The Devil’s Desire: A Passionate Romance

by M. V. Kasi

  ***

  Naina woke up with a splitting headache. Her stomach churned, and it was made worse with the soft rocking movement she felt underneath her. She tried to open her eyes, but the pain almost caused her to blackout again.

  The sickly-sweet smell lingered in her nose, making her want to vomit. She desperately tried to breathe slowly through her mouth to control the nausea.

  Soon, she felt slightly better. Although her headache remained, she slowly opened her eyes.

  It was semi-dark with a dim bulb hanging in the corner of the room.

  No. Not a room. It was a cabin.

  She was lying on a narrow bed inside a cabin. The rocking motion and a soft hum of an engine made her realize that the cabin was a ship or a boat of some sort.

  Her father didn’t own a yacht or boat as far as she knew. Then it must belong to someone else. Maybe to that man… Vicktor.

  She trembled, and her nausea flared up again along with the splitting headache. She sucked in air through her mouth once again and tried to stop panic and fear from taking over.

  Oh God. Shiv is going to come for me.

  There was no doubt that Shiv was going to come for her. But utter fear and panic tried to take over because Shiv would put himself in danger to rescue her.

  If that psychopath leaves me alive until then.

  She closed her eyes and stopped the tears from filling her eyes. Slowly, she sat up and held her head to stop it from spinning. When she felt slightly better, she stepped down. There were no windows in the cabin. She wanted to go to the shut door.

  She took a few steps and tripped over something. She held the wooden wall to stop herself from the fall. She blinked her eyes until they adjusted to the dim lighting and looked down.

  She screamed. And the next moment, she bent over and threw up violently.

  She had just stumbled on the dead body of her stepmother.

  “Oh God!” She felt sick to her stomach seeing the sight. Monica was naked, and her body was covered by wide gashes and burn marks, and her face was heavily bruised.

  Naina never got along with her stepmother, but she had never wished for such a thing to happen to her. She wouldn’t wish it on anyone.

  Fear and panic completely took over. She was crying and struggling to stand and walk towards the door. She had almost reached it when the door opened.

  It was Shiv. Her heart almost burst in relief.

  “Oh God, Shiv!” she ran to him and threw her arms around him and cried against his chest. “That sick man killed her. He brutally killed Monica, Shiv.” She couldn’t control her tears.

  It took a while for her sobs to subside, but her sobs didn’t subside because she was over her shock. Something seemed off. She pulled away and stared at Shiv. Why wasn’t he saying anything? And why wasn’t he hurrying them out? He was watching her strangely.

  Her heart thudded in strange fear. It was semi-dark but Shiv’s eyes looked cold and blank.

  Did someone drug him?

  “Shiv, you are scaring me. Say something, Shiv. Are you all right?”

  He pushed her hard against the cabin wall before kissing her hard. Her stomach churned. Not just because Shiv was kissing her next to her stepmother’s brutalized body, but the kiss felt wrong.

  She turned her head away. “No, Shiv. Stop.” She tried to push him away.

  He was definitely drugged because he didn’t stop. He tried to rip away the buttons on her top. She caught his hands. “Stop, Shiv. What are you doing? We need to escape. Let’s go!”

  His grip on her didn’t loosen. She tried to pry his hand away when her eyes fell on his fingers.

  She froze completely.

  She recognized those tattoos. They were the same ones that the man having sex with her stepmother had in the video.

  Oh God. It wasn’t a photoshop.

  “Vicktor,” she whispered.

  He froze suddenly, and then, there was a smile. A smile with no dimples. It was a smile of a psychopathic killer.

  “Mrs. Jaipal,” he said in a thick European accent. “How smart you are, and I love smart women. Tara was very smart too. That’s why I kept her.”

  ***

  “Cut me up,” Shiv ordered. “I don’t want the painkillers. I need to be alert. Just take it out.”

