Chapter 44: chapter 44

SRUTHII scowl at the happy and smiling face of my exe fiancée with his lover in the photo. The photo is two days old. He looks so happy and his grin is big. I have never seen him smile at me like that. The woman with him has a pretty smile. I can see why Praveen left me for her. Any man would leave me for her. She has flawless and smooth skin. Her smile is blinding and her tooth are pearly white. The best thing is that she doesn't have any scary brothers. I exit the app and check my messaging apps for any messages from Madhav or my brother. Both have been maintaining radio silence since Madhav left. It is been three days since he left the house and with each day passing, I feel anxious for him.  I reopen the Instagram app again and keep scrolling to take my mind off a few things. But the Instagram algorithm is designed in a way that it gives you suggestions about people that the people follow might know. That is how I come across the profile of my ex-fiance's lover. With pure curiosity to know about her, I click on her profile. Her username is 'Fitness Guru' and as I as scroll through her page, I realize she is a fitness coach with a very flexible body. Her posts are mostly about exercise and a healthy diet. She had also posted some of her pics with Praveen. One post in particular catches my attention. It was taken using the Snapchat filter that shows the date and time. In the photo she is holding someone's hand and that someone's ring finger has a familiar ring. I draw in a sharp breath as I zoom in on the photo. It was the engagement ring that I put in Praveen's hand. I double-check the date of the photo. It was taken a week before the wedding day. The caption to that post reads, 'Had a wild night! One of the best feelings in the world is to wake up in your lover arms.'Freak It!Praveen was cheating on me with her. I thought, he didn't have any contact with her when we were  engaged but I had no idea that he was seeing her when he was preparing for a wedding with me. That Bastard! If only I—The sound of a loud knocking grabs my attention from my violent thoughts to kick my ex-fiancee. I walk out of my room with a frown on my forehead.  My phone shows that there is still one hour to midnight. Who would come here at this—Hell!The lights in the whole house go off and the place is plunged into darkness all of a sudden. I switch on my phone's flash and walk to the door as the knocking continues. It has become louder and heavier. I feel like the person would break the door if I don't open it. A trickle of fear seeps through me and I clutch my pendant as I walk to the front door. I have a bad feeling about all this. “Who is the late visitor and what happened to the electricity?” a voice asks behind me and a scream nearly escapes me. I pat my racing heart and turn to face Jaya Ma. She has been staying with me for the past three days under Madhav’s strict order. Madhav was through with the security. I would say he even beat my brother at the task of keeping safe. As he told me, he put security guards in the house. The whole area is under surveillance and I even have a bodyguard who shadows me when I go out. I went out only once to collect groceries and it was then I became acquitted with Vishnu, the lead of the security team that Madhav had hired. He is a decent and funny guy. The whole trip to the supermarket, Vishnu kept me engaged in a jovial conversation. I always assumed bodyguards were dark, brooding guys with no sense of humour or  life. But, Vishnu seemed the stark opposite of that. I felt like I was talking to an old friend rather than a bodyguard. Another additional security for me that Madhav had arranged is Jaya ma. I am not sure why he made her stay with me twenty-four hours by seven but he did and she is staying with me in the house until Madhav returns. The thing is I keep forgetting that she is in the house because like Madhav said she isn’t noisy. “I have no idea,” I answer walking to the front door as the knocking continues to grow louder. “Don’t open the door,” Jaya Ma warns coming behind me.I nod my head and peep into the peephole.  At first, all I can see is a human standing. I can’t see the face clearly with the shadows around him. But then he tilts his head and the moon's light falls on him. A sigh of relief escapes me as I see the familiar face of Vishnu. “It is Vishnu,” I answer moving from the peephole. Jaya Ma pushes herself on her toes and peeps through the peephole.“Now, what does this bodyguard want at this time?” mutters Jaya Ma in an annoyed tone.“I don’t know,” I reply with a shrug. “You better go to your room. I will give him an earful not to disturb us again, and ask him what is going on with the power outrage,” she says in a motherly tone.“Don’t be hard on him,” I say with a shake of my head. “It is not easy to stand guard outside the whole night.”“Don’t pity him for doing his job, Sruthi,” Jaya Ma says motioning me to go to my room. With another shake of my head, I start walking to my room.  I hear her unlock the latch and—BOOM!My blood freezes in my veins as a gunshot rings in the quiet house. My heart pounds fast as I slowly turn to see Jaya Ma on the floor with a bullet wound to her forehead. My mind comes to a standstill and I find it hard to process what is happening around me. My breath comes in short gasps. I feel like the walls closing on me. Blood. So much of it is on the floor. Jaya Ma’s blood. I see black spots and the floor feels like jelly. I can’t seem to stand straight. A wave of nausea washes over me as I see the motionless Jaya Ma on the floor.No!! She can’t die like this. I can’t let her die. I won’t let her die for me. Vishnu is standing near her with a triumphant smile on his face. Anger and fear consume me equally.  But I am helpless before him. He has a weapon with him and is trained in fighting. But, I don’t even know the basics. Vishnu loads his gun again and aims it at me. But before he can pull the trigger, gunshots fire outside and in rushes the other security guards. I expect them to aim their guns at me but instead, it is aimed at their leader Vishnu. They form a circle around him and blocking me from his view. Vishnu tries to fight them off. Realization dawns on me and I use that small distraction to get near to Jaya Ma.With each step I take towards Jaya Ma’s  body, my instincts scream at me to run away. My phobia is fighting to take over me. I will myself to face it. I am done running in this life. I have run for a long time to hide away from the monsters in my mind. I can’t run forever. I need to face it one day. Today is going to be that day. The sight of blood triggers old memories and a sense of hopelessness settles in me. I feel small and weak and breakable compared to this vast and evil world.You can do this Sruthi. Just a few more steps. Jaya Ma needs you now. Don’t let her die because of your fear. A life at stake.In two large steps, I finish the last distance to Jaya Ma’s body. I kneel on the floor and look at her face. Fear takes over me and I am transported to a different place and time. I see the same blood and lifeless bodies around me. The same feeling of loss and sadness fills my heart as I watch my parents' lifeless body. No matter how hard I cried and wailed, they never opened their eyes to look at me. Th—Dammit! Snap of out it Sruthi! Focus! I blink and I am back to Madhav’s living room. Jaya Ma is lying unconsciously before me with blood bleeding from the bullet wound. Her eyes are closed. Tears blur my vision and my throat feels tight.She may still be alive.I focus on her hand instead of her head which is surrounded by blood. I gently take her wrist in my hand and check for a pulse. My heart pounds wildly and I couldn’t hear or feel her pulse. Gunshots fire behind me and there is chaos in the room as the other security guards fight Vishnu. I close my eyes and put my full focus on listening to her pulse. At first, I can feel or hear nothing but then very slowly I hear it.❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