Posting in a hurry ... Here's the Chapter 17
CHAPTER 17
Inferno, was the prediction of the annihilation and suffering he was ready to unleash...
Inferno, was the map of the bottomless pit in her charred heart...
Inferno, was the mirror of blazing fire emanated from her fearless hazel orbs...
Inferno, was a curse of anguish and hellfire he was going through as his love was tormented ...
Thus inferno, was the chosen one;
If only one word was allowed to narrate the quartet ;
If only one stroke was allowed to illustrate the current picture ...
_____________________________
Laksh was burnt and ready to burn...That sharp pointed knife slightly scratched the creamy soft skin of Swara between the clavicles and horizontally above... Swara hissed in pain still taunted , " This is why I'd never feel for a sadist like you!"She felt drops of blood trickling down her throat as the lunatic man carved an injury resembling a neck chain over her nape, "Your so called love is nothing but a sick obsession, a desire to claim me as a possession... For you I'm a mere object without soul! You are... disgusting! " she spewed venom in her each and every words...
Laksh laughed bitterly, " Sorry about that darling! Had to leave a mark you know!You're so right! Sadism, obsession, possession and all.. They are all code words of dark love ..." He all on a sudden ripped the wedding chain off using the knife, which flew and fell on the floor, making Swara wince again. "Anyways, all old mementos have to retire... It's time to move on baby!"
"Leave my face!." She couldn't fathom why, losing the symbol of a marriage which had never happened, made lose her cool all of a sudden! Clenching her teeth she shouted , " I SAID LEAVE ME, YOU B**TARD!"
The satisfied and conniving smirk had wiped of Laksh's face, instead vitriol like furor spread over his entire being... He desiderated to break her, he pulled her close, prompting Swara to struggle vehemently and shriek.
Ragini couldn't watch anymore, she hastily started to leave... Her steps halted for a sevond hearing Swara's words, "Ragini, you're a girl too... Don't let him do this to me, please!"
Yet she almost ran out of the cave... Not caring about her leg ... leaving Swara in the hands of a devil...
__________________________________
Ragini didn't know what invoked her to flee from there... She was too irrevocably slipped in the quagmire to feel any remorse or empathy for anyone, ruefully she thought. Rather the green eyed monster had chased her away, as Laksh laid his hands on Swara... Tears stung her dark, black eyes as she rested herself on a rock...Within few moments her vision got clouded... She was too engrossed in her misery to sense someone's presence behind her, who knocked her head with the butt of a firearm, rendering her into darkness...
Two shadowy figures had appeared leaving the cover offered by the densely arrayed rosewood, banyan and cedar trees. The one who had hit Ragini with his Beretta M9A3 , whispered ,
" Sunny, see! There's light inside the cave!"
____________________________________
Sanskar's state had been similar to Prometheus for last two hours. Prometheus, in eternal punishment, was chained to a rock in the mountain of Khvamli, where an eagle daily fretted his liver for stealing fire for mankind... Here Sanskar's heart was being stabbed whenever Swara was in pain... whenever that son of b*tch was terrorizing her... His carefully laid attack plans went for a toss when Laksh laid his filthy hands on her. He rushed to reach the location that his team members had obtained from Laksh's tracking device. AK silenced Ragini as soon they found her.
Sanskar couldn't stay outside anymore as he heard Swara letting out a scream, louder than before, " AAHH!!SANSKAAAR!!!" He moved towards the cave as fast as he could.
" Go Sunny! Save your girl! Don't worry, I'll take care of the rest." AK assured as Sanskar glanced his friend while passing, having registered around five men strolling at a distance, without any care about what's going on inside.
Without wasting any time Sanskar entered the cave, where the sight before him whipped the quiescent monster in him to lash out...
Swara was writhing about in pain, her face contorted with repulsion and dread as she tried to move away her tear stricken face. Laksh held her arms, almost crushing them while attempting to kiss her forcefully on lips.
