Fresh dew sitting on the edge of grass scrunched beneath Khusi shoes as she hastily strode on the downway road of the town, Yuti's fingers clenched tightly around her fist, the meager street lights barely illuminating their way.

"Miss slow down! I can't run so fast," Yuti huffed, breathing loudly, trying to catch up with Khusi's pace. But Khusi's mind was somewhere else entirely.

The marks on David's arms and neck didn't sit well with Khusi. Those kinds of marks couldn't come just from falling down. They were fingerprints.

Khusi shivered as Nitin Joshi's gaze flashed behind Khusi's eyes. They were malicious, cold and vicious, especially the way he was glaring at David when the little boy was talking to Khusi and Yuti.

"Miss!" Yuti yelled, unable to run anymore and stopped, making Khusi's steps halt.

"Yuti, we need to go home. Now!" For some reason, Khusi was petrified. If the scenario was what Khusi was assuming, David was facing hell in his home.

"But why miss? You practically dragged me out of there. Why are you behaving like this?" Khusi brushed her hands over Yuti's head, tongue tied. What would she say to a 6 year old girl? That her friend was probably getting molested at his home.

She licked her lips and sighed heavily, the lump in her throat too painful. "Nothing Yuti. It's already late. I don't want your father to imprison me, that's why we're going home. Now." Khusi tried to cheer Yuti up, but she was too smart for a 6 year old.

"He wouldn't dare to touch you, as long as I am alive. And don't try to hide things from me. Something definitely happened between you and Nitin uncle during our absence, didn't it?"

Khusi's eyes widened at Yuti's words but she didn't let trepidation sit on her face for long.

"No Yuti. Nothing happened. Let's go now."

Khusi gently grasped her hands again but by the look on Yuti's face, it was sure she wasn't convinced.

• • •

Khusi ducked her head, sitting on her knees behind Yuti's house. There were at least 5 cops standing near the front gate, with her father, Abhay Mathur, who was literally roaring.

"You had one job, assholes. One job! You can't even control a small girl. How useless are you two, huh!?"

The guards shivered at his tone, their body visibly shaking, with their heads down. Abhay was looking like a burning ball of rage.

"Okay, take the same route through which you entered and try to be as discreet as possible, okay? You papa couldn't know that we went to David's house, or he will kill me for dragging you into this mess," Khusi exhorted, gently pushing Yuti towards the back door.

"Don't worry, miss. He wouldn't succeed in bringing a single word out of my stomach." Yuti silently unlatched the lock of the door and went inside, waving Khusi a bye.

The moment Khusi stood up and stepped backwards, trying to make as less noise as possible, her foot slipped and she fell down on the ground with a loud thud, a screech escaping her throat.

"Miss!?" Yuti ran out, her voice echoing in the whole neighbourhood as Khusi tried to hush her, rubbing her butts.

"Hands up." Before Khusi could recover from the pain of her fall, sharp rays of flashlights fell on her face and a harsh command rang around her.

Khusi's eyes widened and she put her hands up in surrender, her voice wavering in fear. "Don't shoot. Don't shoot."

Abhay quickly strode towards the two, unable to decipher the person in dark. But the voice sounded familiar.

He had gone nuts since the moment he had stepped inside his house, only to find Yuti missing. Dangerous thoughts had invaded his head but he had tried to keep his perturbation and wrath at bay.

He yanked the person up from the ground, but as soon he saw who it was, his movements halted.

"What the ... "

● ● ●

"How stupid are you, huh?" Abhay asked for the umpteenth time, heightening Khusi 's annoyance. She had disclosed everything she saw at the house, especially the marks on David's body. But Abhay had been purposely trying to avoid her confessions.

"Say that one more time and I would bang this water bottle on your head," Khusi warned, voraciously gulping down water from the bottle Abhay had given her.

"Oh, feisty." A smirk curled up Abhay's face but he quickly replaced it with a scowl, trying to look angry.

"No, but seriously. I told you to stay away from the Joshis and you walked into his house. You think that was a wise decision? And not only that, you dragged my daughter with you." At Abhay's question, Khusi quickly lost confidence. She knew it was the most stupid decision of her life. The other day Abhay wasn't speaking nonsense. The Joshis were indeed disgusting people. Khusi became sure about it as soon as she saw those marks on David's arms.

"Forget about me. What about David's mother? If what we are assuming is true, shouldn't she protect her son?"

Abhay scoffed at Khusi words. "Protect? More than 20 hours each day, she stays under the heavy influence of alcohol. She doesn't care about anything as long as she has a steady supply of drinks."

Khusi's eyebrows shot up. "Alcohol?"

"Yes. She, Selena Joshi, is an alcohol addict."

Slumping down on a couch in the drawing room, Khusi massaged her temple. An abusive father and an alcoholic mother. Khusi could believe David's luck. He had been going through a lot at such a tender age.

"I hope you haven't told Yuti about what you presumed had happened to David?" Abhay's words broke Khusi trance and she blinked.

"I didn't have to. She already had some idea that he was in some sort of problem or danger. It was Yuti herself who had urged me several times to look for David because she was worried about him. Now I could see why she was so anxious."

"Hmm." Abhya didn't say anything else. He knew David and Yuti had been friends for long but didn't want her to get involved in his life too much. Nitin Joshi was a big manipulator and a con, as well as highly influential.

