Page 116 of Born in Sin

“Organization?” Majid quirked an eyebrow.

“I was trying to be polite and not use cult,” Cara grinned.

Majid laughed, his face lightening as he watched Cara smile. “They wouldn’t let anyone get out. They had something on everybody. As long as I stayed, my sister was safe.” He looked out of the window and to the dry, muddy prison ground outside. “She’s safe now. Forever.”

“I watched your press conference.” He looked down at the table, his finger tracing a name scratched into it. “That was very brave.”

It had been and it had opened the floodgates with women pouring through it, all wanting to tell their story, their secret no longer so scandalous when the country’s biggest star blazed the trail first. Many still hid but each story told to the police under the strictest cover of confidentiality was a cathartic cleansing that was healing and purifying. A way to leave the past behind under the cover of justice and forge a way forward.

The guard knocked on the door and popped his head in. “Time,” he said, looking only at Virat who nodded in acknowledgement.

Cara and he got to his feet as Majid remained seated, his gaze on the table, as if it was painful to watch her go.

“Goodbye Majid.” Cara’s soft words had his head coming up to meet her gaze.

“Goodbye Celi.” His serious eyes softened as he looked at her. “Be happy.”

She nodded. “I intend to be.”

They were halfway across the room when Cara stopped, turning again. “I’ll be back,” she told him. “We’ll … we’ll talk more.”

Majid’s face lit up like a child who’d been told Christmas would come early. “I’d like that,” he said softly. His gaze went to Virat standing beside her and he added, “I still don’t like you.”

Virat smiled, tipping his head at him. “Likewise.”

They left the prison, lighter of heart and mind. Virat opened the passenger door to his car and allowed Cara to get in. They’d made the trip without her security detail, allowing for the hope that if people didn’t expect to see you somewhere, then they didn’t see you at all. He shut the door and rounded the car to slide into the driver’s seat.

“Now what?” he asked.

Cara rested her head on the headrest and sighed. “Let’s go home. Let’s live our lives. And let’s be happy.”

“Let’s go do that then,” Virat said, putting the car in gear and driving out of the parking lot. “Only, I’m not sure…”

“Sure of what?” she turned her head to look at him.

“I have a feeling your dog is going to bite me in the butt one day,” he said feelingly.

Cara laughed, the unfettered sound of it filling the air, spreading through him and making him feel like he’d conquered the world.

“Let’s go live our lives,” he murmured now, pulling on to the main road and driving off into their future.

Epilogue

“Shhh!”

“Don’t you shush me, Virat Jha!”

“I told you to tread softly!”

“I am treading softly!!”

“You’re rampaging like a herd of elephants!”

Cara drew back, outraged. “How dare you? I am as graceful as a gazelle!”

“Would you shut up?” Virat hissed, his trademark composure nowhere to be seen. “They’re going to hear us.”

Cara glared at him before poking him in the ribs. She mimed ‘You shut up’ at him.