No! What are you doing? Let me go... it hurts! Please, stop... No, no, Papa, I am your daughter! Noooo! Aaaa... Maaaa!"

Only her sobs and the sound like the snapping of bones remained in the atmosphere of the room. The man she called 'Father' had transformed into a predator today. He began to crush her delicate body mercilessly, as if she were not a human being, but a lifeless toy.

"Leave me... please... I can’t breathe..." her voice had become nothing more than a suffocating scream.

In one jerk, he tore her clothes to shreds, crushing her every effort and every plea beneath his heavy frame.

"Papa... I am your daughter..." she gathered her courage one last time to speak, but in response, she received only a violent slap that split her lips. A stream of blood began to flow from her chin, dripping onto the floor.

He played with her body, clawing at her, and she lay there like a corpse. Her eyes remained open, staring at the ceiling, the tears within them having long since dried. Then, with a painful shriek, her eyes snapped open. The pain was so extreme that she had stopped feeling it altogether—there was only a numbness swallowing her entire world.

Outside, lightning crashed, and in its flash, the predator's face was revealed, wearing a horrific smile.

"Aaaaaaaa maaaaa!"

With a loud scream, Ishita’s eyes flew open. Her entire body was drenched in sweat and she was gasping for breath. The air in the room felt heavy, and that nightmare still hovered over her mind like a dark shadow.

Suddenly, there was a loud knock on her door.

"Ishi! Get up now. The entire Agnihotri family is returning from Canada today. Hurry up, there’s a lot of work!" a maid shouted from outside; she was roughly the same age as Ishita.

"I’m coming... just two minutes," Ishita tried to hide her trembling voice. She was speaking, but the echoes of those screams still rang in her ears.

She poured water from the jug on the bedside table into a glass and drank it in one breath. Her fear had not subsided. She got out of bed and walked to the window; as the cold morning air hit her face, she felt a slight sense of relief.

"Today, after 8 years, I will see you again, Arsh," she whispered to herself. "You probably don't even know I exist... but I know everything about you, from your likes to your dislikes."

A faint smile appeared on her face, though it didn’t reach her eyes.

A short while later, after freshening up, she began helping the others with the household chores.

Ishita was in the kitchen preparing breakfast when her phone screen lit up. As soon as the name "Mom" flashed on the screen, all the painful memories of that one night came rushing back.

Flashback

It was late at night when Ishita returned home after finishing all her work at the Agnihotri mansion. There was only one pair of slippers outside the house—meaning her mother wasn't home. Ishita gripped her bag tightly as an unknown fear settled in her heart. She entered the flat trembling. The hall was completely empty.

She rushed to her room, only to see that the door had been completely damaged. Whether she closed it or not made no difference.

Exhausted, she freshened up and lay down on the bed. About half an hour later, she felt a hand on her body. When she opened her eyes, a man was standing there, lust clearly visible in his eyes. Before Ishita could understand anything, the man tied her legs to both sides of the bed. Her hands were already bound.

Ishita shook her head "no" while weeping, but it had no effect on the predator. He tore all her clothes off in a single motion and said, "Why are you throwing such a tantrum? I’ve already done all this once before."

For the next two hours, he did as he pleased and then left. He left behind a wounded Ishita, whose entire body was covered in pain and bruises.

When her mother returned the next morning and saw Ishita in that state, there was no sympathy in her eyes—only hatred for Ishita. She heated an iron rod and pressed it against her...

A scream of agony echoed through the room.

Present Day

After that incident, Ishita had left that house forever and shifted here.

Her phone had stopped ringing, but her heart was still racing.

Suddenly, chaos erupted in the mansion. Voices could be heard from every direction:

"Hey! What are you doing? Hurry up, they’ve arrived!"

"Not like that, put it over there... come on, fast, fast!"

The servants were scurrying around in a panic. Everyone wanted everything to be perfect. Ishita set her phone aside and wiped her trembling hands. Her heart was pounding hard—she didn’t know if it was fear or the result of an 8-year wait.

Just then, several cars began entering through the large mansion gates one after another. Their grandeur and shine were visible all the way down the path.

Ishita stood frozen behind the kitchen wall. She leaned forward slightly to look out. The first car stopped and its door opened. Ishita’s breath hitched. She knew that these cars didn't just carry the Agnihotri family, but also the unfinished chapter of her life.

I know you have read many stories, but thank you for choosing this, my first attempt.

But be careful... because this isn't just a novel; it is a "dark" dream that I have poured onto these pages. This is my first time writing, so there might be a certain innocence in my words, but I have hidden just as much "mischief" and "secrets" within the characters.

Are you ready to embark on this slightly twisted and thrilling journey with me?

Shall we begin the journey? 🖋️🖤

Yours, the Author