Ajay didn’t answer, but his eyes flickered to the door again. The knock came once more, louder this time. Meera froze. There was no more time.
Ajay grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the door, his movements swift and determined. “Stay close,” he whispered, his voice full of urgency. “No matter what happens, don’t make a sound.”
They reached the door, but as Ajay reached for the handle, he froze. His expression shifted, and a sense of dread filled the air. Someone was standing outside.
Meera’s heart stopped. Her breath caught in her throat.
The tall man in the black jacket stood outside the door, his phone already recording. His smile was cold, calculating, as he slowly spoke.
“Mr. Sandeep says hello.”
The words hung in the air like a death sentence.
The words “Mr. Sandeep says hello” echoed in Meera’s mind like a constant, terrifying hum, drowning out the rest of the world. Her heart pounded harder in her chest, almost deafening her. Her throat was dry, her legs trembling beneath her. The man outside the door was not just a stranger now; he was a symbol of everything she had feared. The trap had been set, and there was no escape. She was caught in the middle of a nightmare.
Ajay stood motionless in front of her, his eyes wide with shock, but also with a sharp focus. He didn’t make a sound, but the tension in his body told Meera everything. He knew. He had known something like this could happen, and yet, they were still here, still trapped in this hotel room.
The man outside smiled wider, his teeth flashing in the dim hallway light. It was a predatory smile—one that made Meera’s stomach churn. He wasn’t just here for them; he was here to send a message. He knew they were cornered. He knew they had nowhere to run.
“Do you think you can outrun him, Ajay?” the man called out, his voice smooth, mocking even. “Do you think running away now will save you both? It’s too late for that. You should’ve stayed quiet, just like the others.”
Meera couldn’t look away from the door. The man’s presence seemed to fill the room, suffocating her. Her mind raced. This was real. This wasn’t just some twisted game. She was in danger. They both were. And there was no one coming to save them. No one but the man in front of her—Ajay. And right now, he was the only person she could trust, even if her heart was torn apart by everything she had just learned.
“Please,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “What does he want?”
Ajay didn’t answer at first. His eyes were fixed on the door, studying every movement of the man on the other side. He could feel the seconds ticking away like a time bomb. He knew this was the moment of no return. If they didn’t move quickly, they were finished. He glanced over at Meera, his eyes softening for a fraction of a second. The warmth he had once shown her, that had made her feel safe, was now laced with something else—something darker. There was no room for softness anymore. Not when their lives were on the line.
“Stay behind me,” Ajay said, his voice low and firm. “We’re not going down without a fight.”
Meera barely nodded, too frightened to speak. She trusted him, but now, everything had changed. She didn’t know if she was still the woman Ajay had once known. She didn’t know who she was anymore. She had become something else, a pawn in a dangerous game she didn’t understand. But she had no choice now. They had to leave. And leave fast.
Ajay took a step toward the door, his hand hovering over the handle. Meera could feel the weight of his decision. She knew that once he opened that door, everything would change. There was no turning back from this.
“Ajay…” Meera whispered, her voice shaking. “What if… what if this is it? What if we can’t escape?”
Ajay turned to her quickly, his expression hardening, but there was something behind his eyes—something that made her believe, if only for a moment, that maybe he had a plan. He wasn’t going to let them go down like this. He wouldn’t.
