22-11-2025, 01:27 PM
Chapter 45: Sari (Act 12)
The pale morning light filtered through the train window as Rahim stirred awake, his body stiff from the night’s events. He glanced at Sari, still asleep on the lower bunk, her chest rising and falling gently. Her face was peaceful, devoid of the turmoil that had plagued her just hours ago. She doesn’t remember, he thought grimly. And she shouldn’t have to.
Quietly, he rose and freshened up in the tiny ensuite bathroom, washing away the dried blood from his knuckles. His reflection in the mirror looked haggard, but there was a resolve in his eyes that hadn’t been there before. He dressed quickly and slipped out of the compartment, heading to the dining car to fetch breakfast.
When he returned, Sari was sitting up, rubbing her eyes. “Good morning,” she said sleepily, her voice soft.
“Morning,” Rahim replied, setting down a tray of food, steaming chai, warm parathas, and fresh fruit. “I got breakfast.”
Sari smiled faintly. “Thank you. I didn’t even hear you leave.”
Rahim hesitated, his jaw tightening as he sat across from her. “Sari… we need to talk about last night.”
Her brow furrowed. “Last night? We went to watch the mountain pass with Risal, right? The view was beautiful. I think I… fell asleep after we drank some tea.” She paused, her expression clouding slightly.
“How did I get back here?”
Rahim took a deep breath. “Sari… it wasn’t just tea. Risal spiked it. He was trying to...” His voice broke, and he clenched his fists. “He tried to take advantage of you.”
Sari’s eyes widened in horror. “What? No… Risal seemed so nice. He just wanted to show me the view. He even gave me his phone as a sign of trust.”
“That was part of his game,” Rahim said, his tone sharp but not unkind. “He’s done this before. I found him in a cabin with you. You were barely conscious. If I hadn’t woken up… if I hadn’t checked on you...” He stopped, unable to finish the thought.
Tears welled up in Sari’s eyes. “I… I didn’t know. I’m so sorry, Rahim. I should’ve listened to you. Why do guys only want one thing from me? First my boss, now Risal…” She buried her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking.
Rahim reached across the table, placing a hand on hers. “Not all men are like that, Sari. Someday, when you’re older, you’ll meet the right guy who’ll cherish you and take care of you. Someone who sees you for who you are, not what they can take from you.”
Sari looked up, her tear-streaked face filled with gratitude and guilt. “You saved me again, Rahim. I don’t know how to thank you.”
“Just be safe,” Rahim said softly, wiping away a tear of his own. His thoughts drifted to Lina, his wife, and how fiercely he would protect her if she were in Sari’s place. I won’t let anyone hurt you again, he vowed silently.
After breakfast, Rahim stood guard outside the bathroom as Sari freshened up. When she emerged, looking more composed, they shared a quiet meal together, the weight of the night’s events hanging between them.
By noon, the train pulled into the station at Tanjung Harapan. Rahim and Sari gathered their luggage and boarded a bus for the final leg of the journey to her hometown. The one hour ride passed in relative silence, each lost in their thoughts.
When they arrived at the small station, Sari’s family was already waiting, her father, mother with a four-month old infant, and two younger siblings. They They’re of Indian origin and their faces lit up as Sari stepped off the bus, and they enveloped her in a tight embrace.
“Sari! We’ve missed you so much,” her mother said, tears streaming down her cheeks.
“Welcome home,” her father added, his voice gruff with emotion.
Sari introduced Rahim. “This is Rahim. He… he’s been like an elder brother to me. He saved me from my boss at work and made sure I got home safely.”
Her father clasped Rahim’s hand firmly. “Thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.”
Rahim nodded humbly. “It was the right thing to do.”
They walked to the family’s modest home, where Sari’s father led Rahim to a spare room next to the house. “It’s not much, but it’s clean and private,” he said apologetically.
“It’s perfect,” Rahim assured him.
Over dinner, the family caught up on Sari’s life in the city, though she carefully omitted the darker details. Rahim listened quietly, occasionally sharing stories of his own family back home.
From the conversations with the family, Rahim only realised that Sari has just turned 20. Her mum, Maya married quite young with her father who is 15 years older than her. Maya blushed trying to look away from Rahim's glances while tending to her baby as Sari narrates her family structure to Rahim.
As night fell, the family retired to their rooms, and Rahim prepared for bed in the storage room that is outside of Sari's family home perimeters. Sari knocked softly on his door before leaving.
“Rahim… thank you again. For everything.” Her voice trembled slightly, but there was a newfound strength in her eyes.
“Sleep well, Sari,” he said gently. “You’re safe now.”
She nodded, closing the door behind her. Rahim lay down on the makeshift bed, staring at the ceiling. His thoughts were a mix of relief and lingering tension. She’s home, he thought. She’s safe.
Once in her own room, Sari lay awake for a while, replaying Rahim’s words in her mind. Someday, I’ll meet the right guy. For the first time in weeks, she felt a flicker of hope, a belief that maybe, just maybe, the future could be better than the past.
