Priya had always been the troublemaker, the kind of person who thrived on the thrill of breaking rules. She had a way of making everything sound so tempting, so irresistible. And somehow, she never failed to drag me into her wild plans, no matter how much I hesitated. I had always been the cautious one, but when it came to Priya, I often found myself going along with her schemes, even when I knew they were a bad idea.That day was no different. Priya convinced me to sneak out to the carnival that had been set up just outside of town. It was supposed to be harmless fun—a few rides, maybe some cotton candy, a night to remember. But, looking back, coming to the carnival without telling anyone was a terrible, terrible decision.We had been at the carnival for hours, enjoying the chaos and excitement, but as the night wore on, things started to take a turn. A group of boys had been eyeing us since we got there, their stares lingering longer than was comfortable. At first, I tried to brush it off, telling myself they were just curious. But then one of them made a crude remark. My stomach churned as I tried to ignore it, hoping they would leave us alone. But they didn't.By the time we decided to leave, the situation had escalated. The boys were following us, making lewd comments that made my skin crawl. We tried to walk faster, but they kept pace, the sound of their footsteps echoing in the night. Fear began to creep up my spine, my heart pounding in my chest. Eventually, we ducked into the nearest building—a grimy public bathroom.The smell of stale urine and cleaning chemicals hit us as we squeezed into the small, claustrophobic space. Priya's wide, frantic eyes met mine, her breath coming in short, panicked gasps."What are we going to do?" she asked, her voice trembling. She was always the bold one, but now even she seemed to be on edge.I swallowed hard, my palms clammy. The boys had been following us for what felt like hours, their taunts growing more aggressive with every step. I didn't know how long they had been outside the bathroom door, but I couldn't risk going out without knowing if they were still there. The last thing I wanted was for us to get cornered."We should call your mom," I suggested, trying to sound calm. I fumbled for my phone in my pocket, but my fingers were shaking too much to find it right away. I would have called my own mom, but she'd be at work, and I didn't want to bother her with something like this—she'd never forgive me if she knew I'd snuck out."No!" Priya snapped, grabbing my shoulders and shaking me so hard I almost stumbled. "She doesn't know I'm here! Do you have any idea what she'll do if she finds out? She'll ground me, Kirti. FOR LIFE."I froze, her words sinking in. I understood how much her mom would freak out, how disappointed she would be. But I couldn't stop the thought from crossing my mind—it would be better than getting raped.I pushed the thought aside, not wanting to give in to the panic that was rising in me."What do you suggest?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper. Sweat was trickling down my back, my clothes sticking uncomfortably to my skin as the heat in the bathroom became unbearable. The thick March air seemed to close in around us, suffocating and oppressive.Before Priya could answer, there was a loud knock on the bathroom door."Who's inside? Come out!" The voice was low and menacing, one of the boys from earlier.I felt my heart skip a beat, and Priya cursed under her breath."Shit," she muttered, her face pale. She grabbed my arm, pulling me farther into the cramped corner of the bathroom, as if somehow, the walls could shield us from what was outside. The sounds of our breath, loud and ragged, filled the small space. I could feel her trembling against me, her hands shaking as she held onto me.I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. All I could focus on was the sound of the knock, the voice outside, and the suffocating heat that seemed to close in tighter around us. I glanced at Priya, but she wasn't looking at me anymore. Her eyes were fixed on the door, her whole body tense as she waited for whatever would happen next.Priya pulled her phone from her pocket, her fingers trembling as she dialed the number with a frantic urgency."Who are you calling?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper, but she didn't answer."Hello, bhai," Priya sighed into the phone, her voice shaking. I froze. Zavi. Her older brother. God, he was worse than her parents combined. Why would she call him? If he found out we were in this mess, he'd lecture us for hours, maybe even days. The thought of it made my stomach churn."I'm sorry," Priya sobbed into the phone, the sound of her sniffles piercing through the noise of the commotion outside. I couldn't hear the details of the conversation, but I could tell she was explaining everything to Zavi, her voice cracking with each word."Okay. How long?" she asked, her voice now steadier, as if she was trying to keep calm. "Okay. We are waiting. Yeah. Yeah. She is with me. No. We're fine, bhai."From the snippets of conversation, I gathered that Zavi was on his way to rescue us. But honestly, "rescue" wasn't the right word. It felt more like being pulled from the frying pan into the fire."We have to go out before they destroy the bathroom," Priya said in a hushed tone, glancing nervously at the door. The shouting from outside had gotten louder, more frantic, as a crowd began to form. Women's voices mixed with the taunts of the boys, each one more accusing than the last.We had to face them. There was no other option. We couldn't stay trapped in here forever. Priya wiped her tears and sniffed, as I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself.When we finally stepped out of the bathroom, the tension in the air was palpable. If stares could kill, Priya and I would have been dead the moment we emerged."What were you two doing inside?" one of the women sneered, her voice dripping with contempt. "Taking drugs? Should we call the police?"The accusation hung in the air like a heavy weight. My hands clenched into fists."We were hiding from some boys," I said, trying to keep my voice calm but failing miserably. "They were harassing us."The woman's eyes narrowed. "Why are you lying? There are so many people around. You could have asked anyone for help!"I wanted to scream, to tell her that no one had helped us when the boys were cat-calling us out in the open, in front of everyone. They had all ignored us. How could we trust anyone now?But instead of speaking, I just nodded, my throat tight with frustration.We quickly moved away from the gathering crowd, the weight