Ruhan's shoes hit the pavement hard, each step echoing through the fog.The shadow behind Pragati froze—then darted sideways into the mist.
"Hey!" he shouted, breaking into a run.
Pragati turned, startled. "Ruhan?"
He didn't answer. He reached her, grabbed her arm, pulled her close behind him. His breath came fast, hot against the cold air.The road was empty—or pretending to be.
Then came that sound again—click.Metal. A car door.
Headlights cut through the fog.A black SUV. Tinted windows.
It rolled to a stop right in front of them.
Ruhan's heart dropped. He knew that car. It was parked outside school earlier—when he'd been fighting those seniors near the back gate. That was barely four hours ago.
The door opened.
"Didn't expect to see you here, Ruhan," one of them said, stepping out, voice smug and sharp. "Still got energy left after this afternoon?"
Ruhan's fists tightened. The cuts on his knuckles stung under the dried antiseptic."You didn't get enough then?" he shot back.
The senior smirked. "This isn't about me anymore. You messed with the wrong people. And she—" he nodded toward Pragati "—just became collateral."
Another man got out. Not a student. Built like a wall, gloves on. His eyes didn't look curious—they looked paid.
Ruhan's stomach twisted. "You hired them?"
"Money makes problems disappear," the senior said, smiling. "You'll learn."
Pragati's voice trembled. "Ruhan… what's happening?"
He didn't take his eyes off the men. "Stay behind me."
The fog thickened around them, swallowing the road, the lights, the space between every heartbeat.
And just like that—everything that had started in school four hours ago… wasn't over yet. It was only getting darker.
Ruhan's pulse roared in his ears. Every instinct screamed run, but his feet stayed planted. The SUV's engine hummed low, like it was waiting to swallow them both.
The senior laughed softly, pulling something from his pocket—keys, maybe. Or worse. "You're brave, I'll give you that," he said. "But bravery doesn't fix stupid."
Ruhan's jaw flexed. "Yeah? Then let's test it."
Before the guy could react, Ruhan grabbed Pragati's wrist. "Go," he hissed.
She blinked, frozen. "Ruhan—"
"Run!"
And she did. Her shoes slapped against the wet road, fog wrapping around her like smoke. Ruhan stayed behind, stepping between her and the men who started moving fast—too fast.
One of them lunged. Ruhan swung first, knuckles connecting hard. The man staggered back, cursing. Another grabbed his shoulder, but Ruhan twisted, slammed an elbow into his ribs. The antiseptic from earlier stung through his cuts again, but he didn't care.
The senior shouted, "Get her! Forget him!"
That made Ruhan snap. "Touch her, and I swear—" he started, but one of the men slammed into him, cutting his words off.
Ruhan hit the ground, vision spinning for a second. The gravel bit into his palms. Through the fog, he saw Pragati still running—head down, breath shaky—then one of the men from the car broke off to chase her.
"Pragati!"
He forced himself up, lungs burning, sprinting after her. The fog blurred everything—shapes, sounds, even fear. All he could hear was her name pounding in his head.
She reached the corner near the park when a figure stepped out of the mist, blocking her path.
Ruhan's stomach dropped.
It wasn't one man this time. It was two.
Pragati's breath caught halfway out of her throat. Her legs wanted to stop, but fear kept them moving—half-steps, uneven, useless. The fog felt thicker now, heavier, like the air itself didn't want her to escape.
She looked around. The streetlights flickered weakly, their glow swallowed before it could reach the ground. No one else. No voices. Just her pulse and their footsteps behind her.
She pulled her shawl tighter, though it didn't help. Her fingers shook too hard to hold it in place.
"Don't look back," she whispered to herself. "Don't—"
She looked anyway.
Two shadows. One tall, one broader. Getting closer.
Her throat went dry. Ruhan's name sat right there on her tongue, but the sound refused to come out. She could still remember his voice, the way he'd said run—low, urgent, like he already knew this would happen.
Her foot caught on a loose stone, and she stumbled, catching herself on a lamppost. Metal bit cold into her palm. The taller man laughed—soft, cruel.
"Where you going, sweetheart?"
The words made her stomach twist.
Her eyes darted around, desperate for an exit—a house light, an open gate, someone. Nothing. Just fog, road, and fear.
She took a step back. Then another. Her heartbeat was so loud she could barely hear their footsteps anymore.
Then, through the haze—Ruhan's voice.
"Pragati!"
It cracked through the air like lightning.
For a second, everything froze. The men turned their heads. Pragati did too.
"And that heartbeat of stillness—was all Ruhan needed."
🖤 by Pragati Priya (pen name: Zoey)
(All rights reserved)