Chapter 22 - Caught In The Eye of a Storm

Erm yeh so, the whole idea of shorter chapters? Yeh that didn't work, this one ended up longer than I wanted it to. But the suspense is still on ;). 

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“My nightmares are usually about losing you. I’m okay once I realize you’re here.”

― Suzanne Collins, Catching Fire

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"Damn it!" She wasn't picking it up! "Damn it Khushi! Pick up the god damn phone!" He growled through gritted teeth, trying for the fourth time. He was quickly running out of time, Aakash would soon reach the reception area. Yes it would take him a bit of time to actually get through to meeting Khushi but he needed to stop things before that could happen. He closed his eyes for a second, taking a deep breath in to calm himself down. Nothing would happen to her, not here, maybe a threatening word or two, but he didn't want that either, Khushi was only barely recovering from it all. Then again what if something did happen, he couldn't trust anything right now, not even his assumptions. He glanced back from behind the tree again, Aakash was at the door now, his hand fingering the reception button, probably coming up with some sort of plan to get in. Time was not on his side. His finger quickly wiped over the recents tab and pressed on Aman's name, trying to think coherently through the muddled thoughts racing through his mind.

"Aman?" His voice was hushed, yet the desperation in it clear.

"Yes sir. I'm just working..." Aman tried to explain, thinking that Arnav had called to inquire about Arundathi again.

"Shut up Aman!" He growled, trying really hard to keep his voice low. He took another deep breath in, calming his anger, this was not the time for it. "Aman, listen carefully. I need to you to work quickly okay," he could finally see the plan unfolding in his mind. His eyes were a solid shade of brown, as he watched Aakash again. "Take out your other phone and dial Aakash's number," he instructed Aman.

"But sir?" Aman questioned, slightly confused.

"Just do it Aman!" He belowed into the phone, finally loosing the minuscule amount of control he had held within him. Aakash turned around suddenly and Arnav's eyes widened for a fraction of a second as he moved back against the tree again. "Shit!"

Aman did what he was told, he was used to working with Arnav and therefore receiving half explained instructions frequently. Quickly grabbing his other phone he dialled Aakash's number and held it to his other ear.

Arnav peeked out again as a baffled Aakash stopped looking his way and suddenly at his phone, then pressing a button shoved it back in his pocket again.

"Sir he's not picking up."

"I know try again! Keep trying till he picks up!" Arnav instructed once more, his voice a harsh whisper. He peeked out from behind the tree again, his heart knocking off of his ribs as he attempted to gulp down the fear and finally a slow smile spread over his lips as relief washed over him in seeing Aakash finally take a few steps back from the door, placing the phone to his ear. Before Aman could say anything and ruin the plan altogether he began uttering his plan through the phone. "Pretend you can't hear him. Ask him where he is, that there's an important meeting today and Aakash is required to be there. Keep on pretending not to hear him, ask him to move away from wherever he is as he doesn't seem to be getting good reception."

Aman nodded, quickly responding to the commands. "Mr Aakash?"

Aakash rolled his eyes in exasperation. What the hell was wrong with these people? "Yes who else would it be, why the hell are you disturbing me?" He exclaimed, taking a few steps away from the large glass door and an idea had just struck him as well.

"Sir? Where are you? You are needed for an urgent meeting!"

"What?!" Aakash exclaimed, "but as far as I knew there weren't any planned for today!" Panic overtook his mind as he thought through it. If Arnav found out that he was not at the meeting then he'd surely catch onto Aakash.

"Yes sir, it just got changed to today. Sir? Sir? Hello? Hello? I can't seem to hear you properly. Where are you? Would you be able to move to somewhere with better reception?"

"What? Oh!" Of course network would be bad, he was on roaming. He took a few more steps back. "Can you hear me now?"

"Sir? Hello? Hello?" Aman continued to pretend as per Arnav's instructions.

Arnav breathed a deep sigh of relief as Aakash finally took several steps back then turned around and walked off towards the other parking lot. Waiting till he had moved out of sight, Arnav quickly dashed to the back of the building, resting himself against the grey wall. There should be some sort of entrance or emergency exit at the back, every building in Britain was designed in a similar fashion. He hoped upon hope that one of them would be open. It was a dazzlingly sunny day and that meant open fire escapes, well in most places anyway. He vaguely remembered Khushi mentioning a warning earlier, with regards to leaving them open. Arnav shuffled along the wall, his bare arms grazing over the harsh surface , then having traveled a few feet he pushed himself off of the wall, moving into the centre of the back area. Concrete building upon building, there was another block below him, a staircase to the left leading down to it. He had to squint slightly as the bright rays of the sun assaulted his view. The back of the building Khushi worked in cornered off, turning it into an open square and there right in the corner was an open grey door.

