Chapter 8
Ridhima is happy that someone in her life saying her to live life on her terms.
“I crave a happy life, Aliza I have an almost desperate craving for stability and happiness, the way plus-size people crave chocolate or lost hikers crave rescue. I want to live a big, great, fantastical life, but I am concerned that the tragedy that seems to follow me, the tragedy that birthed me will prevent that from ever happening.”
says Ridhima with a sad smile lingering on her face with twitched Aliza's heart. Aliza doesn't know what more she needs to say as she never been emotional since past 15 years and she doesn't know how to handle Ridhima at this moment.
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Next-Day: -
Ridhima has got up again at 5 PM but little different from today. She got some confidence that she can withstand Aliza on ring today. With a smile on her face yet the same time anxious in her heart, she comes down the ring and sees Aliza already practising heavily on her muscles. Ridhima checks out Aliza the way she is making sure her body stretch off-limits and the way her legs are being toned front and back.
Aliza can see Ridhima eyes on her,
"I know I'm beautiful. I don't need such appreciation from the same gender"
Ridhima laughs while trying to get into the ring but Aliza stops her,
"Ridhima, today, before getting in the ring, I want you to run 50 laps"
shocking Ridhima
"50 laps? Are you serious?
asks Ridhima
"Yes, very serious. So run 50 laps and get into the ring. Ah, remember I want you to run 50 laps in 50 minutes"
shocking Ridhima more.
Ridhima starts running and she is at 25th round at the 15th minute. Aliza is observing her single move and breath. She has breathing issues while running. Whatever time she has set, Ridhima cannot fit in, yet she needs to work hard. By the time Ridhima is on 40th lap, she falls, while Aliza,
"Get on the ring, Ridhima"
surprising Ridhima more.
However this time Ridhima is prepared. She knows Aliza had drained her out beside standing here while she attacking her, even her defence position will go vain. So she knows where she is lost. Yet, she tries to observe her and stand.
Aliza can see the determination in Ridhima eyes and drops her attack,
"Today, that's enough. Now, you need to learn some punches. Have a break for 15, will start learning how to punch properly."
Ridhima goes out of the centre to enjoy the morning breeze of the sea while she lost in her thoughts, she hears someone crying and follows the sound.
Every step she takes, she could hear the sound of cries louder and much more clearer. Professor had already warned her not to go behind any sounds she hear, yet, listening to the wailing of that person, she unable to stop her steps.
She gets on stand before a door while her hands are at a fix, whether to enter or doesn't. However, she gathers her strength and enters into the room to witness a scene which never seen in her wildest dreams.
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In the room:-
Ridhima can hear her heartbeat, the way it is thumping and her adrenaline is rushing such that, sweat has already started dropping down from her forehead. She can hear the cries more clearly now. It's a man voice. She can him in the room begging before Sher in a language she unable to understand.
The Sher who sat before the man is different. He has some tools in his hand. The more closer she goes she able to see what he is doing. He is shedding the man's skin. She is shocked to see such a thing. Sher with a maniac laughs on his face, shedding the skin of a person who is the nude state. She unable to control more and shouted
'Ahhhhhhhhh"
Sher saw Ridhima in the room and tries to catch her, while Ridhima runs away from the place. She can see Aliza standing at the entrance yet she pushed away from her while Aliza catches her, Sher holds her and takes back into the room where the wounded person is present.
"Please Sher, I don't want to watch this"
Ridhima begs him. Sher smiles wickedly,
"You wanted to know what kind of work I do, then today I will show as well as teach you"
shocking to Ridhima
"No, I cannot hurt any man, please don't do this with me,"
says Ridhima
"I think Malik had told you, not to enter when you hear any sounds, yet, you did, now you need to watch and do it, Ridhima,"
says Sher
"Please Sher, No,"
says Ridhima
"No, No, Ridhima. You need to. Now hold the scalpel like this. Being a doctor you know right"
saying he holds her hands tightly with the left hand while right hand he makes use of the scalpel from Ridhima hands.
"Now, let's start shedding"
The more the man cries, Ridhima is shouting,
"No, Sher, Please."