Like a wounded tiger Sanskar howled, "LAKSH!!!" He pounced on him, dragged him with inhuman force by holding his neck from back. Laksh attempted to fight back by hitting his elbow, predicting his move Sanskar in a blink twisted his arm backwards, resulting him to yell. Then Sanskar knocked his forehead several on the wall of the cave. Laksh was bleeding and started to feel dizzy. He still tried for a back kick with his right leg but missed as Sanskar had already released his neck,followed by jumping swiftly to the left side of enemy.
Sanskar brought his right knee forward and across his own chest, followed by swinging hip he extended his leg outward, striking his opponent with the outside edge of the foot. This left a massive blow in Laksh's waist. He fell on the ground on his face as he lost his balance.
"YOU SCOUNDREL! FILTHY SCUM! F**KIN' B**TARD!!!" Sanskar was not at all charming prince at this moment. He mercilessly kicked Laksh , all over his back; then kicked his waist like a football, tumbling and turning him . " HOW DARE YOU TOUCH HER? HOW DARE YOU?" He shouted furiously
Laksh stared at him and laughed like maniac, " What did you think? You'll stop me by marrying her?I don't give a DAMN! Sindoor, Mangalsutra, Shaadi... Yeh sab mere liye koi mayne nehi lagta! I challenge you Sanskar Oberoi, I'll anyhow complete whatever I've started today!"
The ticking bomb of wrath inside Sanskar exploded... He jumped on Laksh's chest with flexed knees, knocking him breathless with the momentum. The next thing Laksh felt was the barrel of Sig Pro pressed hard to his temple.
"Sanskar don't!" Swara whispered in a weak voice, "Don't do this!" This Sanskar was new to him.His eyes were bloodshot, veins throbbing in the temple , jaws clenched. He was not ready to budge.
"That beast doesn't deserve to live!"Sanskar said coldly, clutching Laksh's jaw...
____________________________________
AK added silencer in front of his Beretta M9A3 barrel. He distracted the Black wolves by throwing several stones at different directions and ambushed them. After 15 -20 minutes of sneaking and shooting all of them, he entered the cave. He found a tied up, traumatised Swara and an outraged Sanskar,ready to shoot heavily bruised and battered Laksh.
"Sunny stop! You can't kill him!" AK tried to warn him.That Laksh guy had a tracker inside him. Killing him now meant a huge drawback for their mission. Their seniors wouldn't like this at all.
" I don't care what happens to me!" Sanskar shouted, "I won't let him harm her anymore!"
AK hurriedly ran towards them, knocked Laksh senseless and dragged Sanskar away from him.
"Sanskar! Listen to me! Look at her! She is bleeding!" AK shaked Sanskar vigorously. "Right now you need to look after her."
Hearing his words, Sanskar rushed to Swara, untied her hands and feet. He held her as she was about to slump against the ground, placed her head on his lap. He was terrified to see her bleeding neck. "Swara! Your neck!"
She winced as she tried to smile, "They're only scratches!'I'm alright Sanskar! You saved me na! Let's go from here."
He was enraged beyond limits. "We'll leave, but NOT BEFORE KILLING THAT B**TARD !"
AK who had tied up Laksh in the meantime, rolled his eyes, watching his friends wrath was about to say something but stopped hearing Swara's voice.
"No Sanskar! I can't let you forget your priorities and responsibilities. You can't ruin what we've achieved so far!"
"He tried to dishonour you damn it! You talk about priorities? Nothing matters more than keeping you safe! If I could, I would've taken him in a concentration camp!"Sanskar sounded exasperated.
Swara lifted her hand to touch his shoulder,
" No Sanskar! I can't watch you fail at any cost! I don't want to be the reason of your defeat. Don't make me live in this guilt forever ... PLEASE! Maut bhi isse behtar hoga!"she whispered in a pleading voice.
"SWARA! DON'T EVER YOU REPEAT THOSE WORDS AGAIN!" Sanskar roared, "Okay FINE! We're leaving. AK, give him double dose of tranquilliser."AK did as he was told and left to bring the Black wolves' jeep near cave he had spotted earlier.
Fate really has her own crooked ways... No one can ever predict, what gift would come out their own Pandora's box. There was a time when Swara felt insulted and devastated by the thought of being a pawn in this convoluted game, to be precise by the thought of Sanskar considering her life less important than his mission. There was a time Sanskar had uttered, "Mere liye iss mission ki alawa kuch bhi maine nehi lagta... I'll not let anyone to come in my way... Not even you, Dr Swara Bose!"
