‘Kunwar Saheb, Viking is not in his stall.’
‘What the hell is going on!’
‘Saheb, I don’t know what happened. Only an hour back I’d checked and he was fine.’
Suraj’s temper rose, ‘I will have Suhas’ hide for this.’
Rathod cut in. ‘Don’t be daft, Suraj. You think he took those four girls along with him for a ride as well?’
‘Find Mehender Singh at once.’ Suraj instructed as he stormed out towards the stables.
Suddenly, high-pitched screams from the banquet hall reached their ears. Rathod rushed back only to be greeted by a strange sight. The guests were all huddled in a corner and bang in the middle of the large room, which had been the stage for the Kalbeliyas’ snake dance, sat two magnificent cobras. Their hoods were up as if ready to strike.
A frightened guest yelled, ‘Someone kill the bloody snakes.’
Rathod took charge, ‘Call the Kalbeliyas and get rid of them.’
Before anyone could move, more snakes slithered out of their hiding places.
Goodness gracious! Rathod shrank back in horror. Then everyone was running pell-mell and striking out for the nearest exit.
Fifteen
The girls crouched in one of the stalls as Qiara reassured them quietly. Her brave front notwithstanding, a shiver of apprehension ran down her spine. More than worry about herself, she was terrified for Kabir’s safety. She jumped at the sound of a horse snorting.
Reshma was quick to sense her unease. She held her hand and squeezed it. Qiara hugged the girl close to her.
A rustling sound behind them instantly put them on alert. They huddled together, ready to flee at the slightest hint of danger.
Seconds later, Kabir emerged from the shadows.
‘Thank God,’ she whispered in relief.
Kabir pulled her into his arms. ‘You didn’t think I’d abandon you here, did you?’
‘I was terrified something awful had happened to you.’
He held her close to him for a brief warm moment. ‘We have to get out of here fast.’
He turned around and whistled softly.
A couple of men in traditional tribal gear came forward.
‘These people are friends. They will take the girls in their truck and keep them safe in their village.’
Qiara whispered, ‘What if they are stopped by Suraj’s men?’
‘They were here for the performance along with several women from their tribe. The guards have no reason to suspect the girls are with them. Besides, the women will dress them up as if they are part of the troupe. Unless we hurry up, it might be too late.’
Turning to the girls he said, ‘They’ll take care of you till Qiara and I come to get you. Go now.’
Qiara gave the girls a hug and sent them off.
Kabir took her hand and guided her out of the stables. Staying in the shadows, they ran till they reached a copse of trees. A black stallion had been tethered to a tree. Unfastening the reins, Kabir helped her mount the horse and climbed up behind her. With the reins in one hand, and another wrapped around Qiara’s midriff, he galloped away towards the forests.
Qiara’s back was pressed against Kabir and a sense of warmth and safety suffused her. The breeze blew in her face and carried away all her fears and worries. The palace was all lit up and she could see people scurrying around. She wondered what kind of mayhem Kabir had engineered in there.
They circumvented the palace and approached the Sonagarh lake when they heard shouts behind them. Kabir dug his heels into the horse to make him go faster.
‘Hang on, Qiara. The chase is on.’
She could hear the excitement in his voice. ‘You are sure you can outride them?’
He laughed out loud, his voice sending a thrill up her bloodstream. ‘Wanna take a bet?’
‘I’m not much of a gambler. But you know what, I bet my heart on you a long time ago and I think that turned out quite OK.’
‘That’s one hell of a confession to make at a time like this.’
‘There couldn’t be a better time than this, Kabir Shorey. When all the bets are off, there is only one person I would bet on. You!’
His only response was to hold her tighter in his grasp and ride like the wind. Soon they were flying down the bridge over the Sonagarh Lake. She looked behind to see the horsemen gaining ground on them. She felt like some princess being whisked away by her fairytale rajkumar into a wondrous new world.
They crossed the bridge and into the forest, riding uphill. Kabir kept off the beaten path, taking them deeper into the forests till their pursuers fell away. At Devil’s Peak, he reined in the horse, and lifted her down.
