Welcome to the first chapter of this story.

Thank you for choosing this book. But before you begin, let me warn you...

⚠️ This is not a soft romance.

This story is dark, raw, and dangerous It contains mature and sensitive themes that may not be comfortable for everyone..

If such themes make you uncomfortable, stop reading here.

this is not just a story. It's a journey into a world filled with mystery, secrets, and unexpected twists.

And if you continue after the warnings,

please don’t return later with hate in the comments.

Read at your own risk.

So tighten your seatbelt, because once you step into this world... there's no turning back.

Before you start reading, don't forget to hit the star ⭐ button and share your thoughts in the comments.

Now turn the page... if you dare.

Happy reading 🌹

Aviva pov.....🤍

“Mam! Look what I made!”

The excited voice pulled my attention away from the worksheets I was arranging on the table.

I looked up and smiled as one of the little girls ran toward me, proudly holding a sheet of paper in both hands.

“Wow… this is so beautiful,” I said, my voice automatically turning cheerful.

The little girl giggled loudly. “Accha hai!”

(It’s good!)

“It really is beautiful, baby,” I said softly, gently pulling her cheeks.

I opened the small drawer beside the table and took out a golden star sticker. Carefully, I placed it on the corner of her drawing.

“Good,” I praised, pointing at the star.

Her eyes instantly lit up.

Clutching the paper to her chest, she ran toward her group of friends.

“Dekho! Mam ne star diya!”

(Look! Mam gave me a star!)

The children immediately gathered around her, admiring the drawing and the shiny star.

I watched them with a soft smile.

Moments like these were my favorite part of the day.

The classroom was always filled with laughter, tiny arguments over crayons, and the innocent chaos only children could create.

Just then, my phone vibrated in my pocket.

I pulled it out and glanced at the screen.

The moment I saw the caller ID, my lips curved into a smile.

“Haa amma.”

(Yes, grandma.)

“Aviva beta, free ho gaye tu?”

(Aviva dear, are you free now?)

I instinctively looked up at the clock hanging above the whiteboard.

The long hand pointed at 5 p.m.

“Bass amma, chutti hone hi wali hai.”

(Grandma, the school is about to close.)

“Accha, jaldi ghar aa jana. Saath mein daal baati banayenge.”

(Alright, come home quickly. We’ll make dal baati together.)

I couldn’t help smiling at the excitement in her voice.

But I sighed softly.

“Amma… I’m going to be late today. I have some work.”

“Kya kaam hai beta?”

(What work, dear?)

I leaned lightly against the desk.

“Hai thoda kaam. I have to return some things to a friend. Maine usse kuch samaan borrow kiya tha, abhi tak return nahi kiya.”

(Just some work. I borrowed some things from my friend and haven’t returned them yet.)

Then I quickly added,

“Don’t worry. Main jaldi ghar aa jaungi.”

(I’ll come home soon.)

There was silence on the other side for a few seconds.

Then her voice came again, softer this time.

“Theek hai beta… par jaldi aana.”

(Alright dear… but come home soon.)

“Jii amma.”

(Yes, grandma.)

I ended the call and slipped the phone back into my pocket.

Outside the large classroom windows, the weather had suddenly changed.

Dark clouds were slowly covering the evening sky.

The sunlight that had filled the classroom a few minutes ago was now fading away, leaving the room dim and slightly gloomy.

Soon parents started arriving.

Since this place worked as both a daycare and kindergarten, evenings were always busy.

“Namaste, mam,” one of the parents greeted.

“Namaste,” I replied with a polite smile.

“Shreyansh?” they asked.

I turned toward the classroom.

“Shreyansh!”

The little boy came running toward me.

“Go, baccha. Your parents are waiting.”

(Go, child.)

Shreyansh couldn’t speak, but he lifted his tiny hand and gestured for me to bend down.

I immediately understood and leaned down to his height.

Without hesitation, he kissed my cheek.

My heart melted.

I laughed softly and kissed his cheek back.

He giggled happily.

“Bye,” I said gently.

He waved his little hand as his parents led him outside.

One by one, the children began leaving.

The same classroom that had been filled with laughter only minutes ago slowly grew quiet.

Soon…

Only one child was left.

Pari.

