Lekha (Completed)

Lekha 72

My heartfelt apologies for the delay. Too many things on the plate right now. I just want to assure everyone that I won't be abandoning this story of mine. Thanks for all your patience and votes :) <3 <3 <3

This couldn't be happening to me. I never imagined being caught like this, even if it was all innocent. I stared back at Rudra who stood still with an expressionless face. Anil must have sensed my focus shift, as he too turned around.

" What are you doing so late in the night in my fiancé's room?" the accusatory question sent a cold shiver down my spine.

"She is not your..." started Anil, but I quickly pressed his arm to silence him.

I saw Rudra shifting his gaze instantly to where I touched Anil's arm creating a sudden wave of protective reflex inside of me as I quickly removed my hand, as if on an invisible command. I scolded myself for behaving like a guilty person when we had done nothing wrong.

Feeling rebellious I tried to place my hand back to where I had taken it from, but was interrupted by Rudra as he said in a low grim voice "I want to talk to you."

I suddenly felt the need for a secretary to keep my appointments. Everyone seemed to want to talk to me. I did a mental eye roll but otherwise kept an expressionless face.

"Lekha is tired. And she..." Anil tried to answer for me but one glare from Rudra silenced him.

Now both of them looked at me, as if asking me to choose the victor. I thought better of it and simply nodded my head towards Rudra in acceptance. Anil trying to be stubborn or just being supportive didn't move from his place.

"Alone," said Rudra gesturing with his head for Anil to leave.

Anil, as expected, didn't follow the monosyllabic order immediately but looked towards me. I slowly nodded my head to answer his unasked question. I saw him glare at Rudra in warning as he moved towards the door.

"I will wait outside if you need me," he said defiantly.

"'We'... won't require your services so you can go now" said Rudra rudely. The emphasis on the 'we' was not lost on any of us.

"You can't talk to my friend like this," I began angrily but Rudra just kept looking stoically at me with his back towards Anil rudely dismissing him.
I slowly nodded my head apologetically towards Anil and smiled, silently asking him to leave with my eyes.

"I will wait for my answer tomorrow, " he said. It seemed more for Rudra's benefit than mine. At that instant, I forgot all his kindness and seriously wanted to strangle him.

Hearing his footsteps move away Rudra slowly turned around. I felt betrayed as I thought he was going to leave after creating so much drama but then he closed the door and slid the door jamb.

"Why are you closing the door?" I stuttered.

"What was he doing here?" he asked with a growl ignoring my question.

I debated whether to tell him or not and then decided to throw caution to the wind. At this moment I felt as if I had nothing to lose. Even if I was banished right now from his life it was just like preponing the events. I turned away from him as my cheek burned with mixed feelings.

"He asked me to marry him?" I blurted out.

Without warning his hand shot out towards me and suddenly I was in his death grip being stared down upon. A shiver ran down my spine as what I saw was not simple anger but some kind of madness burning in his eyes. He seemed to have been frozen in time. If it had not been for the burning pain on my arm where he held me tight, then even I might have thought that the time had actually stood still. I winced with pain and saw a flicker of something pass through his eyes as he loosened his grip but didn't let my arm go.