Chapter-24

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The staff room was blissfully quiet; the gentle hum of the ceiling fan was the only sound accompanying the rustle of paper as I shuffled through the stack of test papers. The fluorescent lights casting a soft glow over the worn tables and mismatched chairs that were more familiar to me than my own living room.

I should have been focused on the math tests sprawled across my desk, but my mind was drifting far from the multiplication errors and fractions.

Abhimanyu.....

His name sparked a flurry of warmth in my chest, a perpetual reminder of that one week ago when he sang to me. His voice had wrapped around my heart like a soft blanket, and the hug that followed? It was electric.

The way my body had reacted, almost instinctively, sent shivers down my spine even now.That day, I couldn't stop myself from hugging him. I don't know what got into my mind that I hugged him like a fool in front of everyone.My damm hormones.....

I could still feel the echo of his embrace, the reassurance of his presence lingering like a sweet perfume.

I tried to shake off the thoughts, but every time I did, it seemed like they only intensified. I had been avoiding him since that night. Shy, overwhelmed, caught between the urge to not feel anything for him and fear of it might mean. My heart raced just thinking about it.

But Abhimanyu wasn’t having any of my retreats. He seemed determined to keep things light, to draw me back into our usual rhythm. He’d tease me with playful comments, his laughter like music that I couldn’t help but like, even if I tried to keep my distance.

I was trying to compose myself from that PDA event but again something happened that shook me. The memory of that night flooded my mind, a vivid flashback that pulled me from the present.

I could see myself lying on our bed, pretending to be asleep. I had hatched this plan to catch him in the act of throwing my beloved pillu , the one I always found on the floor near the window or on the couch each morning. He never admitted that he threw him so I thought to catch him red handed but.....

Flashback ~

I laid on the bed acting like I was sleeping, but he didn't know that today he would be caught red-handed, I thought to myself and laughed internally.

I could hear him moving around, the soft thud of his footsteps against the wooden floor. My heart raced with anticipation.

I had barely waited ten minutes when he finally stepped inside. After a minute I felt his presence near me as he approached me slowly, his movements careful and deliberate. I felt the bed dip slightly as he sat beside me.

I held my breath, feigning deep sleep, my heart pounding against my ribcage as he tucked the duvet around me, his fingers brushing against my arm, sending a wave of warmth through me.

Then, he took my pillu from my embrace slowly. I was about to open my eyes and catch him red-handed, but he did something that completely shattered my resolve—he pressed a soft kiss on my forehead.Frozen...

My heart felt like it would burst right out of my chest. I had been acting to catch him, but there he was, doing something so sweet that it made me forget everything else.

He kissed me on my forehead..

He kissed me..

HE K–I–S–S–E–D ME

I can't ––

Oh my god............

Heat rushed to my cheeks, and in a flurry, I turned to my side, covering my face with the duvet as if that would shield me from the reality of what had just happened.

At that moment, everything swirled in my mind. Should I wake up? Ask him about the pillu? But what if he asked me why I was pretending to sleep? What if he mentioned the kiss?What if he again makes me speechless like always? My heart raced at the thought of his words, so charming, so disarming.

I lay there, wrestling with my thoughts, the duvet now a cocoon of confusion. I decided against stirring, opting instead to slip back into the comforting embrace of sleep, my heart still thrumming with the memory of his kiss.

Flashback ended~

As the days passed, he continued his nightly ritual. Each evening, he would tuck me in with the same care, place a pillow at the edge, and kiss my forehead. My heart would flutter each time, a mix of joy and confusion coursing through me.

I wanted to stop him, to confront him, and tell him to stop all of this, but part of me relished it. It felt like a secret we shared, a tenderness that hovered in the air, unspoken but palpable. I was torn—should I acknowledge my feelings or ignore them ?

"Hey, Aarushi," Priya, one of my colleagues, called, breaking my reverie. "You okay? You seem a bit…lost."

I looked up, forcing a smile. "Just grading papers. You know how it is."She raised an eyebrow, unconvinced, but I quickly diverted her attention.

"Have you seen the new curriculum guidelines? They’re a mess."She asked. I nodded my head at her and she started sharing an incident with me.

Her laughter filled the room, pulling me back into the present. My heart was still tangled in those memories, but I focused on the conversation, grateful for the distraction.

As the period came to a close, I gathered my things, my mind still swirling with thoughts of Abhimanyu.

After some time –

As I stepped out of the school, the afternoon sun beat down on my shoulders, casting shadows from the tall buildings lining the street. The bell had rung, and the air buzzed with the chatter of students, but I was ready to escape it all.

I made my way down a few lanes, scanning the crowd for my driver. There he was, standing a few paces away, looking as patient as ever.

"Over here kaka" I called, waving him over. "You can wait a little further, you know? I don’t want anyone seeing you, Kaka, "I said, smiling softly.

