"Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; the truth isn't. "

-Mark Twain

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Sampurnaa's pov :

I couldn't digest all that Zeenat revealed to me. Even the darkest of secrets would perhaps yield more light than the kind of life she had to live.
Married at 10, injected steroids, raped by 11, pregnant at 13, and a prostitute at 14. Mr. Victor Sequira could be the owner and CEO of Sourire but he is a criminal all the same.
Zeenat's story had been recorded on my device. I hope I can help her later when I get out of this hell hole.

But then there were things of greater importance and concern. The police's decoy had been exposed. There was no assurance that the initial plan would work out. Moreover, I myself am trapped in a compromising situation. Some men had paid to be with me on the way to the room I had been kept hostage in. I couldn't even escape.
I had no means of communicating with anyone.
I was drowned in my own thoughts when the door opened revealing a blonde man who was obviously not Indian followed by four more men: three Indians and another man who was surely not an Indian.

The reality of the situation hit me really hard as I realized how defenseless I was.
I got up and stood straight prepared to defend myself.
I was not going down without a fight! I couldn't give up before I tried.

One of the Indian men was approaching me. I stood straight and held a hand in front asking him to back away. He did not pay heed to it and continued coming towards me. One of the other men locked the door while the other three stood close behind the first man.
The man tried to reach me but I pushed him hard. He flinched but did not fall as the impact wasn't hard enough.
Another man started nearing me. He pinned my hands behind my back before I could do anything.
He spoke in Hindi gritting his teeth, "You think you can escape? We are not going to allow you to! You are ours for the night and you shall give in to all our needs and desires."

I shook my head furiously as a response to his cheap words and demand. He pushed me towards one of the non-Indians.

The blonde man caged my hands in his own to restrain me. He tried to touch my face and hair but I kneed him in defense.

He fell clutching his stomach where my knee had made contact.

Before he had a chance to get up, I decided to make a run for it. I ran towards the door which had been locked, but one of those men caught me again. This time he twisted my arm so I could do nothing in pain. I screamed aloud before a handkerchief was stuffed into my mouth. I was about to use my legs for defending myself when one of the men lifted my feet in the air.

They were carrying me towards the bed!

Tears were flowing down my cheeks involuntarily now as I felt truly helpless and defenseless. I could have done something better to restrain anyone who tried to violate me had there been fewer people... But 5 men versus me?

I wriggled and struggled to make things difficult for those imbeciles.

But it did not affect them!

I was thrown on the bed and someone pushed me to a lying position. One of the men caught hold of my arms and another pinned my legs to the bed. I couldn't scream out! My mouth was shut forcefully.

One of the men came up on top of me and tried to pull down the zip of my gown. I struggled as hard as I could in that oppressed state. I could do nothing more.

All my energy was gradually draining out from my body, yet I had to keep myself awake to fight against all this! To fight for my virtue and dignity! To fight against these men who were trying to force themselves on me!

The man pulled down the zipper of my gown and I felt totally exposed. I was trying to push him of me by lifting my torso and writhing hither tither.

The other men who were not restraining me tried touching me inappropriately.
I squeezed my eyes shut as my body revolted against them and their touch. Tears continued to flow and I prayed silently.
Why wasn't anyone helping?
The men were undressing. A visible warning that I was about to be violated by them if I failed to do something quickly.
I tried freeing my hands and feet. I tried hard to spit out the handkerchief that had been stuffed into my mouth.

Once I could open my mouth, I screamed out as loudly as I could.

The men just laughed in a sadistic way before one of the non-Indians said, "Scream out all you want! In a brothel where people are paying to use you and your body, no one shall come for help!"

As a last resort, I simply pulled my body into an arching position despite my pinned hands and legs. I tried to drag my feet away from the strong grip of the man and after a few attempts, I succeeded.
I kicked the man right on his face, before kneeing another on his stomach. The man who had held my arms got distracted at this, and let go of my hands.
I immediately used this chance to lift my body from the bed, simply jumping off. I ran towards the door and managed to open it this time.

I ran down two flights of stairs. The men were still following me. I ran without caring for anything that came my way.
Then I heard a sob! It was coming from one of the rooms on the ground floor. It was that girl who had been punished by that witch, Freida.

I was caught in a dilemma!

Should I run for my life or save this innocent girl who clearly did not deserve this?

Just then the door to the room I had been cleaning in the morning opened wide and the mastermind, Mr. Victor Sequira walked out. He spotted me and approached me like a predator gritting his teeth and his face mirroring his displeasure.

