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Exposed Truths
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Aadyanth walked aimlessly through the beach looking vacantly at the far stretched sea & the faint sway of waves that occasionally found their closure at the shore. Yet another day had fallen by summoning the darkness of the night. The beach was practically empty except for a few indistinct figures & their shadows.
He loved sea for all the right reasons. The aural solace from within it's shore had always offered him a wild comfort whenever he sought for peace from his tangled emotions. He was fond of the waves & their consistent rush. Every new sway of them were entwined with fresh memories of himself & his parents, especially his mother. Never had he seen a woman who was fond of the sea and the stars the way his mother was. She loved watching the night sky. She would spent hours staring at the stars & still not get bored.
There were nights when she would pester their dad to take all four of them to the shore, just to feel the silence & erase her worries if any. A bit of solace from the daily chaos can soothe one's existence & heal even the deepest of wounds. That was one of her strongest beliefs. His dad being so in love their mother would relent eventually. She would then tell them the tales of the sea, the stars & every other random stuffs that had her fascinated. Rohaan & Harsha being kids back then would listen to her curiously & every so often nod their heads in excitement.
His mother was a strong woman with influential traits. Every minute spent in her presence counted. Those days were precious. They were a happy family back then. He couldn't ask for more. Life was pleasant & voidless. Every new day fabricated new memories. His mother had given them ample moments to cherish for a lifetime and another.
Walking through the open space all alone, he could literally feel his parents everywhere though they weren't within his reach. It was like breathing the same air as theirs. If there was a place apart from his home that could make him feel all the right emotions, it was this particular end of the beach.
For some reason Sonakshi reminded him of his mother. He didn't know why. It could be because she was strong & independent. That added up her beauty manifolds in his eyes. Besides the way her eyes dilated in awe upon watching the sky & the way she told oblivious stories last night mirrored his mother's never dying enthusiasm for the same.
After his mother's death, for the first time in all these years, he felt an earnest assurance in her presence. It was like reaching the right destination after restlessly wandering in an unfamiliar walkway for days. It was like realising the true purpose of his distorted life.
Everything about her had gotten him distracted and swept him off his feet ever since they ran into each other. He was in awe of how she would fume, how an annoyed frown would grace her face, how her tiny nose would scrunch in distaste & her cheeks would turn bright red in embarrassment.
Earlier all his smiles were at Rohaan & Harsha's expenses but from a few days even Sonakshi had a pleasant share in them. Her thoughts alone could make him happy. Yet he had chosen to hurt her. Instead of showering her with love & keeping her safe, he chose to break her with his words. Sonakshi meant his whole world and it took him days to admit that to himself & realise her real worth.
Thinking about his misbehaviour towards her, reopened the wound in his heart. The way he manhandled her & tried to prove his dominance, made him feel like a cold blooded monster. It was nothing but his damned self pride. Harsha being the victim of his revenge was just an excuse to break her. He now realised it was solely his possessiveness for Sonakshi. He loved her so much that it pricked him really bad to think of her as a characterless woman. He could never imagine her getting close to someone else. She was his regardless of the piled up hatred she had for him.
Aadyanth had a slight hope that he could alter her hate into love some day. Until he learned about her toxicity from his brother. The only way to unleash his pain was to make her suffer. And he did it at the spur of the moment. He convinced himself that she deserved the mistreatment. It was rather a lame try from his part to lessen the guilt that was constantly piercing his conscience.
But this morning changed his perspective about Sonakshi. The new revelations came like a slap on his male ego & forced beliefs. Aadyanth had always thought of his decisions as supreme & thoroughly right. He used to find explanations to cover up his impulsiveness. His rash ways used to affect others but he cared the least.
Today was an eye opener for him. The little conversation he had with Juhi before he left Sonakshi's penthouse induced him to join the dots. When he did, he finally realised Sonakshi was innocent. Infact she was never at fault. He had punished her for a crime she was not even aware of. He had called her names & accused her of sleeping around for absolutely no reason.
