Chapter 204 - Dare to bet with me?

(Flashback continues)

***

|Eshan|

I had an urge to throttle someone. How could they not do their work? The information I had received about half an hour ago made me restless. The bodyguards I had left behind knew nothing about the situation. Seriously? They just told me that my house was locked, and they had no idea where Innaya was. Their continuous apology for their incompetence was of no use now. Was that going to bring Innaya's news?

I should have taken more measures to secure Innaya. I had left a warning for them to find me all the details within an hour before I had disconnected the call. I did not even listen to their explanations. They were given a single work of my wife's safety, and they had screwed it up.

"Arjun, where are you, buddy? Things would have been easier if you haven't left." I stared at my mobile. Last time Arjun was the one who had singlehandedly tracked down Innaya's whereabouts. This time I had no idea how I was going to get to the bottom of it. At times like this, I missed Arjun and his efficiency. No one could even come closer to his way of dealing with things.

"Sir, Ma'am must have gone to her friend's place. You should not worry much..."

"Shut up, Parth. You don't know anything. Innaya doesn't have any friend in Mumbai," I snapped at him. Parth then turned silent.

Where are you Innaya? Where are you?

I ran my hand through my hair, feeling frustrated beyond limits.

The tense atmosphere was broken by the incoming call. Carl's name flashed over the screen. I immediately answered. I had called him previously when his people failed to do their job, but I couldn't reach him.

"What kind—"

My anger was cut short when I heard the news. "Sir, I've found Ma'am."

"Is she alright? Where is she?" Relieved, I bombarded him with the questions. It was good news that they managed to get hold of her.

"Sir." He interrupted my series of questions. "No. Something has happened. Ma'am is currently at Mr. Karan's place."

"What?" I was shocked. "Did he kidnap her again? How dare he? That bastard—"

"No. The matter is rather complicated. I've sent you the CCTV footage. Take a look at it first. But, we don't know what had happened inside of your house, and we don't have any way to check it out. The surveillance cameras outside your house aren't working. Someone tampered with it," he explained rather solemnly.

I disconnected the call. I sat on the couch and pulled my laptop on my lap from the table. I was already working while trying Innaya's number, so the browser was opened. Going to my email, I opened the attachment.

***

An hour later, after smashing the entire glass set and throwing countless cushions all across the room, I was ready to board the next flight for rushing back to Innaya. Unfortunately, I could not. For my family, I could not abdomen thousands of other families. The issue at the London branch had to be handled before I could leave.

Just what the hell happened behind my back? Though the most important footage was missing, the rest of what I watched was enough to make me worried. I watched Innaya breaking down in the park before she fell down on the grass. That four-hour long footage of Innaya being all alone I had watched on fast forward. Her crying and then falling unconscious had made me feel the agonizing pain. I had never seen that kind of expression on her face.

What had happened to her that she had the look of despair on her face? And, how did Karan knew where to find her? He had taken her unconscious figure away. I had caught the sight of injury on her forehead. The arm of that stone bench had ended up scrapping the skin on her forehead.

Why did she not call me? There were endless questions without any specific answer.

"Sir, do you know why was Ma'am in that state?" Parth cautiously asked from behind me.

I clenched my fist by my side. "If I knew, she wouldn't be in that state." I snapped at him.

I dialed Carl's number again. I needed to know what else he had to report.

I yelled the moment when the call got connected, "What were your men doing when some stranger took my wife away? Do you even know how to do the work?" My whole anger after seeing Innaya in that state was directed toward him. Then again, both of his men had failed in their work.

"Someone had knocked them unconscious, and I think it's the one who tampered with the footage of the surveillance at your mansion. Ma'am is back at the mansion, but it looks as if she has suffered some heavy blow. Her forehead is bandaged, and she's limping a little. Your dog was with her when Mr. Karan dropped her back. My men are working on finding the details of the whole ordeal. Give us a couple of hours. I'm sorry for my men's incompetency," Carl finished his report in a single breath.

"Is your apology going to change anything?" I gritted my teeth. "You've got an hour; get me details of everything."

I threw my mobile on the bed where it bounced a couple of times. Parth brought a glass of water. I did not know where he found it. Sighing, I took the glass and gulped it down. I needed to calm down my mind.

"I think you should call Ma'am again," Parth spoke once I visibly relaxed a bit. The mobile was on loudspeaker mode, so he had listened to everything.

"I know." I nodded my head. "You try and contact Ayush."

"Yes, sir," he replied promptly before he turned and walked to the door.

I turned and called out as I remembered who could replace me if Ayush was not available. "Wait, contact Rey and ask him to take the earliest flight. Book my ticket, I'll be returning."

Just as he left the room, my mobile rang again. Calming down my anger I picked up my mobile from the bed. The screen displayed Karan's name.

The anger I had just calmed down, skyrocketed again. The visual of how he took Innaya away from the garden and tender gaze with which he had stared at her was still bothering me.

"How does it feel to be helpless Eshan?" Karan asked in a lazy taunting voice.

"YOU—" I curled my fist by my side. He was succeeding in making me lose my temper.

"Are you angry? Oh, what are you angry about, Mr. Singhaniya? Are you angry because your wife was with me? Tsk Tsk... How does it feel to be kept in the dark? Ah, such bliss..." he drawled out, and I could imagine his smirk.

If only he was before my eyes. I could have beaten the hell out of him.

His voice turned serious as he continued when I did not reply to him.

"Withdraw your men. There is no use of tailing me. If you want to know the truth, go and ask your wife. But, I doubt you'll know anything from her. She would never share what happened today with you. Dare to bet with me?"

"SHUT UP! JUST. SHUT. THE. HELL. UP. The matter between my wife and me is none of anybody's business." I lost it hearing him. I did not doubt Innaya even for a moment, but his provocative words were getting at me.

"OH! Are you afraid of losing?" he chuckled trying to provoke me.