What happens when betrayal mars innocent hearts in love?
What happens when innocence is destroyed and a monster is created?
What happens when judgement is ruled by the burning feeling of retribution?
This is a Quartet (4 part book) and this one bein...
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"That's none of your business," Ishani retorted unaffected by the voice.
"It is my business, Ms Raijdas. So, tell me what's wrong in the name?" Rudra asked coming in the room.
Irritated and angry, Ishani kicked on the chair leg beneath her as she got up but missed. Her foot brushed slightly on the carpet and she felt herself falling forward.
In a flash, Rudra rushed to her, catching her falling form and she landed on his chest.
Ishani clutched whatever she could find in front to steady herself; even if, that whatever was his coat lapel. As her heart steadily galloped with the after effects of the fall, she felt something warm going around her waist. Seconds later as she realised it was his arm, she tried to squirm out of it but he held on. She tried again to loosen the grip but felt his arm tighten around her.
Dammit! She retorted inwardly and looked up.
And, plunged in the blackest of pools.
Even though Ishani felt herself falling as his eyes bore into her, she still glared back trying to pry but couldn't get past his defences. Instead, she felt his gaze steadily drilling in slowly gaining access to her innermost core. She tried to look away but just couldn't break the contact.
She breathed in; big mistake. His raw scent trapped her within its recesses making Ishani gasp deep down with its impact.
Rudra's free hand slowly snaked up and touched her upper arm steadying her.
Just as his fingers closed on her skin, Ishani's eyes darkened with awareness; the touch felt too familiar. It awakened tormented emotions and slowly guided her towards something deep and forbidden.
"Ishi!"
She heard a boy cry out faintly and however inaudible it was, it still slithered in and lodged right into her heart like a piercing bullet.
Her mind was about to open the ever-closed gates when suddenly the touch vanished. Ishani plummeted back to reality as Rudra moved his hand and arm away from her.
"Hi, I am Rudraveer Sangawat," he said extending his hand towards her, a smile slowly breaking on his face.
Ishani looked at the hand and then at the man, but avoided the eyes. She could have opened her mouth to say something but somehow decided against it.
No point wasting energy, she thought.
She picked her bag and looked at Annie, who was already ready to leave.
Rudra looked at her stiff back and anger bubbled inside.
"Ishani!"
She stopped and then turned towards him. Her eyes slowly went from his face to his shoes and then again slowly came back to his face.
"That would be Ms Raijdas for you."
Saying this, she left.
*****************
Rudra stormed into his office, his face burning with anger.
How dare she?
He sat down on the sofa and looked at his phone screen, which showed her leaving the building. As she twisted her hips through the stop gates, heat potent and dangerous burst through his veins.
Rudra tried to breathe closing his eyes but, that made it all the more worse. He remembered the way she had sized him up.
Never ever has he had a woman look at him like that, and although her eyes didn't show any emotion he had felt their heat all the way.
Stop it! He commanded himself and smacked his thigh hard tightening the rein on his senses.
Everything is going perfectly according to plan.
Slowly, he calmed down and his brain started to function again normally. He got up from the sofa and came near the window. As he looked out, he saw Ishani and her friend cross the road and get in a car.
If you think you have got rid of me, then you are wrong.
This is just the beginning.
*****************
Annie looked at her friend as Ishani got down from the cab and made her way through the NGO gate opening it with a bang. She paid the cab and followed her silently knowing too well that it would be unwise to speak now.
Thank God, the children were at school.
The last time she had seen Ishani this angry was when her parents had tried to marry her off to some random stranger. That time she had left her home and come to Delhi but what now?
"Ishani!" Annie called out in a low voice.
"SHUT UP!"
Breathing hard, Annie offered her the glass of water that she had poured for her.
But Ishani was in no mood for this. She snatched the glass from her hand and smashed it against the wall.
As the sound of shattering glass resonated in the room, Ishani screamed with such intensity that it even scared Annie. Of all these years being with her, Annie had never seen her friend this angry. She backed off to the corner of the room seeing her going ballistic.
As something more than rage fuelled her blood, Ishani swiped her hand across the table dislodging everything from its place. The lamp crashed on the floor followed by the files and other contents. But still, nothing lessened the fury within. She breathed in and out trying to control the rampaging emotions but couldn't. The more she controlled, the more it boiled.
"AAAHGRH!" she cried out in full force as her fist banged on the empty table.
Annie looked at Ishani and felt nothing but pain. Among all the thrashings on the bed and screamings at night that she had seen earlier, nothing had prepared her for this. This, what was happening right before her eyes, was something totally insane. Knowing that she couldn't help her friend, she just closed her eyes and prayed for this to be over, soon.
Ishani's chest heaved with intensity as her brain tried hard to control the rage burning her every core but nothing really happened. Every time her brain tried to conjure an image that would pacify the turmoil, her heart destroyed it mercilessly. And, every time that happened, her fury doubled.
She clutched the edges of the table and was about to hurl it towards the wall when out of nowhere she heard someone whispering.
