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She walks straight up to him, standing tall, her eyes locked directly onto his. There's confidence in her gaze now, even as exhaustion weighs down her limbs. Vikrant lets out a deep breath and responds, his voice low and measured.

“Okay…”

CHAPTER 12

ESCAPE

He comes close to her and quickly informs her in a low, authoritative tone.

“We’re sending your parents to this room, and you’ll have 20 minutes to meet them. Thereafter, the maids will arrive to assist you with your bathing needs, and a beautician will come to prepare you for your next outing. Your 20-minute meeting will not exceed twenty minutes, nor should it stretch even to twenty-one. That’s it. You can meet them comfortably.”

Without waiting for a response, he quickly turns and walks away, leaving Jhankar standing there, a wave of anticipation rushing through her. She starts to pace the room nervously, every nerve in her body tense. A few minutes later, the door opens and her parents enter.

The moment her eyes land on them, she rushes forward and throws her arms around them. Both of her parents embrace her tightly, clinging to her as though they are trying to draw strength from one another. None of them can speak; words fail them in the face of such emotion. Their arms remain locked around one another, and silent sobs escape from all three as tears stream down their faces. The pain, fear, and relief of this brief reunion weigh heavily on them. Jhankar grips both their hands tightly and, with trembling determination, speaks softly,

“Now, both of you just calm down. I’ll find a way for us—there has to be one. We should seriously think about escaping from here. If we manage to get out, we’ll definitely find Bro too, and everything will eventually be okay. Don’t worry. We’re not waiting anymore. We’re going to leave right now.”

She quickly turns around, scanning the room, her instincts urging her to act fast. But before she can take a step, her father catches her hand and holds it tightly. She turns back and sees the tension etched on his face as he closes his eyes and speaks, voice shaking,

“You should do what that man says... We have no other way.”

Jhankar’s face hardens with disbelief.

“We’ll make our own path if we believe we can. You’re only saying this because you're scared. But if the three of us stay together, and if we somehow manage to find Bro, everything will fall back into place. Don’t lose heart, Papa. I’m working on a plan.”

Her mother, Chitrali, stands silently beside them, her eyes filled with pain. She watches father and daughter with an aching heart, her voice absent, not because she has nothing to say, but because her emotions have numbed her. Her tears have dried up; she has cried so much over the past few days that her eyes no longer obey her grief. The worry for both her son and daughter is so deep, it has silenced her. Still holding Jhankar’s hand tightly, Raghunath speaks again, his voice breaking with guilt and helplessness.

“Jhankar, you know that Vyom made a mistake… And because of that, we are paying the price. But he is my son, I can’t forget that, no matter what. I’m terrified, and I have no shame in admitting it. I am scared for both of you. Any mistake on our part can bringimmense trouble, and I am not strong enough to handle another disaster.”

“Papa, you’re scared; that’s why you’re not thinking straight.”

Jhankar’s heart aches at his words. The man who had always taught her to face the world with courage is today defeated by fear. It hurts her deeply, yet she understands. Stress and fear cloud her father's mind, potentially leading him to make a wrong decision. She cups his face gently in her hands, turns it toward her, and looks directly into his eyes.

“Please try to understand what I’m saying. We have to show courage. If we surrender so easily, they’ll keep taking advantage of us. Today it’s this demand; tomorrow it will be something else. How can we trust people like them? They can deceive us at any time, in any way.”

Raghunath and Chitrali exchange a fearful glance. They know their daughter isn’t wrong—everything she said is true. But they’re stuck in such a complicated, dangerous situation that their minds are clouded. They don’t know which direction to turn or whom to trust. Everything feels like a trap. Jhankar observes their expressions carefully. She doesn’t want to waste another moment. She gently turns her father’s face back to her again and continues,

“If we don’t confront the situation, how will we know how bad or how good it truly is? That’s the first thing. Papa, you always said that as long as the family stays united, no harm can come to us. So let’s hold onto each other now. This is the time to live by that.”

Raghunath nods faintly. Her words make sense; his daughter’s strength shines brighter than ever. But his fear has paralyzedhim. Chitrali finally steps closer, her voice faint but heavy with dread, as she clasps both their hands.

“These people are dangerous. Their reach goes far beyond what we can imagine. We’re just their pawns. What can we possibly do against them?”

Jhankar looks at her mother with determination and responds without hesitation.

“He told me we have twenty minutes, and he sounded far too confident. That means he’s not expecting anything from us. That’s exactly why we need to act now. If we can just leave this place, we’ll at least have the freedom to think and plan without being watched.”

As soon as she finishes speaking, she starts examining the room. Her eyes land on the large window, and hope flashes in her gaze. She rushes to it, pulls aside the curtain, and peeks out. A wide smile spreads across her face. The room is on the ground floor. The window is wide and opens completely.

Without another second's delay, Jhankar climbs onto the ledge and jumps out. Alarmed, Raghunath and Chitrali hurry to the window. They look around cautiously; no one is in sight. Slowly but decisively, they climb out one by one, landing beside Jhankar. Keeping low, they begin to move forward quickly but cautiously.

Elsewhere, inside a dark room of the same mansion, Vikrant is seated on a plush leather chair, facing a wall of surveillance monitors. He fixes his gaze on the screen depicting Jhankar and her parents making their escape. A smug smile tugs at his lips. His fingers tap slowly on the armrest, almost in amusement.

His eyes narrow as he watches her movements.

“Let’s see what you’re really capable of,” he mutters under his breath, a hint of pride hidden beneath the cold calculation in his voice.

~~~~~