Endgame: Never underestimate the Devil [ Part Two, page-2]

So, I am kinda sick and tired of Sunny playing around with Raghav like he is better at this game than him. It is unbearably illogical for RR to fall for Sunny's two rupee cheap tricks. So I have twisted the tale to my satisfaction. I hope this satisfies the readers as well.

This TS is for the people who love the original Raghav Rao. See him back in action, in the game he owns.

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Sunny was having the time of his life. He had married his girlfriend who had millions to her name and had landed in the proverbial palace of Hyderabad. Some would say that he was mad, consciously creeping in the lion's den on his own violation. Some would say he had already lost his marbles if he thinks that he could seize the Devil's kingdom under his nose. But those some people would be eating their own imaginary hats if they saw him today.

He still hadn't thought about when is he going to replace the picture in the seating hall with his own but other than that, he had already won. He popped a sweet in his mouth laughing internally and wondering about the twist of fate. He, Sunny Ahuja, practically a penniless no body is walking around Raghav Rao's mansion like he owned it. Well, he did now, didn't he?

Sunny chuckled.

He, the jackal has finally triumphed over the lion. Yes, you heard it absolutely right. He has won and Raghav Rao has lost. Humiliatingly and hilariously .... hah! Who would have thought that the man whose very name made people quake in their shoes had more brains than this but... well. Let's just say, Sunny Ahuja has been given far less credit.

He has successfully brought to light his so called brother in law's illegal business in front of his lovely wife and the police at one strike. It was fun. The looks on all of their faces was worth all the punches he had received till date from the self proclaimed fiend. He almost regretted not bringing a DSLR to zoom in and out of every face in the hall that day, two weeks ago.

Pallavi understandably was distraught. She was a woman of high moral standards. Sunny knew her righteousness would only tear her personal life apart one day. However much she claimed to love the Demon, she finally couldn't bear to hold up to those promises. Sunny would add the sound of the slap Raghav had received from the love of his life to the list of his most favourite sounds.

A slap for a slap Pallavi Raghav Rao.. oops sorry Deshmukh... or maybe Sawant! Heh!

He hummed a tuneless melody as he skipped down the winding staircase as he remembered about the next sound which he would treasure throughout his filthy rich life as well. The slap of the handcuffs on Hyderabad's most notorious kingpin. It was such a blissful sight. Seeing the arrogant man being dragged out of his own kingdom by a chit of a woman.

Inspector Lakshmi Singh, the unwilling pawn in his game had kept her end of the bargain.

In return of Sunny's aid in the investigation she had very gratefully let Raghav's massive wealth alone leaving the necessary cut off for the customs he had bypassed. Of course, it wouldn't have served his purpose had his entire asset and liquid cash been frozen due to perjury. Jaya had broken down so bad after her son's arrest that they had to shift her to the hospital.

Pallavi had packed her bags and gone back to her brother's at Kolhapur. Good riddance! He could barely stand the sight of her face otherwise. Though he had initially wanted her to get arrested at well but her punishment was far greater than it looked. She was veritably and completely broken. Pallavi Raghav Rao was snuffed out like a flame in a breeze. She was finished, over, never to rise again. And Sunny relished the sight of her massive downfall as much as he had savoured her husband's ruin.

Left alone now was Keerti. The woman was annoying. She didn't look very happy with how everything had suddenly transpired. He didn't get her sometimes. One time she looked like she would very well slit her own brother's throat and the next moment she looked regretful of her own action. Sometimes he thought she had schizophrenia. Well she wouldn't be a problem now. He winced hearing her piercing screams, a mix of fury and sadness ringing at the back of his mind as he pulled her out of their room to throw her out of the house as well. She had seen him kissing that girl... what was her name...? Sheena... something yesterday at the club. And so the tantrums had started last night. The nerve of the woman, she had tried to slap him. he had given her a nice one in return. She had looked heartbroken but he couldn't seem to find any sympathy for her. He couldn't bear stupidity and Keerti Rao was a stupid woman to be honest.

How could she have been so blind not to have noticed what he wanted even as he unwittingly left hundreds of hints. She was dumb and quite ugly to be fair. The only reason he had shown interest in her was after hearing his surname - Rao. A name stuck forever in his brain. This entire drama he had to drag on, for two years was because he was waiting for a perfect opportunity to hit the iron when its hot.

He wanted revenge. Revenge from Raghav Rao. And now, he had it.

Rest in peace mom and dad. I have taken care of Mr. Raghav Rao.

