LOVE AND DHARMA

5. THE WALK OF SHAME

The moon hung high in the sky, casting a silvery glow over the heavily fortified prison. Shadows danced across the walls, and the air was thick with tension as Vijay and his team prepared for their daring mission.

Vijay crouched behind a cluster of bushes, his eyes scanning the perimeter. Akash, Anjali, Raj, Sameer, and Ananya were beside him, each of them steeling themselves for what lay ahead.

"Everyone ready?" Vijay whispered, his voice barely audible over the night breeze.

A chorus of determined nods met his question. Akash adjusted his glasses, a laptop open in front of him, showing the layout of the prison. Anjali had her backpack filled with tools for breaking locks, while Raj and Sameer were armed with makeshift weapons. Ananya, their communications expert, had a headset on, ready to coordinate their efforts.

"Okay, Akash," Vijay said, "disable the security cameras."

Akash's fingers flew over the keyboard. "Cameras are down. We have a ten-minute window before the backup systems kick in."

"Let's move," Vijay ordered.

They crept towards the side gate, avoiding the main entrance where guards were more concentrated. Anjali worked quickly, picking the lock with practiced ease. The gate swung open silently, and they slipped inside.

Navigating the dimly lit corridors, they encountered minimal resistance. The guards they did see were swiftly and silently incapacitated by Raj and Sameer. They reached the control room, where Akash hacked into the system, unlocking the cell doors.

"Prisoners are free to go," Akash announced, a triumphant smile on his face.

The team split up to guide the prisoners out.

The narrow, cobbled streets echoed with a cacophony of jeers and catcalls as Riya, stripped of her dignity and clothing, was forced to walk through the gauntlet of contempt and scorn. Her steps were heavy with shame, each one a reminder of the relentless cruelty of Shaswat, the same man who had mercilessly whipped her bare butt in the court under Arnab's orders, now orchestrating her public humiliation.

Hungry spectators lined the streets, their eyes glinting with a sadistic delight. Stones flew through the air, striking her private parts with painful accuracy. She flinched as one particularly sharp rock hit her ass, another her boobs, but she kept moving, her willpower the only thing keeping her upright.

As she neared the town square, her strength faltered, and she fell to her knees. The crowd's volume increased, a roar of approval at her perceived submission. Shaswat stepped forward, his eyes gleaming with malice as he raised his whip.

The first lash struck her bare butt with a sickening crack, drawing blood and gasps of pain from her. She clenched her fists, trying to muster the strength to stand, but the second lash came, then a third, each one more vicious than the last.

Shaswat sneered down at her, preparing for another strike, when Riya's eyes caught the glint of a knife in the belt of a nearby guard. In a desperate move, she lunged, snatching the weapon and plunging it into Shaswat's chest with all the fury and desperation she had left.

The crowd recoiled in shock as Shaswat staggered back, clutching at the knife embedded in his heart. He fell to the ground, his life ebbing away in moments. Panic ensued, and the spectators scattered, their cries of excitement turning to screams of fear.