24— Web of criminals: The ties that bind. “Finally, she found solace in her own chaos.” —Saumya Tripathi “You lied.” Several words had formed in my head that I wanted to voice out but I couldn't. My tears seemed to have dried as well. Suddenly Sabba knelt before me on the floor, holding my hands in hers. “Do you feel better now?” Was I? No. My lips were too frozen to word out. “Are you crying again?” She wiped my cheeks with tears strained cheeks. “Please don't. It breaks my heart watching you hurt." She looked at me straight in the eyes, her words matching her eyes. “Don't be saddened by the facts. At least now you know the answers to some of your questions about what you have been seeking from the very beginning. Shouldn't you?” She was right. Wasn't she? But with my mind frozen, I didn't know what to say to that. “I am not crying.” She gave me a toothless smile. “Sure. Sure.” “I am not!” We fell into deep silence for a couple of minutes when she stood to go somewhere.
A nightmare: her story. Focussing intently on her eyes, I told her, my breaths coming in pants. “From what you have told me, I could only perceive one thing,” my aghast-filled eyes met her calm ones. Or was she? Because I could see her shoulders tensed up. She kept quiet however without saying a word. Waiting for a moment or two, I found the courage to speak again. “You people are criminals. Are you not?” It came out more of a statement than a question than I intended. She slid her arms and folded them into her lap. Perhaps my question took her off guard, or I was sounding so convinced with myself that she shook her head softly, mutely. I couldn't tell. My hands tensed up for the upcoming answer that would break me more. I knew that it would. Taking a strand of hair between her lean fingers, she tucked it behind her ear; a slight quiver in her hand didn't go unnoticed by me. She was tensed, in fact. Any last remaining hope I had was extinguished. Was she truly nervous about accepti
Final Terror: The Last Fright. Somehow I could empathise with her. I knew that feeling because I had felt it before. For me, the feeling of helplessness with the terrible pain of suffering and stench of death that came with it on the day of the funeral. My parent's. How small was this world? “Time could only dull the pain, but it can't ever erase the facts of the pain being there. Deep inside the psyche.”The sentence was too deep. I felt touched by it, as it was the truth. Time did nothing but make us get used to the pain once that broke us into pieces. I was in shock. I had to take time to process all of it at once. Without saying a word, I grasped into her hands for moral support. I let her hold me. She tilted her head up; a comfortable silence settled between the two of us as she stared outside, unblinkingly. A wry chuckle then escaped her lips before her eyes were trained on mine once again. “At some point after the severe emotional trauma we had to endure, we became emotio
The struggle within. Before I could even open my mouth to respond, the thoughts that were already accumulated in my mind burst out all at the same time. It sure was blinding. I could feel my heart sink in my chest. Refusing to let them control me, I tried to blink repeatedly. What was happening to me? I refused to be this submissive to my own thoughts. I won't let it control me. With that thought, I managed to get some of it under control. However, the information that was laid bare to me was so inconspicuous, immense, and profound that it made me dizzy when my whole body reacted towards it. Her horrendous past. Them being criminals. His protection. Them being my parents' friends. My life being in danger. His control over me. My lost memory from the past. It circulated in my mind like an overbearing cloud, shadowing my every move. As if something heavy and ever-present in my thoughts keeps on getting heavier with each passing second. At this moment of time, I couldn't help b
An unexpected guest. It was just any other usual day. I had no idea what it would bring with it. Nonetheless, I couldn't have known that the very day would come with an expected arrival. Only the arrival of someone, a person, I knew once but couldn't remember at all. As I looked at the clock, which was newly placed near the nightstand, I was amazed to find that I had been sitting near the window for more than an hour now. How time flies here. It was unsettling. Time came and went as usual as it gets. At least a part of me did observe the time of the day subconsciously. However, the rest of my being was suffocated by unbearable despair. When it was not? Huh. I exhaled.As hot tears ambushed her eyes, I turned away from the window, blinking away. "How is my Bambolina doing?" A strange yet soft, very unique baritone of a person asked mildly from behind me. This voice was certainly new. I couldn't have guessed who, but there was softness in it. I jumped, not having seen another new st
Father's friend. “I am afraid that I cannot bring back those precious moments or its people.” He sighed. I could hear the remorse in his tone. "I regret not being able to save them.”That simple sentence made my heart beat erratic. I gulped, biting my lower lip hard, not to cry at the mention of them. “All I could do now is just make those memories alive in my mind,” he motioned his index finger towards the side of his head, tapping it twice. “I... broke down. I mean, I think the car broke down," I murmured stupidly, wavering at my words. “They met with an accident on their way back home.” My voice broke at the end of the sentence. Only the unpredictability was left in the remainder of my voice. The man's eyes darkened slightly. His once soft, brimming eyes had become piercing. I couldn't advert my gaze from his eyes. It was a sudden change that I couldn't fathom. That look gave me the chills in my ribs. However, I felt a sense of calmness spreading through my veins watching someo
