Sarah's POV

I came out of the shower and heard a knock on my door. I was sure it was Maya aunty.

"Hanji aunty," I said opening the door to find her standing there with a worried expression.

"Sarah beta, I have to leave urgently because of an emergency. Aapka nashta kitchen mein hai" she explained hastily before hurrying off.

"Okay aunty, sab theek to hai? Aap dhyaan rakhna” I called after her, concern creasing my brow.

After Maya aunty left, and I made my way downstairs, my stomach rumbling with hunger.

In the kitchen, I found some toast, but the sight of it didn't appeal to me, so I settled for a strong cup of coffee instead, needing the caffeine boost to kick-start my day.

Glancing at my phone, I realized I was running late. I hastily stuffed it into my pocket, grabbed my keys, and locked the house behind me.

With Maya aunty gone and Mumma and papa away at a conference until late at night, the house felt unusually empty.

I settled into the driver's seat of my car, the engine purring to life as I started it

Following the directions Kay had sent me, I soon arrived at the location. It was the old farmhouse that belonged to Kay's mother's side of the family.

Kay's mother, being an only child, had inherited all the ancestral property, but due to her marriage, she rarely returned to India. It was a shame, as the farmhouse held a special place in her heart, filled with stories of her childhood adventures she has shared with us

I stopped my car in front of the long rusty gates, which were opened by two bodyguards. Driving inside, I parked in front of the huge mansion.

The place looked neglected, with small cracks and vines creeping up the walls. The garden was overgrown, and a large fountain in the center lay useless

Despite my intention to head inside, my fascination with the garden and fountain drew me in. Unconsciously, I found myself at the back of the mansion, where I noticed the dark empty horse stables which were broken

Suddenly, a scream pierced the air, jolting me from my thoughts. My eyes darted around until I spotted the direction it was coming from, an outhouse at the end of the garden.

Curiosity getting the better of me, I cautiously approached the outhouse. As I neared, I heard muffled voices coming from within.

Just as I reached for the gate, someone grabbed me from behind, covering my mouth and eyes.

My heart pounded in my chest as I desperately attempted to scream and free myself from their grasp.

However, their hand clamped tightly over my mouth, suffocating me. With each passing moment, the lack of oxygen threatened to overwhelm me, and I feared I might lose consciousness. Panic surged through me as I struggled against their hold, my mind racing for a way to escape.

As their hold loosened, I gasped for air, relief flooding through me. “And that’s how you get yourself killed” I heard Kay’s voice say from behind.

Turning around, disbelief etched on my face, I confronted her “Are you serious? You scared the shit out of me, Kay.”

Her expression serious as she shook her head. “And you disappointed the shit out of me, Sarah. What if it was someone else? I’ve taught you better than this.”

Beside her, Kavu handed me a water bottle, offering comfort. “It’s okay, the same thing happened to me a few minutes ago,” she said reassuringly.

“Then you both need to be more careful from now on” Kay stated firmly, moving into the outhouse.

Following closely behind, Kavu and I exchanged glances, silently moving inside.

As we entered the outhouse, my gaze fell upon a man tied to a chair, his face covered with blood, leaving his skin color unrecognisable, showing the extent of his torture.

Feeling a surge of unease at the sight of the blood-soaked scene, Kavu voiced her concern "Are you okay?"

Before I could respond, Kay interrupted, providing some context “Apparently, he was a member of the quad," she explained, gesturing towards the bound man.

"Was?" I questioned, intrigued by the information

"This guy disappeared without a trace months ago. Despite the quad's efforts to locate him, they never succeeded. Leading them to believe he was kidnapped” Kay elaborated, pausing briefly before continuing “They also suspect he's been brainwashed. Any quad member past or present would never harm a child. They have a pledge tattoo to signify this and we found his tattoo burned off”

"So, what's the plan now?" Kavu inquired.

"I called you both here for a show. Just sit back and enjoy as I torture him" Kay replied, signaling for her men to step away from the captive man as she approached him

"So, are you ready to talk?" Kay demanded, her grip tightening on the man's hair as she forcefully turned his head to face her.

Despite my discomfort at witnessing such a scene, a grim satisfaction gnawed at me. If this man was responsible for the attack on my child, I wanted answers and I was willing to have a front-row seat to his suffering to get them.

"Who sent you?" Kay asked, her voice loud and firm

He responded with nothing but a cheeky smirk, infuriatingly silent.

"Are we playing the silent game? Let me tell you, that won't end well for you," Kay warned, her gaze unwavering. She signaled to her men, who swiftly brought in large metal buckets and placed them on either side of the chair.

Kay signaled for one of the man's arms to be released from the ropes. Gripping it firmly, one of her men held it above one of the buckets, a silent threat hanging in the air.

