Adultery Love Sex And War : Age Of Darkness

[Harry Jordan]

Chapter 36 will come on Sunday!

[Harry Jordan]

Brace for this guy Tomorrow!

[Harry Jordan]

Does anyone has problem with the "new reply" option? because I am getting a 403 Forbidden error. If that persists tomorrow then this will be a problem!

[sarit11]

Does anyone has problem with the "new reply" option? because I am getting a 403 Forbidden error. If that persists tomorrow then this will be a problem!

https://pixhost.to/show/6610/789388367_s...130411.png

my dear friend

use "Quick Reply" Box to post update

server side problem , taking time to resolve

until the problem is solved we have to adjust like this

[Harry Jordan]

I'll try, the quick reply thing doesn't helpt with the Font selection and highlighting stuff. Uggghhh guess I'll edit the chapter again once the issue is resolved. Just a quick reminder to readers this chapter structure will be a bit weird because of this but I'll fix it once the server side issue is resolved.

[Harry Jordan]

CHAPTER 36

RETURN TO RAJASTHAN


The months apart had stretched like taffy, each day pulling longer than the last. Kirti threw herself into training sorties and simulation drills, anything to keep her mind from wandering to shaded villa rooms and calloused hands on her skin. When the message finally came—Hemant's return, rescheduled commitments, a week carved from chaos—she felt the ache in her chest unclench for the first time in thirty days.


She arrived at his villa on her motorcycle before dawn, helmet still dangling from her fingers when he opened the door. Neither spoke. He looked into her soft brown eyes and had no idea what took over him. He kissed her. Deeply. He put all of his heart and soul into a searing kiss. Kirti was taken aback by his passion at first, before she slid into it effortlessly. She returned his kiss with equal fervor. He had her on her back on the living room floor, kissing her soft lips. He could feel himself hardening. Kirti felt it too and moaned as her hands found his cock through the shorts that he was wearing.

He moved his hands across her chest, feeling her nipples get harder through the top she wore. Kirti moaned into his mouth as he lifted the garment, freeing her perfect breast. He broke the kiss and lowered his mouth, taking one of her nipples between his lips.

"Oh babe!"
Kirti moaned as she wrapped her arms around his head, pulling him harder against her chest. He sucked one nipple before switching over to the other, causing even more erotic noises to escape his beautiful girlfriend's beautiful mouth. His hands were busy undoing her pants as he switched over to her other nipple.

"I want you so bad!" he moaned against her chest as she helped him remove her pants and panties.

"Then take me!"

She said pulling his head towards her face and kissing him deeply. Kirti kicked her pants and panties off. The aroma of her wet pussy quickly filled his nostrils, turning him on more than he had anticipated. He pulled down his shorts and Kirti's hand was wrapped around his hardness.

"Put it in me! Put it in me!" she begged guiding him between her lips.

"Ohhh fuck!"

Hemant groaned loudly as he felt her warmth. Kirti groaned before pulling him deeper inside of her. Their lips met, and there was no denying the heat between them. He filled his hands with both of her perfect tits and began to pump his cock inside of her.

"You feel so good!" he moaned against her mouth.
"You feel so damn big!" she groaned against his mouth. Her legs wrapped around his lower back, drawing him deeper and deeper inside of her furnace.
"Oh fuck me!"
She groaned lifting her head. He couldn't help himself and lowered his mouth to suckle on the soft skin of her neck.
"Ohhh!" She mewled when he pinched her hard nipples.
He started to speed up his hips as he fucked her with deep hard long strokes, pulling himself almost all the way out, before pushing his cock deeply inside of her fully. Kirti's hands were clawing at his back as his cock drove hard inside of her as her insides shook and wrapped itself around his hard cock.

He kneeled on the floor, lifting her legs onto his shoulders. He drove his cock harder and deeper in this position. He could feel her tight and wet pussy feeling extraordinary around his dick. Every inch of which was embedded so deeply inside of her there was no telling where she began and he ended. He loved this woman so much.

"Oh baby! Your cock feels so good! I'm going to cum!"

She moaned lowering one of her hands to start playing with her engorged clit. He couldn't believe how beautiful she looked. Her hair was a mess, her mouth was wide open, and her entire body was shaking with every thrust of his cock. He was close to cumming as well. The sight of her, the feel of her around his cock. His love for her tore through his chest as his balls tightened and the cum began to churn. He held on tightly to Kirti as he fucked her with as much force as he could muster.

"OH YES! YES! YES! HEMANT! FUUUUUUUUCCCCCCKKKKKKK!"
Kirti screamed loudly as her entire body shook and exploded with the orgasm that rocked her to her very core.
"Oh I fucking love you!" she groaned loudly as her orgasm peaked.
"AH AH! AH!! KIRA! I LOVE YOU! I FUCKING LOVE YOU!" he groaned loudly as his cock exploded inside of her.
"YES! YES! YES! I love you babe! I love you too."
She moaned as her pussy clamped hard around his cock. She was cumming! His world was cumming with him.
"HMMM I LOVE YOU!" she moaned as they both came down from their high.
They were both breathing loudly. His forehead against hers. They slowly kissed. Their lips gliding easily against one another.
"If....this is how you welcome me after every absence....then I don't mind the long distance relationship between us"
Kirti says giggling exhausted after that amazing sex.
"I was here for something else....did you get the leave you wanted" Hemant asked.
"Yup....but just one week...I'll have to report on Monday"
"Don't worry....you will"
"So..what's the plan? Are we going to a hillstation? or somewhere north?"
"I have a surprise" he murmured against her lips.

"Pack light. We're going to Shanghai!"


The shopping trip was brief but decisive. Kirti tried on dresses in the cramped boutique while Hemant watched from a chair near the mirror, his gaze tracking every curve revealed by silk and chiffon. She settled on three—a deep blue evening gown, a casual sundress, and something slinky and black that made his eyes darken when she stepped out of the fitting room. The clerk averted her gaze when Hemant pulled Kirti close for a lingering kiss at the register.

The flight to Shanghai passed in a blur of anticipation. Kirti dozed against his shoulder, exhausted from weeks of restless sleep, while he reviewed cargo manifests on his tablet. His hand never left her thigh.

Shanghai greeted them with gray skies and the smell of salt water. A car waited at the private terminal, whisking them through traffic to the port district where Hemant's holdings sprawled across the waterfront. Kirti had seen photographs of his operation, but the reality dwarfed any image—cranes stretching toward clouds, container stacks rising like metallic cliffs, the bustle of workers and machinery creating a symphony of industry.

"The surprise is right there"

Hemant said, guiding her toward a dock jutting into the harbor. The seaplane bobbed gently at the mooring, its pontoons cutting smooth lines through the dark water. Sunlight broke through the cloud cover, catching the craft's polished surface.

"Hemant—" Kirti's breath caught.

"You want me to fly this?"

"You're the best pilot I know." He handed her a set of keys.

"Huaniao Island. East of the coast. Our accommodation is waiting."

The seaplane responded to her touch like a dream. Kirti's hands moved over the controls with practiced ease, muscle memory translating her expertise from fighter jets to this smaller, simpler craft. The island materialized through the haze—green hills rising from blue water, a cluster of buildings hugging the coastline. The landing was butter-smooth, the pontoons kissing the surface as the engine wound down.

A luxurious bungalow awaited them, perched on a hill overlooking the sea. Floor-to-ceiling windows framed the water, and a king-sized bed dominated the open floor plan. Kirti ran her fingers across the silk sheets, already imagining what they would do there.

Dinner that evening was an exercise in restraint. The restaurant overlooked the harbor, lantern light casting warm pools across white tablecloths. Kirti wore the blue gown, the fabric hugging every curve, and Hemant couldn't keep his eyes off her.

She decided to make it harder for him.

Her heel found his ankle beneath the table, tracing slow circles up his calf. His fork paused halfway to his mouth, jaw tightening. She smiled innocently, sipping her wine while her foot climbed higher, toes pressing against his inner thigh.

"Kira" Warning threaded through his voice.

"Yes?" She batted her eyelashes.

"Something wrong?"

His hand dropped beneath the table, capturing her wandering foot. Strong fingers dug into her arch, massaging firmly before sliding up to cup her heel. The sensation shot straight up her leg, pooling in her core. She bit her lip to suppress a moan.

"Two can play this game" he murmured.

They barely made it through the main course before abandoning the table. The open pub next door offered live music and a cramped dance floor, but Kirti didn't care about the ambiance. She pulled Hemant into the crowd, pressing her back against his chest as the rhythm pulsed through the floorboards.

She danced like she flew—with total confidence and controlled abandon. Her hips rolled in slow circles, grinding against him, feeling him harden against her lower back. His hands settled on her waist, guiding her movements even as he claimed not to know the steps. The music shifted to something slower, darker, and Kirti leaned back into him, letting her head fall against his shoulder.

"You're trying to kill me" he growled against her ear.

"Maybe" She rolled her hips harder.

"Is it working?"

They didn't wait for the song to end.

The walk back to the bungalow became a stumbling race, hands tugging at buttons and zippers. Kirti's gown pooled on the entryway floor. Hemant's shirt followed. By the time they reached the bedroom, they wore nothing but moonlight and want.

Hemant pulled her onto the bed, positioning her above him in one fluid motion. Kirti understood immediately. She straddled his face while lowering her mouth to his length, the classic sixty-nine that never failed to overwhelm them both.

His tongue found her immediately, dragging through her folds with hungry strokes. She gasped around his cock, the vibration making his hips jerk upward. The dual sensation—his mouth on her, her mouth on him—built rapidly toward something uncontrollable.

"gggwwkkkk..."

The wet, muffled sounds filled the room as he thrust gently into her throat. His grip tightened on her hips, holding her in place while his tongue worked her clit relentlessly. She bobbed her head faster, taking him deeper, saliva coating her chin.

"gggwwkkkk... gggwwkkkk..."

The pleasure climbed higher, too much, overwhelming. His cock filled her throat while his mouth devoured her, and Kirti felt herself spiraling toward an edge she wasn't ready to cross.

"Stop—" She pulled off gasping.

"Hemant, please—I can't—its too much—"

He released her immediately, flipping her onto her back with desperate urgency. Her legs fell open, and he positioned himself between them, spreading her wide in a lewd display. The moonlight caught her glistening arousal.

"Beautiful" he breathed.

He drove into her without warning.

Kirti screamed as he filled her completely, the angle devastating, her legs split apart in a spread eagle that let him impossibly deep. His thrusts were violent—each stroke punctuated by the wet slap of skin against skin and her desperate moans. The headboard slammed against the wall.

"hgghh.....Kira—my Kira—hgghhh"

"Ahhh....Yes—yes—fuck—Hemant—aahhhhh"

Her orgasm crashed through her without buildup, back arching off the mattress as pleasure whited out her vision.

"AAAAAHHHHHH!"

He didn't stop. His rhythm intensified, chasing his own release with single-minded focus. Each thrust drove her further into the mattress, oversensitive walls clenching around him.

"I'm Cumming!!!!!" He buried himself to the hilt and released.

Hot spurts flooded her depths as he groaned her callsign into her neck. His hips stuttered, grinding deep, milking every drop as her body accepted everything he gave. She felt each pulse, the warmth spreading through her core.

They collapsed together, tangled limbs and ragged breathing. Hemant's weight pressed her into the mattress, softening inside her, neither willing to move. Exhaustion from travel and fucking pulled them toward unconsciousness.