The damage was already done. Neither his words nor deeds could be undone at this point. All he could do was repent for his mistake. The tears he made her shed & the words he made her say would haunt him forever.
So much happened in a day & all he could memorize was the very same morning when he woke up to the truths, with Sonakshi securely wrapped up in his arms!
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Flashback
Waking up to Sonakshi's face was like a dream come true for Aadyanth. Her fidgety movements broke his peaceful morning slumber. It took him some few minutes to adjust to the new surroundings. Last night's events came crashing down before him making him exhale deeply. It was just four in the morning. They were at her balcony. He recalled how he had dozed off admiring her sleeping figure last night. Sonakshi was still very much asleep holding onto to him. She had protectively snuggled deep into his chest as if she was the rightful owner of the place.
Aadyanth bent his face down till the level of her face careful enough to not wake her up. Kissing her earlobe, he muttered a subtle 'love you' in her ears. Sonakshi jerked in sleep when his stubble brushed her cheek in the process. Her drowsy eyes flickered for a nano second at the slight shift. Sensing his restless movements, she tenderly patted on his chest a few times as if lulling him back to sleep.
Finding a better position in his lap, she went back to sleeping soundly. Aadyanth released the breath he was holding. He thought she was awake & almost waited for the explosion to follow. They didn't look alike rivals, not even a bit. Instead their cosily cuddled posture resembled that of a new couple in love. He dreaded her possible reaction if she found them in each other's embrace. The only way to dodge the expected blast was to go away from the place silently. But Sonakshi was making it difficult for him. She had locked him from all the sides. Her hands had gathered his shirt in a firm grip while her legs were diagonally tangled with his. Even a slight drift from him brought out response from her.
Having no other option, Aadyanth tactfully lifted her in his arms maintaining the same position, all the while rocking her back and forth. He felt like Sonakshi's babysitter overnight. A smile adorned his face at the silly thought. If she approved, he was ready to babysit her forever. The affection he felt towards her intensified after witnessing her drunken antics last night. He was ready to forgive her or rather had forgiven her already for her shortcomings. People usually behaved with zero adulterations under the influence of alcohol, which meant there was a softer side to Sonakshi as well.
Tucking her under the warm blanket, Aadyanth tried to disentangle her hold from his shirt. Sonakshi tightened her grip on him at his move.
"Stay please" She drowsily murmured. The idea of his familiar scent withdrawing from her reach made her disappointed. She was left craving for more of his reassuring embrace.
"I'm really sorry Sona. You won't like it with me here" Aadyanth half-heartedly loosened her fingers. Though he wanted to snuggle with her & return her hugs, he had no other choice but to leave her side like he never existed.
Aadyanth pulled out a pillow & placed it in one of her sides. Knowing how much she loved to cuddle, he looped her arms around the pillow. Though she sulked initially, her body gave up & she nodded off once again.
Any other day he would have strictly kept clingy women at an arm length distance from him. He hated women who demanded attention with every bit of his existence. But with Sonakshi, that wasn't the case. She was his lifeline. He could never get annoyed from managing her trivial tantrums.
Aadyanth moved around the room in a jiffy & cleared all his belongings from the floor. He made sure nothing was left behind before Sonakshi's detective eyes. Taking a final look at her baby face, he closed the door shut & walked out of the room.
Just exactly when he was about to open the main door, Juhi unlocked it from outside & turned up indoors. The unexpected appearance of Aadyanth got her scared. Dressed in black & black, he suddenly looked like an intruder to her. She freaked out & hopped a few steps backward. Only after his face came into view, she simmered down.
"What's with Juhi being so clumsy early in the morning?" Aadyanth remarked playfully blocking her path, his eyes gleaming with mischief.
He was so fond of the tiny girl & her affection towards Sonakshi. She was delightful, naive & could be tricked easily. Her traits were funny & her eyes expressive. He wondered how Sonakshi was even friends with her. They were like different poles of a magnet. Yet they got along so well.
