Steve was right - Ajay did not come the next day or the day after that. A week passed and nothing happened. Aditi visited the bar every evening only to attract other undue attention. Her unease increased with her impatience. Her time was running out.

"He must be waiting for his allowance," Steve told her as they met for breakfast at one of the beachside cafes. Aditi had a floaty white dress on. Try as he might, he couldn't take his eyes off it. "It would be wise to give it a rest for some time. Maybe take your mind off Ajay and give something else a little more attention?"

"Like what?" Aditi got his hint but played dumb. It was hilarious how Steve blushed despite him being a professional escort. Well, what did she know? There were men, and there were men. She shook her head with a wry smile.

"Like maybe go sightseeing?" Steve pressed on. "Dallas has many places to visit besides the shady club you insist on lurking around."

"And what if we miss him?"

"We won't. We'll get to know the moment he steps in there."

Fair enough. She had little choice but to agree. Going around the city with a handsome man like Steve was not a bad idea. Only she did not want to lead him on. He was too nice to be used like this.

Biting her lip, she decided to play safe.

"Do you always go on dates with your clients?"

His face paled.

"I have never dated a client. What I do with my clients or what they do with me - it cannot be classified as romance."

"I'm sorry." She could have kicked herself. Steve merely shrugged.

"So what do you say? I would love to invite you on a date. All day, free of charge, of course!" He gave a booming laugh, but quickly sobered when she raised an eyebrow. "Unless, of course, you don't want to go with your escort, which I'll completely understand... "

"Let's go." She picked up her bag and stood up. His face creaked in a wide smile. "But I am warning you, it might not be pleasant. There might be a lot of arguing and complaining. Not to mention in-general moping around and eating unhealthy food. Is it okay?"

Of course, it was okay. The next seven hours were fun-filled. They went around the city, roaming the streets. She only complained when she couldn’t control her bladder and they were not within a minute of the nearest public toilets, but otherwise, she didn't make a fuss. Steve was a wonderful guide and knew the city well having lived there half his life. There were museums, parks, and the place where President Kennedy was assassinated. The cafes were full to the brim, and the malls were bustling.

Aditi hadn't had such a great time in ages. By the end of it all, she was so exhausted, all she wanted was to drop dead in her bed. But her day wasn't over yet.

She watched as Steve dropped her and drove away, then called a cab. There was one last task that still remained, without which she won't be able to sleep a wink.

*****

It was nearly eight when she entered Ground Zero, the grubby nightclub Ajay frequented. As usual, she was greeted with the sound of thumping music mixed with shouts of laughter and spurious grunting. The air reeked of alcohol, cigarette, and stale sex. By now she was so used to it, She trudged in without giving it a second thought.

As expected, it was busy. The dance floor was crowded, as was the bar. Every table was taken and every dark corner was occupied by horny couples. Her stomach churned as her eyes scanned the crowd, looking for a dark head and a brown leather jacket. But tonight too, he had given her a miss.

Disappointed, she came out. There were other clubs here that held similar attractions; maybe it was worth checking them. If not Ground Zero, he could be in the Virgin Nights, or the Brass Zone, or the Lad and the Lady. The entire area was full of nightclubs. Tonight, she was determined to fish him out.

Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

*****

Three hours had passed. The clubs were packed with people who spilled outside on the dimly lit roads. More were arriving, cars full of revelers. Hardly anyone was leaving; most were just passing out in the streets or taking refuge in the dark alleys for a quick rendezvous before starting their quest afresh.

Soon a light drizzle started. Aditi weaved through the crowd, visiting each club on the way, each shadier than the other, darker, more gloomy, and sinister. The cold drizzle seeped through her light clothing, making her wet to the bone. Her aching legs and back told her she must have walked for miles. The stress in her bladder told her she needed a loo maybe for the fiftieth time today.

muttering under her breath she hurried on the pavement negotiating the wild crowd when a drunk man bumped into her.

“Sorry sweetheart...,” he burbled before doing a double take to give her a head-to-toe. Grimacing, she clutched her jacket tight around her bare shoulders. Her short white dress did not do her any favors. It was so sodden, it left little for the imagination.