He nodded, understanding my need for discretion, and flashed a quick smile as he approached. "Good afternoon beta."

"Very good afternoon " I replied, settling into the back seat. “Let’s head to the market kaka. I need to grab some essential stuff" I said.

As he turned the key in the ignition, I rummaged through my purse, looking for my phone and debit card. Instead, I found Abhimanyu’s credit card, the one he had insisted on. Ugh, he was relentless. He’d practically badgered me into accepting it.That guy was continuously annoying me until I agreed to take it.

I shoved it back and pulled out my own debit card instead. “Why do you have to be so annoying hukum" I muttered under my breath, shaking my head as I mentally rolled my eyes at him.

The driver glanced back at me through the rearview mirror, curiosity flickering in his eyes. "Everything okay, beta?"

"Yeah, it’s just... you know how our dear hukum is ",” I replied in a mischievous tone. He laughed a little and again focused on the road.

After a short drive filled with the hum of the engine and music, we reached the market. Uncle parked the car near Market and I took a deep breath, steeling myself for the bustling crowd. "I’ll just be a minute uncle" I said, grabbing my purse.

"Do you want me to come with you,beta?"he asked, concern etching his features."No, it’s fine! I’ll be quick. The car won’t be able to cross through here anyway, and I don’t want to cause inconvenience for others.

He nodded, reluctantly agreeing as I stepped out into the cacophony of voices, laughter, and street vendors hawking their goods. I walked for ten minutes, weaving through the throngs of people until I reached the shop.

"I have to be quick no distraction Aarushi" i said to myself and went inside the shop trying my best not to wander around and explore the market .My list was short, and I quickly grabbed what I needed, the familiar scents of shop filling my senses.

I quickly paid out and stepped outside of the shop after twenty minutes.

Just as I stepped onto the bustling sidewalk, a voice cut through the noise next to me. "Hey there, gorgeous! How you doing?"

I ignored him, keeping my eyes forward and my pace brisk, but he fell into step beside me, his tone dripping with a smirk. "C’mon, don’t be like that. You could use some fun in your life. Can I have your number "

"Just leave me alone Don't irritate me otherwise I will make you forget your own number,” I said, my voice low and firm as I tried to walk past him.

He laughed, a sleazy sound that made my skin crawl. "What’s the rush? I’m just trying to be friendly."He was making a scene in the middle of the market, Idiot....

I could feel the blood boiling beneath my skin, anger igniting in my chest. "I said stop, I am not interested. Can't you understand."

But he wasn’t listening. He reached out, grabbing my wrist. "Why don’t you lighten up? We could have a good time together." Ajeeb pagal aadmi hai

"Let go of me" I hissed, jerking my hand free. The adrenaline surged in me, and before I could think, I slapped him across the face.

His eyes widened, shock morphing into rage. He raised his hand, ready to retaliate, but before he could, two bulky figures surged forward from the crowd. They grabbed him and shoved him to the ground, a swift kick sending him sprawling.

I stood frozen, heart racing, as the scene unfolded. People around us were staring, some with expressions of disbelief, others with approval.

"Are you okay, ma’am?" one of the men asked, his voice thick with concern. I nodded, taking a moment to process what had just happened.

They looked like they could be police or guards, muscular and imposing, but dressed in casual clothes.

"Thank you sir,"I managed to say, my voice steady despite the chaos that had just erupted.

"It’s alright. We’ll make sure that he will not bother anyone again," the other man said, his tone authoritative yet calm.

"Just go on ahead, ma’am," the first man urged, and I hesitated, glancing back at the fallen figure of the man. Stupid

I took a deep breath, trying to shake off the anger that still simmered inside me. "Thank you, really."

With one last nod, I turned and walked away, my heart still pounding, feeling the eyes of the crowd on me. I climbed back into the car, driver uncle looking at me with concern.

"Everything okay, beta"” he asked, his voice gentle.

"Not really,"I replied, glancing out the window as we pulled away. The irritation bubbled up again, replaying the scene in my mind. That stupid boy had ruined my day.

"Some people just don’t know when to back off..... let's head home," I muttered, the anger still clinging to me like a shadow.

Uncle nodded, his silence offering a small comfort as I stared out at the city passing by, feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders.

As Abhimanyu stormed into the basement, his eyes burning with an intense fury, the atmosphere crackled with an ominous tension.

The guards, accustomed to his volatile temperament, swiftly opened the door, their movements a cautious dance around the volatile man. Abhimanyu's stride was restless, his gaze fixed on the pale figure seated in the chair, his teeth grinding in a silent display of rage.

