to those kidnappers. They might have left it there.

Arjun seemingly had noticed the envelope too for he stood up and fetched that brown envelope from the ground. Silently he closed the door, and brought the envelope inside. He did not open it straight away though. 

"What's that?" Ayush came and stood beside him. Eventually other three also walked closer to take a proper look. I was the only one who could not move. I curled my fingers in a fist, feeling helpless.

Arjun after flipping and turning that envelope around for good amount of time, tore down the sealed part. He emptied the envelope on my bed, putting everything out on the display for everyone to see. He did that mostly because he did not want to answer any more questions.

My eyes narrowed when there was nothing inside the envelope. Someone was playing a joke on us. It had to be those kidnappers. If it was their way of torturing me, then they succeeded in it. I was pissed. 

"Those bastards." I cursed loudly. 

When I had seen that envelope, there was spark of hope alongside the mountain of worries. I had hoped that it would contain the reason or demand of those people. If not, it could have something related to Innaya, something like that video. Watching her tied figure had broke my heart, but there was little relief that she was physically unharmed.

Arjun checked that envelope again, this time after tearing it open fully. Arjun's blue eyes narrowed dangerously when he spotted something. I followed his line of sight. There was a black memory card secured with tape to the envelope from inside.

"Quickly. Insert it, and see," I urged him, feeling 

Arjun nodded as he inserted the memory card in the mobile. It was not his usual one though. I shrugged the insignificant thought of why he carried a new mobile with himself and focused on finding the contents in that card.

Five minutes later, I realized why people turned violent. When you see your loved one in imminent danger, you see helplessness marred on their face, you wish nothing than to kill the reason of that danger.

Arjun stared at me after watching yet another video sent by those kidnappers. He looked calm from outside, but there was murderous storm rising in his blue orbs.

"********" Ayush cursed as he strode out of the room, slamming the door on his way.

"Leave me alone," I replied, almost snatching the mobile from Arjun's hand. Arjun silently stared at the paused scene on his mobile before he walked out of the room followed by Sameer, Sahil and Barun.

I played the video, hardening my heart. Innaya was in the same condition— gagged, tied and scared. The room was not dark anymore, but it did not leave any clue for there were only white walls around her.

There was no audio in that video. The recording continued to play and I watched how Innaya's face paled with every passing second. She was on the verge of having panic attack, I could see it in her eyes. I struggled to stay composed but when I saw Innaya's frantic attempts of saying something as if a danger was approaching her, I lost it. There was a shadow of a person closing onto her. Innaya's struggles increased as she tried to drag herself away from the approaching figure.

It was as if someone clawed at my heart. I could not continue to watch Innaya's desperate agitation. The video recording ended at that point when a man dressed in a white suit leaned on Innaya. My whole body shivered in anger, imagining plight of Innaya.

I would kill that bastard when I find him. He would have to pay for it. He would have to pay for harassing my wife.

The screen went blank. A message popped in the screen soon after it, leaving me numb and furious at the same time.

"I'm back to take what belongs to me."