Web of Deceit
Web of Deceit
The first traces of fear were visible in the man's eyes as he tried to move his feet.
"Now that you know about your predicament, would you like me to torture you a little or would you be kind enough to oblige and answer my questions, without much ado?" he asked, as if offering tea or coffee.
"I have absolutely no idea about what you want. Bringing me here is a waste of your time and you would realise that soon," the man blustered.
Prithvi sighed, as if disappointed with the person's answer.
"I was hoping that it wouldn't come to this. You see, I didn't get to eat my dinner and my blood sugar is a little low. I was in no mood to use any physical force on you right now but you leave me with no choice," he sighed and withdrew a pair of pliers from his pocket and started pulling the guy's finger nails one by one.
"Tell me when you want me to stop," he raised his voice above the guy's screams to make himself heard.
"Enough… stop it," the man shouted hoarsely after both the hands were bleeding.
Prithvi had gone onto pull the man's nails one after another, not even allowing him a single moment to breathe before the next onslaught of pain hit him.
"Are you sure that you are ready to talk? Because the toenails won't take too long. Maybe we can properly talk post all are done, hmm?" he asked mildly.
"No, I… I am ready to talk now," the man pleaded.
He was shivering due to the aftereffects of the acute pain which he had just gone through. Born and brought up in an upper-class household, he was the son of a wealthy merchant. There was nothing lacking in his life. It would have been perfect except as he grew up, he discovered his fetish for indulging in cruel sexual activities. His favourite fantasy was to squeeze a woman's neck in the middle of making out with her, else the experience wasn't satisfying enough for him.
Unfortunately, due to Chandragarh's strict laws, none of the brothels allowed such activities to take place beyond a safe limit. After nearly killing his timid wife a couple of times, he had been warned by the family strictly enough for him to abstain from it.
Travelling for work to the neighboring country, he had discovered the lax laws of the brothels there and was hooked on ever since. But in the following months, his needs had escalated and resulted in the death of a prostitute. Before he could make a run for his country's safety, he was caught by the authorities. Since then, they owned his life.
"So, this has been going on for months now, is it? I want a detailed list of all the tasks that they have assigned you to do on their behalf," Prithvi said grimly.
Half hour later, the man fainted, maybe due to exhaustion or blood loss. Prithvi couldn't care less. It seemed that the drugs were simply the tips of the iceberg which Prithvi and team had stumbled upon.
He got up to walk away from there. Someone would have to be summoned to clean the mess. He also needed to make arrangements for the guy to be handed over to the authorities. He wanted the forces behind this traitor to realise that they had been discovered.
Wait a minute.
He pivoted sharply and went to fetch a jug of water. Due to the harsh, cold splash of water, the tortured man opened his eyes.
"Wh… what? I have already told you everything that I know, I swear," he begged.
Interpreting the ominous look on Prithvi's face correctly, he soiled his pyjama.
"I am sorry. I forgot to ask you two questions. Once you answer them truthfully, this will be over. I promise," Prithvi said in a deceptively soft voice.
The man went cold with fear at the tone. How was it that the interrogator sounded more dangerous while speaking softly?
Five minutes later
A team of city's garbage pickers reached the spot and nodded subtly at Prithvi while he walked out of the place. They knew what to do.
Upon reaching home, Prithvi shut the door and leaned against it.
"I am still not competent enough. How did I miss this elaborate web of deceit?" he berated himself severely.
He removed the make-up and changed back into his usual attire. After packing another bag carefully, he made his way towards the Gurukul.
It was time for action, self-loathing could wait.
Saraswati and Ramanujam were standing with somber faces as they received their instructions.
"I have requested a meeting with the Queen before I head out for the mission," he told them.
"But when will you be back? How should we contact you if there is an emergency?" Saraswati asked in a trembling voice.
Being a part of the Suraksha Chakra team for so long, she had learnt how to hold onto her composure, no matter the circumstances. But tonight, it was a tough ask for her to behave like a responsible member.
"You both are fairly capable of handling all the emergencies. I expect nothing less than perfection from either one of you," with an expressionless face, Prithvi headed out.