Vihaan's smirk grew wider as he rubbed his cheek, his eyes blazing with intensity.
"Wow, I didn't expect that," he said, his voice laced with amusement. "You're a wildcat, Gauri."
He clutched her arms, his grip tightening as he yanked her closer. His breath was sharp, his words like poison.
"When those men were touching you… where was your hand? You were enjoying it, weren't you? Or do you only feign decency in front of me?"
The venom in his tone made Gauri's stomach twist. Anger and humiliation surged through her veins.
With a sudden shove, Vihaan threw her back onto the bed. Gauri's heart pounded, fear and adrenaline colliding in her chest as she pushed herself up, trembling.
Vihaan leaned down, his hot breath brushing her ear, each word cutting like a blade.
"You're not worth it, Gauri," he hissed, his voice dripping with malice. "Even if you were the last woman on earth, I wouldn't lay a finger on you. You reek of disgust."
Gauri's eyes stung with tears as the sting of his words hit deeper than any slap. She tried to shove him away, but his grip on her arms only tightened, pinning her in place.
His eyes blazed with contempt as he spat the words, each syllable like a lash.
"You're nothing but a cheap, disposable toy. And I'm not interested in playing with trash."
From his pocket, Vihaan pulled out a wad of cash. With a sharp flick of his wrist, he threw it at her, the bills scattering across the bed and floor like an insult carved in paper.
"This is your worth," he sneered, his eyes gleaming with cold disdain. "Nothing more than a commodity to be bought and sold."
Humiliation burned hotter than fire as Gauri stared at the crumpled notes around her. Her throat closed; the words she wanted to scream stayed trapped, suffocating inside her.
Then, Vihaan's phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen, his expression shifting instantly from disgust to focus.
"Harsh found the room with the consignment," he muttered, his jaw tightening as calculation replaced anger. His eyes narrowed, the mission dragging him back to reality.
Vihaan turned on his heel and stormed out of the room, leaving Gauri alone amidst the scattered cash. The sharp slam of the door echoed like a final insult.
Her legs gave out beneath her, and she collapsed onto the bed. Sobs tore through her chest, shaking her as his cruel words replayed in her head, each one cutting deeper than the last.
"You're nothing but a cheap, disposable toy."
"This is your worth."
The humiliation clawed at her, suffocating her in a sea of shame. But as her tears soaked into the pillow, something inside her stirred — something stronger than the pain.
She remembered why she was here. She hadn't chosen this path for herself. She had endured every insult, every humiliation, for Charvi. For her little sister, whose life now depended on her.
Gauri's trembling hand wiped the tears from her cheeks, her eyes hardening with resolve. Slowly, she sat up, her back straightening as her sorrow gave way to fire.
"I don't care what Mr. Vihaan thinks of me," she whispered to herself, her voice still raw but laced with steel. "I can do anything for Charvi. I'll endure it all, I'll survive this… and I'll make sure my sister is safe, no matter what it takes."
The words filled her with a fierce strength, a flame that burned brighter than her shame.
But then — her heart lurched.
Gunshots split the air outside, sharp and sudden. Screams followed, chaos erupting in the corridor beyond her door. Gauri froze, her pulse thundering as fear surged through her veins. The walls seemed to close in, every sound magnified.
What was happening out there? Was Charvi in danger?
Gauri cautiously opened the door, her heart pounding in her chest. The brothel was in complete pandemonium. Girls ran in every direction, some shrieking, others weeping, while men shoved their way through the smoke and chaos, desperate to escape. The sharp crack of gunfire echoed through the halls, mingling with the sound of shattering glass and overturned furniture.
Her eyes widened as she grabbed the arm of a terrified girl rushing past. "What's happening?" Gauri demanded, her voice trembling.
The girl's face was pale, her eyes darting around in panic. "Police officers… they've infiltrated the place. They're shutting everything down!" she blurted out before wrenching her arm free and vanishing into the stampede.
Gauri's breath caught. Police? For a fleeting second, hope surged in her chest — could this be Vihaan and his team? But the thought was quickly drowned by panic. If the police were raiding the brothel, where was Charvi? Was she safe?
Her sister's frightened face flashed before her eyes, tied up and helpless in Dianaswari's phone. Gauri's nails dug into her palms. She couldn't waste another second.