A Song For Us

Chapter 19 - Shattered Trust

As soon as Anirudh turned around, a wave of regret washed over him. He cursed himself for leaving Anika alone, even for a moment. But he felt a small sense of relief when he saw Anika standing there, seemingly unhurt. She had no bruises or scars, but she was visibly disoriented. She kept repeating one word, "Anirudh... Anirudh..." in a faint voice.

Anika was so dizzy that she almost collapsed on the floor. Anirudh rushed to her and caught her just in time, holding her close. "Anika, what happened to you?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.

Anika couldn't speak clearly; she was crying uncontrollably. Anirudh decided to sit her down at a nearby table to ask questions later. But when he tried to walk her over, he realized she couldn't move properly; she was in very bad shape. So, he lifted her in his arms, one hand supporting her back and the other under her knees, holding her dress in place as he carried her to a chair.

He sat her down gently and pulled up a chair next to her. As soon as Anika was seated, she threw her arms around Anirudh, clinging to him tightly. She was mumbling something, but her voice was so soft that Anirudh couldn't hear her over the loud music from the DJ.

Anirudh focused on comforting her first, making sure she felt safe. He hugged her until she calmed down. After a while, Anika stopped crying and sat back in her chair, but she was still very dizzy.

Anirudh quickly called over a waiter and ordered a glass of lime water. He also asked his manager to get a medicine from the car that might help Anika feel better. Anika, in her vulnerable state, was behaving almost like a child, and Anirudh did his best to take care of her. He helped her take the medicine and drink the lime water.

Even after taking the medicine, Anika didn't immediately feel better. Anirudh stayed by her side, watching over her. After a few minutes, he gently asked, "Anika, can you tell me what happened? What did Winston do?"

Anika tried to speak, but her words were jumbled and incoherent. "He... touch... I said no... drink..." she managed to say.

"Anika, nothing will happen to you. I'm here. I won't let anyone hurt you. Please, tell me everything," Anirudh pleaded, his voice filled with determination.

But Anika was too disoriented to say much more. Frustrated and worried, Anirudh called over a staff member and asked if they knew what had happened. Unfortunately, the staff member didn't have much information either. This made Anirudh even more angry. "I need to see the security camera footage, now!" he demanded.

Within minutes, the staff returned with a laptop, and Anirudh began watching the footage. His heart sank as he saw Anika standing by the bar. Winston appeared out of nowhere and whispered something in her ear, then led her away. Anika looked furious and tried to walk away, but Winston grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

The footage showed Winston dragging Anika towards the parking lot. A few other men joined him, looking like his friends. They surrounded Anika, and Winston got too close, trying to mess with her clothes. Just then, the sound of someone approaching made Winston back off. Seizing the moment, Anika broke free and ran back inside to find her friend. She sat with her friend, hoping Winston wouldn't follow.

Anika, now somewhat more coherent, signaled to the staff to take the laptop away. Just as Anirudh was about to question her, she began speaking. "I had too many drinks because I felt awful. My trust was broken, and I couldn't even fight back. I drank too much and then started feeling very dizzy. I realized the person who gave me the drink wasn't staff; he was one of Winston's men. That's when I understood that Winston had spiked my drink. I passed out, and when I came to, all I wanted was to find you. My friend helped me get up, and I came to you."

Hearing this, Anirudh was filled with rage. He turned to his manager and ordered, "Search the entire club, the parking lot, every level. Find Winston!"

The manager ran off to search for Winston, checking everywhere, but Winston was nowhere to be found. Returning to Anirudh, he reported, "Sir, Winston is nowhere to be seen."

Anirudh said nothing. He just helped Anika to the car, ready to take her home. But his mind was racing. He couldn't stop thinking about Winston. Where had he gone? What was his plan? And most importantly, how could Anirudh ensure that Winston never hurt Anika or anyone else again?

As they drove home, Anirudh's thoughts were consumed by one question: What was he going to do about Winston?