The different lengths of lights that cover almost the entire ceiling of the room radiate positive energy into the atmosphere. The energy gives hope for a new beginning and a bright future ahead. The two figures standing in the room have a smile plastered on their faces. The female kneels in front of the male. She fishes a box out of her coat pocket and holds it out in front of him. She slides the ring on his finger. He stoops down to her level. They embrace each other and try to find comfort in each other's arms.

Inaya: Till death do us apart!

Kabir: Yes, Kiara, sorry, officer Khan!

His face held no expression when speaking, but his voice sounded hurt. She is stunned by his statement and tries to answer but could not utter a word. The silence starts to sting both of them, and the tension grows, suffocating them.

In a blink of a second, they are pulled away from each other by pairs of strong arms. Panic crosses their faces before being pulled out of the room through separate doors. They both are shoved into different cars after being handcuffed, and their faces are covered with a black cloth, blocking their vision.

After what seemed like an eternity, they are pulled out of the car harshly before they are escorted into dark rooms. They are pushed down on a chair and their hands are freed. The next thing, they hear is a loud thud of a door shutting. They remove the dark cloth covering their face. Their eyes adjust to the lighting. They look around to find themselves sitting in a pitch-black room. The lights flicker on grabbing their attention. They see a window, which is opaque, not allowing them to see the other side of it.

A muscular figure enters the room and slides a folder across the desk to Kabir. He exists the room at the speed of light. Kabir pulls the folder towards him and opens it to find a paper and a few pictures of him and Inaya. He spends the next few minutes, staring at the pictures in front of him. His trend breaks as masculine noise rings in his ears. He looks up and the room goes back to its previous state of being dark. A small bulb is turned on giving some light, but not enough to be able to see the figure standing across from the desk.

Male: Good evening, Mr. Kabir Balakrishnan! I see that you have already glimpsed at the file. I'm sure you know by now that your fiance, Ms. Kiara Roy, excuse me, Ms. Inaya Khan is an undercover agent.

Kabir: Then, why am I brought here?

Male: You are also under our radar. Today, I have invited you two to make a choice that can give one life and put the other's life on the line. You have to make a decision if you want to save your life or hers.

Saying this, he leaves the room. He goes to the room where Inaya is kept. He addresses her and repeats the chat that he had with Kabir.

After half an hour or so, he enters Kabir's cell. He slides a pair of handcuffs and Kabir's passport across the table.

Male: You had enough time to think through and make a decision. Choose wisely because you will not get a second chance!

Kabir stares at the two objects before him. His hand rests on the pair of handcuffs. The male nods his head and takes away the passport. He goes to Inaya's room and gives her the same two options. She quickly clutches her passport. She holds the small book close to her chest. Tears run down her cheeks. The male steps outside the room and converses with a male and female dressed formally. They listen to him closely and leave to do their assigned task.

After a minute, the male handcuffs Kabir and pulls him out of the room. The female does the same with Inaya. Kabir is being pulled towards a door while Inaya is pulled in the opposite direction. They both stop when directly in front of each other. They connect their palms for a second, before being pulled away from each other. Kabir gives her a two-finger salute. His eyes fall on the digital calendar. The date is the twenty-ninth of August.

Inaya is shoved into a car and is driven to the airport. She boards on a plane to Delhi after completing the formalities.

Kabir, in contrast, is pushed into a car after Inaya leaves. He is taken to an abandoned house that looks like it came right out of a horror movie. He is left in the house with a pack of bread and a container of butter as a ration. They lock the doors from the outside. Two males dressed in black suits stay outside to keep an eye on the house.

**********

Surbhi Jyoti as Inaya Khan