She looked at him and said “Start Talking”

The guy scoffed at her words and the moment he did that one of the men shoved his hand in the bucket changing his sarcastic laugh into screams

The man’s scream pierced the air, echoing off the walls of the outhouse. “Stop!” he screamed, his voice raw with pain and desperation. Kay’s hand signaled for his torment to end and her men withdrew his hand from the bucket.

A gasp escaped both Kavya’s and my lips as we witnessed the horrific sight. His hand emerged from the bucket, seared and blistered with skin charred and bones exposed in some places.

A chilling realization washed over us like an icy wave, the buckets contained acid.

The truth of the situation lightened on us in that moment, sending shivers down our spines. We were not just observers of an interrogation, we were witnesses to a merciless torture, where the line between right and wrong blurred with each drop of the corrosive liquid.

As the man’s screams echoed through the outhouse, a sickening feeling settled in the pit of my stomach. Despite my desire for answers, witnessing such brutality made me question the lengths I was willing to go for those answers

Kay, unbothered by the man’s pain, leaned in closer, her eyes burning with determination. “Who sent you?” she demanded again, her voice laced with authority.

The man gasped for breath between sobs. “I-I can’t,” he stammered, his words barely audible

Frustration flickered across Kay’s face, but she remained composed. “You can’t or you won’t?” she pressed, her tone unwavering and the man remained silent

"What should we do? What should we do?" Kyle's voice echoed with urgency yet sarcasm as she was thinking for the perfect method of torture.

"Oh yes! Shall I just chop your fingers and feed them to Winston? Oh yes, that would be delightful. Wouldn't it, Sarah?" she inquired, turning to face me.

I met her gaze with a blank expression, unsure of how to respond. With a dismissive nod, Kyle turned back to the man, her mind made up.

A chill ran down my spine as I heard the unmistakable sound of Winston entering the room.

I glanced at Kavu, who still wore a look of confusion, unaware of who Winston was and what his presence meant.

The dimness of the room had kept Kavu from noticing Winston until he wrapped around Kay's leg and ascended to reach on her shoulders.

A piercing scream came from Kavu's lips as the realization hit her. Winston was not a harmless feline but a massive snake.

"That's a fucking snake!" she exclaimed, her voice trembling as she instinctively grasped onto my arms for support, her fear evident in her voice

"Stay calm, he won't harm us. He's well-trained" I reassured Kavu, hoping to ease her anxiety. Winston is Kay’s pet snake. He is a huge Black kingsnake and Kyle loves him like her child

"She brought it with her from London?" Kavu asked, her disbelief evident.

"Yeah, she's had Winston for years. The two things she keeps closest to her are Winston and Berry" I explained.

"Who the hell is Berry now? Is there another snake?" Kavu exclaimed, her eyes darting around the room in search of the mysterious Berry.

"Relax, Berry's her gun," I clarified, hoping to calm some of Kavu's tension.

"I guess Kyle's a bit lacking in creativity with nicknames. Who the heck calls a massive scary snake 'Winston’ and who names their gun?" Kavu whispered angrily to me.

"I can hear you guys, stop judging my babies” Kyle interjected, drawing our attention back to her. Winston was coiled around the man's arm, a silent threat.

"As I was saying, I won't feed my baby with cheap things like you. So just answer me before Winston decides to take matters into his own hands” Kyle demanded, her tone dripping with menace.

The man responded with defiance spitting at Winston, who hissed in return. Within moments Winston reacted swiftly coiling around the man's neck, tightening its grip with each passing second. The man's struggles were futile as Winston's powerful hold constricted his airways, leaving him gasping for breath. The room filled with tension

"It will kill him, Kay," I interjected urgently, my concern for the man's oxygen levels evident.

"Winston!” Kyle commanded, and the snake immediately loosened its grip, allowing the man to breathe more easily.

"Killing... the kid... was never the... plan” the man gasped between labored breaths, his words barely audible amidst his struggle for air. The revelation hung heavily in the air

"What?" Kyle asked, her voice sharp with urgency.

"What h-happened with... t-the kid was an a-accident” the man confessed, his voice trembling with guilt.

"Who were you after? Who is behind all of this?" Kyle demanded, her tone brooking no argument.

"I... I can't," the man attempted to respond, his words strained as he struggled for breath. Suddenly, blood gushed from his mouth, his eyes rolling back as he drew his final breath and passed away.

A heavy silence descended upon the room as the weight of his words and the grim reality of his demise sank in. The truth remained elusive

An uneasy feeling settled in me at the sight of the man lying lifeless on the ground, and a wave of nausea washed over me. I stumbled out of the outhouse, unable to contain the rising sickness any longer. As I stepped outside, I vomited, the contents of my stomach spilling onto the ground.

