Page 76 of Twisted Sins

Shivay knew he would have to fly out of Singoor to join his brothers to meet with the Kapoor family.

“We also need to find the connection between Rudra Kabali and Tantra,” said Rishab.

“Based on what we know, I doubt if Rudra Kabali is working with Tantra for money or power,” Nakul speculated.

Shivay frowned, knowing the possibility of Rudra being Tantra’s minion was very low.

“Rudra might not work for Tantra, but there must be a connection between Tantra and the Kabali clan,” Shivay recalled the first attack on him in Zambia from an assassin who was dressed like a Kabali. The following attacks on him and his brothers were also by assassins dressed as the Kabalis.

“As soon as we get Tantra, everything should be clear,” said Rishab. “There are too many bloody islands around the Caribbean, but it’s only a matter of time before we catch him and make him spit out the truth.”

“Same here,” said Nakul. “I’m meeting the con man in Mongolia who drew the likeliness of Goddess Shakti next week. I’m hoping it leads to a real trail and isn’t a wild goose chase.”

Shivay and his brothers were known to take on difficult challenges and win. He was confident they would succeed in the current challenges.

“I’ll continue working with the clans and our men to infiltrate the Kabali encampment,” said Shivay. “The Aria clan from the east shares a border with the north. They have agreed to send someone in search of the Kabali clan. But we also need to get to the Kapoors since they’ll have direct access to Rudra Kabali.”

His brothers agreed.

Ending the call, Shivay returned to the bedroom. He had taken the call from the office room, not wanting to disturb Ishani. But Ishani was awake.

“What happened?” she asked.

Although she tried to hide it, he could see concern on his beautiful wife’s face. Ishani was worried about Nandini.

“Rishab called to give information on Rudra Kabali,” he replied.

He told her about the proofs found, linking the Kabali heir to a powerful family from the UK. There was shock on Ishani’s face.

“My God!” she said. She got down from the bed hurriedly and went towards the bedroom door.

Shivay followed his wife and the soft sound of anklets as she hurried out of the bedroom and went to the two-storied library in the Thakvar mansion.

Turning on the lights, she went towards a large desk where there was a stack of books. Shivay was proud of his wife who despite not having formal education was self-read and quite knowledgeable. Her favorite area of interest was history, especially Singoor history.

She had a vast collection of books, many of which he had purchased for her, and the rest were books written by his aunt and other historians from Singoor.

She pulled out a book from the stack, flipped through the pages, and stopped when she saw something.

“It was a known fact,” she said in shock.

Shivay frowned. “What do you mean?”

“This is one of the books written by Kamlesh Meena that Gauri gave me. There is a mention of the Kabali heir marrying an outsider. When I read it, I assumed it was someone outside the north clans. But it meant someone from outside Singoor!”

Kamlesh Meena had documented Singoor history until his death. Rishab’s wife, Gauri, had been married to Kamlesh Meena before he died due to a heart attack caused by poisoning.

“It’s also written that Bhairav Kabali’s marriage wasn’t readily accepted by the Kabali clan. After Bhairav Kabali’s older brother dedicated his life to the temple, the clan expected Bhairav to form a powerful alliance. But soon, the Kabali clan were taken in by the kind, gentle woman from outside who learned and embraced the Kabali clan ways.”

There was a hopeful look on Ishani’s face. “If Rudra Kabali had a kind, gentle mother, he mustn’t be that brutal or savage like the rest of the Kabali clan. Nandini must be safe and treated well.”

Shivay had seen the aftermath of how Rudra Kabali and his men slaughtered Tantra’s men who were taking Nandini and Rahul somewhere. Shivay had also seen the bodies of dead businessmen and tourists whose throats had been slit since they dared to venture into the Singoor desert. And most importantly, he had seen the dark coldness in Rudra Kabali’s eyes as he held a knife against Nandini’s throat.

Rudra Kabali was a brutal savage despite his mother’s background.

“My mother is gentle and kind too… but I was a beast to you,” Shivay reminded softly.

The initial months of their marriage were stormy, and he had terrorized and threatened his arranged bride.

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