Page 154 of Obsession

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Half an hour earlier

Ananya looked around her. The stench of petrol was getting stronger as the men poured it around every inch of the warehouse. Ivan definitely meant business, and he wasn’t taking any chances. He’d captured her deliberately, knowing Mihir couldn’t live without her.

Mihir would be devastated if something happened to her and their babies. She knew that and believed it in her soul. And that’s why Ivan would never let her out of here alive. The petrol around them was proof.

Mihir,her husband. She finally let all the love she felt for him flood her heart. She surrendered herself to all the emotions she felt for him. She allowed them to consume her heart and soul. She loved Mihir Oshnov so damn much. He was the only man she’d ever loved. He was the man she’d married, and he was the father of her unborn children. She’d wasted time being mad at him when she could have spent it loving him and being loved by him. God. She’d been an utter fool, and now her idiocy was going to cost her everything. She firmed her heart and mind.

She was not dying tonight. Mihir and she had gotten another chance in life. She would get out of here and tell him that she loved him. She would forgive him. She would find her happily ever after with him again, and this time, she’d guard their happiness with all she had.

Her mind made up, she glanced around, taking in everything. The warehouse was emptying of men. Only the two men standing guard in front of her and Devina remained, along with the one man who was peeking surreptitiously out of the window. By an unprecedented stroke of luck, the men hadn’t thought of tying Devina and her up. Ananya knew she had to make full use of this opportunity the Universe had granted her.

The sound of incoming cars distracted the two men in front of her, and they looked toward the windows.

“Devina, listen,” Ananya whispered. “I’m going to distract the men. You need to help.”

Devina stared at her in shock. “You’ll get us killed.”

“We’re going to die even if we don’t do anything,” Ananya replied. “Might as well try. Any opportunity you get, kick and punch hard. Try and get the guns off their hands.”

“Hey, you. Stop talking,” One of the guards yelled at her.

“I need to use the restroom,” Ananya said aloud, pushing to her feet.

One of the guards snickered. “Does this look like a place with a restroom?”

Devina also rose. “Please. I also need to go.”

Ananya moved closer to one man, and Devina, following her lead, closed in on the other one.

“Please, I really need to go to the restroom,” Ananya said.

“Sit down and shut up,” the guard said with a snarl.

“Sit down, or we’ll shoot,” the other guard said.

“Look around you,” Ananya spread a hand out. “You shoot, and we all die. Can you not smell the petrol? Did you not see them pour it everywhere?”

The guard’s forehead burrowed. His grip on his gun wavered. This was all the opening Ananya needed. She swung her fist and smashed his nose; at the same time, Devina yelled and attacked the other guy. Before the guy in front of Ananya could recover, she struck him in the stomach. He went down, and she kicked his face once and then again. He went still.

She turned to Devina. The other woman was wrestling with the other guard for the gun, but he was superior in strength and flung her away from him. Not wasting time, Ananya stretched her leg out, and the man tripped. She kicked him in his groin. He recoiled in pain. Taking both their guns, she threw them far away and went to Devina, helping her up.

“Come on, let’s go,” Ananya said.

She had barely taken a step when a loud blast echoed around them. They both fell to the floor. Within seconds, the whole shed erupted in flames. Ananya’s heart seized in terror. Beams fell around them as the roof began to cave in.

“Run,” she screamed.

Devina followed her through the fire and smoke and falling debris as Ananya made her way toward the exit. But it was hard to move fast between the smoke, the flames, and dodging the rubble. The lone guard who’d been peeking at the window appeared in front of them. Before they could react, a beam fell on top of him. Leaving him, Ananya ran.

Hot! It was so hot everywhere. Her skin was singed. Another blast caused a chunk of the ceiling to fall upon them. Ananya rushed to the side just in time, but Devina fell. Ananya ran back to her.

“My leg, my leg!” the other girl screamed. “I can’t move it.”

“Let me help you up…” Ananya tried, but she couldn’t manage her weight. Devina tumbled down again.

Tears streamed down Ananya’s face. Time was running out.

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