Chapter - 1

Author's Pov.:-

The night is surprisingly darker than usual today, the black clouds are threatening people with heavy rain. Heavy lightning with thunderstorms is echoing in the city. A big and heavy storm is about to happen. However, in the busy City-H, the known bar plus brothel of the city is at its height. Music, smoking, drinks, money, gambling, lights, and every possible bad deed are running at their height. You will get any fun from here from the beautiful body to bloody money.

There's a strip club, illegal fighting club, gambling bar, prostitute house, and drug-selling spot available in this brothel house. No one can do anything against it because it's an illegal-legal place for every crime. Screams and moans of people are coming from the basement area where is a prostitute's house and fighting club located.

Inside one of the rooms of this brothel's basement, clothes are laying down on the bed while a man is all over a pretty naked woman's body. Their bodies are connected like a second skin. They both are lost in their pleasure being unaware of a person standing out of their room's door. It's not like they do mind that person's presence outside the room. The person has a cold frown on his faked bearded face. If someone looks deeply into that person's eyes only then you'll be able to see pure disgust in her eyes. Her eyes hold helplessness in them. She's helpless to disguise herself as a man and work at such a place. After all, with no education who'll hire her besides such places? Besides that, the good amount of money is the biggest reason for her to be here. Moreover, no complaints because she's used to it now. Disguise is a part of her life, you can say a treasure of her all problems.

Here only men are employed and when she saw the advertisement of this bar seeking employees five years ago, therefore, she disguised herself as a man and got employed there as she was completely broke. Since then she's working here. A good sum of the money she gets every week, therefore, she doesn't find it wrong anymore. For the past last five years, no one gets a single doubt about her, or else she would've been a lump of dead meat until now. All because their assigned jobs change daily and due to her slim, weak, and 5'7 frame body her superior gives her easy tasks in which she doesn't get to come across fights.

Today she is assigned to the brothel as a security man for the brothel women. Hence, she is standing outside the room door. If by chance the brothel woman need help or the guy tries to harm her then the security man will rescue the brothel woman. Even though her body is lean yet her good height of 5'7 is a plus point to her which helps her to disguise herself as a man smoothly.

" Hey, man. Your shift is over. " a man came over to the disguised man and took in change from him. Nodding her head at the man she walked like a man and soon, after crossing the fighting ring area and seeing how two men are bleeding each other to death and sick people are roaring for their respective fighters, she safely walks out of the bar.

She has formed a low profile in her workplace, she doesn't interact with any person over there because of her reasons. Firstly, she can't' fake her heavy voice with more than a couple of words. Secondly, the more she mingles or gets friendly with her workmates the more it'll be like getting into a lion's den with closed eyes hoping that if you can't see him then he can't either. Thirdly, every single thing disgusts her over there, she can't even spare a normal look at anyone without a disgusted frown, let alone talk to anyone.

" Huh! It was so tiring today, I'm wrenched " she mumbled to herself when she get into her house's slum alley. Locking the door on her way into her house, she switched on the lights but to her dismay, the power was off as usual. She slapped her head and cursed beautiful words to the electricity department because even after paying electricity bills they're provided with no good survival. Since her house was nothing more than 1bhk, she guide herself in the dark to walk to her father's room. Her father's room was brightened up with a small amount of light coming through the broken window. Her eyes glued up looking at the shining city through the window.

" I believe one day you'll shine your life more than these stupid lights. Your life will be brightest just like stars " her trace broken by her father's voice who hold her small wrist while looking at his strong daughter.

" Yes father, I'll. Then you won't be any more on this slum bed. We both will live happily together in our new house "Even though she knows what she said to her father will never going to happen but she couldn't help but always dream big and positively. After all, they were never like this before. They were a normal happy family like others, leading a good life 10 years back. Nevertheless, sadness got to knock on their door one day and took away the backbone of their happy family. Her mother died in an accident. She was also there along with her father, she saw her mother's bloody body getting rescued from the broken elevator. After that everything falls apart. Her father who was an engineer in a multitask company slumped into drinking and gambling which caused them to lose their house, good life, and happiness. Her poor shoulders took all this heavy realization and took her father's responsibility at a young age. She was only 11 when all this took place. More than her of course, her father was devasted.

Ram Verma met Lekha Rathore in his college life, he was pursuing his engineering from the same college where she was doing her computer science course. They both met at their fresher's party by coincidence and from friends when they became love birds they didn't realize. They took their relationship to the next level by getting married even when Lekha's family was against it. Ram was the only child of his parents. His father was long dead when he was a child and his mother also left him after seeing her granddaughter's face. After all, that was her only wish because Lekha was having difficulty getting pregnant, eventually, by God's grace she got pregnant after five years of their marriage.

Lekha's death broke Ram completely. When he drowned in his misery and neglect his only daughter he didn't realize until he saw his daughter getting dressed up as a man. In an attempt to protect his daughter from the hungry wolves of his town, he left the town and came to this city but this city didn't welcome him with the good because he fell ill in a couple of months and since then he's on bed rest and his daughter had to continue to disguise as a man to earn as well as to protect herself in this wild and unwelcoming city.

