'TARA?!' I whispered in utter shock. 

'Hey! Miss Mahajan!' I spoke after recovering from the shock while tapping her cheek.

'Taraa!' I said a bit loud but she didn't respond.

I immediately left her and took out the water bottle from my car. Taking a few drops in my hand, I splashed it on her face. She stirred a bit but didn't react much.

'Tara uthiye!!' I said loudly but gained no response.

My heart which was beating at its fastest pace before, stopped working after seeing wounds all over her body. She had several bruises on her face and her wrist too which was visible from the full sleeve kurti she was wearing. I hesitantly took a proper look at her body and my eyes widened. What the fuck!

There was a wet patch of blood on her kurti in her lower-mid area. What the hell has happened to her?

Without a moment's hesitation, I swiftly lifted her into my arms and carried her to the rear of my car, placing her bag carefully on the front seat. With urgency, I quickly settled into the driver's seat and began driving towards the nearest hospital.

I raked my hand on my hair, trying to focus on driving as it seemed like the toughest job at that moment.

'Tara don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you!' I spoke to her like a madman, looking at her from the rearview mirror.

Calm down, Karan! I need to stay calm if I want to reach the hospital ASAP!

It took nearly ten minutes to arrive at the hospital. Without delay, I rushed her inside and placed her on the nearest available stretcher. Recognizing the gravity of the situation, the attendants swiftly maneuvered the stretcher into the hospital. 

'Doctor, please check her, it's an emergency!' I spoke to the first person in the white coat.

'Okay but, what happened to her and who is she?' he asked.

'She...she collided with my car and when I checked her, she was already fainted and there were several injuries, please check her immediately' I said controlling myself from not bursting on him because of his questioning session.

'I am sorry sir, but this looks like a police case, we can't admit anyone like this without the consent of their family' He said.

This is it!

'ARE YOU FUCKING OUT OF YOUR MIND? Someone is dying here and all you people worry about is the damn procedure?' I yelled at them which made them flinch. 

'I swear on my profession, if something happens to her, I'll make sure to change this hospital of yours into ashes' I threatened them and they were scared enough. 

Fuck the procedure! I want Tara to be fine!

'What is the issue going on here?' Came another voice. 

I turned my head to look at another doctor, who might be their senior approaching us. Fortunately, I knew him.  

'Karan, what happened and, who is she?' Nikhil, the senior doctor asked a bit surprisingly looking at Tara. 

I swiftly narrated the situation to him, and he shot a disapproving look at his colleagues. Without hesitation, they ushered her into one of the wards, leaving me to exhale heavily. But numerous questions clouded my mind. 

Where was she going this hour with a bag pack, that too on that road and all alone?

Why does she have those many bruises on her face and wrist and that red patch too?

Was she running away from her home?

Did her family or someone else physically abuse her?

From whom was she running?

Several questions but no answer. The only person who could solve my queries was Tara herself.

After some time I saw Nikhil coming out from the ward and I immediately stood up. 

'What happened, is she alright?' I asked desperately. 

'Listen, I'll tell you everything honestly. She is critical. The wounds are deep and her heart is also beating steadily' he spoke and I felt an unknown pang inside my chest.

'How much time will it take her to be alright?' I asked after a few seconds.

'I can't answer this before some tests, but I hope, it is not what I am thinking' he answered after sighing and I nodded understanding what he meant.

He left after after giving an assuring squeeze on my shoulder. I sat back on the chair and rubbed my face with my palms.

I let out a deep breath, trying to keep my mind calm. Placing my head back, I closed my eyes remembering the day I saw her and a lone tear escaped my eye, followed by a trail of tears.

On that day, she was stunning, completely oblivious to the world's hardships. Her radiant eyes gleamed like precious gems, communicating a silent language of their own. Her aura exuded a captivating innocence, drawing me in irresistibly. Every word that escaped her lips was as sweet as honey, enchanting my senses.

But today, she was lying half-dead on a hospital bed. Cruel destiny!

