Play In Darkness (Eng/END)

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Imdad often saw his female colleagues on missions. Some disguise themselves, infiltrate, kill, lurk, and so on, even seducing their targets into bed. That's normal for secret agents. But seeing his lover doing this made Imdad uneasy. Early in the morning, with Delisha, in his study, they learn about the Golden Star Hotel's security system. Indeed, the security of the hotel was very tight, especially the access point to the private room of Devdas Star Tailes, where the man was always present so that it did not allow Delisha to use bugging devices and carry all kinds of weapons, except as big as sewing needles.

“No problem,” Delisha replied casually. She opened a leather wallet and displayed different types of acupuncture needles. “In 2034 the therapeutic method with acupuncture and acupressure is very popular. My eyes can see auras and spirits. At close range, I can see someone's blood flow, even the axis of their life. Needles can be hidden under my skin or in the folds of clothes. I can use them. To attack their vital points.“

Imdad was speechless hearing that. He stared in amazement at Delisha. So this woman's eye works like a body scanner. Do all future humans have super abilities like this?

“Please don't look at me like that, Imdad, I'm not a mutant,” Delisha said reluctantly, “to be honest in the future, my abilities are useless because there are already machines capable of scanning acupressure points and there are many acupuncturists and acupressure experts. Besides, my vision is limited. Only in ordinary humans ....”

“You mean?” Imdad inclined his head in surprise.

“For certain beings, like the Khan Clan who don't have an aura, I can't scan them,” Delisha explained. She hasn't told Imdad about the animal-like human or the strange creature in her eyes, and she doesn't want to tell him about it. Imdad would have a big head when he found out that he was the first man she saw looking decent and very handsome.

“How about me?” the man asked enthusiastically.

Delisha stared at him from toe to head. “You're all right,” she replied firmly. To be honest, she couldn't scan Imdad's body, somehow, maybe blinded by love.

After convincing Imdad of her abilities, the man agreed to send her to the field to approach Devdas Star Tailes. For the sake of the mission, they both agreed, no feelings involved, which is very contradictory to reality, Imdad still feels anxious, while Delisha is very enthusiastic because this is her chance to show her abilities and contribute to Xin Corp.

Before breakfast at Imdad Hussain's residence. Delisha was pensive in front of her makeup mirror. She has already polished her face with light makeup and pastel lipstick. One hand supports her chin, the other is tapping the gold card that Devdas Star Tailes gave to her the other day. She thought Devdas had openly expressed interest in her, so there was nothing wrong with taking the opportunity.

“Wow, didn't I see wrong?” Maya said, amazed to see the gold card in Delisha's hand. “That's the access card to Devdas Star Tailes' private floor. Where did you get it?” probing the ghost while sitting by her side like a sister talking about the latest fashion trends.

Delisha kept the card in the bag. “He gave it to me himself,” Delisha replied.

“Impossible!” exclaimed Maya in surprise. “He never gave his access card to lure women. The woman who came begging at his feet. Did the man change modes?”

“Could be,” said Delisha, smoothing out her appearance, running her fingers through her hair. She then looked probingly at Maya. The woman's ghost is cunning, but she can also work with her. Like a symbiotic mutualism, beneficial parasites.

Maya moved away from her and looked at her worriedly. “You ... are you planning to meet him? You will fall into his trap. He will kill you!” exclaimed Maya in panic.

“That's exactly what I want,” Delisha said firmly as she stood up and smiled at the ghost.

“You ... what? You're peeping for death!”

“If he tries to kill me, then I have a reason to kill him. Simple, right?”

“You mean?”

Delisha's eyes turned dark and glared at Maya. “I have a mission to complete and killing Devdas Star Tailes is one way to complete my mission.”

“Wow?” Maya's mouth is wide open. “But ... what if you fail?” said the ghost again.

Delisha chuckled as if it didn't matter to her. “That's why I'm asking you, Miss Maya!”

“Me?”

“Yes, you! If pressed my spirit can leave my body, you can help me by taking care of my body, even using my body.”

Maya paced back and forth in the room. “This is crazy! I'm just surprised you still believe me ...” she didn't want to call Delisha stupid.

“I know and therefore I don't want Imdad to know about this. You know how valuable my body is, I'm sure you will keep my body safe. You will be my secret assistant. This time we have to work together and it's time you prove your worth.”

Maya's eyes rolled. Oh, my, this girl is a mix of sweet-naive-stupid-but smart. She made an offer she could hardly refuse. “Why? What's with you putting together a secret mission behind a secret mission?”

“Because ... there is a dark force behind Devdas Star Tailes. Something that has no physical and only my eyes can see it.”

“Dark power?” Maya stared at Delisha

“Yes, a power that makes you even unable to get close to Devdas, but only me can approach,” she said, her eyes sparkling as if she had discovered something new that excited her.

Devdas wings made of thick black smoke. She was sure that the wings were not part of Devdas' body, but rather a parasite stuck to his body. She didn't know what it was and what is the nature of parasites, some would die with their host, some would survive and move on to find new hosts, and she didn't know which type of parasite it was unless she checked it herself.

