His Promise

CHAPTER -1

Author POV

In the misty evening of Kashmir's hilly terrain, a bus carrying foreigners and a few locals snaked through the narrow roads. It was supposed to be a quiet journey. But out of nowhere, a group of armed terrorists ambushed the bus,Chaos erupted as shots were fired and the passengers were dragged off, taken as hostages to the terrorists' hideout,sending a message to the government: "Meet our demands, or we kill them all."To show they were serious, they shot four people on the spot, leaving only seven hostages alive.

Among those hostages was him. A man who could've easily escaped, blending into the shadows as he always had. But he stayed silent, calculating. He wasn't there by accident, he had his reasons. He watched them carefully, observing every move. He needed to see how far they'd go, what they'd risk, and what lengths they'd push the government to, he wasn't ready to make his move just yet.

Meanwhile, one of the terrorists spoke to a nearby army major over the radio. "If you don't agree with our demands, we'll kill every last one of them," he threatened. To prove their words, they pulled out four more hostages and shot them without hesitation.

Tony POV

Only three of us were left. One girl, and some unconscious guy lying on the floor. The room was dark, empty except for us, and I could hear the muffled voices of the terrorists outside. My hands were tied behind me to a pole-could've been tighter. Amateurs. I could've broken out of this in five minutes, but I stayed put. There's more I wanted to see.

The girl in the corner was sniffling, trying to keep herself from crying. Annoying. I finally muttered, "Kuan hai, bae?

She sniffled more and asked, "Who are you?"

Oh great, here we go. I sighed

"Are they going to kill us too?" Her voice was trembling, almost like a scared puppy.

"Doubt it," I said flatly, not bothering to hide my disinterest. She kept talking though, her voice so soft and innocent it was almost painful to listen to.

After a few minutes of her quiet crying, she suddenly piped up, "Well, we're gonna die soon anyway. Let's talk openly."

Really?, We've got minutes left, and she wants a heart-to-heart.I stayed silent, hoping she'd get the hint. Nope.

"What's your age?" she asked, like it was the most pressing issue right now.

"26," I responded, rolling my eyes in the dark. "You?"

"22," she said, sounding like it mattered.

"Where are you from?" she asked next, like we were making small talk at a coffee shop.

"Mumbai," I said dryly. "But honestly, why does it matter? We're going to be dead soon. Don't think the terrorists are interested in a geography lesson."

"I didn't come here to die!" she snapped. "I came to see a fashion show in Delhi. And because of my stupid tantrums, I dragged my best friend Mohana to Kashmir. But she stayed in the hotel while I went out exploring... now look at me! Ugh, this is all my fault." She started swearing at herself.

Then, in a voice like a scared kitten, she whispered, "When are they killing us?"

I glanced at the door. "He said in 10 minutes... 5 minutes ago. So, we've got 5 minutes left."

I heard her gasp. "Five minutes... just five minutes, and my life is over? What about my dreams? I'm just 22! I have so many dreams. I wanted to be a famous fashion designer, work for Katrina Kaif, eat panipuri in Delhi, vada pav in Mumbai, and gift a Mercedes to my best friend Mohana! How is this happening?" she cried.

"Can you please talk to me? I'm so scared," she pleaded.

Poor kid, I thought. She sounded so desperate.I slowly shift myself towards the side of the pole as she was beside me now.

Then she asked, "What are your dreams?"I paused for a moment, Dreams? I hadn't thought about that in a long time. "I don't really have any," I admitted. "But I guess, maybe... having a girlfriend? A cute romance, first kiss, stuff like that..."

As I was speaking, I felt a pair of soft lips crash against mine. It caught me completely off guard.
I wasn't expecting the kiss. I mean, sure, I threw out that whole "girlfriend, first kiss" line, but I didn't think she'd take it seriously.
When she pulled back, the door creaked open, and light flooded the room. I could finally see her face. Her ocean-blue eyes stared into mine, like she just did something meaningful,her long lashes framing them perfectly. Her wavy, medium-length hair fell effortlessly around her shoulders.

She smiled softly, still shaken, and said, "At least your wish came true. Until we die... you can think of me as your girlfriend."

Girlfriend? I almost laugh. She has no clue. No clue about me, about why I'm here.

I smirk. Not because I'm surprised by her sudden boldness, but because this situation, She's playing the role of some tragic damsel while I'm sitting here, watching everything unfold, knowing exactly how this ends.

I lean back against the pole, testing the ropes. Loose. I could break out anytime, but for now,

"Well," I say, letting my sarcasm drip, "lucky me. A girlfriend in the last five minutes of my life. How romantic." My tone is sharp, cutting through the silence, still keeping my smirk.

"We'll see if we make it out of this," I continue, the words hanging in the air.

"Maybe. Maybe not. But one thing's for sure, princess-things aren't always what they seem."

_________________________________

Please do vote
And let me know in the comments box how you felt about the chapter

Updates will be twice a week
Friday and Saturday