Chapter 1: The Girl Who Fed the Stray Cat
Naabi Mehra had a rule: never walk alone after dark.
She broke it that night for one reason.
Tomorrow's anatomy test was worth a quarter of her grade, and the library had been quite,warm and perfect for studying. By the time she looked up,the last students had left and the librarian was jingling her keys.
"Go home, dear," the old woman said kindly. "The books will still be here tomorrow."
Naabi smiled, hugged her notes to her chest, and stepped outside.
The campus looked different at night. The lamps along the path glowed yellow,and the tall trees threw long shadows across the grass. Her cream cardigan felt too thin against the cold,and she tucked her hair behind her ear, but her bangs slipped back over her eyes.
Near the gate, something small moved under a bench. A thin gray cat stared up at her.
"You again," Naabi whispered, crouching down. She dug into her bag and pulled out half a sandwich she had saved from lunch. "Don't tell anyone I'm breaking the rules twice tonight."
The cat ate quickly and rubbed against her hand. Naabi laughed softly, the first real laugh of her long day. Then the laugh died in her throat.
It started as a feeling, the kind you cannot explain. The back of her neck turned cold. The air seemed to change, as if the whole night were holding his breath.
Someone was watching her.
Nabi stood up slowly and looked around. The path wa empty. The trees were still. The only sound was the buzz of the street.
You are just tired, she told herself. You have been studying for six hours. She started walking.
Her footsteps sounded too loud. She walked faster, and then she saw it. Across the road, near the gate, a black car sat in the dark with it's engine off and its windows tinted.
She had seen it yesterday, parked in the same place. And the day before that. Her heart began to pound.
It is only a car, she thought. Someone's driver, waiting for someone.
But her feet would not move. The back door of the car opened. A man stepped out.
He was tall, with broad shoulders under a black coat. The lamplight caught only the edge of his jaw, sharp as a blade. His face stayed in shadow, but she could feel his eyes on her, cold and steady,like a hand pressing against her chest.
He did not hurry. He did not call out. He simply stood there, as if he had all the time in the world.
"Excuse me,'' Naabi said. Her voice came out much smaller than she wanted. ''Do you need help?''
The man said nothing.
She took one step back, then another. Then she turned and run. She made it six steps.
A strong hand closed around her arm and pulled her back so hard that her books flew from her grip. Pages scattered across the dark ground like frightened birds.
''Let go of me!'' She twisted and pulled with all her strength, but it was like pulling against a wall. ''Help! Someone, please....''
A hand covered her mouth. The world tilted as she was lifted off her feet. She kicked and struggled, and she scratched at the arm holding her, but he did not even flinch.
The last thing she saw was the little gray cat, frozen beside the bench, its green eyes wide in the dark.
The car door slammed. Everything went dark.
When Naabi opened her eyes, the room was silent.
A soft lamp glowed in the corner. She was lying on a huge bed with silk sheets. The curtains were thick and dark, and the air smelled faintly of cedar and something expensive.
For a moment, she did not remember. Then it all came back.
She sat up so fast that her head spun. She ran to the door and pulled the handle. Locked.
''Hello?'' Her voice cracked. ''Is anyone there? Please open the door!''
Nothing answered.
She pounded on the wood until her palms ached. She tried the tall window, but they were sealed shut and covered with heavy metal frames. Beyond the glass, she saw only dark gardens and high stone wall.
Naabi backed away until her shoulders touched the cold wall. Her whole body was shaking.
This is a mistake , she thought. They took the wrong girl. She tried to picture her father coming for her, but she could not remember the last time he had come at all. ''Dad will not even know I am gone.''
A Key turned in the lock. The door opened.
A tall man walked in. Under the lamp she could finally see him clearly.He wore a black suit with a black shirt open at the collar.His dark hair was swept back from a sharp, handsome face, and his shoulders look strong enough to fill the whole doorway. His eyes were the coldest she had ever seen.
She did not scream. She couldn't. Her breath stopped in her chest, and she pressed herself into the corner of the wall. Her arms came up, wrapping around herself.
''Who are you?'' Her voice trembled. ''Why am I here? Please, my dad....''
His jaw tightened at the word dad.
Naabi stopped. She did not know what her father would do. She had not seen him in months.
Akhil watched her face carefully, as if searching for a lie.
''Your dad,'' he said slowly, in a calm , low voice, ''owes me more than he can ever pay.''
Naabi stared at him. ''I don't understand. There must be a mistake. I haven't done anything to you. Please, let me go home.''
He looked at her for a long moment. There was no pity in his face, only something dark and heavy, like a storm held behind a wall.
Then he turned towards the door.
''You will stay here.'' Akhil Chauhan said coldly. ''And you will stop asking questions.''
The door closed. The lock clicked.
Naabi slid down the wall, wrapped her arms around her knees,and held her breath until his footsteps faded. Only then the tears fall, silent and slow.
Who are you? She thought. And what has my dad done?
