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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As Rudra's command resonated in the room, everyone skittered out one by one and someone closed the door from outside.
He collapsed on the chair and looked up at her tormented face.
"Ishani, I—"
"Don't you dare say a single word," she warned him in a disgruntled tone.
Amongst all the things she had thought she'd do once she saw him, crying was never part of the deal. She brushed off her angry tears and closed her eyes. Now slowly her anger was giving way to the pain that had been pricking her heart since the day she had left his hotel severing all ties with him.
"I am sorry," she heard him say and she opened her eyes and looked at him.
He sat there slumped against the chair fully, head hanging in resignation.
"Why?"
"Because I caused you so much pain."
"No, why did you do all this?" she asked, her voice quivering with effort.
Swallowing hard, Rudra looked at her and then got up. Staggering a little he came near her and this time she did not back away.
Clutching her face in his palms, he said, "Because I wanted to go away. I couldn't stay in the same city as you and not be with you."
Ishani shook her head and tried to move away from the pressure of his heated palm, but he just didn't let go.
Rudra pressed his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. As his nose touched with hers, she felt him backing her towards the wall. She knew what was coming but she didn't have the power to stop him. The anxiety of the past days coupled with the rage flowing inside had just short-circuited her brain.
As her back collided with the wall, she felt his lips moving slowly from her jaw to the neck. She whimpered low in her throat as his lips grazed slightly along her shoulder blade.
"I love you," she heard him whisper in her ear and stiffened.
"Please, believe me, I do," he said in a pleading tone.
Something bubbled inside her and she circled her arms around his neck and pulled him close.
"Oh Ishani!" she heard him groan just as her breasts touched his chest.
The heat was too much to take. She buried her face in his neck and closed her eyes. Inhaling hard, she took his scent in and instantly the sense of peace returned.
Rudra moved a little away and looked at her face.
As he placed a small kiss on her forehead, he whispered against her skin, "Please sweetheart, say it; I know you love me. Just say it, please."
His heated breath reached her heart and melted the ice that she had built around it in so many years. Biting her lips, she opened her eyes and was about to open her mouth to say it when her vision shifted to someone moving around the bed.
She opened her eyes fully and Veera's accusing stare burned through her soul. The same chilling sensation started to rise in her and she violently squirmed to get free from Rudra's arms.
"What?" he asked as she jerked his hand and moved away.
"I don't......I can't," she stammered as she turned away.
There was no way she could love anyone else. She looked at the bed and found no one there now however she knew Veera's presence will always overshadow everything in her life.
Anger flooded inside Rudra as he saw her turning and starting to walk away from him.
Dammit!
No way was he letting her leave this time.
"I mean nothing to you, right?"
Ishani stopped in her tracks and clenched her hands in fists.
How does she make him understand that it is not him but her? And, why is he making this so difficult?
"Answer me!"
His angry command rang in the room but she did not budge at all.
There was seriously no answer to his question.
Yes, he meant a lot to her but still, he did not. Her confused and jumbled up mind was again not able to decide what she wanted. She needed time to think and the only way to do that was to get out of here.
Ignoring him, she started to walk but stopped when she heard him.
"Ishani, you are not leaving this time without giving me an answer."
Suddenly anger flashed within her and she whirled around.
"No, you don't."
Rudra mind bombarded with demonic thoughts as he heard her. Somehow, this is not what he had expected.
Okay, he had envisaged that she would not give in easily but this blunt refusal was not something that he had contemplated. As fury started to rise inside him, he lost control.
Striding briskly, he closed the distance between them and clasped her arms hard. As he stared at her, she returned his furious gaze with eyes blazing with rage. His fingers dug into her arms as his grasp on them became rigid the moment he saw her tearing her eyes off him.
"Look at me!" he commanded, his voice rising with every word.
Ishani closed her eyes in irritation as she heard him.
"I said LOOK AT ME."
Her eyes shot up the moment she heard his harsh tone. But instead of staring back with indignation, she was struck by a wave of fear as her vision rested on his eyes. His anger she could understand but this look of wrath in them was something that she was not ready for.
Wringing her arms, she tried to shove him away but it only increased his grip on them.
"Let me go! You are hurting me," she said in a suppressed tone.
"And, what about me? Aren't you hurting me?"
"No, I am not."
"Yes, you are, Ishani, you are."
Shaking her, he said in a furious tone, "If I don't mean anything to you, then why are you here? Why did you send me a message that you need me? Tell me, Ishani. For once tell me the truth."
She didn't want to find the answer to his question. All she wanted to do right now was run as far away as possible so that she could forget about his questions.
"Answer me, Goddammit!"
"I don't know," she replied in a small voice.
"Yes, you do. What are you scared of? Why can't you love me? Is it because of the Sangawat name? If that is the case then I'll leave everything. I'll right tell Viman to get everything done."