I walked toward her small table.

“Pari?”

She looked up at me.

“Mumma nahi aaye.”

(Mama didn’t come.)

I bent down and lifted her into my arms.

“Mumma busy ho sakti hai, isliye late ho gayi hogi.”

(Mama might be busy, that’s why she’s late.)

She nodded quietly.

I sighed.

I couldn’t leave her here alone.

Minutes passed.

But Pari’s mother still hadn’t arrived.

I looked at my watch.

5:30 p.m.

“Tch…”

I took out my phone and dialed her mother’s number.

One ring.

Two rings.

Three rings.

The phone kept ringing…

But no one answered.

I lowered the phone slowly.

Across the room, Pari had sat down on the floor with a box of crayons and was drawing something very seriously.

I walked toward her and sat beside her.

“Pari, show me what you’re drawing.”

She immediately held the paper toward me.

I looked at it carefully.

The drawing was… strange.

A tall figure covered in dark scribbles. Long arms. Uneven eyes.

“What is this, Pari?” I asked softly.

“Is this a cartoon?”

She shook her head.

“Then what is it?”

“This is a monster.”

I chuckled lightly.

“But it doesn’t look like a monster… it looks like a human.”

Her small hands stopped coloring.

Then she slowly looked up at me.

“Humans are monsters.”

My smile faded.

Pari continued coloring calmly, as if she was repeating something very normal.

“My mama says never trust a human. They are monsters in human skin"

A strange chill ran down my spine.

She spoke again.

“Mumma na bola ek baar janwar par bharosa kar lena… lekin insaan par kabhi nahi.”

(Mama says you can trust an animal once… but never a human.)

Then she added quietly,

“Mumma ne yeh bhi kaha duniya ka sabse khatarnak janwar insaan hi hota hai.”

(Mama says the most dangerous creature in the world is a human.)

I stared at her silently.

She was barely four or five years old.

And yet the words she spoke sounded far too heavy for a child her age.

Suddenly she turned toward me.

“Mam?”

“Hmmm?” I replied softly.

She tilted her head and asked innocently,

“What if a monster comes and marries you?”

At that exact moment....

BOOM.

A loud thunderclap echoed across the sky.

I flinched slightly.

“Huh?”

She repeated calmly,

“What if you marry a monster?”

I slowly exhaled and gently patted her head.

“Beta, aisi baatein nahi karte.”

(Child, we don’t talk about things like that.)

But as thunder rolled again outside…

She pouted, her small lips forming a stubborn curve.

Then she shook her head.

“Nahi mam,” she said softly. (No mam.)

“Pata hai meri mumma ne kya kaha?”

(Do you know what my mum told me?)

I looked at her, slightly confused but still patient.

“Kya kaha?”

(What did she say?)

She continued coloring the drawing while speaking in her tiny voice.

“Woh log hamare paas aate hain… dikhate hain ki woh humse kitna pyaar karte hain… lekin woh bahut bure hote hain.”

(They come to us… they show how much they love us… but they are very bad.)

Her words made something uneasy stir inside my chest.

I shook my head gently.

“Nahi beta, aise baatein nahi karte.”

(No child, we don’t talk like that.)

But Pari looked at me again, her innocent eyes strangely serious.

“Mam… maine aapse pucha tha na…”

(Mam… I asked you something, right…)

“What if you are married to a monster?”

For a moment, I didn’t know what to say.

I reached forward and gently cupped her small face in my hands.

“I am not,” I said softly.

She pouted again, clearly unconvinced.

Her brows furrowed slightly as if she was thinking very hard about something.

Then she quietly looked back at the drawing in front of her.

The dark scribbled monster stared back at us from the paper.

And for some strange reason…

The classroom suddenly felt colder than before.

For a few seconds, neither of us spoke.

Pari went back to her drawing, her tiny fingers moving slowly as she colored the dark scribbles of the monster. The classroom had grown unusually quiet now. The usual noise of children laughing, crayons dropping, chairs scraping the floor… all of it was gone.

Only the soft scratching of her crayon against paper could be heard.

Outside, the sky had turned even darker.

Another low rumble of thunder rolled somewhere far away.

I wrapped my arms around myself unconsciously and glanced toward the window.