"What's with you looking so worn out early in the morning? I warned you to not strain my girl right?" Juhi tried to frame a befitting comeback but failed miserably as she found Aadyanth studying her face in astonishment. She blushed as she pondered over her own words. Her dirty mouth was back to troubling her again, this time infront of her best friend's boyfriend.
"Your girl? I thought you were straight Juhi" Aadyanth pretended to be baffled. Juhi gaped at him with her jaw almost touching the floor.
"Besides it isn't me but your best friend who strained me whole night. She is a tigress literally. I'm vexed. I need an energy drink with extra calories to regain my lost vigour back" He added with a wink as he struggled to restrain guffawing at the embarrassed soul before him.
"Ewww! Both of you are so gross. Keep your bedroom secrets to yourself. Shameless!"
"I thought you wanted to know why I look so worn out" Aadyanth bounced his shoulders as his face feigned innocence.
"Enough! Stop right there. No more details" Juhi showed her palms to hold him back from speaking anymore as her cheeks & neck flamed in coyness. All the face offs she had with this guy were equally embarrassing. He was such a tease. Her heart went out for Sonakshi. Poor girl! She was fated to tolerate it forever.
"If you say so Juhi. Gotta leave now. Bye!" Aadyanth excused himself as he realised the time was running out. The conversation with Juhi was so entertaining that he had almost forgot about the 'sleeping storm' inside.
"Hey, wait! What's the rush? My mummy has packed breakfast for both of you. The reason why I got up early in the morning & came all the way long. You can have it & leave" Juhi tiptoed to adjust Aadyanth's height as she showed off a huge see-through container stacked with breakfast she brought from her home.
"No effing way Juhi!! Give it to Sonakshi once she is up" Aadyanth paused for a second & continued when a thought struck him.
"Goshhh! That reminds me of something really really important. It just skipped out of my mind. Promise me that you won't breath a word about my stay to Sonakshi"
"But why? She'll be happy to know you came over" Juhi questioned perplexed with Aadyanth's sudden demand. This guy was mysterious, so was her best friend. Why were they being so secretive about their relationship?
"It's not like what you think Juhi. I will explain everything to you later on. For now, just promise me, you won't mention about me or my stay to Sonakshi. Please.."
"Have breakfast with me & I may consider your request" Juhi insisted arrogantly.
"Fine. I give up" Aadyanth sighed whilst raising his hands up in the air as if surrendering to her absurd condition. He grumbled in irritation & walked inside followed by Juhi who had a prize-winning smile at her little achievement.
"Make it quick" Aadyanth demanded lingering his eyes anxiously at Sonakshi's way as he locked the door of her room from outside. Juhi laid the plates & set the table while he settled on the chair. He dumped everything in the plate at once & began stuffing them in his mouth so as finish it off swiftly. He was both hungry & nervous. Hungry having not eaten anything for hours & nervous on the thought of getting caught by Sonakshi.
"So, how was last night? Did she trouble you?" Juhi asked trying to initiate a conversation.
"Don't remind me Juhi. She was frenzy & violent like a kid. I'm really glad that I came out alive" Aadyanth replied as he tore pieces of Roti & swallowed them in large morsels.
Juhi laughed out loud making Aadyanth glare at her. He was still offended with Juhi for leaving him alone with Sonakshi. But at the same time, a part of him was brimming in mirth. His closeness with Sonakshi last night, her arousing touches on his body & the kisses he showered on her, for Aadyanth it was like invading a forbidden treasure & then unravelling it with care. He mentally smacked himself for acting like a hormonal teenager. But Sonakshi was the one to be held responsible. She was driving him crazy! So crazy that he couldn't even control his hormones before food.
"I know right. Just a few glasses is enough to turn her wild. This is an outcome of her last week's drunken insanity" Juhi pouted pointing at a faded scar on her forehead. Aadyanth just hummed in reply as he was still knotted in Sonakshi's thoughts.
