Zindaan – The Golden Cage Chapter 21 (Truth & Lies Part 1)

Thanks to Saniya and Shona for encouraging me with your comments. It means a lot. Mysteries will be revealed slowly ❤?

Anika opens her eyes and felt a shooting pain in her head. That’s when she realised her surrounding. Her hands and feet are halted by a rope, she can’t able to move. She realised that her forehead is still slightly bleeding after  looking the blood drops near her on floor. She sees here and there and found darkness. The only source of light was a small window above the door. She can see a small figure in front of her. She tried to move while crawling toward it. Her hands start getting marks and cuts because of the tight rope. She moves forward and sees a little girl lying there unconscious. Suddenly, someone opens the door and enter. “You get your senses back” She looks on the voice. “Why did you took me here? What do you want?” She shouts. “You are the key of that ledger,” Daksh said. “Where is my mother? What you both did to her?” She said. “We killed her. What are you going to do?” Svetlana said while laughing like a maniac while she looks at her in rage. “Dare to touch my family, I will rip you in pieces. Got it!” She shouts and tears start brimming in her eyes.

“Who is this girl? Don’t you have a humanity that you torture children” She said while he bends dow. “No, we don’t have. Don’t talk too much or else I will make you shut up for forever” He said in a dangerous voice. “My father will not leave you. He will make sure to lock you both.” She replied while he starts laughing. “You are still a child who thinks her father as a superhero…” He mocked while laughing. “Poor girl, Do you have any idea what type of person is your father?” He said holding her face. “Let your father come, he can’t do anything. If anyone saves you then it’s your sister. She has to give that ledger in return of you” He said jerking her face. “I can’t let you win….You are a monster” She shouts while he controlled his anger.

“Sir, We checked but all the cameras are broken,” Vishal said to him. “Here is the list of cars who pass through this route” He added while giving papers to him. “Did you check everything? There is something we can miss” Kshitij said while he nods his head. “There is blood upstairs in the corridor. Seems like Anika resists” He said. “Yes, He injured Raghav too because of this,” He said moving upstairs. He sees blood and footprint between blood. He didn’t take a few seconds to get to know what had happened thereafter looking blood on one of the pillars. “Take this blood sample and run on the criminal database,” He said to Vishal. “No, not pillar one. It is of Anika” He stopped him. “How are you sure that it is her blood?” Vishal asked. “She tried to run and he banged her head here. I can say after looking blood pattern that someone dragged his leg from here. Seems like kidnapper get injured on his leg, there is a possibility that the blood on the floor is his” He replied while he nods his head.

Kshitij moves downstairs and looks at the surrounding in the hope of getting something. He sighed in disappointment. “Put these cars on the wanted list and track their way,” He said while passing the paper to one of the officers. “If he wants anything from Drishya, there is a high possibility that he is near to us,” He thinks while checking for clues. His sight falls on a shining metallic thing in between the flowers of a vase. “What is this?” He said taking out and see a metallic pen. “Isn’t it a Pen camera?” Vishal said to him while giving a sample of blood to the forensic officer. “But why it is here? Isn’t this use in a sting operation in journalism” He said opening it. “It can be used by anyone. Maybe it records that moment when the kidnapper is getting out” Vishal replied. “Play it. Such a creepy house it is….there are cameras hidden everywhere” He said. “Here you go” He replied passing laptop to him.

“Stop,” He said realising something. He searches something on google and said “There are more cameras like this. Do search every corner.” “Sir, We took out all the hidden cameras last time. How come they put these cameras again and if they did then why didn’t they destroy the footage” He asked. “He doesn’t know about this camera because they are put by Drishya” He replied. “What the hell?” He asked rubbing his head. “It is used for recording by those people too who often blackout. Don’t waste more time and search all of them. I will explain it later about this.” He said while he nods her head and informed all the officers to search again. Kshitij again plays the video and see how Tej and Swetlana tried to throw out Raghav. “I don’t have time for their family politics,” He said forwarding the video and stop at the moment where the kidnapper dragging Anika. He saw the face of Swetlana but unable to see Daksh face because of the mask. “Sir, Here are all. They are set up on corridor and terrace but not inside the rooms” Vishal said giving him three more recorders. “There is no need for them now. Search about this lady and track her number” He replied.