The wind had started blowing harder now, making the branches of the tree outside sway violently.

My gaze drifted back to Pari.

She was still staring at the drawing very seriously.

“Pari…” I called softly.

She looked up at me again.

“Mam?”

“Mumma ko call kiya tha maine.”

(I called your mother.)

“Unhone phone nahi uthaya.”

(She didn’t pick up the phone.)

Pari didn’t look surprised.

Instead, she simply nodded and went back to coloring.

“Mumma busy hoti hai.”

(Mama is busy.)

Something about the way she said it felt… strange.

Children usually complained when their parents were late.

But Pari looked completely used to it.

I watched her quietly for a moment before asking gently,

“Pari, mumma ne aur kya kaha tha?”

(Pari, what else did your mom tell you?)

She lifted her head again.

Her eyes moved toward the drawing.

Then she whispered almost thoughtfully,

“Mumma kehti hai monsters hamesha ache logon ko pasand karte hain.”

(Mama says monsters always like good people.)

A strange feeling settled in my stomach.

“Kyun?” (Why?) I asked softly.

She shrugged her tiny shoulders.

“Pata nahi.” (I don’t know.)

Then she added,

“Shayad isliye… taaki woh unhe tod sake.”

(Maybe… so they can break them.)

My breath caught for a moment.

Before I could say anything, another loud thunderclap shook the sky.

BOOM.

The classroom lights flickered slightly.

Pari didn’t react.

But I felt my heart skip.

A cold gust of wind slipped through the slightly open window.

I stood up and walked toward it to close it properly.

As I latched the window shut, my eyes briefly scanned the empty playground outside.

The swings were moving slowly in the wind.

The gate of the school creaked slightly.

And the entire place looked deserted.

I turned back toward the classroom.

Pari was still sitting on the floor.

Still coloring the monster.

I walked back toward her.

“Pari,” I said gently.

“Hmmm?” she hummed without looking up.

“Chalo, bag pack kar lete hain.” (Come on, let’s pack your bag.)

“Shayad mumma abhi aati hi hongi.”

(Maybe your mom will arrive soon.)

She nodded obediently.

I helped her collect her crayons and place them back into the box.

Just as I zipped her little school bag....

My phone suddenly vibrated in my hand.

The sudden sound made me flinch slightly.

I looked at the screen.

An unknown number.

For a moment, I hesitated.

Then I answered the call.

“Hello?”

There was silence on the other side.

I frowned slightly.

“Hello? Kaun bol raha hai?”

(Hello? Who is speaking?)

Still no response.

Only a faint sound.

Breathing.

Slow.

Heavy.

A chill ran down my spine.

“Hello?” I said again.

Before I could say anything else....

The call disconnected.

I slowly lowered the phone.

“Mam?” Pari’s voice came from behind me.

I turned toward her.

“Haan?” (Yes?)

She pointed toward the drawing lying on the floor.

“Mam… dekho.” (Mam… look.)

I followed her finger.

And my heart skipped a beat.

The crayon drawing of the monster…

Now had a long red line across its mouth.

A crooked smile.

I frowned.

“Pari… yeh aapne banaya?” (Did you draw this?)

Pari slowly shook her head.

“Nahi mam.” (No mam.)

She looked at the drawing again.

Then at me.

And whispered quietly....

“The monster is smiling."

Another thunderclap exploded across the sky.

And suddenly…

The classroom lights went out.

The sudden darkness made me jump.

My heart lurched in my chest as the classroom lights went out completely, leaving the room swallowed by shadows.

Instinctively, I pulled Pari closer to me, wrapping my arms protectively around her small body. The drawing slipped from her hands and fell to the floor.

For a moment, the only sounds filling the room were the distant rumble of thunder and the rapid beating of my heart.

“Beta, daro mat. Main yahin hoon.” (Child, don’t be scared. I’m right here.) I whispered softly, trying to comfort her even though my own voice trembled slightly.

But Pari didn’t react the way I expected.

She wasn’t clinging to me.

She wasn’t crying.

Instead, she remained strangely calm in my arms.

“I am not afraid, mam,” she said quietly.

Then she added in her small voice,

“Meri mumma kehti hai yeh andhera insaan ke bure iraadon ke saamne kuch bhi nahi hota.”

