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Aadya was lost in her thoughts as she waited for Vikram in the car.
She was not feeling well after meeting Nitara. There was something which was bothering her.
She did not understand what exactly it was but her heart was not at peace. She has the feeling that something bad is coming.
Even the weather had suddenly turned dark as the black clouds clouded the sky. She was a girl who loves rain and every time waits for it but today it was making her restless.
She was playing with the chain on her neck and was pondering about the uneasiness she was feeling when someone knocked on the car's window.
She looked outside and found a boy standing there with a bunch of flowers in his hands. He must be not more than sixteen. Aadya smiled a little to him and raising her eyebrows she asked him what he wanted.
He gestured to her to pull down the glass window. Aadya thought about it a little. Her husbands are very protective of her.
They don't like her talking to unknown people but the boy was looking so innocent what damage could he cause, she thought to herself and pulling down the glass window she asked, "Yes?"
The boy did not say anything in response and taking out a single red rose from the bunch of flowers he forwarded it to her.
Aadya's brows furrowed at his gesture. Shaking her head she said,"I am sorry but I can't take it. I don't have money to pay you at the moment," she smiled, apologetically.
Shaking his head he again forwarded the rose to her,"Are you giving it to me for free? " she asked and he nodded.
She tried to deny him,"No I can not take it for free. Please wait for a minute. My husband must be coming. He will pay you," she said but as he heard the word husband from her mouth the expression on his face changed. Dropping the red rose on her lap he ran away from there.
"Hey wait," Aadya tried to stop him when she saw him running away like that but he was long gone.
Aadya shook her head at his behavior and picked the red rose from her lap. It was a beautiful rose, fresh, soft with the darkest shade of red.
She touched the light petals of the rose and remembered the day when Rudra had brought a bunch of pink flowers for her. She chuckled remembering how he was blushing while giving flowers to her.
Bringing the red rose closer to her nose she took a gentle sniff of its sweet fragrance.
She looked at the soft rose petals, counting them with her fingers when suddenly she noticed something unusual.
There was something written on the rose petals.
"You never fail to take my breath away,"it read.
Aadya did not like the words written on the rose petals. It was giving her a weird feeling. She twitched her lips at the red rose and was about to dump it out of the car when she saw Vikram coming out of the hospital.
She turned concerned when she noticed the grim look on his face. He was a mile away from her still she could feel his dark and dangerous aura.
She flinched when he slammed the car door harshly.
"Vikram.. " she whispered.
For the first time since the day she met him she was feeling scared of him. He was looking monstrous, like a murderer who was ready to kill.
"Wh-a-t ha-ppen-d..," she could not complete her sentence when he snapped his gaze to her.
His irises were completely black like a coal, the whiteness of his eyes had turned red showing the anger burning inside him. The veins of his neck and forehead were popping out as his nose flared in fury.His jaws were clenched shut as if it would break if he clenched them a little more harder.
He was breathing or not, no one could tell it as he kept looking at her like he was drowning himself in every pores of her skin.
The atmosphere around them was turning menacing.
It was looking like someone had died or someone was going to die and he knew about it but was not telling her.
"Vikram.." she whispers under her breath, it was hard for her to see him like that. He was resembling a monster who could cut a person in pieces.
Aadya's heart beat ran faster and her hands turned sweaty, "Please, don't look at me like that," she said when his dark eyes stared at her soul.
"I am sorry," he only said, making her frown.
And in the next moment he started the car and drove at the highest speed.
Aadya's eyes widened at the speed. Her clutch on the rose stem tightened and the thorns cut through her skin but she did not wince sitting there as stiff as a statue.
"Please slow down the car," she whispered, trying to be strong and not break down into sobs, however he didn't listen to her and increased the speed, not caring about the bustling crowd of the road.
It was looking like something had gotten into him. He was driving like a maniac.
Aadya's condition was getting worse. She was shaking in her seat fully drenched in her own sweat. The tears she was trying to control finally came down, dampening her dry cheeks. While her palms turned red as it was soaked by the tints of her blood.
"Stop," she whispered as a bile raised up-to her throat and she started feeling light headed. She held his thigh for support but her condition only worsened and she ended up vomiting in the car.
