Rise of the Devil - Part 21

 

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Chapter 21



Arnav’s POV



“Khushi..?”


She is in a Jeans and Red shirt, with a black leather jacket over it. Her hair is tied into a long ponytail which currently one of Jaipal’s guard has fisted in his hands. Khushi yelps in pain as she meets my eyes and I notice blood at the corner of her lip, and faint bruises on her left cheek. That’s it.!! The next instant I take out my gun and shoot the guard who dragged her all the way inside this Casino. Jaipal’s men raise their guns to shoot but my guards don’t let them fire their weapons. I wasn’t a fool to come here without additional guards and obviously, few of Jaipal’s guards were heavily bribed for my security tonight, not his, but this man doesn’t need to know that yet.


The moment the guard falls down, dead, Khushi runs into my arms. I want to hug her back, maybe even ask her how she got hurt and if she was doing okay, but doing any of this before Jaipal or the other foes around here will put Khushi at more risk. I don’t want them to see how much Khushi means to me. Khushi sobs over my chest and in a minute, she meets my blazing eyes. I have so much anger boiling inside me right now that I can burn this whole damn casino with it. Why was Khushi here and how she escaped my tight security is a later question, for now I have to deal with getting her back safely home tonight.

Jaipal is overly silent until all this happens and watches his helpless security whom my men have pointed their heavily armed guns on.


“Wow.. What a fabulous show Devil King.. And what a stunt.” Jaipal claps. “So, she is the Devil Queen? Huh?” He grins. “So bold and beautiful.”


The moment he praises my wife, I point a gun on Jaipal’s head.


“One more word about her and I will kill you right here Jaipal.” I scowl.

“You wouldn’t kill me Devil King. You need details about those containers, you cannot kill me.”


He is right. I need those details more than his death. I put the gun down. Khushi sobs have eased but she has still clutched my jacket and isn’t ready to move away even an inch.


“I just wanted to do some business with you Devil King. I came all the way to India only to do this and become your friend. But you had other plans it seems.” He stares angrily at Khushi. “You tried to put the Queen between us? For what?”

“I didn’t plant anyone between us.” I try to control myself from snapping at him. “She is here on her own otherwise do you think I am a fool to not let her guarded amidst your men?”

“Okay” He nods. “I totally get it. Women can be a lot more intrusive than they pretend to be.”


Jaipal’s short chuckle makes Khushi flinch and reach closer to me.


“Trust me, I know how worse woman can get to our business. That’s why I never committed to one.”


I swallow. That was one thing I agree with Jaipal.

“But now its too late. I am no more interested to do this business with you.”


No No No!! I want to scream at the top of my voice.


“You know there so many other parties ready to pay me double for those containers.”


My fingers fist.

“We had a deal Jaipal.” I roar. “I give you money, you give me those containers”


Khushi stares at me in disbelief. Heck!! I don’t care what she presumes right now. The details and this deal is more important to me.


“I need those containers Jaipal. I am ready to pay double. Just give me the details and close this deal.” I bark.


Khushi’s grip on my jacket loosens and she is about to leave me completely, when I grip her wrists and don’t let her move away. My eyes are still glued on my target which is Jaipal who grins.

“Double or triple Devil King. That no longer interests me. I do business with people who don’t cheat and you and your Queen have. So, now I will sell those women for free to any other party but not you.”


The moment he completes this statement, the lights turn Off and there is firing everywhere. I drag Khushi with me, running to the safest exit possible. This is Jaipal’s casino yet I am aware where I can exit from and save Khushi’s life. She clings to my arm as we run out together, three of my guards circle us to take the bullets on them if needed, while passing a bulletproof jacket to me. We stop by the alley and I force Khushi to wear that jacket. She is completely muddled about the tings happening around her but its too late now. She has messed up my tonight’s plan royally.!! Once she is secure in that jacket, I drag her to the parking. Bullets keep firing at us and my men fire back. I don’t leave Khushi’s hand until we reach the black Mercedes car where I push her at the backseat and follow her inside. The driver drives us out, with my guards following us in the other car. The sound of the firing subsides behind us as we ride away from the Casino. Khushi is still shivering and tensed but I don’t bother to soothe her yet. She doesn’t deserve my patience tonight..


