Chapter 119: chapter 119

MADHAV“Take her away somewhere, Madhav. Keep her out of the capital until I return,” Vikram instructed before boarding his flight.“Why? Are you still suspicious of—”“Shh, not here. Just do as I say and hide her for two days. She can’t know anything until the last minute. Do you understand?”I nodded. “I understand. Go, and come back with answers. I’ll keep her out of the capital.”I lie back, staring at the ceiling, replaying Vikram’s words. It’s Tuesday morning. We have just twenty hours until Vikram returns from Noghot. In the meantime, I have to keep Sruthi away from the capital, without raising any suspicions.Vikram’s determined to end this case once and for all. He wants to eliminate everyone connected to Raj. His trip to Noghot is about uncovering answers, and when it comes to digging for the truth, Vikram’s unmatched.I had already planned to take Sruthi somewhere after the exhibition—but not this soon. Still, Vikram was insistent. He needed her out of the capital until he returned. So, here we are, ahead of schedule.When we arrived, Sruthi eagerly explored the house. Later, we cooked together. I’ve kept this place well-maintained, with a fully stocked kitchen. It’s situated in an isolated spot, 4 kilometers from the nearest village, Guprathi. That means we’re completely alone here—a fact that reassures and unnerves me at the same time. I made sure we weren’t followed. And since Sruthi doesn’t know where we are, she can’t reveal our location to anyone. Sure, that sounds like something a kidnapper would say, but to get this time alone with her, I had to go to great lengths.Yesterday, she was happy. We cooked meals together, watched movies, and went to bed. She seemed at ease, the relief clear in her eyes. She believes the worst is over, and I hope she’s right.❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥“Madhav, what’s going on?” Sruthi asks, eyeing my convertible with suspicion.“It won’t start,” I reply, twisting the key in the ignition. The engine stays silent, just as I expected—I’d disabled it with a simple trick. A pathetic excuse to keep her here another day, but it’s all I have.Honestly, I’d make a decent kidnapper. If it weren’t for Vikram’s serious warning, I wouldn’t be lying to Sruthi and deceiving her like this.She crosses her arms. “Why isn’t it starting?”“I think the engine’s dead,” I say, popping the hood and pretending to check it over.“How are we supposed to get back?” she asks, frowning. It’s early morning, and the soft sunlight bathes the porch. She bites her lip nervously before heading into the house.A moment later, she returns with her phone. I suppress a smile—there’s no signal out here, so she won’t be able to call for help or book a cab. As I mentioned, this place is perfect for a kidnapping. Of course, there are ways to communicate from here, but none that are immediately obvious.“Darn it,” she mutters, staring at her phone. “Why is there no signal today?”“Correction: there was no signal yesterday either. But you didn’t notice because you weren’t using your phone,” I reply.She blinks, the realization dawning on her. “Oh, right. I was too focused on you to think about anything else. But now what do we do? How do we get back?”“There’s a village about 4 kilometers from here. We can walk there and catch a bus, but fair warning, it’ll take about four hours to get to the capital bus stand. From there, it’ll take forty-five minutes to get to our place, and you’ll need at least half an hour to get ready for school. By the time you’re ready, you’ll miss your class.”Sruthi sighs, sinking onto the porch. “I can't go that late to school.”I pretend to consider her dilemma. “How about this? We walk to the village, find a mechanic, and then wait for him to fix the car. After that, I’ll take you back to the capital. Although, I don’t think there are any car mechanics in that village. We might need to ask the locals about the nearest town and go there to find one. Either way, you won’t be able to get to school on time. So why not just take the day off?”“But I can’t take another day off,” Sruthi says, frustrated. “What if they fire me?”“You could stay home,” I suggest instinctively, only to wince when her raised eyebrow reminds me how tone-deaf that sounds.“I didn’t mean it like that,” I clarify quickly. “I just meant, you could take a break if you wanted. Or, if it comes to it, you could find a new school. Or even help me at the jewelry shop.”Sruthi shakes her head. “I’m not good with customers like you. So no to the last option. I guess I’ll have to start looking for a new school if they let me go from this one.”“You’ll find a new job easily,” I say with confidence.She lets out a long sigh. “So, it’s settled. We’ll find the mechanic, get the car fixed, and head back. I just hope the kids don’t give the substitute teacher too much trouble.”❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥The dirt path winds through dense trees, the sunlight filtering through the leaves. Sruthi walks beside me, her pace quick. We’re heading to the village. My assassin senses are on high alert.“This place is so quiet,” she says, glancing around. “It’s almost eerie.”“That’s what makes it perfect,” I reply, scanning the surroundings. “No one can find us here.”She glances at me sideways, curiosity in her eyes. “Why does that sound like something a kidnapper would say?”I laugh, though her words strike a little too close to the truth. “Maybe I missed my calling.”She shakes her head, a small smile tugging at her lips. “You’re impossible.”We walk in silence for a while, the only sounds are our footsteps and the rustling of leaves.“Do you think Vikram will find what he’s looking for?” she asks suddenly.I hesitate, choosing my words carefully. “If anyone can, it’s Vikram. He’s relentless.”Her expression darkens. “I hate this. Always looking over my shoulder, wondering if someone’s watching. I just want it to stop.”I stop walking and turn to face her. “It will. I promise.”Her eyes search mine, as if looking for reassurance in my words. Finally, she nods. “Okay.”We resume our walk, the village still a distant blur on the horizon. But my thoughts remain on Vikram’s parting words.Two days, Madhav. Keep her safe.❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