"See, how the blood is going Ridhima. Okay, you don't want to watch right?"
She asks
"Yes, I don't want to,"
says Ridhima
"Then, let's end his game"
saying Sher by using Ridhima hands he cuts the throat of the person making Ridhima hands and face filled with the blood while Sher left the room with a smirk on his face.
Ridhima eyes are set on the man who is bleeding to death before her. She crawled towards him and check his breath, he is dead. She moved back while hitting her back to the wall. She wants to cry in fear yet she unable to shed tears.
She runs away from the room like a mad girl while the rest of the three are watching her running towards her room. She gets inside her room and packs her bags to leave, then realize she is middle of the sea. Where she can go? She falls and shouts as loud as possible,
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh"
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Sher along with the King can see her outburst in the room. Sher is feeling sad for whatever he has done with her. But those are King's orders. He wanted Ridhima to kill someone and she did today. She has lost it.
When someone kills anyone first time, they lose a part of them. He doesn't know what kind of training is this but Sher hoping that she doesn't turn into someone whom she won't recognize anymore. He is feeling more sad that she is unable to shed tears when it is much needed.
"Good Job, Sher,"
says King making Sher come out of these thoughts.
"Leave Ridhima all alone, none should enter into her room and monitor her completely"
orders King to which Sher bows and leaves the room.
Sher along with the Aliza, Richie and Tarzan looks into the monitor to see Ridhima. Where she sat in her bathtub under the shower and rubbing herself a thousand times.
"If she rubs herself like this, it will harm her"
warns Tarzan.
"I know, but it's King's order that we don't check on her today,"
says Sher
Ridhima sees herself in the mirror and she can only see the reflection where she is shedding the skin of man and how she killed that person. She moves back and takes the vase beside her and breaks the mirror.
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Ridhima knows she only needs to do one thing. If she wants to run away from this world, then even Professor cannot help. So she should jump. She might die or leave, it is in the hands of Bappa. But she cannot stay here.
With a determined face, she runs away from her room and goes to balcony alerting the team. The movement she wants to jump from the balcony, a glass rises and shields the path so now she cannot jump due to the glass.
Yet, Ridhima doesn't stop herself and runs from the room to the terrace of the cruise while the rest of the team are behind her to stop. Ridhima knows if she stops now, she needs to be part of this Mafia, so the moment she sees a place, taking a huge breath she jumps from the cruise into the water.
"Ridhima"
shouts all the four at the same time and they come to check where they don't see her at all expect bubbles from the water. In the same state of shock, they see Ridhima coming in the net.
Yes, King who knows what going to be Ridhima's step has released net when she jumped from the top of the cruise so she fell into the net.
The four has thought Ridhima will be dropped at terrace however they can see the net is taking her to the torture room. They didn't expect King to keep her in that room. It's a mental torture room, where they see the deepest dark fears and or see someone whom they don't want to see or anything can be seen the moment.
It's sheer mental torture where sometimes people die due to the pain it causes the nerve. Sher takes the step towards the net, yet, Aliza stops,
"It's King's play. We have no power to interfere"
saying she pulls Sher back while he bows his head down defeatedly.
Ridhima is thrown into the room while she gets hurt and loses her conscious stage. She doesn't know how long she is in the room but the moment she wakes up, she hears a voice,
"Hello Ridhima, how are you?"
"Who is it? Tell me why are you doing this to me?"
Ridhima asks
"I'm someone whom you won't meet so soon,"
says the King
"I know who you are. You are that nameless person, right?"
questions Ridhima
"Nameless person, hahahahah. What a name you gave to me Ridhima. Hearing for the first time"
says the King
"Come in front of me and speak. Why are you hiding in the darkness? Are you afraid of the light?"
questions Ridhima
"Don't play word games with me Ridhima. This might have worked with Vansh Rai Singhania, but I'm the King. I know every nerve of yours. So, don't come with such useless lines"
orders King
"What do you want from me, King?"
questions Ridhima
"There is so much I need from you. I need your medical services for my team"
replies Ridhima
"Lie. You need something else from me. You're expecting that I should deliver to you. What it is?"
asks Ridhima
"You will know it soon, now as you tried to run away from here, enjoy the sweet punishment which is pure torture"
replies King leaving Ridhima all alone in the darkness
Suddenly the room has started to fill with gas. Though Ridhima started to cover herself the gas consumed her and she fell into unconscious stage waking up in a room full of dead bodies.
