CHAPTER - 1

THAT HAPPENED.

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~~Aadya ~~

This studio always felt like home, just like today. The lights were bright, almost binding but I was used to it.

I have been used to this for the past six years now.

I had done this a thousand times before, but tonight was different. This wasn't just any other news story.

This was going to be the biggest story of my career till date.

The earpiece crackled in my ear, showing the countdown. I straightened in my chair, adjusted my saree and took a deep, long breath.

"Five seconds, Aadya," Jhanvi's voice came through, the producer of my show.

She gave the final cue and then I was live. The red light above the camera blinked, signalling that I was on air.

I nodded, despite the storm of nerves in my stomach.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I'm Aadya Sharma, and tonight we bring you a story that will leave you stunned and heartbroken." I took a second's pause, struggling with my nervousness onscreen for the first time after my first show.

"A story that has certainly shook me to my core. A story of which will trouble the individuals with humanity and would do nothing to individuals who lack it. A story of human trafficking, deception, and the ruthless faces hiding behind society's most trusted institutions."

The screen behind me flickered, and images of terrified young women, their faces blurred for protection, appeared. These were the faces of the victims, the survivors.

"Over the last three months, my team and I have been investigating an underground human trafficking operation that has spread its roots so wide, beyond even what we had initially suspected," I continued. "This so called group has been exploiting young women, tricked, forced, and sold into a life of unimaginable horrors. Tonight, I bring you the untold story of their suffering."

I watched the images on the screen change, moving from the faces of victims to surveillance footage of meetings between powerful figures. Politicians, businessmen, and even high ranking law enforcement officials.

"The operation is vast," I said, my voice steady. "And its reach extends into the very institutions that we've placed our trust in. The police, the judiciary, even the people meant to protect us. But thanks to brave workers and survivors who came forward, we have managed to uncover this vile trade of life."

The camera cut to the footage of a darkened warehouse with trucks being loaded with crates.

"These crates are not being filled with goods. They were being filled with lives, human lives. Lives that were being bought and sold like it was nothing." My heart ached as I spoke.

"Tonight, we are not just exposing the criminals behind this network. We are exposing a system that has failed us, a system that was meant to protect us. A system that allowed this horror to thrive under its very nose without doing anything about it."

I shifted slightly, my eyes scanning the screen as it showed more evidence. The receipts, phone records, and testimonies from those who had escaped were all there.

"Here," I said, pointing to a specific image on screen. "This scanned copy shows the names of various high positioned officials who were involved in the cover-up, who accepted bribes to keep this under the covers. These people, the ones we trust to enforce the law, are the very ones protecting the traffickers."

"But this doesn't end with the authorities," I continued. "This trafficking ring extends beyond just this city. It reaches across the country, and perhaps even beyond our borders. It's bigger than any of us realise. And as we speak, the lives of countless women are still being sold and traded."

The camera cut to the faces of the survivors who had bravely agreed to tell their stories. Their voices trembled as they described the horrors they had gone through.

"It is only because of the guts of these women that we can bring this story to light," I said softly, my heart heavy. "They have fought to be heard, and now, they shall not be silenced."

"I urge the authorities to act immediately," I said, "To stop these criminals and bring them to justice. But I also urge all of you, the public, to take a stand. This is not just about those who have been trafficked. This is about all of us. This is about our society. We cannot stand idly by while this happens."

Then, we called upon the viewers to send their thoughts to us over social media platforms and I read a few of them.

"This investigation proves that no criminal is untouchable. The truth will always find its way into the light. This is Aadya Sharma, reporting live, signing off for the night. Stay safe, stay vigilant. Good night."

The broadcast ended, the screen turning black as I sat back in my chair.

Jhanvi walked over, "You have done it again, Aadya. But you know what comes next, right?"

I nodded, her words settling. "I know."

"You should be careful," she said softly. "These people don't take kindly to being exposed."

"Let them come," I replied, though my chest felt tight. "They should know  that we will not be backing down."

She shook her head, muttering something about my stubbornness, but I didn't stick around to hear it. I was both physically and mentally tired and all I wanted was to go home.

I grabbed my bag and headed out to my car and sat inside, holding the steering wheel for a while a resting my head on it for a while before igniting the engine.

Halfway through the drive, it started with a prickling feeling at the back of my neck, the feeling of being followed.

Then I noticed the headlights in the rearview mirror. That car had been behind mine since the last red light.

I turned down a different street, hoping it was just a coincidence.

But the car continued to follow.

My grip tightened on the steering wheel, my pulse quickening.

"Calm down Aadya. You have dealt with people like them before." I told myself.

But this felt different.

The car behind me suddenly sped up, its engine roaring as it closed the distance to me. My heart pounded as I pressed down on the accelerator, trying to lose them.

