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
25—Assumptions. Time is both— our biggest enemy and our best friend, depending on what situation we are stuck in or have been going through. Whichever works in our favor. —Saumya TripathiWe talk about time, but do we sincerely value it to be valued by time itself? The question might be absurd, wouldn't it? How could time value a person? Some people will even laugh about it when they cannot comprehend the sentence that had deeper meaning if thought immensely about it. But give it some thought for a second. Time was such a frenemy of humans that it didn't wait, slow down, or get stuck by anyone or for anyone regardless of any state of affairs. No matter what you are, how you are, or who you are! Time is the only natural phenomenon that cannot be controlled by human beings. As of yet. Ironically, it was both a curse and a blessing. That we still somehow take for granted. Don't we? Let us take a simple example of the differences between the two types of time we humans naturally go th
A dream? It was one of the coldest mornings that day. The wind was chilling cold. Still, the cold didn't waver the enthusiasm present in the little girl's elated aura surrounding her of making new friends in the new school on the first day. With the tip of her nose already red and her cheeks a sharp hue of white, she sniffled, still somewhat smiling. Blocking her nose with a piece of the fluffy handkerchief she carried, given to her by her mother, she blew her snuffed nose into it. “Ofo, this cold!” mumbling to herself, slightly irritated by her own cold, she shook her head and relaxed herself a bit. “I am not going to let my cold stop me!” Her insides were in a flutter. “Not today.”Pausing, she grinned once again, looking up and staring deep into the dusky sky. It was such an important day for her. Holding her chin high and correcting her plaits on both sides of her shoulders, she walked up in the direction of her classmates when she spotted them, sitting at a distance. "Hi!” Her
Or a memory? With a start, she woke up hefting and breathing still somewhat in a daze. What was it? Of the dreams, she had been having for quite a few weeks now: this indeed, the certain dream seemed so real, so vivid—it seemed as if this was a part of herself. A part of the life she had in the past. Was it really a dream? It felt too real to be a dream, though. It was a dream where a part of her life was shown to be sharing with someone she couldn't just remember or pinpoint.Catching her head in her hands, she managed to breathe through her mouth while closing her eyes to calm her pounding heart. A part of her life she couldn't recall at all had emerged from somewhere through her subconsciousness.“It must be because I have been thinking about all of this continuously. Yes, that could be it.”Because if it wasn't. It couldn't make sense to her. It was more confusing than dismaying. A lone small sweat strolled down from the side of her forehead to the length of her chin. Catching he
Some unforgettable moments. Some unforgettable moments are the ghosts of the past, haunting us with their beauty, their pain, and their lessons that taught us things that come our way unexpectedly. Not only that, but they are the echoes of our lives, reminding us of where we've been and where we're going. In the words of William Faulkner, "The past is never dead. It's not even past." I felt that to my very core. The same was the case when he was born into our lives. Because he had come with a huge happiness, increasing it tenfold. I couldn't forget the first time when I held his tiny form nestling between my arms. He was just one day old when I had almost turned sixteen. It was such a sight to behold, which I still cherish the most till my last breath. It was straight away a sixteen-year-old age difference between us. Leaving much more responsibilities on my shoulder as his big sister. Truthfully, even if I had to sacrifice my life for him, there would not be any second thoughts b
Her first laugh after months. I sucked a bated breath the moment I noticed his presence behind me. When did he even enter the room without my noticing? “Hello there, little one.” Swiveling my head to face the sudden intruder, what I saw made me gulp down my frustrations. And, here he was standing there with hands behind his back—locked together, his face having a goofy smile, shoulders all relaxed, legs apart as he regarded me with obnoxiously black pools of his eyes. There was a storm lurking around his blackish orbs. His gaze was piercing as if looking straight through my soul. “It has been a while since the last time I saw you,” it was a statement. “Do you have any idea how much I have missed you, little one?” He stepped closer. At that explicit sentence, I started to panic. What was he here for? “Didn't you miss me?” “I—” I grimaced at his intrusive behavior. “Sssh… it's alright. You don't have to confess. I know you did,” he whispered abruptly, silencing my inco
The devil's touch. Only when my laugh subsided did I notice how hard my lower abdomen was hurting after laughing so hard for so long. At that moment, I failed to decipher what to think anymore. Feeling strangely weak and vulnerable. Soon after, my mind appeared to have gone blank, as did the voices inside my head. It was calming for once. I undergo an urge to close my eyes and go to sleep then and there. I inhaled the peacefulness that I was awarded with in that moment. It felt like an oasis of serenity amidst the bustling city. For once, I wanted to live in it.Until his calm and softly spoken words reached my ears. “I almost forgot the sound of your laugh. It is the same as it was once, though. So full of life.” Oddly enough, after hearing the same things continuously, it didn't make me snap at him anymore. More than three people had already brought up my past. It didn't seem to have angered me as much as it did two days ago. Perhaps I was getting used to the comparison between t
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