Stop Acting Innocent

A Story of Secrets and Captivity

Adhiraj gave the orders, and Sankalp set off on his mission. He traveled to Dehradun to find out everything. In just one day, he collected all the information he needed and returned to Goa.

As soon as he came back, Sankalp went to Adhiraj's cabin. There, Virudh and Ranvijay were already waiting.

"Ah, Sankalp is here," Adhiraj said. "Tell me quickly, what did you find out about them?"

Sankalp took a deep breath. "Sir, both are from Shimla. The poet, Rihana, is an orphan. She lived in an orphanage until she was eighteen, but later was forced to leave. Now she works part-time in a café and is studying with the help of a scholarship. Nishaa is her best friend. They both study engineering at the same college."

Adhiraj asked, "What about Nishaa's family?"

"Nishaa's family has four people — her father, stepmother, and stepbrother. Her mother died when Nishaa was just seven years old, and soon after that, her father remarried. Nishaa's father is a well-known businessman in Shimla. The most important thing: Nishaa's engagement is tomorrow, and her wedding is just ten days after that."

As soon as Adhiraj heard this, he became very angry. He said, "So she spends nights with me and now plans to marry someone else? I won't allow it. Sankalp, prepare to leave for Shimla today. She's getting engaged, and she must get a gift."

You already know what happened next.

It was 11 at night. Nishaa was sitting quietly in a corner, her throat sore from shouting. She had no strength left and hugged herself tightly. After a while, the door opened, and Adhiraj came in holding a plate of food. Hearing this, Nishaa looked up. When she saw him, she got angry and turned her eyes away. Adhiraj did not like this one bit.

He sat next to her and said, "You look very angry to see me. But sadly, you can't do anything because you are weak… a coward."

Nishaa looked at him calmly and asked, "Why are you treating me like this? What have I done to you?"

Adhiraj said, "You're good at acting, but your drama won't work on me. You know very well what you did. And remember, you're not going anywhere — you are trapped here for life. You will pay for your mistake every day. Now stop pretending and eat this food."

Nishaa looked at the plate but turned her face away. This made Adhiraj angry.

"Are you planning to starve? That won't work. Eat quietly, or I'll feed you myself."

Nishaa said nothing.

"Fine, if you want it this way," Adhiraj said. He grabbed her hand, pulled her onto his lap, and started feeding her by force. When she finished, he placed the plate on the table.

Tears started rolling down Nishaa's cheeks.

"Stop crying. I'm sleepy now. Go to bed and sleep quietly."

But Nishaa didn't answer.

"You are very stubborn. I don't understand you," Adhiraj said. He carried her to the bed and laid her down. Then he lay next to her.

Adhiraj soon fell asleep, but Nishaa's eyes stayed open, swollen from crying. She was confused and didn't understand what she had done wrong. When she tried to get up, she realized her legs were tied. She hadn't noticed when Adhiraj had done this. Exhausted, she lay back down.

Meanwhile, Rihana was locked in a dark room. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying. Fear had taken over her. She knocked on the door for a long time, but no one answered. Scared, she curled up on a bed's corner. Then the door opened and two men entered: Ranvijay and Virudh.

Virudh turned on the light and walked to her. In a cold voice, he said, "Eat your food. Don't waste time with any drama."

Rihana looked at them and said innocently, "Why would I pretend? I'm very hungry. I only ate a little upma in the morning, and that's long gone. My stomach is empty. What kind of food is this?"

Virudh glared at her, but Rihana lifted the lid off the plate — lentils, rice, and bread.

She said softly, "Everything looks fine. If there was pickle, it would be better, but I'll manage." She started eating quietly.

Ranvijay and Virudh looked at each other in surprise. They expected her to complain, but she was eating calmly.

After finishing, Rihana looked at them and asked, "Now tell me, why did you kidnap me?"

Virudh's voice was cold as ice: "Stop acting innocent. We know who you are. You know why you're here. Save your act for someone else, understand?"