20-09-2025, 08:54 AM
(This post was last modified: 20-09-2025, 08:54 AM by matiba2025213. Edited 1 time in total. Edited 1 time in total.)
Chapter 36: The return (Act 10)
Lina clung to Rahim, her face streaked with tears, as the security officer quickly ushered them into a squad car. The drive to the station was silent except for the sound of her quiet sobs. At the station, they were led into a small interrogation room where another officer waited, pen poised over a notepad.
“Can you tell us what happened?” the officer asked, his voice calm but probing.
Lina took a deep breath, her hands trembling as she began to recount her carefully fabricated story. “We were all doing stock checking in the store,” she said, her voice shaky but clear. “I had a slip and hurt myself. Ravi and Kumar offered to help me rest in the back room, but… but once we were inside, they started undressing themselves.” She paused, wiping away fresh tears. “They tried to force themselves on me, but they got into a fight over who would go first. It got so violent… I managed to run out and call the security officer.”
The officer frowned, jotting down notes. “And the knives? How did those get involved?”
Lina hesitated for a moment, her mind racing. “They… they threatened me with them earlier,” she lied, her voice trembling. “They said if I didn’t submit, they’d hurt me.
But then they turned on each other instead. Neither of them wanted to be second…” Her voice broke, and she buried her face in her hands. Rahim’s face turned pale, his fists clenching as he listened. “Those bastards,” he muttered under his breath, his voice thick with anger and guilt. He turned to Lina, pulling her into a tight embrace. “I’m so sorry, Lina. I should’ve been there. I should’ve protected you.”
Lina looked up at him, her eyes filled with tears. “It’s not your fault,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “You couldn’t have known… but they’ve always been perverts. I told you before, didn’t I?”
Rahim nodded, his jaw tightening. “You did… and I didn’t listen. I’m so sorry.”
The news of the incident spread like wildfire through the neighborhood. Reporters camped outside the shop, their cameras flashing and microphones shoved in every direction, trying to piece together the sensational story. Inside her flat, Lina stayed hidden, avoiding the chaos outside. She knew the truth was too dangerous to share even with Rahim.
A few days later, the wives of Ravi and Kumar came to visit her. They sat awkwardly in the living room, their faces drawn with grief and shame.
“We… we heard what happened,” Ravi’s wife said hesitantly. “We just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”
Kumar’s wife nodded, her eyes red from crying. “We knew our husbands… had their eyes on you. We never thought it would come to this.”
Lina lowered her gaze, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. “Thank you for understanding,” she said softly. “I’m just glad it’s over.”
As the wives left, Lina felt a strange mix of relief and guilt. While she mourned the lives lost, she couldn’t deny the overwhelming sense of freedom that came with knowing her secrets were safe and that Ravi and Kumar were no longer a threat.
The shop remained closed for a month as the security officer completed their investigation and the cleanup crew scrubbed away the gruesome evidence from the scene. The families of the deceased held a week-long mourning period, their cries of grief echoing through the neighborhood.
One evening, as Lina and Rahim sat together in their flat, the weight of the past weeks hung heavy in the air.
“Do you think we can ever move past this?” Rahim asked quietly, his voice filled with doubt.
Lina placed a hand on his arm, looking into his eyes. “We’ll get through this together,” she said firmly. “But we need to focus on rebuilding our lives. The shop… our marriage… our child....everything.”
Rahim nodded, though his expression remained troubled. “I can’t stop thinking about what could’ve happened if things went differently,” he admitted. “If I had been there…”
“Don’t do this to yourself,” Lina interrupted gently but firmly. “What’s done is done. We can’t change the past, but we can choose how we move forward.”
For the first time since the incident, a faint smile touched Rahim’s lips. “You’re right,” he said, pulling her closer. “As long as we have each other, we’ll be okay.”
