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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Kabir led the way towards the makeshift lift at the back of the building. The moment all three of them were in, he started it and instantly Ishani clutched the iron rod beside her to steady herself as it jerked into motion.
Her heart was beating so fast with fear that she didn't realise that they had reached the top floor. She was still looking at the structure of the lift when she saw Kabir stretching his hand towards her. Not bothering to take it, she stepped down and somehow managed to land on the ground.
It was a double door in front if you can call two wooden planks stuck at the wall doors. The dusty air almost choked her and just as Kabir and Ram opened the doors for her she coughed with its impact.
Her eyes widened with surprise the moment they fell on the glass panels in front, which slid open as Kabir punched in a card into the slot on the handle. The clean floors and the chic interiors were a complete contrast to the exterior. Slowly she was ushered towards another door where some guards stood in attention. As she neared the open area in front, she saw Viman sitting on a desk discussing something in hushed tones with Manna and Mayank. He jumped down just as he saw her approaching.
"Thank God, you are here," he said with relief as he came near.
Anxiety and dread bombarded her brain the moment she heard him. At a loss of words, she just stared at him blankly.
"Ishani, you okay?"
She just nodded but still stared at him, her mouth still not able to form the words her mind was continuously repeating.
"He is in there."
Almost instantly her feet found a life of its own and she crossed over to the door in a couple of hurried strides but stopped when she felt Viman's hand on her arm.
"He is in a pretty bad shape. So, be careful."
Ishani nodded knowing too well what he meant. But somehow his warning or caution whatever you may call didn't at all affect her. Instead, she gestured the guards to open the door.
Sheer darkness engulfed her just as she entered the room. She blinked twice so as to adjust her eyes to it and the moment they did, they widened observing the size of the room.
It was huge.
Her whole apartment can easily be engulfed in this room.
She recognised the place from the CD and therefore her vision instantly found the table where a figure was huddled with his head between his arms.
For once Ishani did not feel pain but anger flooded inside her whole body as she watched him.
How could he?
She wanted to jerk his head up and slap him for his stupidity and negligence. But instead, she just stood there motionless. Suddenly everything she had been feeling for the past days simply vanished into thin air.
She turned and was about to step outside when Viman stopped her.
"Ishani, please!" he implored.
"No, Viman. I don't know this man. This can't be Rudra. The Rudra I know doesn't give up so easily. And believe me, this is definitely not him," she said jerking his hand off and moving out of the room.
"Ish-Ishani!"
Ishani's halted in mid-step just as she heard his slurred call. Irritation doubled with indignation bubbled inside her and she turned slowly breathing hard. Heaving audibly, she looked up at him and her fury multiplied.
His expensive Armani suit looked more out of a gutter than anything designer. The light stubble on his face had grown like grass would grow in a garden if left untended. The alcohol was not only there in his blood but also in his eyes, which were blinking continuously to keep them from going out-of-focus. As if it has been stitched to the skin, the glass in his hand was still there.
And, yes, of course, his gait that she so loved was gone. His hunched shoulders and the shaky frame was a constant reminder in her head that he, Rudraveer Sangawat had finally turned into a miserable weakling.
"That would be Ms Raijdas for you."
"Ishani, please," Viman again said his tone almost a whisper.
But his plea fell on deaf ears as she turned once again to leave.
"Ishani!" Rudra called out to in an intoxicated tone.
And, she lost it.
Striding up to him, she smacked him hard across his face. The sound of her slap just reverberated in the room and for a split second, everyone stilled with its impact.
Rudra staggered a little and raised his hand as one of the guards rushed to him to catch him. He tried to go near her but she just stepped back.
Next, Ishani's eyes fell on the glass in his hand. The amber liquid reminded her of his bloodshot eyes and tremulous disposition.
She jerked the glass out of his hand and threw it on the floor, and it smashed with a loud bang scattering everywhere.
"What do you think of yourself? What are you? God? All these people have been going out of their mind trying to find you and all you did was to wallow your time drinking."
Viman bit his lip to prevent himself from stopping her as at least someone should tell Rudra what a pain he has been.
"If you think by disappearing like this, I would love you then let me tell you, Rudraveer Sangawat, I hate you. I just hate you from the core of my heart."
When he didn't say anything, she stared hard to get a response but none came.
"You know what you are. You are nothing but an attention-seeking scumbag. But you may have got their attention but you didn't get mine. You will never get mine."
Breathing hard, she moved her eyes away from him not able to look at him any longer.
"For the past days, I kept blaming myself for all this. But now I know I didn't do this coz the Rudra I know would never do anything like this. The Rudra I know wouldn't put his life in danger. The Rudra I know would never leave his people alone like this."
"The Rudra I know would never leave me alone like this," she said pain gripping her voice as agonised tears slowly slid down her cheeks.
Rudra looked at her and again tried to come near but she backed away.
