To whoever is still interested in this story...

Thank you for taking the time to read this story. And thank you for your love and support.

This chapter  has some autobiographical elements in it. So, it was a little bit difficlt to write it. Although I also some other elements which are purely intended to add to the drama.

But beyond my own personal story, I believe that the real dramatic event which is related in this chapter is the Moors Murders. There is no fiction in it. Sadly.

In the 1960s, lovers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley murdered five children who were living in and around Manchester.

Pauline Raede, John Kilbride, and Keith Bennett were among the victims of Brady and Hindley.

At that time,  these sadistic crimes shocked the nation to its core. Till date, they remain one of the most horrific and shocking series of crimes committed in the UK.

I found out about the Moors murders only recently and, of course, I was shaken.

I thought I would mention these innocent children in this chapter with the sole intention of remembering them and paying my own, small tribute to them. They shouldn't be forgotten

And... Coincidence is making me post this chapter amid all these questions that are currently shaking the US and France regarding the issue of sexual harassment.

Well, any one of us - women and men - could suffer from sexual harassment. From anyone - from people in our close circle of friends and family, or from people who are strangers to us.

Let's not bury this issue in silence. Only by talking about it and denouncing it, can we fight against it.  Even though it is easier to say than to do.

Thank you again, for taking the time to read, comment and vote!

★★★★

"Divya?"

Krishna Kumar Uncle's voice was soft, gentle even, as he called my name.

I felt a slight tremor run through me when his hand rested lightly on the thin fabric of my dress. There was nothing overtly wrong about his touch—at least, that's what I told myself. But still, something in me tensed.

"You don't believe what that woman said, do you?" he asked, his tone easy, almost casual. But I caught a strange undertone.

His voice felt distant, as if it was coming from far away. My mind was slow to grasp his words; they seemed to dissolve as soon as they reached me.

"Answer me, Divya."

This time, his voice was sharper, the softness gone. The sudden change startled me, sending a jolt through my body.

I shook my head instinctively, my thoughts clouded, disconnected. The woman's words still echoed in my mind—her warning—and John's voice was mixed in with it.

Be careful with Krishna Kumar from now on... Please... Be careful, Miss.

Their voices layered over each other in my head, forming a strange harmony, getting louder with each passing second.

Then, almost without realizing it, I spoke.
"I think it would be better for us to part ways, Uncle."

My voice was barely a whisper. The words felt heavy, but I had managed to say them. I had managed to be honest.

I glanced at Krishna Kumar Uncle, unsure of how he would react. His expression was unreadable at first, but then I saw his brow furrow. He looked hurt, like I had wounded him deeply.

"You don't trust me, do you?" His voice was quiet now, but there was a strain in it that made me uneasy.

A pang of guilt hit me hard. Had I been unfair? Too rash? I had known this man for years, after all.
I sat back down, trying to calm myself, to smooth things over. I forced a small smile, hoping it might bridge the sudden gap that had opened between us.

"I do trust you, Uncle. I'm sorry," I said, my voice soft, apologetic.

"Don't be, love." He smiled slowly, the tension in his face easing. "Let's forget this unfortunate misunderstanding. Let's start fresh, shall we?"

I nodded, feeling relieved at his response. Maybe I had overreacted. After all, he had always been kind to me, hadn't he?

★★★★

"That poor girl... abducted in the middle of the night. Who knows where she is now? Maybe... she's not even alive anymore!"
I tried to hold back my tears, my heart heavy with the horror of it all.

"She was just sixteen, Uncle... She had her whole life ahead of her. And then... just like that... gone."
I closed my eyes, unable to continue. The weight of the tragedy was suffocating.

Krishna Kumar Uncle reached out and rested his hand on my arm, his touch meant to comfort. But it didn't have the calming effect it once might have.

"Let's not dwell on such sadness, love. I didn't mean to upset you," he said softly, his voice soothing, though something in it made me uneasy.

I opened my eyes and met his gaze. I wanted to sound confident, to be strong. Instead, I found myself deflecting.
"Pauline's cousin works in my office, you know," I said, my voice a little too bright, trying to shift the conversation.

"Really?" Krishna Kumar's eyes widened, genuine surprise in them now.