“Looks like your sister doesn’t care about you at all that’s why she is not coming,” Daksh said leaning his head on a chair. “What’s your enmity with me? Let me Go..” Anika said an exhausted voice. “I don’t have any enmity from you. It’s your sister who has some valuable thing of our Boss” He replied. “What is that?” She asked. “I don’t know but if she won’t come here for giving that thing then you will surely get killed. I think she can sacrifice you for that. Isn’t it?” He said while she looks on. “Don’t say rubbish. I know if she is not giving you then there is something very important” Anika said. “You are such an emotional fool…Drishya is smarter than your thinking. She can twist any situation in her support.” He said while tears flow down from her eyes.

“Sir Here is the location of Swetlana’s phone,” Vishal said. “Let’s Go. Don’t touch these cameras, I will see the recordings after rescuing Anika” Kshitij said to the officers while moving out. “I am still not getting about the cameras,” Vishal asked who was driving with great speed. “Nothing, I hear about this thing in a case. People who often blacked out, they used recorders for recording their own action as they have doubt that they might end up hurting others” He replied. “It can be put by Anika too. Why Drishya only?” He asked. “I just assume it after looking at how she gets fainted today.” He replied taking a turn on way.

“Look, I messaged her from the unregistered number but still she doesn’t even bother to reply. She doesn’t care about you ” Swetlana said to her. “Shut up! Don’t try to turn me against Ishu.” Anika said. “Why you both sisters are equally annoying?” He asked tilted his neck right. “I am done with you.” He said while standing. He moves forward and picks up that heavy iron ball with blades while she looks on horrified. “Your sister will realise when she sees your dead body,” He said playing with the blades. “You want to kill me, then go ahead. Did you get satisfied after this?” She asked in trembling voice. “Yes, We get a lot of satisfaction” Swetlana replied.

“Everyone will be hurt at the same time when they learn how to hurt the other person,” She said while sobbing and that weapon falls down from his hand. She looks down on the voice of thud and looks how brutally that weapon scratched the floor with blades. If he hit her with that, her skull almost gets fractured. “Why did you stop?” Svetlana asked shaking Daksh. “What did you say?” He asked in disbelief. Anika don’t know what was so special in those words that he gets stopped? She is not able to see his face because of the mask but she can clearly see those creased lines on his forehead. “Who told you this?” He asked. Anika feels a different longing in his voice. “I don’t remember…” She replied calmly. “Why are you not killing her?” Svetlana asked furiously from behind after coming outside of the room. “She is someone dear to me” He replied removing his mask. “Who?” She asked while frowning. “Moon…” He muttered closing his eyes.

***Flashback***

He sees some biscuits on the ground and looks upward. A girl dolled up in expensive frock, who was on the terrace is throwing snacks in the ground while all the other poor children run toward to pick them. She was getting happy after seeing the children who were fighting to eat. He looks at her with rage who was enjoying and then she throws some snack toward him too. “Why don’t God kill her?” He said cursing. “Don’t say that. Let’s go, we don’t need her leftover” Another girl younger than his age said to him. “Yes, Everyone will be hurt at the same time when they learn how to hurt the other person. She will also get” A girl almost of seven years told signing toward upward while trying to reach his height for holding his hand. “Who teaches you this, Moon?” He asked while picking her up. “Di told me. She said not to hurt those who hurt us. They will get hurt by own” She replied cutely and he ruffled her hairs “Where is your di?” He asked while she signs toward the building toward smiling.

****Flashback ends***

“Where are you lost? Who is this moon?” Svetlana asked. “Nowhere, Keep eye on her. Do wait little for the ledger” He said igniting the lighter for a cigarette. “Where are you going? ” She asked while he moves outside without replying. Suddenly her phone screen start flashing and she received it. “Yes Boss, Daksh went outside for some work. We will surely get the ledger” She said.

“What happens to her?” Palak asked. “It’s RAS.” Doctor replied to her while she looks on confusedly. “Leave all that, she will be fine,” She asked while she nods her head. She picked up her phone and dialled a number of Kshitij. “Drishya is fine. Did you rescue Anika?” She asked. “No, we are almost on the scene. By the way, what happened with Drishya?” He asked. “You ask yourself when you come to the hospital” She replied. “Sir, This is the location ” Vishal yelled while he takes out the revolver after cutting the call. It looks like a farmhouse in outer of the city.