“****” I curse aloud… for the failed attempt and dial Aman. “Go for Plan B.” I bark at him even if none of this is his fault. “Cease all of Jaipal’s clubs, Casinos and raid all his black-market places. I want that man arrested right away Aman.”


I shut my phone leaning back.


“Arrested?” Khushi murmurs.. “Who.. who are you Devil?”


Now!! Now she wants to ask me that? After ruining all this? Forever? I don’t respond and, in a minute,, we reach the safe house, the one Khushi is not yet aware of we having in the same city. I drag her out and pull her along with me to the living room inside.


“Arnav, you are hurting me..” She shouts but I don’t leave her arm until I push her on the couch and pin her there in between my arms.

“Why the hell do you defy me every single time?” I shout. “I told you not to get into this.. And yet… yet you couldn’t listen..? Do you realize what could have happened tonight? Did you even for once think of your life before trying to save the others? You could have killed yourself Dammit!! Or worse.. those men could have… tortured you and..” I swallow unable to show her the real picture of this dark world.

“I am… sorry..” she murmurs while fresh tears streaming from her eyes.

“Sorry, my foot” I pull away and kick the couch beside us scaring Khushi even more.


Damn!! It’s so hard to deal with the situation right now.


“I was worried for those innocent lives more than mine.” She finally gets some strength to speak up.

I turn around.

“I told you I am not going to harm them. All you had to do is trust me.”

“How could I trust you Devil? Your say something.. you do the opposite.. Your words and actions don’t match. How do I trust you? You give me so many mixed signals about your identity. At times I feel you are doing this for a purpose but the next instant you tell me you are the real Mafia and the king of Devils then what I am supposed to infer?”


Fine!! She has raised a valid point.

“You want to know the truth.?” I clutch her arms and pull her closer, strongly. “Then listen. Yes, I am the mafia of this dark world.. I am the real Devil King and there is nothing false in that. But there is one more truth about my identity that I never told anyone yet. I am an Undercover Cop.. Not just a cop.. I have designation which is enough to give me powers to strengthen the nation’s base so that I can bring this whole dark world down and clean my country from these criminals once for all.”


She freezes and why not!! This truth is something she never imagined even in her dreams.


“You…under… undercover… cop?”

I push her away.

“Tonight, was one such mission you ruined completely Khushi. I wanted to protect those girls and get them back to safety but your one silly act jeopardized it all. I had only one lead and that was Jaipal who knew where those women are and now because of you I will never get to know it unless he is arrested and beaten to give that information.” I stride to her again and grip her arms even more angrily. “Jaipal is the key to many drug dealers out there who bring drugs in our country and sells women of our country, abroad and I wanted to expose his entire racket but you… Damn!!”


She watches me hazed as if processing all this I just said. My phone rings and I walk a few steps away to take that call. Aman tells me that they missed Jaipal and the search is still On.

“Shit” I rub my temples, thinking hard how to correct this situation now. Jaipal on the loose will mean he will do anything to send those containers abroad, any moment now and we have no time left to make it stop.


Khushi reaches me and removes a small red diary from her jacket. I know what that diary is.!!

“It’s Jaipal’s diary.” I snatch it from her and flip the pages.

“I got this from his office desk.” She mumbles. “That’s what I had been there to look for thinking you might never tell me directly where those containers are. I was going to pass this to Shyam and save those girls.. I managed to get out of his office at the Casino safely, but before I could escape that place, his men caught me.. and…”


I clench my jaw noticing the blood from the corner of her lips have dried now.


“Mala” I shout and the maid Mala whom I had appointed to look after Khushi in Chandra Mahal, comes out. Khushi is surprised to see her here. “Dress her wounds.” I command and she quickly runs inside again to get the first aid box.