Today Swara was ready to embrace the hell forever for the sake of his mission... She even coerced him to spare the monster who tried to rip her soul... and Sanskar... couldn't bear to see Swara's tears, her ache, her humiliation ... Her life, her soul, her security meant more than anything... Swara was his world, and for her, Sanskar was her sun, whom she never wanted to set...
_________________________________
Sanskar carried Swara in his arms and was going to leave the cave, when she exclaimed, "Wait Sanskar! Put me down here... No...don't ask me why..."Sanskar was going to refuse when she softly said, "Please!"
Her puppy eye look and pout compelled him to comply. She picked up something from the ground then tried to get up but felt weak. Sanskar clicked his tongue in irritation and carried her again. "What treasure you had to get there ha?"
Swara's cheeks were red, "Nothing.. mmm... Nothing ...I dropped my b-bracelet!"
Her flushed face and stammering made him suspicious. "Oh really! Must be very special one! Then show me !I'll get one for my mom."He arched his brow.
"Noo! I mean.. it's broken now. I'll show you later!"she tried to stall him.
Sanskar stopped abruptly "Don't try to act smart ! Show me! Or I'll happily shoot Laksh. Soch lo!" he pretended to threaten her, keeping a serious face.
Swara opened her fist quickly, not meeting his eyes. Sanskar was speechless, amazed and elated at the same time to see the wedding chain given by him in her hand, but became angry and worried to find it ripped and blood stained.
He walked fast and placed her carefully in the jeep AK had parked just outside the cave. "It would better kill that brute! Your neck... It's paining na?Let me check the glove compartment." Sanskar's voice was raged , later became tender. AK handed him the small first aid box silently, not disturbing their tender moment. Sanskar sat facing opposite her in the back of the jeep and was intently cleaning her wound,while Swara noticed something over his shoulder that made her eyes wide in dread...
"BANG!"
Sanskar was pushed to his side and fell from his seat. He looked back to see a wounded man who had gotten up from the ground with a gun pointed towards the open jeep with a trembling hand, and falling at the next moment as AK had fired back to back shots to finish his unfinished job and started the jeep.
Sanskar was startled as he found Swara's upper body in lying position tumbled over the backseat.He turned her only to see blood spluttering from a small hole on her shoulder.
"SWARA!"He screamed in agony holding her bleeding, unconscious figure.
He urged in trembling voice, "AK, drive faster! Swara ko goli lagi! She needs help!"
"Call the guys! Now! Don't lose hope Sunny! Uss ko kuch nehi hoga!"
Sanskar called this team, "SSR speaking! We need medical help! IT'S URGENT!...No! Send someone! She is shot damn it! She doesn't have time to travel all the way! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANYTHING! GOT IT? "He cut the line in frustration. He tried to stop the blood by applying pressure with bandages but still it didn't cease completely.
Sanskar felt defeated. "Yeh sab mere wajah se hua! I should be the one to protect her, not the other way round. Tu dekha na! Kaise woh mujhe bacha liya? I failed... I failed big time! Agar mere Swara ko kuch hua na... toh mein jeete jee mar jaunga!"
On the other hand AK was blaming himself but tried to be the rational one as he had to drive. He wanted to console him, "Trust me! Kuch nehi hoga usko! She's a fighter Sunny! Hey, look at me!" Ayaz looked at him through the rear view mirror, and was shocked...
" You're crying!!!"Ayaz had never seen his friend so vulnerable,his clothes were covered with Swara's blood, his eyes shot red with tear flowing down the cheek, clung to his love like she would escape if he loosened his hold... Droplets of tear touched her cheek as they fell down... She blinked, opened her eyes a little...Seeing his face she smiled as if she were in most ethereal bliss... and fainted again.
"Sunny! Here they're!"AK shouted,stopping the jeep, felt relieved to see their colleagues , for Sanskar who were angels in disguise... bringing in a ray of hope as a gift... amidst this long darkest night...
========================================
Mangal Lakshmi
