Ibaadat || عبادت

Ep XV [Dilkashi]

|HRIDAY|

Sameer moved toward the girl, his face tight with a mix of worry and anger. I stood frozen near the doorway, my breath catching in my throat as I watched him kneel beside her.

"Hey," he said softly, his voice calm and careful. "It's okay. I'm going to help you."

But the girl's reaction was immediate and gut-wrenching. She screamed, the sound piercing through the tension in the room, and broke into uncontrollable sobs. Her body curled tighter into itself, trembling violently.

I flinched at the sound, my hand flying to my mouth. Sameer turned his head to glare at Viraj, the fury in his eyes unmistakable. "What the hell did you do to her?" he spat, his voice a low growl.

Viraj didn't answer, his grip tightening around the bottle in his hand. His face was unreadable, but the panic in his eyes was clear.

Sameer turned back to the girl, his movements slower this time as he tried to reassure her. "I'm not going to hurt you," he said gently. "I'm just trying to help."

He leaned closer, carefully sliding his arms under her to lift her. But before he could move, there was a sudden blur of motion.

Smash!

The sound of breaking glass echoed through the room. My heart stopped as I saw the bottle shatter against Sameer's head, the shards flying in all directions. Sameer staggered, his knees buckling as he let out a groan of pain. Blood began to trickle down the side of his face, mixing with the shattered glass on the floor.

"Sameer!" I shouted, rushing forward instinctively.

Viraj stood there, panting, the jagged neck of the broken bottle still clutched in his hand. His expression was wild now, panic completely taking over. "Stay out of this!" he yelled, his voice cracking. "You're no one to order me!"

I dropped to my knees beside Sameer, my hands hovering uselessly as I tried to figure out what to do. "Sameer, are you okay? Say something!"

Sameer groaned again, his hand going to his head as he tried to steady himself. "I'm fine," he muttered, though his voice was weak. His eyes flicked up to Viraj, and despite the obvious pain, there was still defiance in his gaze. "You're done, Viraj. I swear, you're done."

Viraj took a step back, his hand trembling as he held onto the broken bottle. The other guys in the room were frozen.

"Call the police," Sameer said, his voice low but firm. He looked at me, his eyes sharp despite the blood dripping down his face. "Now."

My hands were shaking as I reached for my phone. Viraj's eyes widened, and he took another step back, his panic turning into desperation.

"Don't," he said, his voice shaking. "I'll kill you..."

As the call connected, Viraj's furious yell tore through the air, "I said don't!". Before I could react, his foot slammed into my side, sending me sprawling onto the floor. The phone slipped from my hand, skidding across the room.

I gasped, clutching my ribs as pain radiated through my body. "Argh!"

Sameer, who had been struggling to get up, lunged forward, but before he could reach me, Viraj's friends jumped him. Their kicks landed brutally, and the sound of their shoes connecting with his body made my stomach churn. Sameer groaned, trying to shield himself, but they weren't letting up.

"Get off him, you cowards!" I shouted, pushing myself up despite the throbbing pain in my side. But as soon as I was halfway to my feet, Viraj was on me again.