(My mom says this darkness is nothing compared to the cruel intentions of humans.)

I froze.

My arms tightened slightly around her as her words sank into my mind.

My eyes widened in disbelief.

What kind of things was this little girl hearing at home?

For a moment, I couldn’t even respond.

And then suddenly....

Her earlier words echoed inside my head.

Clear.

Unsettling.

Mam… what if you married to a monster?

My breath caught in my throat.

The classroom felt colder.

The darkness around us suddenly seemed heavier.

Almost suffocating.

“Monster…” I whispered unconsciously.

The word barely escaped my lips.

And at that exact moment....

BOOM!

Author pov.....✨

Warning violence ahead❗❗

Somewhere deep inside a dark forest, far away from civilization, a tall building stood alone.

The structure rose like a silent giant in the middle of endless trees. Thick forest surrounded it from every direction, swallowing every road, every sound, every sign of life.

The place was unnaturally quiet.

Until suddenly....

A sharp scream tore through the silence.

Inside the building, the atmosphere was nothing like the calm forest outside.

A man hung from heavy iron chains fixed to the ceiling. His body was covered in bruises and blood, his shirt torn apart. Every breath he took sounded painful.

One of the men standing nearby swung a heated metal rod again.

The burning metal touched the prisoner’s skin.

A horrifying scream escaped his throat.

“Bol!” one of the men shouted angrily.  "What happened that day?"

“How are people suddenly going missing?” he continued harshly. “And what were you doing around the seaport?"

But the chained man said nothing.

Not a single word.

Another burning rod pressed against his skin.

He screamed again, his body jerking violently against the chains.

One of the men stepped back and turned his head.

“Boss… he isn’t saying anything."

Across the room, sitting calmly in a large chair, was the man they were referring to.

His presence alone made the entire room feel heavier.

He sat lazily with one leg crossed over the other.

A cigarette rested between his fingers while the other hand held a glass of alcohol.

His eyes were closed as if the screams meant nothing to him.

Then...

The chained man suddenly spoke.

His voice was weak but filled with hatred.

“You will never know what actually happened that night..... "

Everyone in the room froze.

The man continued breathing heavily.

“You will always suffer.... "

“One day… you will stand where I am standing today.”

His eyes slowly lifted toward the man sitting in the chair.

“And you will beg… for the life of the person you love the most.”

A sinister smile appeared on his bleeding lips.

“You will watch them die every second in front of your eyes…”

Then he whispered the name that no one in that room dared to say like that.

“Mr. Yugarth Singh Rathore.”

The moment the name left his mouth....

The entire room went silent.

Every man standing there stiffened.

Fear spread across their faces.

No one addressed him so casually.

No one.

Slowly, the man in the chair opened his eyes.

Cold green eyes.

Eyes that held no emotion.

No mercy.

He took one last drag of his cigarette before flicking it to the ground. Then he crushed it beneath his shoe.

Calmly.

Without a word.

Still holding the glass of alcohol, he stood up.

The faint sound of his footsteps echoed across the room as he walked toward the chained man.

Every guard stepped aside immediately.

No one dared block his path.

Yugarth Singh Rathore stopped right in front of the prisoner.

He lazily swirled the alcohol inside the glass before taking a slow sip.

Then without warning—

He poured the entire drink over the man’s head.

The liquid dripped down his wounded face.

Yugarth bent down slightly.

From inside his coat, he pulled out a pistol.

Without hesitation, he shoved the barrel into the prisoner’s mouth.

The man froze instantly.

In a cold, dangerously calm voice, Yugarth whispered,

“Monsters don’t love.”

His finger slowly rested on the trigger.

“They only kill.”

His voice dropped even lower.

“Without mercy.”

The chained man started sweating violently.

Yugarth slowly pulled the trigger.

Click.

No bullet.

The prisoner squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for death.

But it didn’t come.

Slowly, he opened his eyes again.

They met Yugarth’s piercing green gaze.

Yugarth pulled the trigger again.

Click.

Still no bullet.

The man’s throat moved as he swallowed in fear.

Yugarth straightened up.

He pulled out a cigarette lighter and flicked it open.

A small flame danced in front of his eyes.

