A few days went by with Anand keeping Prachi on a tight leash. He stayed close, constantly reminding her he was there. It hit him hard just how much he had missed her while they were apart. It wasn't just a feeling anymore; it was a deep, desperate need. He felt like he couldn't breathe without her.
However, something bothered him. Prachi seemed calmer than usual. She wasn't fighting him as much, and that change in her behavior felt wrong. It was a detail he couldn't stop thinking about.
Far away from the city, in a dark, lonely warehouse, the night felt heavy and silent. Inside a pitch-black room, hurried footsteps echoed against the floor.
Tied to a chair, Ruchi flinched at the sound. She was terrified, but a small part of her still hoped for help. When a flashlight suddenly cut through the dark, she started making frantic noises through her gag, trying to get the person's attention.
Arundhita followed the sound of a chair scraping on the wood until she found her. Ruchi's eyes were red and wide with fear. Arundhita didn't waste a second. She rushed over, untied the ropes, and pulled Ruchi into a tight hug as the girl broke down in tears.
"Aru..." Ruchi sobbed, her voice shaking. Arundhita quickly silenced her.
She had heard voices nearby.
"Don't worry, she's tied up tight," one of the men said. "She can't move."
They sounded drunk. Arundhita quickly pulled Ruchi behind some heavy bags to hide. They sat there, frozen, until the footsteps faded away. Once it was clear, they ran for the back exit. Arundhita's car—a black sports car left to her by her mother—was waiting in the shadows. It was so dark and the engine was so quiet that no one noticed them pull away and speed onto the highway.
At the same time, Prachi was at home, holding her daughter, Anchija. After seeing the kind of man Anand Singhania really was, she regretted ever crossing him. She realized now that she wasn't just in danger—her daughter was, too.
She had finally found a bit of peace, but it felt like her past was always going to haunt her. She decided there was only one thing left to do: leave the country.
She chose Spain. It was a place she had dreamed of since college, and she already knew the language. She packed a single suitcase, took her daughter in her arms, and prepared to go. She had already used a contact to move her money into a secret account so Anand wouldn't find it.
Her only hope was that Anand still didn't know about Anchija. If she could just get away now, they might finally be safe.
Prachi rushed toward the car where Saraswati was already waiting in the passenger seat. Behind the wheel sat Devesh, a well-built man in his mid-twenties. His sharp features were hidden by the shadows of his hoodie and the dim light of the early morning. He wore a simple sweater and sweatpants, his hands steady on the wheel.
As soon as Prachi climbed in, Saraswati turned to her, her voice filled with doubt. "Are you sure about this, Prachi? Can you really handle all of this alone there?"
Saraswati had helped with every detail—the apartment, the money transfers—but she couldn't stop worrying about her best friend.
"I will be, Saru," Prachi replied. "It's better than staying here. I don't want even the shadow of my past to fall on my child." Prachi knew how much Saraswati cared, but she also knew Saraswati had her own problems to deal with. She refused to be selfish and drag her friend any deeper into her mess.
Devesh spoke up, trying to calm them both. "Prachi ji, don't worry. Everything is arranged exactly how Saru wanted. I've already talked to a friend of mine over there; he's going to help you find work."
As he drove, Devesh pushed the car to its highest speed. He could feel the fear coming from the women, and he was doing everything in his power to get them to safety. He couldn't stand seeing the woman sitting beside him—Saraswati—so worried and stressed. He looked at the little girl, Anchija, sleeping in Prachi's arms and felt that such an adorable, innocent life deserved a much better start than this.
Suddenly, the car gave a violent jerk. A few more jolts followed, and then, at the worst possible moment, the engine completely shut down.
The silence on the highway was deafening. Prachi felt the breath stick in her throat, and Saraswati's eyes went wide with panic. Devesh immediately jumped out, desperately checking the engine as they sat stranded in the middle of the road to the airport.
Meanwhile, Arundhita—having picked up Radha Auntie from their meeting point—was speeding down the empty highway. For a fleeting moment, she worried her father might have already found her missing. Then, she spotted a car stopped in the middle of the road.
As she slowed down, she realized she recognized the figure standing there. It was Prachi, the mother of one of her students. She was holding Anchija, who was sleeping so peacefully that it looked unusual, as if the chaos around her wasn't happening at all.
A man was working on the engine with his back to her. Something about the sight of him made Arundhita feel a strange ache in her chest, but she pushed the feeling aside when she heard Prachi's shaky voice.
"Miss Arundhita...?"
Prachi looked stunned. She knew Arundhita was supposed to be getting married the very next day. What was she doing out here on a deserted highway?
"Miss Prachi," Arundhita said, rolling down her window. "Do you need a lift? Where are you all headed? I have plenty of space, and I don't mind dropping you off."
Prachi looked at her friends and then back at Arundhita. She felt as if every passing second was a price she couldn't afford. "We would be very thankful to you," she said hastily.
Saraswati looked at Prachi, surprised she had agreed so quickly, but she remembered Prachi mentioning this was a teacher from the school. Devesh, seeing that the women wanted to move, quickly started locking up his stalled car.
As they all piled into Arundhita's car, Prachi noticed a girl sitting in the passenger seat. In the faint moonlight, she could see light marks of injuries on the girl's skin. Before she could look closer, Arundhita adjusted the dashboard, cutting off the light that was falling on the girl.
"Where do you want to go?" Arundhita asked, hoping their destination wasn't too far out of her way.
"The airport, actually," Prachi replied.
Arundhita didn't say anything; she just started the car.
The car moved in a heavy silence. Both Prachi and Arundhita knew that a storm was brewing and they had to stay ahead of it. Arundhita noticed that Prachi was clearly running away, considering they were heading toward the only place the road led: the airport.
As the dark sky began to fade into an orange glow, Arundhita cursed under her breath. Daylight meant the Vardhan mansion would be on high alert. She had to hurry, or she would lose her last chance at freedom.