His face darkened automatically thinking about the man who was most probably rotting away in prison and he would stay there forever, locked out from light and life. Sunny would take care of it. Lost in his thoughts he almost missed the last step and would have fallen face first on the ground had he not gripped the railing of the staircase at the last moment. The hall lights were put out for some reason. Which idiot did this?

Phew! Saved.

"Careful Mr. Ahuja. Wouldn't want you to break your Eugene O'Neil long nose before opening night now, do we?"

Sunny felt all the bones in his body jump in shock as his heart suddenly felt like he had run a marathon in a moment. He braved looking up and felt his body literally leap back as if in involuntary violation as his throat dried up completely. He could feel one of his hand climb up his throat as he struggled to force out words from his protesting mouth.

"What happened Mr. Ahuja? Not so brave now are we? How does it feel to be at the other end of the barrel for a change? I for one missed it so much. She was getting rusty lying around the place wasn't she?"

Raghav Rao stood unfazed, tall and towering, his frame just laconically bent to a side as he had one hand in the pocket of his pristine jet black three piece suit and the other curled determinedly around the handle of his self declared mistress.

Sunny didn't know what scared him most.

The man he thought was rotting in a prison cell looking like he had just come out his expensive car still smelling of the obnoxious wealth and power he commanded or the deadly mouth of the barrel glaring at his face. almost on his nose.

"You.. you.. you were supposed to... how.."

Raghav's expressionless face twitched and a dark smirk graced his lips. He looked like he had suddenly aged backwards, the softness his handsome face had acquired for the past few months since his marriage to Pallavi seemed to have once again evaporated into the heat of the flames burning in his pitch black eyes. His posture wasn't tensed at all, yet Sunny knew he would have a red hole painted on his face if he moved an inch. So he stood still... well, as still as one can be while trying not to pee in his pants.

If death had a face. It would Raghav Rao at the moment.

Sunny finally managed to squeak a few words feeling the air around them start getting colder almost as if Charon's hand could be seen advancing towards him, the skeletal frame with pieces of rotting meat hanging from it. This wasn't the Raghav Rao he had met before. This was the one spoken in scared whispers, he had heard before.

"What happened Mr. Ahuja? Cat got your slimy tongue?"

"You were.. in jail. How...?"

Raghav took a languid step forward looming almost menacingly over Sunny's frame as the moon light played the malicious sorcerer tonight lighting singular stripes over him giving him an almost deadly aura.

"When you decided to force your crooked pathetic way into my life I think you forgot a very essential point my dear former brother in law."

His voice seemed to be dropping in decibels, becoming softer and softer and somehow sharp like the cold steel of a merciless blade increasing the flames of horror and petrifying terror in Sunny Ahuja's heart even more than his explosively scorching anger ever had.

"I am Raghav Rao."

His dark voice was the last thing he heard before a stone like grip squeezed his throat with an inhuman strength which could only be possessed either by God or by Satan.

Or by Raghav Rao it was proven...

To be continued...

Yup never underestimate the devil.

Just amazing....

Continue soon.❤️

YEH HUI NA BAAT!!!

The essential point, the bottom line, the truth of all truths, is that he is the one and only, Raghav Rao! CVs ne iss baat ko bhool bhool kardiya but I'm so glad you took the time to put all of our mutual sentiments into your brilliant words! 👏

Raghav's mistress is such an incredible connotation, I love reading about it every time! ❤️

Can't wait to see Khajoor Ahuja's endgame! Thank you for the tag! 🤗

tag me for part 2

the devil is back❤️❤️❤️

❤️ tag me also🤗

Wow Amazing..

Do write more..

Old raghav rao s a treat yaar.🥰🥰🥰🥳🥳

wow bring it on.

That the Don RR. never mess with the Lion

Yayyy! Thanks for reading! Khajoor ka khel khatam hone ko hain! Aage aage dekhiye hota hain kya... mujhe ye likhne mein bada mazaa aa raha hain! CVs ne toh butcher kar diya hain RR ko... I want the old RR back. 😩

Part two

Sunny felt the air leave his strained lungs in a single whoosh as his feet left the ground. He wheezed scratching at the insanely mighty death grip around his throat and he saw purple spots dancing in front if his bleary eyes. When he thought he might pass out due to the lack of oxygen in his lungs the grip suddenly went off and he was thrown unceremoniously like a ragdoll on the staircase behind.

"Farhad!"

