Singapore, 7:30 PM
Pakhi's flight had just touched down.
Stepping out of the airport, she held her bag tightly as she waited for the car she had booked.
A new city.
A new country.
And a heart filled with unfamiliar nervousness.
That was when a familiar voice called from behind—
"Miss Jaipur…"
Pakhi turned around in surprise.
"Mr. Ishan?"
Her lips curved into a small smile. "You?"
It was the same man she had met on the flight.
Ishan walked toward her, a teasing glint in his eyes.
"You never told me your name," he said lightly. "So I decided to give you one myself."
Pakhi laughed softly.
"Pakhi Rajput."
Ishan nodded approvingly.
"What a beautiful name."
Then, as if remembering something, he added,
"I actually have something for you."
"For me?" she asked, puzzled.
Without a word, Ishan gently took her hand. His warm palm closed over hers as he placed something into it.
Then he opened his fingers and stepped back.
Pakhi looked down.
Her breath caught.
"My locket…"
She stared at it in disbelief. "Where did you get this?"
She opened it quickly—inside was the photograph of her parents.
Ishan smiled faintly.
"You dropped it while you were sleeping on the plane."
"It must be precious to you."
Pakhi closed her fingers around it tightly.
"Yes," she whispered. "It is."
"Thank you…"
She looked at him with a soft smile.
"Honestly… it's hard to believe people like you still exist in this world.
People who can give back something someone thought they had lost."
Her voice lowered.
"Some people…"
"They take everything away in just a moment."
Ishan studied her quietly.
Then he smiled again.
"And who is that person who dared to steal a girl's smile?"
"Looks like I'll have to meet him someday."
There was lightness in his tone, but no curiosity—only calm understanding.
He pulled a card from his pocket and handed it to her.
"Keep this."
"In this new city, if you ever need anything—
just call Ishan Khanna."
"I'll be there."
Pakhi accepted the card.
"Thank you."
Her car's headlights turned on in the distance.
She glanced toward it, then back at him.
"Maybe we'll meet again."
Ishan nodded.
"This city isn't that big.
People cross paths again."
Pakhi walked toward the car, a quiet peace settling in her heart.
And Ishan stood there, watching her disappear into the night.
Pakhi reached the car.
The driver was already standing there, holding a placard with her name on it.
Looking at him, she said,
"Hotel Shanghai…"
The driver nodded lightly.
"Yes, ma'am."
He took Pakhi's luggage, placed it on the trolley, and opened the car door for her.
Pakhi sat in the back seat.
As soon as the door closed, the car began to move slowly.
Outside the window, the streets of Singapore were glowing in the night—
tall buildings,
shimmering roads,
and an eerie, well-ordered silence everywhere.
Pakhi leaned back against the seat and took a deep breath.
Today had been very heavy for her.
The lanes of Jaipur,
her parents' eyes,
Aarav's mischievous smile—
everything began flashing before her eyes one by one.
And then…
that clash at the airport…
that coldness…
that humiliation.
Unconsciously, she held the locket around her neck.
The photo of her parents gave her a little courage.
"It's okay, Pakhi,"
she whispered to herself.
"This is a new beginning."
Soon the car stopped in front of Hotel Shanghai.
The driver stepped out, opened the door for her, and took out her luggage.
As she got down, Pakhi looked at the tall building—
grand, dazzling,
and slightly intimidating too.
A new city…
a new life.
The moment she stepped inside, cold air from the AC brushed against her face.
The reception area was buzzing—
people from different countries,
different languages.
Pakhi handed over her passport and booking details.
"Welcome to Hotel Shanghai, Ms. Rajput,"
the receptionist said with a smile.
Then she added politely,
"Ms. Pakhi, may I please see your ID?"
Pakhi nodded lightly.
"Sure."
She opened her bag and, out of habit, started searching for her ID.
One second…
two seconds…
But it wasn't there.
She searched again.
Taking things out one by one—
wallet…
charger…
diary…
No ID.
Her fingers began to move faster.
Her heartbeat started racing.
It was here… I showed it at the airport…
A faint crease appeared on her forehead.
She opened the bag wider and searched again.