The silk sheets cradled their naked bodies as sleep claimed them. The bed would bear witness to more in the coming days—Huaniao Island belonged to them now, and they had a week to explore every desire.

Kirti smiled against his chest as darkness took her.

Morning light spilled through the floor-to-ceiling windows, painting golden stripes across the tangled sheets. Hemant woke to the weight of Kirti's head on his chest, her breath warm against his skin. For a long moment, he simply lay there, fingers tracing lazy patterns on her shoulder, watching the sea shimmer beyond the glass.

"Time is it?" Her voice came out sleep-rough.

"Early. We have the whole day"

She stretched against him, spine arching like a cat.

"Then we should use it"

They dressed casually for island exploration—shorts and light fabrics against the humid warmth. Huaniao Island revealed itself in layers: narrow market streets fragrant with spice and salted fish, vendors calling prices over stacked produce, elderly women knitting under awnings. Kirti haggled with a grin, her Mandarin surprisingly functional, and Hemant watched her work the stalls with the same intensity she brought to the cockpit.

The clothing shop appeared at the end of a lane. Kirti disappeared inside while he lingered by the door, watching through the window as she held fabric after fabric against her lean frame. She emerged twenty minutes later with a bag swinging from her wrist, expression smug.

"Found something special"

"You won't show me?"

"Patience" She rose on her toes, pressing a quick kiss to his jaw.

"You'll see"

They wandered through the afternoon—sharing grilled street food from paper plates, finding a secluded beach where waves lapped at their ankles, stealing kisses when no one watched. The island operated on its own rhythm, unhurried and forgiving. For the first time in months, Hemant felt the pressure in his chest ease.

The bungalow welcomed them back with cool shadows and the promise of privacy. Kirti disappeared into the bathroom with her shopping bag. Hemant changed into swimming trunks and stepped outside to the pool.

The water glinted turquoise under the late afternoon sun. He slipped in, letting the coolness wash away the salt and sweat of their wanderings. The pool's edge offered a perfect vantage point—mountains rising green beyond the property, the harbor glinting in the distance. He closed his eyes, head resting against the tile.

The sliding door opened. Hemant looked up. Kirti stood in the doorway, and his mind went blank.

The blue bikini was devastating. Two scraps of fabric tied at her hips, the bottom cut high on her thighs. The top barely contained her, highlighting the athletic lines of her torso and the swell of her breasts. Her skin glowed bronze against the vivid blue, stomach muscles shifting as she walked toward the pool's edge.

She grinned down at him.

"You're staring."

"I'm admiring."

"Same thing" Her smile widened.

"Like what you see?"

Words failed him. He nodded instead, mouth suddenly dry.

She laughed—bright and genuine—and took three running steps before leaping. The splash sent water cascading over his face, and when he blinked it away, she was surfacing in front of him, hair slicked back, rivulets tracing paths down her collarbone.

"Couldn't wait" she said.

"The water looked perfect"

"You look perfect"

Kirti rolled her eyes, but pleasure flickered across her features. She waded closer, water lapping at her waist, until barely a breath separated them. Her fingers found his chest, trailing through the wet hair.

"Kira—"

She silenced him with a kiss. Her mouth moved over his with familiar hunger, tasting of the pineapple they'd shared at the market. His hands found her waist, pulling her flush against him, and she gasped into the contact.

"Do me in the pool!!" she murmured against his lips.

"Right now!!"

He didn't hesitate. His fingers found the bow at her hip, tugging until the bikini bottom came undone. She kicked away the fabric as he shoved his trunks down, the garment floating somewhere behind them. Her legs wrapped around his waist, anchoring herself against him.

"Wait—" She pulled back slightly, breathing hard.

"Not yet. Just—just hold me. Like this"

He understood. His hands supported her thighs, keeping her pressed against him without crossing the final threshold. The water supported their weight, making her feel weightless in his arms. She rocked against him, friction building even without connection, the slide of her heat against his length driving them both toward madness.

"Hemant." His name came out strangled.

"I need—"

"I know."

He shifted his grip, one hand bracing her back as he positioned himself. Her eyes locked on his as he pressed forward, the water offering no resistance. She gasped, head falling back, throat exposed to his hungry mouth.

"AHHHHHUUUUUHHHHHHH!!!"

The pool wall met her shoulder blades. He pinned her there, hips setting a rhythm that made water slosh against the tiles. Each thrust drew a sound from her throat—gasps and moans that echoed across the empty patio. Her nails carved crescents into his shoulders.

"Come on Stud....Harder" she demanded.

"You know I won't break"

He obeyed. The wet slap of their bodies filled the evening air, punctuated by her rising cries. She met him stroke for stroke, thighs clenching around his waist, using the wall for leverage.

"Oh Shit" She moaned.

"You're way too good at that. It's not fair!"

Every nerve ending was poised to react violently to any and all contraction of her pussy walls. She had amazing control of her pussy and her walls would contract deliciously around him.

"OH FUCK. OH FUCK. OH FUCK.. Don't... Fucken...STOP!!"

Hemant knocked the wind out of her and her eyes rolled back into her head as he continued pounding his sexy girlfriend. He moved his hands and grabbed her tits from over her bikini top almost for leverage as his dick went into hyper drive. Pounding that pretty pussy and sending her juices into the pool.

"Kira—" The name came out guttural.

"I'm close—"

"Me too—don't stop—don't—"

"Oh shit! Don't stop! I'm so close"

Hemant grit his teeth as he felt his orgasm nearing. He was so close to popping off but he wanted to make sure she had at least one more before he did. He closed his eyes and tried to get the image of her naked form out of his head. Her moans and yelps weren't helping at all though.

"Fuck me Hemant. Harder. YES! YES! YES! YES!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"

He could feel her cumming as much as he heard her.

She shattered first. Her body seized, walls clenching around him, his name tearing from her lips in a scream that scattered birds from nearby trees. Her pussy clamped down hard on his cock as she came hard. The sight of her undone pushed him over the edge behind her. He buried himself deep, groaning against her neck as his release crashed through him.

They stayed locked together, breathing ragged, the water gently lapping at their waists. Eventually her legs loosened from his waist, feet finding the pool floor. He brushed wet hair from her face, pressing a kiss to her temple.

"Best shopping trip" he managed.

She laughed, the sound breathless.

"I thought you'd approve."

The evening blurred into the bedroom. They discovered each other again with lazy intensity—no urgency now, just the slow relearning of bodies that had finally found their home. She curled into his side afterward, tracing patterns on his chest while the stars emerged beyond the windows.

"I don't want to leave" she whispered.

"Then don't"

"I have to. Because of duty" Her finger paused over his heart.

"But as long as there are fun weeks like this..I won't be disappointed"

He pulled her closer, pressing his lips to the crown of her head.

"I'll make sure of it."

They talked until exhaustion claimed them—about the base, about Shanghai, about the uncertain future that waited beyond this island paradise. The words faded into comfortable silence, then into soft breathing as sleep approached.

"More adventures tomorrow?" Her voice was barely audible.

"Whatever you want, Kira."

She smiled against his chest.

"Everything. I want everything."

Sleep took them before she could elaborate. The island settled into night sounds beyond the glass—waves and insects and the distant hum of fishing boats returning to harbor. The silk sheets tangled around their naked bodies, holding them close as dreams carried them forward.

Tomorrow would bring new discoveries. New pleasures. New moments to hoard against the separation that waited inevitably ahead.

But that was tomorrow. Tonight, they had each other. And for now, that was enough.

The encrypted message arrived at 2:47 AM, its alert tone cutting through the silence like a blade. Hemant's eyes snapped open, years of training pulling him from deep sleep to full alertness in seconds. Kirti stirred against his chest, mumbling something unintelligible, as he reached for his phone on the nightstand.

The sender was Rey Shen. The text was brief and clinical.

'Remants of AZRAEL has tracked your location. Huaniao Island. Hostiles inbound. Expect armed insertion within the hour. My people are en route. Hold tight'

Hemant was already moving. He slid from the bed, the silk sheets falling away as he crossed to the closet where his go-bag sat waiting. Always waiting. The habit had annoyed Kirti when she'd first noticed it—why bring tactical gear to a romantic getaway?—but now she understood.

"Hemant?" Her voice was alert now, the pilot's instinct for danger kicking in.

"What's wrong?"

"We have a situation"

He pulled a compact submachine gun from the bag, checking the magazine with practiced efficiency.

"Bad guys found us"

She was out of bed before he finished speaking, moving with the fluid grace that made her deadly in the air and on the ground. He tossed her a backup pistol—a sleek Glock that she caught without looking, her hands already finding their grip through muscle memory.

"Can you handle its recoil?"

She fixed him with a stare that could cut glass.

"You trained us remember. Special training for me specifically!"

The first shots shattered the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Glass sprayed across the bedroom in glittering arcs as black-clad figures vaulted through the openings. Hemant shoved Kirti behind the bed, returning fire with controlled bursts that drove the intruders back. She popped up beside him, the Glock barking sharp reports as she found her rhythm.

"Three left!" she shouted over the chaos.

"Two on the balcony!"

They moved in tandem without planning—covering angles, advancing when the other laid suppressing fire. Kirti reloaded with startling efficiency, her hands steady despite the adrenaline screaming through her veins. A gunman emerged from the bathroom doorway and she dropped him with two precise shots to the chest.

Hemant's admiration mixed with fury. These people had brought violence into their sanctuary. Had forced her to fight instead of sleep. Had shattered the peace they'd built on this island.

The final assailant fell to his knees from Hemant's burst, weapon clattering across tile.

Silence. Heavy and ringing.

Then the wail of approaching sirens, speedboats roaring toward the shore. SunOnYee reinforcements poured onto the property in organized waves, securing the perimeter with professional efficiency. A stern-faced man in a dark suit approached Hemant, bowing slightly.

"Mr. Shen sends his apologies. The breach has been contained"

Kirti stood amid the broken glass, chest heaving, the pistol still warm in her grip. Her eyes were wild—not with fear, but with the particular intensity of someone who'd just discovered they could kill without hesitation.

The mood was thoroughly destroyed.

But Hemant crossed to her, gently prying the weapon from her fingers. His hands found her face, tilting her gaze to meet his.

"We're not letting them ruin our vacation!" His voice was steady, certain.

"We came here for us. We finish this holiday."

"Hemant, there are bodies on our floor—"

"My people will handle them" He pressed his forehead to hers.

"Tomorrow, I'm taking you somewhere to refresh. Somewhere beautiful. I promise."

She exhaled shakily. Then nodded.

[Harry Jordan]

(CHAPTER CONTD)


THE MORNING

The waterfall existed on no tourist map.

Hemant led her through dense jungle, the path carved by locals who knew the island's secrets. The humidity clung to their skin, insects humming in the canopy above. Kirti hadn't spoken much since dawn, the weight of the night's violence still pressing against her ribs.

Then the trees parted.

Water cascaded down a sheer rock face into a crystalline pool, the spray catching sunlight in rainbow fragments. Ferns clung to the cliffs, vibrant green against dark stone. The sound was deafening and somehow soothing—a primal roar that drowned out everything except the present moment.

"It's beautiful" she breathed.

"Told you"

He was already stripping, peeling off his shirt to reveal the broad shoulders and defined muscles beneath. His pants followed, leaving him in dark briefs that clung to his hips. He waded into the pool, water rising to his waist, and turned back to her with an outstretched hand.