  Shiv was standing naked in the penthouse with Vijay, Tejas and a small team. He was about to rush towards the port when he got a call from Tejas saying that Vicktor had Naina on an old ship filled with explosives. The man had also threatened to blow it up in case Shiv or anyone approached them. Vicktor had pointedly told Tejas that he would know if Shiv was coming.

  That’s when Shiv knew. Vicktor always managed to narrowly escape because he knew where Shiv was. Shiv knew it wasn’t any of his men who had worked for him for nearly a decade. He trusted them. He had also done extensive grilling and investigation on Tejas to know the young policeman was also not the one betraying him.

  “Hurry the fuck up.”

  Tejas scanned the small detecting machine on Shiv’s body. The machine beeped normally.

  Shiv was frustrated. He hoped the machine was able to detect the tracker set somewhere on his body. Twenty minutes later, they still couldn’t detect anything.

  “I know it’s there. I was unconscious for at least half a day when they captured me. They always put trackers in all of their human cargo.”

  Ten painful long minutes later, the beeps got faster. It was on the back of his hip.

  “Cut it out quickly.”

  It took twenty minutes to extract the extremely tiny tracking device that was no bigger than a grain of rice.

  Shiv ignored the sharp piercing pain. “Stitch me up and put a waterproof bandage.”

  “Let our team handle this, Shiv. It’s not safe for you. We don’t know how many are onboard.”

  Shiv looked at Sameera Vasisht who was there with her team. “No. I’m going.”

  He knew Sameera and Tejas or any of the cops would give preference to capturing Vicktor and getting information from him, rather than saving Naina. For Shiv, it was an easy decision. Naina’s life above anything.

  ***

  “What do you want? Why are you doing all this?”

  At Naina’s question, the man’s face erupted in anger. It was creepy and sick. He had Shiv’s face, and her mind was having trouble digesting that fact.

  “Your husband ruined me. I had everything once, and now I’m reduced to a fugitive.”

  “You hurt his sister. He had every right to ruin you.” Naina knew she shouldn’t agitate a mad man, but she couldn’t keep quiet when he began to justify his psychotic behavior.

  He smiled evilly. “Now, I’ll hurt his wife. He can’t ruin me again. There is nothing to ruin.”

  Dread twisted inside her stomach. She kicked him hard on his face, her shoe meeting his mouth and nose. He let out a roar and held his face with both his hands. Using that opportunity, she pushed him to the side and ran out of the door.

  With her heart thudding, she tried to determine the way to the steps. She almost found them and was climbing them when she felt a painful tug on her hair.

  “You bitch. I’m going to make you wish I killed you.”

  He banged her head to the metal railing, making her head explode in pain. Holding her head, he dragged her up by her hair to the stairs. She was in pain and feeling dazed and seeing double vision. But using the last of her energy reserve, she kicked him hard once again on his face.

  Blood spurted and fell on her face. His nose was broken and bleeding, and his teeth were missing. His face now looked disfigured, and he didn’t resemble Shiv anymore. With a small, satisfied smile, she gave in to the darkness.

  ***

  Shiv was on a speedboat that was racing towards the ship that held Naina.

  Please, God, let her be okay. Please let the sick fuck not hurt her.

  “We can’t go any further,” said Sameera. He’ll be able to detect us.”

  Shiv had ordered the rest
of the boats to stay further away at a distance. He had also warned them not to take any action. He didn’t want to risk Naina’s life. Vicktor was psychotic enough to blow himself up just to kill Naina to get back at Shiv.

  “I’ll indicate when you can get closer,” he instructed.

  Then zipping up his wetsuit and putting on a diving mask, he dove into the water along with twenty others, most of whom will remain in water near the ship.

  They began swimming towards the ship.

  It took over an hour, and each second Shiv didn’t stop praying that Naina was alive. She had been in Vicktor’s captivity for nearly half a day. He knew that she could have been hurt and violated by the sick bastard during that time.

  Let her be all right.

  He continued praying while he climbed the ship using the rope ladder from the side along with the others. When he reached the deck, he removed his wetsuit and mask before giving out instructions to his men, asking them to let him know in case one of them saw Naina first.

