The view before me was marvellous, a huge mansion making its way towards sky. His mansion as expected was located at the far end of the city. For kms there wasn't anything but numerous planted trees. Surely, once inside there wasn't a way out. I attempted to get rid of the anxiousness as Mayur's words kept revolving in my brain.

Though it was a prison yet it was a beautiful prison. He had invested alot to make it beautiful. I didn't expected him to have such a great taste. There was a huge gate that allowed us in. In the metallic entrance, there was a huge board, addressing that we were entering the Oberoi's Mansion. The car kept moving but my orbs weren't planning to move from the marvellous mansion before.

There was a pathway made for the cars to travel while the entire area was decorated into a beautiful garden. Varities of flowers were visible in the garden, followed with varities of trees. There was numerous people, mixed in age, working around the garden. They all were wearing a similar clothes indicating that Mr. Oberoi had assigned a uniform for his staff. There clothes were marron in color. As we kept moving a huge fountain came to view, it was located at the middle of the mansion, a small pool around it. I could admire the beauty it held.

The car came to halt indicating that we had reached our destination. The car I had seated in, had a unknown driver, Ronald sitting on the fronts seat while me and Swara sitting on the back. Diya had excused herself and walked back to home, promising me that she will pay me a proper visit. I didn't wanted to drag her in the problem so I agreed without showing a tantrums.

Ronald opened the door for me while Swara asked me to offer the sleeping Riddhi to her. "You should take care of your injured hand," Swara pressed as she carried Riddhi in her arms and walked inside of the mansion. I moved out of the car, Ronald passed me a smile.

"Welcome home, madam." He greeted as he lowered his head in respect.

I wanted to argue that it wasn't my home and it never will be but I shut my mouth. I was here for a mission. I was here to free Riddhi from the prision, to provide her with freedom. To free her from the dangerous life, she was gifted with. We had the courage to change our destiny and I was here to change it.

There was no sign of Mr Oberoi as I walked into his wonderful home. The view within was breathtaking, something I could never afford in my life. I felt as if I was walking into a fantasy world, a place where princess and prince lived in their marvellous mansion. But this wasn't fiction and in real world there wasn't prince but monsters. This world was of a devil, who destroyed innocent life.

"Finally," I heard an excited, weak feminine voice. From the tone it was clear, she was someone aged. I scanned around for her presence to find her moving towards me in her wheelchair.

She had a beautiful smile playing on her wrinkled face. Her black orbs were accompanied with a thick glasses, forcing her senses to see. Those hairs had turned into grey and her weak hands were pulling the wheelchair towards us.

"Buba," Ronald rushed towards her in concern. "Why you had to walk out of the room without assistant? You shouldn't tried yourself up." I could hear the worry in his voice as he helped her to move the wheelchair towards me.

"I wasn't able to wait anylonger," she expressed, her smile not dimming even for a second. She was staring at me with those sparkling orbs. "How are you, beta?" She inquired, I felt as if her orbs were brimming with tears.

I stared at Ronald for a minute in confusion. She was greeting me as if she had known me for years. I felt conscious under her presence. Had I known her?

"Why you took so long?" I wasn't able to understand her question. As she mistaken me for someone else? I kept glancing at Ronald for some help. I couldn't break her fragile heart by conveying to her that she had mistaken me for someone. With the way she was staring at me with so much love, I felt the urge to act.

"I am fine," I mumbled as I bent towards her. Her shivering palms reached to caress my face. Her orbs staring at me with love. I felt overwhelmed by the love a stranger was offering towards me. "How have you being?" I couldn't help myself from inquiring it.

I could understand what Swara meant when she had described Buba as human. There was love, kindness, care radiating from her. She was the actual defination of human but what was she doing in the hell? Was she trap as well? I couldn't help myself from questioning her existence in the world of darkness.

"I have turn weak," she expressed, glancing at her condition. "I have no strength left within me. Just few more days and I might leave the earth." She was expressing her concern. "I had live my life, I had no regret left. And as you have arrived, I have no fear left."

"Fear?"

"Fear of living Shlok alone," her eyes turning moist as she wiped off those tears. "You will be by his side, I don't have to worry about him."

I kept my tongue sealed while she kept staring at me for a response. Waiting for my reassurance! But I couldn't lie to such a kind soul. That would be sin! I couldn't provide her with false hope. I wasn't here for Mr. Oberoi but for Riddhi. And it would remain the same!

"Buba, she had just arrived. Allow her with some time of rest," Ronald mumbled.

Buba passed a smile, "yeah... Correct, you have travelled for hours. Go and rest for awhile," she passed a smile. I nodded as Ronald asked one of the staff to take Buba back to her room.

"How does she knows me?" I inquired, the minute I was alone with Ronald.

