Anika sat on the bed with her arms wrapped around her raised knees. Almost an hour had passed since the revelations. Everything felt surreal, and she badly wanted to wake up from the nightmare.

Anika’s phone had gone missing, and there were no landlines or computers available. She was completely cut off from her world to be left at her aunt’s mercy.

I can’t just sit here and do nothing. I need to get help and not drown in self-pity!

The knock on the door interrupted her thoughts, but Anika didn’t respond. She knew it wasn’t her aunt or Sabitha because they wouldn’t bother knocking.

“Madam, I brought your lunch.” A soft voice of a woman came through the door.

Maybe the maid can help.

“Come in!”

The maid wheeled in a cart with silver dishes placed on top. The aroma emitting from the food made Anika’s stomach even queasier. She was too nervous to think of eating right then.

“Do you need anything else, madam?” the maid asked with a polite smile.

“Yes. A phone.”

The maid’s eyes fell. “I’m sorry, madam. We were instructed not to allow you to speak with anyone outside this house, or even help you leave.”

Anika wanted to lash out, but she knew the maid was only following orders.

She didn’t know whom to ask for help. She only knew Sabitha. Even though Sabitha appeared cold and unfeeling, the fact that they were cousins by blood should somehow compel the other woman to help.

“Where is Sabitha? I want to speak with her.”

The maid looked scared and didn’t answer.

“You said, I’m not allowed to speak with anyone outside the house. Sabitha lives here. So tell me where she is.”

The maid bit her lip uncertainly. “Sabitha madam is…busy.”

“Where is she? I’ll go find her.”

“She’s downstairs in the—” The maid broke off, paling rapidly. “I-I don’t know where she is.”

Anika didn’t believe her, but she didn’t want to push the maid too much. “Thanks. That’s it for now. Maybe I’ll speak with her later when she comes to me.”

The maid nodded and left hurriedly with the door clicking shut behind her. As soon as the receding footsteps of the maid could barely be heard, Anika got down from the bed, and moved towards the bedroom door.

She turned the knob and luckily it was not locked. Her aunt must have been incredibly confident that she wouldn’t try to escape.

Slowly, she opened the door, and looked outside into the empty hallway. She crept through the hall, her bare feet hardly making any sound. And instead of going down the main stairs that led to the large living room, she continued until she saw another flight of stairs that seemed to lead to a lower level.

She continued down the stairs until she reached the floor that seemed to be at the basement level. The hallway was dimly lit. As she moved along, she could hear the faint sounds of a man gasping, and water being splashed.

Was that a bathroom? She wasn’t sure because she heard voices of other men and also a woman’s which sounded much like that of her cousin’s.

Her heart began to beat loudly as she walked closer, and then stopped in front of a door, where she could hear the voices even more clearly. Taking a deep breath, she slowly opened the door a few inches.

There were four men, along with Sabitha, standing with their backs facing the door. They were watching something. No, not something. Someone. That someone was gasping and coughing.

“More.” As soon as Sabitha passed the order, one of the burly men moved and picked up a large bucket. As soon as the burly man moved, Anika saw another man, tied to a chair.

Water was poured on his head, more or less drowning him. Soon there was more gasping, followed by sobbing. “P-please! Stop!”

“Then give me the name,” Sabitha demanded softly.

“K-Karunakar Reddy. Please, stop. No more! No more!” The man sobbed and begged.

Sabitha raised her hand, indicating to the man holding another bucket of water—to stop.

“P-please, forgive me. Give me a last chance!” The man’s sobs grew in size, even though the torture with the water had stopped.

“You know I never give another chance to anyone. You make a mistake, you die,” Sabitha stated calmly.

One of the men handed something to Sabitha. Only when it gleamed in the faint light, did Anika realize that it was a gun. A scream got lodged into her throat with fear.

“Please!” The man began to beg. “I have a family. My wife is pregnant. J-just give me another c-chance.”

Sabitha sighed audibly, and then she fired not once, not twice, but repeatedly, only stopping when the lifeless body of the man slumped in the chair.

She handed back the gun to one of the men. “Clear up this mess and get ready. We have to leave to the temple in an hour.”

The men nodded at Sabitha’s instruction. Two men began untying the dead man, and started rolling his body in plastic, while two other men began to clear the blood on the ground.