She was about to pass out when Vikram finally stopped the car and pulled her out of the car by her elbow.
The ring of his finger dug on to her skin as his grip was tight and harsh. It left a deep cut on her skin but she did not wince at all. Her energy was draining and she was feeling powerless. Still between her silent sobs she tried to say,"Vikram stop. You are hurting me."
But her broken plea did not bring him back from wherever he was.
She silently accepted what he was doing as there was no power left in her feet or her throat. She let him drag her inside like a rag doll.
Vikram was behaving like a beast who was under some spell.
His actions and his behavior was not of a caring husband but that of a beast.
When they got inside the home Vikram pushed her to the couch and Aadya screamed in pain when her feet stumbled with the edge of the table. Her scream was scary and heart shattering.
It scared the other two men wherever they were and they came running to her.
Vikram was blind in rage. The only thing going in his mind was that message. The message from unknown. The message which uttered a dirty and disgusting word for their Aadya.
Rape. Whore.
Fisting his hands tight Vikram screamed.
It was looking like the vein of his neck and temple would bust open and his eyes would turn completely red as he screamed and screamed. Trying to let out all the fury which was running through his veins.
Aadya's sobs turned quiet and she looked at Vikram with her teary eyes.
She forgot about the pain and fear which was gripping her heart when she saw Vikram breaking down like that in front of her.
Everything was telling her that it was something grave. He was behaving like a crazy, bloodthirsty beast however there was some reason behind it.
Digvijay and Rudra were shocked to see this side of Vikram. After meeting Aadya he has become stable in his life. The wild side of him never came out in front of her. But the way he was screaming trying to control his anger was telling them only one thing.
It was something related to Aadya.
Otherwise he would have never behaved like this, especially in front of Aadya.
Both of them looked at Aadya. She was crying but she was silent. She was blankly staring at Vikram who was now closing every door and windows of their home.
Running to her they engulfed her in their strong, comforting arms. Aadya came out of wherever she was when she felt their touch. And she broke down. Hugging them back tightly she was expressing her fear and sadness through her sobs. The imprint of her bloody hands smeared on Rudra's white shirt and her tears wetting his shoulder as he caressed her shaking figure.
Digvijay was hugging her from behind. His grasp was tight on her waist. He kissed the back of her head and cooed on her ears,"Babe, please don't cry. I can not see you like this," the emotions in his voice make her sob harder.
"Why is he so angry? I am scared. Is something bad coming?" she asked like a little kid nestling her face in Rudra's neck.
Their hearts shattered when they heard her broken voice. Engulfing her more tightly they tried to give her all the warmth.
"Don't worry Princess. Nothing bad is coming I am with you," Rudra swiped the hair away from her forehead and said looking in her eyes.
Aadya sniffled and nodded, telling him that she believed him.
Digvijay pressed a kiss on her shoulder blade and was about to say something when Vikram pulled her out of their hold.
"Vikram!" Both of the men shouted and Aadya whimpered in pain.
Vikram only shot them an angry look and again grabbing her by her elbow he started dragging her to his room.
"Vikram, stop it. Don't behave like this. Please tell me what is going on in your mind. I will help you but please don't behave like this. It is scaring me," Aadya said as he dragged her through the long hallways but Vikram was silent as a sea.
Throwing her on his bed he closed all the windows and doors of his room. Aadya was only staring at him, sobbing.
After closing all the windows when he looked at her Aadya flinched in reflex. His eyes were the scariest thing she has ever seen.
They looked dead. He looked dead.
"Vikram," she called as if trying to make sure that it was her husband, not someone unknown.
"Wait for me. I am coming," he said, blankly and left her alone in his room, locking the room from outside.
Aadya only stared at the closed door.
...............
He was raging.
He was ready to kill.
He was thirsting for blood. Blood of the man who tried to raise his eyes to look at Aadya.
Vikram does not know how he looks. What was his name but one thing he knew was that his death was written in Vikram's hand.
With an iron chain of knives and blades in his hand Vikram was ready to flow a river of blood. Blood of every man and woman who can be a threat to his Aadya.
