Vows Of Vengeance

PROLOGUE

The Seattle night hummed with a low, electric thrum. The cool night air, laced with the tang of salt and the distant promise of rain, swirled around as she gazed out at the Seattle skyline. The city, a glittering constellation laid at her feet, pulsed with a lifeblood of neon and car headlights. Perched on her penthouse balcony, she was a solitary island amidst the urban sprawl. Yet, the peace was deceptive. Beneath the cool exterior, a storm brewed within her brown eyes. Cool air, scented with freedom and exhaust fumes, snaked through the open balcony doors of penthouse apartment, teasing her with the promise of a city awake.

The living room, a testament to her meticulous taste, boasted sleek furniture and artfully arranged sculptures. Floor-to-ceiling windows served as a canvas, showcasing the sprawling metropolis in a breath-taking display of light. The balcony, adorned with vibrant orchids and trailing ivy, jutted out like a defiant chin, offering a front-row seat to the urban spectacle. Below, a million tiny suns winked on and off, a dazzling counterpoint to the inky expanse of the sky. The city was a restless beast, its heartbeat a pulsating rhythm of honking cars and distant sirens. It was a symphony of chaos that she found strangely comforting, a reflection of the relentless drive that had propelled her to the top of the corporate ladder.

A lady with her long, flowing chocolate brown hair and piercing hazel eyes, stood on the balcony, her silhouette a graceful contrast against the city's luminous backdrop. She exuded an air of sophistication and contemplation, her thoughts seemingly lost in the vast expanse of the night. As a successful businesswoman, she possessed a keen eye for detail and an unwavering dedication to her work. Her calm and composed demeanor often concealed the depth of her emotions, but her inner strength was a force to be reckoned with.

The tranquility of the night is suddenly disturbed by the jarring shrill of her phone. Startled, she turned away from the mesmerizing panorama. The caller ID blinked – India. A peculiar crease formed between her brows as she could not recognize the unknown caller.

However, she answers the call to satisfy her query. The familiar voice that greeted her sent a jolt of ice through her veins.

"Hello Di...Di...please...save me."

It was Aisha, her little sister but the voice was a pale echo of her usual vibrant self. It trembled with a raw panic that ripped through her carefully constructed façade. Gone was the fiery, independent spirit she knew. Instead, there was a chilling vulnerability, a desperate plea for help that resonated deep within her soul.

Concern morphed into a deep furrow in her brow. Her hand, holding the phone, began to tremble ever so slightly.

"Aisha? What's wrong?" she demanded, her voice a tight knot of concern.

But before Aisha could reply, the line went dead. She stared at the phone, its inert form a stark contrast to the urgency of Aisha's plea. The image of her sister, always headstrong and fearless, reduced to a whimpering voice begging for help, sent a tremor through her.

Aisha was in trouble, and a fierce protectiveness, a primal urge to save her little sister, flared within her.

"I'm coming baccha. Your Di won't let anything happen to you." she whispered into the dead phone, using the affectionate term for "little one" in Hindi.

Her voice, though soft, vibrated with a steely resolve. This wasn't a businesswoman making a calculated move. This was a sister, ready to move mountains to ensure her sibling's safety.

She dialed a string of memorized numbers, her voice sharp and commanding.

"Get a team ready. I need eyes and ears on the ground in Delhi."

Her mind, usually a fortress of logic, was a whirlwind of possibilities, each one darker than the last.

What had happened to Aisha? Where was she?

The night deepened, the sky lightening to a soft gray. Exhaustion gnawed at her eyes, but sleep was a distant dream. Every fiber of her being was focused on Aisha. Her sister, the sweet child who she had safeguarded from the dangers of the world, was now desperately calling out for help. This did not settle well with the her.