The Veil Of Vengeance

7. A Deal with the Devil

Sara stepped out of the cab and took a deep breath, her hands still trembling slightly from what had happened earlier at the restaurant. The streets were quiet now, with the occasional car passing by, but the unsettling feeling from her meeting with Raghav lingered like a dark cloud over her. As the driver pulled away, leaving her in front of her home, she felt a strange emptiness growing inside her.

The night felt colder than usual as she made her way inside, the house eerily silent. Her parents were away on a business trip, which was both a blessing and a curse. She didn’t have to explain her encounter with Raghav to them, but at the same time, she felt completely alone.

Alone to process the reality of what her life was turning into.

The dim lights of the hallway flickered as she entered the living room and sank into the couch. Her mind raced with thoughts of what could have happened if Shubman hadn’t shown up when he did. The entire situation with Raghav was still a blur, but one thing was clear—she had been in danger, and Shubman had saved her.

Shubman.

Cold. Arrogant. Powerful.

And yet, he had saved her.

She didn’t know much about him except that he was one of the most powerful businessmen in the city and that he had a reputation for being cold and distant. Yet tonight, he had stepped in without hesitation, almost as if… no, she shook her head. It didn’t matter why he had helped. What mattered was that he did.

But why did she feel so unsettled about him? He had been so distant, so composed, even as he rescued her. And then, just like that, he walked away as if it was nothing. The thought gnawed at her, making her wonder if she had imagined the concern in his eyes when he asked if she was okay.

Sara sighed, leaning back on the couch and closing her eyes. She wanted to forget the whole evening, but sleep felt like a distant dream. The memory of Raghav’s hands on her and the way he had looked at her sent a shiver down her spine. She could still hear his voice, taunting her, trying to force her into something she didn’t want.

But now, she couldn’t ignore the growing pressure from her family either. Her father would be devastated if she rejected this proposal. She had to talk to someone, but who could she turn to?

She thought of Kanika, her best friend. Pulling out her phone, Sara scrolled through her contacts until she found Kanika’s number. But before she could hit call, her thumb hovered over the screen.

What would Kanika say? She had already warned Sara that Raghav wasn’t someone to trust, but Sara had brushed it off, thinking it couldn’t be that bad. How wrong she had been.

After a moment of hesitation, Sara finally dialed Kanika’s number. The phone rang twice before a sleepy voice answered.

"Sara? It’s late, is everything okay?"

"Kanika…" Sara's voice broke slightly as she spoke, the emotions she had been holding back starting to surface. "Something happened tonight."

There was a pause on the other end of the line, and then Kanika's voice turned serious. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"I… I met Raghav," Sara began, trying to keep her voice steady. "He… he wasn’t what I expected, Kanika. He made me feel so uncomfortable. He tried to…" her voice trailed off, unable to put into words the way Raghav had made her feel.

"What? Sara, what did he do?" Kanika’s voice was sharp now, full of concern.

"I don’t know… I mean, nothing happened, but it could have. He wouldn’t stop touching me, and I kept telling him to stop. I don’t know what I would have done if Shubman hadn’t shown up."