The rain which was pouring outside was a message for the whole city that the flood will arrive soon. But no one knew that tonight the color of water would be red.
Because for the beast like Vikram blood was the only thing which could tame the anger burning inside him.
The long shiny blades and knives chained to the iron chain clattered to each other as they trailed behind on the floor making a sound which could send shivers to anyone.
The blood on its edges was proof that it had cut enough human skin and was only hungry for more.
On the other hand,
Rudra was bubbling in anger. He was looking towards Vikram's room where Aadya was locked. He wanted to run to her and hug her till eternity but Digvijay had stopped him and told him to wait.
"Why are you silent after seeing how he was behaving with her!" he screamed at Digvijay who was standing there silently deep in his thoughts.
Digvijay looked at Rudra. He was breathing heavily and was perilous after seeing Aadya's condition.
"It is something related to Aadya," Digvijay said, blankly,"Otherwise Vikram would never behave like that with her. He is scared of something. And his fear is coming out in the form of anger. He is blind in fury and only blood can tame his anger."
Rudra's heart raced when he registered his words, "Something related to Aadya," he mumbled, looking down as a sudden fear gripped his own heart.
Digvijay nodded, wondering what Vikram knew but he didn't.
Both of them snapped their gaze towards Vikram when they heard the clattering sound of blades and knives chain.
Their eyes widened for a second seeing Vikram. He was looking more than perilous.
With his black dead eyes and a murderous look on his face. His brown skin turned darker, almost black and he looked like a hungry beast who could drink blood for his thirst to stop.
"Where are you going? " asked Digvijay, shocked to see one of the cruelest weapons in Vikram's hand.
One hard strike of it and the person was cut down into pieces.
"To kill," Vikram answered, the look on his face was of a dead person. Blank.
Digvijay walked to him, his steps calculating. He was dreading to hear the truth but it was the necessity of the situation.
Placing his hands on Vikram's shoulders he urged him,"Tell me everything Vikram," he said.
Vikram was silent for a long time. He could never make himself repeat the words which Nitara dared to say.
"We are waiting, Vikram. Tell me what is the truth which made you treat Aadya like that?" Rudra shouted when Vikram didn't say a word.
Rudra was becoming restless. He wanted to go to her and see if she was alright. When Vikram didn't say anything Rudra shook his head and was about to run to Aadya when Vikram finally opened his mouth to tell them everything.
"I am coming to rape Aadya and make her my whore. Save her if you can," he repeated the exact words which Nitara told him and their hearts stopped.
Both the men snapped their gaze to Vikram,"What the hell are you saying?" Rudra roared.
"Nitara was only a bait. Aadya is a real target. Someone has his eyes on our wife," he said and the hell broke loose.
Digvijay's hands dropped from Vikram's shoulders and he stood there numb for a long minute.
His eyes were turning blank and his hands turned into fists. His blood boiled and the raw anger took the place of his calmness. He tried to tame the bubbling anger inside him by walking back and forth.
But the veins of his neck gave away his real condition and finally he let go and screamed "Aaaaa" his screams were heart shattering which sent shivers to Aadya's spine who was crying inside the locked room.
"Digvijay..." she whispered.
Digvijay was screaming like an angry lion. His screams vibrated through the tall and magnificent walls of the triumvirate estate. It was scary but painful. He was hating himself. That bastard is alive after spitting those things about Aadya.
He should be dead by now but he was out there breathing and thinking about their wife. It infuriated him more. Someone was thinking about Aadya, thinking about snatching her away from him.
And here they are clueless of his identity. He kicked the wooden table out of the way and with his growing anger his violence grew more and he started destroying everything in the living room and in a span of five minutes the room was destroyed.
But that was not enough. It was not taming his burning anger at all, he let out a heart shattering scream again. It was full of pain and anger.
Aadya was hearing his screams. She could hear his pain and anger through his screams. She was knocking on the door and begging them to open it because she knew something grave had happened and it was hurting them. Infuriating them to the next level and at this time she wanted to be with them even if she got hurt in their presence she did not care.
But all her begging and crying was in vain when they didn't open the door.
She finally lost the battle with them and stopped begging them to open the door.