"She drinks only when she is very disappointed over something. I don't really know what went wrong yesterday. But last week it was because she lost her favourite pendant at the mall. The one which was soooo so close to her. You won't believe if I say this. She boozed like crazy on the eve of our semester exam, created a rift at the pub & then skipped the test. I thought she will stop with that. But no! She was high for two days straight. I had stayed over here, for two nights abandoning my mummy. I was afraid if she will hurt herself" Juhi finished the narration with a subtle sigh.
Aadyanth got alarmed at the mention of Sonakshi's familiar pendant. He took Juhi's rants lightly until the crucial topic turned up. He had stopped eating. Gulping down a glass of water, he contemplated Juhi's words. Did she just say Sonakshi lost her pendant in the mall? But how? That was practically impossible!
"Is this the same pendant you're talking about?" Aadyanth skimmed through his mobile & displayed a random snap which had Sonakshi wearing the jewellery. He had saved it from her social media account.
"Yes" Juhi nodded affirmatively.
"She lost it in the mall? Are you sure Juhi? I mean.. I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!!" Aadyanth's muscles tensed as he questioned Juhi desperately.
"Of course yes. What's wrong? It went missing during our girl's day out last Sunday. Ok wait, let me show you something" Juhi spoke sensing the urgency in his tone. She unlocked her mobile & showed him two pictures they had taken at the mall. While one frame had Sonakshi wearing the frail ornament, in the other one her neck was empty.
"I have this habit of taking a lot of selfies. The first image, we got it clicked in the cafe outside the mall & the second one, once we were done with all the shopping. As you can see, her chain isn't present in the second picture. So it is obvious. She lost it at the mall"
Aadyanth could feel his body stiffening with the new revelations. His face turned pale. So many unsettled questions wandered in his mind making him go haywire. He was kept in dark deliberately & there were more to the truths he knew. Though he was impulsive, he never jumped into conclusions. But his obsession for Sonakshi had made him judgemental. He hurted her. What if she wasn't at mistake. Why did he now feel like everything was a pre-planned setup to frame her guilty?
That was when he decided to hunt for the truth. Instead of believing everything he heard as such, he should have looked into the facts more seriously. No matter how hard it was going to be, he vowed to make the ends meet. It was time to follow his conscience over the misleading evidences. Swiftly getting up, he washed his hands. He mouthed a quick goodbye to Juhi & proceeded towards the exit.
"Why is this guy so weird?" Juhi murmured to herself. She couldn't figure out why Aadyanth was so bothered about her loose talks.
"Uhmm.. Juhi.. Was Sonakshi ever in a relationship before?" Aadyanth turned back & vented out the suspicion that was nagging him. Juhi could read how insecure he was from his eyes.
"Sorry! It isn't my position to tell you that. You should rather ask it to her, not me" She rolled her eyes.
"Fine. Take care of Sona & yourself. Bye" Aadyanth's reply was curt. He walked away. When he was about to climb down the stairs, he heard Juhi's shriek.
"HEYY! SHUN YOUR INSECURITIES MAN. SONAKSHI NEVER DATED BEFORE. YOU'RE HER FIRST, COULD BE THE LAST TOO"
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Aadyanth walked inside his home to find Harsha seated at the living room, lazily flipping through the pages of newspaper.
"Aadi you came. Where did you disappear last night to? You didn't even answer our calls. We were worried"
"For fucks sake, I'm no kid Harsh. Stop worrying about me" Aadyanth snapped as he adjusted himself on the couch. Harsha perceiving his foul mood, dropped the subject. There was absolute silence for a few minutes until Harsha noticed his brother's eyes turning red & moist. Aadyanth's forehead was creased with worry lines. He was sweating profusely amidst the bitterly cold & humid morning temperature.
"You look so troubled. Is everything alright Anna?" Harsha inquired worriedly.
"Skip your classes for the day. We have a lot of works to do" Aadyanth spoke in subdued voice, pressing the sides of his forehead in frustration.