Her body slid down the length of his hard torso; her hips fused with his as her feet found the ground. Winding her arms around his neck she turned up her face for his kiss. The glow of the night, the moon and stars shining down on them and her heart filled with love…it was a moment she wanted to capture forever.
Caressing her lips with his, he nipped them gently with his teeth. He sucked at them with a deep groan that made her feel like her heart would pool into a puddle at her feet.
Dragging his mouth away from hers he rasped, ‘You have taken me to hell and back, woman. I love you.’
She gazed into his amber eyes which echoed the depths of her own feelings.
‘I love you too.’
He leaned against the rock wall behind him and clasped her to him as if he would never let go.
‘I never thought I would hear you say that.’
‘I love you, Kabir,’ she repeated softly, putting her head on his chest and listening to the hard thud of his heart. ‘Always have. Always will.’
He shook his head as if he could hardly believe it. ‘Can you ever forgive me for not being there for you?’
‘Yes, because I now know the truth.’
‘Really? Couldn’t you have told me earlier and put me out of my misery?’ he teased.
She threw a playful punch at him.
‘Do you know how totally and utterly exasperating you are, Mr Shorey?’
His low, rumbling laugh made her swoon. Then he proceeded to kiss her breathless.
He pulled away from her reluctantly when he heard a horseman coming towards them. Giving her a quick kiss on the temple he urgently instructed her to stay in the shadows.
Taking Viking by the reins, Kabir led him towards the rider. Every muscle in his body tensed, leaving him in no doubt of the man’s identity.
The rider reined in his horse and dismounted. ‘Viking!’
Suraj Pratap Singh was elated to find his champion horse had been recovered.
‘You found Viking. Well done. You will get your due reward. What’s your name?’
A low laugh escaped Kabir’s lips. ‘Out of sight, out of mind, Suraj?’
Suraj’s head jerked back in shock. ‘You? I thought I’d gotten rid of you, once and for all. But I forgot gutter snipes like you need to be crushed.’
‘Missed me?’ Kabir’s mouth twisted sarcastically. ‘You’re right about one thing. The old Kabir you loved to torture and taunt and threw out of your precious palace is dead. The one standing in front of you has come to put you away in prison for a long time.’
Suraj guffawed as if it was the funniest thing he had heard.
‘You are still as delusional as ever. Once you thought you were going to be the heir to the palace and its riches. Now you think you are going to throw me behind bars. Once a loser, always a loser.’
‘That’s rich, coming from a guy who is being hounded by the police across several countries in Europe for fraud. Here’s a little reality check for you, big brother. Your game is up. You are currently under investigation for the murder of Ranveer Khanna and for the deplorable crime of women trafficking.’
For a few moments, Suraj was stumped and Kabir drove in his advantage. ‘Unfortunately for you, the Government of India has tasked me with the job of bringing you and your co-conspirators down.’
> ‘Who the bloody hell do you think you are?’ Suraj yelled.
‘Oh, how amiss of me not to introduce myself. Kabir Shorey, DCIO, Intelligence Bureau.’
For a second, Suraj was stumped but recovered quickly. ‘I have friends in high places and you will never be able to pin anything on me.’
‘This is the thing, Suraj. We already have one of your pals in our custody, the Prime Minister’s son. And I can take a bet it will not take long for him to ditch you when it comes to saving his own skin.’
‘Suhas? Where is he? What have you done with him?’
‘Oh, don’t worry. He is fine. My men are taking care of him.’
Ratcheting up false bravado Suraj thundered, ‘You think you can scare me? To put me away you need proof and you have nothing on me.’
Kabir laughed. ‘You know what your problem is, Suraj? You believe you can run over people’s lives and there will be no consequences. Remember the girl you sent your men after to silence?’
Qiara walked out of the shadows. ‘Meet your ‘proof’, Your Royal Highness. Qiara Rana. As a lawyer I can assure you that kidnapping and murder are both serious offences in any court of law.’