Sitting on the floor with her back against the door she whispered again,"Please open the door. I want to come to you," but no one heard her.
Her sobs were inaudible in front of the sound of rain which was getting heavier by every minute.
The rain was also becoming perilous. It seemed like the sky was crying for her. The loud thunder which always frightened her now seemed soundless to her.
As the only thing which was going through her mind was her husbands. Why are they so angry, so violent? What caused them so much pain?
..............
"He whispered the words in Nitara's ears. It was never the Irish Mafia who were behind Nitara's rape. It was that motherfucker," Vikram clenched out the words, ready to kill all his enemy in this city, big or small doesn't matter.
He was sure his nemesis was helping that bitch who dared to call their wife his whore.
Otherwise no one knew about them and Aadya at the time when Nitara was raped.
"I swear to my mother I will drain every drop of blood from that motherfucker's body." Vikram vowed,"I am going to kill every single person in this town who is against us. He is not alone, people are working for him. And I am going to kill all of them tonight. There will be a bloodbath tonight," he said and was ready to go out when Rudra's words made him stop in his tracks.
"I can't live without her. I will die if someone takes her away from me,"there was a fear in his voice when he said those words. He remembered the day when they got her painting from unknown. Every line of her skin, every arch of her hair, the golden tint in her blue-green eyes everything was painted as if Aadya was before the painter when he descended her to the canvas.
Rudra was scared of even the thought of someone knowing Aadya better than him. He wanted to run to her and clasp her to his chest for forever but his feet were not working. He was numb in his place. He was lost.
"No. No one can touch her. No one," he was saying again and again, shaking his head in denial.
His eyes filled with water and he found himself getting weak. His world was turning blank. Everything around him vanished and it was only Aadya in his mind,"She is mine no can take her away from me. Nothing bad is going to happen to her. She is mine," he said as if comforting himself.
"No. I will kill myself if something happens to her," he finally said, accepting the truth. He will die without her.
"So do I," pronounced Vikram and Digvijay at the same time.
Digvijay took some deep breaths trying to control himself. It was a delicate time and situation as it includes their Aadya. Someone was ready to snatch their Aadya from them. That person was aware of every tendrils of her hair and pores of her skin, the painting he had made was saying only speaking that. Whoever he was. His aim was clear. He wanted to take Aadya away from them.
"Over my dead body," he spat, menacingly and was ready to take the hard decisions for their Aadya.
"We should never leave Aadya alone. One of us always has to be with her all the time like her shadow," he said and walking to Rudra he placed his hands on his shoulder and said,"You can't be weak at this point Rudra. No one can take her away from you. Away from us. Vikram and I are going to deal with every person in this town who has betrayed us. Because whoever this person is. He can not have this minute information about us without help from the people of our city. You go and take care of her. She needs you now."
"She needs you two also," Rudra said, glancing at Vikram. "I know. She is waiting for me. Tell her to wait for me a little bit more,"Vikram said.
"Just remember what is the truth Rudra," Digvijay said and three of them looked at one another and pronounced together.
"SHE IS OURS"
........................
Aadya's tears have dried. She was sitting silently on the bed, hugging her knees to her chest. She was chanting a prayer to god because she was alone and afraid. Everything was scaring her.
She was anticipating something much worse to come.
More than herself she was worried for her husbands. She could still feel Vikram's touch lingering on her elbow. It was harsh. His grip left a red mark to her whiter skin. She should be angry with him but here she was concerned for him.
She knew it was never her Vikram.
Her Vikram treats her like the most priceless flower of the world. He touches her like she is made of the smoothest silk. Look at her with so much love. It was not her Vikram, it was someone else.
She was thinking about what caused Vikram to change when the door of the room opened. She furrowed her brows as she was not expecting it.
Rudra was standing at the doorway with his eyes carrying unshed tears. It ached her and she wanted to ask him why he was crying but he was only standing there, staring at her as if he was drinking every sight of her face.
Aadya looked at him back with her tired and emotional eyes.
Few moments passed just like that with them looking at each other without a word.
"Sugar," she whispered, breaking the speaking silence and Rudra ran to her, engulfing her in a tight hug.