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In Ridhima Mind: -
Ridhima wakes up in a place full of dead bodies. She doesn't know yet that King has trapped her in the hallucination level.
She sees a lot of bodies covered with blood, while a person is sitting at the edge of the cruise. With heavy and scared steps Ridhima has walked toward that person.
"Who are you?"
Ridhima questions
The moment the person turns and looks at her Ridhima is shocked to see Ridhima herself covered with blood and a strange smile on her face which made Ridhima step back and shout,
"No, you're not me. I didn't kill these people. I cannot kill people"
The hallucination Ridhima catches her
"I'm your future Ridhima. Very soon you will be like this. Killing every person and covered by their blood"
says coming closer to her.
"No, I won't be like you,"
says Ridhima
"You want to see how I killed these people, wait, let me show the demo,"
says Hallunication Ridhima
The hallucination Ridhima opens another door where people are tied to a chair. She goes to each chair and kills everyone. A few people she cuts into pieces. Ridhima runs behind her to stop but she doesn't.
"See Ridhima, these are people who have hurt us since our childhood. Do you remember they didn't give us the food when we begged them? See this matron had hit you because you were helping someone. He should die too"
says Halluniction Ridhima while killing everyone.
"No, don't kill, please. I'm not hurt by anyone"
says Ridhima
"Don't lie, I'm your future self I know who has hurt you. Now, see whom we have with us"
says Hallunication Ridhima
Ridhima sees Kabir at the end of the chair and begging Ridhima to leave him,
"Please, Ridhima. Leave me, Ridhima. I promise I won't hurt you"
says Kabir
"See Ridhima, now don't you want to hurt Kabir? He has hurt so much. There cannot be peace without first, great suffering. The greater the suffering, the greater the peace. The end you've always feared is coming. It's coming, and the blood will be on your hands"
says the hallucination Ridhima
Ridhima looks at her hands and they are covered in blood and when she thought how it happened, the hallucination Ridhima forces Ridhima to kill Kabir while his blood spilling all around the place and covering Ridhima face with the blood.
"Do you know who is on the list now?"
asks hallucination Ridhima wickedly
Ridhima looks at her as a scared kitten while Hallucination Ridhima shows Vansh who is tied to the chair and not in his conscious stage. Ridhima runs to Vansh and says,
"Get up Vansh, Please get up and run from here. She will kill you Vansh, please get up."
"Poor Ridhima, no matter what how much you try to wake him up, he won't,"
says hallucination Ridhima
Hallucination Ridhima tries to come near Vansh, while Ridhima pushes her. Once again Halluciatio Ridima takes steps towards Vansh, but Ridhima who sees a knife stabs Halluncaition Ridhima with it making everything disappear from the room.
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In reality: -
Then she remembers Richie words where he said know yourself and you win any battle. Today she had killed herself to win this battle. She checks her hands but there is no blood. With no strength left, she tries to open the door. The moment she steps outside, the cool breeze makes her lose balance. However, she fell into the arms of the man who is waiting for her to come out for the last two hours.
The whole team is shocked to see King carrying Ridhima in his hands safely. They had never seen him with any girl in the past 15 years. He protected Aliza when someone tried to misbehave initially when she joined Mafia. Now, seeing him so close to someone is making him them run with a thousand thoughts.
King carries Ridhima to her room and orders Aliza to clean her up. Before leaving he bends down and kiss on Ridhima forehead shocking the team once again. He goes to closer to Ridhima,
"I'm your destroyer and saviour Ridhima. Bear with me. Take a rest. I will be waiting for you on the other side"
saying he leaves the room.
While Tarzan is the first one to ask,
"Does Emperor love Ridhima?"
leaving others lost in their thoughts for this question.
Until next update - be safe, kind and courageous :) and please do review :)
Chapter 9 - https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5196200?pn=40#155240974
Edited by Abhyudaya - 5 years ago