Page 184 of Twisted Sins

She slowly got up, dreading the impending Kabali marriage ceremony, but she knew she had to play along until she was rescued or had an opportune moment to escape. She no longer had the ankle bracelet on, which meant Rudra wouldn’t be able to track her location.

She had barely stood up when she heard the sound of shuffling feet. To her surprise, a group of women dressed like Kabali women walked into the tent.

A sudden hope rippled through her, but the moment she caught the dead look in the women’s eyes, she knew they were not the women she had learned to admire in the past few months.

That was it.

The men and women in Tantra’s encampment were dressed in the Kabali style but did not have the fire of courage and pride that she had noticed in each one of the Kabali clan people. Tantra’s people were treated like slaves and suppressed with power, unlike the real Kabali clan people.

She kept to her thoughts as she realized there was no use asking any of his people for help. She let the women get her ready for the ceremony.

She sat through quietly as the women adorned her with jewels.

Soon, she was led out of the tent towards a large decorated canopy that had not existed the previous day. From its looks, a stage was set up with a deity at the center.

Tantra’s people were gathered around, and her heart raced as she got closer. Unlike Rudra, who performed the traditional dance before the deity, Tantra stood looking at her like an obsessed maniac.

The man was her father’s age, if not older, but he looked a lot younger as if he had taken every possible step to stay young and strong. Fillers unnaturally bulked up arms, but she knew she had to focus on the evil man’s mind.

His obsession with her aunt was his only weakness, and she didn’t know how far she could ride that wave, but she had to stay alert and find a way to call for help or make a run.

Maybe she could spill oil onto the fire during the ceremony and hope the smoke is seen from afar. She raised her eyes to look at the canopy material and hoped it would catch fire easily. Telling herself that was the action she had to take, she picked up her pace.

As she got closer, she quickly looked at what was available that she could potentially use as a signal but could not see anything. There was no can of oil or any other fire accelerant.

As she got closer to Tantra, she saw him smile. “My Thakvar Tigress,” he said reverently seeing her dressed as a Kabali bride. The manic look on his face made her stomach queasy. “After today, we will be together forever.”

She looked around and noticed the lotus flowers weren’t in sight.

She smiled. “The only other thing we need to go through with the marriage are the lotus flowers.”

He nodded. “They are being brought here.”

Hope took root in her. Whoever was sent to bring the flowers would have to go into the Kabali region, which has been watched closely, especially since her disappearance. She hoped it would give Rudra some clue about her location.

Tantra looked at the deity that was set up at the center. “The memory revival ceremony will bring back your memories and make you fall in love with me again so you can accept me as your husband.”

It was on the tip of her tongue that her aunt Nandini Thakvar never loved him. And she wouldn’t either. Her heart would always belong to Rudra.

She kept quiet and watched as a crazed look came into his eyes. “Shakti ma is back in Singoor.”

She looked at the Goddess statue and prayed for help.

“You will soon become mine, Nandini.”

His words gave her the creeps, even though similar words uttered by Rudra had made her feel loved and cherished.

She smiled softly as she raised her eyes to meet his. “I told you that if there is peace in the region, my heart will be free.” She managed to remember what her father had mentioned about her aunt. “I know you can bring peace, Om.”

He looked possessed with the joy in his eyes. “I will make Singoor the most prosperous place, Nandini. I promise.” He took a step back and spread out his arms, showing off his strength. “Our children will rule over it.”

Bile rose up to her throat, and she wanted to throw up, but she only smiled.

“Come,” he said softly, gesturing her to stand in a specific spot to kick off the ceremony rituals. “All you need to do is listen to my voice and take in every one of my words, and that will bring back all our memories.

Her hands started to shake as the ceremony began. She fought the darkness that threatened to consume her, but she had to stay alert. She took small breaths, watching his every move as he followed the steps to the ceremony, and something clicked in her mind.

The revival ceremony was nothing but an act of hypnosis. Just like he had people around him hypnotized to do what he intended them to. It explained the blank, lifeless look in the people’s eyes. He was going to mess with her head and maybe even wipe out all her real memories and instill the ones he wanted.

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