Aadya was startled for a second but then she hugged him back. "What happened, Sugar," she asked, caressing his soft hair but all she got was a silence in return.
She did not try to ask him again and let him hug her as long as he wanted because god knows after whatever happened this evening she was needing the same thing. His touch, his warmth.
So she closed her eyes, snuggling to him more.
It was three in the night. The rain had not stopped, it only increased so was Aadya's worries. Vikram and Digvijay have not come back from wherever they were.
She could still feel Vikram's perilous aura around her. Digvijay screams were still ringing in her ears. And Rudra.. His heart was still racing fast in an uneven beat as his arms secured her tightly to himself.
She tried to focus on Rudra's heart beat by placing her head on his chest while he played with her raven hair. But her mind was wandering to her two husbands again and again. Especially Vikram. The way he was behaving with her was so different.
She wants to ask so many questions to them but they are not here.
Rudra who was staring at her bandaged hands said," Sleep Aadya. They will come soon."
"Where are they?" she asked in a small whisper.
Killing people.
"I don't know," he said and Aadya knew he was lying. She sighed and closed her eyes. Her eyes were burning after so much crying. Soon sleep visited Aadya's eyes but Rudra was wide awake thinking about the message or more like a threat from the unknown.
It rained all night long. Rudra was caressing her hair with his fingers and was about to call Vikram and Digvijay as it already had been six hours of them going when suddenly the door of the room opened.
Rudra looked at Vikram and Digvijay who were drenched by rain and blood.
"When did she fall asleep?" asked Digvijay and was about to touch her face when Rudra stopped him,"Don't touch her. First go and have a shower," he said and Digvijay nodded and went to have a shower.
Digvijay never liked getting dirty. But tonight everything was different so was his habits. The person who never liked to make his hands dirty in blood had blood smeared all over his hands.
Vikram was standing at the doorstep silently and was looking at sleeping Aadya as the blood dripped down from his clothes.
"How many people did he kill ?" Rudra asked, referring to Digvijay. He asked in a low voice not wanting to wake up Aadya. If she opens her eyes and sees Vikram's condition the hell will break loose.
"37," replied Vikram.
"How many people did you kill?" Rudra asked later.
"59," he said blankly, staring at Aadya's face.
Rudra looked at Vikram's face. It was smeared with blood. His angry eyes had turned cold as he stood numb in his place.
Vikram's white shirt which had turned red was exciting to him, especially his calmness. An urge to kill and satisfy himself came to Rudra and he said,"My hands are itching for blood."
Vikram broke his stare on Aadya and looked at Rudra,"Wait a little. The time will come," he said and again moved his gaze to Aadya.
.................
Aadya yawned when she woke up the next morning. The first thing which came to her mind was her husbands. She looked around and found her two husbands Digvijay and Rudra sitting in front of her, staring at her.
She was startled by the intensity they were staring at her. Sitting up on the bed she whispered,"Digvijay.."
"Good morning babe," he said, calmly.
Aadya looked at him, shocked. He was not at all looking like the man who was screaming last evening. His screams, full of fury and pain were still refreshed in her ears.
Rudra picked up the glass of water from the night stand and moved closer to her,"Have some water,"he said and Aadya gladly drank every drop of water dampening her burning throat.
All the while her eyes were on Digvijay who was staring at her back with a smile on his face as if nothing wrong had happened.
"Where were you last night?" she asked, wiping her mouth.
"Office work."
"Late at night?" she asked him again, not believing his lies. Digvijay chuckled looking at the look on her face. She was giving him a suspicious wife look," Last night was hell for the city. The heavy rain caused flooding and half of the city was drowned in it. We were stuck at the office because of that," he said.
"Flood?" Aadya raised her brows in shock. "Yes," he replied.
"Then where is Vikram? "she asked, getting worried for Vikram. She was ready to go out and look for him when she saw him coming out of the washroom. He was in gray sweatpants, shirtless. He was drying his wet brown hair with a towel unaware that she was awake.
Feeling her gaze on him Vikram looked up at and stopped for a bit seeing the fear in her eyes and it broke his heart.
Out of anger he behaved like a beast last night with her. He was drowning in guilt seeing her fearful eyes.