He stared at the flame calmly.

Then at the prisoner.

The man started shaking violently.

“No… no… please…” he begged.

But it was already too late.

Yugarth casually tossed the lighter onto his body.

Within seconds—

The alcohol-soaked clothes caught fire.

The man screamed in agony as flames spread across him.

The sound echoed brutally across the room.

Yugarth sighed in irritation.

He rubbed his temple.

“Tch…”

“I hate noise.”

He turned around.

Three sharp gunshots echoed instantly.

Bang.

Bang.

Bang.

The bullets went straight into the burning man’s mouth.

His screams stopped immediately.

And the room fell silent once again.

The man’s body suddenly went limp against the heavy chains.

For a brief moment he just hung there, motionless, his head drooping forward. The flames that had started at his clothes quickly spread, crawling across his body until the fire completely engulfed him.

The crackling sound of burning fabric filled the room.

Then.....

Silence swallowed everything.

No one moved.

No one spoke.

The guards standing around the chamber kept their heads lowered, their bodies stiff with fear. Not a single one of them dared to look directly at Yugarth Singh Rathore.

Because everyone in that room knew one simple truth.....

Looking at him for too long was never a good idea.

Yugarth calmly slid the pistol back inside his coat.

His expression didn’t change.

No anger.

No satisfaction.

No emotion at all.

Just cold indifference.

One of the men finally gathered enough courage to step forward.

“Boss…” he said carefully.

“Out of thirty-six people… he was the only one who survived that day.”

Yugarth rolled his shoulder lazily, as if the information meant nothing to him.

A woman standing nearby stepped forward.

She was wearing protective gloves, her sharp eyes already studying the burning body.

As she leaned closer, something unusual caught her attention.

Her expression immediately changed.

“Boss…” she said slowly.

“Someone gave him poison.”

Every head in the room turned toward the corpse.

The guards stared as something strange began happening.

From the burned skin of the dead man, a thick white substance slowly began leaking out.

At first it looked like melted wax.

Then the color began changing gradually.

The woman’s eyes widened in shock.

“This… this is extremely dangerous.”

Her voice turned serious.

“This is not a normal poison.”

She crouched lower, studying the strange liquid carefully.

“It’s a complex mixture.”

She looked up at the others.

“A combination of some of the most poisonous plants… along with synthetic chemical compounds.”

A weapon.

Not just poison.

A biological weapon.

Without reacting, Yugarth Singh Rathore turned and began walking toward the exit.

Behind him the woman suddenly shouted sharply.

“Everyone move away from the body!”

The guards froze.

Then she yelled again, panic now clear in her voice.

“Leave the room immediately! The body is going to explode!”

That was enough.

Within seconds everyone rushed toward the exit.

Boots pounded loudly across the floor as they hurried outside.

The moment they stepped out of the building-

The explosion happened.

BOOM!

The corpse burst apart violently inside the chamber.

The force of the blast shook the walls as flames and debris scattered across the room.

Outside, the guards turned back in shock.

Smoke slowly poured out through the broken windows.

The woman stood slightly apart from them.

Before the explosion, she had quickly taken a small sample of the prisoner’s blood and sealed it inside a glass tube.

Now she stared at the dark red liquid swirling inside the vial.

Her brows slowly furrowed.

She whispered under her breath,

“This is not normal…”

Her grip tightened around the tube.

“What kind of poison makes a human body explode like that?”

.

.

.

A few moments later, Yugarth Singh Rathore stepped out of the building.

The night air of the forest was cold, the wind carrying the distant sound of thunder through the trees. Behind him, faint smoke still escaped from the broken windows of the building where the explosion had just occurred.

Yet Yugarth’s expression remained completely unchanged.

It was as if nothing had happened inside that building a few minutes ago.

As if a man hadn’t burned alive.

As if a body hadn’t exploded moments earlier.

His face held the same calm indifference.

The same chilling composure.

Several men quickly followed him outside, stopping a few steps behind him.

No one dared speak first.

Yugarth didn’t turn around.

He simply continued walking toward his car, his footsteps slow and steady on the gravel ground.

“Clean this mess,” he said coldly.

His voice was low, controlled, and dangerous.

The men immediately straightened.

“And find out who gave him that poison.”