The scream lodged in Anika’s throat was finally let loose. She screamed out shrilly and shook violently. She vomited on the floor next to her, but since she hadn’t eaten anything all day, they were only dry heaves.

She trembled as footsteps drew closer to her. When she raised her bleary eyes, she saw the bloody shirt and trousers of her cousin.

“Y-you killed him! You killed a man! How could you? How—” Sabitha grabbed Anika’s arms, and shook her until her hysteria died, and only her sobs remained.

“How did you know I was here?” Sabitha demanded.

“You killed a man. You deliberately took a life of a person,” Anika whispered as tears continued pouring out of her eyes.

Her cousin’s eyes hardened. “Not my first time, and it won’t be the last either. So shut up and get back to your room. Come down when you are called. Go!”

With her body still trembling in shock, Anika ran towards the stairway. She couldn’t recall how she found her room, but as soon as she got in, she shut it and locked it from the inside.

The scene she had witnessed began to play again and again behind her eyes, especially the part where the man was begging for his life, and also pleading because his wife was pregnant.

Her cousin was a heartless monster! She killed the man in cold blood.

Anika cried at the helplessness she felt, being trapped in the hellhole with absolutely no one to help escape.

 

*****

 

Anika didn’t know how long she lay curled on the bed in a fetal position, but she jerked when she heard insistent knocking on the door.

“Madam, everyone is waiting for you. They have asked me to help you get ready.”

Rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand, she curled up even tighter.

“Madam, I-I was told that if I didn’t return with you in thirty minutes, I will be punished. P-please…open the door.” The woman’s voice on the other side of the door trembled.

Anika’s heart began to thud loudly. Was there no low my aunt and cousin would stoop to? How could they threaten a person for someone else’s actions?

Reluctantly, she dragged herself from the bed and opened the door. The same maid who had come that morning, stood with an uncertain look, holding a large bag.

“I-I brought clothes and other accessories for you to get ready.”

Anika nodded jerkily and moved away from the door. She didn’t want to change or get ready to meet a man she had no interest in seeing, let alone marry. She wanted to shout out those words, but she didn’t want to get the maid in trouble or even get killed because of her.

She went to the large bathroom within her room and splashed some cold water on her tear-swollen face. She came out and let the maid help her get ready.

The heavy ornate lehenga and a cropped blouse with endless buttons at the back did require the maid’s help.

Anika objected to the styling of her hair, and also to wearing the jewelry that was sent up. However, each time she objected, the maid’s eyes lit up in fear, and she had to just let the maid complete the task given to her.

“All done, madam. You look very beautiful. The Singhams will be more than impressed.”

Anika nodded, not bothering to look at herself in the mirror.

“We have five more minutes. Sabitha and madam are very particular about time. Please hurry!”

Slipping into comfortable shoes which didn’t match her ornate outfit, but were covered by the long lehenga, Anika followed behind the maid.

Sabitha was already waiting downstairs, dressed in a similar outfit. Anika was shocked at her cousin’s transformation. The woman in front of her barely looked like the heartless monster that had killed a man in cold blood.

Sabitha's eyes scanned her quickly, probably making sure she had followed the orders. “Let’s go. Neela is already in the car. She doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”

Anika quietly followed behind her cousin. Right outside the main door, there were two SUVs parked, packed with men. In the middle was a luxury car, where her aunt was waiting impatiently at the back seat.

“Let’s go. I don’t want the Singhams to think that Prajapati women are tardy.”

The door was held open, but Anika hesitated.

Neelambari held a large silver tray with things one carried when they visited temples.

Instead of snapping at Anika to hurry, Neelambari smiled widely with an approving look. “You look radiant, my dear. You will knock that Singham warrior off his feet.”

“Come.” Neelambari patted to the empty seat next to her. “Sit next to me.”

Neelambari spoke in a sweet tone. The same tone she had used when she had called Anika a few weeks ago. But instead of affection, all Anika felt for her aunt was fear and disgust.

Not having a choice, Anika slid next to Neelambari and sat stiffly.

Sabitha sat in the front, next to the driver, even though there was enough room in the backseat.

“To the Singham temple.” Neelambari’s voice hummed with excitement.