“Be careful!” He said to him while checking the door and found it locked. Vishal moves forward for breaking it but he stopped. “No, they get alerted from the sound. Let’s do it from backside ” He said moving toward the back. They both climb over the fence and jump. “Search all the rooms without making the sound,” He said and they both split up. “She is not here. I think they get to know about us before only” Vishal said while he sighed in disappointment. He stamps his hand on the wall in frustration and then heard echoing sound. “There is a basement but where is the secret way of it,” He said and concentrate on the sounds. He looks toward the stairs and removes the painting from the wall.

Swetlana dialled the number after seeing the footage in the basement. “Boss, Police is here,” She said. “How the hell they get to know the location? Did anyone get to know about your involvement?” He shouts in frustration. “No one saw my face but I don’t know how they traced my involvement?” She said worriedly. “Where is that jerk?” He asked addressing ‘Daksh’. “He went outside after listening some so-called words from Anika,” She said irritatingly. “What rubbish? You escaped from there somehow and leave Anika there” He said. “What about that Juhi’s daughter? She has already seen our faces” Swetlana asked while he stamps his hand on the table. “She won’t open her mouth as she is scared,” He said while she heard the sound of the banging of the door. She cut the call and run outside from the emergency exit. Kshitij and Vishal enter inside. “Rescue Anika and I will go behind her,” He said while signing to Vishal and run in the same direction.

Kshitij sees her running toward the exit, he runs with great speed but she closed the main door from outside. This time he is not going to lost, he jumps from the boundary on the road. “Stop or I will shoot you” He shouts following her in alleys. He knows he can’t shoot her as he needs her alive. He aims the target and shoots on the leg. She stumbles and starts dragging herself. He literally runs toward her but before he could reach , a car with great speed crushed her and went in another direction. His mind is not able to register that in few second everything gets a turn. He shoots toward the tyres of the car but it vanished. “We need an ambulance immediately,” He said over the phone. “Do tell me who is behind this?” He asked to her who was lying in a pool of blood. “Who the hell try to kill you? Tell me….” He said restlessly. “You….” She stuttered and said with great difficulty. “What?” He wondered while she closed her eyes. “You can’t die like this…I need to know about the one behind this” He shouts jerking her badly. “Are you listening? You can’t die like this” He said while holding his head.

On the other hand, he chuckled and said “Sorry, you have to die but these are just small sacrifices” He said leaning back on his chair and smirked. He opens his eyes with a jerk and looks at the photos in front of him. “Detective, your period of investigating this case is over. I underestimate you. Because of you, I lost one of my pawns, now get ready to lose your thing” He smirked holding the picture of Kshitij. “How can you do this? You killed Swetlana” Daksh said furiously while entering inside. “Really! You care about her so much” He asked laughing.

“How can you joke after killing anyone? Are you even human?” Daksh said. “The one who is inhumane is talking about humanity” He laughed while mocking him while he made a fist in anger. “You know that our moon is alive and she is Anika. How dare you to tell me to play with her life?” He shouts while he turns toward furiously. He put the revolver on his forehead. “How dare you to bark at me? Do you want to die?” He said. “Why did you hide her identity?” Daksh asked with tears brimming in his eyes. “Because you won’t harm her if I told you before,” He said while he looked with burning eyes. “If you can tell to not hurt Drishya, then why the hell you changed it in Anika case?” He asked. “You fool! Who told you that I want to protect that girl. I want her ability of thinking” He said putting his finger on his forehead while he looks on. “I thought she will lose her senses after that injury but unfortunately her sense becomes stronger. I did mistake by giving her to that useless Tej who even don’t know the use of her. That jerk is using her as a caretaker of his daughter. Just imagine how easily our business run with her mind. No one is able to catch us” He smirked and laughed like a maniac.

“Sir, Are you alright?” Vishal asked running toward the direction where he was sitting in a pool of blood. He stands and turns toward him. “What about Anika?” He asked. “She is in hospital and we rescued a girl child too with her,” Vishal replied. “Do tell forensic officers to took her body.” He said while he nods his head. Vishal knows that he is highly disappointed with himself for losing another main link. “Sir, Don’t worry. We will surely get a clue. At least we did rescue Anika because of you.” He said. “Hey, Don’t talk to me like that you are my senior,” He said patting his forehead while smiling. “I was trying to imagine as senior for some seconds,” He said cheekily and he nods his head in disbelief.