Inner turmoils. The sudden outburst of that tiny girl who stood before him—the once lively girl that he remembered who he used to be nursing back to health day and night when she would become sick at the end of every week—had become a grownup who knew what situation was adhering her to yet she kept on denying it. She really had grown up; Shrey observed her stance that was trembling with anger, pain, and fear. She was suffering; he sighed; his chest felt tight and constricted. His desire to just go there to hug that child to safety and save her from the trauma that she must have been going through all alone until now overweight his logical conclusion, but somehow he managed to dodge it. It wasn't easy, not even to him; nonetheless, it was necessary. A quick anger emerged through his body watching her break down like that. Of the parentage that was snatched away from her, alone was the reason he managed to survive the fall of himself. He had to be alive, not for his sake but for the p
Partial memory loss..?“It's so easy for you to say that because you aren't the one on the receiving end. You cannot possibly comprehend what it is like to be held without your will.”He was silent, which gave me enough courage to continue what my heart wanted me to say after all this time. “You want me to believe you without even giving me any substantial proof or actually telling me the reason behind doing this. Is this even possible for any sane mind to do it without doubting anything?”There was a wealth of emotions in his gaze by which he was watching me. Confusingly enough, they were clashing. “If there are proofs, would you trust and listen to me, then?”In a trance, I could simply stare at him. With astonishment? Flabbergasted? Maybe. Or with all of them? I just didn't know. Tears stung in my eyes. “What's the point when you are certainly going to tamper with it just to make me believe you?”“It's understood. I can totally understand your psychology behind not trusting any
Author's note. I know the last chapter has ended on several cliffhangers. With Radhika's suspicious and dubious thoughts about Uzair’s personality. The shades he carried in himself. With uncle's arrival, the main truth unrivalled at last, inversely the last chapter served as the foreshadowing of what's to come next in book three. The third part of the book will soon be available on my GoodNovel profile, so don’t forget to check it out! I can’t express how thankful I am for your incredible support, love, and patience throughout this journey. There were countless moments where I felt completely broken while writing this story, but your encouragement kept me going. I’m beyond grateful for that. Your reviews, likes, and comments have been a constant source of motivation, pushing me to keep writing. As we move forward, I truly hope you enjoyed this book. Your passion and support mean the world to me, and it’s because of readers like you that I continue to grow as an author. I pro
Stillness of Dread. “It has been a week,” Radhika breathed the words out. “Almost a week of nothing being the same anymore, however.” Almost a week had passed with the presented information she had no hint of before about her own life till she was made aware of it. It has been a week since she had her worst mental breakdown for the first time. A week has passed since there were ineffable emotions she felt that were difficult to understand by herself. A week, after her acceptance of the facts, led to another set of questions that did not quite sit well with her. “A week..” she murmured. A week since she last saw Uzair.. She placed her hand on her chest, closing her eyes. It gave a sudden jolt, thinking of him. She did not trust him, not fully; she could not. Not at all. But she was trying to. Everything was so different now. Or perhaps nothing was the same anymore. All her life she lived with the truth that was never complete to begin with. Even after knowing the truth about eve
31– His ineffable anger. “Our opinions only matter to others as long as they agree to it. Otherwise, they are just words without meaning.”–Saumya Tripathi A week later. Last day of the week.Precise: a day before the departure to Dubai. Uzair was in the middle of a last meeting of the day before he left when he felt the vibration of the phone in the underside pocket of his suit jacket. He ignored it, seemingly sensing nothing significant that could not wait. With that thought in his mind, he gazed at the screen in front of him, projecting the launch of another product presented to him for approval regarding its favourable opportunity and innovative ideas for fruitful results.“Tell me if you have any other ideas of its launch date. Which would be the best day for it to let it out in the market?”“Inform the HR team before any further procedures.”“Yes, President!”His phone rang again while it continued to vibrate; without giving it a second thought, he let it. He ignored it once