Lina rested her head on his shoulder, her mind drifting to the future. The nightmare was over, and for now, that was enough. Lina rested her head on his shoulder, her mind drifting to the future. The nightmare was over, and for now, that was enough.
Lina clung to Rahim, her face streaked with tears, as the security officer quickly ushered them into a squad car. The drive to the station was silent except for the sound of her quiet sobs. At the station, they were led into a small interrogation room where another officer waited, pen poised over a notepad.
“Can you tell us what happened?” the officer asked, his voice calm but probing.
Lina took a deep breath, her hands trembling as she began to recount her carefully fabricated story. “We were all doing stock checking in the store,” she said, her voice shaky but clear. “I had a slip and hurt myself. Ravi and Kumar offered to help me rest in the back room, but… but once we were inside, they started undressing themselves.” She paused, wiping away fresh tears. “They tried to force themselves on me, but they got into a fight over who would go first. It got so violent… I managed to run out and call the security officer.”
The officer frowned, jotting down notes. “And the knives? How did those get involved?”
Lina hesitated for a moment, her mind racing. “They… they threatened me with them earlier,” she lied, her voice trembling. “They said if I didn’t submit, they’d hurt me.
But then they turned on each other instead. Neither of them wanted to be second…” Her voice broke, and she buried her face in her hands. Rahim’s face turned pale, his fists clenching as he listened. “Those bastards,” he muttered under his breath, his voice thick with anger and guilt. He turned to Lina, pulling her into a tight embrace. “I’m so sorry, Lina. I should’ve been there. I should’ve protected you.”
Lina looked up at him, her eyes filled with tears. “It’s not your fault,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “You couldn’t have known… but they’ve always been perverts. I told you before, didn’t I?”
Rahim nodded, his jaw tightening. “You did… and I didn’t listen. I’m so sorry.”
The news of the incident spread like wildfire through the neighborhood. Reporters camped outside the shop, their cameras flashing and microphones shoved in every direction, trying to piece together the sensational story. Inside her flat, Lina stayed hidden, avoiding the chaos outside. She knew the truth was too dangerous to share even with Rahim.
A few days later, the wives of Ravi and Kumar came to visit her. They sat awkwardly in the living room, their faces drawn with grief and shame.
“We… we heard what happened,” Ravi’s wife said hesitantly. “We just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”
Kumar’s wife nodded, her eyes red from crying. “We knew our husbands… had their eyes on you. We never thought it would come to this.”
Lina lowered her gaze, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. “Thank you for understanding,” she said softly. “I’m just glad it’s over.”
As the wives left, Lina felt a strange mix of relief and guilt. While she mourned the lives lost, she couldn’t deny the overwhelming sense of freedom that came with knowing her secrets were safe and that Ravi and Kumar were no longer a threat.
The shop remained closed for a month as the security officer completed their investigation and the cleanup crew scrubbed away the gruesome evidence from the scene. The families of the deceased held a week-long mourning period, their cries of grief echoing through the neighborhood.
One evening, as Lina and Rahim sat together in their flat, the weight of the past weeks hung heavy in the air.
“Do you think we can ever move past this?” Rahim asked quietly, his voice filled with doubt.
Lina placed a hand on his arm, looking into his eyes. “We’ll get through this together,” she said firmly. “But we need to focus on rebuilding our lives. The shop… our marriage… our child....everything.”
Rahim nodded, though his expression remained troubled. “I can’t stop thinking about what could’ve happened if things went differently,” he admitted. “If I had been there…”
“Don’t do this to yourself,” Lina interrupted gently but firmly. “What’s done is done. We can’t change the past, but we can choose how we move forward.”
For the first time since the incident, a faint smile touched Rahim’s lips. “You’re right,” he said, pulling her closer. “As long as we have each other, we’ll be okay.”
Lina rested her head on his shoulder, her mind drifting to the future. The nightmare was over, and for now, that was enough. Lina rested her head on his shoulder, her mind drifting to the future. The nightmare was over, and for now, that was enough.
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