Neel Chowdhury seated me on an expensive velvet sofa in a corner of the crowded hall and said in a serious tone,
"Sit here. I'll be back in a moment.
Don't move."
Under the command in his eyes, I sat there like an obedient girl.
As he walked away with long strides and disappeared into the crowd, a suffocating loneliness surrounded me.
After a while, a waiter approached me with a tray and politely asked,
"Madam, would you like something? We have cold drinks, beer, hard drinks… or fresh juice."
I shook my head.
"No, I don't need anything. You can go."
But the waiter insisted.
To avoid further discomfort, I finally took a glass of orange juice from him.
Taking small sips, I glanced around the hall from the corner of my eyes.
Suddenly, my gaze froze at a dark corner on the other side of the hall.
My heart stopped.
Rushda.
He was standing there… talking.
And beside him stood the girl—for whom he had called me "ugly" and thrown me away.
The shock was so intense that I unconsciously stood up.
The glass slipped from my hand and shattered on the floor with a sharp clink, the juice spilling near my feet.
But I didn't even notice.
I kept staring at the girl.
From a distance, as I observed her closely, I couldn't believe my own eyes.
This was the girl? The one for whom he had humiliated me?
There was nothing extraordinary about her appearance.
In fact, her style and manner were quite ordinary.
Watching their gestures and laughter from afar, a burning sensation rose within me.
Was this the "taste" for which my love had been discarded?
I stood there like a statue, watching them—when suddenly I felt someone behind me.
That familiar scent. That heavy presence.
Neel had returned.
As I turned, I saw Neel standing very close to me. His calm, stone-like gaze was fixed on me.
He glanced briefly at the broken glass on the floor and said in a low voice,
"What are you looking at, Sahana? What you see—that's reality.
Leave the past behind. From now on, you walk with me.
You will be known by my identity.
In front of everyone, you are my partner."
His controlling tone made my blood boil.
Trembling with anger and humiliation, I hissed,
"What are you saying?
That's never going to happen! You think I'll be your puppet?
Yes, I'm trapped here because of you—but I've already lost myself in the process.
I need to break free from this suffocating environment… and from your dominance."
I cast one last look at Rushda, filled with disgust, then turned back to Neel.
"And don't even get me started on him! He betrayed me, crushed my self-respect.
I will take revenge for this humiliation—but that doesn't mean I'll stay trapped in your web."
At that very moment, a loud mechanical sound echoed through the hall as an announcement began.
A woman's smooth yet authoritative voice filled the air—
"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to tonight's special event.
We are delighted that you have honored our invitation. We hope this evening will be memorable for all of you."
The announcement came from the stage.
People began moving toward the front rows, taking their seats.
But inside me, a storm was raging.
My mother… my younger brother Abir… weren't they supposed to be here?
Had Neel lied to me?
Or were they somewhere in this crowd?
Before I could think further, Neel gripped my hand tightly again.
Without a word, he practically pulled me toward the front row.
My helpless eyes searched every face in the crowd—Where is my mother? Where is Abir?
As guests settled into their seats, I felt like I had stepped onto the stage of a massive conspiracy, where every character was shrouded in mystery.
Neel forced me into a VIP seat in the very front row.
My discomfort peaked.
As I stiffly looked toward the stage, my eyes widened in shock.
A group of girls stood in a line on stage.
Their outfits were even more revealing and indecent than what I was wearing.
Under the flashing blue lights, their bodies looked almost exposed.
In the name of modernity, I had never seen such shameless display before.
Disgust churned inside me.
And yet, the so-called elite, educated people around me were enjoying it so casually.
There wasn't even a trace of shame on the girls' faces.
I was about to turn my face away in disgust—
when Neel leaned close to me.
His cold breath brushed against my ear as he whispered in a low, serious tone,
"Look, Sahana. Don't turn away.
The game has only just begun. Just keep watching… what happens next."