But every time—
the result was the same.
The ID was missing.
"Ma'am…?"
the receptionist called gently.
Pakhi looked up.
The fear on her face was now impossible to hide.
"Actually…"
she said carefully,
"my ID… it doesn't seem to be in my bag."
Her voice trembled.
The receptionist kept her professional smile, but her tone became firm.
"I'm sorry, ma'am.
Without a valid ID, we can't complete the check-in."
Pakhi's fingers clenched together.
Exhaustion, fear, and everything that had happened today
crashed over her all at once.
What do I do now…?
She quietly moved away from the counter and went to a corner of the lobby, checking her bag again.
Every pocket…
every zip…
Her fingers moved in panic.
It has to be here… How could I be so careless…?
Her heart was pounding wildly.
Then—
BANG!
A gunshot echoed through the hotel lobby.
For a moment, the entire place froze.
Screams…
running footsteps…
glass shattering—
everything exploded at once.
Everyone in the lobby was terrified.
Pakhi's body went stiff.
She turned around in fear—
And then—
a man was rushing toward her.
Everything happened so fast she couldn't even react.
The next moment, the man grabbed her tightly.
Her breath caught.
And then—
cold metal pressed against her forehead.
A gun.
The muzzle was touching her skin.
Pakhi's eyes widened.
Her voice got stuck in her throat.
The world shrank in that second
to nothing but the tip of that gun.
The man's voice growled in her ears, rough and merciless:
"Make a sound…
and I'll kill you right here."
Pakhi's breathing started shaking.
Her hands slowly rose in the air.
Her mind went blank.
No Jaipur…
no Singapore…
no dreams…
Just one question—
Will I get out of here alive…?
Everyone in the lobby was paralyzed with fear—
some barely breathing,
some trembling.
Then—
sirens.
The Singapore Police rushed into the lobby.
The man must have run in here while escaping them.
Leading the team was a female officer—
calm face,
commanding eyes.
The other officers spread out quickly, moving civilians aside.
Within moments, the man was surrounded.
But his gun was still pressed against Pakhi's forehead.
Her breathing was completely out of control.
All she could hear was her own heartbeat.
The female officer stepped into the light. Her badge shimmered, but it was her eyes—calm, brown, and filled with a strange warmth—that held the gunman's attention.
"Put the gun down."
"You don't want to do this. The girl is innocent. Let her go, and we can end this peacefully."officer said
"No one wants anyone hurt."
The man laughed—a terrifying, unhinged laugh.
"Step back!
Or I swear I'll shoot her!"
Tears rolled down Pakhi's eyes.
Her hands stayed raised.
"My name is Soniya," the officer said, taking a brave step forward, her hands open and empty.
"You are surrounded.
There is no way out."
The man shouted,
"There is a way out!
She's my way!"
He tightened his grip on Pakhi.
A sob escaped her throat.
The officer said slowly, firmly,
"Listen to me.
Let the girl go.
We can talk."
Suddenly the man fired—
BANG!
A shot in the air.
The whole lobby shook again.
Some people screamed.
Pakhi felt completely numb.
"You give me a way out!" he shouted.
"Or she dies!"
The officer looked even calmer now,
like a rock in a storm.
"Killing her won't save you.
It will only make things worse."
"I don't care!" he snapped.
Darkness began closing in on Pakhi's vision.
The man was no longer thinking rationally.
His grip on her neck tightened.
The officer kept trying to calm him,
but madness had taken over his eyes.
Suddenly—
he swung the gun
toward a man standing in the crowd.
Before Pakhi could even react—
BANG!
The bullet hit the man's leg.
His scream of pain echoed through the lobby as he collapsed, blood spreading on the floor.
Chaos erupted.
People screamed.
Some fainted.
Some clung to the walls, crying.
Fear swallowed the entire space.
Pakhi's heart felt like it would burst out of her chest.
.... next chapter
Will Pakhi survive this nightmare… or will Singapore become her grave?
Author's Note
I have an exam on 11 January, so daily updates aren't possible right now.
I'll still try to post chapters when I can, and after 11 January, updates will be daily.
Thank you for your patience and support.