"Join me"

She hesitated only a moment before her fingers found the hem of her sundress. The fabric slipped over her head, joining his clothes on the mossy bank. She stood in matching bikini—simple cotton, nothing like the bikini that had driven him mad yesterday—and something about the ordinariness of it made his chest ache.

The water was cool and invigorating. She swam to him, tension finally releasing from her shoulders as the current washed away the residue of gun smoke and broken glass. He pulled her close, her back pressed against his chest, both of them facing the thundering falls.

"Better?"

"Getting there"

His hands found her waist beneath the surface, thumbs tracing circles on her hips. She leaned back into him, letting her head fall against his shoulder. The spray misted their faces, droplets catching in her lashes.

His touch wandered. Fingers slid along her ribcage, dipping below the waistband of her bikini bottoms. She inhaled sharply but didn't stop him.

"Hemant—"

"You said you wanted everything" His breath was hot against her ear.

"Let me give you this"

She turned in his arms, finding his mouth with hers. The kiss started gentle—gratitude and relief—but deepened quickly into something hungry. Her fingers tangled in his wet hair, pulling him closer as his hands gripped her thighs, lifting her.






He walked her backward through the water until her back met a flat rock at the pool's edge—smooth stone just below the surface, the perfect height. She braced herself on it, breaking the kiss to turn away from him, presenting herself on hands and knees.

"Like this" she demanded.

"I need it hard"

He didn't make her wait. His briefs came off with a splash. Her underwear tore with a sharp rip—neither cared. He positioned himself behind her, hands gripping her hips, and thrust forward in one devastating stroke.

Kirti's cry echoed off the cliffs, swallowed by the waterfall's roar. The angle was deep and relentless, each thrust driving her forward onto the rock. Hemant started to fuck her against the rock. He was holding her up against the rock as he drove his length as deep inside of her as he could. His hands were holding tightly to her ass as he fucked her. Their lips were incapable of detaching themselves. They fucked hard and slow rocking to the rhythm of their bodies, slowly guiding each other nearer and nearer to the point of no return. Her fingers scrambled for purchase on the wet stone, muscles straining as she pushed back against him.

"Harder—" The word came out broken.

He understood. His rhythm intensified, hips snapping forward with punishing force. The water around them churned, waves slapping against the rock. She was gasping now, sounds tumbling from her lips without restraint.

"Kira—"

"Don't stop—don't—"

Her orgasm crashed through her without warning. Her arms gave out, face pressing against the stone as her body shook, walls clenching around him with devastating tightness. He pulled back at the last second, flipping her over, and she took him in her hand—guiding him to her mouth as he reached his peak.

The first pulse hit her tongue, warm and salty. She swallowed him deeper, taking everything he gave, her eyes locked on his face as pleasure shattered his control. His groan echoed through the clearing.

They stayed like that—her kneeling on the rock, him trembling in the shallows—until their breathing steadied. Then he lifted her, carrying her to a sunny patch of moss where they collapsed together, fingers intertwined.

The waterfall thundered on.

"The unease" she murmured against his chest.

"It's gone. You erased it"

He kissed the top of her head.

"That's all I wanted"

They lay there until the sun shifted, planning the days ahead—more hidden beaches, more waterfalls, more moments carved from the chaos waiting beyond the island's shores. Kirti traced patterns on his skin, her touch no longer desperate but content.

"Whatever comes next" she said quietly.

"I can handle it. As long as you're here with me"

"Always, Kira"

She smiled against his chest, the tension finally gone from her body. The waterfall roared its ancient song, and they stayed tangled together on the moss until the afternoon light turned golden.


THE FINAL EVENING


The final day on Huaniao Island dawned with a bittersweet golden hue. Hemant stood at the water's edge, the fine white sand cool beneath his bare feet, watching the gentle roll of the tide. The past few days had been a sanctuary of tangled sheets, quiet laughter, and shared meals overlooking the harbor. But tomorrow, reality would reclaim them. Shanghai's shadow loomed, and Kirti's duty at Nal Air Base waited patiently. Yet, as the morning sun climbed higher, burning away the coastal mist, Hemant felt no dread. Only certainty.

He heard her before he saw her—the rhythmic slice of powerful strokes cutting through the surf. Then Kirti emerged from the ocean.

Hemant's breath caught in his throat. The water sluiced off her lean, athletic frame, catching the sunlight in a dazzling display. Her bikini was a stunning bluish hue, the color of the deep ocean, cut high on her thighs and outlining every perfect curve of her body. It clung to her, highlighting the firm muscles of her abdomen and the swell of her breasts. She was fire and steel, sea foam and sunlight, an absolute vision walking out of the waves toward him.




She grabbed a towel from the nearby lounger, wringing the salt water from her dark hair. Her skin glistened as she dried herself off, completely oblivious to the way she was short-circuiting his brain. Hemant watched her, mesmerized, his heart hammering against his ribs. This is it, he thought. No more waiting.

"Kirti"

His voice came out rougher than intended, thick with an emotion he could no longer contain.

She paused, toweling her shoulders, and looked up. The playful glint in her eyes softened when she saw his expression.

"Hemant? What is it?"

He stepped closer, closing the distance between them on the sand.

"Next time I come to Rajasthan" he began, his tone serious but warm.

"We must go together. To your parents' house"

Kirti froze. The towel slipped from her fingers, landing in a damp heap at her feet. The playful energy vanished, replaced by a sudden, sharp startlement. Her eyes widened, searching his face as the implication of his words hit her like a physical force.

"What..." She swallowed hard, her voice barely a whisper.

"What did you mean by that?"

Hemant didn't answer with words. He simply sank to one knee on the sun-warmed sand. The ocean breeze ruffled his hair as he looked up at her, his dark eyes shining with a love so profound it threatened to spill over. He raised his hand, palm open, an offering and a promise.

"Marry me, Kira"

The words hung in the salt-tinged air. For a terrifying heartbeat, she simply stared at him, her chest heaving, her lips parted in shock. Then, the tears came—fast, hot, and utterly uncontrollable. A sob tore from her throat as she dropped to her knees in front of him, her hands flying to grasp his raised one.

"Yes" she choked out, a brilliant smile breaking through her tears.

"Yes, a hundred times yes!"

He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, pulling her into a fierce embrace. Their lips met in a desperate, salty kiss, tasting of the ocean and each other's joy. They held each other on the sand for a long time, the weight of the world temporarily held at bay by the circle of their arms.

(CHAPTER TO BE CONTD)

[Harry Jordan]

(CHAPTER CONTD)


Night fell over the island, their final night of holiday, wrapping the bungalow in a velvet darkness pierced only by the silver moonlight reflecting off the sea. The bedroom was quiet, the air thick with anticipation. Kirti stood before Hemant by the edge of the king-sized bed, the blue bikini long gone, replaced only by the moonlight that painted her skin in luminous shades.

"You gave me everything today"

She whispered, her hands resting on his bare chest. Her fingers traced the hard planes, feeling his heart pound beneath her touch.

"You made me your future. I want to give you something tonight. Something I've never given anyone"

Hemant's gaze darkened, his breath hitching as he understood the weight of her words.

"Kirti... you don't have to—"

"I want to" Her voice was firm, laced with a vulnerability that made his chest ache.

"I want it to be you. Only you"

He cupped her face, kissing her deeply, pouring every ounce of his devotion into the press of his lips.

"Then let's take it slow"

He guided her onto the mattress, laying her back against the silk sheets. His mouth worshiped her—tracing her jaw, her collarbone, the swell of her breasts—igniting a slow, simmering heat in her core. By the time his hands drifted lower, parting her thighs, she was already trembling with need.

Hemant took his time, using his fingers and tongue to prepare her, coaxing her body into a state of liquid surrender. He reached for the bedside drawer, retrieving a bottle of oil and slicking his fingers generously. The first touch against her tightest entrance made her gasp, her muscles instinctively clenching.

"Breathe, Kira" he murmured against her inner thigh, his breath hot on her skin.

"Just breathe"

He worked her slowly, one finger slipping past the initial resistance, gently stretching, preparing. It was an entirely new sensation—a strange, intense fullness that bordered on burning. She gripped the sheets, her eyes squeezed shut, but the discomfort gradually melted, replaced by a dark, forbidden thrill that made her moan.

When he finally positioned himself behind her, his broad hands gripping her hips, Kirti felt a heady mix of fear and desperate anticipation. The blunt pressure of his tip against her entrance made her breath hitch.

"Tell me if it's too much"

Hemant commanded, his voice strained with the effort of holding back.

"Go slow" she whispered, arching her back.

"But don't stop"

He pushed forward, inch by agonizing inch. The tight, overwhelming pressure stole the air from her lungs. It was intense, a sharp pinch that slowly gave way to a profound, throbbing ache.

"Mmmmmmhhhhhgggggghhhmmmmmm"

Hemant stilled the moment he was fully seated, his body trembling against hers, letting her adjust to the absolute fullness.

"Move" she finally gasped, her voice ragged.

"Please, Hemant... move"

He began with shallow, careful thrusts, his hand reaching around to stroke her slick heat in time with his rhythm. The dual sensation was electric. The deep, heavy ache behind combined with the familiar, devastating friction in front, building a wave of pleasure unlike anything she had ever felt. Her moans grew louder, more frantic, echoing off the bungalow walls.

"Feels so... full" she cried out, pushing her hips back to meet him.

"Don't stop. Don't ever stop...ahhhhh"

His control shattered. Hemant drove into her harder, the wet slap of their bodies filling the room, his guttural groans mixing with her breathless cries. The intimacy of it, the ultimate surrender, pushed them both toward the edge with terrifying speed.

"I'M CUMMMIIIINNNGGGGG!!!!!!!"

She sobbed, her body seizing as a violent orgasm ripped through her. Her walls clamped down, milking him relentlessly. Hemant let out a harsh shout, burying himself to the hilt one final time as he spilled into her, their bodies locked together in absolute rapture.

They collapsed onto the tangled sheets, a mess of sweat and heavy breathing. Hemant pulled her flush against his chest, pressing tender kisses to her damp shoulder. She curled into him, completely spent, irrevocably his.

"Happy?" he murmured into her hair.

Kirti smiled against his skin, her eyes drifting shut.

"Beyond happy. I love you"

"I love you too"

The ocean waves whispered their ancient lullaby outside the window as they drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep, wrapped tightly in each other's arms.

THE RETURN HOME

The morning light crept through the floor-to-ceiling windows, soft and golden, catching the gentle rise and fall of Kirti's bare back. Hemant sat in the chair near the bed, elbows resting on his knees, watching her sleep. The silk sheets had slipped low on her hips, exposing the elegant curve of her spine, the faint marks his fingers had left on her skin during their final round. She looked peaceful. Sated. Utterly his.





The entire week flooded through his mind—the motorcycle rides, the waterfall, the gunfire, the proposal on the sand. He'd arrived on this island carrying the weight of SENTINEL's corruption and Triad politics. He'd leave it carrying something far more precious.

Kirti stirred.

Her eyes fluttered open, unfocused at first, then sharpening when she found him watching her. A lazy smile curved her lips.

"What were you looking at?"

"Admiring my handiwork" He leaned back in the chair, grinning.

She stretched, spine arching like a cat, the sheet sliding dangerously low.

"Handiwork? Is that what I am now?"

