In a small house there was 6 people, two older couples, a guy who looked about 28 and a girl who was about 25.

"Aryaman...tujhe chup rehna chahiye." The older man, who was none other than Vishnu Sharma scolded.

"Dad...how can I? Agar main sab kuch jaante hue bhi chup raha toh apne aap ko muh nahi dekha paata. I have to do this." Aryaman, Vishnu's son declared. "Sabko sachai ka paata hona chahiye."

"Bhaiyya...Arya sahi bol rahe hai." The younger man, Raman Sharma spoke up. "Agar yeh chup raha toh isme aur uss insaan mein kya farak reh jayega?"

"Par devarji...woh bohot khatarnak hai. Agar saboot paane ke liye usne kuch....nahi, mujhe toh sochke hi darr lag raha hai." One woman, Vishnu's wife AKA Suman Sharma shivered.

"Mom....relax, kuch nahi hoga. Saboot mere paas nahi hai...maine chupake rakhe hai, ek aisi jagah jo koi nahi soch payega." Aryaman said. "Sirf mujhe...aur Nandu ko paata hai."

"Haan badima, mere aur bhaiyyu ki secret spot hai. Iss ghar se door...woh kabhi dhund hi nahi payenge." Nandini agreed.

"Haye bhagwan!" Raman's wife who was silent until now suddenly gasped. Everyone looked to her and found her near the window.

"Ishita kya hua?" Raman asked.

"Woh..woh...woh...uske g..gundde...." Ishita stammered.

"What?" Raman peeped out the right. "Oh god...bhaiyya, Ishita sahi bol rahi hai. Yeh toh uski ke aadmi hai."

"Chotima, Mom, aap dono Nandu ke saath andar kamre mein jaayiye. Hum yahan sambhalte hai." Aryaman said.

"Par..."

"Par var kuch nahi Suman....jao andar." Vishnu said. The two women took Nandini and went into the inside room and closed the door. 

Ishita was panicking, trying to think of how to keep her daughter safe. Then she remembered something. She went to the dresser and started puching it to the side.

"Mumma...kya kar rahi ho aap?" Nandini asked. Suman realized and helped her push the dresser. Then Ishita picked at a small section and opened a hidden door....shocking Nandini. She had grown up in this house and had never known about this door. "What the....yeh kaha se aaya?"

"Its a tunnel....tere dadaji ne bohot saal pehle banwaye they jab woh tere umar ke they. Adventure ka shauk tha na....isi liye. Yeh seedha jaake ghar se door nikalta hai...tu yahan se bhaag ja." Ishita said.

"Mumma...aap sab?" Nanidni questioned. Suman & Ishita gave each other a look.

"Hum....hum aayenge na. Tere piche piche hi ayenge. Par abhi tere Papa, tere Bade Papa aur bhaiyyu teeno wahan akele hai. Hum unko chodke nahi jaa sakte."

"Then aap mujhe kyun bhej rahi ho? Main bhi nahi jaungi." Nandini refused. They could hear comotion had started outside.

"Nandini...pls, baat maan le humari. Humare khatir...bhaag ja." Suman begged. "Hum bas unke saath ayenge. I promise...hum ayenge."

"Promise?"

"Haan..."

Nandini relunctantly entered the tunnel and Ishita closed the door behind her. Suman moved the dresser to block the door which just looked like part of the wall. Nandini started walking down the tunnel but stopped.

"Nahi...I cant. Main apni family ko chodke nahi jaa sakti. Im sorry Mumma....mujhe aapki baat disobey karni hogi." She turned back and started back where she came from. As she got to the door, she tried opening in but it was blocked. She could hear voices from the other side, so she peaked throw a crack.

The door was slammed open and a man entered, he had a giant scar across his his face and one eye was made of stone. Nandini felt terrified just loking at him. Behind him stood two more men. Aryman, Raman & Vishnu  ran in and stood infront of Ishita & Suman to protect them.

