Page 10 of Twisted Sins

Rahul was supposed to be with her. Her body started to shake as she recollected more details of the horrific ambush and mindless killing that she had witnessed. The savage demon had dragged Rahul out of the SUV. She had tried to save Rahul and negotiate with the minimal jewelry she had, but the savage hadn’t heeded her pleading.

Did he kill Rahul too?

Oh God. I must find him.

She got up quickly, and her legs shook as they ached with a strange soreness.

A chill passed through her, wondering if she had been violated by the savage. But her clothes were intact, and she realized that the horse ride must have made her thighs and legs sore. And if the savage man violated her, it would be more than just soreness. He would brutalize her completely.

She recalled being crushed against a hard chest, her nose filling with the smell of sandalwood as she fought to escape. She had nearly fallen off the horse as she screamed and struggled. She had even bitten the savage on his chest, only to be crushed against him even harder until she had lost consciousness.

She didn’t recall anything else beyond that.

Pushing away thoughts about her abduction, she hurried toward the source of light.

She had to find Rahul first.

She could hear faint sounds of people and birds outside.

There were no doors in what appeared to be a tent, and the tent's opening had a lighter rug, which she pushed aside. Bright sunlight hit her face. Placing her hand over her eyes, she slowly looked around. There were other tents around her, similar to the one she had stepped out of. Raising her head, she saw that the tents were set up on the side of a hill. And tents blended with the color of the hill. It appeared to be an encampment or sort.

She couldn’t see anyone, and her first instinct was to escape. Run as fast as she could and went until she found someone who could take her to the Thakvar province.

But she couldn’t leave Rahul. They must have brought him to the encampment as well. She recalled them applying ash on Rahul’s face before tying him up. They wouldn’t have done it if they intended to kill him like they did with the others.

Pushing away her fear, she continued to walk along the tents, calling out Rahul’s name. She couldn’t hear anything that indicated his presence. Just when she thought of entering the tents to check, someone shouted.

Her legs faltered when she saw a group of people at a distance.

The people were dressed in black clothes, just like the demon and his men. But the women’s clothes, which consisted of a blouse and a long skirt with a head veil, reminded her of the Thakvar clan women. A few women were cooking, and others were weaving and doing something else while talking and laughing, most likely going about their day. She started to walk towards them, to approach them for help and ask about Rahul. But she paused when something caught her eyes. She turned slightly and looked up, and then, she completely froze.

On a long pole, high above the ground, was a lifeless body bound with ropes. Several birds were flying around the body. It was only when a few birds flew away that she saw the Thakvar insignia on the man’s clothes.

It was the security head who had picked up Rahul and her from the airport. She watched in utter horror as a large bird poked the eye of the dead man and flew away, leaving a gaping hole in the socket.

Bile rose up inside her, and she threw up violently.

While her stomach emptied of the contents, her violent heaves caught the attention of some of the people. Even though nausea continued to grip her, she started to step away as people walked towards her. She wanted to run, but her legs were shaking badly.

She fell to the ground with no strength to move. Her head swam in circles as dark spots appeared in front of her vision.

Just as darkness consumed her, she heard the angry voices of people around her.

Oh God, let this be a nightmare.

CHAPTER 4

Cool water touched Nandini’s lips while women’s voices said something in a language she didn’t recognize.

Drinking the water, she slowly opened her eyes, wanting to thank the women. But her lips froze when she saw the hostile face of a woman.

Two women stood hovering over her while she once again lay inside a tent. Her heart began to thud as she looked at the women’s black clothes, which indicated they belonged to the Kabali clan. But unlike the demon who had abducted her, the women’s faces weren’t covered in grey ash; they had patterned dots similar to the pictures she had seen of the Thakvar and other clan women of Singoor. And unlike the smiling faces of the Thakvar clan women, these women looked angry.

They are not just angry. They are also savages!

She recalled the gory sight of the security head’s body hanging from a pole while predatory birds pecked out the dead man’s eyes.

Once again, her stomach churned violently.

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