Kiara kept crying in his chest while hugging him tightly.

Pratham told that the men confessed that they were sent by Nilesh. Ivaan's hold on Kiara tightened a bit.

He asked Pratham to handle it while he looked after Kiara. She was more important right now.

He gave Pratham his car keys and asked him to open the door. He picked Kiara up in his arms and made her sit in the car.

She clutched his shirt and he held her hands.

"Yahi hu mai."

(I am here.)

He softly released his shirt from her fists and settled in the driving seat. He buckled her up and wiped her tears.

"You are safe now Kiara. Please stop crying."

"Agar aap nhi aate to wo log-"

(If you wouldn't have come then-)

She cried again. She was so scared. He hugged her and caressed her hair.

"Lekin mai aa gaya na. Did he do something?"

(But i came right.)

He asked trying to control his anger. She looked at him and they shared an eyelock. Her red, teary eyes and his red, angry eyes which softened seeing her.

"He-he touched me and-and he kissed me here."

She showed him her neck like an innocent child and he wanted to smash that Nilesh's head.

He kissed her head and told her like one does to a baby.

"Ab koi kuch nhi kr skta tumhe. Thik hai. Stop crying. Please!"

(Now no one will do anything to you. Okk.)

She nodded and wiped her tears and sniffled like a baby. He smiled sadly at her.

He took her to his home. He didn't inform anyone about anything right now.

He entered in with her clutching his shirt in her fists. Ivaan was now conflicted which room to let her stay in.

He didn't want to leave her alone but also didn't want to make her any more uncomfortable than she was.

He took her to a guest room and tucked her in the bed.

"Tum yaha comfortable ho?"

(Are you comfortable here?)

She nodded but bit her lip as if wanting to say something.

"Kuch chahiye?"

(Want something?)

He asked caressing her hair and she shook her head. She wanted to ask him to stay but could not.

He switched off the lights and went to his room and laid on the bed. He closed his eyes in anger as he remembered the scene when he reached there.

Kiara twisted and turned but could not sleep. All the things she and her mother had faced in past played in front of her eyes like a painful memory.

She got off her bed and slowly walked to his room. Ivaan was just laying on his bed thinking about Kiara when he heard a knock on his door.

He saw Kiara standing there like an innocent, scared baby.

"Kya hua? Kuch chahiye tha kya?"

(What happened? Did you want something?)

He asked her with and she looked at him vulnerably.

"Neend nhi aa rhi akele. Darr lag rha hai."

(I can't sleep alone. I am scared.)

He felt as if someone pierced something into his heart. He opened the gate wide and let her enter.

She came in and stood there fidgeting with fingers nervously.

He asked her to lay down on the bed and she did as told. He tucked her in and got up to go on the couch but she held his hand.

"Please yahi ruk jaiye."

(Please stay here.)

"Par-"

(But-)

"Please!"

She whispered and he nodded. She shifted and he got inside the blanket. She hugged him and he caressed her hair.

"10 saal ki thi mai when my father sold my mother and me to that brothel."

(I was ten years old when my father sold me and my mother to that brothel.)

She said after some time and Ivaan's eyes widened. He looked at her. She had her eyes bowed down but a pained expression on her face.

"Kuch samajh nhi thi uss waqt mujhe inn sab cheezon ki. Mumma ne khudko aur mujhe unn rakshaso se bachane ke liye 2 din kamre mai band krke rakha. Unhone hume khaana paani kuch dia. Kehte ki agar hum unke kaam nhi aa skte to wo bhi-"

(I had no idea about all these things at the time. Mumma locked herself and me in a room to save us from those monsters. They did not give us food or water. They said that they will not help us if we do not come of their use-)

She choked back a sob. Ivaan caressed her hair and back to give her courage.

"Third day mumma ko meri wajah se unki baat manni padi. Unhone hume khaana dia aur phir meri mumma ko-"

(Third day mumma had to agree to them because of me. They gave us food and water and then took mumma-)

She cried bitterly remembering the horrible day. She had cried for hours for her mother who was crying and shouting for her dignity.

Ivaan pulled her closer if possible and kissed her head repeatedly.

"Din raat wo log meri mumma ko janwaro ki tarah nochte the. Wo dikhati nhi thi mujhe lekin unke shareer pr nishaan aur aankhon mai dard saaf dikhta tha."

(They raped her day and night. She didn't show me but the pain in her eyes and the scars on her body were visible.)

She seemed to be in a daze while speaking all this as if she just wanted to take the pain off her heart.

"Uss waqt maine Nilesh ko first time waha dekha. Tab ye saari recordings kari lein ye baat mumma ko bhi nhi batayi."

(That time i saw Nilesh there for the first time. Then i recorded everything but didn't tell mumma about anything.)

Ivaan was shocked to hear all this. He didn't know how t react.

"Kayi saal hum wahi rehte rahe. Har din apne kamre mai iss darr se jeeti rhi ki kahi wo ek din mujhe bhi na le jaaye. Phir mere 18th birthday se do din pehle mumma ne mujhe ye pendant dia aur kaha-"

(We stayed there for many years. Everyday i used to stay in my room with the fear that one day they would take me too. Then on my 18th birthday mumma gave me this pendant and said-)

She showed him the butterfly pendant she wore daily since that day.

"Unhone ye mujhe pehnate huye kaha- titli hai tu meri, udd jaa yaha se, ye log tujhe chhodenge nhi, intezaar kr rhe hai ki tu 18 ki ho ye tujhe bhi inn sab mai kheench le, bhaag jaa yaha se meri gudiya, bhaag jaa-"

(She made me wear this and said- you are my butterfly, fly away from here, thses people will not leave you, waiting for you to turn 18 so that they take you too, run from here my doll, run away-)

She hid her face in his chest and cried remembering the last time she saw her mother. He let her cry for some time and just rubbed her back. She looked at him and then spoke.

"That was the last time i saw my mother. Phir mai waha se bhaag kr yaha aa gyi. Do din yaha waha ghumti rahi to find a place to stay. Phir ek lady mili. She was very sweet. Unhone mujhe wo apartment half price pr dia. Unhone mujhe kaam bhi dia. But some time later she passed away."

(Then i ran away from there. Two days i roamed around to find a place to stay. Then i met a lady. She gave me that apartment at half price. She gaveme work too.)

She smiled remembering the old lady. She then looked at him and said.

"I started searching for my so called father but mujhe pata chala that he passed away many years ago in an accident. Bhagwaan ne unhe unki saja already de di thi. Around 2 mahine baad mujhe uss brothel ki ek lady se pata chala ki mumma-" 

(God punished him for his acts. Around 2 months later i got to know that mumma-)

She again broke down crying and he just hugged her tight.

"You are so strong Kiara. Itna kuch seh kr bhi you stood up for yourself and your mother. And i promise you ki aaj ke baad tumhe koi bhi cheez akele nhi sehni hogi. I will always be there standing beside you, with you."

(Even after going through so much you stood up for yourself and your mother. You won't go through anything alone.)

He promised making her smile slightly and Ivaan smiled seeing her smile for the first time. She slept due to tiredness of the horrible day and he kissed her head and slept holding her.
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