Just as she had decided, Abha submitted her application at Rudra's company.
By the time she returned home in the evening, Arjun was already waiting for her.
"Where were you? And what happened this morning? Why did they fire you?" he asked the moment she walked in, his voice filled with concern.
Abha sighed and placed her bag aside.
"I went to submit my resume. And about the morning… there was an accident. I bumped into a customer, and all the food he ordered fell—on him as well. The manager saw everything. Even though the customer paid, he still fired me."
She paused, then added calmly, "Honestly, he was just waiting for a chance to throw me out. At least he paid me the full month's salary."
She held up the money in her hand.
Arjun studied her for a moment before asking softly,"What did the Priest say?"
He guided her to the sofa and sat beside her.
"And I want the truth. No matter how bad it is."
For a moment, Abha hesitated.
She couldn't lie—not completely. So she chose something in between.
"The Priest said… I need to stay close to someone who keeps my mind distracted. That God has shown mercy on me… and has sent someone to protect me."
She nodded slightly, looking at him.
"That's all he said."
Arjun narrowed his eyes.
"That's it? Nothing else?"
"You know how he talks—about dark shadows and all that," she replied casually. "Nothing more than that."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. I'm sure."
Finally, Arjun let it go.
"Alright. I'll find a job for you."
He stood up and walked away.
Abha didn't tell him that she had already applied to Rudra's company.
She knew Arjun would never approve.
If she got selected, she would deal with everything later.
For now, she didn't want to worry about it.
Deep inside, she wanted that job.
Because if being there meant her nightmares would stop… then it was worth it.
As for the dark shadows—she believed now that whoever God had sent would deal with them.
She just needed to stay careful… and find that person.
The task wasn't easy.
But it wasn't impossible either.
She had survived years with this curse.
A few more months…
And maybe—just maybe—it would finally break.
Meanwhile…
"At last, that girl has submitted her application, sir," Atul informed Rudra.
A dark satisfaction crossed Rudra's face.
"Appoint her as my assistant. Offer a high salary… enough that she won't refuse anything I ask."
Atul nodded.
The very next day, Abha received her interview call letter.
"So soon?" she whispered, surprised.
But then a thought crossed her mind—
Maybe someone there truly was sent by God… someone who could free her from everything.
Determined, she began to get ready.
This time, she chose a dress Arjun had bought for her long ago.
Rudra's words still echoed in her mind.
She applied light makeup, a soft shade of lipstick, and carefully styled her hair.
Taking a matching purse, she stepped out of the house—
Only to come face-to-face with a stranger.
"Hello, Miss. My name is Anurag. I'm a police officer," he said politely. "I need to talk to you. Can you spare a few minutes?"
Abha glanced at her watch.
She was already running late.
She had barely half an hour—half of which would be lost in traffic.
Still, she nodded.
"Yes, tell me. How can I help you?"
Anurag smiled faintly.
"I want to ask about an incident that happened a few days ago. You must remember… an accident outside your restaurant?"
"Yes, I remember," Abha replied. "But I don't work there anymore. And I don't like recalling such incidents. I'm sorry—I can't help you."
She turned to leave.
But Anurag stopped her.
"Two people died in that accident," he said firmly. "Right in front of your eyes. How can you forget something like that?"
His tone grew sharper.
"We can discuss this at the police station too. But I don't want to drag an innocent girl there and ruin her reputation. So tell me—would you prefer to talk here… or at the station?"
Abha froze.
Time was slipping away.
On one side—her interview with Rudra. Her job. Her future.
On the other—Anurag, refusing to let her go.
There was no escape.
If this was how it had to be…
"Fine," she said, meeting his gaze."Let's go to the police station."
Behind her glasses, Anurag couldn't see her eyes—
But there was something about this girl.
Something unusual.
Something… that caught his attention.