The train stood motionless in the middle of darkness.
No station lights.
No announcements.
No explanation.
Only wind brushing against metal and the heavy silence inside Coach B2.
Kabir didn't move.
The two men stood in front of him, close enough that he could see the faint outline of an earpiece tucked inside one of their collars.
"Step aside," the taller one said calmly.
Kabir tilted his head slightly. "Problem?"
"We're conducting a security check."
"In the middle of nowhere?" Kabir replied.
The man's eyes hardened. "Step. Aside."
Behind Kabir, Aanya's breathing was uneven.
Other passengers were starting to notice the tension.
An old man cleared his throat nervously. "Is there an issue?"
Kabir glanced over his shoulder briefly.
"Yes," he said. "There might be."
The second man reached into his jacket.
Not for a badge.
For something heavier.
Kabir reacted instantly.
He grabbed the man's wrist and twisted sharply. A small suppressed pistol slipped halfway out before falling back into the jacket.
Gasps erupted in the compartment.
The taller man lunged forward.
Kabir blocked, elbowed him in the ribs, then shoved him backward into a side berth. The narrow aisle made it difficult, but Kabir used it to his advantage.
Quick. Efficient. Controlled.
The second man recovered and swung a punch. Kabir ducked and drove his fist into the attacker's stomach, forcing the air out of him.
Passengers screamed.
"Stay back!" Kabir shouted without looking away from his opponents.
The taller man pulled a knife this time.
Aanya's heart nearly stopped.
The blade flashed under the dim emergency lights.
Kabir stepped back slightly, calculating distance.
The train suddenly jolted.
Lights flickered again.
The knife came down.
Kabir caught the attacker's wrist mid-air and slammed it against the metal handle of a seat. The knife dropped with a sharp clang.
He kicked it away.
The second man tried to grab him from behind.
Kabir drove his head backward, connecting with the man's nose. A crunching sound followed.
Within seconds, both men were on the ground — injured but conscious.
Kabir grabbed the fallen pistol and unloaded it quickly, sliding the magazine into his pocket.
Passengers were frozen.
"What's happening?" someone whispered.
Kabir looked at Aanya.
"This wasn't random," he said quietly.
As if on cue, the train lights went completely out.
Darkness swallowed the compartment.
Screams echoed.
Emergency red lights flickered faintly at the end of the coach.
And then—
The sound of metal footsteps on the roof.
Aanya's eyes widened in horror.
"There are more," she whispered.
Kabir looked up at the ceiling.
He counted at least four sets of footsteps moving toward their coach.
"They stopped the train on purpose," she said.
"Yes," Kabir replied calmly.
The emergency door at the end of the coach rattled violently.
Someone was trying to force it open from outside.
Kabir turned to Aanya.
"Is there another way out?"
She nodded quickly. "Two coaches ahead. Pantry car exit."
"Good."
The door at the end burst open with a loud metallic bang.
Armed silhouettes stepped inside under red emergency lights.
Kabir grabbed Aanya's hand without hesitation.
"Run."
They sprinted down the narrow aisle as chaos exploded behind them.
Gunshots echoed.
Passengers ducked and screamed.
The train, stranded in the middle of nowhere, had become a battlefield.
And there was still no next station in sight.