Chapter 4 – The Disturbance

 

The next morning, Tatiana woke to the rhythmic sound of the ocean and the chirping of tropical birds. The sunlight filtered through the curtains, warm and golden, and she stretched her long limbs lazily across the bed, her muscles loosening with each movement.

When she finally stood up and pulled the curtains aside, the sight of the endless blue sea filled her heart with quiet joy. The waves rolled gently, and surfers were already carving their paths through them. Among men and women who were surfing, one athletic woman caught her attention—tall, toned, riding the wave with perfect balance and confidence.

Tatiana smirked slightly, watching her ride.
“Hmm… not bad,” she murmured to herself with an approving nod, the soldier in her silently assessing the woman’s body control and discipline.

After a quick wash, she changed into a pair of shorts and a loose, skinny top, tying her hair casually. She felt light, almost playful, as she headed downstairs.

Chathurika was already waiting near the poolside with breakfast neatly arranged.

“Good morning, Madam. You sleep well?” Chathu asked with a bright smile.

Tatiana returned the smile, her mood noticeably softer than yesterday.
“Yes, Chathu. Better than I have in a long time,” she admitted honestly as she sat down, inhaling the delicious smell of breakfast.

After the breakfast she wants to start her first full day on vacation with a peaceful day on beach, get in to a swimsuit and feel the sun that lacks in Moscow these days. With no list of work to do or plan the security of any event. Just hear the sound of wave, and rest on a sun bed, dip in to ocean and swimming pool when feel over heated, resting back, read a book and just enjoy the surrounding. So she head back to the room and try to choose the best armor for the new mission.

Tatiana stood in front of the small wardrobe, fingers brushing over her neatly folded swimsuits. Her hand stopped on a black bikini with gold chain details along the hips.
She tilted her head, considering it for a moment. It was definitely more revealing than the blue one she’d worn yesterday. As a modest woman, she hesitated—but then she smiled to herself.
“What the hell. I’m going for it.” There wouldn’t be a better occasion than this.
She wanted to feel beautiful, to enjoy her body for what it was—not just a weapon trained for combat. And maybe, just maybe, she wanted to impress Chathurika.
Sliding into the bikini, she caught her reflection in the mirror. She turned slightly, smirking at how well it fit.

 “Not bad, Tatiana,” she said under her breath. The words weren’t arrogance—more like a quiet appreciation of the woman she rarely allowed herself to be.

Throwing on a loose cover-up, she made her way downstairs, barefoot.

Chathurika was already setting up the pool area. She glanced up when Tatiana approached, and for a split second, her smile faltered. Her eyes widened, betraying her internal reaction before she quickly forced herself back into polite composure.

Tatiana caught it, of course, and felt a small flicker of shyness she hadn’t expected. She almost never cared about how people looked at her, but now she was suddenly aware of how much skin she was showing.

“Morning, Chathu,” Tatiana said casually, hiding her slight self-consciousness with a confident smile. “Can I order lunch now?”

“Good morning, madam,” Chathurika said, still smiling, though she avoided staring too long. “Yes, of course. What you like for lunch?”

 “Could you bring me some fresh juice now? And for lunch, whatever you think is best, surprise me”

Chathurika nodded quickly. “Yes, madam. Fresh fish today. I make little spicy… not too much.”

“Perfect,” Tatiana replied with a warm smile.

“I bring juice now. Lunch after one hour, okay?”

“That’s fine. Take your time.”

Chathurika gave another quick smile before disappearing inside, still slightly flushed.

 

The afternoon had been perfect—sun, sea, silence.

Tatiana set her book aside on the sunbed and slipped out of the cover-up. The heat on her skin felt like a welcome weight. She walked the pool’s edge and slid into the water, her arms moving in steady, practiced strokes. For the first time in months, she was swimming for pleasure, not endurance.

When she wandered down to the beach, the sand yielded softly beneath her feet. The ocean was calm, the waves small enough to tease her ankles. She floated for a while, eyes closed, letting the salt water and sun erase the noise still echoing somewhere inside her.

Back on the deck she sipped fruit juice, half reading, half watching surfers trace the blue horizon. One woman in particular drew her eye—balanced, fearless, cutting across the water with precision. Tatiana smiled to herself. Strength came in many forms.

Everything around her blended into an easy rhythm: sea against sand, wind through palms, the faint sweetness of guava on her tongue. For a rare, perfect moment she was only a woman at rest.