"Well, you have already prodded the lion of the jungle. I will suggest that you be cautious and careful. Watch your every step from now onwards," Abhay warned, rubbing his face in fatigue. It wasn't the first time Yuti had gone missing from home, for a few hours. So he wasn't angry about it anymore.

Abhay's words caught Khusi's attention. She stared sleight at him, silently urging him to elaborate.

"What? What do you expect after you've already caught his attention? No wait, let me remodify it. What do you expect after you purposely came to his notice?" Abhay shrugged his shoulders, his eyes bored and face distressed.

"Can I be in trouble?"

"You can be, if he somehow finds out that you are aware of his actions. Also, he did try to approach you, and you pushed him away, which was the right thing to-do, but it might rile him up." Abhay's tone was unsteady as if he was speaking to himself rather than Khusi.

"So, what do I do now?" Khusi cried out, agitation nipping her stomach. She didn't know how to get out of the mess she created.

"Lay low, for now. Take a few days leave, if possible," Abhay suggested.

"Leave? But I don't want to appear weak!"

"You do remember Prachi and , right?" Abhay's words was sharp this time, making Khusi shut her mouth.

"Yes, but what if there are some other reasons behind their ... "

"There isn't. Trust me. I investigated their case myself. That's why I told you multiple times to stay the fuckl away from the Joshis. But no, you have to be brave." At Abhay's taunts, Khusi's eyes pricked. She didn't want to be in any kind of trouble. Especially anything related to a corrupt politician.

Sighing heavily Abhay walked up to Khusi and passed her a thin lipped smile. "Okay listen, don't panic too much. Go home now and rest. If he or anyone else tries to disturb you, give me a call, okay?"

Khusi peered up at Abhya who was at least half a foot taller than her.

"I seriously mean it this time. Don't even hesitate, if it comes to your safety. I am a cop first, and a man later."

Passing a sad smile to Abhay, Khusi whispered, "Thanks."

"C'mon, lemme drop you," Abhay offered, picking up his jeep keys from the key tray.

"Oh no, you don't have to Mr. Mathur. I can go home on my own." Khusi was hesitant. She didn't want to depend on anyone for anything.

"I know you can, but it's my duty to protect the inhabitants of my town. Also, it's the least I can do. It's already 9 pm, and this is a mountain region. You won't find any ride to your house at this time. Moreover you're Yuti's teacher."

Abhay didn't leave any point for Khusi to bring up.

"But how will Yuti stay alone?"

"I can miss, don't worry! You go with papa!" Yuti screeched from the first floor, peeking from behind a pillar. She had disappeared the moment they had stepped inside the house, to protect herself from her father's wrath. When Abhay hadn't come barging at her door within 5 minutes, she was already out, eavesdropping on her father's and teacher's conversation.

"Shaitan! Tujhe aj mai sabak sikhata hu. Mujhe ghaar aane de bash," Abhay threatened playfully, narrowing his eyes.

(You devil. I am gonna teach you a lesson today. Let me come back home.)

Yuti giggled, and waved goodbye to the duo as they walked out of the bunglow.

● ● ●

The roads were pitch black as Abhay drove his jeep uphill, the only source of light being the headlights. Khusi pulled up the hoodie of her jacket to protect her ears against the cold nipping wind of North India.

Though not admitted verbally, Khusi was thankful to Abhay for dropping her home. It was already dark and there were barely any people present on the road. She didn't know why she took the risk of going to the Joshi villa in the afternoon that day, when they could have done that on Sunday early morning.

Inadvertently, Khusi's gaze shifted to her left, stilling on Abhay's face. He had an untrimmed stubble which honestly was suiting him along with a mustache. He was in civil dress and the brown leather jacket was hugging his frame perfectly, his muscular arms visible as he spinned the steering wheel.

"Should I pullover for you to ogle at me without any hindrance?" Abhay taunted, flickering his right brow, a hint of smile on his face.

Khusi's face snapped to her front and she grimaced, caught red handed.

"I think you should pullover," Khusi mumbled, making Abhay's face snap towards her, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise.

"What?"

"What? We need to walk from here." Khusi blinked innocently, making Abhay slap his forehead mentally.

"Uh, okay."

Abhay pulled over his car, and they both hopped down from it, strolling upwards the grass trail. Silence devoured them and Abhay's face turned ruddy at the trick Khusi pulled a few minutes ago.

Khusi was biting her lips to stop herself from laughing her heart out. But it didn't last long.

As soon as they stopped in front of her home, Khusi's eyes widened and she gasped, Abhay's body turning tense with tension.

"Stay back." Abhay stepped forward cautiously, pulling out his gun, his gaze sharp. The lights in the house were on, and the window on the east side was smashed.

The moment Abhay was about to step in, a crunch rang behind Khusi and he swiftly turned towards her, firing at something behind her.

Khusi shrieked, falling down on her knees, her hands flying up to cover her ears as a thud rang behind her. She looked back to see a thug's body lying there, his forehead pierced with a bullet.

Her eyes shifted towards Abhay whose gaze was fixed at the dead felon, when she saw movements behind him.

"Abhay!"

The moment he turned, another thug lunged at him, his fist high up in the air on the verge of attacking Abhay, when he kicked the crook where the sun doesn't shine.

He whimpered in pain and slumped down at Khusi's doorstep, leaving a perplexed and bewildered Khusi staring right at her trashed house.

~ • • • • • ~

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