Raghav Rao's booming voice resounded like a thunder strike across the mansion. Like the roar of a lion on the hunt, practically salivating at the smell of his prey. Sunny had a bad feeling that maybe he was being made that prey tonight. As if on cue the lights exploded on blinding him. He quickly scrambled up from his position backtracking hastily. He saw Raghav standing at a distance, his handsome face devoid of any emotion, his arms across his chest and his feet apart to remain parallel to his squared shoulders. Anyone who didn't know him could mistake him easily for a military man. He was practically pulsating with a viguor which screamed bloody murder.

Sunny swallowed dryly coughing at the sudden release of pressure from his throat.

"How did you escape prison?"

He asked finally as Raghav made no move to hit him or catch him again. Sunny could try to escape but he somehow knew it would be futile. He had screamed for his diligent secretary and right hand man a few seconds ago. That means his men had the place surrounded. Raghav gave a mysterious smirk again which looked creepy without the ensuing emotion in his eyes.

"You seem awefully convinced that I went to prison."

"You..."

"Did you seriously think, even for a second that it might have been that you.. you, a petty two timer conman have the chance against me? I knew you were delusional Sunny, but this... this is for the lack of a better word madness."

He started prowling around the place like a caged panther, his hawk like gaze taking in probably every minute change Sunny might have made in his lair. He grimaced seeing the half filled alcohol decanter and leftovers from the afterparty on the bar.. his bar.

"So you weren't in jail then?"

Sunny had started regaining his lost voice. And though he knew that he had lost, somehow he had a sudden morbid curiosity to know how he was so grossly outwitted. Raghav stopped prowling and picked up a knife from the fruit salad on the center table near the couch and fingered the blade thoughtfully.

Sunny knew it was a very common intimidation technique but the worst part was that itvwas working. Any sharp or even blunt object in the hands of Raghav Rao was a deadly weapon capable of mass destruction.

"The game you think you have been playing jacka** is the one I had mastered long before you had grown a beard. I run an empire here Sunny. You coming out of the blue and trying to make a scratch on the surface of the curtain can't topple it. I am frankly impressed though how you manipulated my sister into following through with your idiotic plans. Keerti was always too headstrong for her own good. But I can't blame her... she gets it from me.

Anyways. Point is, you snooping around my den, listening in to my conversations and trying to piece together information from the police on the pretext of helping them... was to be brutally honest a bit immature, even for you. How could you have thought that I wouldn't have noticed you at the doorway? Eavesdropping like a five year old..? Seen you behind my desk that day when you heard Farhad and my conversation?"

How indeed...

Sunny thought. Raghav had a look of almost a pitiful amusement at his massive delusions regarding his own capabilities. Sunny saw his men had started filtering in from all the sides without his knowledge as all his attention was concentrated on the man in front. A Devil manifest. He was looking bored. Sunny wanted to gnash his teeth in anger. Anger at his own stupidity and at Raghav Rao for looking so disinterestedly at him like he was nothing but an insect under his boots.

Raghav seemed to have caught on to his mental musings as he flashed him a wicked grin which seemed to be saying..

Oh but you are Sunny Ahuja! You are nothing but dirt under my soles.

Sunny looked around and spotted Jaya and Keerti standing at one corner, shielded behind that scoundrel Farhad. Jaya Rao looked vindicated. Her eyes mirroring the hatred and vile amusement like that of her son. His face darkened as he realised how the old hag had never wanted him to marry her daughter, insulting him at every opportunity available. Keerti on the other hand looked blank. Her dark eyes boring into his body like lazers yet lacking of any emotion. It made him feel uneasy to be honest. The entire lack of action was unnerving him now. Raghav was not the one who would stay quiet when he has an opportunity to punch and kick.

But somehow he didn't look like he bothered lifting even his pinky for the sake of even hitting him. The sudden change in his disposition was scary.

"But the police had... how.."

"Oh! You are still stuck there, are you? Inspector Singh please grace us with your gratifying presence will you? Mr. Ahuja seems a lot perplexed. Explain everything to him will you madam..?"

Sunny didn't know just how many shocks had this person planned for him. Inspector Lakshmi Singh was standing, leaning against a pillar right at his left side, so still and silent that he hadn't even noticed her till her voice came making him almost jump out of his skin.

"Finally! Frankly speaking I was getting tired of all the theatrics now Mr. Rao."

She huffed in her no nonsense voice, just an edge of a blink it and you miss it humour laced her otherwise emotionless voice. Sunny looked at her more betrayed than surprised. She rolled her eyes like she had been told to explain a difficult Calculus problem to a two year old.

