It was nearing noon. All the chosen women were in their rooms, being prepared by their assigned maids for the grand party's inauguration. Each room buzzed with quiet activity—except one. Vidya sat motionless, her eyes dark with fury and sorrow. The devastating news of her sister's death, caused by none other than Lalan Raj, still echoed in her mind. Her heart burned with grief, but her mind was razor-sharp with a single, unwavering purpose: to kill Lalan Raj.
As these thoughts consumed her, the old maid behind her gently tied her hair into a ponytail, her wrinkled hands trembling slightly. Breaking the silence, she spoke in a low, pleading voice, "Please, beta… don't do anything foolish. It will only lead to death, nothing else. I beg you…"
Vidya turned slowly, her gaze meeting the old woman's eyes. She reached out and held the maid's hand gently, her voice calm but resolute. "The only reason I came here was to find my sister… and to capture Lalan Raj. But now, that purpose has changed. For my sake, I will search one last time—if she isn't here…" Her voice dropped, becoming cold and sharp, "I will kill him."
The old maid's heart clenched. Fear flickered across her face, but so did a deep, unspoken sadness. She had no power to stop this. After a moment's pause, she replied, her voice soft but determined, "Okay. But I will come with you. Don't say no—I want to clear my sins." Vidya nodded in agreement.
Meanwhile, in the central hall of the mansion, Lalan Raj sat comfortably on a wide chair, surveying the ongoing decorations while puffing on a thick cigar. Suddenly, one of his goons approached with a phone in hand. "Boss," the goon said, handing it to him.
Lalan answered with a low grunt, "Hmm?"
A voice crackled through the speaker—a foreign man, speaking Hindi in a thick English accent. "We are coming now."
Lalan's brows furrowed. "But why now? The party is scheduled for 10:00 p.m."
The man scoffed. "Don't be an idiot. We do what we want. If you don't follow orders, we'll inform your boss." The line went dead.
Lalan rubbed his nose and forehead in irritation, letting out a long breath. Then he stood up abruptly and barked at the goon nearby, "Tell everyone to finish the preparations immediately. The guests are arriving."
The goon hesitated. "But sir, it'll be impossible. How can we manage that—?"
"Just do it!" Lalan snapped. "I'll handle the rest."
The goon nodded and rushed off.
Lalan Raj climbed the stairs, determined to check whether the women were ready. He walked down the hallway, inspecting each room. Finally, he reached Vidya's door. He pushed it open.
Inside, the old maid was applying makeup to Vidya's face. Lalan Raj stood still for a second, then gave a brief glance and turned his head away indifferently. "Hurry up," he muttered to the maid. "The guests are coming."
Just as he turned to leave, Vidya's voice cut through the air—sharp, cold, unflinching.
"Why did you kill her?"
Lalan stopped in his tracks and slowly turned his head, his voice laced with confusion. "What are you saying?"
Vidya rose slightly from her chair, her tone deep and violent. "So, you forgot? You killed my sister."
The old maid behind her froze, fear tightening her features. She wanted to stop Vidya, but her body refused to move.
Lalan let out a low chuckle, a smirk forming on his face. "Listen, girl… I've killed nearly a thousand people in the past four years. I don't even remember which sister you're talking about."
Rage surged through Vidya. She stood up abruptly and strode toward him, grabbing his collar with trembling hands. The sudden act made the old maid gasp in terror. She rushed forward, folding her hands. "Please, beta… don't do this."
She turned to Lalan, pleading. "Sir, she's just a child. She doesn't understand. Please… forgive her."
But Vidya's voice cracked through the air, loud and furious. "Are you scared of him? He's just a bandit! What has he done to deserve your fear—your worship?"
The old maid lowered her head, her voice breaking. "B-but…"
Lalan exhaled sharply and pushed Vidya's hands off his collar. But she resisted and grabbed it again.
This time, Lalan shouted, "Enough!"
He pointed a finger in her face, his voice thundering. "You're a chosen candidate now—a slave. Don't think you can scare me. And for your kind information, I don't know anything about your sister. Got it? Now be ready." He turned and walked out of the room.
