The roads were packed, the honking of impatient vehicles shooing away stray dogs scavenging near food stalls.
I pedaled my bicycle through the chaos, weaving past carts and hurried shoppers, towards my little cozy flower shop at the corner of the shopping street.
Mistranpur—a jewel of the country, boasting endless prosperity and wealth. But like the other side of the coin, it was also the landmark of the darkest horrors the world had to offer. Beneath its splendid city lays secrets that thrived in the shadows.
Here, trust is a luxury. Even your own shadow could deceive you.
"Chaaya!"
I turned to find Shima aunty behind me waving an envelope in her hand.
"What is it, aunty?"
"I was waiting for you till the closing time, but you were nowhere to be found. This arrived for you yesterday. By the way, where have you been all day?"
"It's nothing, aunty. I had a big order to deliver to the military quarters. Just been a little busy. Thank you for this."
I tucked the envelope away and started down the road, but the moment I neared my shop, an all-too-familiar sound grated against my ears - the obnoxious laughter of the RAVEN GANG.
There they were, lounging against bikes, their sneers dripping with arrogance. Their lewd, filthy words reached me before I even saw their faces, their taunts wrapping around me like a noose.
"How much for a night, mere jaan? I'll satisfy you real good—"
My grip on my bag strap tightened. My nails dug into the it as I fought to keep my temper in check. Six long years I had endured this. Six years of working, surviving, knowing that one wrong move, one moment of rebellion, could ruin everything I had built.
But today, their words weren't enough. Their hands brushed against me—unwanted, disgusting touches that made my blood boil. My breath turned ragged, my self-control slipping.
Breathe, Chaaya. 1....2....3...
Then—the air changed.
A shadow loomed over us, stretching like a silent warning.
A faint scent of the ocean mixed with a trace of tobacco reached me before I turned to see him.
Dark brown eyes—piercing, sharp, like a hawk ready to strike, hair as black as the night. A strong build, not overly bulky, but carrying an undeniable presence of danger.
Aftaab Ali Khan.
My breath caught.
This man—this is not someone to trifle with. The future heir to the darkness lurking beneath this city. The kind of man whose name alone was enough to make the bravest cower.
And it wasn't just me who felt it.
The gang members fell silent. The bravado drained from their faces, their bodies stiff with fear. In an instant, they scrambled away, vanishing into alleys like rats.
I exhaled shakily.
Aftaab didn't even glance at me. His presence had already done enough.
Lowering my head in silent submission, I stepped back, making way for him. My heart pounded against my ribs, desperate to be still. This was the closest I had been to him in the past six months—and yet something felt wrong. The air around him wasn't just heavy with power. It carried something else—unease, like a storm waiting for the right wind to break.