"What exactly?"
"Your friend Daniel, that bloody motherfucker, I want to have a word with him. Go get ready & come along"
"What's wrong Aadi? You're scaring me"
"We were deceived Harsh. Someone spoon fed us lies & we believed them. Everything was a temporary set-up. Sonakshi was never the woman you slept with"
"Aadi..." Harsha started only to be interrupted by his elder brother.
"She was in her penthouse with her best friend Juhi that night. Juhi had to stay with her for days to take care of her. When you went out with your friends, she was hardly in her senses to travel all the way to the club & then sleep with you" Aadyanth rambled reminiscing how Juhi had to remain at Sonakshi's place to look after her. Coming by the dates, it was the same night when Harsha had gone out with his friends. The possibility of Sonakshi being the woman in the photographs was zero. It were all plotted lies.
"But the pendant?"
"From what Juhi said, someone purposefully left it there. Sonakshi had already lost it at the mall two days before the incident"
"Can Juhi be trusted Aadi?" Harsha wasn't the one to be suspicious. But the recent happenings in his life had taught him to not trust anyone blindly. When your own close friends could backstab you without regrets, trusting a complete stranger was obviously out of question.
"I don't know. I still don't believe her completely. All we can do now is approach Daniel & get the truths out. Your bloody gang, they know what exactly has taken place that night"
"I will never be able to forgive myself if Sonakshi is innocent. Without thinking twice, I questioned her character & accused her of pleasing men. I can't imagine what she might have gone through. She cried a lot. I didn't even stop with that. When she came to me for some comfort, I pushed her away. I feel so terrible Harsh" Aadyanth whispered, his voice laced with regret.
"Nothing can be done now Aadi. You should seriously work on your temper. For now, keep your worries aside. We will get through this together. Let me get ready. Just wait here"
Aadyanth nodded in response & went back to his thoughts.
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Daniel squirmed in pain clutching his battered abdomen as Aadyanth relentlessly banged him against the wall. A gush of sudden jolt shot throughout the former's body making him almost unconscious. The stark white floor was heavily stained with blood & broken gadgets.
Not even in his dreams did Daniel think of Harsha & his aggressive elder brother barging into his house early in the morning to thrash the shit out of him. After the face off with Harsha, he had dismissed what that happened in the bar days ago. He thought it was over with that. Within a span of few days he had completely spent the pay, split with his gang & broke up with his girlfriend. Adding to the list was the current frightful attack. He was done with the nightmarish week.
Harsha had tried to compromise the one sided fight until he was dragged & locked outside by Aadyanth. It had been a blood shed from then. With every next hit, truths were forced out from Daniel. He had confessed how he was approached by an unknown woman who paid him hefty amount to frame Sonakshi guilty. He & his girlfriend were charged to speak ill about her & taint her character. He thought the disclosure would put an end to the torture he was subjugated into. But Aadyanth's rage only aggravated.
Knowing his Sakshi had no share in the filthy game made him insane. He felt miserable from within & was blinded with anger which was expertly vented out on Daniel's body.
Daniel's legs weakened & he slumped into the ground. His tongue was wet with his own blood. With renewed vigour, Aadyanth kicked him hard, this time on his chest. He staggered backward & crawled into a corner at the merciless assault. His endless apologies were unheard by the predator before him. Like a starved lion relishing it's prey, Aadyanth fetched him from the floor & slammed his face directly on the glass table.
"How dare you bloody bastard! How dare you speak such disgusting things about Sonakshi! What all did you make her look like? A bitch, a whore? You think I will let you go after messing up with my woman? Speak up, asshole!" Aadyanth growled in a deep & menacing voice.
"I'm sorry. Please don't kill me. Please.."
"Come on! Ask your girlfriend to come out by herself. I'm going to chop her tongue off with my own hands" Aadyanth seethed punching his bloodied face without a pause.