Then came the shouting.

At first she dismissed it as beach chatter. But the tone sharpened—male voices, angry, and a woman’s voice raised in protest.

Her eyes opened. Instinct overrode calm.

A single word, torn by fear, cut through the air.
Chathurika!

Tatiana was on her feet before thought could form, the transition from leisure to readiness almost seamless. She crossed the deck and the sand in long strides, the sound of waves replaced by the rhythm of her pulse. Around the corner of the villa she saw them: three men, one gripping Chathurika’s wrist while she struggled to pull free.

“Hey!” Tatiana’s voice cracked across the beach. “Let her go.”

The men turned. The one holding Chathurika frowned, muttering something in broken English. “Madam, not your matter.”

“It is now,” she said evenly. “Release her.”

The second man stepped forward, palms raised. “Family problem. You no need involve.”

Tatiana’s jaw tightened. She’d heard that excuse before, in a dozen different languages. Her eyes went to Chathurika’s face—pure panic.

“Last warning,” she said quietly.

When the man yanked harder on Chathurika’s arm, Tatiana moved. The nearest thug tried to block her; she caught his wrist, twisted, and drove her heel into his knee. He dropped with a shout, and a turning kick snapped across his jaw, ending the fight before it began.

The others hesitated. Sand swirled around their feet.

Tatiana exhaled once, rolling her shoulders. “Anyone else?”

The man who had held Chathurika shoved her behind him and squared up. He feinted, testing distance. Tatiana shifted weight to her back leg, eyes fixed on his centerline. When he lunged, she stepped inside the punch, a sharp knee to his stomach followed by a pivoting back-kick that sent him sprawling.

Pain burst under her ribs as the third attacker’s foot caught her side. The shock drew a rough gasp, but she absorbed it, turned, and drove her knee into his midsection. One final roundhouse ended it.

Silence. Only surf and ragged breathing.

The men scrambled up and fled down the beach, leaving footprints that the tide would soon erase.

Tatiana stood still, chest rising steadily, the controlled rhythm of a soldier coming down from combat. Sweat mixed with sea-salt on her skin, but her focus was already on Chathurika.

“You all right?” she asked, crossing to her.

“You… you are amazing!” she burst out, voice high with excitement. “Three men! You fight three men! Like… like movie! I never see woman do this! Even men I know… they don’t try to fight three!”

Tatiana helped Chathurika steady herself as they walked back toward the villa. The tension was slowly melting, though her muscles still carried the adrenaline of the scuffle. Chathurika kept glancing at her—almost starstruck.

“You okay?” Tatiana asked, raising an eyebrow as they stepped onto the warm wooden deck.

Chathurika nodded rapidly, then looked at her with wide eyes, like a kid who had just watched an explosive action movie. “You… you fight like a real action film! BOOM—KICK—one second, man is on ground!”

Tatiana chuckled, brushing her sandy leg

How did you… fight like that? That was… not normal.”

“Military background,” she said vaguely, without looking at her

Chathurika blinked, even more stunned. “Oh… wow. Okay.”

“What was that about?” Tatiana asked more seriously now, glancing over her shoulder where the incident had happened. “Why were they grabbing you?”

Chathurika exhaled. “A long story, I will tell you over the lunch” she said vaguely. “Not for now. But first… I must bring your lunch.” She tried to straighten her dress, clearly rattled but trying to get back to business.

They reached the villa patio, and Tatiana reclined slowly back on her sunbed, adjusting the towel beneath her. Chathurika turned, about to leave—but paused

“I’m… I’m very sorry,” Chathurika suddenly said, bowing slightly with guilt. “I disturb your peaceful vacation. I promise it not happen again. I fix everything.”

“You didn’t disturb it,” Tatiana said softly, eyes half-closed behind her sunglasses. “They did.”

Chathurika nodded gratefully. “I go now. I bring you lunch. Thirty minutes. Fresh seafood. Spicy. Local style. Okay?”

Tatiana gave her a slow nod. “Looking forward to it.”

As Chathurika rushed off down the garden path, still visibly shaken but trying to compose herself, Tatiana leaned back deeper into the cushion, one hand resting behind her head. The warmth of the sun kissed her skin, but her mind stayed sharp.

