Mumbai
Club
As soon as Haya saw Rudraksh approaching, she shut her eyes. She was feeling a little better now, not as scared as before. Rudraksh walked straight to her and sat beside her. Neither of them had spoken a word yet. There was guilt in Haya's eyesâshe was too afraid to even look at him. But Rudraksh's face still carried the same dark expression, a clear sign that his anger had not yet subsided.
He turned on his phone and made a call, giving some instructions in a firm voice. There was a certain harshness in his tone. Haya wanted to say something, but her voice refused to cooperate. For the first time, she sat so quietly in front of Rudrakshâotherwise, she never let him have the chance to speak.
After gathering some courage, Haya finally spoke, "Falak... she's still there. Sheâ"
But before she could finish, Rudraksh shot her a sharp glare and said coldly, "Worry about yourself. You'll be better off that way." With that, he pressed the accelerator, making the car speed up even more.
Haya's fear escalated. She was used to Rudraksh's angerâhis harsh words, his temperâbut today, his silence was far more terrifying. He wasn't yelling, he wasn't scoldingâhe was just... silent. And that scared her to the core.
Sensing her fear, Rudraksh finally spoke, his voice chillingly calm. "Are you scared?"
Haya, with trembling lips, whispered, "No..."
The car screeched to a sudden stop. Rudraksh turned to her, his eyes burning with rage. "Why not?" he demanded. "You should be scared, Miss Haya Diwan."
Without another word, he stepped out of the car, slamming the door shut behind him. Haya remained frozen in her seat, too afraid to move. Before she could react, Rudraksh yanked the car door open, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her out. Slamming her back against the car, he leaned in, his fury radiating off him.
"How dare you?" he growled. "Who the hell gave you the right to go there? Who did you ask before stepping into that place? Do you have any idea what could have happened if I hadn't reached on time?"
Haya, her voice shaking, tried to explain, "But Iâ"
"Shut up," Rudraksh snapped, cutting her off. "Not a single word. Not one." His voice was dangerously low, his anger simmering just beneath the surface.
"Even a child knows better than to walk into an unknown place without thinking, especially girls!" His grip on her shoulders tightened. "And you? You didn't know anything, yet you still went? Who did you ask before going? Your mom? Me?"
When she didn't answer, he roared, "Answer me, damn it!"
Haya squeezed her eyes shut, too terrified to look at him. But Rudraksh wasn't done. Clenching his jaw, he continued, "Do you even realize what could have happened to you? If I had been even a few minutes late... just a few more minutes, do you have any idea what that man would have done to you?" His voice cracked slightly, but the anger remained.
"This is Mumbai, Haya. Not Indore. Here, people disappear without a trace, their bodies chopped into pieces and thrown away. No one even finds out. Do you understand?"
With those words, he finally let go of her, shoving her away in frustration. Running a hand through his hair, he exhaled sharply, his mind clouded with rage. He clenched his fists, rubbing his temples as if trying to suppress the storm raging inside him.
Haya still hadn't moved. She stood there, frozen, gripping the lapels of his coat tightly, her gaze fixed on the ground.
Rudraksh lit a cigarette, taking deep, heavy drags, trying to calm himself down. But no matter how much smoke he inhaled, the fire inside him refused to die. The thought of what could have happened to her was driving him insane.
His eyes flickered back to Haya, who finally spoke in a low voice. "I... I didn't go there on my own," she whispered. "Falak told me about her friend's birthday party. I was just bored, so I agreed to go. But it wasn't her fault. She didn't force me. And I was enjoying myself... until suddenly, Mom called. When I stepped outside to take the call, I got lost. Falak didn't pick up her phone, and when I asked a waiter, he didn't know either. He told me to wait outside, but I... I couldn't just sit there. So I went to look for my room myself. And as soon as I entered that room, those men didn't even give me a chance toâ"
"Enough!" Rudraksh bellowed, making her flinch.
Haya fell silent, her body stiffening.
"I don't want to hear another damn word," he spat. His chest was heaving with anger, his hands clenched into fists.
Maybe he didn't want to hear it. Or maybe he couldn't.
Maybe he wasn't strong enough to listen to what she had to say.
His voice was firm, every word carrying the weight of his fury. "Was I dead? Did you not have my number?"
Haya, who had been holding back until now, suddenly snapped.
"And why the hell would I have called you?" she yelled back, her voice filled with frustration.
Rudraksh's eyes darkened at her defiance, but she didn't care anymore.
"You told me to stay away from you! You don't even like listening to me! So on what basis was I supposed to call you, Rudraksh?!" she demanded.
"What guarantee did I have that you would even come?" Her voice cracked with emotion.
