Our love was warm, in admit of daze, it
burnt us.
Kiraz is like a crumpled paper, bearing its creases. Every inch holds its scars, igniting a spark in my eyes. The ups and downs course through her veins, connecting with me and striking me with delightful agony. The pain is immense, but I still muster the strength to confront it, feeling my heart beating.
It stung all those months when I confessed my love to her, yet I never received it in return. No one ever spoke those words to me with genuine sincerity. I was deprived of it, and hearing it back was as rare as spotting a shooting star.
I gaze at the lifeless man, none other than Don Clare, his body drenched in blood, much like my own crimson hands. I clench my fist, trying to stop the tremors. It always happens when my skin comes into contact with someone else's blood, but I've come to terms with it. If I inflict pain on someone, I must face the consequences. The thing was that, I harbored the art of acting and masking myself, unknow to everyone.
Leaving the room, I catch a familiar whiff of scent in the air - Kiraz's perfume. My tense muscles momentarily relax as I try to inhale more, but the scent vanishes. I smile, for I have fallen hopelessly in love with her, to the point where I even imagine her fragrance.
I move to my office, washing my hand, and face. I drag the satin white shirt, which has drawn itself in a certain pattern with crimson blood, out of my body. A new tattoo has etched itself on my hand, depicting the phases of the moon, I button the sleeves of my new shirt hiding it.
I had it done two days ago, planning to surprise her with it. I can imagine her shocked eyes, her parted lips turning into a smile, a tear adding a special touch to the moment. She'll cry because no one has ever done this for her, and I'll smile because she'll give me the most precious return gift, making me feel less like a villain.
I turn from the wall-to-ceiling window to sit in a chair, my eyes fixated on the clock. It's 1 pm, and I still have seven hours until I can see her. Tomorrow is the D-Day, the day I'll reclaim my throne. I know I will. Six months of hard work can't go to waste. After that, I'll focus solely on us. I'll gradually reveal my truth to her.
A knock on the door interrupts my thoughts. Vedansh enters, his nervous gaze fixed at me.
"Bhai, you need to come with me to the control room." Vedansh announces, a serious expression marred on his face.
"What's going on?" I inquire, mentally bracing myself for more trouble.
He stammers, "Just come," and I follow him with my phone in hand. Vishal stands in the corridor, his head down, and I ignore the fearful expressions on every face I pass. It's clear that something is very wrong.
The tension, depicted the breaking of something, without can't be wrapped easily.
I stand in front of a large monitor in the control room, watching a video of myself killing that fucker. I observe every detail linage of my face, an indifferent expression, as I take the man's life, finding an unexpected pleasure in it.
"Bhai!" Vedansh speaks up, "your video has been leaked. It's all over the social media."
In short, I've gone viral worldwide just before the mafia election.
I clench my jaw, a surge of rage overcoming me. The room falls silent, everyone looking down, as though they've never seen the world above them.
"Who did this?" I questioned, my wreck eyes penetrating at each of them, an announcement of the befall of ruination. I've worked hard on this, indulge myself in this, and if anyone comes in between, the world will see an image of mine, which I've always contour within me. Destructive. Unapologetic. Indifferent.
"Boss," Vishal begins, "it wasn't done by anyone inside our organization."
"What do you mean?" I ask.
"Our system was shut down for twenty seconds, and all the office doors were open. It could only mean that an outsider recorded it and leaked it online."
"Who's going to inform me about this?" I tilt my head, the head controller, gulping, moving a step back. Coward.
My phone rings, reflecting Nitin's number. I move away, to the corner, to attend the call.
"Boss," Nitin calls when suddenly someone from the controller room, announces, "We've found the footage,"
"Tell me." I demand from Nitin.
"Who is it?" My eyes fleets to Vedansh's, but he remains focused on the screen. I look ahead, and the shock is like an earthquake in my already tumultuous world. I froze in my place, unable to comprehend.
"Boss, we can't find Kiraz Ma'am." My eyes fixed on the screen, ears to the echoing of the words burning my eardrum on fire. I cut the call.
"Bhabhi." I hear a disbelief whisper from my side, but my eyes refused to believe it.
The figure in the screen, just looks like Kiraz, I know it's not her. She wore a red dress, the girl in the video...also wore the same.
My heart pounds in my chest as I continue to watch the video, unable to tear my eyes away from the screen. The figure who looks like Kiraz, runs in the corridor away from the torture room, but something feels off. It can't be her. I can't accept it. I can't.
Vedansh turns his attention away from the screen, his disbelief mirroring my own. "It can't be," he repeats, his voice barely audible.
Could this be some kind of cruel prank or a doppelganger? It doesn't make sense. Kiraz was supposed to be far away, and there's no way she could be in the same place as we are right now. Nobody knows about it.