Kavu rushed to my side, her hand rubbing my back soothingly as I emptied my stomach. Once the nausea subsided, she handed me some water, offering me comfort

After a few minutes, Kyle emerged from the outhouse, concern etched on her face. “Are you okay?” she asked gently.

Tears streamed down my cheeks as I struggled to compose myself. “What is going on, Kyle? Did we… did we kill him?” I choked out, the weight of the situation bearing down on me.

“No, we didn’t” Kyle reassured me, her voice calm but firm. “We checked, and the man had already been injected with something. He knew he would get caught by us, so he was prepared to die.”

Her explanation did little to quell the turmoil within me. The realization that the man had chosen death over facing the consequences of his actions only added to the complexity of the situation, leaving me with more questions than answers.

"You need to rest. Don't dwell on this too much, just go home”  Kyle advised before leaving us and heading back inside the mansion.

Kavu and I exchanged nods, silently acknowledging her words, before making our way to our respective cars.

"Do you want me to drop you?" Kavu offered as we reached our vehicles.

"No, I'm fine," I replied, settling into the driver's seat of my car. My phone flashed with a notification, reminding me of my doctor's appointment.

Starting the engine, I drove off, trying to distract myself from the harrowing events with some music. Eventually, I arrived at my parents' hospital. Parking the car I made my way inside.

Navigating to the floor where Dr. Dutta, my parents' friend from med school was based.

I informed the receptionist about my appointment. After a short wait in the waiting area, I was called in for my appointment.

"Hello, Sarah. How are you?" Dr. Dutta greeted me warmly as I entered the room.

"Hello, Aunty. I'm good, how are you?" I replied, taking a seat.

"Congratulations on your engagement” she said, a smile lighting up her face.

"Thank you," I replied returning the smile, but an awkward silence settled between us. Sensing the need to address it, I spoke up “You wanted to discuss something about my reports, right?"

"Yes, beta” she said, retrieving some reports. "The results of the tests we conducted yesterday came in this morning, and..."

"And?" I prompted eagerly, my curiosity piqued.

"And you are pregnant, Sarah” she announced in one breath.

"Pregnant?" I repeated in disbelief, feeling a whirlwind of emotions crashing over me. How could this be possible? How could I be pregnant? All these questions raced through my mind as I struggled to process the news.

As Dr. Dutta's words sank in, a sense of panic engulfed me. I realized I had forgotten to take my pill after returning from London. How could I have been so irresponsible? How could everything spiral out of control so quickly? Agam isn’t even talking to me. This couldn't be happening.

A lump formed in my throat as I anxiously fidgeted with my fingers, desperately trying to hold back tears in front of Dr. Dutta.

"Sarah beta, calm down," she reassured me, her voice gentle and comforting.

"I... I don't know what to say," I managed to reply, my voice trembling with emotion.

"It's okay. These things happen. Try not to stress too much about it. Talk to your fiancé about it, and know that I haven't told your parents, and I won't," she assured me, offering a small glimmer of relief among the chaos of my thoughts.

"Thank you, aunty” I managed to say as I rose from my seat, my mind still reeling from the news.

"Take your time, and I hope to see you with your fiancé next time," Dr. Dutta said with a warm smile.

I nodded in response, though inside my thoughts were anything but settled. My fiancé? The man who isn’t even speaking to me? The man who blamed me for his child's attack? The man who couldn't gather the courage to communicate directly with me? Would he even show up?

As I made my way out of the doctor's office, a torrent of emotions flooded over me. Clueless, hurt, angry at Agam and even more at myself. I questioned whether we were even meant to be engaged. How could I even consider bringing a child into this world with our relationship in shambles?

Exiting the lift, I rushed to my car, tears streaming down my cheeks. Settling into the driver's seat, I couldn't contain the flood of emotions any longer. A loud sob escaped me and soon I was a crying mess.

I had never felt so alone, so lost, so utterly clueless in my life. Why couldn't anything go right? Why did life have to be so complicated?

As tears continued to blur my vision, I drove my car aimlessly, my mind consumed by a whirlwind of thoughts. How would I tell Agam? How would he react? The questions tormented me as I sped down the road, passing cars in a haze of emotion.

Lost in my thoughts, I failed to notice the traffic signal ahead. Suddenly, a car appeared in front of me out of nowhere, jolting me back to reality.

In a panic, I jerked the steering wheel to the extreme left, but it was too late. The sickening sound of metal against concrete filled the air as my car collided with the wall.

My head slammed into the steering wheel upon impact, leaving me dazed and disoriented.

Blood trickled down my fingers as I reached up to touch my injured head, the pain intensifying with each heartbeat. Dizziness threatened to overwhelm me as sirens wailed in the distance and voices clamored around me.

Struggling to stay conscious, I felt darkness encroach upon my senses as unconsciousness enveloped me, stealing me away from the chaos of the world outside.