He paused briefly before adding,

“And I want to know exactly what kind of poison it was.”

The order was simple.

But the meaning behind it was clear.

Nothing escaped Yugarth Singh Rathore for long.

“Yes, boss,” all the men responded instantly.

Yugarth didn’t acknowledge them.

He reached his black car, opened the door, and slid inside without another word.

Within seconds, the engine started.

The headlights cut through the darkness of the forest road as the car slowly moved forward.

Aviva pov....🤍

“Aviva…”

A voice suddenly echoed in the darkness.

I flinched.

My heart jumped in my chest as I instinctively pulled Pari closer to me, wrapping my arm protectively around her small body.

“Who is there?” I asked, my voice slightly shaky despite trying to sound calm.

The classroom was still covered in darkness after the lights went out. Only the faint rumble of thunder outside could be heard.

Then suddenly -

A small light appeared at the far end of the hallway.

My breath caught in my throat.

The light slowly started moving toward us.

I tightened my hold on Pari.

“Who is this?” I asked again, louder this time, though my voice still betrayed my nervousness.

“Aviva…”

The voice called again.

As the light came closer, the beam finally illuminated a familiar face.

I immediately released a breath I didn’t realize I had been holding.

It was Raghav.

The owner of the daycare.

Relief washed over me.

“Oh…” I said softly, trying to steady my breathing.

He walked closer, looking slightly concerned.

“Aviva, are you okay?”

I nodded quickly.

“Yes… the lights suddenly went out.”

He glanced around the dark room before saying,

“Let me turn on the generator.”

He walked toward the back area where the generator was installed.

Within seconds the sound of the machine started humming.

And then -

The lights flickered back on.

The classroom filled with brightness again.

I exhaled deeply, my shoulders relaxing for the first time in minutes.

Just then Pari suddenly spoke.

“Mumma aa gayi.” (Mom has come.)

I turned my head toward the door.

Her mother was standing there.

Her eyes immediately searched for Pari.

“Pari!”

The little girl instantly ran toward her.

“Mumma!”

I picked up Pari’s school bag from the floor and walked toward them.

Her mother looked slightly breathless.

“I’m sorry, mam,” she said apologetically. “I got stuck in the office.”

“It’s okay,” I replied gently. “She was just waiting for you.”

“Thank you, mam,” she said gratefully.

I smiled and nodded.

But even as I did…

Pari’s words kept echoing in my mind.

Humans are monsters.

A strange uneasiness settled inside my chest.

Pari and her mother were about to leave when I suddenly called out,

“Mam…”

She stopped and turned back.

“Yes?”

I hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“I wanted to talk to you about Pari.”

She looked at me curiously.

“I mean… she says some very strange things,” I explained carefully. “Things children her age don’t usually say.”

Her mother chuckled softly.

But there was something unusual in that laugh.

Then she said calmly,

“She’s only stating facts, mam.”

My brows furrowed in confusion.

“What do you mean?”

She stepped a little closer, her voice lowering slightly.

“The sooner she understands the truth… the better it will be for her.”

I frowned.

“Truth?”

She looked at me for a moment before speaking slowly.

“The whole world is a facade.”

Her voice dropped into a quiet whisper.

“A facade of perfection… love… care…”

Then her expression turned colder.

“But behind that facade lies a very dark reality.”

Her gaze briefly drifted somewhere distant.

“A reality that only those who suffer truly understand.”

A sudden chill ran down my spine.

Something about the way she said it felt… unsettling.

Before I could respond, Pari suddenly tugged on her mother’s hand.

“Mumma…”

Her mother looked down.

“Yes?”

Pari pointed toward me innocently.

“Maine mam ko bataya na…” (I told mam, right…)

“What if she marries a monster?”

My breath caught in my throat.

And for some reason…

The classroom suddenly felt cold again.

“Pari,” her mother said softly, though there was a hint of warning in her voice, “aise baatein nahi karte.”

(We don’t say things like that.)

Pari immediately made a small pout, her cheeks puffing slightly in protest.

Her mother then looked up at me, a polite expression settling on her face.

“I’m sorry, mam,” she said.

I shook my head lightly.

“It’s okay.”

For a moment, silence lingered between us.