I reach for my phone, my fingers trembling as I dial Kiraz's number. The seconds feel like hours as I wait for her to pick up, praying that it's just a misunderstanding or a strange coincidence. I bring my palm, massaging between my brows, this can't be. I refuse to accept it.
"Bhabhi leaked the video?" Vedant calls out, an akin disbelief toning in his words.
As the phone continues to ring, my mind races with fear and anger. Vedant's accusation cuts through me like a bow, and I feel a mixture of unknown emotions welling up inside. How could he even suggest such a thing?
I approach him, clutching his collar and forcefully pinning him against the desk, scattering the papers resting on top. My frigid gaze locks onto his figure.
"How dare of you to say such thing?" I retort with anger evident in my voice. He gasps for breath, but my grip remains unwavering, overwhelmed by a fiery rage. How can he accuse my love, my lady, of such deeds? She may be furious with me, hurt by me, but I am certain she could never do this.
"Bhai." Vedansh intervenes, grasping my arms and pulling me away from his brother. I breath harshly, an agony surrounding my gloom heart.
"Don't show your face to me. I'll kill you." I point a menacing finger at me.
Vedant clutched his finger against the table, supporting himself and couching out loud, breathing harshly.
I stride away from the control room, retreating to my office. I retrieve my laptop and activate the hidden cameras I've placed in every corner of the warehouse.
There she appears on the camera feed, her back to the lens, her body trembling, innocence radiating from her as she looks in the room, witnessing my cruelty. I watch her panicked fingers rummaging in her bag, retrieving her phone to record everything. Then the sound of a gunshot makes her take a step back, my heart clenches with every shake of her head in disbelief.
I sweep everything off the desk, shattering objects, as my tears refuse to flow. So, I destroy everything, mirroring the state of my shattered life. Even after this destructive outburst, the harsh reality still haunts me, and I realize I've become lost in the abyss of darkness to a point where my eyes no longer shed tears. I slump against the desk, pulling out my phone with a cracked screen, where our frozen memories and the ghosts of our happier days mock me. I run my finger over the photo, wishing to remain frozen in time, even if it means being encased in ice while others move forward in life.
"Bhai, you've to leave the country." I remain immobile, only fixing my eyes on the floor.
"Bhai get up, you've to go, before the FBI agent comes and arrest you." I don't flinch from the truth, I know, I'm getting arrest because, the video is viral in the media, and it's hard to take it down. The public, the police, in fact the whole country would want me to be caged.
I can use my power, but it'll take time.
"Vedansh, lets go home." I whisper, stand up, blew a strained breath, my eyes hollow. I seat in the backseat, keeping my elbow on the window sill, watching everything passing. The silence dancing in the car, mutes the thought running in my mind. I close my eyes, but only her image dances. I snap open them.
We have to stop at the traffic, a knock on the other side of the window draws my attention. A small boy, sells bunches of red roses.
"Saheeb, take this, for ten rupees." he displays the radiant rose before me. Can I plead like this for her to accept me? I'd willingly forget her betrayal, turn a blind eye to the fact that she tarnished my reputation and accept that I'll not be reclaiming my throne for the next five years. I bite my lip to feel the pain.
Pain. Which should I consider, the physical or mental. Shot me in my guts, watch me bleed but it'll not pain much like the truth hurts.
That, Kiraz was the one who leaked the video. I don't want to believe, and nor I am.
I thought I deserved to be loved, cherished, looked upon as I'm the gentle breeze of sooth in summer nights, clouds to parch the dry world, fire in the coldest day of January.
How can I forget, a Monster can't be loved.
Those sharp eyes of mine ready to take a soul. But can no one understand, I've just masked it so I couldn't break and demand to be loved.
Because of all, the only thing which can't be begged is love.
No one to see, the scar, eyes drowned in pain, a resentment surrounding me. Isn't it better to mask that, than be vulnerable, paint my soul in white when it is all black. A monster can't be loved. Kiraz, can't you?
I throw open the door, moving inside the house, a chuckle leaves my mouth. House, now feels like a fragile construct, a house of cards that's about to collapse.
"Reyansh, you need to leave." Dadu calls out as soon as I enter, every eye draws to me.
Everyone gathered, each face, covering the fear of the future, gazing at me, trying to be there for me.
"Where is she?" I ignore all of them, my throat dry making me gulp the lump. They stare at each other and nobody knows the answer. My eyes drifted to my mother, standing her eyes tearing with drops, flowing out of her eyes. At least she is crying on my behalf.
"Bhai why are you searching for her when she is the reason behind this." Vedansh calls out in anger.
I snap my head at him, fist my fingers, refraining myself to swung straight at a person whom I called my brother. "Shut up, did she tell you herself? I'll never believe until it comes out of her mouth, and I know she'll never."