I decided to make a run for it. I couldn't be here as I was unsafe myself.
I ran in the other direction desperately hoping to find a way out.
I was looking behind all this time, and I inevitably bumped into a wall.

The men and Mr. Sequira cornered me. I was petrified this time.
I moved further towards the corner, but before they could do anything, a knife found its way to the base of Mr. Sequira's throat.

It was Zeenat!

She wasn't alone. There were around 6 women of her age who I assumed were the other wives of this devil!

The other men gasped as they soon found knives held to their throats as well.

I sighed in relief and walked away from the wall.
The women had the men restrained.

Now I could go and free the other women as well!

The first room I unlocked was the young girl's. She had fainted in exhaustion and anxiety.
I unlocked the other two rooms on the ground floor and the women there started helping the others. I sneaked my way towards Freida's room. She had a computer and perhaps even a telephone.

But before I could do anything further, a shot resounded in the air.

I stood rooted to one place and then turned back, feeling the cool metallic brush of a revolver against the side of my head.

It was that witch!

She had shot Zeenat! The bullet had managed to pass right through her head and she lay motionless and still in a pool of blood.

"Ms. Reporter! I knew I had seen your face somewhere before! Thankfully I overheard a part of your conversation with Zeenat! ", the witch spoke out.

I gasped audibly as fear crippled me.

If she could shoot someone just like that, she was totally capable of killing anyone who came her way. I stood rooted to my spot. The other women too threw their knives aside, standing still in their places.

Freida was smiling in a sinister way, and then she began speaking, "This brothel is more than just a brothel! This is the first business my brother and I started!"

I suddenly got the courage to ask her, "Why this cheap business? "

She again grinned and then spoke out, "Women have amazing bodies! They are everything men need! A business where we allow the woman to show her true.... "
Her voice trailed off as a huge crash echoed in our eardrums.

Freida quickly hit my head with the back of the revolver and then everything went black in front of me.

...

Indrayan's pov :

It was a quarter to 8. We finally reached the red light area with an entire force of armed policemen.

We had to park the vehicles outside and then go on foot as the lanes were very narrow.
I was leading the way along with the DCP. A sudden shot resounded in the air.

It was from Jannah!

I ran as did the police. The door was tightly shut and couldn't be broken manually as it was made of sturdy teak.
We had to find another way in!

The police began forming a perimeter when the DCP and a few other officers noticed a sliding window and crashed into it. We could hear the distinct shrieks of a few women as we made our way into one of the broader corridors where several people seemed to have gathered.

The first crowd was near a pool of blood and the second crowd around a smaller puddle of blood.
The police asked everyone including me to back off and went to inspect the two women who lay still on the floor.
One woman seemed to have been shot, while the other was lying face down, her head bleeding. A gruesome injury.

While the police were inspecting everything, my eyes were searching for Sampurnaa.

Where was she?

I was scrutinizing all the faces and even saw a few half-dressed men.

I rolled my eyes. At the end of the day, this was a brothel! What else can one expect?

I was about to go up the stairs when the DCP called out to me. I turned and looked at him.

"The woman who was shot is dead. And the other woman, she isn't severely injured, although she might have a concussion. The other women say that Mr. Sequira and his sister have escaped. My men have formed a perimeter outside so there are fewer chances of an escape for them," the DCP told me.

I nodded and then he asked me if I knew the woman who had been injured. One look at her, and I knew it was Sampurnaa!

Her clothes were torn from a few places and her body was even bruised. There were tear stains on her face, and she looked vulnerable in that unconscious state. Her bruised wrists, the slight cut on her throat, possibly due to someone's nails, and visible pallor would only escape the eyes of a blind person!

My mouth fell open at that sight! The woman who had risked everything she had, in order to expose criminals had become a victim herself.

An ambulance had been arranged for beforehand. The paramedics rushed in and proceeded to take Sampurnaa to the hospital for a check-up.

I proceeded to call her colleagues and update them.

Her parents and colleagues were going to go to Jaslok Hospital directly. I followed the ambulance in a puzzled and worried state.

What had actually happened there?
For me to know this, those chocolate brown orbs must look into my burning embers again...

...

To be continued...
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A/N

I would really be gratified if someone could give me a small review or at least in-line comments, so I know how I am going.

Please don't be silent readers.
I need you people to respond and tell me what you think.

Best wishes,
Shubhadittya