He waited for his eyes to adjust to the bright lights overhead, alighting the narrow corridor. His feet tapped off of the blue laminate floor, the light lilac walls reflecting off of the light. He walked quickly, passing by several polished wooden doors with keypad entry that aligned the corridor, each one with a number and a name. He kept walking, looking for a break in the corridor that would lead into the atrium of the building, all the while hoping that Aman was keeping Aakash occupied. He tried Khushi's phone again, but to no avail. And that's when it occurred to him, he had been too busy arranging his plan to actually enter the building that he had forgotten he didn't know which room Khushi worked in. Rapidly loosing hope, he turned around, attempting to come up with another strategy. Too many thoughts, plans, fears, emotions were surging through him for him to think clearly, he was finding it increasingly difficult to arrange his thoughts. This was all his fault! Turning back around again he commenced walking forward once more, maybe he could find another employee and just ask if they knew a Khushi Kumari Gupta. Yes that would work. He saw a push door looming up in front of him, yes that would have to lead onto another corridor. He stopped in front of it, there was a large gold plaque next to it, little rectangular blocks cut out of it with room numbers and floors pasted in black letters on each one, but his eyes fell onto something else altogether. He stared at the little read box with a black centre and red button in the middle for a few seconds. It would be the easiest way to get her out of the building and in the midst of the crowd even Aakash would find it difficult to find her. He looked up to the large sign board, taking in the direction for the atrium, which was marked to be just in front of him. He knew from Khushi's numerous complaints that the only way out for all employees would be through the atrium and then of course the emergency door he had come in through, he'd find her inside somewhere. His eyes fell to the little red square once again, "smash glass in case of emergency," he didn't have a blunt object with him and didn't have the time to find one. Closing his eyes for a mere second and taking a deep breath in he sent his fist crashing through the glass and the whole building irrupted into chaos instantly.

****

Arundathi crouched behind a tree, catching her breath. She could feel her throat constricting, it was dry and parched and even breathing was now painful. Her legs felt like they would fall off any second, but she had to continue, she had lost them for now but it wouldn't be long before they found her again. Her breathing was loud and ragged as she took in huge gulps of air, her heart raced away, too loud in her ears. They had injected her with a sedative every time she had come around, but then last night they had just kept her tied up and whilst the man guarding her, the one with the scar had fallen asleep she had managed to undo the ropes tied around her wrists and then her legs. She didn't know for how long she had been held captive, her legs had felt like lead when she had first attempted to get out of the room she had been kept in. She stood up suddenly, needing to continue her escape. She didn't know where she was yet but she would continue running till she saw a sign, that's if she saw the sign. Moving behind the tree she ran into an area where the trees were denser, yet the lights from the main road still streaked through, barely enough for her to run through without stumbling on her every step. Her feet rustled against fallen leaves as she ran in the dark, she could tell she was bleeding from all sorts of places but she would continue till she could get away.

"There she's there, I think I can see her!" The loud voice boomed through her ears, an all but familiar voice, possibly the man with the scar, she had seen too much of him lately, heard too much of his voice. Panic rose in the pits of her stomach as she momentarily lost her pace, she looked back, they were still miles away but suddenly her foot caught against something and she rocked forward, her hands flaying out on her sides as she attempted to reach for something to hold onto. Her blood curdling scream filled the atmosphere as she fell to the ground with a loud thud.

****

Aakash rolled his eyes in frustration. What the hell was wrong with this man? Why was Aman briefing him about a meeting that he would not be able to attend?!

"Sir, are you listening? We need to impress them, so maybe arrange another fashion show. I can't seem to contact ASR otherwise I would be able to finalise things with him," Aman continued, adding in any random idea that occurred to him.

"Aman but I won't be able to attend, I'm currently not in Delhi. Okay I'll call you later. Bye!" Aakash finally cut off the phone, he didn't have time for such nonsense. Arnav wasn't going to remain alive for him to find out anyway. He returned his phone to his pocket and was about to turn around when someone slammed past him into the car park and his eyes nearly popped out of his sockets as he turned around. People were hurriedly walking out of the building, then on listening closer he heard the repeated sound of a fire alarm going off. Great! One more thing getting in the way. But then wait, this meant he could catch Khushi quicker, no need to come up with stupid plans to get into the building, a slow snarl crept up his face as he realised how easy it would actually be.

****

"Oh for godsake! This is pathetic!" Khushi complained, stuffing her notebook and pen into her bag.

"I know right? Why the hell is it going off anyway? I can't smell anything on fire?" Her friend Ashleigh added, sniffing at the air around her.

Khushi rolled her eyes to the heavens in irritation, "Urgh it's probably someones hairspray or bodyspray or some sort of spray," she continued as she scuffled over to the stairs, joining the masses of other people that seemed to be heading for the atrium. "You know even if there was a fire, we'd probably be dead by the time we got out through the two doors of that god damn atrium!" She exclaimed taking her phone out and her eyes widened instantly. Ashleigh must have replied but she didn't hear it, the hammering of her heart too loud in her ears. There were twelve missed calls from Arnav. "Shit!" She exclaimed to herself. Fear overtook her immediately, was something wrong? Had something happened to him? She increased her pace, leaving her friend behind as she pushed through the people on the stairs, putting her phone to her ear. She couldn't hear anything over all of the commotion. She'd have to get out quickly, then call again, she could feel it now, something was wrong.

----

Arnav ran through the corridor, through another push door. "Shit!" He had looked at the map, it wasn't supposed to be this confusing. Was he lost? He couldn't afford to be lost. He skidded to a stop, his shoes sliding off of the laminate floor then spun around abruptly and began to run back the other way, maybe he'd missed a door.

----

"Hey Khushi! Where did you disappear to?" Ashleigh questioned as Khushi spun around slightly surprised to face her.

"Oh! Erm I just lost you in the crowd," she mumbled, her heart still thudding away in her chest. She tried to calm down but there was a storm rising inside her. "Excuse me yeh Ash," she mumbled and giving Ashleigh a small smile turned away from the main doors where a queue had now developed, she walked to the other end. There was a fire exit there, she'd be able to get out that way. She pressed Arnav's number again and put the phone to her ear. "Pick up the phone Arnav!"


...And that's it! Mwaha! :P
So yeh please please do leave comments! 
xx