The figure, bound and trembling, seemed to shrink under Abhimanyu's intense glare. The mere mention of Aarushi's name, his wife, sent a fresh wave of anger coursing through his veins. He had been in the midst of an important meeting when the call from her bodyguard had interrupted, informing him of the audacious attempt to lay a hand on his wife.

His blood boiled thinking how his jaan must have felt when he touched her, how uncomfortable it would be for her.How can he touch her like this without her permission? Fucker

"Explain," Abhimanyu demanded, his voice a deadly whisper, as he approached the quivering guards. One of them, his eyes wide with fear, began to recount the events.

"He was in the market, hukum We thought he was just asking for so–something as we w–were a bit away from Rani sa . Mam's back was facing us so we weren't able to understand the situation But then, he suddenly gr–grabbed her hand––"

The guard's voice trailed off, his eyes darting towards the bound man when suddenly Abhimanyu grabbed two knives and stabbed them into his hands. The man started shouting and crying in pain but it's didn't bother anyone.

"Continue," Abhimanyu said, his voice like ice. The guard gulped, his Adam's apple bobbing nervously. "Rani sa slapped him and h–he was going to touch rani sa again, but we intervened and stopped him. Rani sa

left soon after."

Abhimanyu's eyes narrowed, his jaw clenching tightly. "You should have been more careful. You should have stopped him before he even thought of touching my wife. Do you understand the gravity of your failure?" Abhimanyu said pointing his gun at them.

The guards, cowed and terrified, could only mumble apologies."Sorr–sorry hukum , we will be m–more carefull from now on pl–please it's the only one time mistake...Hu–hukum sorry" Abhimanyu's rage, however, was not assuaged.

He turned his attention to the bound man, his eyes glinting with a malevolent light.  "How dare you lay a hand on my wife?" Abhimanyu's voice was low, menacing, as he loomed over the man.

The man, his face a mask of terror, could only cry in pain. Abhimanyu's eyes flashed with a feral light. "I will show you what happens when you touch what's mine, when you touch my wife" Abhimanyu's voice was a snarl, his eyes wild with fury. He took out the stabbed knife from his hand and stabbed it again in his knees.

The man started shouting more painfully. Abhimanyu grabbed him by the hair, yanking his head back, and brought his face close to the bound man's. "Do you understand pain?"

The man, his eyes wide with terror, could only nod, a silent plea for mercy. But Abhimanyu's rage knew no bounds. He grabbed a nearby length of rope and began to tighten it around the man's neck, his eyes gleaming with sadistic pleasure.

"Saale madarc**d hath kaise lagaya tune mere biwi ko. Teri himmat bhi kaise huyi " he hissed, his breath hot on the man's face. "You will beg for death before I'm finished with you."

The man's eyes bulged, his face turning an alarming shade of purple as he struggled to breathe. The guards, frozen in terror, could only watch as their boss unleashed a torrent of violence upon the hapless man.

Abhimanyu, his eyes alight with a manic glee, continued to torture the man, his imagination a veritable torture chamber of creative pain. He used every implement at his disposal, each one designed to inflict maximum suffering.

The man's screams, a high-pitched wail, filled the basement, a discordant melody that only served to fuel Abhimanyu's frenzy.

The guards, their faces pale with fear, could only stand by, their eyes averted, as their boss unleashed a brutal and relentless assault. The air was thick with the smell of blood and fear, a potent mix that hung heavy in the basement, a silent witness to the unthinkable violence that unfolded.

As the man's screams finally began to fade, reduced to weak moans, Abhimanyu's rage seemed to abate slightly. He stepped back, his chest heaving, his eyes still glinting with a dangerous light. "Hu–hukum ple–ase" the man couldn't able to form words because of the pain.

"Meri biwi ko hath nahi lagana tha bas ....You had made your last mistake now pay the price" Abhimanyu said, his voice a low growl and then he finally shot him through the head after an hour of torture.

Abhimanyu, satisfied with his handiwork, turned to the guards.

"Clean this up," he said, his voice cold and final. "And remember, next time, I want you to protect my wife better. Or I will hold you personally responsible even if someone tries to misbehave with her."

The guards, their faces ashen, could only nod, their eyes downcast, as they began the grim task of disposing of the body. Abhimanyu, his anger temporarily sated, strode out of the basement, his eyes glinting with a promise of future violence.

The basement, now silent and still, bore witness to the raw, unbridled power of Abhimanyu's rage, a force that struck fear into the hearts of all who witnessed it.

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Update lelo jiiiii...... *idk why I wrote this 🙂*

So sorry for the delay guys. Actually things have been incredibly hectic with a lot of unexpected work coming in all at once 🥲 but here is the chapter👻

And.... You know next chapter is also almost ready , just editing is left so if you want an early update 🌝 complete the vote target

Vote target –50 ⭐

If the target remains incomplete, the next chapter will be released on February 9th, according to the schedule."