"The evidence-"
"Go to hell, with them." I growl, "Until and unless she says it, I'll not give a shit to your opinion, or that evidence. So, keep your mouth shut, if you've nothing good to say."
A heavy silence envelops the room, broken only by the relentless thumping of my heart and the delicate ringing of her payal bells. I can hear her presence even before I see her. She's here. I turn swiftly, my eyes locking onto her disheveled form. The same red Anarkali, the same chestnut strands that I often linked to tree bark, the same eyes, their hue akin to the soil, all staring into my dark eyes.
Everything appears the same, yet there's an unsettling aloofness. Her eyes are red, her hair unkempt, and her fingers clutch her dupatta, filling the devoid of my finger.
I approach her, hoping for an explanation, but her eyes reveal a painful truth, devoid of tenderness, brimming with hurt. "Kiraz," I start to say, but before I can finish, a searing pain explodes across my face. It's as if a thousand needles have pricked me, and my skin burns. She slapped me, her eyes wide with fury as she clenches my collar, shaking me.
"How can you?" I remain silent, stunned by her outburst. The situation is delicate, frail like the wings of butterfly, and I fear even reaching out to touch it, afraid I'll mess all of it.
"How can you do this to me?" Her words cut through me like a knife, each accusation hitting me like a blow. Her cries are a painful symphony of betrayal, anger, and heartbreak. She knows the darkest corners of my life, the secrets I've kept hidden, the acts I've committed.
"You are a killer, Reyansh," She shouts, her fists pounding against my chest. Her scent, so familiar, invades my senses, a reminder of everything we once shared. She was there, she saw it all.
New tears fills her eyes as she continues to berate me, her words laced with anguish. "You are a cheater. You hid the truth from me, played with me. I believed in you, trusted you, accepted everything you said. I turned a blind eye to everything I should have known. The fault is not yours, it's mine. I accepted this family as my own. But they lied, everyone lied, Maa, Kritika, Vedika, Dadi, Chachi, every...everyone. How could you all do this to me?"
"Kiraz-"
"Shut up. Just don't say my name." She removes herself from me, taking a step back. The distance between us grows, and her words sear into my soul. "Don't say my name from your sinful mouth. It disgusts me. It reminds me of the lies you fed me. You kill...killed that man, Reyansh. You're not just involved in drugs and weapons; you're part of a crime syndicate."
My heart aches, and I'm at a loss for words. The truth has shattered everything, and I can see the pain etched across her face.
Her eyes turn to other, "That's the reason the men of this family, looks at their son with so much proud, and that's the reason why your mother regrets giving you birth." She continue, slizing me apart,"How many lives did you take?" her voice filled with anger and disappointment. "You told me you carried a gun for safety, but the world needs protection from you. That attack, it couldn't have been just local thugs. You must have taken something from them, and they retaliated. You lied to me again."
"I's going to tell you." I call out.
"When?" She pokes her finger on my chest, "When were you going to tell me, Reyansh? When I gave birth to your child? So I'd be forced to stay with you, forced to accept you and live in ignorance?"
I'm left speechless, my heart heavy with the realization that I've betrayed her trust in the worst way possible,"You're taking this wrong."
"How I'm? And please refrain yourself from speaking about right and wrong? I atleast know better than to believe a lier. If I think about it, was your love drama also a part of your game. Knowing how you were, obsessed with me, you just wanted me at your mercy, wanted my body, maybe that's why you plotted your fake love in this tale."
Her words triggered me, adding agitation to the thread with hanged my patience. The anger within me surges, and I find myself clutching her arms, drawing her closer.
"I told you, never to doubt my love," I declare fiercely. "If anything in our story is pure and true, it's my unwavering love for you. It was true when I confessed it to you, it's true when I told you I'll take away your tears, and it's true when I vowed to protect you."
She laughs curving her lips in, with her eyes glistening with tears, sparking before me, "Look at the fate, you became the reason of my tears. If anything, I must protect myself from you. You became the reason of my pain." I tighten my hold on her.
I never meant to hurt you. I never. I just you to stay with me. I stare into her eyes, my own filled with regret.
She pushes me against my chest, and her voice is filled with disdain. "I hate you, Reyansh. You don't deserve anything. Leave me before I start loathing your existence."
I hold her in place, my grip firm as I demand, "Take back your words."
She grits her teeth, her voice laced with anger. "I hate you."
My heart feels like it's constricting, and fear tightens its grip on my chest. "You don't mean it."
"I mean every word of it," she replies firmly. "I hate you, Mr. Reyansh Rathore."
My fury consumes me, and I find myself losing control, the fine line between sanity and madness blurring. I grip her nape tightly, drawing her even closer to me, but her words cut through the haze of anger, piercing my heart.