Chathurika returned just as promised, carefully balancing a tray with a variety of fragrant dishes—grilled fish, spicy curries, and tropical fruit. Tatiana had moved to a shaded spot beneath a large sun umbrella, The golden afternoon light danced across the beach as Chathurika placed the tray down and sat beside her.

“You really didn’t have to go all out,” Tatiana said, examining the vibrant spread.

“It’s the least I could do,” Chathurika replied softly.

“Tatiana took her first bite, nodding in approval. “That’s amazing,” she said between chews.

Tatiana was eating in silence for a moment, the only sounds being the soft roll of waves and the occasional cry of a distant bird.

Eventually, Tatiana leaned back in her chair and broke the quiet. “So… what was that all about this morning? Who were those men?”

Chathurika’s smile faded. She lowered her eyes and sighed.

“There’s this man… a thug from my village. He’s been trying to get his hands on our villa for over a year now. Says we’re sitting on valuable land. He wants to buy it—cheap—and when we refused, he started sending his people to bother us.”

Tatiana’s jaw tightened. “Bother how?”

“Small things, at first,” Chathurika said, voice low. “His men would visit at odd hours, make loud noises outside, threaten my father… once they pushed my little brother off his bicycle. He’s only thirteen.”

Tatiana’s eyes darkened. “And you haven’t gone to the police?”

“We tried,” Chathurika said bitterly. “But the local police work for him. After we filed a complaint, the thug found out in days. He sent even more men to scare us. We stopped going after that.”

Chathurika added. “He gave us until today to sell the villa. I think… I think they were going to take me. Maybe hold me somewhere until my father signed the papers. Or worse.”

Tatiana stared out at the ocean, her food now forgotten. “Jesus… And he’s just been allowed to get away with this?”

Chathurika looked at her with tired, honest eyes. “That’s how it happen here. Money can buy silence. Buy fear. But after what happened today… after what you did… I don’t think they will come again. Not after that”

Tatiana was quiet for a long moment, then looked at Chathurika.

“I do this for a living, you know,” she said calmly.

Chathurika blinked. “What do you mean?”

Tatiana gave a faint smile. “Let’s just say… I’ve dealt with worse than this before.”

Chathurika smiled back, a little embarrassed but grateful. “Well… thank you. You saved me. My family too.”

Tatiana raised her glass of fresh lime juice and tilted it toward her. “To stubborn people who don’t sell their homes.”

Chathurika clinked her glass against Tatiana’s. “And to the beautiful guest came at right time.”

They both laughed—lightly, honestly—for the first time that day.

Even the morning was not entirely unfold as she planed afternoon was relaxing and calm. Hours passed and Tatiana’s interrupted by the faint sound of approaching footsteps. Chathurika was back, this time with two cups of steaming coffee.

She took her cup and sat up slowly, sipping the coffee. The air was still warm, the sun starting its descent behind the trees.

“You were… so brave,” Chathurika said more softly now. “Fighting those men in your swimsuit”

Tatiana looked out toward the trees. “My only concern was your safety,” she said calmly. “I didn’t even register what I was wearing in that moment.”

Chathurika admired her. “Still. That’s a big courage.”

Tatiana gave her a half smile.

Then Chathurika added with a laugh, “I’ve noticed how hmm…easy European women showing skin. You wear swimsuits like without thinking. Meanwhile, we South Asian women grow up with so many restrictions. No swimsuits. Always covered. Even thinking of it is taboo.”

“Some European girls wear bikinis showing lot of back” Chathurika try to explain a design with her limited vocabulary.

Tatiana grinned. “Those are called thongs.”

“Do you have one of those?” Chathurika asked with a sparkle in her eye.

Caught off guard, Tatiana hesitated… then admitted, “I may or may not have a thong-back monokini in my bag.”

Chathurika’s eyes widened. “Wow. Now I really want to see that.”

They both burst out laughing.

Tatiana sipped her coffee, watching Chathurika with amusement. She was definitely curious about swimsuits. That much was obvious.

“You’ve never worn one before, have you?” Tatiana asked.

Chathurika shook her head. “Never. Not once. Never even had one. Culturally, I just… wasn’t allowed to.”

Tatiana grew thoughtful. “Maybe it’s time to break that. Just a little.”

“I love to,” Chathurika smiled shyly, “But I don’t have any”

“Then we’re going swimsuit shopping,”

Chathurika lit up with excitement, the idea of a little adventure bringing a new spark to her already glowing eyes.