The pale morning light filtered through the train window as Rahim stirred awake, his body stiff from the night’s events. He glanced at Sari, still asleep on the lower bunk, her chest rising and falling gently. Her face was peaceful, devoid of the turmoil that had plagued her just hours ago. She doesn’t remember, he thought grimly. And she shouldn’t have to.
Quietly, he rose and freshened up in the tiny ensuite bathroom, washing away the dried blood from his knuckles. His reflection in the mirror looked haggard, but there was a resolve in his eyes that hadn’t been there before. He dressed quickly and slipped out of the compartment, heading to the dining car to fetch breakfast.
When he returned, Sari was sitting up, rubbing her eyes. “Good morning,” she said sleepily, her voice soft.
“Morning,” Rahim replied, setting down a tray of food, steaming chai, warm parathas, and fresh fruit. “I got breakfast.”
Sari smiled faintly. “Thank you. I didn’t even hear you leave.”
Rahim hesitated, his jaw tightening as he sat across from her. “Sari… we need to talk about last night.”
Her brow furrowed. “Last night? We went to watch the mountain pass with Risal, right? The view was beautiful. I think I… fell asleep after we drank some tea.” She paused, her expression clouding slightly.
“How did I get back here?”
Rahim took a deep breath. “Sari… it wasn’t just tea. Risal spiked it. He was trying to...” His voice broke, and he clenched his fists. “He tried to take advantage of you.”
Sari’s eyes widened in horror. “What? No… Risal seemed so nice. He just wanted to show me the view. He even gave me his phone as a sign of trust.”
“That was part of his game,” Rahim said, his tone sharp but not unkind. “He’s done this before. I found him in a cabin with you. You were barely conscious. If I hadn’t woken up… if I hadn’t checked on you...” He stopped, unable to finish the thought.
Tears welled up in Sari’s eyes. “I… I didn’t know. I’m so sorry, Rahim. I should’ve listened to you. Why do guys only want one thing from me? First my boss, now Risal…” She buried her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking.
Rahim reached across the table, placing a hand on hers. “Not all men are like that, Sari. Someday, when you’re older, you’ll meet the right guy who’ll cherish you and take care of you. Someone who sees you for who you are, not what they can take from you.”
Sari looked up, her tear-streaked face filled with gratitude and guilt. “You saved me again, Rahim. I don’t know how to thank you.”
“Just be safe,” Rahim said softly, wiping away a tear of his own. His thoughts drifted to Lina, his wife, and how fiercely he would protect her if she were in Sari’s place. I won’t let anyone hurt you again, he vowed silently.
After breakfast, Rahim stood guard outside the bathroom as Sari freshened up. When she emerged, looking more composed, they shared a quiet meal together, the weight of the night’s events hanging between them.
By noon, the train pulled into the station at Tanjung Harapan. Rahim and Sari gathered their luggage and boarded a bus for the final leg of the journey to her hometown. The one hour ride passed in relative silence, each lost in their thoughts.
When they arrived at the small station, Sari’s family was already waiting, her father, mother with a four-month old infant, and two younger siblings. They They’re of Indian origin and their faces lit up as Sari stepped off the bus, and they enveloped her in a tight embrace.
“Sari! We’ve missed you so much,” her mother said, tears streaming down her cheeks.
“Welcome home,” her father added, his voice gruff with emotion.
Sari introduced Rahim. “This is Rahim. He… he’s been like an elder brother to me. He saved me from my boss at work and made sure I got home safely.”
Her father clasped Rahim’s hand firmly. “Thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.”
Rahim nodded humbly. “It was the right thing to do.”
They walked to the family’s modest home, where Sari’s father led Rahim to a spare room next to the house. “It’s not much, but it’s clean and private,” he said apologetically.
“It’s perfect,” Rahim assured him.
Over dinner, the family caught up on Sari’s life in the city, though she carefully omitted the darker details. Rahim listened quietly, occasionally sharing stories of his own family back home.
From the conversations with the family, Rahim only realised that Sari has just turned 20. Her mum, Maya married quite young with her father who is 15 years older than her. Maya blushed trying to look away from Rahim's glances while tending to her baby as Sari narrates her family structure to Rahim.
As night fell, the family retired to their rooms, and Rahim prepared for bed in the storage room that is outside of Sari's family home perimeters. Sari knocked softly on his door before leaving.
“Rahim… thank you again. For everything.” Her voice trembled slightly, but there was a newfound strength in her eyes.
“Sleep well, Sari,” he said gently. “You’re safe now.”
She nodded, closing the door behind her. Rahim lay down on the makeshift bed, staring at the ceiling. His thoughts were a mix of relief and lingering tension. She’s home, he thought. She’s safe.
Once in her own room, Sari lay awake for a while, replaying Rahim’s words in her mind. Someday, I’ll meet the right guy. For the first time in weeks, she felt a flicker of hope, a belief that maybe, just maybe, the future could be better than the past.
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