A few days before
Shivaay tossed and turned; unable to sleep.
After another night of Anika waking him up crying.
He carefully lifted her head off his chest; placing it on a pillow and as he did her brows furrow a bit.
The way she looked while sleeping; so peaceful, so calm, made him a little teary-eyed.
He couldn’t think of anything else but to find out, whether it was about her past.
Her incoherent mumbling and panicked cries made him think that she was trying to tell him something; something linked to the elusive girl with the nickname “Chutki”.
Earlier
Anika squeeze her already closed eyes tighter as her only childhood memory tortured her…..
(Anika’s past Flash back)
Kitchen- the landline on the counter rings and rings and the person on the other side hangs up.
A cellphone rings “UNKNOWN NUMBER” flashes on the screen and woman hesitantly pick up the phone.
“Get out of there, now!” the voice on the other end shouted, “His men are on their way”.
Click and the call ended.
“Come quick, girls.” She says her voice a bit shaky and her stomach sinking with every second when she realized what was happening.
“Let’s play Hide and Seek?” she said her voice cracking a little, when she said that.
Anika’s brow puckered questioning her mother’s sudden mood for a silly game but she didn’t ask why as she could see something was up, cause whenever they played this game, her father would get visitors.
One of her daughters, the youngest one, looked up at her with her big eyes, bright with excitement yelled, “yes mommy, I’m ready!”.
She smiled to herself pulling them in for a last hug, not realizing that she was crying until she felt Anika wipe the tears away.
“Why are you crying mommy? She asked.
“It’s nothing” she lied as she smiled through the tears, “Mommy’s just excited”.
She simply kissed her forehead and tickled the smaller one until she giggled.
“Are you ready? ” she asked with weary resignation.
“Yes!” the two shouted in unison.
She got her daughters to hide; there was only space for the youngest in the crawl space hidden in the closet and she then gestured the older one to hide under the bed; in the pull–out storage space.
When she saw the Anika safely hiding, she put her finger in front of her mouth telling the younger girl to be quiet and proceeded to close the closet door.
The sound of a car pull in the driveway, made her peek through the window, careful not to alert them.
And out stepped two men with black suits and leisurely making their way to the front door.
She hugged the wall away from the window just in time for them not see her.
Then her cellphone ringed (UNKNOWN NUMBER) again and she quickly puts it on silent; and slowly put the phone against her ear, “They’re here.” She whispers.
“Hide. Hide right now…!” the voice on the other end said.
Click and the call ended.
(Flash back ends)
Tears ran freely down her face, her sobs mingling with her frightened squeals.
“Anika, it’s ok Anika.” Shivaay said trying to pacify her reaching out to squeeze her hand, pulling her closer in a hug.
Anika needed him.
“They’re coming, hide!” she said hoarsely.
“Don’t let them take you…?” she mumbled.
“Chutki……Chutki……Chutki” she repeatedly said, her voice now almost inaudible through the sobs.
This happened every so often and always at the same time.
03:30
“What could this mean? Shivaay needed to have a look at those papers he got from the investigator.
Present
Saumya is standing in Rudra’s room, waiting for him to return from his early morning gym session.
She has been hiding from the family the entire day, too scared to go out.
She trailed her fingers along one of the dumbbells totally lost in her thoughts when Rudra walked in.
“Sumo, what you doing here? Rudra asked as he threw his bag to the side.
“Its fine, I will leave if you want.” she said in a hoarse whisper squeezing her eyes shut.
“That’s not what I meant.” he said throwing his head back in frustration.
“Are you having second thoughts?” Saumya sighed, looking down and nervously playing with her fingers.
“No and stop thinking that.”Rudra replied a bit irritated by the fact that Saumya don’t trust his word.
“Trust me, I love you. You and our child are the only thing that matters to me” he said walking to where she was standing and hugged her from behind.
He slowly rocks her from side to side, he gently kissed her neck.
And it suddenly felt like a huge load was lifted from her and she smiled.
Meanwhile things were heating up in Om’s studio.
Well the two haven’t really spoken about this newfound intimacy. There was this awkwardness but not when they were making love it seemed.
Om smirked propping himself up near her ear, “Say it” but she instead manoeuvred her legs around his waist, making him groan as it forced his desire against her.
She pushed him down on his back, capturing his mouth for a few seconds and pulling away,while she teased him with some ice.
Om moaned, lost by her cold touches, gripping the sheets in a fist.
This made Gauri smile; the mere notion that this was all her doing, denying him to touch her.
Then the moment he waited for, “Touch me.” she whispered while gently nibbling on his neck.
A sharp knock on the door interrupted their intimacy and Om jumped up scrambling to get some clothes causing Gauri to almost fall off the bed with shock.
They went completely still after the initial knock out of shock…
But the knock was loud and insistent. “Ok Ok….!” he called, hopping with one leg in his pant and putting the other one in, quickly hitching up his pants so that they wouldn’t fall off while Gauri stumbled toward the ensuite’s door.