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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The glistening blade slashed across her throat and he jumped, banging against the glass, shattering it to pieces. But as his vision cleared, he only saw blood around and her body lying beside him motionless.
Again, he had failed.
Again, he had lost her; lost them, lost all of them.
His mind constricted with pain and anger as floating half burned figures drenched in blood danced around him. The screams reached his inner recesses making him cry out with anguish.
He had done nothing but watch in silence.
His body banged against the broken glass as his soul repressed under the sheer weight of his guilt.
Somebody was dragging him along a mossy grass surface towards the burning fire. He knew his end was near but he body was completely paralysed.
Willing himself against all odds, he cried and kicked as hard as he could and picked up the glass piece lying next to him.
He will kill them today, kill them all.
But they were stronger than him. One by one the dreadful figures loomed above him, circling him laughing at the top of their voice as one of them jerked off the glass piece from his hand.
Rudra's gaze shifted to the side and he saw flames from the burning bodies rising to the sky.
As the glass piece slowly came near his throat, he welcomed the pain with open arms.
He wanted to die.
There was nothing left.
Viman opened the outhouse door and came inside. He had seen Rudra coming home so he kept the file on the table and turned towards the door again.
But suddenly a faint sound of scratching and whimpering caught his ears. Slowly he turned towards Rudra's bedroom and what he saw stumped him.
Scar was frantically scratching the door of the bedroom.
Without thinking, he ran and took the stairs in double reaching the dog in no time.
The dog growled with anxiety and kept scratching the door.
Viman turned the knob and entered the bedroom, and stopped dead.
The balcony window was completely shattered and Rudra was sitting surrounded by broken glass with a piece in his hand.
Clearing understanding what would have happened, he slowly entered the room trying not to make any noise as a slight sound would disrupt Rudra.
Scar followed him inside and growled low and Viman silenced her, pushing her out of the room and putting her on leash.
Then, he crept as quietly as possible towards the bedside drawer and opened it. He picked up one of the pre-prepared shots from the stack and turned.
As he stepped out onto the balcony, his feet fell on a glass piece cracking it completely and this slight sound was enough to awaken Rudra.
Within a split of a second, Rudra slashed the glass piece in his hand across Viman's leg slitting the skin completely.
Viman cried out with pain and fell flat on his face being off balance. But that did not deter him. He pushed himself up and was about to push the shot in Rudra's arm when he stabbed the glass piece right into his leg making him immobile.
Slowly and menacingly, Rudra crouched low and looked at him with bloodshot eyes.
"I couldn't save them," he said in a stifled tone and raised a broken glass piece close to his wrist.
"NO!" Viman shouted but it was too late.
The glassy sharpness sliced through Rudra's wrist multiple times as his inner demons got better of him.
Gritting his teeth, Viman stretched as far as he could and punched the shot in Rudra's arm, pushing the drugging liquid in.
In a matter of seconds, Rudra's motionless body fell sideways in a thud and Viman collapsed in front exhausted.
The battle was yet not over.
He tried to turn but the glass piece in his leg had gone through his skin and jeans and had landed right on the wooden floor. With all his might, he tried to tear off the jeans but couldn't. He knew he had to act fast otherwise it would be too late for Rudra. Drops of blood had already started to form huge puddles.
Viman stretched and tried to reach the switchboard on the side but it was too far off. Breathing hard, he tried to think.
Should he call Scar?
But the dog was on a leash.
Dammit!
No, try again, Viman, his inner voice told him.
He stretched again and this time he reached it. He pressed the red emergency switch and the whole house suddenly came alive with multiple warning bells ringing together.
A minute later, he heard sounds from downstairs and heaved a sigh of relief.
"Amar!" he shouted at the top of his voice and thanked his stars that he was here as he saw him barging inside the room along with others.
"Amar, Rudra! He has cut his wrist."
Amar ran towards the balcony and everything became a blur for a minute. All he saw was shattered glass. Amidst that, Rudra lay motionless with a severely cut wrist. This is not the first time he had seen his friend like this but still every time this happened, the fear in him increased.
"Badri, towels, as many as you can get."
Shekher and Dr Pravin Sisodia, Amar's father released Viman from the grip of the glass.
Kabir, Badri, Firozi and Amar lifted Rudra and made him lie down on the bed.
"I have already given him one shot," Viman told Amar, who nodded wrapping the towels on Rudra's cut wrist.
"Firozi, get my bag," Pravin Sisodia said pressing the towels more into the cut.
Both father and son knew it was crucial to act as fast as possible.
"Kabir, get the ice now. We have to stop the bleeding," Viman said limping towards the bed.
30 minutes later, Amar sedated Rudra again and slowly got up from the bed. All his wounds had been cleaned. Badri and Firozi were already clearing the broken glass strewn everywhere. Rudra's wrist had been stitched thoroughly. With a final glance at him, Amar slowly stepped out of the room and found Scar pacing.
As he ruffled the dog's head, she whimpered ruefully and Amar unleashed her. Instantly, she bounded inside and jumped on the bed. Once she smelled Rudra all over, she rested her head on his leg.
"When will all this stop?" Girija Sangawat asked as she looked at Viman.