A touch of panic entered Suraj’s voice. ‘Lies…all lies. You are all trying to frame me. You think you can bring me down? That’s not going to happen in a million years.’
Another horseman was riding towards them. Suraj dashed forward, hoping to find an accomplice. Immensely relieved to see Mehender Singh, he called out, ‘Dewanji,’ tell these people, their lies will not work. No one can lay a finger on me.’
‘Lies do have a way of catching up with us, don’t they?’
‘What the hell are you talking about?’
Mehender Singh walked calmly to Qiara and held her hand. ‘Qiara is my daughter. The girl you were determined to sell to the Montgomery couple.’
‘But...but...how can that be?’ Suraj stuttered. ‘Your wife and daughter were killed in an accident.’
‘Yes, those lies saved them from your monstrous plan.’
Desperation echoed in Suraj’s voice. ‘But Raja Saheb confirmed it.’
Mehender Singh turned to Qiara. ‘There was only one way I could ensure he would give up the hunt for you and your mother. I promised Raja Saheb I’d forever be his slave, and do anything for him, if he’d just tell Suraj that you both were killed in an accident. There was no reason for Suraj to disbelieve his own father.’
Qiara’s voice choked with emotion. ‘You sacrificed your life for us?’
‘It was more like a deal with the Devil. But I am done. I have paid my price.’ Turning to Kabir he said, ‘I have more than enough information to help you nail this man.’
‘You bloody betrayer!’
Suraj’s scream was drowned by the sound of a helicopter descending on to Devil’s Peak.
Within minutes the chopper landed near them, its whirring propellers creating a mini dust storm of sorts.
Zayed jumped out followed by another teammate.
‘So you finally decided to put in an appearance. Late as usual,’ Kabir said in mock anger.
‘Not late, buddy. Giving you enough time to retrieve the precious package.’
‘There, you can check out your package.’ Kabir pointed towards Suhas who lay slumped on the ground a few feet away. ‘While you are at it, you might want to secure one more piece of garbage – the mastermind behind the whole rotten women trafficking business, His Royal Highness Suraj Pratap Singh.’
Suraj seemed to have suddenly found the strength to mount Viking but before he could flee, Kabir grabbed the reins. ‘Not so fast.’
Bholu too had put in an appearance and helped bundle the still-out-cold Suhas into the helicopter.
As the chopper took off, with Suhas and Suraj on board, Zayed turned to Qiara.
‘Miss Rana, you will be happy to know that Girls Rock! has been cleared of all charges by the NCA. We have tracked down a key contact of Ranveer Khanna in Europe who spilled the beans on the girl-trafficking ring. The clean-up operation has begun. Even as we speak, the police is securing the Sonagarh Jal Mahal.’
‘Oh, I’m so glad we can put this whole thing behind us,’ Qiara said with feeling. ‘But there is still something I don’t understand.’
‘What’s that?’ asked Kabir.
‘How did you get out of the palace? Suraj’s men were all over the place.’
‘You underestimate the weapons of scary destruction,’ said Kabir with a laugh.
‘What’s that?’ Zayed and Qiara echoed each other.
‘Hey Bholu, care to clarify?’ Kabir called out.
Bholu filled them in on the details, narrating how the Kalbeliyas had helped create a diversion by unleashing their tools of trade – the snakes – in the banquet hall. The guests had no way of knowing the snakes were defanged and could not have caused any damage. But the mayhem they created had bought them enough time to escape from the palace.
‘Each of you have played a crucial part in this operation. All in all, a job well done. Right, Zayed?’
Zayed beamed back. ‘Yes, partner.’
Qiara’s eyes twinkled mischievously. ‘So, am I forgiven for not toeing the line and being a massive pain in the butt?’
‘For now, it’s been forgotten,’ he rasped.
Zayed looked at them, eyebrows raised. ‘Am I missing something?’
Kabir’s deadpan face didn’t betray any emotion as he said, ‘Partner, we still need to wrap up a few things. Let’s get on with it.’