Then she adjusted the strap of her bag and said,

“I should leave now.”

I gave her a small smile and nodded.

“Yes, of course.”

She held Pari’s hand and started walking toward the exit.

I watched them leave, my mind still tangled in the strange things Pari had been saying all evening.

They had almost reached the middle of the hallway when suddenly...

Her mother stopped.

She didn’t turn immediately.

Instead, she stood there for a brief moment, as if something had crossed her mind.

Then, in a voice so low it was almost a whisper but loud enough for me to hear she murmured,

“Monster…”

My breath hitched.

“What if she really…”

Her sentence remained unfinished.

Slowly, she turned back toward me.

Her eyes met mine.

And for some reason, the look in them sent a cold shiver crawling down my spine.

Then she spoke clearly this time.

“Be careful, mam.”

Her words were calm.

Too calm.

“… sometimes the monster isn’t someone you will meet… it’s someone destiny has already let cross your path.”

My body went completely still.

For a second, I couldn’t even breathe.

Before I could ask what she meant...

She had already turned around again.

Holding Pari’s hand, she walked away toward the exit.

And within moments…

They disappeared from sight.

Leaving me standing there.

Frozen.

With her words echoing inside my head.

“Aviva…”

Raghav’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

I blinked, realizing I had been standing there for several seconds, completely lost in my own mind.

He walked closer, looking at me with slight confusion.

“Why are you standing here like that?” he asked. “And what was she saying to you?”

I hesitated for a moment before answering.

“Nothing,” I said quietly. “They’re just… strange.”

Raghav hummed thoughtfully.

Then he said something that instantly caught my attention.

“You know… Pari’s father isn’t actually her real father.”

I looked at him in shock.

“What?”

He nodded.

“Yes. I don’t know the entire story,” he continued, shrugging slightly. “But from what I’ve heard, the man she calls her father… isn’t her biological father.”

I stood there processing his words.

That felt impossible.

The way Pari talked about him… the way she adored him…

It never once seemed like he wasn’t her real father.

“He loves her a lot,” I murmured almost unconsciously. “It never looked like she wasn’t his daughter.”

Just then....

I suddenly felt something brush against my face.

I flinched immediately.

My body stiffened as I instinctively stepped back.

Raghav’s hand froze in the air between us.

“Oh - sorry,” he said quickly, lowering his hand. “I was just trying to -”

He stopped mid-sentence.

An awkward silence settled between us.

Then he cleared his throat.

“Anyway… let me drop you home,” he said. “The weather isn’t good and it’s already pretty late.”

I shook my head immediately.

“No, it’s okay. I’ll go by myself.”

He frowned slightly.

“Aviva, I can’t just leave you like this,” he said, taking a step closer. “What if you run into some trouble?”

I instinctively took another step back, increasing the distance between us.

“No, Raghav,” I said firmly but politely. “I’ll go on my own.”

“But - Aviva -”

I picked up my bag and slung it over my shoulder.

That seemed to stop him.

He didn’t argue again.

For a moment he just stood there watching me.

I turned toward the door to leave.

“Just text me when you reach home,” he said from behind me.

I nodded slightly.

“Okay.”

Then I walked out of the building.

As I stepped outside into the cool night air, I exhaled slowly.

I knew Raghav liked me.

He had even confessed his feelings once.

But I had never seen him that way.

For me, he had always been just a friend.

A good friend.

But lately…

He had started trying to get closer to me.

Closer than I was comfortable with.

And I had always been someone who disliked that feeling.

When someone tried to cross my personal space without permission…

It always made me uneasy.

And for some reason -

Being around him recently had started making me feel exactly that way.

Author pov... 💫

Aviva shook her head, pushing away the uneasy thoughts lingering in her mind as she stepped onto the empty street.

The road outside was eerily silent.

The storm from earlier had left the streets damp and deserted. Not a single auto or cab was visible anywhere.

She took out her phone and tried booking a cab.

Unavailable.

She tried again.

Still nothing.

A soft sigh escaped her lips.

Her house wasn’t that far away. By vehicle it barely took ten minutes.

But walking?

It would take at least thirty to forty minutes.

Still, she had no other option.

Pulling her bag closer to herself, Aviva began walking down the lonely road.

