Page 4 of Twisted Alliance

CHAPTER 1

Two months later…

India

“The vehicle has arrived, sir. Please allow us to accompany you outside.”

Shivay looked at his assistant seated opposite him in the private jet. They had just landed. “No. I don’t want anyone with me.”

Shivay’s assistant knew him well enough not to argue.

“Don’t call me unless it’s an emergency,” Shivay instructed. “Text me. I’ll call you for updates.”

Shivay’s assistant nodded.

The jet received the necessary clearance, and soon the door was opened. Grabbing the carry-on, Shivay got up from the cushioned seat and went towards the exit.

The dry heat hit Shivay hard as he stepped out of the private jet, and the sun’s glare seemed intense. Sliding on his sunglasses, he unbuttoned his suit jacket and took the short flight of stairs down the plane before going towards the exit of the small airport.

He had been warned about the weather, but it hadn’t prepared him in any way for the intensity of the heat. Holding his compact carry-on, he walked inside the airport. Since most of the formalities were completed before his arrival, he was guided to where vehicles were parked outside.

A middle-aged man was waiting for him outside, holding a signboard with Shivay’s name.

“Sir, are you Mr. Shivay Thakur?”

Shivay gave the man a brief nod. He was deliberately using a different last name for the visit.

“I’m Kabir. Welcome to India, sir.”

The man took Shivay’s carry-on bag and led him to a jeep. While the man loaded the luggage into the back, Shivay slid into the passenger seat. The interior of the jeep didn’t seem much cooler than outside. Although the man had kept the engine running, the intense heat and direct glare from the sun were too much for the air conditioning to withstand.

Shivay opened the top two buttons of his shirt.

The man shut the trunk and came towards the driver’s seat. He was surprised to see Shivay seated in front. The rear windows were covered with dark shades to keep the sun’s rays out.

“Mr. Thakur, the agency has complimentary drinks for you in the back. You might not be comfortable seated in the front since it can get very hot and sunny.”

“I’m fine here.”

The driver looked confused and surprised, but he didn’t argue. With a smile, the older man got into the jeep and drove out of the small airport.

“Is this your first visit to India, sir?” the man asked.

“Yes.”

“I heard you are here on business. But I would love to show you around our beautiful city when you are free. I can take you to…”

Shivay listened to the local driver as he spoke about the various tourist attractions in the city. Although Shivay was visiting the place under the garb of business, it wasn’t the entire truth.

He was there for a specific reason—to accomplish one of the most important tasks. A task he never thought of as a possibility until two months ago.

“The Sands of Singoor have found us…”

The shock and fear in his mother’s voice as she uttered those words were branded into his mind, along with the discovery of a truth that was hidden from him for nearly two decades.

Although it had barely been two months since the attack on him in Africa, the significant change it brought in him after discovering the truth could not be denied. He was no longer driven purely by discovering the identity of the man who ordered the attack on him in Africa. His utmost priority was now to keep the promise he had made.

“Sir, the terrain will get bumpy soon,” the driver said. “And it might be safer for you to stay in the back of the jeep than sit in front. Would you like me to stop so you can sit in the back?”

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