I nodded. "Her name's Liz. She was at the reception desk, but... we haven't seen her since Pauline disappeared. Her family's devastated, Uncle. Pauline's mother... she cried the first time we met."

"You met Pauline Raede's mother?" His tone sharpened slightly, but then his expression softened, and he smiled gently. "That must have been hard for you."

I nodded again, thinking back to that day.
"Shortly after Pauline disappeared, I went to visit Liz at her home. I just... felt like I had to. I couldn't do much other than offer my condolences. Her mother, Joan, looked like she had nothing left inside her. I've never seen someone so broken."

I trailed off, remembering the lifeless look in Joan's eyes, the way her body sagged under the weight of her grief.

What am I going to do, Lucy? Without my baby? Her voice, so fragile, still echoed in my mind.

"I wish I could take that pain away. How could anyone do something like that to a young girl?"

"I don't know, love... I just don't know," Krishna Kumar said softly, his tone still comforting, but there was a tension in the air I couldn't quite place.

"Pauline, John Kilbride, Keith Bennett... they were all just children. Why would anyone take their lives away like that?" My voice shook, betraying the emotion I was trying to suppress. "Pauline was just a few years younger than me... It could've been me. Or anyone we know. It could have been your daughter."

"I don't have a daughter. Only two sons, unfortunately," Krishna Kumar chuckled softly, trying to lighten the mood.

I smiled weakly in return.

"What happened to those children is beyond horrible," he continued. "But... life goes on."

I shook my head. "I refuse to accept that we live in a world where children aren't safe. It's terrifying."

At my words, something shifted in Krishna Kumar's expression. His eyes lingered on me for a moment too long, and I suddenly felt uneasy again.

"Are you all right, Uncle?" I asked, trying to gauge his reaction.

Instead of answering, he asked, "Would you like to have children, Divya?"

The question caught me off guard.

"I... I suppose so, yes," I stammered, not sure why he was asking.

"You'd make a wonderful mother," he said softly, smiling, but the way his eyes stayed on me made my skin prickle.

I tried to brush off the feeling, but it lingered.

"And the man you choose to spend your life with... he'll be very lucky," Krishna Kumar added, his voice dropping ever so slightly.

The shift in his tone was so subtle that at first I didn't register it. But then, something about his gaze made my pulse quicken.

"Do you have a boyfriend, love?" he asked, his voice smooth, too smooth.

I shook my head, suddenly feeling like a deer caught in headlights.

"So... John isn't your boyfriend?" His smile was no longer warm. It felt... wrong.

My throat tightened. What was happening?

"He acts like he is," Krishna Kumar continued, his tone taking on a mocking edge. "Overprotective, isn't he? What does he think he is?"

My heart raced as his words sank in. Was he... jealous?

"Don't talk about John like that," I whispered, finding my voice at last, but it came out weak and uncertain.

"Or what?" His smile twisted, turning dark.

The air between us thickened, and suddenly the room felt too small, too closed in.

"You're too good for him, you know. He's probably warned you about me, hasn't he?" Krishna Kumar's voice had dropped lower, a sinister edge creeping in.

My heart pounded in my chest, but I couldn't move. I couldn't think.

Then, before I could react, his hand touched my cheek. He leaned in, his face inches from mine, his breath hot against my skin.

"Well, let me tell you something, beautiful girl. He was right."

His words were like ice.

"You've driven me crazy, Divya. Especially after I saw you in that beautiful saree."

Before I knew what I was doing, my hand flew up, and I slapped him.

For a moment, everything stood still. Krishna Kumar's face twisted in shock, his cheek reddening where my hand had landed.

"You slut," he hissed. "How dare you?"

"Don't touch me!" I cried, my voice shaking. Tears filled my eyes. "I trusted you..."

He laughed—a dark, cruel sound. "No one's here to help you, darling. We're alone."

Panic surged through me. Where was everyone? Why were we alone?

"You'll regret slapping me," he growled, his voice full of rage.

Before I could move, his hand slid under my dress. I gasped as he grabbed my thigh, his fingers moving up toward my underwear.

"There we go... Now we can have some fun."

I squeezed my eyes shut, praying for it to stop.

John... I'm so sorry. You were right.