•| FORTY SEVEN |•
Your vision was starting to blur, tears clinging heavily to your lashes as your breathing came out in shaky, uneven gasps. The ropes around your wrists burned against your skin every time you tried to move. “W-what do you need?” you stammered, your voice breaking helplessly.
“I didn’t e-even do anything to you…” Your words sounded small in the large, empty hall.
The boys exchanged glances before bursting into laughter, the cruel sound echoing off the cracked walls.
One of them stepped forward and bent down to your level, his face inches from yours.
You could smell the cigarette smoke on his breath.
He suddenly clasped your jaw harshly in his palm, forcing you to look up at him.
“We don’t have anything to do with you,” he sneered, squeezing tighter until it hurt, “but someone else does.” He yanked your face to the side carelessly, and before you could process his words, the sound of heels clicking against the dusty floor reached your ears.
Slow. Deliberate. Mocking. “Oops… poor girl.”
That voice.
Your heart skipped in shock as you lifted your tear-filled eyes. Standing near the staircase, arms folded, was Sara. A smirk curved her lips as she looked at your helpless state, her gaze filled with venomous satisfaction.
“Tsk, pathetic,” she said, shaking her head dramatically. “You invite all these problems by yourself, huh?” She began walking toward you, each step measured.
“Do you really think I’d leave you after knowing that my husband loves you? Bitch, huh? Did you think I wouldn’t find out?” Before you could react, she moved behind you and suddenly grabbed your hair, pulling your head back violently.
A sharp cry escaped your lips. “Ahhh!” The pain shot through your scalp as tears spilled freely down your cheeks.
“That day,” she hissed near your ear, her grip tightening, “I mixed viagra in his drink just to make him mine again… to remind him that he belongs to me.” Her nails dug into your scalp as she spat the rest of the words with pure hatred.
“But you… you spoiled it. You and your stupid innocence. You made him look at you like you’re something special.” Your body froze. The world around you seemed to go silent. Your heartbeat thundered loudly in your ears.
“Krish… loves me?” you whispered unconsciously, your voice barely audible, disbelief overtaking even the fear for a moment.
Sara let out a cold laugh and released your hair abruptly, making your head fall forward.
“Oh please,” she mocked. “He looks at you like you’re his entire world.
Do you think I’m blind?” She stepped in front of you again, crouching slightly so her face was level with yours.
Tears streamed down your face, but this time they weren’t only from pain.
A broken, trembling smile curved your lips as Sara’s words echoed in your mind.
He loves you. Your heart clenched.
“He loves me… w-why the hell did I doubt him?” you thought, your chest aching with both regret and relief.
Even in that terrifying moment, tied to a chair, lip bleeding, body shaking—you felt something warm bloom inside you.
Love. Sara noticed your smile, and her face twisted with rage.
“Why the hell are you smiling, huh?!” she screamed, her palm lifting in the air.
“I’ll fucking kill you!” She was just about to strike you again when—
Bang!
The villa door flung open so hard it hit the wall. “Dare you to touch her.”
Krish’s voice cut through the air like a blade. He and Pratik stood at the entrance, both breathing heavily from rushing in. Dust swirled around them as sunlight streamed in from behind, making Krish look almost unreal—eyes blazing, fists clenched, chest rising and falling with fury.
“K-Krish baby,” Sara stammered instantly, switching her tone, stepping away from you slightly. “I d-didn’t mean to hurt her, I was just—”
“Shut up,” he growled, teeth gritted, bloodshot eyes burning into her. “I know you well, Sara. You can do anything in jealousy.”
But the moment his gaze shifted to you—your tear-stained face, trembling body, rope cutting into your wrists—his expression shattered. The anger melted into something raw. Something terrified.
“S-Samira…” His voice broke.
He took a step forward, ready to run to you, but Sara quickly moved and blocked him. “One wrong move and I’ll kill her,” she hissed, pulling a gun from her bag and pointing it straight at you.
The room froze.
“Sara, you’re not doing that,” Krish said slowly, his voice controlled but shaking underneath.
“I will!” she shrieked. “I can do anything to get you!”
“What the hell?!” Pratik shouted and lunged forward, but the boys immediately attacked him. Fists collided, chairs fell, curses echoed as Pratik fought them like a madman. Krish tried to move toward you, but Sara pressed the gun closer to your head.
“Sara, stop it! This is bullshit!” Krish yelled.
“No!” she screamed. “She’s the reason you don’t love me now!”
She tightened her grip on the gun, finger hovering dangerously over the trigger.
“F-fine… I’ll divorce her.”
The words left Krish’s mouth like broken glass.
Your eyes widened instantly. You shook your head violently despite the rope cutting deeper into your skin. “N-no, Krish ji!” you cried out. “I love you!”
Silence fell for a split second.
His heartbeat thundered in his ears. Your confession hit him harder than anything else in that room. His eyes filled, but he forced himself to stay steady. “Leave her, Sara,” he said softly, almost pleading now.
“I’m not a fool,” she snapped. “You’re trying to save this bitch.” She grabbed your chin harshly, forcing your face upward. You gasped in pain.
Meanwhile, Pratik was brutally fighting the boys, not caring about the punches landing on him. Riya’s voice echoed faintly from outside as she screamed for help.
“Sara, STOP IT!” Krish roared.
“Because of her you don’t love me now!”
“Shut up!” Krish fired back, his voice shaking with years of suppressed anger. “I don’t love you because you left me and Kiaan when we needed you the most!”
Sara froze.
“You never cared about us. All you wanted was money. Nothing else,” he continued, each word cutting deeper. “Why didn’t you come back, huh? Did you get bored of your new sugar daddy?”
Her eyes welled up, but instead of guilt, something darker filled them.
“If I’m not yours, then I won’t let anyone be yours,” she laughed manically. “Yes, I was selfish. I want money because money is everything. I don’t want you anymore!”
Her laughter echoed disturbingly as she raised the gun and pressed it against your head.
“You’re being a psycho, Sara,” Krish said carefully, trying to step sideways to distract her. His eyes locked with yours. “Samira…”
Your breathing turned shallow. You closed your eyes for a second, silently praying.
“Say the last goodbye to your precious wife—”
“Arrest her, officer!”
The sudden command broke the tension. The villa door burst open again as police officers stormed in. Aarav rushed inside with them, pointing directly at Sara. Riya followed, her face pale but determined.
Before Sara could react, two officers grabbed her arms, forcing the gun out of her hand.
“Argh! Leave me! I’ll kill her!” she screamed wildly, struggling as they handcuffed her. The boys were quickly overpowered and pinned down as well.
The gun fell to the floor with a metallic clang.
Krish didn’t waste another second. He ran toward you, dropping to his knees in front of the chair. His hands trembled as he untied the ropes from your wrists. “It’s okay… it’s okay, I’m here,” he whispered, his voice breaking.
The moment your hands were free, you collapsed into his arms. He held you tightly against his chest as if afraid you would disappear.
“I’m sorry,” he kept whispering, kissing your hair, your forehead. “I’m so sorry.”
You clutched his shirt weakly, tears soaking into the fabric. “You came…” you murmured.
“I’ll always come,” he replied without hesitation.
Behind you, Riya rushed to Pratik, holding his face as she scolded and cried at the same time. Aarav spoke to the officers while Sara continued screaming in the background, being dragged away.
But none of that mattered anymore.
All you could hear was Krish’s heartbeat beneath your ear. And for the first time in days, it felt like home.