Page 9 of Twisted Sins

The man looked shocked and terrified. “Nandini said we had to attend an important ceremony in India. We flew here this morning, and a dozen men in security uniforms picked us up, and we were on our way to the temple. But we were attacked in the middle of the desert by men on black horses. They were savages! They slit throats using a three-pronged weapon and killed everyone! They spared only Nandini and me. But t-they took Nandini with them.”

Shock ripped through everyone.

“The Kabalis,” many people murmured in fear.

“Tantra,” one of the Thakvar heirs said grimly. “He must have sent his assassins dressed as the Kabalis to kidnap Nandini.”

One of the Aghoris rubbed his fingers on the terrified young man’s face. The ash on the young man’s face had the smell of sandalwood, and the rudraksh beads around the young man’s neck were shaped into a human skull.

“Were there eagles around those men?” the Aghori asked.

“Y-yes, there were large birds flying around those men.”

“It is the Kabalis,” the Aghori declared. “And they have taken the Thakvar heiress to form the fourth alliance.”

It was a big shock for everyone.

“But the Kabali clan doesn’t have an heir,” one of the clan heads said.

“They do have an heir,” said the holy man. “Rudra Kabali is the clan heir and also the clan head.”

Everyone’s eyes widened. Until then, they didn’t think any of the Kabali heirs had survived.

“We won’t allow the alliance!” Shivay Thakvar declared. “We are going to bring back my sister.”

Shivay Thakvar’s two brothers agreed. The Thakvar clan was the most powerful clan in Singoor. And the three Thakvar heirs who grew up outside Singoor had access to modern technology which would enable them to find and bring back their sister.

The holy men shook their heads. “If you do anything to threaten the Kabalis, your sister will lose her life.”

The Thakvar brothers looked angry listening to that. Until then, they had never been in a situation where they couldn’t protect their sister.

“The Kabalis want Thakvar blood,” Mihir Thakvar said with a tormented look. “I will exchange my life with that of my daughter.”

A loud buzz grew among the people at the Thakvar clan head’s words.

But the holy men didn’t agree.

“The Kabalis might take your life for what they believe is a past wrong, but they will not let go of your daughter. The only way to stop the bloodshed in Singoor is to let destiny take over.”

CHAPTER 3

Kabali Region, North Singoor Desert

Nandini woke up from a deep sleep.

Her mouth felt too dry. Turning her head, she reached for the bottle of water she kept on her nightstand, but the sight that met her eyes confused her. Instead of a sleekly curved purple sipper bottle placed next to a soft night lamp and digital alarm clock, she saw dark patterned rugs on the walls.

Her bedroom walls in her New York apartment and in her San Francisco home were pastel colors with huge windows and sheer drapes. The dark but vivid patterns of the thick rug were entirely unfamiliar. She turned around and saw that all four sides were covered by the dark, patterned rug with only bare minimal sunlight filtering in. Her head began to throb, and her body ached. The bed underneath her felt hard, even though something soft and smooth brushed against her cheek.

She blinked a couple of times, wondering if she was stuck in a strange dream. But the visual around her remained the same. She took a deep breath. Instead of the spring flowers fragrance of her bedding, something else tingled her nose.

It was the faint scent of sandalwood.

Her body jerked with shock as the grey face and eyes of a savage flashed in her mind. And along with the face, other terrifying memories rushed in.

The memories of a tall, savage man as he slit throats and killed everyone before grabbing her and taking her away on his black horse.

“Oh god, Rahul…” she whispered in anguish.

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