It’s almost July. The monsoon has arrived, and the rain is falling like it’s punishing me. Lightning strikes loudly. Everyone loves this kind of weather, but I hate the rain. Every time I see it, I feel like it wants to hurt me again, to kill me. And every time, a dark, painful, ugly flashback returns—though I can’t remember what exactly happened in my past.

I look up at the dark sky. It’s almost 12:30 AM, midnight, and the rain is pouring heavily. Before I can stop it, the flashback hits again.

I’m running through dark, dark woods. No one is around—it’s so dark that it terrifies me. Could this be my end? Someone is following me. He wants to kill me. No—I don’t want to die. I want to scream for help, but fear steals my voice: fear of being murdered by him. I have to run.

I keep running through the woods. My feet hurt badly; I’ve injured my foot. I can’t run fast, but I have to. If I stop, he will kill me. I used to love the rain, but now it feels like it wants me to die. The rain falls harder, lightning strikes louder, and I’m more scared than ever. Someone, please help me—I don’t want to die.

I can’t see clearly in these dark woods. I keep running but sense someone closing in. No, no, this can’t be him, right? But as they come closer, I run faster in the rain—and suddenly, I fall from a height. I still can’t see clearly, but I catch a glimpse of a blurry black-masked man. Then he disappears into the woods again. I’m falling, and all I can feel is the rain… the rain that wants to kill me.

And her eyes.

Big, scared, yet fierce. Eyes that looked into mine like they knew me—like they needed to save me.

She held me, trembling but brave, whispering something I never fully caught.

I try to take breath but no,breathless. My head hurts. I can’t remember why I was in those dark woods. Who was following me that night? Is any of this true? I don’t know. I can’t breathe. Why was I there?and whose eyes comes to flashback?who was she? And why she save me ? I don't remember anything? Just a broken flashback!

I take a deep breath, trying to steady myself. It’s just a flashback.

A flashback of that night—

The night I was kidnapped.

But no matter how hard I try, I can’t remember it clearly. Uncle once told me I escaped from the kidnappers and was found unconscious in the middle of the forest.

But deep down, I know there’s more—something I’ve forgotten.

Something important.

And since that night... I’ve hated the rain.

Because every time it falls, those flashes come back. That chilling feeling. That memory I can’t quite reach.

Like the rain is trying to remind me of something I’m not ready to remember.

And then—

Those eyes.

Eyes that look like they belong to an angel. And a voice… soft, scared, but full of strength—like a little girl’s voice, echoing in my mind:

“I will protect you, Ranvijay.”

Again and again, those words haunt me.

Did she save me that night?

I don’t know.

I’ve forgotten her face, her name… everything.

All I remember are those eyes—and the promise she made.

Suddenly, I feel a hand on my shoulder. A little relief and warmth. Now I can breathe. I open my eyes and see my best friend Akshat standing beside me, giving me strength.

“Don’t think about it, dude,” he says, his voice worried but steady.

I look at him—Akshat, my best friend since childhood. We stepped into this dark world of crime together, and now, we stand at the top—feared and untouchable, the most powerful mafia duo in all of Asia.

He knows me better than anyone…

He knows how much I hate the rain.

He knows the reason behind the shadows in my eyes—those haunting flashbacks I can never outrun.

I glance up at the sky—

The rain has finally stopped, and a wave of relief slowly washes over me, calming the storm inside... even if just for a moment.

We’re in the car, heading to a club for an important meeting.

Outside the window, the rain has finally stopped—and for a moment, I feel a small wave of relief.

Akshat is focused on his iPad, working silently. But I can sense the tension.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, my voice serious.

He glances at me. His eyes show little emotion, but the tension is still there.

“Nothing,” he mutters.

I sigh, leaning back.

“Don’t worry about the meeting. Everything’s going to be fine,” I say. But we both know—this one isn’t going to be simple.

We’re meeting a high-ranked drug dealer.

He thinks we’ve agreed to let him distribute drugs freely across India.

But the truth is—he’s walking straight into a trap.

A smirk pulls at my lips. He has no idea what’s coming.

Akshat is hacking into the club’s security system, checking for any traps the dealer might’ve laid.

The car stops in front of the city’s largest club.

We step out. Cold expressions on our faces. That dangerous aura surrounds us like armor.

I scan the surroundings.

“He’s got men watching our every move,” Akshat says, tension thick in his voice.

I nearly laugh.

“Let them watch. Tell our guards not to harm any of them… I want his men to watch him die.”

A dark smirk appears on my lips.

Akshat chuckles beside me. He expected nothing less.

We walk down the club’s back corridor—dim, eerie, dangerous.

It leads to the final room.

Inside, the lights are low. Only one dim bulb flickers in the corner.

A tall, middle-aged man stands there. He thinks we’re here to make a deal.

“Didn’t expect the two most powerful mafias to accept a drug deal,” he says, forcing a smug smile.

“Yes… because we needed drugs. Or maybe… we needed to know who was supplying drugs in schools and colleges?”

My voice drips with menace.

He takes a step back. Good. He should be scared.

“Let’s just talk business,” Akshat says smoothly.

A dark smile lingers on my lips. I watch the man carefully.

“Y-Yes… l-let’s make a deal,” he stutters.

I step forward.

“Yes, let’s.”

The tension grows. The room tightens.

He takes another step back. I take another step forward—like a predator stalking its prey.

“The deal is this,” I pause, letting the fear crawl into his skin.

“You tell me who protects you—who’s behind these school drug distributions. If you’re honest, I will let you go. If not…” I tilt my head, eyes ice-cold. “…you’ll die slowly. In pain.”

He trembles. He’s cracking.

Then, suddenly—he laughs.

Backup?

“Guards! Kill them!” he shouts.

No one comes.

“I said, kill them!”

Still silence.

Then Akshat laughs—a sharp, dangerous sound.

“No one’s coming,” he says coldly.

“Your men were taken out before we even arrived.” It’s a lie. All his men are here… but none of them will come out. Our guards already took care of them—flawlessly.”

The dealer drops to his knees, begging for his life.

I grab him by the hair, yanking his head up.

“I might have let you live… if you hadn’t tried to kill us,” I growl.

I press the gun to his head.

“Now. Who is behind you?”

“M-Mr. Khurana,” he stutters.

Bang.

He drops dead.

But my mind is already racing.

Mr. Khurana. Our greatest enemy.

And now—he’s made his move.

I glance at Akshat. He’s already watching me.

He knows.

“I want everything on Mr. Khurana. Every. Detail,” I say coldly.

He nods without a word.

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