"Your current showcase is!" His voice dropped.

"My woman who can shoot intruders, fly seaplanes, and still look like a goddess despite naked in the morning"

Kirti laughed, the sound throaty and warm.

"My body feels like pudding. Every muscle aches. You broke me last night"

"Is that a regret?"

"No, Never. More than open to experience it again" She pressed her thighs together, wincing slightly.

"Though I may need a day or two to recover. After all I need to return to Nal and fly jets!"

Hemant's expression shifted. The playfulness remained, but something deeper surfaced beneath it.

"Kira... I have something to say"

She propped herself on her elbows, alert now. "Tell me."

"Before our vacation , I recieved a job opportunity"

He leaned forward, forearms on his knees.

"A corporation called AESIR—energy, drone technology, modern hardware. They want me to run their operations. Out of London"

"London" The word hung between them.

"Permanently" He watched her face carefully.

"I'm taking it. I want to build a future there. With you"

Kirti sat up fully, sheet forgotten, her bare breasts exposed to the morning light. Her brow furrowed.

"But Hemant, my obligations to the Air Force—"

"It will remain intact" He moved to the edge of the bed, taking her hand.

"You're the top ace of Nal. You will stay that way , your service to our country will be unaffected. I'd never ask you to give that up. I am just inviting you to my life in London during leave. Holidays. Vacations. And when you're ready—when retirement comes—you join me there. For good"

Her eyes glistened.

"You'd wait for me?"

"I'd wait forever, Kira. But I'd rather not have to"

A tear traced down her cheek. She rose onto her knees, the sheet pooling around her hips, and pulled his mouth to hers. The kiss was soft. Devotional. Her fingers threaded through his hair, holding him close.

When she pulled back, her gaze dropped. A smirk replaced the tears.

"Seriously?" She gestured at his boxers, where his morning erection strained against the fabric.

"After an entire week of fucking me senseless, and this is still erect?"

"Only around you."

"Convenient excuse" She traced a finger down his chest, stopping at his waistband.

"I'm sore enough, Hemant. I can't take you inside me again. But I refuse to let this go to waste."

She pushed him back against the headboard and hooked her fingers into his boxers, tugging them down. His cock sprang free, thick and flushed, already leaking at the tip.

"Kira, you don't have to—"

She silenced him by taking him into her mouth.

Hemant's head fell back against the headboard.

"Kira... my god... ohhhhh..."

Her tongue worked the underside of his shaft as she took him deeper, cheeks hollowing with suction. The wet sounds of her mouth filled the quiet room—obscene, rhythmic, devastating. Her hand gripped the base, twisting on the upstroke, while her other hand cupped his balls, rolling them gently.

SSSlllrrpp.....sslllrrpp.....SSSlllrrpp.....sslllrrpp

The sound dominated everything. Hemant's fingers tangled in her hair, not guiding, just anchoring. She took him to the back of her throat and swallowed, the muscles contracting around his head.

"Kira—I'm close—"

She nodded without releasing him. Her pace increased, head bobbing faster, tongue pressing hard against his shaft. The pressure built at the base of his spine, coiling tight, ready to snap.

He erupted with a guttural groan.

Kirti moaned around him, her throat working to swallow each pulse.

Mmmhhhggmmm.....mmmmggghhmmmmm.....mmmmjjhhhmmmmm....mmmghhhh.

She drank every drop, her eyes locked on his face, watching him come apart above her. When he finally emptied, she pulled back slowly, licking her lips.

"Waste not, want not"

Hemant dragged her up for a kiss, tasting himself on her tongue.

"You're going to kill me"

"Then die happy" She swung her legs off the bed.

"Now shower with me. We have a flight to catch"

THE FINAL GOODBYE

Shanghai Pudong International Airport hummed with the chaos of travelers and announcements. Hemant pushed Kirti's luggage cart toward the departure gate, weaving through the crowd. She walked beside him in her Air Force uniform, every inch the ace pilot, though her hand never left his arm.

At the gate, he hoisted her bag onto the check-in scale. The attendant processed her boarding pass while they stood in the sudden quiet of imminent separation.

"Next time I come to Rajasthan" Hemant said.

"We go to your parents' place. Together"

Kirti smiled.

"And the visit after that? Marriage"

"The visit after that—" He pulled her close.

"I take you to London. We'll do house hunting together"

"By then" she said, her voice dropping,

"I'll santion another extensive leave. So the honeymoon can be... productive"

"Productive how?"

She rose on her toes, lips brushing his ear.

"You're going to impregnate me. Put your baby in me"

Hemant's breath caught. He pulled back to look at her face, finding nothing but certainty in her eyes.

"You've thought about this"

"I've thought about everything. After all , the babymaking process is quiet fun!!!"

She kissed him, fierce and quick.

"I'll be waiting for your next visit. Don't make me wait long."

"You know I won't. Let me clear SENTINEL's name and I am all yours!"

She walked backward toward the gate, waving, her smile bright despite the tears threatening at the corners of her eyes. Hemant watched until she disappeared through security, the ache in his chest already settling in for the long haul.

---

The SUV idled at the airport curb. Hemant slid into the driver's seat, the leather warm from the Shanghai sun. His phone buzzed before he could start the engine.

Unknown number.

He answered.

"Yes?"

"Am I speaking to Michael King?"

The voice was smooth. Cultured. Completely devoid of warmth.

"This is he."

"Good." A pause, deliberate and measured.

"You will return to India, Mr. King. You will walk away from your commitments to the Triads. And you will abandon any plans involving Rustom and London."

Hemant's grip tightened on the phone.

"Who is this?"

"Assume this as the voice of AZRAEL." The name slithered through the speaker.

"Consider this your only warning"

"If you already know about me , then you already know my answer!"

A soft chuckle.

"We anticipated as much. Very well"

The voice dropped to something colder, something that made Hemant's spine stiffen.

"This was merely the warning. Let your suffering begin"

The line went dead.

Hemant stared at the phone, the screen dark, the silence of the SUV pressing in around him. Outside, travelers hurried past with rolling luggage and hurried goodbyes. Inside, the war he'd been waging in shadows had finally stepped into the light.

[Harry Jordan]

(CHAPTER CONTD)

JULY 21 2005 , VADSAR AIR FORCE BASE , GUJRAT


The celebration at Vadsar Air Base had carried the rare warmth of peace.

Banners fluttered in the dry Gujarat wind as officers, pilots, and decorated servicemen stood beneath the blazing afternoon sky. Applause echoed across the parade grounds as Dhananjay 'Dan' Shankar stood stiffly upon the podium, a gallantry medal resting heavily against his chest. The cheers felt distant to him, unreal, almost undeserved. His palms were damp despite the dry heat. Before him sat commanders, decorated officers, and families of service personnel—faces filled with admiration that only deepened his nervousness.

"You look like you’d rather be inside enemy territory than standing here"

Kirti teased softly as she stepped beside him, straightening the collar of his uniform.

Dan exhaled shakily.

"Combat is easier than this"

Kirti laughed quietly, the familiar confidence in her eyes softening her sharp military composure.

"This is what every soldier dreams of, Dan. To stand here and know your country remembers what you fought for"

Then, for a brief second, something distant crossed her expression.

"I just wish Hemant was here"

Dan gave her a small smile.

"Hemant is part of a bigger world now Kirti. I am just glad he gave an important place to you in that world"

"I know, its been two weeks since he joined AESIR in London"

She murmured, glancing toward the horizon.

"Definitely looking forward to his next visit here!"

Their moment was interrupted as the others gathered around them—Rani with her usual bright grin, Kaya and Aarushi arguing over who looked more intimidating in uniform, while Janki rolled her eyes beside Vishal, Rishikesh, Avinash and Tarun. For a few precious minutes, they were simply young soldiers laughing under the sun, teasing one another like old friends who had survived too much together.

Then the convoy arrived.

At first, it looked ordinary—military trucks rolling through the gate carrying newly enlisted Air Force recruits. Heads turned casually toward them. Someone joked about how terrified the recruits looked.

Then the world erupted. A thunderous explosion split the air apart.



The first truck vanished into fire. The second exploded seconds later. Then another.

A wave of heat punched through the air as flames swallowed steel and screams vanished beneath smoke. The shockwave rattled windows across the base, sending soldiers diving to the ground as alarms screamed alive.

"CONTACT! WE’RE UNDER ATTACK!" someone shouted.

Gunfire erupted from every direction. Dan’s instincts took over before fear could settle.

"To the quarters! Arm up!" he barked.

The entire base transformed into chaos.

Militants emerged from blind spots across the perimeter, firing wildly as soldiers scrambled into defensive positions. Smoke climbed into the sky while sirens wailed through the airfield. Dan rallied Garuda Force without hesitation, his voice cutting through panic like steel.

"Rishikesh, left flank! Avinash with me! Kaya—cover the northern wall!"

Beside him, Rani moved with terrifying precision, fearless despite the hell unfolding around them. Meanwhile, high above the battlefield inside the ATC tower, Kirti’s sharp eyes narrowed toward the runway.

A transport aircraft had landed. Something about it felt wrong. No clearance. No identification. And armed men stepping out to defend it. Her instincts screamed danger. Taking a rifle, she gathered several cadets and advanced through the tarmac, crouching low beneath bursts of gunfire.

"Push forward!" she ordered.

The militants guarding the plane were neutralized quickly. But when Kirti boarded the aircraft, everything inside her turned cold. Rows of explosives. Enough C4 to turn Vadsar Air Base into ash. A digital timer blinked mercilessly. Her heartbeat slowed. No panic. Just certainty. She stepped back toward the open hatch.

"All of you—back to ATC" she ordered firmly.

The cadets hesitated.

"Ma’am—"

"NOW!"

Her voice left no room for argument.

"And tell control" she added, swallowing hard.

"Under no circumstances is anyone to fire at this aircraft"

Without another word, Kirti climbed into the cockpit. Hands trembling only once, she powered the engines. Outside, Dan and Garuda Force fought through relentless gunfire, forcing militants back sector by sector.

Then—A muzzle flash. A crack. Dan barely turned before something struck the air between him and death. Rani. She staggered. Time stopped. Dan caught her before she hit the ground.

"No—Rani, no, no—"

Her hands trembled weakly against his uniform. Blood darkened the fabric as distant gunfire faded into meaningless noise.

"You’re okay" Dan lied desperately.

"Stay with me"

Rani tried to smile. Her lips parted as though she wanted to say something—something important. But the strength never came. Her gaze weakened. And then—Nothing. The light in her eyes disappeared. Dan froze. The battlefield blurred around him. His best friend had stepped between him and death without hesitation. For him. For the rescue. For all of them. By the time the militants were defeated and the air base secured, Dan looked hollow.

Then he noticed the aircraft. Flying away from the base. His stomach dropped. He sprinted toward ATC.

"Get me comms!" he shouted.

Static answered him before a familiar voice finally broke through.

"…Dan?"

Kirti.

"Kira! What the hell are you doing? Turn that plane around!"

Her voice remained strangely calm.

"There’s a bomb onboard"

The room froze.

"It’ll destroy the whole base" she continued.

"There’s not enough time. Bomb squad won’t make it"

Dan shook his head violently.

"No! We’ll figure something out! Just come back!"

Silence lingered. Then softly—

"Is everyone okay?"

Dan’s voice cracked.

"Rani…" He struggled to breathe.

