LOVE AND DHARMA

24. TOWELS AND TERROR

When Riya stepped out of the shower, the warm steam still clinging to her skin, she wrapped a towel around herself and made her way towards her bedroom. The familiar comfort of her home usually soothed her, but today, something felt off. She paused in the hallway, her instincts prickling. The faint sound of movement—a whisper of fabric against the floor—reached her ears.

Her heart quickened. She wasn’t alone.

Silently, she moved to the closet where she kept her pistol. The cool metal felt reassuring in her hand as she gripped it, every sense on high alert. Slowly, she made her way through the dimly lit house, each footfall as quiet as a shadow. The tension in the air was palpable, and her breath came in shallow, controlled bursts.

As she rounded the corner to her living room, Riya froze. There, in the center of the room, stood a girl, her skin glistening as if freshly scrubbed. She was completely naked, her body unshielded and vulnerable in the dim light.

Riya’s breath caught in her throat, a mixture of shock and confusion surging through her. Before she could process what she was seeing, her grip on the towel loosened, and it slipped from her body, falling soundlessly to the floor. She stood there, exposed, her own nakedness mirroring the girl’s.

For a moment, time seemed to stop. The two women stared at each other, both equally surprised. The silence hung between them, heavy with unspoken questions and the unexpected vulnerability of the moment.

Riya's mind raced, her naked body tensing as she tried to make sense of the situation. But the girl just stood there, unthreatening and still, as if she belonged there.

She quickly bent down, retrieving her towel and wrapping it around herself once more, her mind still reeling from the encounter. She lowered her pistol slightly, though she remained wary, her gaze fixed on the mysterious girl who had somehow entered her life.

“Shrestha? What happened?” Riya asked, rushing over to her.

A few minutes ago, Shrestha stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel tightly around her damp body. The warmth of the steam still clung to her skin as she reached for the door, but just as she did, a flicker of movement caught her eye. Her heart lurched in her chest as she noticed a hooded figure outside the bathroom, a glint of metal in their hand—a knife.

Terror gripped her. The figure was advancing towards her door, the blade catching the faint light of the hallway. Without thinking, she turned and bolted for the back door of her apartment. Her bare feet slapped against the cold tiles as she ran, the towel barely clinging to her as she fled.

She could hear the figure’s footsteps pounding behind her, closer and closer. Panic surged through her veins, her breath coming in short, frantic bursts. As she reached the back exit, she caught her towel on the door handle. In her desperation, she yanked it, but it came free of her body, falling to the ground and leaving her completely exposed.

Naked and terrified, Shrestha didn’t dare look back. She burst out of her apartment and into the night, the cold air biting at her skin. She could still hear the figure behind her, the pursuit relentless. But she pushed herself harder, running through the deserted streets, her only thought on survival.

She could feel her energy waning, the terror driving her forward even as her legs screamed in protest. But then, as she darted through an alleyway, she heard the footsteps falter and finally stop. The hooded figure had given up.

Shrestha didn’t slow down until she saw a familiar house up ahead—Riya’s house. Her former ally in the police force, the one person she could trust. Without thinking, she dashed up to the door, her bare feet pounding against the pavement. She didn’t bother to knock, instead bursting inside, gasping for breath and shaking with fear.

Present time, Shrestha could barely speak, her voice trembling as she tried to explain. “There... there was someone... he had a knife... I just ran...”

Riya quickly wrapped her arms around Shrestha, pulling her into a protective embrace. “You’re safe now,” she whispered, her voice firm with reassurance. “You’re safe with me.”