Prologue
Saya pov:
"It's gonna be okay. I am gonna be okay.
I chanted to myself, but deep down, I knew this might be the end. We were all bound and herded like goats, many of the girls nearly unconscious. Their whimpers broke the suffocating silence.
Then, a huge man walked in,heavy, intimidating. He scanned the room, ensuring everything was in place.
I wanted to yell at him, to let me go. I wanted to cry for my parents, beg them to take me home. But I knew,whatever hell this was, escape wasn't an option.
He glanced over his shoulder. "Their shipment’s been postponed. Make sure nothing goes wrong till then."
I didn't want to know what shipment he meant. It didn't sound good.
Beside me, a didi sat lifeless. As soon as the man left, I felt a burning gaze on me. A guard stood nearby, looking at me like he wanted to tear me apart.
When he approached, a whimper escaped my lips. I wanted to hide, but the rope burns on my wrists reminded me there was no way out.
He came closer, his gaze slithering over me, hands outstretched. I closed my eyes, willing myself to be numb.
“Don’t,” a voice interrupted. A woman guard stepped in front of him. “She is to be unharmed. Orders from above.”
“For God's sake, we've been here for a week. She’s tempting,” he shot back.
“She might be, but it’s not worth losing your life, is it?”
I didn’t know whether to feel relieved or not. His gaze returned to me, then shifted to the didi next to me.
With a cruel smile, he grabbed her by the hair. She screamed and looked at me, a pleading look for help, as he dragged her away. Her cries—full of pain and fear—were swallowed by the darkness.
The silence that followed pressed down on me. I knew deep down she wouldn’t come back. They never did.
“Mumma...” A small cry escaped my lips. I remembered her words: stay in sight, don’t talk to strangers. But I did, and here I was. Why couldn’t I just obey for once?
"Happy birthday, Saya," I whispered to myself. Fourteen. A sigh escaped me. I might not see Maa and Dad again. I was so excited to celebrate my birthday and their anniversary together. The gift I made would stay unwrapped forever.
That’s when I heard it.
A shift in the air.
The sound of crickets heightened. The grinding of hands on guns echoed in the room.
The guard tensed. More alert. I closed my hands around my knees and hid my face within it.
There was a crash outside. I flinched and closed my eyes tighter.
Before the guards could react, a group of men in black barged in.
Their footsteps broke the silence. Grunts. Gunshots. Shrieks rose above the chaos.
Then,silence. The kind that chills your bones.
I held my knees, trying to make myself smaller. The sound of my breath filled my ears. Then a pair of hands held me. I panicked and screamed.
But the hands were gone. I looked up to see a man kneeling before me, hands raised in surrender.
There was a scar right beneath his eyes. But it crinkled with the smile he offered me.
It held something the others didn’t: a silent promise. You’re safe now.
The night was over.
For some reason, I believed it.
He held out his hand. I hesitated, then placed my hand in his. I knew—I was safe.
We walked out of there, unchained. I held his hand tightly, afraid to let go. As we reached the minivan, I froze.
Something stopped me and I looked back.
The warehouse was burning. Fire lit up the night. I saw a body being carried over by two men.
The light revealed the face, Didi. I swallowed the sob that rose up.
She was gone from my view when someone stepped in. I looked up and met his face.
“We'll take her home. Don't worry”
He looked into my eyes and gave me a nod.
Taking a deep breath I got into the van.
As I sat there, sleep slowly came to me. The last thought in my mind before darkness overtook me was, "It is going to be okay."
.
.
.
Miles away, a body hit the ground.
With it, an empire began to crack.
One night.
Three lives changed forever.
But peace is only ever borrowed.
The shadows were never gone.