“How are you? ” Kshitij asked to her. “Thank you for saving me” Anika muttered smiling. “No, you yourself fight very well and because of you, we were able to rescue that child too,” He said. “Sir, Here is that which you want,” Palak said giving him a box. “This is a tracker watch for you. Don’t remove it ever.” He said giving her while she nods her head. “Did you catch Swetlana and that masked person?” She asked. “She died and that person escaped. I will make sure to catch him very soon” He said. Anika looks toward the entrance her, eyes were searching for someone. “Your sister is admitted here,” He said. “What happens to Ishu?” She asked restlessly. “She just fainted nothing else.” He replied. “What? Where is she?” She try to remove drip from her hand panicking. “Don’t do this, she is unconscious. You should worry about yourself ” He told her while walking outside.

“What happened to her? What’s this term RAS? ” Kshitij asked. “Reflex Anoxic Seizures. This happens mostly in the children but any age person is susceptible. An unexpected situation or fear can trigger this” Roshni replied. “But her heartbeat get stopped,” He said. “It’s for a few seconds. There is nothing to worry about” She replied. “Then why is she still unconscious? ” He asked. “Because I give sedative for making her calm. She will get conscious anytime. But there is one weird thing which I want to discuss” She said while he looks on. “Mam, Here are reports” Nurse interrupt her giving some reports. “I noticed some stitch marks on her forehead and that’s why I did an MRI scan of her brain. RAS very rarely happen in adults and even if it happens, then it started from childhood. She might be blackout many time before too” She replied.

“What’s in the reports?” He asked while she opens it. “I guessed right, here look at this. She gets an injury in the frontal lobe that’s why her mind is not able to cope up with emotions” She said showing him a report. “She has hyperthemesia too,” He said while she looks on. “Really! I thought that Dr Drishya is just normally intelligent. I don’t know that she has the rare ability” She said amazed. “Didn’t you get to know about her ability after looking reports?” He asked. “That condition is only identified by Psychiatrist. I am a neurosurgeon, and moreover it can’t be possible to come in reports as it’s about behaviour ” She said while he nods his head. “Yes, Can I look where is the injury?” He asked while she moved her fringes and show marks. “What about this one?” He asked. “It’s a fresh wound, maybe she gets hurt with something” She replied.

“Now you told me that she has hyperthemesia. So, I think this is because of injury” She said while he looks on confusedly. “What! Are you saying that she develops this ability from injury? ” He asked. “No, I am saying that this injury contributes as an advantage. When someone gets hurt in the frontal lobe, it can be possible to land up in coma ” She said and show him reports. “How can it be an advantage?” He asks. “Did you hear that a blind person has more ability to hear. It’s because he lost one sense and that’s why all the other senses become more powerful.” She asked. “Yes, but she is not blind,” He said. “It goes the same with the mind. She was in some situation where her mind can work, she can see and hear” She said. “You mean paralyzed,” He asked while she nods her head. “Yes, She was not able to move her body but she was able to notice things around her. This contributes to her condition as an advantage and makes her senses stronger” She replied. “I get understand now. What type of injury is this? How much old is it?” He asked. “Umm…I can’t say clearly. Looking at the reports , It can be 10 – 15 years.” She replied. “10- 15 years…You mean she gets this in childhood ” He said counting. “Maybe, I can be wrong.” She replied. “She has dents on skull too. That thing must be very heavy from which she gets hurt. Her skull gets fractured too if the pressure was more. ” She said while showing him lines on the scan. “It can be an iron rod,” He asked. “No, She has more than two dents. It is something heavier” She replied. “What is it?” He asked while she shruggled her shoulder.

“You can ask from the forensic department, they will help you finding that thing,” She said while giving him reports. “She gets consciousness in few seconds only but I give her sedative because she needs to rest,” She said. “No, you did the right thing. She used her mind a lot ” He replied looking at her and something strike in his mind. “By any chance, Is it possible that she can imagine things?” He asked. “Yes, She can see hallucination about her past experience” She replied.”I did mistake by trusting on you. I should understand at that time when you told me that you noticed Shivay’s behaviour. You have the ability to notice things not emotions. You get attached with Shivay because you yourself imagine things. How can she twist all the story in favour of her and told only those thing which she wants to share? How dare this girl to play with my mind? ” He thinks. “Wait for a second, don’t tell her that you took an MRI scan or you told me about the injury. Just say her that you know about RAS nothing else” He said. “Why?” She asked. “Keep it confidential for the sake of investigation,” He said while she nods her head. ” I can’t even trust that story which you told me about you and Shivay. You want to play tricks, Drishya Malhotra, let’s play then” He muttered.

Kindly ignore grammatical and spelling errors. Take care and Keep smiling.

Regards

Niyu