“Leave me!”
I circle him slowly, letting the silence build—thick and with rage. “I think it’s time I raised the bar.”
I walk to the table and pick up a knife—just one of many tools lined up for tonight’s entertainment. This one is one of a kind, especially designed to inflict much more pain than the simpler ones.
“Let’s play a game, okay?” I announce, my voice booming in the dark room, as I step a few feet away from him. “I’ll ask you a question. If you answer it right, you live. If you don’t—” I grin, “I throw the knife. It’s fun. For me, at least.”
“You won’t do anything!” He screams, glaring at me, as if I will stop. What a misunderstanding!
He still doesn’t get it. I sigh, close my eyes, and aim. The blade whistles through the air and lands deep in his arm. His scream rips through the room, guttural.
I open my eyes slowly, evil glinting in my eyes. “Damn. I aimed for your hand.” I tilt my head. “But your arm works. I’ll take it.”
He’s breathing heavily now, eyes wide with terror, sweat dripping down his face. Gone is the smug bastard who thought he could touch my Shivani. Now, he’s just a terrified little rat.
“Okay, let’s begin!” I say, clapping once like a showman.
“I’m not in the mood to play, Nitin. So tell me—where is Ranveer?”
His chest rises and falls rapidly, but he stays silent. I narrow my eyes at him as I slowly lean against the bar.
“Ranveer,” I repeat, voice low and steady. “Where is he?”
“Go to hell,” he spits, trying to sound tough. But I hear the fear trembling in his voice.
I chuckle and shake my head. “Wrong answer.”
I step forward and rip the knife from his arm in one swift motion. He screams again, louder this time. The sound echoes off the concrete walls. Music.
“Let’s try again,” I murmur, tossing the bloodied knife aside. I pick up the pliers from the table, turning them in my hands.
“Fingers are sensitive, you know,” I muse. “Lots of nerves. Lots of pain.”
He’s starting to crack now. I can see it. The panic in his eyes is a dead giveaway.
“Please,” he whispers, voice cracking. “I don’t know where he is… He went underground after a party. He told me to kidnap Shivani, but you showed up, so I ran. I swear, I don’t know where he is. No one’s seen him since.”
I tighten my grip on the pliers, heart pounding. Thank God I found Shivani on time.
I nod slowly, running the tool over my fingers like I’m testing it. “And who’s he been in contact with? Who would know where he’s hiding?”
“I don’t know exactly,” he stammers, fear shining in his eyes. “But he has a network. People he trusts. He’s… he’s been in contact with Varun.”
“Varun,” I repeat, filing the name away. “Where can I find him?”
“He works for Atharva. The mafia boss,” he answers quickly, like he’s hoping the answer will save him.
I smile. “Ah. I can work with that.”
I drop the pliers back on the table, the clink echoing in the silence. Slowly, I lean in close to him, my voice low. “You’ve been very helpful. So I’m going to give you an easy death.”
I wipe my hands with a cloth, calm now, the rage simmering beneath the surface. He starts begging, words tumbling from his mouth like a prayer. But it just sounds like a dying rat.
“You see,” I say, turning back to him with a fresh knife in my hand, “you touched my wife. If you thought for a second I’d let you go…” I tut softly, shaking my head. He starts crying, the terror in his eyes deliciously raw. The sight makes me happy.
“You made a mistake, Nitin. A very grave mistake.” He weeps, snot mixing with blood on his face. Ugly. Gross.
“No, please! I told you everything! Please!”