He walked to her in slow steps. Aadya only looked at him quietly as he came close to her and without saying a word placed his head on her lap.
Aadya gasped slightly when he snuggled to her lap and started crying. Wrapping his hands around her waist he cried his eyes out. He was not sobbing but the tears of his eyes did not stop.
"Vikram," Aadya whispered. "Dar-l-in-g," he said and Aadya's heart clenched when she heard his voice breaking.
"Shh.. Shush my love. Don't cry.. Please," she whispered as unknowingly her eyes also started to water.
"Darl-i-ng," he only called her name again and again as the old memories which he was trying to forget so hard were again resurfacing.
Closing his eyes he tried to forget about the past but it didn't help and he cried more,"I can't lose you. Please don't be angry with me. I was not in my senses last night. Please hit me. Kill me. Punish me however you want but don't look at me with fear in your eyes," he said in a whisper. His voice almost broke remembering how like a beast he was treating her.
Aadya's heart pained when she heard the guilt in his voice. Leaning down she kissed the back of his head and said, "I know that Vikram. You would have never behaved with me like that if you were in your right senses. What has happened? Why were all three of you so worried and angry last night? Please tell me."
She looked up at Digvijay and Rudra who were sitting near her silently. Rudra's eyes were drenched with tears while Digvijay's eyes were blank. However Aadya could see through them. Opening her arms she asked them to come to her.
And just like that they attach to her like their life depended on her. Aadya kissed them on the head giving ease to their uneven heartbeat.
Rudra nestled his face more to her chest while Digvijay hid his face at the corner of her neck. Vikram's tears didn't stop as he rested his head on her lap thinking about everything that happened last night.
"Why were you so angry last night? Your screams were so painful I can still hear it. What happened please tell me," she again asked after a minute of silence.
Vikram looked up at her with his teary eyes and Aadya's heart clenched seeing him like this,"I am sorry for last night, darling. But I could not control myself. I only wanted to keep you away from the dirty world. I can't tolerate anyone looking at you, speaking about you. I can't lose you, Aadya. I can't Aadya," he repeated himself.
"You silly you are never going to lose me. Why are you even thinking like that?" she said, perplexed. She was not getting why they were not telling her what the real truth is ? Why was Vikram so violent last night? Why Digvijay was screaming in anger and Why Rudra was awake looking at her all night?
There were lots of questions in her mind but she did not ask them because she knew they were not going to tell her anything.
Like every time.
"We just can't lose you. We will die without you."
"I will die without you."
...............
They snuggled with each other for more than an hour. She asked them one last time but they ignored her questions and only told that it was something related to Nitara and her rapists which made Vikram angry.
Aadya nodded her head thinking they were telling her half truth but she was happy at least they were telling her something.
Her other questions were unanswered.
She was looking at the ceiling while laying on the bed. Even after lots of thinking she could not understand what just happened last night. Turning head she looked at the time on the table clock. It was forty past nine, she sighed and get up to get ready for work. She was getting late.
After having a long relaxing bath Aadya came out of the bathroom and changed into a blue crop top and light blue denim jeans. She left her hair open and wore hoop earrings on her earlobes.
She looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were red and puffy. Anyone could tell she had cried for long hours. She tried to smile at the mirror however it looked forced and not as pretty as before. Aadya sighed, taking her handbag she was about to go out when Vikram entered the room.
"Where are you going? " he asked, Aadya looked at him.
He was standing on the doorway with his hands stuffed in his pants,"Going to work duh," said Aadya, shrugging in obviousness.
"You can't go out. You are not allowed," he said. Aadya snapped her gaze to him, for a second not believing what he was saying,"What did you say? "
"I said you can't go out. You are not allowed," Vikram repeated himself with a blank look.
His words infuriated Aadya. Allow? Was he serious!
"What do you mean I am not allowed? Am I your servant who needs your permission to go out?" Aadya said, raising her voice.
Vikram sighed, shaking his head he said with a smile,"You are not getting me, darling. You can not go out because the atmosphere is not good outside," he said, like he was genuinely concerned for her.
"What do you mean? " Aadya arched an eyebrow in question.