"Aryaman Sharma....kaha hai saboot?" The scar man demanded to know, his voice was deep and just as scary as his face.

"Not here....tum logon ko kabhi nahi milega."

The man looked annoyed. "Boss will not be happy to hear that."

"Kya laaga tumhare uss boss ko? Woh kuch bhi karega, humare jaise aam aadmi ko dhoka dega aur koi kuch nahi bolega? Kabhi kisi ko sach nahi paata chalega? No.....aisa nahu hota hai. Jo burra karta hai uska anjaam burra hi hota hai. Main woh saboot media ko dunga...saarre duniya ko paata chalega." Aryaman said.

"Tu zinda bachega toh media ke paas jayega na?" Scar man smirked evilly. In a flash he brought out a shiny sharp knife and sliced Aryaman's throught. Nandini almosts screamed, she quickly closed her mouth with her hands as tears ran down her face.

"ARYAMAN!" Suman, Vishnu Ishita & Raman yelled. Aryaman fell to the ground choking on his own blood. A few minutes later he was dead.

"Bhaiyyu!!!!!" 

"Tune mere bete ko maara...chodunga nahi tujhe main!" Vishnu ran at scar man but another man came infront of him and stabbed him in the stomach.

"Bhaiyya/ Vishnu!"

One by one, scar man and his men killed Raman & then Suman....and lastly Ishita. Nandini could do nothing but watch in horror as her family died infront of her.

"Dhundo...yahi pe kahi saboot chupa rakhe honge." Scar man said. The other two men started turning the hous upside down looking under the bed, in the closets....everywhere.

"Its not here."

Scar man sighed. "Jaala do pure ghar ko." 

Nandini's eyes widened as she saw then men come back with petrol and they started scattering it all over the house....over her family's bodies. 

"Nandini...pls, baat maan le humari. Humare khatir...bhaag ja." Nandini remembered what her Badima said. She turned and started running down the tunnel as the men lit the house on fire before leaving. At a distance, Nandini came out of the other side of the tunnel. She could see her house going up in flames and broke down.

"M...maar...ma..maar di..d..diya...sa..sa..sabko...mm...Mumma...Papa...bhaiyu-" Nandini sobbed. She was crying and flashbacks of her family's murder ran through her head. Unknowingly, she backed onto the road gasping and having a panic attack. Suddenly a car came and since she back into the road without notice the car couldnt stop in time. The driver hit the brakes but still hit Nandini making her fall to the ground. 

"Shit!" A man came out of the car and ran over to see Nandini unconscious....she was bleeding form the head slightly but not too badly since it was too hard. "Yeh pagal ladki kaha se aa gayi beech raaste mein? Dammit ab kya karun? I have a meeting to get to."

Then he heard the sirens of police and fire fighters. Someone nearby saw Nandini's house in flames and called them.

"Oh great....just what I need." The man grumbled. "Ab police ja jhanjat nahi chahiye mujhe. Ill just drop her off at the hospital."

He picked Nandini up and placed her in his car before driving off.

***************

"Mr Malhotra...yeh ladki kaun hai?" The doctor asked as the man...who was of course the one and only Manik Malhotra placed Nandini on a stretcher.

"Paata nahi...mere gadi ke samne aa gayi achanak se. Illaaj karwao...I have to go." Manik said.

"Lekin iski family?" The doctor asked, stopping Manik. Manik sighed in frustration and looked at the doctor's name tag.

"Dr...Gupta, you do remember just a second ago maine kaha ki main iss ladki ko nahi jaanta right?" Manik asked. Dr Gupta nodded. "Then how the HELL WILL I KNOW HER FAMILY? Idiot...Main isse yahan le aaya, mera kaam ho gaya. Ab aage tum jano aur tumhara hospital...goodbye."

He then put on his black sunglasses and walked out with full attitude.

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Thoughts of this first chapter?

Yes...Manik is rude at first but he will change, Nandini will change him.