  It was a relatively small ship used for transporting cargo. Vicktor’s hired men were onboard. Shiv’s trained team was able to disarm and tackle some of them without drawing any attention. The team suspected there were a few more.

  Shiv didn’t know how much time had passed, but it felt like forever until one of his men notified him about Naina and Vicktor being in one of the cabins in the lower level.

  Shiv hurried towards the opening at the middle where the steps led to the lower level.

  There were only a couple of cabins. One was left open where he saw Monica Bhasin’s brutalized body. With his heart thudding, he pushed open the other door that was left unlocked.

  Vicktor was inside and he was pointing a gun at him.

  The gun didn’t bother Shiv, what almost stopped his heart and built rage was the sight in front of him.

  Naina was lying on a bed completely still and bleeding from behind her head. Her jeans were intact, but her shirt was unbuttoned, and there was a butcher knife on the bed next to her. Shiv knew the sadistic bastard was about to cut Naina’s skin.

  Controlling his rage from showing outward, Shiv looked at Vicktor.

  “Hello, Vicktor. We meet once again.”

  “How did you get here? You were at your home less than thirty minutes ago!”

  Shiv looked at the badly bruised and bleeding face that resembled him. It must be Naina who must have hurt Vicktor.

  That’s my girl.

  The Russian grimaced in pain.

  “Vicktor. Let’s put down the guns and talk.”

  The bastard’s eyes looked crazed. “There’s nothing to talk about. It’s good that you came. I’m going to make you watch while I slice up your wife before fucking her.”

  Shiv lowered the gun slightly. “Let my wife go and take me with you instead.”

  The bastard shook his head. “No. You destroyed forty years of my hard work and turned me into a fugitive. Simply shooting you dead is not going to bring back what I lost.” He pointed the gun towards Naina with a crazed smile. “I know breaking her will destroy you.”

  Shiv didn’t wait. He attacked the man, tackling him until the gun flew out of Vicktor’s hands. He held the man in a chokehold, about to beat the shit out of him, when there was a bloodied grin. “I notified my men that if I don’t contact them every thirty minutes, they are to blow up the ship. It’s been twenty minutes already.”

  Shiv paused in mid punch. He knew Vicktor could be bluffing. But he didn’t want to take chances. He made a decision and let Vicktor go. He left the chokehold and went to Naina.

  ***

  Every cell in Naina’s body ached when she heard a voice calling her.

  “Naina! Get up.”

  Slowly, she opened her eyes slowly with a groan. “S-shiv,” she said seeing his worried face.

  “Yes. I got you, sweetheart. You’ll be fine.”

  She realized Shiv was carrying her somewhere. She could see the clear blue sky. They were on the upper deck of the ship where Vicktor held her. The last memory she had was of breaking the nose of Vicktor and him banging her head against the metal railing. When did Shiv come?

  “Listen to me carefully, Naina,” Shiv said in urgent tone.

  He stopped at the railing of the ship. Naina’s head still swum, but she focused on Shiv’s face. “I want you to go to London along with your mother and stay with Aditi. My lawyers will contact you soon.”

  She blinked in confusion. “What? What do you mean? Where will you—” She broke off when he pulled her close and kissed her on her lips.

  “I love you, baby,” he said in an intense tone before picking her up and throwing her into the water.

  She fell into the ocean, and went deep inside the water. She blinked in shock for a few moments, and when she couldn’t hold her breath anymore, she began kicking her legs to swim up.

  She coughed and choked when she broke the surface. “Shiv!” she screamed. She couldn’t see him anywhere, and she began to panic. “Shiv!” she screamed again.

  He must still be on the ship. She began to swim frantically closer to the ship. She didn’t find anything to climb it. She began swimming around the ship to find something she could use as a purchase to climb it.

  She found a rope ladder on the other end of the ship. Even though her arms and legs and entire body ached, she frantically swam towards the rope. She was only a hundred feet away when she heard a sound. She turned her head and saw a speed boat. She was shocked seeing Sameera Vasisht along with two other men she didn’t recognize.