"Rani’s gone"

Even through static, they heard Kirti inhale sharply. For several seconds, she said nothing. When she finally spoke, her voice trembled.

"She fulfilled her destiny as a soldier" Kirti whispered.

"She protected her people"

Vishal broke down beside the radio. Tarun looked away. Even Kaya covered her mouth, tears falling despite herself.

"And now" Kirti said quietly.

"I suppose I’m doing the same"

"No!" Dan shouted.

"Don’t say that!"

The aircraft climbed higher. Farther. Closer to the sea. Kirti looked ahead into endless sky.

"Tell Papa…" she whispered, voice cracking for the first time.

"His warrior girl became brave enough in the end"

Dan buried his face into one hand, unable to stop shaking.

"And Dan…"

He looked up.

"Tell Hemant…"





Her voice faltered. The strongest among them suddenly sounded heartbreakingly small.

"Tell him I Lov—"

Static. The transmission cut. And somewhere beyond the horizon—A deafening boom shattered the air. Every screen in ATC flickered. The radar signal vanished. Gone. No wreckage marker. No aircraft. Only silence. No one spoke. No one moved. They all knew. Minutes later, confirmation arrived. Search and rescue teams believed the aircraft had exploded over the sea off the Gujarat coast.


Probability of survival: none.

Dan collapsed onto the floor. His rifle slipped from his hands. Two friends. Gone. In one day. Rani had given her life to save him. Kirti had given hers to save them all. Around him, Garuda Force broke apart under grief. Vishal wept openly, unable to stop repeating Kirti’s name. Aarushi stared blankly at the radar screen as if refusing reality itself. Tarun sat against the wall, silent tears slipping down his face. Kaya held Janki as both cried quietly.

Dan looked toward the empty horizon through the ATC glass. The sky was calm now. Cruelly calm. As if nothing had happened. But somewhere beyond that ocean, two warriors had become immortal.

And for the first time since joining Garuda Force—Dhananjay Shankar felt utterly powerless.


FEW DAYS LATER AT THE RAGHUVANSHI HOUSE , NORTHERN HARYANA.


The bugle's final note faded into the evening air, leaving behind a silence so complete that it felt louder than the ceremonial gun salute itself. Three synchronized volleys had echoed across the cremation grounds, each shot tearing through the hearts of everyone gathered there. Before the pyre rested a coffin dbangd in the Indian tricolour, but beneath it there was barely a body left to mourn. What little had been recovered from the wreckage found in the sea had been wrapped carefully in layers of spotless white cotton, every inch concealed so that no grieving parent would remember their daughter as the mangled victim of an explosion.

She would be remembered as Squadron Leader Kirti Raghuvanshi—the pilot who stole death away from an entire airbase by carrying it into the sky herself.


Retired Colonel Viren Raghuvanshi stood like a broken statue. Years of military service had taught him to salute fallen comrades without trembling, but nothing had prepared him to salute his own daughter. His wrinkled hand repeatedly rose to his forehead, only to fall back again as tears blurred his vision. His lips quivered constantly, as though he wanted to say something to the daughter he had once taught to ride a bicycle, who had later insisted she wanted to fly fighters instead of merely watching them streak across the sky. Beside him, Madhuri had long since lost the strength to remain composed. She clung desperately to Sameeksha, Vinod's wife and their daughter in law, sobbing with the raw agony only a mother could know.

"My little princess..." she cried between broken breaths.

"She promised she'd come home... She promised..."

Every sentence dissolved into inconsolable weeping before it could ever finish.

Vinod and Mukesh stood ahead of their parents, shoulders rigid but faces hollow. Neither brother cried loudly. Their grief had frozen into silence, the kind that hurt infinitely more than screams. Vinod occasionally looked toward the white-covered remains, still unable to believe that beneath those layers rested the mischievous little sister who used to steal mangoes from the family garden and later called him excitedly every time she mastered another aircraft. Mukesh clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white, trying to remain strong for their parents, though his trembling jaw betrayed him. Every few seconds he wiped away tears before anyone could notice them.

A few paces away stood Dan, his beret tucked beneath his arm. His uniform remained immaculate, but inside he felt completely shattered. Yesterday he had stood before another funeral pyre, saying goodbye to Rani—the woman who formed a bond with him in Nal Base working at her hangar, who had died taking a bullet meant for him. He had barely managed to leave that cremation ground before being summoned here. Two funerals. Two closest friends. Two salutes. Two pyres. The weight became unbearable. Every crackle of burning wood now sounded identical to the gunfire that had stolen pieces of his own soul.

His mind refused to stay in the present. Instead it replayed happier days that now felt painfully cruel. Kirti laughing loudly in the base canteen while teasing him for trying to act serious. Kirti sharing all kinds of details about Hemant and his new workspace , including the sexual stuff just to make him uncomfortable. Her face glowing with excitement after returning from Shanghai only weeks earlier. She had practically dragged Dan into the cafeteria.

"He's finally going to speak with my parents" she had whispered with flushed cheeks.

"After that...he wants us to settle in London without me leaving the Air Force , making London our second home. We're going house hunting there on my next visit to him , this time at London. Can you imagine? London!"

Dan remembered rolling his eyes while congratulating her. She had laughed, punched his shoulder playfully and declared that he would have to visit them once they settled there. That future had vanished in a matter of minutes in Vadsar.

His eyes wandered instinctively through the mourners, searching for one face that never appeared. Hemant. There was no sign of him anywhere. Not beside the Raghuvanshi family. Not among the Air Force officers. Not even hidden somewhere in the distance. Dan kept expecting a vehicle to arrive at the last moment, the door to open, and Hemant to walk toward the pyre with that calm expression that never betrayed emotion. But the road remained empty. The wind alone answered him. The absence hurt almost as much as Kirti's death itself. She was his life , why is he not here for her?


When the priest finally nodded, Vinod stepped forward carrying the flaming torch. His hands shook so violently that Mukesh instinctively reached out to steady him. Together they approached the pyre. For one impossible second, the world seemed to stop. Then Vinod lowered the flame. Dry sandalwood caught almost immediately. Orange fire slowly climbed higher, swallowing the carefully wrapped white cloth. Smoke rose gently toward the evening sky—the same sky Kirti had loved more than anything.

Dan watched the flames grow until they blurred completely behind tears he could no longer suppress. He covered his mouth, his shoulders trembling violently as months of discipline collapsed within seconds. He had survived bullets, explosions and covert operations without breaking. Watching two dear friends become ashes within two days destroyed him far more thoroughly than any battlefield ever could.


Weeks later, the memorial at Nal Air Base stood beneath a cloudless morning sky. Two polished black granite pillars bore the engraved names of Rani and Kirti, decorated with fresh marigolds and the Indian tricolour. Officers gathered silently as announcements echoed through the parade ground. Flight Engineer Pranali 'Rani' Gupta would receive the Kirti Chakra for sacrificing herself to save a fellow commando. Squadron Leader Kirti 'Kira' Raghuvanshi would receive the Param Vir Chakra posthumously for preventing the destruction of Vadsar Air Base. Applause never came. No medal could return either woman. Even Vishal was fighting back tears hearing this great honor given to his fallen friend. Dan merely stood at attention before their memorial, saluted until his arm began aching, and whispered a farewell that only the morning breeze carried away.


Life refused to stop, even when grief demanded it should. A month later, Dan sat across from Sachiko during what used to be their peaceful evenings together. Instead, every revelation she spoke made the room colder.

"What's been going on Sachi? You're tenser than me" Dan asked concerned.

"I could not be any more tense Dan. Things didn't exactly as we wanted" Sachiko said

"What happened?"

"Well , we went our separate ways to restore SENTINEL and build influence over it. Turns out SENTINEL itself changed in ways like never before"

"Changed how?"

"SENTINEL is no longer a UN backed Task Force anymore. It is now a glorified PMC working on military contracts now. We figured going corporate was the right way to make sure we had control over the Task Force. Will , Sharon and myself lead its board now. No more blockade , no more denial of action"

"And what about Hemant"

Sachiko's exppression turned darker as she continued.

"That is the more sadder part Dan. He has completely changed , not so long ago he was focused on his mission. But when we offered him position at the SENTINEL board , he straight up rejected it. Saying he wants nothing to do with SENTINEL. I met him a day after Kira's death. And I can say pretty confidently Dan , that Kirti wasn't the only person who died on that plane crash"

Dan leaned his head down now understanding his absence from her funeral. Sachiko eventually revealed.

"When I asked why he didn't come see her on her final rites. Hemant said he prefer to see her final time with that smile at the Shanghai airport rather than wrapped in a cloth disfigured. He was dead inside Dan , like Kirti's passing sucked the life out of him. And the only thing left is.....Michael King!"

That name, it made Dan intrigued. Sachiko explained it was his undercover name but he seems to have embraced it.

"Where is he now" Dan asked.

"London , he joined AESIR Corporation as its Operations Lead. He is running their Drone tech and Manufacturing and Modern Hardware Wing. But its more sinister than that. He is waging a direct war with AZRAEL as Michael King. Which brings me to the part that might affect you"

"What is it"

"The attack on Vadsar Air Base, the Mujahideen outfit that did it , they were supplied materials and weapons by a faction loyal to the Russian Mafia , specifically Yosef Tarasov , the Godfather of the AZRAEL Syndicate!!!"

This shocks Dan to the core. The attack , it wasn't just a terror attack, they were targeted intentionally. Sachiko continued.

"Its safe to say AZRAEL used those terror group to hurt Hemant and his loved ones with that attack. But I honestly don't know whether their attack worked in their favor or set up their doom!"

"Most likely its the latter....considering how it changed Hemant....they killed the man that controlled the Hunter in him , now he is loose!"

Sachiko saw his depression and decided to change the subject to comfort him.

"We're talking a lot about him. How about we talk about something else...like us!"

"Definitely...."

"Then I have some good news!"

"What is it?"

"I've talked with Will....apparently being a Board Member, I don't have to be always present at SENTINEL HQ so.....I am planning to apply for a citizenship in India"

Dan's face lit up as Sachiko continued.

"And you know.....that process can be a bit easy if I have a life partner that is....Indian!"

Dan didn't respond with words , he responded with a kiss. The next moment , he carried her into the bedroom and stripped their clothes. Their lovemaking that night was wholesome , Dan found a piece of happiness in this constant pain of loss. He promises her of a share future of love and understanding with each other as they went to sleep.


SIX MONTHS LATER


Dan received his own transfer orders. Promotion to Major. Posting to a forward operating base in Srinagar. His years guarding Nal Air Base had ended. His years being a GARUDA commando has ended. He was moving to new grounds , climbing new responsibilities. On the morning he packed the last of his belongings. During that time , he recieved a call from Sachiko.

"Hey Sachi"

"Have you moved already!"

"Not yet , but I am all prepped , transport will be landing soon"

"Great , so I am guessing I am calling at the right time"

"What do you mean?"

"I called you to give you some closure"

"Closure?"

"Remember what I said about Yosef Tarasov"

"The creator of AZRAEL?"

"Yes well. He was assasinated by unknown men at a shootout in Serbia. The media is claiming its the Russian Bratva , but I think you have an idea who it might be"

"hmm....Mr. You-Know=Who?"

"Exactly , turns out it was pretty graphic , I did some digging. From what I've learned. Whoever killed him , made him bleed. Tarasov was stabbed multiple times with a long weapon possibly a sword or something. And his bleeding corpse was left hanging on a cross at a nearby cemetary!"

