I AM KIDNAPPED - Part 2

 

Chapter 5: The Two Numbers

With trembling hands, we decoded further. Each number led to another shocking revelation..

"Top Secret. Talk to no one. Other than Penguin."

Samruddhi gasped with a grin. "That idiot even in tension doesn’t forget to take my case” Ankush enjoyed teasing Samruddhi on her walking style.

There were two phone numbers in the message, both marked with a note: 

Zawar&Bhushan. Take help from them. 

With their codes we understood the numbers are from UK

The final lines made our blood run cold:

Phone tapped. Go to London but not direct. Be watchful. Penguin take care of my Stella. Thanks.

We stared at each other in disbelief.

"Ankush never talked like this," I whispered. "Something is really wrong."

We quickly decide on our travel plans.

________________________________________

To avoid suspicion, we travel to Singapore and plan to stay for a day there. We told our families that I needed a break to move on from Ankush. We took loads of pictures in different outfits on that day, planning to post them every day on social media even after we leave Singapore. Since we both had work visas due to occasional business trips, getting to UK was easy.

When we landed in London, we used an old-fashioned phone booth to call the first number.

My fingers felt numb dialing it.

“Hello” ..said the deep voice

“Hi, I am Stella,” I said in a whispering tone.

There was a pause. Then, a deep voice responded, “Come to Earl’s Court. Take the red bus 49. Get off at the third stop. Walk ahead in the lane with tall sycamore trees. Navy blue tall house No. 672.”

I knew the streets and bus routes so we took the taxi instead.

Chapter 6: Way to the Blue House.

London is different from Mumbai. The air is crisp, tinged with the scent of fresh rain. The roads stretched wide, neatly marked, the cars moving in disciplined lanes—nothing like the chaotic, honking mess back home. Yet somehow, I love the mess. As our taxi sped through the streets, my heart pounded harder than ever before.

Samruddhi sat beside me, her fingers anxiously drumming against her knees. We had made it. From Singapore, we had taken a flight here, our official work visas making travel easier. But the real journey had just begun.

The red-bricked townhouses zipped past, their identical white doors and small gardens giving an almost picture-perfect feel to the streets. 

My mind wandered back to Ankush. He had always been a bit of a mystery—like a book with missing pages, leaving you guessing what lay between the lines. There was something about him, something he kept hidden, though I could never quite place it.

It was in the way his mind seemed elsewhere, even in the middle of a conversation. The way he avoided staying out too late, as if like 'Cinderella' he was worried his car would turn back to pumpkin. And then there was that peculiar habit—shutting his eyes for just a second longer than necessary, as though preparing himself before suddenly announcing he had urgent work and leaving in a hurry.

I had noticed these things, but I never let them bother me. Because no matter what it was, no matter what he carried within him, he is still the best human I have ever known. He could never hurt anyone. He was emotional—sometimes, all he wanted was for me to hold him, to just stay that way for a while.

Oh, how much I love him.

I wiped away my tears.. 

The taxi pulled up outside a quiet lane lined with tall sycamore trees. A townhouse, painted a deep shade of blue, stood at the far end. Its large windows overlooked the street, their white curtains drawn.

“This is it,” I murmured.

I stepped out, the cool wind cutting through the woolen coat I had bought last-minute. Samruddhi shivered beside me in her oversized hoodie, her sneakers barely making a sound on the roadway.

Before we could knock, the door swung open.

Standing there was a man who looked like he had walked straight out of a spy movie.

Zawar...He was impossibly tall—at least 6’4—with pale, almost translucent skin and striking blue eyes that seemed to see right through me. His blonde hair was slightly untidy, like he had been running his hands through it too many times. He was dressed in a fitted grey turtleneck and dark jeans, his presence radiating an effortless authority.

Behind him, another man stood, his features far more familiar—Bhushan. Average height, probably 5.8, sturdier, with sharp Indian features and deep brown eyes that held quiet intelligence. Unlike Zawar, who carried an air of mystery, Bhushan looked approachable, almost warm. He wore a simple navy sweater, his arms crossed over his chest as he watched us.

“Hi Stella,” Zawar said, with a firm yet friendly voice.

Bhushan got up to welcome us as well. They introduced themselves to Samruddhi

Zawar stepped aside, motioning for us to enter.

The house was dimly lit, a cozy fireplace crackling in the corner. Shelves lined the walls, filled with books and gadgets I couldn’t begin to understand. But what caught my attention were the multiple computer screens, all displaying maps, coded files, and live satellite feeds.

My stomach clenched.

“What is all this?” I asked, turning to face them.

Bhushan exchanged a glance with Zawar before nodding.

“It’s time you knew the truth,” Zawar said, his gaze locking onto mine. “About Ankush. About us.”

I braced myself.

Because whatever they were about to say—I had a feeling my world was about to change forever.

**** To be continued****

Sharon.

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