The old maid gripped Vidya's shoulders tightly. "What are you trying to prove, huh? Did you forget what I told you? Answer me!"
Vidya looked at her, eyes blazing. "I'm sorry… but I will find out what really happened. Even if it costs me my life."
The old maid now could only hope that the girl would stay safe.
Meanwhile, Lalan, though furious, kept a calm demeanor as he made his way to the main hall. Just as he entered, the sharp sound of a car horn echoed through the space. It wasn't just any horn—it was the arrival of the guests.
Looking around, Lalan noticed that some arrangements were still unfinished. He immediately called a group of his men. "Hurry up. Tidy everything that's out of place. And check the basement downstairs."
The goons obeyed without hesitation.
Soon, the main guests began arriving, one after the other. Lalan greeted each of them with a polite handshake. But the arrogant men reacted with visible disdain, wiping their hands as if they had touched something filthy. Lalan swallowed his pride and ignored it. After all, these bastards were the ones providing the money.
"I was wondering why you all arrived so early," Lalan said, forcing a smile.
One of them, the same man who had earlier spoken arrogantly to him, replied coldly, "As I said before—we're special. We can come to this stinking black building whenever we want. Badal Tomar gave us that right. So stop questioning us. And remember—we don't want another killing spree like yesterday."
Lalan's jaw tightened, his anger rising, but he forced it down. With a strained smile, he said, "As you wish, gentlemen."
Just then, one of the goons approached. "Sir, everything is ready. We can proceed."
Lalan nodded. "Alright, gentlemen. Please take your seats. I assure you, nothing like yesterday will happen today."
The guests exchanged glances and sat down, giving their silent approval.
Lalan ordered one of the slave women to summon the ten girls who were to be auctioned. Then he stepped up onto the stage, took the microphone in his hand, and announced, "Today is that auspicious moment when the chosen women will go to their masters. I can say with certainty that today's business will go well. Thank you."
As his voice faded, the ten women walked onto the stage. The guests ogled them with vile, hungry eyes. Most of the girls trembled with fear—except Vidya. She stood firm, hoping for just one moment—just one opportunity to carry out her final goal.
Suddenly, a goon's voice rang from the upper level, loud and urgent: "Boss! The police are coming!"
Panic spread like wildfire across the hall.
"What are you saying?" Lalan snapped, eyes narrowing. "Where did you see them?"
"I was patrolling near the village entrance," the goon replied, breathless. "I saw them heading this way. I came straight here on my bike, but they'll find us soon."
Terror swept through the guests and goons alike.
Vidya, on the other hand, felt a wave of relief. Madhu did it, she thought. She really did it.
One of the guests turned on Lalan, yelling, "You said today would be auspicious! How the hell is this auspicious, huh? Tell me!"
Lalan clenched his jaw, holding back his fury. "Our location is still well hidden," he said coldly. "We can move fast. Forget the women."
But the same guest, livid, pointed his finger at Lalan. "What the hell do you mean forget the women? We came all the way to this filthy place for this!"
Lalan's restraint snapped. He grabbed the man's finger, twisting it painfully. The guest howled.
"We are not filthy," Lalan growled in a deep, cold voice. "You are. You're nothing but pests—disgusting parasites who come here for lust. You think money makes you powerful? No, sir. You're just clients. Come to my land and I'll show you what we're made of."
The guests erupted in anger.
"We'll report this to Badal Tomar!" one of them shouted.
The humiliated guest, burning with rage, lunged at Lalan with a dagger, screaming, "I'll send your body to him in a parcel!"
Lalan caught the blade with one hand. Blood trickled from his palm, but his eyes were terrifyingly calm. "Now," he said in a chilling voice, "you did it wrong, my friend."
Everyone froze.
Guns were drawn on both sides—goons aiming at the guests, and their bodyguards aiming back. The air was tense, moments from exploding.
In the chaos, Vidya knew this was her only chance. She quietly stepped off the stage and spotted the old maid standing nearby.