"Mr. Ahuja, you live under some serious illusion if you think arresting a man like Raghav Rao is as easy as that. He is the proverbial snake in the garden. Hidden yet everyone is aware of his presence, could strike you dead with a single bite unannounced and unnoticed yet necessary to be housed to eat the insects threatening to kill the crops."

"What the hell do you mean? You are the police! He is a criminal!!! You are supposed to arrest him... I even gave the proofs."

"You gave me a bloody register Mr. Ahuja where a number of accounts and their phone numbers, calculation of custom deviations were handwritten! What the actual hell was I suppose to do with it? How did you even think that a few handwritten notes could testify against him. Anyone could have written those. Do you think, any of those accounts had any trace on the network? Any of those numbers would work? Any of the listed contacts could be tracked down? It was all a complete hoax and a waste of time.

Business giants always play around with taxes and custom duties. Heck! Most of them have thousands of illegal businesses going under the table. These are open secrets Mr. Ahuja. You cannot survive the corporate world with a white shroud around yourself."

Sunny was literally sweating by then. He could feel the fingers tightening around his throat, holding him in a chokehold. The Inspector herself didn't look very comfortable siding with Raghav herself, a permanent scowl on her face matched the sardonic tone of her voice but she made it quite clear that she had nothing on her hands. Still Sunny tried. A drowning man clutching at a straw.

"But Inspector madam, I thought you were better than this. You could stop this Devil trust me.. just.."

Lakshmi Singh laughed sarcastically making him jump again. Raghav's hard smile melted into something softer for a second. Or maybe he imagined it.

"Come out of your dreamland Mr. Ahuja. This is the real world we are talking about, living in. This is how it works. I didn't know Mr. Rao personally as I was transferred recently but he has quite a reputation in the department. They call him the hidden ace. I was surprised myself. He is a smart Devil I have to say. Mr. Rao has helped the police time and again with some... lets say all of the things we have to do isn't transparent. Where we couldn't get inside, Mr. Rao's thousand and one contacts could.

He is what you call, a necessary evil. There's what has been called a trade off. We keep our noses off his business, turn a blind eye to his evasions and he gets our too dangerous missions get underway. I will admit... begrudgingly so... his men are good."

Sunny looked shell shocked. So thats how the man has been operating so freely for all these years right under the Police's noses. Its a bargain. Raghav Rao has successfully shielded himself from the law by working for it staying largely at the opposite side. A fair game in defence businesses nowadays.

Set a thief to catch a thief.

This bloody ba*tard!

Raghav had his hands stuffed in his pockets, enjoying the show lazily it seemed. Sunny suddenly remembered about the missing piece in this elaborately drawn puzzle.

Pallavi! But, why did he let him do all this? His wife left him because of this mess? Is that what he wanted all along? But he wouldn't take on the added humiliation because of that would he? No... Raghav loved Pallavi. Sunny was sure of that. Then...

"But.. but you didn't say anything? You could have stopped me.. get me killed or tortured or anything. You let me take the register. You let me show all that to Pallavi? Why would you..."

Raghav's answering smile was too glaring. Slamming the obvious truth staring at him on the face and it hit him square on the gut like a freight train crashing against him, knocking the air out of him. His horror might have shown on his face as he saw Raghav's grin widen and eyes darken, a lethal contrast of victory and vengeance mixed with fury.

Sunny stammered yet couldn't form words. So shocked was he of the revelation of a truth which was hidden so perfectly in plain sight.

Suddenly he heard the voice. That irritating voice which sounded strangely light hearted and dangerous at the same time.

"Come to my parlour sayeth the spider to the fly..."

Pallavi Raghav Rao looked resplendant as she sauntered in the lights of the hall from the shadows like a chief actor walking into the theatre where the drama of his death was being played. She was always bold, this woman. Unafraid to show her confidence and vibrating with her beauty. She strode powerfully to stand beside her husband, her raven hair open till her waist, wrapped alluringly in a maroon saree. The red colour in the partition of her hair and the golden mangalsutra nestled in the arch of her bossom seemed to be mocking Sunny.

She crossed her arms across her chest and looked at him, her red lips arched slightly in a mocking tilt. The literal queen in her own rights. Pallavi Rao was veritably glowing like the burning embers of triumph, her grey eyes awashed in mirth. Mirth at the expense of his classic stupidity.