of their judgment heavy on our shoulders. As soon as we were clear, the boys were gone. We let out a collective sigh of relief, but that feeling was short-lived. The universe seemed to have other plans for us.We turned a corner and came face-to-face with the same group of boys. They were lounging behind the ferris wheel, tucked between the rows of carnival tents, the orange lights from the wheel casting an eerie glow over the scene. The shadows grew long as the sun dipped below the horizon. We were trapped."My brother's coming for us. You better stay away!" Priya warned, trying to sound more confident than she felt. But it only seemed to excite them more, the boys laughing and jeering."Oooh... Did we scare you two kittens?" one of the boys taunted, his grin sickeningly wide. He reached out and snatched our handbags, emptying their contents onto the ground with a cruel laugh."Help!" I screamed, panic rising in my chest, my voice echoing through the empty carnival grounds. The next moment, a sharp slap to my cheek silenced me. The force of it left my head spinning, and I stumbled back, clutching my burning face.We heard Priya's phone ring in her pocket, but she didn't dare answer. She stood there, frozen, her face pale."Give us your phone," one of the boys demanded, stepping forward. He was tall, broad-shouldered, with a menacing look in his eyes. I could feel the blood drain from my face as he approached.Priya's hands shook uncontrollably as she pulled out the phone and handed it over. The boy's eyes flickered to the screen, where the word 'bhai' was flashing. His expression shifted, uncertainty flashing across his face for a split second. But then, with a growl, he hung up and switched the phone off."Your phone too!" he barked at me, his voice low and dangerous."I don't have a phone," I lied, my heart racing. But it didn't matter. One of the boys grabbed me by the arms, pinning me in place, while the third one dug into my pockets. His fingers brushed against my skin, sending a shiver of disgust down my spine."What's this then, huh?" he sneered, pulling my phone from my back pocket and waving it in front of my face. His breath reeked of cigarettes and something worse, and I recoiled instinctively."Please..." I whimpered, trying to wriggle free, but it was no use. We were trapped.The boy's grip on me tightened, and I felt his hands sliding over my body, searching. I tried to scream, but his hand clamped over my mouth, muffling my cries. I could feel my pulse hammering in my ears as his fingers brushed against me in ways that made my skin crawl.The stench of sweat and alcohol clung to him as he leaned in closer, his breath hot and foul against my ear. My stomach turned, and I struggled against him, my limbs weak with terror.We were in a secluded corner, between the tents, hidden from sight. The only light came from the ferris wheel, casting eerie shadows on the ground. I felt like I was suffocating, trapped in a nightmare that I couldn't escape.Priya was still beside me, but she was just as terrified, her eyes wide and filled with desperation. I couldn't protect her. I couldn't even protect myself.All I could do was pray for a miracle.He was about to pull my shirt up when the bastard was thrown across the ground by the big frame of Ashu."What the heck?!" The boys moved away and looked around, trying to understand what had just happened. They, of course, couldn't see Ashu. A few seconds later, Zavi walked into the scene and pulled Priya into his arms. She hugged him tightly, sobbing with relief. The boys tried to run, but Zavi got a grip on the tall one, his fist tightly gripping the latter's collar."So you like terrorizing teenage girls, you fucker!" he growled."Sorry. I didn't mean to hurt them," the boy mewled."He touched us, bhai!" Priya added, and Zavi's eyes darkened. I didn't want Priya to run her sharp mouth and unnecessarily hype up Zavi more than he already was. I just wanted to leave.Zavi's fist landed on the boy's face, crunching the bones in his nose. The boy cried out in pain, but the sound was muffled by the second blow to the right side of his face. I gasped, putting a hand over my mouth. Zavi was going to kill him. I had never seen this side of him—this scary, despicable side. I looked around, wishing someone would come and stop the scene unfolding before us, but this corner was hidden from everyone's sight."Stop!" I screamed, but Zavi wouldn't stop. In a desperate attempt, I wrapped my arms around his raised hand just as he was about to land another blow."Get away from me!" Zavi pushed me away, throwing me to the ground. His eyes blazed with anger. I expected him to realize what he had done as he looked down at me, but there was nothing but disgust and hatred in his expression."Don't you ever touch me again!" he warned, leaning down, a finger pointed at my face. I frowned, dusting off the dirt from my dress. Zavi walked up to Priya, took her hand, and dragged her away from the bleeding boy on the ground. I stumbled behind them, following them to Zavi's car.The ride home was tense. Zavi's whole demeanor was that of a very, very angry man."I'm sorry, bhai," Priya muttered. She was sitting beside him in the passenger seat. Zavi's eyes locked on me through the rearview mirror, and his face hardened further."Whose brilliant idea was this?" he asked, his voice deeper than usual."Mine," Priya muttered."Do you realize what could have happened to you?""I won't pull anything like this again," she said, regret evident in her voice.Zavi grunted in response. He dropped her home and instructed her to go straight up to her room. "No need to tell Mom about what went down today," he said as she went inside.I was about to walk out of the car, but Zavi locked the door. "I'm dropping you home," he said.I nodded, unable to muster the voice to protest or even say thank you. I itched to ask what had happened to him at the fair, why he had pushed me away, and why he had lost control with the boy."Thank you for saving us," I said instead.Zavi looked at me in the rearview mirror again. "I didn't save you; I was there for my sister."I gulped down the hurt."Why are you dropping me home, then?" My stupid self had to go ahead and challenge him. I should have known better."I don't want you to stay at our place. I can't stand to see your unbearable face at the breakfast table tomorrow."That hurt more than the groping at the fair had. I tried to hide the sob that choked out of my throat, but it was all too much. The fair, Zavi's violence, and now his words. He dropped me home and drove away without a second glance. I went to bed and cried for my treacherous heart that still ached for him.