PUNARVIVAAH - ARRANGED TO LOVE (L&M #3)

SHOT 20

Third person's pov!

"Vaiga.." Abhay's whisper against her ears startled her.

Suddenly, Abhay motioned for her to follow him, his eyes darting around frantically as they stealthily moved from behind the bushes. Her heart pounded in her chest, the adrenaline coursing through her veins as they sought refuge behind a dilapidated building.

It was unnerving to be so unaware of the reason behind the riot, when they are hiding themselves from it. The network was weak. The calls were accessible, but the internet wasn't. So they couldn't check the news to see what was happening. Abhay had been trying to access the news channels in youtube to see what was happening, but it went in vain.

They should have asked the vendor, but they both were too exhausted after the long walk and dehydration.

As they huddled together, the sound of activists outside grew louder, their voices mingling with the chaos that raged around them.

She pressed herself closer to Abhay, the heat of his body searing through the fabric of her clothes as she fought to suppress a shiver of fear.

But as they huddled together, her foot grazed against a broken bottle, the sharp pain shooting up her leg like a bolt of lightning. Before she could even register the sensation, a cry of pain threatened to escape her lips, but Abhay's hand clamped down firmly over her mouth, silencing her in an instant.

"Shh, don't make a sound," Abhay whispered urgently, his eyes scanning their surroundings for any sign of danger.

Vaiga nodded frantically, her heart pounding in her chest as she fought to suppress a cry of pain. She could feel the warm trickle of blood seeping from the wound, her head swimming with a dizzying sense of panic.

Gently, Abhay guided her to sit on the floor, his hands moving with practised ease as he inspected her foot. Vaiga winced as he examined the wound, the broken glass shard embedded in her sandal now piercing through her flesh.

With steady hands, Abhay carefully pulled out the glass shred, his movements precise and controlled to avoid causing further harm. Vaiga felt a wave of nausea wash over her as she watched the blood ooze from the wound, her vision swimming with dizziness.

"Hey, don't you dare faint on me, Vaiga." Abhay whispered fiercely, his voice low but commanding.

"We need to stay alert." He added.

Vaiga nodded weakly, her breaths coming in shallow gasps as she struggled to compose herself. She was more scared of Abhay's anger than she was of the blood, and she knew she couldn't afford to lose consciousness now.

Without another word, Abhay reached for Vaiga's dupatta, his actions shocking her into silence.

Before she could protest, he tore a piece from the fabric, his hands working quickly to fashion a makeshift bandage.

He opened a bottle of water and washed her feet first.

Vaiga watched in awe as he folded his handkerchief into a thick pad and pressed it firmly against her foot, the pressure causing fresh waves of pain to shoot through her. But she bit down on her lip, refusing to make a sound as Abhay expertly tied the dupatta around her foot, temporarily stopping the bleeding.

As he finished securing the makeshift bandage, Vaiga couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude wash over her. Despite his harsh demeanour, Abhay was doing everything he could to help her, and she knew she owed him a debt of gratitude for his kindness in a moment of crisis.

"Here, drink this." He placed the bottle against her lips and said in a demanding tone. Vaiga, on an autopilot, opened her mouth and gulped down the water.

"Hmm, drink some more." Abhay demanded once again, when she pulled herself away from the bottle. He pressed the bottle against her lips once again and forced more water down her throat. He couldn't have her faint on him at the moment.

"I can't.." She said softly and Abhay frowned.

"You can't do what?" He asked.

"I can't drink more, please." Vaiga said, looking at him pleadingly. He hummed and placed the bottle against his mouth and gulped down the rest of the water.

"Eat this. You look ready to faint any moment. I cannot carry you around." Abhay said, as he opened the packet of bread and took out a slice. He handed it over to her and watched like a hawk as she ate bit by bit.

"What are you? A sparrow? To eat like this. If you eat like this, you are definitely going to faint." Abhay said furiously and tore half a slice of his bread and pushed it into her mouth, shocking her.

She looked at him with wide eyes and he glared at her.

"Chew, damn it! Do I have to do that too for you?" Abhay snapped at her and Vaiga quickly chewed and swallowed the big piece of bread in her mouth. Before she could take a breath, Abhay pushed another big piece into her mouth.

Despite Abhay's brusque manner, Vaiga couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude towards him. She always had a problem seeing blood. One drop of blood and she would be out for the count. And it was Abhay's anger that had kept her conscious today, even after losing that much blood.

As she chewed on the bread he had practically forced into her mouth, she couldn't shake off the feeling of being indebted to him for his assistance.

With each bite, she felt a renewed sense of strength coursing through her veins, the nourishment providing a much-needed boost to her weary body. She stole a glance at Abhay, his expression stern yet determined as he watched over her like a guardian.

As she swallowed the last morsel of bread, she couldn't help but feel a sense of relief wash over her. Despite the chaos that raged outside, she knew that as long as Abhay was by her side, she would be safe.

It was such a strange thing to feel with a stranger.

"Thank you," she whispered softly, her voice barely above a whisper as she met Abhay's gaze. He grunted in response, his features softening ever so slightly as he acknowledged her gratitude.

"Let's call for help." Abhay said and checked his pocket for his phone, but he couldn't find it.

"Damn it! I didn't take the phone from the car." Abhay said furiously.

A/N

Here goes the next shot..

I usually write strong female leads. Vaiga is my first heroine who is a bit meek. She was a talkative girl in the past, but still a little bit on the meek side. Let's see if I can stick on to that plan...lol🤪

Please do vote and comment..

Love,

SF❤️