"The way Mr. Oberoi knows you," Ronald uttered. I kept staring at him for more clarification. Two of the staff members walked towards us, carrying huge suticase with them.

"Sir, where should we put this?" They inquired glancing at my suitcase.

"In boss..." He mumbled, they bowed their head as they followed the given instructions.

"I am not staying in his room," I muttered.

"Those are orders, ma'am." He bowed in respect, "we have to listen to it."

"He might be your boss but he isn't mine," I argued.

"He just want you safe or he wouldn't have ever drag you in his life. If that was his intention, he might had done it long back." Ronald expressed, seeing me fuming in rage. "He can't imagine harm on you. You don't need to be afraid of him."

I was dying to yell at him that his boss was criminal and how I could be safe with a murderer? I sighed as Ronald lead the way towards his boss room. I attempted to calm my implusive nature. I had to keep my sensitivity aside and work with my logical side. I was here to grab information. I was here to find enough proof to put Mr. Oberoi behind the bars and thus free the prisoners inside his mansion.

As we walked upstairs, the wall was filled with various portrait. Numerous not so familiar people. "This mansion was inherited from generation," Ronald informed.

I frowned at his statement, I was informed by Diya that Mr. Oberoi had started from the raw. "Mr. Oberoi inherited it from his father?" Curiousness grew within me.

"No," Ronald passed a glance at me. He kept moving upstairs, I kept following him. Until the last picture grabbed my attention. The person whose potrait was painted, felt familiar. As if I had seen him but where? My mind was trying to process the information while my legs weren't interested in following Ronald.

"Is there some matter?" Ronald turned towards me in concern.

"Who is he?" I kept staring at the portrait.

"Ranvijay Kapoor," I thought the name would give me a hint of the person. But nothing! I had never heard that name before. "He is great grandfather of Anaya Kapoor." And suddenly the familiarity clicked in. "Grand father of Rishabh Kapoor," I had seen Rishabh Kapoor, I had followed many of his films. Surely, he was gifted with those beautiful features from his grandfather.

As we entered the wooden door, a question emerged in my brain. If this was Rishabh Kapoor mansion, what was Mr. Oberoi doing in it? Had he really married Rishabh's daughter? Maybe he had gifted him the mansion?

"How come Mr. Oberoi is staying in the mansion and not the Kapoor's?" He pulled open the huge wooden door, the door which was carved in the glorious manner. Nothing in the mansion was ordinary, something that middle-class could afford. I felt as if the mansion was designed in the manner, to scream about the wealth processed by the owner.

"He brought it from Mr. Kapoor," Ronald shrugged it off. Brought it? Not gifted! But brought! Why? Had Mr. Kapoor sold his mansion to Mr. Oberoi? I gave a slight nod, somewhere understanding the reason behind it.

Someone would sell their mansion under only one condition, if they were in urgent need of money. Someone as rich and famous as Rishabh Kapoor, to arrive at such a decision needed a very big and serious issue.

I walked into the room. Every single thought in my brain disappeared as I glanced at the room. That big potrait on the wall had grabbed my attention. A picture of a small kid was placed on the centre of the room. Who was she? I couldn't help myself from questioning it!

"Who is she?" I inquired, why was her picture placed in Mr. Oberoi's room? He didn't seem family oriented person. Someone who treasured memories. I had expected darkness in his room. Not a picture of a cute girl, who felt familiar. I was certain that I had seen her somewhere but where?

"The only weakness of Mr. Oberoi," Ronald uttered. "He can kill and die for her but won't allow a harm to touch her."

"Who is she?" With every passing minute I was getting curious about the human.

"Someone he loved with his entire soul. The only person that brings human out of him," he passed me a smile.

"Is she the one he married too?" I inquired, was she the mother of Riddhi?

"Faith separated them before he could even plan marrying her." He shook his head at those thoughts as if past hadn't been any pleasing for him. "Consider it as your room." He mumbled changing the topic. "Boss rarely visit the room so you don't have to be stressed about it. He shifted you in this room because this room consists of the highest security. The entire mansion is alerted if someone budge in without the permission. The only intention behind boss forcing you here was to assure him that you were safe."

I nodded not wanting to believe in his words. Why would Mr. Oberoi ever care about me? His only concern was his truth getting before the world. People knowing the truth about the famous billionaire.

Ronald walked out, and I glanced at the picture. Someone he loved! Something which faith didn't offer him. Maybe he deserved it! He had killed so many people. Made so many children orphan, so many women widow. Due to him many had lost their loved ones, maybe he deserved it. I sighed at my thoughts. No one deserved the pain. Losing a loved ones was the worse kind of pain, very heartbreaking. Maybe he was cruel yet he didn't deserve that kind of pain. 

°°°

Any thoughts?