Page 174
Story: The Deceit
Pratap tilts his head slightly. And then, he smirks again.
“A man who knows he’s going to fail wears that kind of fear. The kind I see on your face right now,” he replies, grinning.
Fury explodes inside me as I lunge forward, my hand locking around his throat in a vice-like grip. I squeeze, watching his face redden as he struggles to breathe. His body tenses, veins straining against his skin, but even then, there is no fear—only defiance.
I release him abruptly, watching as he gasps for air, struggling to steady himself.
“Now, do you see who is losing, Walia?” I hiss, leaning in closer. “It’s you. Not me. Never me.” My voice drops to a dangerous growl.
He coughs, his breath shaky, but recovers quickly. I press on.
“You should be thankful I didn’t kill you at your Alibaug farmhouse. That would have been far too easy,” I sneer. “I wanted you here, in this house. The very place where my father promised your son that his blood will take revenge on the Walias. The same house… where he took his last breath.”
“You’re living in a delusion, Zayed,” he says, still catching his breath. “You have no idea what you’ve done.”
He looks at me steadily.
“You’ve abducted the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Do you really think they won’t find you? And forget the authorities—do you honestly thinkmyson Vishnu won’t hunt you down?”
My jaw clenches so hard it hurts.
“I was the one telling him to let the law punish you,” Pratap continues, his voice calm yet dangerous. “But now? You’ve made the biggest mistake of your life. My son doesn’t just love me, Zayed. He worships me like a God. And today, you dared to lay a hand on his God. Vishnu won’t let this go. I’m confident he is already on his way here. And when he arrives, he won’t stop until he has your blood on his hands. Not even I can change his mind now.”
The rage consumes me. I lash out at Pratap, hitting him square on his face before kicking him hard in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him.
“For me, even my father was a God,” I growl. “And your son killed my God. So, even his God—you—deserve to die.”
Pratap grunts in pain, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. But I don’t stop. I kick him again, watching him fall limp against the chair.
Gripping his hair, I yank his head up, forcing him to look at me. His eyes open slightly, dazed but still defiant.
“If Vishnu comes here, he will find your dead body waiting for him,” I snarl. “And then I will kill him, too. I’ll bury both your bodies together in the backyard of this farmhouse as a tribute to my father’s soul.”
Snatching the poisoned tea, I graze the cup to his lips. He thrashes wildly, but his struggles weaken under my grip.
“Goodbye, Walia. Wait for your son in hell—I’ll send him soon.”
The cup touches his mouth, but before I can force the tea down his throat, a burst of gunfire echoes from outside. Glass splinters in every direction as bullets rip through the windows. The teacup slips from my hand and the poison splatters across the floor.
Shouts of alarm echo through the house. My men spring into action, drawing their weapons.
“They’re here!” one of my men yells as everyone scrambles for cover. “Vishnu… Walia’s son is out there with his team and the police!”
I whip my head toward the door, my blood boiling as I hear the unmistakable roar of Vishnu Walia’s voice outside.
So, he made it here? That was quick.
VISHNU
Few Minutes Ago…
The helicopter blades slice through the night air as we descend over Panvel. Every second feels like an eternity, knowing Dad is trapped inside that cursed farmhouse of Qureshi, held hostage by his psychotic son, who has sworn to destroy my family. Zayed Qureshi. A mistake I should have erased long ago. Not this time. Not tonight.
Ayaan has already mobilised the police, his team firmly in position. The plan is straightforward: secure Dad, block every exit and prevent Zayed’s escape.
They want to arrest him, but I have other plans.
Tonight, this ends permanently.
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122
- Page 123
- Page 124
- Page 125
- Page 126
- Page 127
- Page 128
- Page 129
- Page 130
- Page 131
- Page 132
- Page 133
- Page 134
- Page 135
- Page 136
- Page 137
- Page 138
- Page 139
- Page 140
- Page 141
- Page 142
- Page 143
- Page 144
- Page 145
- Page 146
- Page 147
- Page 148
- Page 149
- Page 150
- Page 151
- Page 152
- Page 153
- Page 154
- Page 155
- Page 156
- Page 157
- Page 158
- Page 159
- Page 160
- Page 161
- Page 162
- Page 163
- Page 164
- Page 165
- Page 166
- Page 167
- Page 168
- Page 169
- Page 170
- Page 171
- Page 172
- Page 173
- Page 174 (Reading here)
- Page 175
- Page 176
- Page 177
- Page 178
- Page 179
- Page 180
- Page 181
- Page 182
- Page 183
- Page 184
- Page 185
- Page 186
- Page 187
- Page 188
- Page 189