"We broke up days ago. I no longer know where she lives or what she does" Daniel mumbled feebly trying to dodge the punches that were thrown at him.
"You think I will buy your lie?"
Daniel didn't know how to convince the raging beast before him. He collapsed on Aadyanth's legs & started begging as a final retort.
"I will give you one final chance. Either you tell me who was the woman at the club or you choose your death. Decide for yourself"
"I don't know.. Anna. I only saw her.. twice. I have no idea.. who she is. Please believe me" Daniel pleaded.
"Can you identify her if you see her again?"
"Of course.. yes. You can check the surveillance cameras.. of the club. She was present that night. Infact.. she was the one who took.. Harsha away. There were a few.. bodyguards with her. They helped her till the room" Daniel coughed vigorously. He spat blood & collapsed on the floor.
Aadyanth could now connect through the loose ends. The oblivious photographs, Sonakshi's lost pendant & her inexperience in kissing, everything identified her uninvolvement in the deceit.
The message still remained as a mystery. It had to be someone really close to Sonakshi. Close enough to have access to her mobile phone & restricted possessions. If not Juhi then who was proximate with her was the first thought that crossed his mind. He decided to save it for later.
"If I see you ever again within my eyesight, I will break your remaining bones as well" With a final warning Aadyanth left the seemingly lifeless guy & walked out through the entrance.
Once Harsha spotted his brother's shirt & hands soaked in blood, he promptly guessed what might had occurred inside. Aadyanth's anger was nothing new for Harsha. But these days it used to scare him. With Sonakshi in the scene, his character had worsened manifolds. It was like he was ready to even murder a next person for her. Aadyanth was blindly in love & that terrorized Harsha. He was afraid if his brother's heart would be broken by the end. Harsha could already foresee the mishaps that were bound to happen. Unfortunately, Aadyanth had to learn it the hard way. He should be the the one to subdue his temper. No amount of advices from others could alter it or rather lessen it.
Harsha felt bad for Daniel. Though he was at fault, the rest of his gang were equally involved as well. The idea of Aadyanth lashing at him alone could not be justified. He had an urge to help his ex friend out. But with his brother watching out even smallest of his moves, that seemed impractical.
"What.. did.. he say?" Harsha stuttered as he tried to peek inside the house.
"It was all a trap. A temporary setup to infuriate me against Sonakshi. He said a woman approached him with money. He never saw her before it seems. Someone is badly trying to defame Sonakshi. Let's now go to club & check the cctv footages. We may get some clue"
"Hope that will help" Harsha voiced optimistically.
"It has to! Btw, how many more such terrible friends do you have Harsh? I never imagined this is the kind of friend circle you belonged to. The expectations I had on you, it's all gone today. I thought you were mature. But you are no less than Rohaan. Atleast he can differentiate between good & bad. But you can't. Grow up Harsh!" Aadyanth barked at his brother who had his head casted down in hurt.
"Aadi I'm sorry"
"WILL YOUR FUCKING SORRY FIX EVERYTHING NOW?"
"Aadi, you changed a lot! You have grown so distant & rude. You don't even care about us like before. It hurts"
"I don't care about you, right? I have hurted the woman I love, for you. Yet I don't care about you. I have humiliated her, fought with her, made her cry. All for you. Yet I don't care. I don't fucking care. I'm a stone hearted monster. A worst brother for my siblings. A road side bastard in her eyes. You all make me feel like shit. I wish someone realizes the trauma I'm going through as well. I wish Amma was here so that I could have cried it out loud in her lap" Aadyanth rashly wiped away the fresh set of tears that streamed down from his eyes.
Harsha could never see his brother miserable. Tears never suited Aadyanth. He used to remain chilled out regardless of the situation. He used to laugh a lot with them. His contagious smile was now replaced by sheer anger. The new change in him was hard to digest. Nevertheless, Harsha tried to feed some sense in his brother's brain.
