CHAPTER 7 — THE MAN SHE COULDN’T SEE
949 Words
Navi Mumbai — 11:47 PM
Divya finally fell asleep near midnight.
Exhaustion dragged her under, but it wasn’t peaceful sleep.
It was the kind where your body rests but your mind keeps listening.
Outside her building, the street looked ordinary.
A stray dog slept near the gate.
A tea stall owner cleaned his counter before closing.
A watchman flipped through his phone.
And across the street, parked in the shadow of a neem tree…
Sat a car that did not belong there.
Inside, Rurik Morozov watched the lit window on the third floor.
Her window.
He had told himself he would only confirm her safety and leave.
That had been two hours ago.
Now he sat in silence, one arm resting on the door, eyes never straying far from that faint golden light behind the curtains.
“Sir,” Mikhail said quietly from the front seat, “perimeter secured. No unusual movement.”
Rurik gave a small nod.
But he didn’t look away.
He had seen battlefields quieter than this street.
And yet, the tension in his chest right now was sharper than any gunfight.
Because somewhere behind that window…
She was breathing.
Sleeping.
Unaware that the most dangerous man in two continents had positioned himself between her and the world.
Inside Divya’s Apartment
She stirred in her sleep.
Her brows furrowed slightly.
Not from fear.
From awareness.
A strange warmth curled in her chest, like the feeling of someone sitting beside you in the dark, not touching… just there.
Her breathing slowed.
Her body relaxed deeper.
As if some invisible part of her knew—
She was being watched.
And not with hunger.
But with vigilance.
Street Below — 1:16 AM
A motorbike turned into the lane too slowly.
Rurik noticed instantly.
So did the men positioned at both ends of the road.
The rider didn’t stop.
But his helmet turned toward the building.
Just for a second.
Long enough.
Rurik’s voice was quiet.
“Follow.”
Two shadows detached from darkness and moved.
The bike never made it out of the next intersection.
No gunshots.
No shouting.
Just silence swallowing a mistake.
Rurik’s gaze returned to her window.
His jaw clenched slightly.
Too close.
Early Morning — 4:32 AM
Divya woke suddenly.
Heart racing.
Room dark.
She didn’t know what had pulled her from sleep.
No sound. No nightmare.
Just… a feeling.
She sat up slowly and looked toward the window.
The curtains moved gently in the early dawn breeze.
For a strange second, she felt like if she walked to the balcony…
Someone would be there.
Waiting.
Not to hurt her.
Just watching.
The thought should have terrified her.
But it didn’t.
That scared her more.
She hugged her knees, whispering to the quiet room,
“Why do I feel like I’m not alone lately…”
Outside, in a car that had not moved all night, Rurik finally closed his eyes for a brief moment.
Not to sleep.
Just to steady something unfamiliar inside his chest.
Later That Day — College Campus
Divya tried to focus on lectures.
Tried to take notes.
But her attention kept drifting.
Every time someone walked past the classroom door, her eyes lifted.
Every time her phone buzzed, her pulse jumped.
She wasn’t scared exactly.
She was… aware.
Like the world had layers she hadn’t noticed before.
Like danger and protection were walking beside her at the same time.
When classes ended, she stepped outside with Aisha.
“Still feeling weird?” Aisha asked.
Divya hesitated. “Have you ever felt like… something is about to happen, but you don’t know what?”
Aisha frowned. “That sounds like anxiety.”
Divya nodded slowly.
Maybe it was.
But anxiety didn’t usually feel this… specific.
Across the Street
From behind dark sunglasses, Rurik watched her exit the campus gates.
He stayed inside the car.
Didn’t step out.
Didn’t speak.
But his eyes followed every movement — the way she tucked her hair behind her ear, the way she laughed softly at something her friend said.
His expression didn’t soften.
But something inside him did.
“She looks better today,” Mikhail said carefully.
Rurik didn’t answer.
Because he had noticed too.
And the fact that her smile mattered…
Was becoming a problem.
That Night — Mumbai Safehouse
Rurik stood in front of a large window overlooking the city.
Lights endless.
Noise distant.
“She cannot know about us,” Mikhail said behind him. “Not yet.”
“I know,” Rurik replied.
“Then why stay this close?”
Rurik was silent for a long moment.
Then, quietly—
“Because Sokolov won’t stop.”
A pause.
“And because,” he added, voice lower, “I don’t trust distance to protect what’s mine.”
Mikhail didn’t respond.
Because there was nothing to say to a man who had already crossed the line between interest… and obsession.
Divya’s Room — Same Night
Divya stood by her window, staring at the city lights.
She didn’t know why she felt drawn there every night now.
Didn’t know why her chest tightened like someone important was just out of reach.
Her fingers brushed the cool glass.
Somewhere out there…
A story she didn’t know she was part of was unfolding.
A war she didn’t know existed was being fought in her name.
And a man she had never seen…
Had already decided she was worth destroying the world for.
She closed her eyes.
And whispered into the night without knowing why,
“Whoever you are… why does it feel like you’re getting closer?”
Miles away in the same city, Rurik opened his eyes at that exact moment.
As if he had heard her.
- Writer