I drove aimlessly, my mind racing. I didn't know where I was anymore, but I couldn't stop. I couldn't let them catch me.

When I hit a sharp turn, I lost control. The tires screeched, and I barely managed to avoid crashing into a wall. My breath came in short gasps as I threw the car into park and jumped out, my legs trembling.

I ran.

The saree I had worn for the show was not helping me in any manner. It kept tangling around my legs. My cheap slippers slapped against the pavement, barely holding up.

Behind me, I could hear the men shouting, their footsteps harsh and around. They were getting closer.

One of my slippers broke, the strap snapping clean off. I kicked it aside and kept running, the rough concrete tearing at my bare feet. The pain was sharp, but I had to keep going.

I turned into an alley, my breath catching in my throat. At the end of the alley was a gate, slightly open. I didn't think twice. I pushed through it, stumbling onto a stone path.

The stone path I was on wound around a corner, and as I turned, I almost collided with a tall, iron gate. I didn't hesitate. With a desperate push, I forced it open, just enough for me to slip through.

The place was extremely quiet. I didn't know where I was. The mansion in front of me was large.

I had never been here before, never in this side of Mumbai. But right now, it didn't matter. I needed to hide. I needed to lose them.

I glanced behind me, and for a moment, I couldn't see the men. Maybe I had outrun them. My heart slowed, just a little, but I didn't stop. I ran into the mansion's front yard, feeling the cold air against my sweaty skin, all from running.

The gate I had just passed through creaked due to the wind, closing shut behind me.

"Hey Shivji, baaki sab toh theek hai bas yahan Manjulika na mil jaye." I prayed.

(TRANSLATION - Please God, I'll handle everything, just make sure that I don't find a ghost there.)

The last thing I wanted was to get trapped in here, but there were no other options. I couldn't go back to the street. The men would catch up to me.

When I reached the front doors, I hesitated.

What if this was a mistake? What if the people inside were just as dangerous as the ones chasing me?

But I didn't have a choice.

I shoved the doors open and stumbled inside.

For a second, I thought that I was going to collapse. The entryway was so grand and the whole area glowed under the soft light of an ornate chandelier.

I could hear voices now, low and distant, coming from deeper inside the mansion. My instincts told me to run, to hide, but my legs carried me forward, leaving my bloody footprints behind on the otherwise spotless marble floor.

I could hear my heart pounding in my chest, fear gripping it once again.

As I stepped further into the room, I was started to get that raw feeling of fear back but it was the man standing in the centre of the room that took my breath away.

I did walk into the next problem in an attempt to run away from the first.

Rajveer Pratap Ranawat.

The Mafia. The most dangerous man in the country.

I had only seen him in pictures before tonight, but there was no mistaking that it was indeed him. He was exactly as the stories described. Powerful, intimidating, and utterly scary to look at.

He stood in the middle of the room under another chandelier.

His black suit fit him like it was made specifically for his broad frame, the sharp lines of his jaw cutting through like a blade. His hazel green eyes locked onto mine with such intensity that it was as though he could see straight through to my soul. They were calculating, cold, like a predator studying its prey.

His gaze never wavered anywhere other than me and for a moment, I was frozen in place.

But as much as his presence rattled me, it wasn't him who had ensured that my heart was broken.

It was the man standing beside him.

My father.

The man I had chosen not see in ten years. The man because of whom my Maa, my brother Aarav and I were living with an incomplete family.

He was standing there, just a few feet away from me. My mind couldn't process it. He hadn't been in my life for so long. I had spent ten years telling myself that he chose this life over us, over me.

And yet, there he was, in front of me, looking just as he did when I was a little girl.

His lips parted as if he wanted to say something, but nothing came out. Then before I could even react or could gather myself, he rushed toward me.

"Aadya!" His voice cracked and it made my chest tighten with hurt.

I stumbled back, my legs trembling. Was this really happening?

I had not seen him in ten years, not since I found out the truth about his work when I accidentally heard him over call. The man who had once been my hero, my protector, had chosen the underworld over his family. Over me.

"You're hurt," he said, stepping toward me. His eyes were filled with perhaps pain.

"Stay away," I said, my voice trembling.

But he didn't stop.

"Aadya, please......" he started but I cut him off.

"No!" I snapped, my voice breaking. Tears blurred my vision as I pointed at him.

"You chose this life! You chose him!" I gestured toward Rajveer, who stood silently with a calm that felt almost mocking.

I looked up to see Papa standing there, helpless, his face full of guilt before my legs gave out.

The last thing I saw before everything went black was my father's face etched with pain and Rajveer's cold eyes, as they watched me fall apart.

Aadya's Look -

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