Sakshi's trip to Rajasthan had been perfect—beautiful palaces, selfies, street food, endless laughter with Ishu and Pihu. They had only one night left before returning home, so Pihu said excitedly:
"Let's go get ice cream! Last night celebration!"
Sakshi agreed instantly.
Night drives and ice cream? Her absolute weakness.
The girls walked toward a quiet lane near their hotel, giggling, arguing about which flavour to get. The streets were mostly empty, lamps flickering softly.
But halfway down the lane, Sakshi suddenly slowed down.
"Guys… do you hear that?"
A strange engine hum filled the air.
Before they could figure out what it was—
seven or eight black SUVs turned into the lane at once, their movement too synchronized… too purposeful.
Each SUV stopped in a perfect formation.
Doors opened sharply.
Men in black coats, more than a dozen, stepped out—tall, intimidating, expressionless. The kind of men who didn't belong on a normal street.
Pihu gulped. "This… this doesn't look safe."
Ishu whispered, "Let's go back…"
But Sakshi's eyes were drawn forward—towards the center of the lane.
There… a man was pushed to his knees.
Shaking. Crying.
"Please… Your Highness… please spare me… I didn't mean to—please!"
Your Highness?
The title alone made the girls freeze.
And then…
He stepped out.
Riyansh Singh Rathore.
The King of Rajasthan.
Tall. Sharp. Handsome enough to steal breath—
and terrifying enough to steal it forever.
He walked with calm authority, hands behind his back, as if he owned the night itself. Even the guards looked nervous in his presence.
Sakshi felt her heartbeat climb into her throat.
"This… who is he?" she whispered.
The kneeling man sobbed louder. "Forgive me! I'll never repeat it! Please—"
Riyansh didn't say a word.
He simply pulled out a gun.
Sakshi gasped, covering her mouth.
One second of silence.
One heartbeat.
BANG.
The man collapsed instantly—lifeless.
The girls froze in horror.
Pihu's hand clutched Sakshi's wrist so hard it hurt.
Ishu squeaked, unable to breathe.
And Sakshi—
Her fear ripped out as a scream.
"AAAHHH!"
The sound echoed through the empty lane.
Every guard turned sharply.
And Riyansh…
slowly lowered the gun…
and lifted his gaze…
Right at her.
His eyes locked onto Sakshi—cold, dangerous, unreadable.
Her scream died in her throat.
Her heart dropped.
She knew—
that she had just witnessed something forbidden.
And worse…
The most powerful man in Rajasthan had noticed her.
For a heartbeat, the world stood still.
Sakshi's scream echoed through the dark lane, hanging in the air like a siren. Riyansh's cold eyes locked onto her from across the distance—sharp, piercing, deadly calm.
Sakshi felt her entire body freeze.
Her breath vanished.
Her legs trembled so violently she thought she would fall.
Then—
"Sakshi RUN!"
Ishu grabbed her wrist with a force Sakshi had never felt before.
Pihu grabbed her other hand. "MOVE! NOW!"
The loud sound of guards shouting behind them snapped everything into motion.
"Catch them!"
"Don't let them get away!"
"They saw everything—GO!"
The girls didn't look back.
Ishu tugged Sakshi so hard she almost stumbled.
Pihu kept pushing from behind, her voice cracking with fear.
"Sakshi faster!"
"Stop looking back!"
"RUN!"
But Sakshi was shaking so badly her steps were unsteady. Her mind kept replaying the sound of the gunshot… the way the man collapsed… the moment Riyansh's eyes met hers.
"I-I can't—" she whispered in panic.
"Yes you can!" Ishu yelled. "Do you want to die?! RUN!"
The lane blurred around them as they sprinted blindly through the dim lights, their slippers slapping against the road. Their hearts pounded louder than the footsteps chasing them.
Behind them, the guards yelled:
"They went that way!"
"Hurry!"
Terror surged through Sakshi again.
Her breath hitched. "Ishu… Pihu… he saw me… HE SAW ME—"
"We know! Just don't stop!" Pihu screamed.
Sakshi tripped slightly, but Ishu tightened her grip.
"Don't fall, Sakshi! Please don't fall!"
They turned the corner, dashed through another lane, then another—running like their lives depended on it.
Because tonight…
they did.
Only when they reached a crowded market area did they stop, gasping, shaking, hearts racing uncontrollably.
They all collapsed on a bench, tears spilling
Sakshi's mind was still stuck on one moment—
the way Riyansh Singh Rathore had looked at her.
Cold.
Dark.
Deadly.
Like she had just become his next target.
The girls didn't speak a single word during the ride back to the hotel. The ice-cream cravings were long forgotten—replaced by the echo of Sakshi's scream and the way that man collapsed in front of their eyes. Ishu kept glancing back through the rear window, scared those black SUVs might follow them. Pihu clutched Sakshi's hand tightly, whispering, "We'll be fine… don't look back."
Inside the hotel room, all three rushed in and locked the door. Their breaths were uneven, their hearts racing.
"Pack your bags," Sakshi said immediately. Her voice trembled, but she didn't cry—she was too shocked for tears.
Within fifteen minutes, their suitcases were zipped shut. No one bothered changing clothes. No one dared step near the balcony or windows. They checked out quietly and booked the earliest cab to the railway station, leaving Rajasthan that same night—running, escaping, trembling.
On the other side of the city, Riyansh stood exactly where she had screamed. The body had already been removed, the SUVs gone, the men dispersed into the shadows. Only he remained, hands in his pockets, calm as if nothing unusual had happened.
But his eyes were sharp—focused on the direction from where that scream had come.
Not a scream of pain.
Not of a criminal.
But of an innocent girl… too innocent to witness him.
He replayed the moment in his mind—the way she froze, the fear shaking her whole body, the disbelief in her eyes. Most people feared him, but this was different. He saw something raw… something real.
His jaw tightened slightly, and a smirk touched the corner of his lips.
"Her eyes…" he murmured to himself, amused. "Pure terror."
His men returned, waiting for instructions, but he didn't move. He kept staring into the night as if he could still see her standing there.
"She won't say a word," his manager whispered, trying to assure him.
Riyansh didn't answer immediately. Instead, he exhaled slowly, amused by how shaken she looked.
"I know," he finally said, voice low and dangerous. "Because fear like that… doesn't allow people to speak."
But deep inside, something told him this wasn't the end.
The girl who had seen him tonight—she would cross his path again.
And next time… she wouldn't get to run.