I flip the pages and find the details of the Container. The only good thing about Jaipal is this diary where he always scribbles all the contacts and deal information onto it. And it’s precious. My goal was getting the man himself but this dairy right now could still help. I dial Aman and tell him the location. The containers are in a remote village of West Bengal and soon they are going to be shipped out. Aman promises to get our team there, use all the local police help and seal that place until the girls are safe. I finally take a sigh of relief and turn to Khushi who is getting her wounds treated by Mala.


I watch her from far, and so does she. There are too many questions in her head right now and too many decisions going on in mine right now. As soon as Mala tends her wounds and leaves, I walk back to Khushi at the couch.


“How did you get out of the house?” I come to the point.


She takes a minute to decide if she has to tell me this.

“Open your damn mouth” I growl and she flinches again.

“I locked myself in the bedroom and .. got down from the window.. I hid in your car bonnet.”


I swallow angrily. So she was all the time in that car which I drove here to the Casino? No wonder the guards didn’t come to know as they didn’t check my car when I left and since Khushi had locked herself in the bedroom, they thought she was still in there. None of the CCTV cameras caught her either as she used the window and balcony. I have to mentally make a note of these glitches so that next time she doesn’t pull up such acts again. No wait!! There can never be a next time after this.


“I did this to free those women Devil..” She explains again but I don’t let her complete.

“Freedom!! That’s what you always wanted, isn’t it? Let me give it to you then!!”


Her eyes widen in shock.


“You wanted a clean life, without the traces of your father and my dark world, isn’t it?” I reconfirm and she looks at me astonished. “I am sending you to abroad.. with a new identity and completely different background so that no one can ever trace you or relate you anymore with your father or me. Select the country you want or if you cant, I will do that for you. No more hiding.. no more being locked. You will be completely free to roam around, work, make friends, have a social life and anything and everything that you ever desired to do.. I AM FREEING YOU FROM MY CLUTCHES KHUSHI.”


“No..” Her voice chokes. I turn to the guards who step inside that very moment.

“Take her back to Chandra Mahal by road..”

“No” She shouts. “I am not leaving you behind..”


I don’t care to wait neither listen to her. I am done with this woman!! So I am finally giving her what she wants.. FREEDOM.


***************


Khushi’s POV


It’s been an hour since we are driving by road to Chandra Mahal. It’s just me at the backseat and a heavily armed guard and the driver with me in the car. Devil didn’t even see me after that conversation. Devil!! He is not one at all. He is a savior. My instincts about him were right. He is doing this for a purpose. He is cleaning the country from corrupt and dangerous people from the inside, by being a part of this Dark world. Though I couldn’t connect the dots of his past to whatever he is at the present, I am relieved he is not bad. He is on the side of the truth and law.


I shudder recalling how I pulled up this stunt of finding that diary from Jaipal’s office desk and thankfully Arnav saved me at the right moment. He was right, anything could have happened to me but I didn’t care of my life at that moment. For me the lives and freedom of those hundreds of women were more important than my own. I didn’t think at all before escaping the house and hiding in Devil’s car which was my safest option to reach the Casino. But I have hurt him now. Wish I had believed him. And now.. it was too late. He wants to free me.. He wants to give me the life I desired to have once. But do I still have those same desires now?


A lone tear escapes my eye as I recall how he pushed me away from him and asked the guards to take me back to Chandra Mahal. I won’t be surprised if in a week he sends me off this country. Amidst these tears, a smile pops on my face. He remembered I am afraid of air travel and hence sent me off by road. Oh Devil!! I cuddle to the little pillow I always carried with me during my travel. I don’t know when I am going to see him again and if he will come back to Chandra Mahal soon. I just got to know from the guards that Buaji is also in another car to drive back to Chandra Mahal like me and we both will reach around the same time. But do Buaji and Dad know about Devil’s secret mission? I am not sure but since Devil has opened this up to me, I promise never to let it out to others. Whatever mission he has enrolled himself into, I want him to succeed. I am sure he will. But the only thing is pricking my heart is that I have upset him and I hope he forgives me soon.


To be Continued.

NEXT PART


Note: As most of you requested another part of this FF, thought of fulfilling your wishes.!! Tomorrow You Ought to be Mine Season 3.

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