"Damn!"

"So when you leave NAL today....don't leave with regrets....start fresh in the new place closing old wounds darling....I'll see you soon.....love you!"

"Love you too!"


Dan ended the call with a relief that eased his shoulders. At that moment , he was gladh. Kirti and Rani , they were avenged. Hemant avenged his love's death. The score was settled. Dan picked up his duffel bag, and walked out to the tarmac where his old friends were standing for him. Avinash who was now promoted as the New Commander of Garuda Task Force , Dan's old job.

"Do your job well Commander , I expect nothing but the best from you" Dan shook his hand.

"Will do Major" Avinash saluted him.

Then came Vishal with his smile. As Dan hugged him.

"Cannot believe I used to hate you when I first arrived here!" Dan confesses.

"And now here we are crying like brothers being separated forcefully!" Vishal said.

"Take care of yourself and fly high Victor , you have to honor her sacrifice!"

Dan said referring to Kirti.

"I will....from now on. Maybe I will find her in the sky.....now flying like an invisible pheonix guarding her squadron!"

Fealing teary eyed again remembering her. Dan walked away as his old squadmates and Nal Base cadets waved goodbye. He boarded the transport aircraft bound for Srinagar. As the plane made its ascend from the runway , he saw in the distance his friends waving at his place. But eyes finally landed on the two memorials placed at the base. He whispered to the empty cabin of the aircraft as he braced for his next responsibilities.

"Fly peacefully now Kirti....... Rani will be there with you to fix your Cosmic Jet!!"

[Harry Jordan]

(CHAPTER CONTD)

ONE YEAR LATER 13 JUNE 2006 , INDIAN OCEAN.


The ocean had always been where Dan felt most alive.

The dhow cut through the turquoise waters beneath a blazing African sun, its weathered sails swollen with the Indian Ocean wind. Beside him, his recently reconnected old friend Praveen laughed as he adjusted the rigging, telling another ridiculous story from his years sailing between Seychelles and Madagascar. Salt clung to the air, gulls circled overhead, and for the first time in months Dan allowed himself to forget Kashmir, forget operations, forget the weight of command. Ahead waited Madagascar, then Mauritius, and finally Sachiko. A year had passed since he had faced tragedies , lost friends to matrydom, another gone from his sight. Become someone else in a far away place. The only good is growing his relation with Sachiko. This trip is meant to be it , to celebrate her citizenship sanction and the next step to a possible marriage.

Dan was lost in that bliss , in that infinite possibilities of a family life with his favorite woman. But fate had different plans.

Dark speedboats erupted from the horizon like sharks breaching the sea. Heavy machine guns barked before anyone aboard the dhow could react. Bullets shredded the mast, ropes snapped, and terrified deckhands threw themselves flat against the planks. Somali pirates swarmed aboard with terrifying efficiency. Dan fought like the soldier he was, buying precious seconds while screaming for the workers to launch the rescue boats. One by one they escaped into the open sea, but a rifle butt slammed into Dan's skull before he could follow. The last thing he saw was Praveen dragged down beside him, blood streaming from his temple as the ocean disappeared into darkness.

FEW HOURS LATER , THE CRIMSON DOMINION, SOUTH OF JAZEERA, SOMALIA




When consciousness returned, there was no sea.

Only heat.

The air smelled of molten steel, diesel, rust, and dried blood. Through swollen eyes Dan saw acres upon acres enclosed by colossal concrete walls. Warehouses stretched endlessly across the compound beside ammunition factories, workshops forging illegal rifles, armored vehicles under construction, missile crates stacked beside drug shipments and shipping containers marked with stolen flags from dozens of nations. It was less a pirate camp than a hidden kingdom built upon crime. At its center rose a cathedral-sized hall whose ceiling vanished into darkness. Upon a throne forged from polished copper and cobalt sat a giant of a man, his scarred face wearing the smile of someone who had never once doubted his own divinity.

Odoyo Duran watched them as though they were insects. His men threw Dan and Praveen face-first before the throne.

"Who are they?"

"A supply dhow heading toward Madagascar, Lord Duran. We seized everything."

Duran lazily nodded before his eyes settled upon Dan's dog tags. His smile widened.

"Indian Army"

The words tasted delicious in his mouth.

"Excellent. Inform the world. India will pay handsomely for one of its soldiers."

...

Across continents, the headlines spread with terrifying speed.

**INDIAN ARMY OFFICER AMONG HOSTAGES TAKEN BY SOMALI PIRATES**

Sachiko read the report only once before sprinting toward the next available flight to India. Within hours she stood before Indian military officials, refusing to sit, refusing to blink, demanding answers.

"There has to be a rescue mission"

The senior officer's expression never changed.

"He was on personal leave"

Silence.

"He is legally considered a civilian in this incident. Diplomatic channels with Somalia are active. We do not intend military intervention"

Sachiko stared at him in disbelief.

"Are you kidding me? His life is in danger!"

"We are trying to bring him home peacefully"

Peacefully. The word felt like an insult. By nightfall she was standing inside SENTINEL Headquarters in Hereford. William Irons looked as exhausted as she felt.

"I've already reviewed satellite reconnaissance" he admitted quietly.

"That fortressed city.....its not at all an easy target , its a domain full of armed pirates!"

"Then send the Strike Team."

"We need the best team to strike it. And unfortunately , they're still yet to return from Russia"

"I don't care"

"They're three days away."

Sachiko's breathing became uneven.

"He doesn't have three days"

William lowered his head.

"I know....but right now that is the only option we have.....we just have to hope....that Dan survives this three days!!!"

The room blurred. Her knees gave out beneath her. For the first time since joining SENTINEL, Sachiko broke completely, collapsing onto the polished floor as helpless sobs echoed through headquarters. Every second she cried, somewhere across the ocean Dan was alone.

...

The torture chamber had no windows. Time ceased to exist there. Every hour merged into screams. Dan could no longer remember how many times the iron rod had struck his ribs, chest and shoulders. His wrists had been flayed raw against hanging chains. Every breath burned. Every blink hurt. Beside him Praveen barely remained conscious, his face swollen beyond recognition.

When the guards finally dragged them back toward the throne room, neither man could stand. Duran applauded.

"I spoke with your government"

Hope flickered inside Dan. It lasted only a heartbeat.

"They say they do not negotiate with terrorists."

Duran's expression twisted into offended disbelief

"Terrorists?" he laughed.

His laughter echoed through the hall until hundreds of armed pirates joined him.

"Do I resemble some mujahideen with an easy trigger?" he snarled.

"NO! This is my Kingdom and here everything is mine!"

His amusement slowly disappeared.

"If they refuse to acknowledge me..."

His smile returned.

"Then I shall show them what happens when you insult Emperor Duran , the one true ruler of Somalia!"

He ordered Praveen's chains removed.

"My gift for you broken one!"

Praveen collapsed immediately, his shattered leg refusing to support him.

"Walk out those doors" Duran said pleasantly.

"Walk away and you can have your freedom!"

Every pirate in the hall began grinning. Dan understood before Praveen did.

"No..."

Praveen dragged himself forward anyway. Each step left bloody fingerprints across polished stone. The great doors seemed impossibly distant.

"Please..." Dan begged, struggling against the soldiers holding him.

"Don't..."

Praveen reached the final stretch. Duran calmly lifted an impossibly long rifle. Dan screamed.

"PRAVEEN, STOP!"

The trigger broke. The rifle cracked like thunder. Praveen's body jerked violently before collapsing face-first only a few meters from the exit. Blood spread beneath him in dreadful silence. His fingers twitched once... twice... then stopped forever.

Something inside Dan shattered.

With a roar born from grief rather than courage, he ripped one arm free and hurled himself at the throne. His fist smashed across Duran's jaw with enough force to send the Pirate King stumbling backward onto the stone floor. Gasps echoed throughout the hall. No one had ever struck Odoyo Duran.

Not one soul. The silence lasted only seconds. Then dozens of pirates descended upon Dan. Boots crashed into his ribs. Rifle stocks hammered his spine. Chains wrapped around his arms before he could move again. They beat him until he could no longer distinguish pain from consciousness, yet his eyes never left Praveen's lifeless body lying beneath the massive doors.

Duran slowly rose, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. He stared at the crimson stain upon his fingertips with fascinated disbelief. Then he laughed. Not loudly. Not proudly. Quietly. The laugh of a monster discovering a new favorite game.

"So..."

His eyes burned into Dan.

"You still have some fight in you!!!"

He stepped close enough that only Dan could hear the next words.

"Since your government refuses to pay..."

Duran gently rested a hand upon Dan's shoulder almost like an old friend.

"...I shall return youto them"

His smile widened until it became something inhuman.

"One piece at a time"

Dan was dragged screaming back toward the iron doors of the torture chamber. He fought until chains carved deeper into his wrists. He screamed Praveen's name. He screamed for Sachiko. He screamed into the uncaring darkness.

The doors slammed shut. Metal bolts thundered into place. For one endless moment the fortress fell silent. Then a single scream erupted from behind the sealed doors. A butcher under Duran's orders cleanly cut Dan's left leg followed by a bunch of first aiders doing rough medical work to patch the opening in his leg. The butcher placed the severed leg in a platter in front of Duran who smiled. Duran threw that leg in the bonfire as he laughed. As he laughed through that sealed chamber some of Dan's scream echoed to him thrilling Duran's sadistic mind.

Outside, thousands of pirates continued about their business without so much as looking toward the chamber. Inside, Dan's nightmare had only just begun.

(CHAPTER TO BE CONTD)

[Harry Jordan]

THE NEXT DAY

Darkness no longer came as mercy.

Every time Dan's battered body slipped toward unconsciousness, a bucket of freezing water, a boot to the ribs, or the sting of heated iron forced him awake again. Sleep had become forbidden. Time had dissolved into endless pain. A medic stitched wounds with indifferent hands, wrapped fresh bandages around the stump where Dan's left leg had once been, and muttered.

"Don't let him die. Lord Duran has special plans"

By the following morning, Dan barely resembled the officer who had survived multiple dangerous missions. One eye had swollen completely shut. Dried blood crusted over his lips. Every breath rattled painfully inside his chest. Bound to a rusted wheelchair, he was dragged through the streets of the Crimson Dominion while pirates jeered from every corner.

The great hall erupted into laughter the moment Odoyo Duran saw him.

"Remarkable" the Pirate King chuckled, leaning lazily upon his throne.

"Most men beg for death by now."

Dan slowly lifted his bruised head. Duran descended the throne's steps until they were eye to eye.

"But you..." he smiled.

"You still fight.....holding onto that hope. But you must understand soldier , hope dies in the Crimson Dominion. Here your only hope is Emperor Duran!"

Dan forced a cracked smile through split lips.

"Still has that fight huh? Its okay....I know how to break it....piece by piece!"

The hall fell silent. Duran laughed louder than before.

"I already took your leg."

He slowly walked around the wheelchair.

"And don't worry..."

His fingers tapped Dan's remaining knee.

"...I'm not cruel enough to take the other one."

He stopped beside Dan's right arm.

"But this..."

He nodded toward the execution stone nearby.

"...this arm no longer belongs to you."

The pirates overturned the wheelchair and dragged Dan across the stone floor. His right arm was forced into a groove carved into an ancient execution block. Heavy shackles locked around his wrist. Beside him stood an enormous butcher whose scarred hands gripped a cleaver nearly as tall as himself.