One Week Ago,

'This one is fine, but I hope you increase your speed the next time' I spoke to my assistant who just mailed me a brief of a case. 

'I'll try my best sir' he spoke and cut the call after I said. 

I sighed and opened the document on my MacBook and went through it. An architectural firm filed the case. It had almost 15000 words. Yes! 15000.

While I was diving into the document, I heard a knock on the door. 

'Come in' I spoke and it opened revealing Mr Sharma with a...Oh My God!

She looks like an angel. Big doe eyes, long curly lashes, a mole on the right side of her chin, and an innocent face. She is an enchantress.

'Mr Randhawa!' A loud call made me snap my head towards the source of the voice.

'Are you okay?' Mr. Sharma asked and  I realized that I was openly adoring a girl whom I just saw. 

'Y-Yes, please have a seat'  I spoke, hiding my embarrassment. 

'Thank you!' He said and they sat in front of me. 

'I was just working on your case' I spoke often glancing at the girl who was busy taking a look at my cabin. Cute!

'Well, Miss Tara Mahajan' Mr Sharma spoke introducing her to me and she immediately shifted her focus on the ongoing conversation.

'One of the best and most creative architects at my firm and the head of this project' he praised her and she gave a small smile and nodded her head once. Cuter!

'Nice to meet you' I said.

'The pleasure is mine' She spoke in a formal tone with a soft smile. 

Damn her voice! It is so sweet!

'Thank you for your efforts, Mr Randhawa' Mr. Sharma spoke and I smiled.

'My pleasure, Mr. Sharma. Now, let's go over the details of the case. As you know, we have strong evidence to support our claims of counterfeiting and breach of contract' I said.

'Yes, We've gathered all the necessary documents and evidence to strengthen our case' Tara spoke. 

 'Excellent. Our next steps will involve preparing for the court proceedings. I'll keep you updated on any developments and ensure that we proceed strategically to maximize our chances of success' I told them and their eyes sparkled.

'Sounds good. I trust your expertise' Mr Sharma said.

'Thank you, Mr. Sharma. Rest assured, I will do everything in my power to achieve a favorable outcome for you. If you have any questions or concerns at any point, please don't hesitate to reach out to me' I said and he nodded his head.

The conversation continued for some more time. After discussing some necessary points, they left being fully satisfied. I rested my head back and let out a deep breath. A small smile was playing on my lips. Tara, the star. She is a starlight indeed...

The sudden noise of chaos from a bit far broke my trance and I got back into the present. I wiped the moisture caused by my tears from my face and straightened myself. 

Suddenly, something clicked me. She had a bag pack. Right! I may find something inside it. 

I immediately ran out of the hospital building to my car and opened the door at the back. There it was. Opening the bag's zip, I started rummaging through the items inside it but got nothing in particular. There were some clothes, her switched-off phone, a laptop, a lady's wallet which had some cards and cash, and a small idol of Bhagwaan Krishna.

Did she plan to run away from her home?

I kept everything inside the bag except her phone. Locking the door, I went back with her phone in my pocket. 

I thought to switch her phone on but what if she had turned her phone off because she was genuinely in peril and trying to escape from someone? If her departure was intentional, she wouldn't have chosen to leave at night from a road where public transportation is scarce even during the day.

If I take a guess that she fled her home, turning on her phone could lead to complications. It might reveal her location to her family or whoever she was attempting to escape from, which may lead her being forced back into a difficult situation.

So, switching on her phone isn't happening until she says to do so.

'Where did you go, I have to talk to you urgently!' Nikhil spoke after running to me making me bewildered. 

He took me to his cabin and we settled down on the chairs. He looked tensed.

'Is everything alright? Is she fine?' I asked hoping to hear something positive from him but his face fell more.

'Vahi hua jiska darr tha' He spoke and my heart started beating at its fastest pace.

'Say it clearly' I said. 

'SHE HAS BEEN RAPED!'

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