  “Naina, get into the boat.”

  Naina shook her head. “Shiv is on the ship with Vicktor. Save him first.”

  “Naina, listen to me. Some of our men are up there. They’ll help Shiv. Get in.”

  “No! Help him now!” Shiv’s instructions swam inside her head. Why did he ask her to go to London? It almost sounded as though—

  She could barely finish the thought before panicking again. She swam the rest of the distance. But just as she reached the rope ladder, arms held her and dragged her into the boat.

  “What are you doing! Let me go! Shiv is on the ship. Shiv!”

  But the boat didn’t wait. It began to speed away. “Wait!” she screamed. “He’s up there. Help him! Shiv! Shiv!”

  Despite her screaming, the boat continued to move away at a rapid speed. She was just about to tackle the man driving the boat when she heard a loud explosion.

  With her heart thudding, ears ringing loudly and shock filling all her senses, she saw the ship bursting into flames.

  Once more, darkness enveloped her.

  EPILOGUE

  Six months later…

  “Afterall, tomorrow is another day.”

  There was a brief silence, followed by claps.

  “That’s a wonderful read, Miss Kathy,” Naina said with a smile.

  “Yes, Miss Kathy,” Aditi added. “You reminded me of my childhood. It was my mother’s favorite book too.”

  “Thank you, Naina and Aditi. What about you, Sarita? Did you enjoy the story?”

  Naina looked at her mother. She and her mother along with Aditi and Miss Kathy were seated in the garden. Miss Kathy had just finished reading Gone with the Wind out aloud. It took almost two weeks to complete reading the book aloud, but with a rapt audience, it was easy to spend a couple of relaxing hours each day.

  Naina’s mother frowned. “I’m not sure if I should like the hero. He sounds more like a villain.”

  Miss Kathy laughed. “That’s the whole appeal of the story, Sarita. A jaded villain with a golden heart. Sometimes, the devils are more fun.”

  Naina and Aditi looked at each other and controlled their laughter. If only Miss Kathy knew how close to the truth that was.

  The sound of the phone ringing cut through the conversation.

  “Ah, think of the devil.” Aditi grinned looking at her phone screen. She got up from the lawn chair. “My ride is here. Have a great evening, everyone. Naina, if I don�
��t meet you again tonight, I’ll see you at the fitness centre tomorrow.”

  Naina nodded. Aditi ran a fitness centre where various defense and fight techniques were taught. They also had yoga and aerobics classes. Naina recently switched from kickboxing to yoga.

  “Yes, Arjun. I’m on my way.”

  Naina knew Aditi was talking to her husband on the phone. Cupping her heavily rounded stomach, Aditi went towards the waiting car parked outside.

  Aditi’s baby was due anytime, but she was still quite active, much to the exasperation of her husband. Naina smiled, recalling some of the arguments between Aditi and her husband.

  Naina obviously supported Aditi during those arguments. Right from the moment she met Aditi, she felt a close kinship. Over the last few months, their friendship continued to grow.

  Both of them had found love under unusual circumstances, and both of them had to start over with new beginnings. They had a lot of other things in common too, which was why they met often and socialized together.

  “The weather is wonderful today,” Miss Kathy said excitedly. “Let’s have supper in the garden. Let’s ask if Sitaram wants to join us too.”

  Although Naina wasn’t too hungry, she joined the three of them for a light early dinner.

  It was barely seven at night when they were done, and everyone went to their rooms on the ground floor to retire for the night. Unlike her, they were early risers who woke up before sunrise.

  Tying her hair into a knot on top of her head, Naina went to her room on the top floor. Although it was the weekend, she checked her phone to see if there were any work messages. Four months ago, she had joined Pooja’s brother’s company. The company was based in San Francisco. However, Pooja’s brother allowed her to work remotely and travel to the work location once in a while when needed.

  Strangely, there were no emails for the past two weekends. Usually, her inbox would be littered with emails that would need her to work overtime on some weekends. Letting out a grateful sigh, she went into the bathroom to take a shower.