The blade rose. Dan squeezed his eyes shut. Not because he feared the pain. Because he refused to let the last thing he ever saw be the smiling face of Odoyo Duran.

*Please...*

*Someone...*

*Anyone...*

And at that moment , high in the sky. An eagle descended into Duran's Kingdom!




The cleaver began its descent.

Then—BOOM.

The entire fortress lurched. Dust cascaded from the vaulted ceiling. The executioner's swing halted inches above Dan's arm. Every pirate looked upward.

"What was that?" Duran barked.

A panicked voice crackled over the radio.

"South wall! Massive impact! Possible missile strike!"

Before anyone could answer—BOOM!

Another detonation. This one closer. The stained-glass windows exploded inward. Outside, black smoke spiraled into the sky. Reports flooded the radios.

"South batteries destroyed!"

"Northern SAM site is gone!"

"We've lost control center!"

"Another strike!"

Then another. And another. The sky itself seemed to split apart. Precision missiles rained across the Crimson Dominion, each impact surgical, each explosion silencing another anti-air emplacement, another watchtower, another armored convoy. In less than a minute the fortressed city that had stood untouched for years was engulfed in fire and smoke.

For the first time since Dan had arrived...Odoyo Duran looked uncertain. Then someone screamed.

"They're coming!"

Two attack helicopters emerged through the smoke, flying impossibly low over the shattered southern wall. They weren't painted with national colors.

They carried no country's insignia. Instead, gleaming upon both fuselages was a golden emblem—A sword. With wings. One pirate dropped his rifle. His face turned ghostly pale.

"No..."

Another grabbed him.

"What is it?"

The pirate's voice shook uncontrollably.

"It's him..."

His words barely escaped his lips.

"It's Michael King!"

Hell descended.

The helicopters roared overhead, their cannons erupting in disciplined bursts. Defensive positions vanished beneath cascading fire. Missile trails carved blazing lines through the smoke as armored vehicles, artillery pieces, and ammunition depots erupted into pillars of flame.

Within minutes the once-proud pirate kingdom was reduced to burning ruins. Then the gunships banked north. They hovered beyond the shattered gate. A transport helicopter settled behind them. One of the Gunship Helicopter's side door rose open like a canopy.


One man stepped onto the scorched earth. Long black hair drifted in the smoke-filled wind. A weathered trench coat reached his knees. A grey combat shirt disappeared beneath tactical gear. Dark aviators concealed his eyes. A silver Archangel ring shined on his finger. An HK416 rested comfortably in one hand.

Behind him marched disciplined operators clad in matching tactical armor, each bearing the same golden sword-and-wings insignia. Without a word...The stranger began walking. One measured step after another through drifting ash. He never hurried. He never looked around. He simply advanced.

A pirate fired first. The stranger answered with a single shot. The pirate collapsed. That lone gunshot became the signal. His operators surged forward in perfect coordination, overwhelming the remaining defenders as the gunships circled overhead, cutting off every avenue of escape. Inside the great hall, panic replaced arrogance.

"They're inside!"

"We're surrounded!"

"Fall back!"

"Protect Lord Duran!"

The great doors exploded inward. Smoke rolled across the floor. A solitary silhouette emerged from the sparks.


He crossed the threshold without slowing. His boots echoed throughout the hall.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

His gaze ignored the pirates. Ignored Duran. Ignored the throne. Instead...It found Dan. For the first time in years. The man removed his aviator glasses. Dan's remaining eye widened. Those eyes. He knew those eyes.

"...Hemant..."

The stranger knelt beside him.

"Sorry Dan!"

A faint smile touched his lips.

"Sorry I was a little late!"

He gently lifted Dan from the execution stone and settled him back into the battered wheelchair.

"Word of your capture came to me a bit later!"

Dan struggled to speak.

"You...came..."

"Of course....you know I will Major!"

His voice had become calmer. Colder.

"But first..."

He turned toward the pirates gathering around Duran.

"...watch."

Dan's head drooped from exhaustion. The stranger snapped sharply. Dan blinked.

"It's..." he whispered.

"...hard..."

The man's voice suddenly thundered across the burning hall.

"That's an order, Lieutenant!"

For one brief instant...Dan didn't hear Michael King. He heard Hemant. His old friend.

The Garud Commander he had once served beside. A shaky smile crossed Dan's face.

"Yes.....sir..."

The stranger reached beneath his trench coat. Steel whispered from its scabbard. The legendary blade emerged.

**Inquisitor.**

Its crown-shaped guard gleamed in the firelight. Every surviving pirate hesitated. Stories had crossed oceans. Whispers told of the Butcher Of Mayfair!

Who walked out masaccering the worst kind of underworld evil on a single night. Who carried a crowned blade that drank the blood of monsters in human flesh. Today...The legend stood before them. The first pirate charged. Michael moved. The sword flashed once. The attack stopped before it truly began. A second rushed him. Then a third. Then ten more.

Steel flowed through the hall with frightening precision. Every movement economical. Every strike deliberate. The pirates found themselves unable to overwhelm him, their attacks breaking apart under his footwork and timing.

Within moments...Only Odoyo Duran remained. The Pirate King roared and swung his massive war hammer. Michael stepped aside. The hammer crashed into stone. Another swing. Another miss. The giant weapon was devastating. But slow. Michael slipped inside its reach. Inquisitor flashed. The hammer's shaft split cleanly in two. Silence. Duran stared at the broken weapon in disbelief. Michael lowered his blade.

"Lord Duran....the self proclaimed King of Somalia....this is where your final chapter is written....by me!"

He took another step.

"The name....is King........Michael King!!!"

The duel ended as swiftly as it had begun. What followed were three brutal strikes , one severed Duran's left arm clean , the next severed his right, and the final one both his legs in a single lethal slash. Blood splattered not only on Duran and on the hall floors, but on Michael as well. Duran collapsed before his throne, defeated. Michael looked back once. Dan, pale and exhausted, met his gaze. There was no hatred in Michael's eyes. Only absolute resolve. He picked up a heavy chain lying beside the throne.

Minutes later, the chain hung from the vaulted ceiling, suspending the now dead Duran above the very throne from which he had once ruled. Michael secured the chain without another word.

Then he turned back to Dan.

"Let's get you home!"

Outside, the Crimson Dominion burned from end to end.

Michael wheeled Dan through the ruined streets while his operators formed a protective cordon around them. Overhead, the attack helicopters circled like iron eagles, ensuring no surviving resistance could threaten the evacuation. The transport helicopter lifted into the smoke-filled sky. Medics immediately surrounded Dan, checking his pulse, administering pain relief, and replacing blood-soaked bandages.

Michael remained beside him. Only once they had cleared the coastline did he pick up the intercom.

"This is Michael King to all units!"

His voice was calm.

"Glass The Crimson Dominion!!!! ERASE THIS FUCKING PLACE FROM THE FACE OF THE EARTH!!!"

Far below, coordinated precision strikes blossomed across the abandoned stronghold, destroying the city fortress that had once been a kingdom of hell. Dan watched the distant fire through half-closed eyes. His body finally surrendered to exhaustion. Before darkness claimed him completely, he felt a steady hand rest gently upon his shoulder. Michael looked down at his oldest friend.

"You can sleep now"

For the first time in days...Dan believed him. His breathing slowed. His muscles relaxed.

As the helicopter disappeared into the sunrise over the Indian Ocean, Dan closed his eye and drifted into peaceful unconsciousness—knowing that, at last, he was safe.

(TO BE CONTD)

[Harry Jordan]

(CHAPTER CONTD)


TWO DAYS LATER, CLEMENCEAU MEDICAL CENTER , DUBAI


When Dan finally opened his eye again, silence greeted him. Not the dreadful silence of a torture chamber. Not the uneasy silence before another beating. This silence was gentle. The air was cool against his skin. Soft white curtains swayed beside a floor-to-ceiling window overlooking Dubai's glittering skyline. The room smelled faintly of fresh linen instead of rust and smoke. Machines hummed rhythmically beside his bed, their steady beeps replacing the screams that had haunted him for days.

For several long moments, Dan simply stared at the ceiling. He was alive. His fingers twitched beneath the blanket. Then he noticed someone sleeping beside him. Sachiko sat curled up in a sliding chair, still wearing the same clothes she had arrived in a day earlier. Her hair had fallen across her face, and dark circles beneath her eyes betrayed countless sleepless nights. One of her hands still rested on the edge of Dan's bed, as though she had refused to let go even while asleep.

A faint smile appeared on Dan's bruised face.

"...Sachi..."

His voice barely escaped his lips. With what little strength remained, he slowly reached toward her. His fingertips brushed against her hand. Sachiko's eyes flew open instantly. For a brief second she simply stared at him, unable to believe what she was seeing. Then tears flooded her eyes.

"Dan..."

She was beside him before another heartbeat passed. Both of her hands gently wrapped around his trembling one.

"I'm here" she whispered, her voice shaking.

"I'm here..."

She carefully brushed a strand of hair away from his forehead, afraid even the smallest touch might hurt him.

"You're safe now."

Dan looked at her through tired eyes. Despite everything...Despite the bandages. Despite the missing leg beneath the blanket. Despite the pain. Seeing her erased the loneliness he had carried since the Crimson Dominion.

"...Where...am I?"

Sachiko smiled through tears.

"Dubai"

She squeezed his hand gently.

"CMC Multispeciality Hospital....You've been in one of their VIP recovery suites for two days."

Dan slowly looked around the luxurious room.

"It...doesn't feel real."

"It is."

Her smile softened. For a while neither of them spoke. Sachiko simply continued holding his hand. She had imagined this moment every hour since his rescue. She had rehearsed countless things she wanted to say. Yet now...None of them mattered. Because he was breathing. That was enough. Eventually, another memory surfaced.

Dan's expression changed.

"...Hemant..."

His voice was barely audible.

"...Did he......leave?"

Sachiko's smile slowly faded. She looked toward the far end of the room. Standing beside the enormous window overlooking Dubai was a lone figure dressed in a charcoal trench coat. His hands rested inside his pockets. He had been watching the city in silence. Almost as though he didn't belong inside peaceful places anymore. Without saying anything, he turned. Michael King walked toward the bed. He stopped beside Dan.

"How are you feeling?"

Dan let out a weak laugh.

"A lot of the pain....is gone..I actually feel.....comfortable"

Michael nodded once

"The doctors say you'll recover"

There was confidence in his voice. Not hope. Certainty. Dan studied the face before him. That mild french beard. The longer hair. The hardened expression. The eyes, however...Those eyes still belonged to the friend he had once laughed beside in military barracks.

"Where were you?"

Michael remained silent. Dan continued.

"Where did you disappear to all these years?"

A long silence filled the room. Finally Michael spoke.

"Being just Hemant...wasn't enough."

His gaze drifted toward the skyline.

"I couldn't fight AZRAEL as just another soldier. They were always several moves ahead. So...I became someone else"

His expression hardened.

"Michael King. Someone the criminals refuse to talk about. Someone the criminal kingdoms fear. Hemant was lost in the way"

Dan listened quietly. Then he asked the question that had weighed upon his heart for over a year.

"I thought.....at least you'd come."

Michael looked back.

"Come where?"

"Kirti's funeral"

For the first time...Dan noticed something unexpected. There was no grief in Michael's face. Only anger. A quiet. Smoldering. Anger. Michael slowly lowered his eyes.