****

Chandni's arriving at his place excited Devdas. He ordered the entire Golden Star Hotel staff to prepare the hotel to receive great guests. The hotel is cleaned from top to bottom. Food and beverage menus are revised to ensure the best ingredients are obtained. The hotel is decorated in such a way as to make it look like a palace in heaven. Without realizing it, Devdas always had a glimmer of hope in his heart. He's been waiting for three days and every day, his heart keeps beating.

When the hotel lobby staff informed the arrival of a woman named Marianne Webster via internal telephone on his desk, Devdas was delighted beyond excitement. The cold, dark room became warm and gleamed softly.

Delisha wore a cream-colored short-sleeved robe suit with gold thread embroidery. A matching shawl was draped over the shoulders and wrapped around her arms. Her hair was loose and occasionally smoothed with her fingers. A shoulder bag on her shoulder and she is carrying Devdas' white shirt which is covered in plastic as it was taken from the laundry. She noticed that the hotel decor looked new and more beautiful with many decorations of soft fresh flowers. But the air she felt was the same, making her nauseous.

Before getting into the special elevator to Devdas private room, there was a security check, and she had to leave her belongings at the security post. After that, the security guards let her into the elevator. She swipes the gold card to the sensor in the elevator and the steel box carried her up to the 50th floor of the Golden Star Hotel.

At the door of the elevator a man in a black suit greeted her and led her into a room with a large door decorated with a gold star and the words CEO also in gold. Devdas Star Tailes office. Delisha entered the room unattended. Devdas Star Tailes standing up to the window. The light from outside formed a silhouette of his well-built body, with huge wings spread out over his shoulders, the man looked extraordinary. Slowly he turned to face Delisha and greeted her, “Mere Chandni, aakhirakaar tum aa gae.” My moon, you finally came....

Again Delisha was woozy. Was it because that man called her Chandni, as Imdad used to call her when they made love? Her head was dizzy for a moment and her eyes glinted. “Mr. Devdas, you seem to look forward to my arrival,” she muttered with a stiff smile.

The man looked at her tenderly and calmly stepped closer to her. “That's true, my moon, I have been expecting for you for a long time ....” His big hand clasped the face of the woman he had long missed, but the woman put on an astonished expression. Inversely to his longing stare.

Delisha shook off Devdas hand. “I have come to return your shirt, sir. I expect our business ends here.” She dropped Devdas shirt onto the single sofa in the center of the room.

Devdas looked at her with a tormented expression. “Is that all? You showed up for my shirt?”

“Oh, yes, one more thing. Khan's Enterprise, if you agree to hand it over to Xin's hands.”

Devdas nodded quickly. “Yes, of course, it doesn't matter ...”

Delisha turned her body to leave. “Then excuse me ....”

“Not!” exclaimed Devdas frantically and yanked at the verge of Delisha's waving shawl. The woman's hand jerked and her body swayed towards Devdas and fell in the man's arms. The woman stared in surprise with her immense brown eyes. “In a previous life you promised to be mine, and now I'm collecting that vow!” concluded Devdas.

Delisha's mouth opened in protest, but was silenced by Devdas' cold, harsh lips. The man took a firm sip from her lips and held tight as if he was about to crush her body. Delisha thought she could fight back, if the man struck her. But not expecting she would be assaulted with a kiss. A forced but longing kiss weakened her bones and blurred her vision. Like a flash of light, she saw scenes of events she had never seen before, but she looked at herself, Imdad, and Devdas in different clothes and at different times.

A palace with alabaster walls lit by thousands of oil lamps. The consensual intercourse of a lover between herself and Imdad. A young man with white wings who was always looking at her from a distance, and she was crying at someone's feet, “Save the Raj!” she asked pitifully.

The pain in her chest made Delisha short of breath and her body froze cold. She saw herself lying on the ground with tears in her eyes, calling out to the white-winged youth. “Devdas ....”

“Chandni ...,” said the young man with wings. His handsome face was sad and cold fingers touched her face. The young man embraced her lovingly and took her flying through the sky into a path full of stars and beautiful galaxies like jewels. Devdas looks at her closely and says, “In the next life, I will meet you and remember, you are mine, Chandni!” and she released into a mighty vortex of energy.

Delisha didn't know what really happened to her. In Devdas's embrace and the man's desperate fondling, she felt a terrible pain in her chest and her tears were unbearable. One hand wrapped around Devdas neck and the other gripped his shoulder firmly as if she was afraid to let go when the man took her flying into space. “Dev ... das ...,” she sighed sadly.

Devdas lay Delisha's body on the sofa without letting go of the embrace and kiss that went on. “Haan, mere Chandni ...” he declared as he swept his lips against the tears of the woman beneath him, “main aapaka Devadaas hoon ...” Yes, my moon, I am your Devdas. Thus he repeatedly smooches her tender lips.