AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Dev had to get Avantika and her brothers to safety. He ached to see her, to hold her in his arms, to tell her that she’d be fine. To explain his side of the story. Soon. He would soon do that. He’d ensure it. But first, he had to help them escape.
He looked into the fireplace of his father’s study, exhaling and inhaling. Behind him, his father was already planning his takeover of the Rajpoots’ assets. He had gotten Rushabh Rajpoot to sign all the documents before killing him, thus ensuring he now held everything the Rajpoots owned. His father’s glee had been evident in the past two days. It was sickening.
“I’ll do it,” Dev announced, still looking into the fire. “It’s time to end everything and start anew.”
His father smiled. Dev’s compliance to his father’s orders was cementing a place for him by his father’s side.
“Why should you be the one to do it?” Shamsher said, sounding suspicious. He was clearly unhappy about Dev’s position now.
“Because I know that house like the back of my hand.” Dev shrugged. “But no worries. You’re free to take over. You’d probably have to face my father’s wrath if you bungle it up, though.”
“Dev’s going to do it,” Pritam Luthra declared. “He’s already proven worthy to be my heir, and after he does this, none of you can ever question his loyalty to me.”
Pritam Luthra approached him and patted his cheek. “Your actions are making me proud.”
Fury stormed through him, listening to his father. But he didn’t let a speck of it show on his face. He lowered his head instead, keeping his hands loose. Avantika, Sanjana, Aaryan, and Vihaan—he was doing this for them, he repeated to himself. He’d pay whatever price he needed to pay to ensure they were safe and out of the reach of his evil father and his men.
His father was a traditionalist in every way. Dev was his son, his firstborn, and no matter that Pritam Luthra had seen it fit to punish his rebellion, it was all forgotten now that Dev had shown him that his allegiance clearly lay with him.
“Sir, I would still insist on Dev taking two of our men with him.” Shamsher gave Dev a sharp look. “After all, we wouldn’t want you to get hurt in any way. You are your father’s heir. The men can help you organize everything.”
Before Dev could protest, his dad agreed.
“And Sir,” Shamsher added, “let us go and see first-hand how your son executes his brilliant plan. You should watch him make you proud.”
Pritam Luthra gave Dev a jubilant look. “You go ahead. We will join you in twenty minutes. I suppose that would be enough time for you to set everything up.”
Fuck! Dev stared at the man, Shamsher, who’d hurt the two girls he cared for more than anything and reinforced the promise he’d made to himself. This man would pay…one day. But now, he had a bigger challenge on hand. How was he going to get the Rajpoot siblings out and in safety in twenty minutes with two men he was certain would be watching his every move?
* * *
Dev stared at the Rajpoots’house for a long time. He’d instructed the two men to spread the gasoline all over the house and to meet him at the front in a few minutes. They’d been hesitant at first, but as they saw him dousing the inside of the house with gasoline, they’d rushed to do as told.
Dev climbed up the stairs of the house. The minute he disappeared from their sight, he tossed the can aside and walked through the rooms on the first floor, his eyes wet. He’d played in this house for years, and now he’d have to destroy it all. He’d have to destroy every memory the Rajpoot children had of their parents. A sudden thought occurred to him. Perhaps he could save something for them. He rushed to the family room and took out a few CDs, tucking them under his t-shirt before zipping up his jacket. When he returned down to the living area, the two men were nowhere to be seen.
Thinking they were outside the house, waiting for him as planned, he ran down to the basement. This was the opportunity he’d been waiting for. He was going to help Avantika, and her brothers flee. God! He only hoped they believed him. There was no time left to even explain. He reached the basement and was shocked. The basement door was ajar, and the two men who’d been sent with him lay bloodied and unconscious. Beyond their still forms, he could see some ropes. Shamsher clearly hadn’t trusted Dev and had instructed these two to tie up the siblings. But where were the Rajpoots now?
Fucking hell! Did someone else come and take them away? Had it been Shamsher? Had he hurt them? His heart pounded in fear. Or had Aaryan and Vihaan fought them and escaped?
Leaving the men there, Dev ran back up and exited the back door of the house, searching for the siblings. He couldn’t believe his eyes when, in the distance, he saw Aaryan, Vihaan, and Avantika running into the forest. Thank God!
They had fought for themselves and escaped. He was so proud of them. They were so brave. He opened his mouth to call Avantika, but the sound of approaching vehicles stopped him. His heart thundered. He was out of time. He had to let her go. He had to let them go. He wished he’d gotten a chance to talk to them one last time and tell them he was on their side.
He wished he’d told her one more time that he loved her so much. But he couldn’t. She’d live thinking that he was her sinner. His friends would think he was their enemy. A monster. They’d hate him. But if that was the price he had to pay for their safety, so be it.
Dev’s eyes misted as three of the most important people to him disappeared into the trees and ran out of his life. His heart clenched in pain. Aaryan would keep them safe; he was sure of it. He’d keep Avantika safe. But Dev would find them, he swore. One day, he’d find Avantika again, even if it was the last thing he did.
Avantika hadn’t stopped crying since he’d begun his tale, and neither had Sanjana. Aaryan’s eyes were wet when he looked at Dev. Even Vihaan was struggling to hide his emotions.
Dev drew in a heavy breath, feeling as overwhelmed as the rest of them. “I was going to come down to the basement and help you guys flee. I had these CDs that I wanted you all to have. I had stolen some of my mom’s old jewellery that I thought would help you guys until we could figure out more. But you were already way ahead of me. You all saved yourselves.”
“That’s how you knew we survived,” Aaryan said. “I’ve always wondered how you were so confident that we all lived.”
“I watched you all run, Aaryan. I watched as Avantika disappeared from my life. Letting you three go without a word, letting you live with the belief that I was the enemy, was the hardest thing I ever did. But I did it so you all could live.”
“We saw the house burn,” Aaryan said. “I kept wondering why your father didn’t kill us. Why did they make us wait in the basement for two days when he could have killed us so easily? Now I know what happened.”
“I set the house on fire and waited for my father to come,” Dev said. “My dad was so pleased with me. It cemented his belief that I was on his side.”