"Sometimes.....life plays a filthy game."

He looked out toward the horizon.

"It makes the coldest truth....look like the worst lie."

He offered nothing more. No explanation. No excuse. Only those cryptic words. Dan realized there were wounds his old friend still refused to uncover. Michael changed the subject.

"Your treatment. I've arranged everything. The surgery. The rehabilitation. The prosthetics. Everything. They're already taken care of"

Sachiko looked at him in surprise.

"You didn't have to—"

"I wanted to."

His answer was immediate. Dan smiled faintly.

"So......you're leaving again."

Michael didn't answer right away. Instead he walked toward the window one last time.

"I live in a dangerous world Dan"

He looked at his own reflection in the glass.

"It consumes places. It destroys families. It turns men into monsters"

He quietly clenched one fist.

"I don't want you to be a part of it!"

He turned back toward Dan.

"If I survive.....one day....I'll come back."

A small smile finally appeared.

"And when I do....it won't be as Michael King. It'll be as Hemant. The friend you deserve"

He looked toward Sachiko.

"Take care of him"

She nodded.

"I will"

Michael gave one final glance toward Dan. Neither of them said goodbye. They didn't need to. Some friendships grew beyond words. He quietly opened the hospital room door. Then disappeared beyond it. The room suddenly felt much quieter. Dan continued staring at the doorway long after it had closed. Sachiko gently moved closer.

Without saying anything, she carefully sat beside him on the bed and rested her forehead against his shoulder, mindful of his injuries. One of her hands remained wrapped around his while the other lightly traced comforting circles across the back of it.

"You had me worried" she whispered, her voice trembling again.

"I was trying to get help but I failed.....I thought I was too late!"

Dan turned his head toward her as much as he could.

"You weren't"

A tear escaped down her cheek.

"I thought I'd never hear you call me 'Sachi' again"

With great effort, Dan lifted their joined hands and gave hers the gentlest squeeze.

"I'm sorry.....for making you cry."

She laughed softly through her tears.

"You idiot. You don't ever apologize for surviving"

Leaning forward carefully, she kissed his forehead, lingering there for a quiet moment before pulling back with a warm smile that reached her tear-filled eyes.

"You rest now. I'll be here when you wake up. And when you wake up again. And every morning after that"

Dan closed his eye once more, no longer because exhaustion forced him to, but because, for the first time in what felt like forever, he felt completely at peace. As sleep slowly carried him away, one thought remained.

Somewhere out there...Michael King was still fighting a war that no one else could see. But deep inside that feared legend...Dan knew his old friend Hemant was still alive.

And someday...He hoped they would meet again—not as a vigilante and a survivor, but simply as two brothers who had finally found their way home.


RETURN TO PRESENT, DAN'S HOUSE, NEW DELHI


"But that day never came.....that was the last time I saw him. Few years later through Sachiko , I learned he went through another tragedy. He lost another set of loved ones , and this time it shattered him. Even when he returned to Mumbai , he didn't come to me. I tried contacting twice , I seeked Sachiko's help in reconnecting with him but she stopped me. Saying judging by the condition Hemant was in , it was best I stayed away. And now here we are!"


The last rays of the setting sun bled across the skyline of Delhi as silence settled between them. Dan had spoken for hours, and now there was nothing left to say. Across from him, Sonarika remained slumped in her chair, staring blankly at the floor. The tears had stopped only because there were none left to cry. Her swollen eyes burned, her cheeks ached, and every breath felt heavier than the last. She had spent years believing that there had always been certain hollow gaps in Hemant's life—a part of him she could never reach. Today, those gaps were filled. But those gaps weren't filled with indifference, nor secrets born of mistrust. It was unimaginable pain.


"I always keep him in my prayers....hope that oneday everything works for him , after all the sacrifices he has made. I just wished that fate was kind to him"

Dan quietly folded his hands together before speaking one last time.

"You met a man who had already been shattered long before you ever knew him. And yet... you were the one who made him believe he could be whole again"

His eyes softened.

"If there's anything I can ask of you... give him one more chance. Hemant has already lost enough people in his life. More than anything else, he deserves peace. Maybe... you're still the woman who can give him that"

The drive back home passed in complete silence. The traffic lights changed from red to green, horns echoed through the evening streets, and people hurried home after another ordinary day. Yet inside Sonarika's mind, nothing was ordinary anymore. Every story Dan had shared replayed with agonizing clarity. Hemant, the fearless Garuda Force commando charging into impossible missions without hesitation. Kirti—the courageous Air Force pilot who chose to crash a bomb-laden cargo aircraft into the sea, sacrificing herself to save an entire airbase. Michael King—the feared vigilante whose name criminals whispered with terror.

Those stories should have made her admire him for his courage. Instead, what refused to leave her heart was not the legend... but the lonely man beneath it all. A man who had buried lover after lover, friend after friend, piece after piece of his own heart, and somehow still found the strength to smile. Suddenly, everything she had once misunderstood became painfully clear. The nightmares that jolted him awake in the middle of the night. The haunted look in his eyes whenever she asked if he was alright when he woke up. The spasms in his sleep. The quiet moments when he would simply hold Karan without saying a word. And finally... the day she confessed her affair with Vikram. She had thought his heart stopped because of betrayal. No. It stopped because the last person he had entrusted with his heart had broken it once again. Hemant had survived bullets, wars, and gang empires. But losing love for a third time had been the wound he could no longer endure.

When she reached her parents' home, Sonarika instinctively forced a smile before stepping inside. Jagjeet welcomed her warmly while Meenakshi immediately asked whether she had eaten. Anjali dramatically groaned the moment she saw her elder sister.

"Take your son back tomorrow" she complained, folding her arms.

"He has enough energy for three of him!"

From the living room, the little boy burst into laughter as he proudly showed off a fort he had built from cushions, making everyone chuckle. Sonarika laughed with them, masking the storm inside her heart. But tonight, the house looked different. Her parents chatted happily over dinner, completely unaware that their daughter's marriage stood on the edge of collapse... unaware that the fault lay with her.


Anjali joked without realizing the couple she admired had already signed divorce papers and were only waiting for the legal cooling period to end. Karan happily stuffed food into his mouth, blissfully ignorant that his family was quietly breaking apart around him. As they all shared the simple comfort of a homemade dinner, Sonarika realized just how precious ordinary happiness truly was—and how recklessly she had endangered it.

Later that night, after helping Karan brush his teeth and tucking him into bed beside his aunt, Sonarika lingered by the doorway for a moment. She watched her son curl up beneath his blanket, already drifting into peaceful sleep, while Anjali absentmindedly scrolled through her phone beside him. A faint smile crossed her lips before she quietly closed the door. Returning to her own room, she reached for her phone and dialed Neha, her therapist.

"I'd like to schedule another session" she said softly.

There was a confidence in her voice that hadn't existed weeks ago. The healing had been slow, painful, and often humiliating—but it had begun. When the call ended, she walked toward the window seat overlooking the quiet neighborhood. The city lights glittered beneath the vast night sky, and for the first time in a long while, the silence around her felt less suffocating.



Her eyes drifted toward the photograph resting on the bedside table. She picked it up with trembling hands. There they all were—Hemant standing proudly with one arm around her, Anjali making an exaggerated peace sign beside them, little Karan laughing in his father's arms. Four smiling faces frozen in a happier time. Sonarika pressed the frame gently against her chest as fresh tears blurred her vision.


Dan's words echoed through her mind once more. Hemant had once dreamed of having a family with Kirti. Fate had stolen that future from him. Yet somehow, life had given him another chance. With her, he had found that dream again. A wife. A child. A home filled with laughter. For ten beautiful years... he had lived the life he thought destiny had forever denied him. And then she had shattered that dream with her own hands.


The guilt was crushing. It settled over her like an unbearable weight until she struggled to breathe. But beneath that crushing guilt came another realization—one that slowly pushed against the darkness. Hemant had lost almost everything life could take from a man. Still, every time he fell, he found the courage to stand again. If he could keep believing in tomorrow after carrying so much grief... then what excuse did she have to spend the rest of her life drowning in self-hatred?


She carefully returned the photograph to its place and wiped away the tears that had soaked her cheeks. The woman reflected in the dark window was still flawed. Still guilty. Still carrying the consequences of choices she could never erase. But she was no longer the woman who believed guilt alone was redemption. Redemption demanded action. It demanded becoming someone worthy of forgiveness—whether or not that forgiveness ever came.


She did not know if Hemant would ever accept her again. She did not know whether their marriage could still be saved before the divorce became final. Those answers belonged to the future. But tonight, she made a promise to herself beneath the stars. She would stop mourning only what she had lost and start fighting for what still remained.


For Karan. For her family. For the woman she still had time to become. And perhaps... one day... for the broken man who had unknowingly inspired her to rise from her own ruins, just as he had risen from his countless times before. With that quiet resolve warming her heart, Sonarika turned off the light, lay down in bed, and for the first time in many months, closed her eyes not in despair—but with a resolve.

END OF CHAPTER 36

[Harry Jordan]

Next Week , Witness the Rise Of Sonarika, The Devourer Queen. Her journey of revenge, passion and revelation as she embraces her own truth!

[Harry Jordan]

Apologies for the structure of this chapter. This site decided to butcher my chapter structure since their "new reply" is going through some problems. I'll re-edit the chapter once that issue is solved. Still trying to figure out the gif thing to stylize my story but regardless I hope you guys enjoy this special chapter!

[sarit11]

https://pixhost.to/show/6610/789388367_s...130411.png

my dear friend

use "Quick Reply" Box to post story or comments

server side problem to all, taking time to resolve

until the problem is solved let us adjust

[Demeter]

This look back at Hemant’s/MK’s life has revealed a great deal, but above all it has revealed Hemant as a person - with all his fears, hopes and his search for inner peace and happiness.
And all of this is crowned by Sonarika’s emotional inner voice, which brings this chapter to a close and opens a new one.

* ... But tonight, she made a promise to herself beneath the stars. She would stop mourning only what she had lost and start fighting for what still remained.
For Karan. For her family. For the woman she still had time to become. And perhaps... one day... for the broken man who had unknowingly inspired her to rise from her own ruins, just as he had risen from his countless times before. *

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Demeter

[Demeter]

Hi Harry,
Have you managed to get your laptop working yet, or have you perhaps bought a new one?
I had a bit of a look just for fun: shipping it from Germany to India would cost almost as much, or even more (the price depends on the brand, as well as the built-in software and programmes), than a new laptop.
If you were nearby (Germany, Austria, Italy), I’d have given you my 14-month-old laptop. An ‘HP’ with a 19-inch screen.

Will you be able to publish Chapter 37 this weekend? That would be brilliant, of course, and would really sweeten our weekend.

In this sense,
all the best!

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Demeter

[Harry Jordan]

Thank you for providing this humble help Demeter,

But I am getting a new one by mid November. I had already completed most of Chapter 37 before the mishap happened. Just need to edit some stuffs and tweak it. For now the schedule is the same, I plan to post it by this weekend. However, the Chapter after this will come much later as I will be working on future chapters only after my Laptop arrives. I believe the next chapter will give everyone enough material for that delay so they don't feel the story's update isn't lagged. But I am still adjusting to the problems in this site since the "reply" thing will take time to solve. However there is no delay for Chapter 37, it will be coming online either on Saturday or on Sunday.