"You owe her an apology Aadi. Tell her how sorry you are. Try to sort out the differences between you two. But for that you have to change your existing ways. Being the headstrong woman she is, she will never compromise. But you can. It doesn't make you inferior to her if that is what you think. I know, this isn't going to be a easy. But at the end everything will be worth your efforts"
Aadyanth was in awe of his brother. Harsha talked exactly like their Amma. His words were firm yet comforting. But nothing could uplift his messed up frame of mind. He wanted to find the culprit & expose her infront of Sonakshi. Until then he could never be at peace.
Determined to solve the riddle, Aadyanth decided to look over at the club. Harsha accompanied him. It was a few minutes ride from Daniel's home. After reaching at the club, they headed towards the reception. Convincing the staffs to fetch cctv details wasn't a cakewalk. Aadyanth had to finally empty his wallet to persuade them. Though it did work, they were surprised to find the footages of that particular night erased. The staffs tried their best to retrieve the lost data. But they had to finally give up after numerous unsuccessful attempts.
Aadyanth cursed his fate. Luck wasn't favouring him today. But he was relieved with the fact that he was close to cracking the mystery. If not the footages, all he had to do was search amongst the people who belonged to Sonakshi's close circle. Being the solitary & hostile woman she is, she would hardly have any friends. It wasn't going to be as difficult as it seemed to be.
By the time they were done with the search, it was already post lunchtime. Both Aadyanth & Harsha were drained out. On finding his brother exhausted, Aadyanth decided to send him home. It would be so inconsiderate of him to yank his brother into the chaos he created. Already Harsha's words a while ago pierced him deep enough to mull over it for a long time. Though he had turned into a heedless brother over the days, he could never stop looking into their needs.
Harsha was hesitant to leave Aadyanth's side, but he had to finally surrender before his unyielding brother. He left for home.
Aadyanth suddenly felt so empty from within him. Standing in the middle of the packed city, he felt alone. Being denied of peace, he felt conflicted. His own thoughts throttled him. But he knew, he was obliged to suffer for his mistake. What he did to Sonakshi wasn't just a mistake. It was a sin. No amount of repentance can fade the scar it left behind. That realisation suffocated him. The pain grew until it overshadowed his emotions. He found it hard to inhale for a few good seconds. An escape from his woes almost seemed elusive to him. He badly needed some fresh air to breathe. Aadyanth knew where exactly to seek for it. His legs involuntarily took him to the beach side at the end of the shady lane. It was the same place that had witnessed all the highs & lows of his life.
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Hours had fallen by & it was almost midnight. Aadyanth was still wandering around the sea side like an outcast. Even the unusually silent night shore couldn't provide him the serenity he was looking for. His inner voice incessantly demanded him to let Sonakshi go. He didn't deserve a woman like her. If he wasn't capable of taking care of her like a man, it was better to suppress his new found love and leave her side.
Aadyanth's dreary afterthoughts came to a standstill as he heard a shuffle behind him. He could sense a few footsteps approaching him. Before he could turn around, he felt something sharp piercing his right hand. It sunk deep into his flesh until blood drenched his clothes & spilled around. Within a split second he was hit by a dense metal rod, right on his spine followed by his head. Aadyanth couldn't even defend the bulky men who surrounded him in the meantime. Due to the impact of the blows, his eyesight blurred & everything became hazy. His knees gave up & the little consciousness in his system drifted away in swirls until finally everything turned pitch black.
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To start with, I apologize for the delay. Having not written anything for weeks, I almost lost the touch with this story. That was the reason why this update got held up further. Hope the revelation lived upto your expectations. I'll try to give weekly updates from now on.
So how was the chapter? And what are your thoughts on the end part? Do let me know!
Also, who's lesser evil according to you - Aadi or Sona? 🤨
Please vote & leave your feedback. If you're hesitant to comment here, you can inbox me anytime about your thoughts, be it positive or negative.
Not keeping a vote target for this chapter. But the more you vote & spam my notifications, the more I'll be active & you'll get a quicker update ;)