“Not dressed for the weather, are we?” A leer quirked his lip. Aditi cursed herself for landing herself in this situation. It was stupid, irresponsible, and reckless to come here alone. “You look cold, dahlin... how about I warm you for a bit?”

“No thanks. I’m good.” She tried to shrug him off, but he was having none of it.

“C’mon dahlin. Give us a hug…”

He lurched forward to grab her arm. Panicked, she sped away as fast as she could and turned into a nearby alley. At the other end of the alley was a busy road. She could get a taxi from there. Enough of this adventure, this silly craving. Her tummy was rumbling again, the baby too was scolding her.

“Yes, yes! We are leaving. You’ll get food as soon as we reach home...,” she mumbled as she rushed to the other end when she tripped over something and fell. Well, nearly fell as someone grabbed her waist and stood her up.

“Got you!” Ajay Parmar whispered with his arm wrapped around her. Aditi stared, the cold in her bones now reaching her heart.

*****

Why was she scared? She didn’t know. She was waiting for this, looking for this opportunity to confront Ajay. But now that he was here, she stood frozen. Her brain told her to run, but her legs wouldn’t move. She wanted to scream, but no sound came out.

“I was watching you all this while. I must admit, you have grown even more beautiful than I last saw you…” His hand caressed her waist, then slid down to her thigh. That jolted her out of her trance. Her knee lifted in reflex to hit him where it hurt the most, and Ajay stumbled back in surprise.

“You bitch!” He lunged forward, but she whirled back and ran in the opposite direction. Alas, behind her was her drunk pursuer staggering towards her determinedly. She moved aside and plastered herself to the dirty wall as Ajay collided with the drunk man. In a split second, she changed her direction and ran towards the other end. The busy road was her only escape.

She ran for her life through the dark alleyway. It was a few meters of distance before it opened onto the road into a pedestrian crossing. The signal was green and people were crossing. If only she could reach in time to cross to the other side, she would be able to make her escape.

She rushed frantically. Behind her, she could hear thumping feet. Her instinct told her it was Ajay. The other man was too drunk to run this fast.

Her heart thumped in her chest as a cramp started in her lower abdomen. Clutching her tummy, she took the final few strides and was about to step into the black-and-white crossing when Ajay screamed from behind.

“Not so fast, Aditi. You can’t escape me...”

Someone moved behind her, and before she knew it, she was being lifted out of the way. She was removed from the road, and back to the safety of the pavement, but Ajay was not so lucky. He zoomed forward as the green light of the crossing turned red. An oncoming car honked loudly, but Ajay was already five feet in the middle of the road.

It was a matter of a split second. Ajay stared as the white xenon headlights flashed in his frozen face. Aditi watched from the pavement as the car hit him squarely in his chest. He didn’t even scream. It was a smooth death. So smooth and quick, probably death too marveled at its own efficiency.

Ajay was dragged fifty feet before the car came to a screeching halt. All she could see was his lolling head while his body lay under the wheel in a mangled, bloody mess.

*****

Within a minute, a crowd gathered. Nobody had seen what happened. All they could remember was that someone had shot out of the dark alleyway directly into the red light. They couldn’t even remember if it was Ajay. Everyone was so busy with their own life, no one had time to see what was happening around them.

Aditi turned and vomited, then turned to look again. She was no novice to dead bodies, yet she didn't remember anything this grisly. There was a perverse satisfaction in looking at this one. Yes, she was sick to the core, shocked and repulsed, yet she looked on, committing to her brain the last of Ajay Parmar.

“Let’s go,” a grim voice murmured close to her ear, and she realized someone was holding her. A warm trench coat was thrown over her shoulder as the man wrapped his arm around her shoulders and gently guided her away from the crowd.

She squinted her eyes through the drizzle.

What was he doing here? How did he know she was here? She wanted to ask but was too exhausted. The last she remembered was that he hailed a cab and gave the driver her address. He got in and tucked her safely in the crook of his arm as she lay there calmly. Her last thought before she lost her senses was how he knew her address.

***** *****