Page 18 of The Redemption
The guard staggered under the blows, and for a moment, even Samarjeet’s men didn’t know whether to intervene or not.
“Enough,” Samarjeet snapped, hauling me back by the arm. “They died because they chose you over me. And anyone who does that, Siya, will face the consequences. You hear me?”
I pushed him with everything I had. He stumbled, just enough, then lunged for me, ready to fight.
“Stop this at once!” Mom exclaimed, stepping between us with wide eyes, her hands trembling as she tried to pull us apart. But Samarjeet roughly shoved her aside. When Mom crashed against the edge of the table something inside me broke loose. I dashed to her side before I could even think. Her hand was pressed against her temple, her breath uneven as she blinked at me, more frightened than hurt.
I turned, and reached for one of Samarjeet’s guards closest to me. Before he could register it, I pulled out the loaded gun from his holster and pointed the barrel at Samarjeet.
Silence fell over the room. Men froze mid-step.
“You will not touch her,” I said, my voice blazing with anger. “Whatever you have is against me, take it out on me. Not on her. She is our mother.”
His jaw clenched.
“If you ever lay a finger on her again,” I whispered, “this bullet will be in your head, and you’ll be in hell before you even realise what happened.”
For a beat, he hesitated. The man who had carried himself like the next don, who had hurt me and broken our rules, faltered. The murderous look in my eyes did what years of words never could: it shook him. Mom reached for my wrist, trembling.
“Siya, put it down,” she murmured.
Slowly, I lowered the gun and let it hang at my side. Then I took her arm and guided her towards the stairs.
“You’ll pay for this, Siya,” Samarjeet barked from behind us. After all, I’d wounded his pride in front of his men. “For pointing a gun at me. Do you understand? You’ll pay for it.”
I stopped halfway up the stairs, turned around, and met his gaze.
“You’re welcome to try,” I said calmly. “And if it ever comes to that… then the next time I aim a gun at you, I won’t hesitate to use it. So don’t push me.”
His teeth ground together, fury tightening his entire face. Mom grabbed my hand and dragged me the last few steps to our room. Samarjeet’s hatred. My vow. The line between us had already been drawn. This time… in blood.
Present
The ringing of the phone on the bedside table snaps me out of the flashback. My lips curve into a smile as I see the caller ID.
“Mom,” I answer quickly, leaning back against the pillows.
“Siya… are you okay?” She sounds tense as usual. Every time I step out of the house, she worries like this.
I blink, glancing at the clock, realising it’s still night in Cape Town. “Mom, why aren’t you sleeping?” I ask softly.
“I saw a bad dream,” she replies, “You were in some kind of trouble. That’s why I woke up and called you.”
I sigh. “I’m fine, Mom. I promise. There’s nothing to worry about.”
“No, Siya. I don’t think so. You shouldn’t have planned to go to India. Not like this. If Samarjeet finds out why you—”
“He won’t,” I cut her off. “He won’t even be able to guess what I have in mind this time.”
I slip out of bed and pace across the suite.
“What about Parag?” Mom asks carefully. “When is he coming there?”
“He won’t be here for another ten to fifteen days at least.” I grin, recalling the plan, the one I crafted with perfection after nine long months since my last failed escape.
This time, I played the perfect sister. I pretended to bend. I told Samarjeet I was ready to marry Parag Reddy, and all I asked for was time… to get to know my future husband, to make things easier. At first, Samarjeet didn’t buy it.
But then I convinced Parag, which wasn’t too difficult. Men like him are always easy to handle. Say the right words, stroke their egos… and they tend to fall in line. After some coaxing, Parag agreed. He had some work anyway, some business to take care near the border. So he asked me to travel with him.
