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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Tears welled up in her eyes just as Ishani heard him. One of them slipped out and she felt his thumb brushing it off.
Rudra picked up another toast and handed it to her but she was not in the mood to eat.
"But that doesn't mean that you will cry the whole time and not eat anything. Now, eat this."
She was about to say something but his raised hand stopped her.
"Not a single word. Eat. Now."
She ate in silence, once and twice looking at him through the corner of her eyes. As she finished the last drop of the juice, she rested the glass on the trolley and closed her eyes. The warmth beside her was long gone as he had moved away from her.
She opened her eyes and looked at him standing near the small window at the corner of the cabin. His stiff back and straight frame didn't need any explanation. And looking at him made her heart ache.
"You hurt me."
Those three words broke her world. The food in her stomach just churned with an intensity of a volcano threatening to erupt and she clamped down a hand over her mouth to stop it from gushing out.
But the next second she rushed towards the en-suite washroom and emptied everything into the pot.
Rudra clutched her shaking frame as the torrents poured out and then helped her clean.
Ishani placed a hand on her forehead trying to ease a pounding headache but suddenly slumped against him as the energy to even stand drained out from her body.
She felt him picking her up and then settling her on the couch again. As her head slanted to one side, she felt him moving away but she didn't want him to go, not without explaining everything to him.
"I am sorry," she said lowly.
Rudra sighed and sat down next to her.
"You hurt me bad, Ishani. A simple sorry is not going to do."
Swallowing hard, she sat up and grasped the lapel of his coat.
"I know I hurt you but I never intended to. Nina said that you will be in her...... well you know where. And I couldn't let that happen not when I know you love me."
She saw him give her a strange smile.
"So, you can't share me with anyone?!"
"No, I can't. I am really sorry, Rudra. I didn't mean to hurt you and I am willing to do anything to take it all away."
He smiled strangely again and pulled her closer to him. As her body collided with his, he pressed his nose to the corner of her neck and then whispered—
"Even I can't share you with anyone."
She whimpered and he looked at her.
"So you forgive me?"
"There's nothing to forgive. You didn't do anything wrong. Maybe if I'd been in your place, I would have done the same thing. Yes, I was hurt but that doesn't mean you did something wrong or you need to ask for my forgiveness."
Ishani smiled widely as the burden from her heart lifted. She wound her arms around and hugged him hard, burying her face in the curve of his shoulder. The pain of the past days just vanished like magic as his scent filtered through her.
"But you still need to be punished."
"Punished?" she asked in panic pulling away from him.
"Yes, punished for making yourself suffer so much. And I have two punishments for you."
He watched her as her eyes clouded with confusion.
"Want to know what they are?"
She nodded a little scared.
"First is a promise. You have to promise that you will never ever quit on food no matter what happens. No skipping meals at all. Agreed?"
She nodded feeling the bite of his clenched fingers on her arms.
"I don't believe you. Touch me and say it."
She took his hand in hers and twined their fingers together.
"I promise I'll never do anything like that."
"Good! Now the second one is not that easy. Are you ready for it?"
The look on his face was so confusing that Ishani couldn't fathom what he was up to. She just nodded hoping that he wouldn't do anything to hurt her.
"Stand up and turn around."
Gulping down the lump of fear, she gingerly got up from his embrace and slowly turned away from him.
"Close your eyes and don't you dare open them till I tell you to," he commanded and she nodded.
She could hear him moving around in the room shuffling through she didn't know what. Then suddenly she heard a drawer opening and closing.
Seconds later she felt a piece of cloth coming in contact with the skin of her eye and she realised he had blindfolded her. Even though a shot of excitement zipped through her, still a small grain of fear lodged inside her heart.
What is he up to?
Gently he turned her and then started moving her somewhere. She followed his guidance and stopped the moment he did.
"Can you see anything?" he asked huskily.
"No!"
He hummed and suddenly his warmth was gone from behind but as soon as it gone, it came back and next thing she heard was a whish of cloth in front of her.
Rudra removed her blindfold and whispered in her ear, "Open your eyes."
Ishani opened her eyes and instantly saw a mirror with 'I love you' written on it in bold letters and her mouth opened in an 'O' in surprise and shock. She couldn't believe that even after what had happened he still felt the same about her.
She was about to turn when she suddenly saw him going down on his knees through the mirror. If the earlier thing had driven her into amazement then what he was doing right now was beyond anything she could ever imagine.
As her heart thudded erratically, she turned and looked at him not knowing how to react.
"Ishani, since the time I first saw you in my conference room it has been nothing but admiration and love. And I want this love always by my side. Don't love me in fragments. Make me yours; let the whole world know that I belong to you and you only."
Her whole body trembled as she saw him take out a small velvet box from his coat pocket. As he opened it, the shining glitter of multiple diamonds filled the room.