"If you dare to make me forcefully stay with you, I swear I'll take my life," she vows, her voice shaking with a desperate determination.
"Do that, and you'll regret having that thought even in your mind." My grip tightens on her nape. She wince but only her words echoes in my life.
Does she hates me so much, that she'll be forced to take her life.
"Just answer me this. Where you the one who leaked the video?" I question her, my hold tightening on her hairs.
"Just tell me. Where you the one who leaked it?" Just say a no, even if it's a lie, I'll accept it, believe it, and beg on her feet for forgiveness.
"Yess, I recorded it and then leaked." She insists.
"You are lying." I can see through her eyes, she was.
"No, I'm not," She stays affirm on her stand, "I don't want a monster like you to roam freely when you deserve to be caged. God know, the next thing I know is you killed your family and me." she says vehemently.
"Kiraz." I austere, pushing her away from me, because if I'd not, I would've never looked at myself in the mirror. The push was sudden which made her falls on her knees. I clench my fingers, shaking.
"See, I's not wrong. You just know how to hurt people. The same way you did to me. I didn't do anything wrong by leaking that video, today I saw your reality, let the world see it. A snake just shreds its skin, but a snake will always be a snake. I despise you, Reyansh Rathore."
I've concealed my truth, and do you know why? Because you've struggled to grasp it. I want to give us time, to ensure you truly comprehend me before I reveal myself. And consider where we stand now. It's not solely my actions that have driven us apart; you share the responsibility. If you truly had the courage, you wouldn't have prematurely exposed the video, but instead, sought an explanation from my side. But you just didn't trusted me."
"What explanation must your killing the people has?" Our connected gaze, transpired the sentiments we hold.
"Not everyone is as blameless as you might think. It's a reality that becomes clear when the illusion shatters, revealing just how twisted this world can be."
Her gaze held fury, "Nothing justify, you killing others. Just accept it, you're a monster, a devil in disguise, who like to put blame on others for your action."
I bend before her, my fist tightly gripping her hair, tilting her to look straight at me. "Good for you then," I say, my voice laced with bitterness. "As you know my true self, my monstrous side, leave from my sight, and just hope you never have to see my face again. If I have the capacity to love you, I have just as much to unlove you and hate you."
Tears stream from her eyes, but it seems that's what she wanted all along. We've both wronged each other, and now our accounts are cleared.
I betrayed her with the truth, she did it by using it against me.
"Just like you, your promises are fake." she mutters, her voice trembling.
I can't hold her hands forever, if she is the one running away. It's bound to slip.
"I don't make promises; I make deals, when human itself are unfaithful to themselves how can you accept a monster like me to keep it. Go away." I respond, my hand moving to her neck, gripping the nuptial chain. I pull it off, letting the black beads scatter. I hold it between us and say, "I free you." With a toss, I send the chain somewhere in the room.
I rise to my feet and order, "Out of my house now."
She trembles with tears, but I ignore her, my face an emotionless mask. She gets up and glances at me, then at the others. Turning away, she walks out of my life forever.
I'd die for her, but tell me what if she is the one who killed me, leaving my breath in my body as a mercy.
"Reyansh, stop her. Don't let her go." the protests from others fall on deaf ears, as I remain resolute in my decision.
This story is mine, and I'll decide when it ends. A story started with obsession, ended with my love.
"Reyansh, go and pack your thing, I'll prepare the jet." My father plays his role.
I shouldn't blame myself for turning like this, when all I'm being surrounded by black shadows.
I take a seat on the sofa, waiting for my faith, "I'll not run. Coward people runs, now I've nothing to loose. I don't fear the future."
"Reyansh, please go away from here. The police will lock you up." Maa seats beside me, cups my face, her eyes screaming agony. "I'll come soon." She doesn't seems convinced.
"A King never runs." I stare at her.
Just then, the loud siren of police, hits the air. My eyes waits, for them. There they come, thinking that caging me will tame me. They don't know who rules this game.
My wounds are fresh, and a wounded animal is dangerous thinking out a man, who has human heart and spirit as that of an animal.
"Mr. Reyansh Rathor, you're under arrest."
The police constable, in Khaki, dash in my house.
I stand on my feet, forwarding my hands for the cuff. I watch my family, crying for me, my brother running to save me.
But, others need to be saved from me.
In this tale, the monster doesn't have fangs, wings, horn. He can just make you see, how beautiful sin looks like.
The wound is fresh and monster on his hunt for the inflict.
•••~~~••
Is this the end?
Yeap, it's but of this book.
And the sequel is out- The Feirce Flame.
Hope you like it? Do fill my notification with your votes and comment. I am waiting.
Instagram: talesofdevil
Published: 22October, 2023.