The silence around her felt strange.

The storm had passed for now, but the sky still looked threatening. Dark clouds were once again gathering above, swallowing the moonlight.

A cold wind brushed past her.

It looked like it might rain again.

Aviva instinctively increased her pace.

Her footsteps echoed lightly on the wet road as she walked.

For a few minutes everything seemed normal.

Until she noticed something.

A car.

It had been driving slowly behind her for the past few minutes.

At first she ignored it.

Maybe it was just someone heading home.

She kept walking.

But the car didn’t pass her.

It stayed behind her.

Slowly moving.

Matching her pace.

A strange uneasiness crept into Aviva’s chest.

Her fingers tightened around her purse.

Just when she was about to glance back-

The car suddenly accelerated.

In the next second, it drove past her and stopped abruptly right in front of her path.

Aviva froze.

Her grip on her purse tightened instantly.

The car doors opened.

One by one -

Four… five men stepped out.

Her heartbeat quickened.

One of them smirked as he looked at her.

“Akele akele kahan ja rahi ho?”

(Where are you going all alone?)

Aviva didn’t respond.

She simply ignored them and tried to walk past.

But before she could move forward -

Two of them stepped in front of her, blocking the path.

Another man chuckled.

“Itni sundar ladki akeli achchi nahi lagti,” he said, his eyes roaming over her.

(Such a beautiful girl shouldn’t be walking alone.)

Then he added with a mocking smile,

“Aao… hum tumhe chhod dete hain.”

(Come… we’ll drop you.)

Aviva’s jaw clenched tightly.

Her eyes hardened as anger replaced the fear rising inside her.

“Move aside."

Her voice was sharp.

But the men only laughed.

Aviva tried to move past them, hoping to slip through before things got worse.

But before she could take even two steps...

One of the men suddenly grabbed her wrist.

Aviva flinched violently, trying to pull her hand free.

“Chhoro mujhe!” (Leave me!) she snapped, her voice sharp with anger.

The man tightened his grip instead.

Another man stepped closer, his eyes shamelessly roaming over her from head to toe.

“Aise kaise jaane dein?” he said with a crooked smile. “Abhi toh maza lena baaki hai.”

(How can we let you go so easily? The fun hasn’t even started yet.)

Aviva’s jaw clenched.

Before he could say another word...

SLAP!

Her palm struck his face hard.

The sound echoed in the empty street.

For a moment everything went still.

The man’s face snapped to the side from the force.

Slowly he turned back toward her, his expression darkening with rage, his jaw tightening dangerously.

Another man immediately stepped forward and grabbed Aviva’s jaw harshly, forcing her face upward.

His fingers dug painfully into her skin.

“Bahut zyada himmat hai, haan?” (You’ve got a lot of courage, huh?)

Aviva struggled against him, panic starting to rise.

“Leave me!” she screamed.

Just then the man she had slapped stormed toward her, fury blazing in his eyes.

He grabbed her hair roughly.

“Tujhe abhi batata hoon!” (I’ll show you now!)

Pain shot through Aviva’s scalp as he yanked her head back.

But instinct kicked in.

With all her strength -

She lifted her leg and kicked him hard in the crotch.

“Aahh-!” the man groaned in agony, instantly collapsing onto the wet road, clutching himself.

The sudden distraction gave Aviva the chance she needed.

She twisted violently, pulling herself free from the remaining grips.

Without wasting a second-

She ran.

Her heart pounded wildly as her feet hit the wet road.

But before she could get far -

One of the men lunged forward and grabbed the end of her dupatta.

The fabric tightened around her neck.

For a split second Aviva panicked.

Then she quickly slipped it off her shoulders and threw the dupatta away, freeing herself.

And she ran again.

Behind her the men shouted angrily.

“Pakdo isse!” (Catch her!)

Footsteps thundered behind her.

Four… five men were chasing her now.

Some of them held rods in their hands.

Aviva ran as fast as she could, her breath coming out in ragged gasps.

Her heart hammered violently against her ribs.

She dared to glance back -

And her blood ran cold.

They were too close.

Too close.

Suddenly -

Her body slammed into something solid.

She lost her balance completely.

The ground slipped beneath her feet.

“Ahhh - !”