Tony was completely stunned; in his nervousness, his phone dropped from his hands.
The five friends who were making noise till now suddenly became silent and immediately left their seats and came running to stop Ryan. But it was as if he was possessed by a ghost, he was unable to hear or see anything. When his friends saw that nothing was affecting him, one of his friends came to the counter and yelled, "Just give him the damn drink! He'll kill you!"
Tony was speechless and the bouncer was standing with his fists clenched. Seeing the condition of both of them, Meera stepped forward and took charge and said in a controlled and soft voice - "Sir, the scotch is finished, we are ordering more, it will take time. We can give you only beer right now."
Ryan's friend muttered, "Oh no, everybody will die."
His friends asked the remaining people watching the whole drama to immediately vacate the bar, and a huge crowd immediately rushed out.
Now only Meera, Tony, Ryan and his friends were left, no one knew where that bouncer had gone?
Meera stood face-to-face with Ryan, fear coiling in her chest, yet her expression remained calm… a mask carved from steel and stubborn grace. Like a statue sculpted by resolve, she held her ground. She might lose her life, but she refused to lose her composure, or the polished poise drilled into her through years of customer service training.
She stood barely five feet tall, soft curves and small shoulders yet before Ryan, a six-and-a-half-foot mountain of a man seething with anger, she didn't waver.
She summoned every ounce of strength and said, steady but firm, "Please, everyone, have a seat. We're arranging the scotch just a little more time. I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. Allow us to offer you complimentary drinks while we get everything ready."
As soon as she said this, Ryan stood right in front of her. Before she could control herself, he lifted her up from the counter and put her on his shoulder. She got frightened and started screaming and kicking him. Tony went ahead and tried to save her.
BANG
A shot rang out. Tony collapsed, groaning
Meera screamed loudly- "Tony, please leave him, p..lease plz plz plz plz"
Ryan held her tightly and said in a slow drunken growled, "Shut up if you want him alive. The more noise you make, the more bullets he'll take. Up to you."
He stuck a pinky in his ear, as if clearing the noise.
Meera cried in a helpless and choking voice - "I.....I...will not say anything, p...please don't hurt him"
Rayan grinned. "There's the obedience I was looking for. Too bad it came late."
His light taunting laughter melted like molten glass in her ears.
He held her on his shoulders tightly, turned back and signalled to his friends and said, "No one is allowed to come upstairs."
They exchanged some dead eye gestures and he carried her upstairs..
A scared Meera started thinking of ways to escape. The lights above had been switched off, it was dark and quiet all around. Only the sound of his boots echoed like death itself, her heart was sinking. Her body was drenched in sweat and her hands and feet were getting as cold as ice. She was repeatedly praying that some miracle would happen and someone would come and rescue her from this death sentence.
Suddenly she was thrown on the sofa lying in the corner, before she could regain balance she felt his hot heavy breath and sharp smell of liquor on her face. Scared she turned her face away, he took a deep breath and captured her lips.
He whispered softly in her ear, "I thought our conversation would remain incomplete, now stop being stubborn, Give in now. Or plan Tony's funeral."
Meera stiffened. "Let me go. Or, I'll report you."
He laughed, this time he caressed her lips softly and whispered- "You are interesting, I'll give you the number. Just let me know when to show up at the station. But tonight, you're mine. Accept it, it'll hurt less. He devoured her like a storm. And Meera… drowned.
When Meera opened her eyes, her world had changed. Everything seemed like a bad dream. Her lips seemed cut. Her clothes were torn. Her throat was dry, probably from screaming. But no one came. He left her with a coat covering her body, she got up and wore her clothes.
Something had broken inside her. She could feel it. Like the glass had shattered inside her.
She got up slowly. Every part of her body was burning with pain. But she walked. She had to walk. The bar downstairs was empty, there was no one. She went to the back room, grabbed her hoodie and phone. Booked a cab to the hospital. There were more than 100 missed calls from home, tears welled up in her eyes.
Sitting in the back of the cab, Meera tried calling Tony again…. no answer. Her fingers trembled as she clutched the phone, silently pleading with the universe to let him be okay. Tony had always been her anchor… generous with his money, unwavering in his loyalty, and never once crossing a line. And last night… he'd taken a bullet for her. A lump rose in her throat. Life had tested her in countless ways, but this….this helpless waiting…. felt like the cruelest of them all.
At the hospital, Meera recounted everything through clenched teeth. A nurse handed her a gown and guided her to the restroom. As she changed, her eyes landed on the mirror….. and she froze. Scrawled across her abdomen in bold black ink was a phone number. Two, actually. One was the police hotline. The other… Ryan's. Beneath it, a time scribbled in neat digits….. the exact hour he'd answer calls.
She stared at her reflection. Rage filled her.
She took a photo of herself. Saved it. Packed her clothes.
She wrapped her clothes and put them in the bag. The whole day passed while the examination was going on. Despite the nurse's repeated requests, she did not eat or drink anything. She kept sitting quietly and staring into space.
The reports were to come tomorrow. After completing all the paperwork, she left the hospital and started walking slowly. Broken but breathing.