How could he have ever thought that Pallavi would fall for his tricks? How could he have ever expected that she would have left her husband? The man for whom she has burned in the fires of Hell and will walk unhesistently to its doors and beyond if required.

"You... you b*tch!"

Sunny whispered, as fury at his own failure overcame his shock. He leapt towards her ready to throttle her to death completely berserk in his anger, forgetting that he could be shot to smithereens even before he made contact with her. But to his shock not a single bullet hit him. Instead a resounding slap knocked him out of his feet to tumble backwards.

His left cheek exploded in pain as he tasted blood. He looked at Pallavi heaving in a potent anger so massive that it looked like she would explode.

"That was for trapping Keerti for money, absing her trust, trying to drug her, manipulating her into siding with a criminal two times, manipulating her to marry you, hitting her."

"You!"

Slap! Her hand connected with his face, on the same assaulted cheek again, with the same force as before making him stumble again. Then came a eye blearing barrage of slaps raining on his cheek which made his head spin quite a bit interspersed with Pallavi's cool voice listing out his litany of crimes.

"IPC section 185 of driving under influence of alcohol."

Slap!

"IPC section 107, abetment to conspiracy."

Slap!

"IPC section 328, administering to or causes to be taken by any person any poison or any stupefying, intoxicating or unwholesome drug, or other thing with intent to cause hurt to such person."

Slap!

"IPC section 498A for domestic violence against women."

Slap!

Sunny was sure he had bitten off his cheek by the time her incessant slaps stopped mercifully. Pallavi wasn't done yet it seemed. She was fuming like an angry lioness. Ready to gorge his eyes out it seemed. She caught his collar again and landed her last slap which made him tumble into the hands of the officers standing behind who gripped him tightly.

"And that, was for harassing my husband's and my mental peace. Seriously! If you weren't already neck deep in charges I would've allowed Raghav to literally bury you six feet under. It was so tempting! And if you hadn't had Keerti in your spell then I would've done this the day you decided to challenge me at the kitchen. You are incredibly and overbearingly stupid Sunny, if you had thought that you could separate me from Raghav or create differences between us with your cheap tricks. I am not a blind fool. I have entered this marriage knowing fully well what Raghav does and how he handles his business.

Well, the only reason we had to go along, playing dumb and weak in accordance with this charade was because you had Keerti under your sway. We needed to handle this with care and we were waiting for you to make a mistake. And you made it quite fast I must say. You didn't take much time showing your disgusting colours to her. Congratulations Mr. Sunny Ahuja! You are officially finished."

Sunny was openly gawking at them. He couldn't wrap his damn head around this awefully elaborate game they have played with him. Everything from the beginning itself was a carefully thought out move. He saw Raghav coming to stand beside his wife as she tucked her arm in with his probably, just another power move, making Sunny feel more of a fool than he already was.

"So.. you all were just acting all this while?"

He asked dejectedly feeling being dragged out of their house by the police officers behind him. He knew very well that he wasn't coming out of this one. Previously he had gotten a bail but now it seemed like an impossibility. Raghav's eyes sharpened at his question and bore into his very soul it seemed. The man definitely knew black magic.

"Not completely. But enough to trap you. If only Pallavi wasn't so adamant about avoiding bloodshed I would have crushed you into a pulp just for the mess you created in my life and the mental harrasment my wife had to face because of that. The only reason I let Pallavi take center stage today was because if I was left to my devices then that would've been the end of you Mr. Sunny Ahuja. You are in the endgame now.

Remember very carefully. However much the jackel dances, the strings he his held by are in the claws of the lion."

He snarled betraying the temper he was controlling for his wife's sake.

The last thing Sunny saw before being thrown into the van like a sack of potatoes, the last sight of the outside world before he is completely confined within a five by five cage of darkness for life was them... Raghav and Pallavi.

She had her head against his shoulder leaning into him it seemed. His arm was wrapped protectively around her waist supporting her against his chest as they opened their free arms towards Keerti who walked into their embrace.

He shouldn't have underestimated the Devil...

Do you all want another bonus part for Raghav and Pallavi ? If not, then this is the end. Something I would like to see on the show but... sigh.. if only wishes were horses... not that I know how to ride a horse 😂😂😂

I would love to read a bonus part. Please please. Another 100 pleases. We can neve tire of reading Raghav-Pallavi. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Keep these as advance. I want to gush so much. I am running now. Have to get somewhere. And I love you ❤️❤️❤️❤️ for tagging me every time. You don't know how sweet is that.