"Come," he said, opening his hand out for her to hold. She looked at him and then his hand and finally gave her hand in his.
Aadya was surprised when they entered the living room. The whole furniture of the living room was changed.It again proved her assumption right.Something grave has happened and it was not only her who saw the trio's anger but their home too.
Telling her to sit on the couch Vikram turned on the television. Vikram turned on the news channel and what Aadya saw left her horrified. The flood was not heavy but the thing which shocked her and the entire city was the color of water.
Red water was flooding in the city streets.
Her vision was stuck on television's screen when she felt the trio's presence near her.
Vikram folded his hands over the back of the couch and leaning down he whispered in her ears,"It's scary isn't it? "
However Aadya was not in a condition to say anything. She was shit scared after all she has never seen a gory scene like this before. It was looking like every drop of water had turned red.
"The flood was not scary. It was the murders that took place last night. Media reports are saying more than seventy people were found dead," Digvijay said, placing his arms around her rigid shoulder. His eyes, perceiving the frightened look on her face.
Rudra wiped the sweat beads from Aadya's forehead and said,"Red water. Water mixed with real blood is flowing around the city streets."
"The whole city is in terror. It is not safe to go out," Vikram was saying when Aadya cut him in the middle and pointing at the television screen she said,"I know him," she yelled.
"He was the same boy whom I saw in the jewelry showroom," Aadya remembered that day when she saw him in the jewelry showroom, standing at one corner and staring back at her.
"Really? "Vikram said with a fake gasp while the other two men smirked internally.
They were right. They had killed the same people who were taking a tab of Aadya's whereabouts. Following her everywhere since the day she has come in a relationship with them. These people were once part of the clan and gangs which were in the trio's hit list.
The list was long but the night will come again and will bring its darkness with it. They will kill again and burn everyone who was helping that bitch who has his eyes on Aadya.
"Yes. And that old man. He was outside the club that night when I was drugged. I could not see his face properly but I think it was him," she said, pointing at the other picture of the dead person which was displayed on the screen of the TV.
"And that woman. I have seen her often in the supermarket. Every time I was there with Anokhi I saw her and caught her staring at me a few times," Aadya kept pointing at the other picture.
"Vikram.." Aadya gasped when she saw a picture of a young boy on the screen. It was the same boy who gave her a red rose yesterday.
"That's enough,"Digvijay said, turning off the television. "It looks like you have seen most of them in real life. It will affect you mentally and emotionally if you keep thinking about it. So stop whatever is going in your mind," he said.
Vikram took a seat in front of her on a coffee table and looking into her eyes he said,"Now you get why I am telling you to not go out?"
Aadya shook her head in denial,"I have to go. My colleagues are waiting for me at the field. Our volunteering is needed on the ground, the situation where the campaign was set up is not good. The water is touching the knees, everything is drowned. The people for whom we arranged the campaign, they lost everything. They need our help now. If you want to come with me then come otherwise I will go alone" she finished her sentence with a sigh.
Aadya started to go out again when Vikram stopped her by holding her elbow,"Don't you understand me! If I am telling you not to go out then don't go."
"No. I don't understand you Vikram. And I don't want to understand you. You can't tell me what to do!" she said, loudly and jerked her hand out of his hold.
"YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO GO OUT OF THIS HOUSE," with every word his voice was raising as he clenched out the words right on her face. Aadya flinched seeing the fury in his eyes, it reminded her of last night and she almost let out a whimper.
Digvijay sighed and walking to her he cupped her cheeks in his hand and said softly, "The atmosphere of the city is not good, Aadya. Vikram is right. You should not go out. It is dangerous. Didn't you see how the city has turned red in blood?"
"But I want to help the people. They lost everything. Our whole campaign is ruined now," she whispered.
"Please try to understand our worry for you babe," he whispered back.
Aadya saw the concern in Digvijay's eyes. It was very rare. He never shows his emotions through his eyes.
She sighed in defeat and finally nodded in yes,"Okay, let me call my sir and inform him that I am not coming today," she whispered halfheartedly, taking out her phone from the handbag.