As soon as Zayed’s back was turned on them, Kabir remarked to Qiara sotto voce.
‘As for you, Miss Rana, you’ll get your just desserts. All in good time.’
She grabbed his hand and winked, ‘Promise?’
He raised hers to his lips and kissed it, ‘Promise!’
Epilogue
Three months later…
India Habitat Centre, New Delhi
The attention of the audience in the packed auditorium was focused on the girl of the moment – Reshma – as she spoke hesitantly about the need to educate girls and empower them to lead independent lives.
‘My dream is to help girls like me from poor homes in villages to achieve theirs. I appeal to all of you to leave a small donation so that we at Girls Rock! can carry forward our mission. Thank you for coming today and lending your support.’
Thunderous applause greeted her and she smiled endearingly at the crowd. Television reporters began shooting questions at her which she answered in a calm, poised manner.
Qiara’s eyes pricked with unshed tears of pride. She walked out of the auditorium to savour the feeling of accomplishment at the successful conclusion of Girls Rock!’s tenth anniversary event.
The rescue of Reshma and the other girls had been a turning point for Girls Rock! and for her. While she still wanted to work for the empowerment of girl children, she couldn’t dream of a life without Kabir. She had made up her mind to return to India for good and dreaded the thought of telling Sam. What came as a complete surprise to her was her mentor’s idea of starting a full-fledged division in South Asia with New Delhi as its headquarters. Sam had anointed her Joint Managing Director of Girls Rock! with the additional responsibility of running the South Asian Centre.
The tenth anniversary celebrations had doubled up as the inauguration ceremony for the South Asian Centre and it had been a hectic three months as she had turned into administrator, fundraiser, event manager and general dogsbody all rolled into one.
She wondered if she would have been as excited about her new life without Kabir. No way! The very thought of him brought a smile to her lips and a spring to her step. He’d been preparing for a special treat tonight, but frankly speaking, every moment with him was a celebration.
Her phone pinged. It was Kabir.
Honey, put me out of my misery. How much longer?
Her heart did a little tap dance. He’d wanted to be at the function, to celebrate with her, but she knew he’d have been bor
ed with the long speeches and the rounds of media interviews. In fact, she had stopped herself from cutting loose and zipping away to their new pad in Gurgaon. He had been doing the place up and had forbidden her to set foot there before it was ready.
On my way. Be there in 20.
She revelled in warm fuzzy thoughts till the cab finally drove into the driveway of the twenty-storey complex where their new apartment was located. She loved how he was making the effort to be more open with her. Letting her into his mindspace, even though she knew it wasn’t easy for him, having had to always depend on himself and work out issues on his own. He surprised her every now and then with sweet, warm text messages that made her feel loved and cherished.
She was as excited as a girl on her first date. Pressing the bell impatiently, she took in her breath swiftly when Kabir threw open the door. His warm smile, the scent of his citrusy aftershave and his muscled body that filled up the doorframe made her heart soar.
‘Welcome home,’ he breathed and took her in his arms and gave her a slow, long kiss that had her knees giving way.
‘Mmmm…you smell heavenly,’ she murmured, closing her eyes.
‘Keep your eyes closed.’
At that, her eyes promptly opened up, big and wide. ‘No way! I’m dying to see what you have been up to here.’
He laughed. ‘You need to take it in slowly. Savour the effect.’
‘You are a big tease, you know that, don’t you?’ But she did as he said.
He gave her a quick peck on her cheek and said, ‘No peeking unless I say so.’
‘Yeah, yeah, OK.’
He wrapped one arm around her shoulder and led her a few short steps before giving her the go-ahead. ‘OK. Now.’
She was delighted at the sight that greeted her – the living room had been done up in warm tones of yellow and orange. The mix and match of modern furniture and a few antique pieces added a quirky, unique look. Throws, rugs and bright lamp shades gave it a warm, cosy appeal. The large window had a seat where you could curl up with a book or gaze at the lights of the city spread out in a spectacular view. A round dining table was positioned between a compact little open kitchen and the living room.
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