" Jeevika, child. Go and take a rest. It's going to be three in the night " Ram again broke his daughter's thoughts who was looking at the sparkling city with wonder because when they had moved here they used to live in the same place but when Ram fell ill their savings went into his treatment and when he was kicked off from his workplace Jeevika got no choice but to disguise and go out to earn money.

More than death if something scares Ram is watching his daughter getting dressed as a man and going to do work. However, he's helpless. He curses himself for ruining his only child's life. Jeevika was an ambitious child, she was good at studying and especially in Maths, her dream was to become an engineer just like her father but poor her doesn't get to see the school face all because of him. However, Jeevika has completed both boards from the private board, and still, all in the mess she managed to get good scores. Nevertheless, she can't spend a single penny on her study because her father's meds are very costly.

"Have you taken your meds? " Jeevika questioned looking at the half-empty water glass. It kills Ram to see his daughter going through hell all because of him and still she's doing her best to keep him alive, he couldn't help but cry from inside in suffocation. " Yes I did "somehow he managed to respond but a tear slipped out from his eye which didn't go unnoticed by Jeevika.

She hugged her father and cried her misery out and Ram apologized continuously in the middle of his emotional outbursts. " I'm sorry my child. My Jeevika. All this is my fault. Everything is my fault. Your mother must be hating me for causing her daughter pain for whom she goes through a lot of pain. I'm sorry my child. I'm a big shame as a father. Only if I die you'll get to lead a good life " Ram was babbling bullshit when Jeevika jolt out of the hug and glared at her father with her red moist eyes and screamed " Papa! "

" Please! Don't speak such an absurd thing. If you also leave me then for whom I'll live? I survived Mom's death because you were there for me but I won't be able to live a single day if you leave me. Living is the only this you can do for my happiness. Don't think negatively. I've believed that one day everything will be alright and you'll be with me to see the miracle happen. I believe that. " Jeevika said kissing her father's forehead who looking at his daughter with so much love and pride.

" Don't think anything besides getting healthy back okay " Jeevika said before leaving her father's room and making a bed for herself in the living room. Soon she gets into her bed and scroll of the old days when her mother used to pamper her whenever she was upset with something. She misses her mother a lot. Always she wonder what would be she today or what kind of life she would be living if her mother was alive. ' I pray wherever you're mom, you would be living a good life ' with her usual prayer she closed her eyes.

Meanwhile, Ram looked at the bright city from his room window and mentally prayed for his daughter's good life. He knows what his daughter's heart wants. Each day he thinks of ending his life but his daughter's broken state and those eyes when he tried to put a full stop to his life but got caught by his daughter at the right time.

Since that day Jeevika is super attentive toward her father. She has made it clear to her father, if he dares to repeat it then she will follow him there as well because there won't be anything for her to stay behind alone on this earth.

Meanwhile on the same night. A man sitting on the couch looking with boredom at the woman attempts to seduce him. The chill is throbbing the poor woman's soul. Even though the room has AC on yet she's sweating in nervousness. After all, today either she'll lose her life or her job. This poor woman has done her best to peel off all the layers of her customer's control but couldn't make him horny. The man snapped his eyes up at the woman who shivered due to his dominating and threatening aura splitting through his cold and sharp eyes.

On the other hand, the man's eyes are boring holes into her naked form. He's sitting on the couch fully dressed because he didn't find any need of stripping naked even though the woman was inviting. His clenched jaw harden more watching the woman do dirty talks and deeds to herself as he didn't allow her to touch him.

" You may leave " his calm yet rough voice made her jolt in surprise. Hurriedly she collects her clothes and rushes out of the room nothing carrying that she's naked for other men to watch.

" Fuck! " the man threw his champagne glass to the wall causing it to break into small crystals. " So how did it go? " his frown deepen hearing the question. Turning his face to the person his jaw clenched in annoyance.

" Fucking nothing! Vishv " he said slapping his hand on the table. His hollow eyes drowned in misery getting unpleasant and bothering thoughts. Disappointment is dripping from his body language.

" Don't worry. I've arranged a meeting with Mr. Cameron. We'll find a way anyhow. " Vishv tried to give hope to his best friend who shook his head absolutely and said with heaviness " I don't think that. Even after all this, I don't think I can be cured" he reasoned to which Vishv released a heavy sigh.

" Just leave me alone for now. I need to take a rest. Good night " the man stood up from his seat and walk to his room. Even after that, Vishv followed him knowing where exactly he was heading.

He silently sits on the stool watching his best friend with sadness. He let him do as he, pleased. The man sits on the stool after collecting his whisky bottle. He made himself a glass of drink and guzzle it in one go. One after another, he down a couple of glasses until his eyes turned red and give his system a numbness.

" Careful bro " Vishv came to his side when the man was about to fall. The man looks at him with sadness before saying " I wrong have I done to deserve this bro? I've never caused anyone pain intentionally then why me? "

" Everything will be alright Theodore. One day everything will be, I promise. " Vishv assured Theodore who passed him a broken smile as a lone tear made its way down to his cheek.

' I promise Theo. I will search for your cure even if I have to turn this world upside down for you bro ' Vishv thought looking down at Theodore who mumbled ' Ira! ' in his sleep.

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