"Tell him you will not come to work from now on. You are leaving the job," Vikram said and Aadya snapped her gaze to him.
"What?" she asked, not believing what she just heard.
She looked at Digvijay who was standing silently near her and asked,"Won't you say anything to him? He is telling me to leave my job."
"He is right. Leave your job and be at home. There is no need for you to go out of home and work when you are the wife of the richest men of the country," Rudra who was quiet till now said and hearing him Aadya only wished that it would be better if he didn't say anything.
Aadya shook her head, chuckling humorlessly,"Now I get you. It was never your concern. It's your ego which is not allowing you to let me go out to work. But you know what? I will not accept it and will go against you. I am going out of this house right now, stop me if you can," she said, she was more than adamant now especially after they told her to leave her job.
"The gates of this house are closed from outside."
"Our men who are standing at the gate will not let you go out."
"You are caged."
Aadya's anger knew no bounds when she heard their words.
Even Abhimanyu has never told her to leave her job or restricted her to go out of the house. "Now look at what I do!" she said and ran to her room.
"Aadya!" all three of them shouted and ran to her room. God knows what she was going to do.
"What the hell are you doing!" Digvijay screamed on her face, snatching the bag from her hand.
"Going out of this house," she screamed back and snatching the bag from his hand she again started stuffing her clothes in it. "Aadya why are you not getting it? We are only worried for you that's why not allowing you to go out,"Vikram said, helplessly.
Aadya wiped the tear which was streaming down to her cheeks and said,"You said you will be with me whenever I go. I accepted it. You don't let any man look at me. I never asked why. But now you are telling me to leave my job! Restricting me from going out. I can't accept it, damn it."
"We are saying this because it's not safe for you. You don't need to do this kind of job which requires you to go out of the house in these situations,"Rudra said back almost in a pleading manner but this time his pleading eyes didn't melt her.
"I was not angry with you after whatever happened last night. I know there was some reason behind your behavior but now what you are saying is hurting me," she said as the tears trailed down her face.
"You are literally ordering me to not step outside of this house. You are telling me to leave my job. You are snatching my freedom, my rights away from me by caging me in this house. I can not let that happen. Before our marriage you have said that you will never tell me to leave my job. But right now you are doing exactly opposite of that."
After taking some deep breaths, she wiped her tears and said,"Yes , you are important to me but my work, my rights, my freedom are more important to me. I am leaving your home,"her words left the three men shocked and they didn't know how to tell her the real reason behind them snatching her freedom.
How will they tell her the truth that they can't let her step her out of this house until they kill the person who was ready to snatch her away from them.
And for that if they had to cage her in their home then they will do.
"Aadya stop and hear the truth," Rudra stopped her by hugging her from behind. "What truth?" she spat and tried to free herself out of his hold.
"Rudra don't," both Vikram and Digvijay warned Rudra but he only shook his head and said,"can't you see how stubborn she is."
"I am not stubborn,"Aadya yelled.
"Okay, you are not. Now hear me," he whispered in her ears. "It's because of me we are telling you to not go out."
"What do you mean?" Aadya asked, confused.
"Aadya elections are next year. Public has not accepted our marriage till now and our oppositions are using it against me to gain votes. Until the time I take care of opposition and people accept us you have to be away from the public eye. Give me sometime I will handle everything and then you can freely go out like before," he told her the white lie.
"Otherwise you will lose the election?" Aadya asked in a whisper.
"Yes."
Aadya was in turmoil. She does have the idea of how politics works. People use your private life to throw dirt on you and win. And she was aware of how their marriage could affect Rudra's career. It's hard for people to accept reality. It will take time for them to get accepted by the people.
And she knew how important it is for Rudra to win this election.
Somewhere in her heart she knew that she was the reason behind his and his father's differences. Maybe his father will accept him again if he wins this election.
Maybe his father will accept them if the society accepts them.
She glanced at Rudra who was still holding her from behind,"Promise me you will make people accept us soon."
"I promise," he said.
"Promise me you will win the elections."
"I promise."
Aadya nodded and with her quivering lips she said,"okay I will not go out until you three say so."
If her being caged inside the four walls makes Rudra win the election then she will do it without an ounce of hesitation.