***"Papa, I'm scared." Fiddling with my fingers, I peered at his neutral smile. "All of them are strangers."He unbuckled his seatbelt and twisted his body to see me. "And like you," he pointed out, grabbed the brown packet of Subway from my hands. "Do you want me to come?""What if I fall apart?" I stared down at my lap. "What if they thought I was lying? What if I'm not strong to face them?""Who says that?" Everyone. "Come on. I will take you. You're so scared." He chuckled."No!" I waved my hands at him to sit on his side of the car whilst I unbuckled my seat belt. "This is not my first day of school.""You hadn't cried on your first day of school." He laughed at my shocked behavior. "Everybody was crying but you were too happy. Your mom was confused. I was confused. You weren't scared of leaving us." He patted my cheek. "You were never scared. You cannot be scared now. I'm here. Your papa is here.""And he supports me?" I repeated.At least Kabir did one good thing. His leaving
I woke up with a startle, panting stared around the room."Alina." Someone settled next to me. Settling my gaze, I saw Dhruv, frown on his face."Water." Nodding, he passed me the glass of water and I gulped it in one go and gave it back to him. "Where am I?""Your room," He answered. "You fainted in the burial ground. Are you okay?" His urgent voice was avoided by me as I recalled what I had seen in my sleep.Was it truth or a lie of my own imagination? Had I started imagining Meena Aunty too as I had imagined Kabir? Why was my mind too fucked up?Wait a second.I prefer you don't give her. Leave us alone, will you? Please, think about what I said.Just something. You're very strong, Alina. Sometimes I'm scared I won't be able to protect you.Do you feel safe in this house?When our college ends, you'll be back here with your mom, sister and—Like you said, there are too many demons here.He knew. Kabir knew. That was why he had been too rude to her. It wasn't a fragment of my imagin
[ K A B I R ' S P O V ]"This ring?" I nodded at the ring jeweler was pointing at. It was the perfect ring for my bookworm, delicate and yet screamed the innocence she held in her face. "It's expensive."I arched my brows to him, curled my lips into a smirk. "Did I ask about the price?" He shook his head and took the princess cut ring out with a solitaire in the middle. Her previous warnings came back on how to not buy an expensive ring. Stupid girl. How could I choose something less for her?I dropped another ring I had stolen from her box in the dressing room in the morning. She would kill me if she heard I entered her room for stealing."Make it to this size.""You're buying it?" The jeweler asked, frowning at me. "Can you even—""I think I can see it myself." Rolling my eyes, I settled back on the seat and checked my phone. Tomorrow was my birthday and I had to lie to her that I was going to Coaching rather than wasting my time in buying a ring for her.What a boyfriend.Tomorr
[ K A B I R ' S P O V ]Something tickled the length of my arm. Confused by the actions, I swirled my head to look at a toe brushing my arm. Quirking my lips with a smile, I said, "Baby, what are you doing?""Nothing," I could feel the smile on her face but her face was hidden by the book.Ignoring her attempts on my arm, I paid attention to the show playing in front of me. But again, a tickle flickered in my arm."Alina, stop it," I said, leaning back into the sofa and shrugged her foot off me. "Read.""I am," She answered. "An amazing plot twist."Stretching my neck, I felt her toe rubbing on the curve of my neck. She was getting back to the restaurant thing I had done a week ago. Twisting my lips, I caught her foot in my hand."Kabir, stop it," She scolded. "Let me read.""And this is reading?" I pinned my gaze at her covered face. "You're seducing me.""Me and seduce?" Her melodious laugh filled our apartment and she pulled her book down to her eyes. With a naughty glint in he
"Why are you here?" I gritted out. "What you want?" Wrap your face in coldness, Kabir. Don't show anything to him."Kabir, long time no see," He leaned in his chair as if we were old acquaintance. "You're in my country. I should ask you the thing.""Do you want me to call securities and kick you out?" I buried my hands in the arms of my chair to not stand up and choke him to death.What a relish it would be to squeeze that life out of his mouth, hear him beg for his life like Alina begged him, see the dwindling breath, and glance at the cold skin.No nightmare.No pain."So eager." He wolfishly smiled. "I need some money.""And I'm not thinking of opening charity anytime soon. Get out." I paid attention to my work, eluding from the fact of his figure sitting in front of me.Kill him, Kabir.He ripped your bookworm apart in pieces you couldn't see. He ripped her away from you. He made her scared of you. He took away your everything from you.Show him the pain of what she was going thro
[ A L I N A ' S P O V ]So he wasn't really coming back. Two weeks had passed away since I was in Bangalore, staying in my new apartment and forgetting I and Kabir used to live together. Two weeks since I had lost any hope for him when I didn't see him filling his admission form. Two weeks since I was waiting for him, but yet angry.What the hell was I doing? He must have moved on by now, got some American girl hanging to his arm. He must have even slept with her by now. Not every girl heckled his desires by saying no.He must have forgotten about me.Closing the book shut, I peered ahead as the professor continued with his lecture. Why was I even back to Bangalore? I could've stayed in Delhi, completed my graduation from there, but I hated Delhi. I would never go back to Delhi and make my stay in Bangalore. Dad would understand. He would see how Delhi held too many bitter memories with it.But did Bangalore held any good memories anymore? But I couldn't leave every city because of
"I can't kill you. I'm not a killer." From the string of instruments placed beside me, I stared at the spiders. "You're scared of spiders. Alina told me unknowingly once." It was after her nightmare, I was trying to make her mood better and had suggested of one thing he was scared of. She had said spiders because whenever he used to see them, he screamed and we had laughed at his fear. Now I would really laugh. "You forgot she was your sister and she only talked to you. So, she must know you." Taking the jar, I opened the lid and poured all of the spiders above his head. He killed all my mercy the day he had given me the videos. He killed all the heart I had for people the day he threatened me with her name. Nobody touches my family and get past with it. His cries were a musical to my ears. "You don't touch my wife and think of getting away with it. I'm not a coward like her father. I don't believe in mercy. I love revenge." And I would get one hell of a revenge even if it couldn
[ K A B I R ' S P O V ]Dropping my bag on the floor, I walked steadily into the house to not wake anyone up in the late night. Taking hushed steps to upstairs, I focused on the door of my room and was about to twist the knob when I let my gaze wander to Nisha's room. I had been too rude to her from past two months, putting the frustration of my breakup on her.It wasn't good.I should at least see her.Leaving the knob of my door, I went to her room and opened the door to find her sleeping on the bed. Sighing audibly, I was about to close the door when I heard, "Kabir, I'm going to kill you." Before I could register, a pillow was thrown at my face, and before I could say further, another was thrown to kill any protests. "You stupid!" She screamed. "You went to New York without telling me! You didn't come for our birthday! I hate you! I hate you so much!""Sis—""Don't sis me!" She yelled. Damn, she was one angry girl. "Because of you, my best friend didn't want to see me. Because