Bound by Obsession. They both froze at her sudden whisper. Confused about how those words made out of her mouth without trying, her eyes instantly widened. It took him a moment to realise how much it would have taken for her to say what she just did. Because it was far from her gullible and apprehensive state, which she always felt while he was near her. It was none other than her honest side. “It has been your room since childhood.”Her eyes became wider as his insinuated statement. “Oh? I used to live here?” “Very much so. You were stubborn, wanting to have this room as your own.”“Was I always drawn to this garden as well?”Squeezing her a little between his arms, he replied. “This garden was precisely made for you on your instruction.”“Wasn't I too small for that?”He gave a light laugh before starting. “You were. You saw it in a cartoon, desiring to have the same garden for yourself. So, here we are.”She lightly gasped at his nonchalant reply. For once, her mind was empty;
A Vow of Protection. She barely gave a nod. Swallowing the lump, she stuttered out, “Will he be okay if-if I don't try..?” She trailed with a trembling voice. More scared thinking about happening something like that again to her uncle. “As long as you don't put your life in danger. No one will get hurt.” He nodded her way, giving a curt nod. “I will make sure he is,” gently cupping her hands, he initiated. “He probably is in danger all the time.”“I will make sure that he will be looked after.” She gazed up at him with her large, innocent, hesitating eyes. Asking him as if he was really telling the truth. “I will not let anyone harm him either.” Her gaze moved before she let her head fall back on her knees. His heart fluttered in his chest at her hopeful look. Indeed, she was his only weakness; he could not afford to have her hurt herself. “No matter the hardships, I promise to keep you and your family safe by standing by your side through the adventure of our lives,” he vowed
Shattered Calm: His Unexpected Rage. “Let me clarify two things for you,” he uttered at a slow pace.A chill sliced her ribs.“One, I did not take away your freedom. It's the people who treat other people's lives so carelessly. It's their own greed that other people's lives don't matter while the said people could do nothing but take refuge wherever they can to save their lives.”At his brutal grip and harsh words, Radhika couldn't muster up the strength to retort to that. “Two, neither have I taken anything away from you. Only I know how much effort I am making to control myself because your accusations have no facts! They are just plainly stating unreasonable remarks and nothing else! Have I ever lied to you about anything?”“Do you think telling a lie isn't the only way to trick people?”Uzair slightly flinched at her cold gaze. She never looked at him like that before. “No.” She answered her own question. “Telling half-truths can trick people into having false assumptions just
Unveiled Fury: His Sudden Brutality. When she just stood there before him, her silence was an answer in itself. She hated him up to her core. Didn't she? Despite knowing everything, she was blaming him for everything! Was it even fair on his part? Where did he go wrong after doing everything in his power to protect her at all costs? Even at the cost of his own life! He didn't need appreciation; however, he didn't need her scorn-filled eyes either, verbally accusing him of wanting her body on top of it as a reason! “How can you be so sure about me taking everything from you when in fact I am the one who is fighting for the things you like for them to stay? Tell me, Why are you so adamant about me being the villain? Can you give me enough logical reasons where I could understand it myself?” “Because you are a monster!” She yelled at last, clenching her fists tightly. What the fuck was she saying? Did he even know what a monster is for fuck's sake?” Filled with sudden fury, he was bl
Silent Scars: The Weight of Unspoken Pain. Slouching a little more, he let his head rest on her frail shoulder. “You do, little one. Only if you stop being stubborn, you will see how much you need a shoulder to lean on.”She turned her face away while trying to push away his head. Distancing himself from her. He forced her face before him again; he stated, “I know how you feel. What is the point of hiding your pain now? Does sharing even a little bit of your burden give you an inferiority complex? Is this a reason why you are forcing yourself to hide away from everything?”She breathed shakily. His words hit it all the way through her, breaking apart the walls that she created for her own sake. Little by little. Choosing not to show how much his words hit her, she changed her hazy mind into believing otherwise. “Do you really?” Her eyes were challenging him to deny. Maybe it was the tiredness in her body that made her feel brave. “I doubt you know how I feel.”A smirk appeared on t
Whispers in the Dark: A Late Night Encounter. She blinked three times to confirm her suspicion of him being here. There he was here again. But why? The question she wanted the answer to. Above all, at this ungodly hour of the time! Even though she was once an energetic child, she always had been feeling sluggish and heavy while coming here. Besides, today was no exception. Her reluctant eyes flickered. He raised his head to look at her. To finally look at her. Instead of saying a word, he chose to stare at her sad and sleep-filled eyes. A small smile appeared at the corner of his lips. “Such a cute little bunny.” Her large, filled, hazy eyes made him compare her to a bunny. Her frown lines were the first thing he took notice of. But he chose not to comment on that for now. Not yet. A veil of silence fell upon them, the distance of it growing with each passing second. Standing in a slower motion, she anxiously backed away unconsciously. When did she get off the bed? She didn't ev