The boy stood before Yuvraj, head bowed, trembling with fear. The lines of terror were clearly visible on his face. His hands were shaking badly. But mustering all his courage, he said,
"Please, let me go. I'm doing this because someone told me to."
Yuvraj took a deep breath and slowly walked toward him.
"I know who sent you and why you're doing this."
"Rajan sent you here, didn't he?"
His voice was so cold it felt like the room's temperature dropped instantly.
Hearing that Yuvraj knew someone had sent him, the boy's lips went dry. That meant his chances of survival were now slim.
The rivalry between Rajan and Yuvraj was quite old.
Yuvraj twirled the wine glass in his hand and then calmly said,
"I'll let you go… but you'll have to do something for me."
He said this with a crooked smile.
Hearing this, the boy's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't expected Yuvraj to let him go so easily. Or maybe he was playing a game with him.
Yuvraj got up from the sofa, stepped closer, and firmly grabbed the boy's chin, forcing him to look into his eyes.
"You came here to take my private photos and leak them on social media, didn't you? To ruin my image.
Well, even if you had done it, it wouldn't have affected me.
Because I would've had them deleted from everywhere within an hour.
But yes, there was one problem — if those photos had gone viral,
I don't know about my business reputation,
but my *private* reputation would've definitely suffered.
What would people think? That Yuvraj Rathore has such poor taste in boys?
That he gives attention to just anyone?"
The boy felt deeply embarrassed hearing this.
Yuvraj was saying all this deliberately — leaving no chance to humiliate him.
Seeing the boy in such a state brought a killer smile to Yuvraj's lips.
Taking a deep breath, Yuvraj continued,
"Anyway, let's get to the point.
What you came here to do with me —
you'll now do the same thing with Rajan's elder son, Nitin."
The boy's eyes widened in shock.
"W-what?" he stuttered.
"Yes," Yuvraj said carelessly,
"Kings Hotel. Room number 209.
Go there and do exactly what you were planning to do with me.
By morning, I want his pictures all over the internet."
The boy stepped back in fear, but Yuvraj grabbed his wrist.
"And remember," he said in a low, dangerous tone,
"If you try anything clever or think about running away,
I *will* find you.
And what happens then... you can't even imagine."
"Please, let me go. I can't do this," the boy pleaded, falling at Yuvraj's feet.
"The MLA voting is the day after tomorrow, and Nitin is standing for election.
If such pictures of him go viral now, he'll lose the election.
And if Rajan finds out that I was the reason his son lost, he'll kill me.
Please… don't do this. Let me go."
Yuvraj stared at him for a few moments and then said in his cold voice,
"If you don't do this, I'll kill you."
Sweat beaded on the boy's forehead after hearing Yuvraj's words.
He realized he had no options left now. He was completely trapped —
if he did the task, Rajan would kill him; and if he didn't, Yuvraj would.
His breath grew heavy from fear and anxiety, and Yuvraj slowly let go of his wrist.
"Now go," Yuvraj said calmly,
"and start your work."
The boy walked toward the door with trembling steps,
while Yuvraj sat back on the sofa, taking a long sip of his wine.
The boy had just reached the door when Yuvraj called out from behind.
The boy turned around slowly.
"You'll be fine," Yuvraj said.
"As soon as you finish this job, my men will meet you outside the hotel.
Within half an hour, go home and pack all your belongings.
Then my men will take you to the airport, where you'll board a flight to Finland.
I've arranged everything for your stay there.
After a few days, when the situation settles down here, you can return.
Or, if you want, you can stay there permanently.
And yes — I've sent your father to the USA for treatment."
As soon as Yuvraj said this, the boy's eyes widened in shock.
He couldn't believe what he had just heard.
Seeing his expression, Yuvraj said,
"There's no need to look so surprised. Nothing stays hidden from me.
I know your father has cancer.
And you needed money for his treatment — that's why you were doing this.
I understand… desperation can make a person do anything."
Hearing this, the boy's eyes welled up with tears.
He had never imagined that after trying to do something so wrong, Yuvraj would still treat him like this.
"Please forgive me," he said.
"I didn't want to do this, but I had no other choice.
The hospital told me to arrange fifty lakh rupees within two days.
How could a middle-class man like me arrange that kind of money in such a short time?
That's when Rajan's men approached me with this task.
I couldn't say no.
Back then, it felt like the right decision."
Yuvraj listened carefully and then, in a low yet deep voice, said,
"Rajan uses people like you for his dirty work — because he knows it's easy to manipulate people in desperate situations.
And once the job is done, it's just as easy for him to get rid of you.
Do you realize he would've killed you after this job?"
The boy's eyes widened again in disbelief.
"W-w-what?"
"Yes. What did you think? That he'd let you live after all this?
You know the full truth.
And if someday you speak out, he'll be exposed.
Why would he take that risk?
Killing you would've been the safest way out for him.
That's why, next time — don't believe anyone so easily."
Yuvraj's words left the boy utterly shocked.
Until now, he had only heard negative things about Yuvraj — that he was arrogant and cruel.
But today, he saw a side of Yuvraj he had never expected.
Seeing the boy lost in thought, Yuvraj asked,
"Do you want to ask me something?"
"Yes," the boy replied softly. "I've always heard bad things about you, but..."
Before he could finish, Yuvraj interrupted,
"You heard right.
I *am* exactly the way they say.
I'm ruthless and cruel.
Once a year — just once — I behave like a normal human being.
Today just happens to be that day.
Today, I'm acting like a normal person.
Otherwise…
If today wasn't that day…
You wouldn't still be standing alive in front of me."
He said this with a crooked smile.
Just as the boy had started to feel slightly relaxed, Yuvraj's words once again made him tremble in fear.
He no longer wanted to stay there even a moment longer.
He quickly walked out of the room.
Stepping outside, he took a deep breath.
"What a strange man," he thought.
"Can't tell if he's good or bad.
Maybe it's this exact nature of his that's kept him single all this time."