"Before anything, you would've insulted me for two hours straight! You would've humiliated me! Maybe... maybe it would've been better if those men hadâ"
"SHUT UP!" Rudraksh roared, his voice thundering in the night.
Without thinking, he grabbed her wrist roughly, yanked open the car door, and shoved her inside.
"You know what, Haya?" he said through gritted teeth. "Just don't talk to me. It'll be better for both of us."
With that, he stormed to the driver's seat.
He turned the key in the ignition.
Nothing.
He tried again.
The car refused to start.
Rudraksh was already frustrated, but now, his anger had reached a whole new level. Clenching his jaw, he muttered furiously, "This was the only thing left..."
Taking out his phone, he tried to make a call, but of course, there was no network. Cursing under his breath, he quickly texted Max and then threw his phone onto the backseat in frustration.
"I'm sorry..." Haya's soft voice broke the tense silence. "It's my fault. I shouldn't have come here in the first place."
At her words, Rudraksh snapped.
"Yes, it is your fault! Everything in my life goes wrong because of you! Every damn thing! You've ruined everything, Haya. I swear, I don't understand why you're such a walking disaster!"
His words cut deep, but Haya, who had been silently taking everything until now, finally lost her patience. Shooting him an angry glare, she yanked open the car door and stepped out onto the empty road.
Rudraksh's eyes widened in disbelief.
"What the hell?!" he growled.
But Haya ignored him completely and started walking away.
Rudraksh, already furious beyond reason, stormed after her. "What drama are you trying to pull now, huh?! Wasn't what happened enough for you?!"
Haya didn't even glance at him as she continued walking. "I don't want to talk to you," she said quietly. "You've done me a huge favor by saving me, and I'm grateful. But I don't need any more of your favors."
Rudraksh grabbed her wrist roughly, stopping her in her tracks. His eyes burned with anger as he spat, "That attitude of yours? Show it where it actually matters. You think you're so brave, right? Then stay here for an hour. Do it. You'll be torn apart by wild animals before you even realize what happened to you!"
Haya yanked her hand free and looked him dead in the eyes.
"Well, those wild animals would still be better than you, wouldn't they?" she said, her voice cold.
That was it. That was the last straw.
Rudraksh stepped in front of her, blocking her way. His voice was dangerously low as he said, "Listen to me very carefully, Haya. I do not tolerate people ignoring me. You've already created enough of a scene tonight. I won't let you create another one. Get back in the damn car. Now."
Haya crossed her arms, her expression defiant. "I told you, I'm not going anywhere. Didn't you hear me? Why are you forcing me? Just leave me alone!"
Rudraksh clenched his fists. The level of patience he was maintaining right now was beyond him. With the way his blood was boiling, he could've killed someone.
But instead, he took a deep breath, stepped forward... and without warning, lifted Haya into his arms.
"Rudraksh!" Haya shrieked, struggling against his grip. "Put me down! I swear, I'llâ"
But he didn't react. Didn't even flinch.
With his jaw clenched and his arms wrapped around her tightly, he strode back toward the car without saying a single word.
Club
After dancing for a long time, Falak suddenly remembered Haya. She stopped in the middle of the crowd and quickly looked around, her eyes scanning the entire place. But Haya was nowhere to be seen.
A wave of panic washed over her. Sweat beads formed on her forehead as she frantically searched the area, hoping to spot her friend. When she found no sign of Haya, she hurriedly grabbed her phone.
As soon as she unlocked it, her heart sank.
There were multiple missed calls from Haya.
Falak's mind went blank for a moment.
Shit.
She knew very well that Haya was still unfamiliar with this place. She had no idea about its people, its dangers. And now, she had been calling Falak over and over again, which could only mean one thingâshe was in trouble.
Guilt churned in Falak's stomach. How could I be so careless?
Without wasting another second, she dashed toward the exit. But as soon as she stepped outside, she almost collided with Max.
"The car is ready," Max said in his usual calm tone. "Let's go home. Ma'am is with Sir."
Falak froze.
Haya was with Rudraksh?
She wanted to ask Max what exactly had happened, but before she could say a word, he had already turned around and started walking away.
Still confused and worried, Falak hesitated for a moment before quickly following him.
What will Rudraksh do to Haya now?
What's going on in his mind???
There was fire in Rudraksh's eyesâpure, burning rage. But behind that anger, there was something else... something Haya couldn't quite understand. Was he still furious? Or was there a hidden storm brewing within him?
What happens next?
Will Haya realize her mistake?
Will Rudraksh's fury push her into even more trouble?
⨠To find out, read "The Devil's Sweet Sin" â¨