As Rhea crossed their table, she looked at Raashi and flicked her head in the direction of the rest rooms, a silent plea for Raashi to follow her.
“Let me go see what she wants,” Raashi said.
“I don’t think he will show up. Let’s call this off,” Rhea said, as soon as Raashi entered.
Raashi looked at her watch. It was close to eleven in the night. “Hmm. Let’s just wait for a while longer and see if anything happens. Otherwise we will have to do this all over again.”
“I have been so nervous the whole evening. I have barely managed to get two words together and that’s so unfair to your friend. Rithwik is almost single handedly carrying the conversation ensuring that it looks like we’re enjoying our date. He’s great and I am thankful to him for stepping up to help me especially when he doesn’t even know me. But I’m sure even he has his limits.”
Before Raashi could reply, the door opened again and a young man with a cap on his head walked in. Raashi turned to him and said, “Hey, this is the ladies rest room. You will find the men’s room at the other end of this corridor.”
She pivoted to face Rhea, but the blood had drained out of the younger girl’s face. Raashi swiveled around quickly to look at the boy who had entered the restroom. He was pointing a gun at Rhea.
Oh, God! This was Krish. He was thickly built, but looked pale and had bags under his eyes. Where was Veejay and his team when they needed them and how did he get in here unnoticed?
“Hello, Rhea,” Raashi heard him say. “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your future sister-in-law?”
Raashi gasped out in shock.
He turned to face Raashi, pointing the gun at her now. “Of course, I know you, Raashi Deewan. I know everything that is happening in my darling Rhea’s life.”
Raashi looked at Rhea who was white as a sheet and unable to speak. Her face was twisted in fear. One of them had to act quickly and get them out of this situation and looked like it would have to be her.
Gathering her courage, Raashi said, “Why are you here, Krish?”
She had to keep him engaged until Sameer or Veejay or anyone else took notice that something was wrong.
Krish stared at Raashi with his eyebrows raised.
“So, Rhea has been talking to you about me? Finally, it seems I have her attention. Apologies for the two accidents by the way. I hope you know that they were not meant to target you.”
He looked at Rhea, his gun still pointed at her.
“You have been ignoring me, Rhea.” He took a step towards Rhea and paused. “Why, Rhea? You know I love you. I cannotlive without you and yet you left me. Here you are busy continuing your life as if I don’t matter to you at all. And you’re dating again?” He shook his head. “When I saw your post, I couldn’t wait to see whom you had picked over me. And luckily for me I was close enough to come and wait for you here. I have been watching you since the minute you entered the restaurant. You seem to be enjoying yourself with him. Did you even consider how I would feel? How could you do this to me?”
So that explained why no one had noticed him before. They were all waiting for him to arrive, when the reality was that he had already been here all along.
When Rhea remained silent, he said, “Do I have to shoot your sister-in-law to get your attention, Rhea?” He turned his gun to Raashi. “I will do it, you know.”
“S-S-sorry Krish,” Rhea stuttered. “Just leave Raashi out of th...this.”
“Oh! I will,” Krish said. “It’s you I want. Not her.”
Raashi took a tentative step and raised her hands in a placating gesture. “Don’t do this, Krish. Leave her alone and go. It’s not too late. Go back to London and live your life.”
“Enough. My life is nothing without Rhea. I am nothing without her. I don’t have a fight with you Ms. Deewan but I am willing to do anything to get to Rhea.”
He raised his gun.
“Wait. Wait. Please don’t shoot. I’ll do whatever you say,” Rhea pleaded.
Krish smiled in a cruel twisted way that made Raashi’s gut churn.
“Good girl. So this is what we are going to do. Ms. Deewan come here to me and then the three of us will leave this restaurant together, quietly and without making any noise. And remember no sudden moves.” He raised his gun emphasizing his point.
Raashi walked up to him nervously. He immediately pulled her to him, and put an arm around her waist, his gun at her back, hidden from view. Raashi trembled as the cold, hard, metal nudged into her back.
“Now, Rhea, you will lead us out of here. I have a car parked outside. Once you reach the car, you will quietly get inside and then I will let your sister-in-law go. One wrong move and I kill her. Is that understood, Rhea?”
