Chapter Forty Three.
Alia hauled Devraj toward the entrance, his massive frame leaning heavily against her. She struggled to keep them both upright, his heat soaking through the silk of her gown.
"Ira..." he mumbled slurry
Alia didn't answer, they reached the entrance...a technological door that looked more like a vault than a normal door.
She saw the digital keypad glowing in the dark and let out an hiss of frustration.
"Shit!" she spat, her eyes darting around the frame. "Of course he’d have a security wall. Ugh!"
Then, her gaze landed on the glass biometric scanner. Gritting her teeth against the dead weight of his body, she grabbed his hand.
His palm was damp with sweat as she pressed it against the cold sensor. A thin red line of light swept over his skin.
“Welcome, Mr. Devraj Singh Rathore.” the door’s artificial voice announced.
"That was close." Alia whispered, a triumphant light dancing in her eyes.
She dragged him inside, the smart-lights of the villa activating with every step they took, casting a dim, golden glow that clung to the shadows of the minimalist hallway.
She led him into the master suite and dropped him onto the bed. Devraj sank into the mattress, his head rolling to the side as he struggled for air.
Alia took a moment to catch her breath, her eyes raking over his vulnerable form.
He was drenched in sweat, his chest heaving under his half-unbuttoned shirt.
Alia smirked. She climbed onto the bed, reached out and finished unbuttoning his shirt, pulling the fabric from his shoulders and tossing it to the floor.
His muscular chest was on display now, the moonlight catching the hard lines of his torso.
Alia kicked off her heels, her dress pooling around her as she straddled him. She ran her hands over the burning heat of his skin, her nails grazing his chest.
She leaned down, pressing a lingering, possessive kiss to the center of his chest.
Devraj trembled violently under her touch, a gasp escaping his lips.
"Ira..." he whispered, his eyes still closed, his voice thick with a longing that should have belonged to someone else.
The drug was a wildfire in his veins, turning every touch into a spark.
"Oh, how much I’ve dreamed of this, Raj." Alia purred, her fingers tracing the hard lines of his abs.
"You never let me get this close when we were together. You were always so guarded, so cold. But now... look at you. Craving another woman so desperately that you’ve lost your mind. You think she’s here, don’t you?"
She smirked, leaning down to press another wet,l kiss to his burning skin.
Devraj’s chest heaved, his breathing hitching as his pulse beat fast against her lips.
Alia felt the surge of power...she loved the way his body betrayed his silent, icy reputation.
Devraj was locked in a private war. In his clouded mind, he was sure it was Ira straddling him, but a shred of his old restraint was still screaming.
He didn't want to hurt her, he didn't want the dark, violent cravings running through his head to ruin the woman he worshipped.
He felt her lips move from his chest, trailing a path of fire up toward the sensitive skin of his neck.
"So... so hot, P..please, Ira..D..don't!" he groaned. He struggled to focus, his gaze dropping to the woman above him.
A distorted, drug-induced hallucination blurred his vision, warping Alia’s features until he saw the copper hair and green eyes he lived for.
"Ira?" he whispered crackingly.
Alia looked up, her smile wide. Devraj mirrored it, a rare, dazed look of pure relief washing over his face.
He reached out, his trembling hand coming up to stop her as she moved to kiss him again.
"W..what are you d..doing?" he mumbled, his head spinning as the dizziness threatened to pull him under.
"You’re making this... so much worse for me, Ira. I can't think straight."
"Relax, Baby.." Alia whispered, pitching her voice into that soft, melodic tone.
"I want to do this with you. Let go of the control."
She leaned in again, her mouth finding the hollow of his throat. Devraj’s fingers curled into the silk bedsheets, his knuckles white as he gripped the fabric.
His body was a furnace, his pulse was a riot, and the hunger to finally claim the woman he thought was Ira was tearing through his last defenses.
"Ira..." he rasped, his eyes snapping open, dark and dilated with a terrifying intensity. "I want you so bad... I’m going to lose my mind."
"Then you can have me. I’m right here.." Alia whispered and that finally dissolved the last of his willpower.
Devraj’s arms snapped around her, his grip so sudden and violent that Alia let out a startled gasp.
He held her with a strength that bordered on bone-crushing, his fingers digging into the silk of her dress.
"You are never going back to him. Right? You returned the ring?" he rasped lowly.
Alia stayed silent frowning...Why is he so obsessed with her?
"Answer me, Ira!"
The command was absolute, his dominance flaring through the haze of the drug.
He didn't wait for her to lie..he moved rolling them over until Alia was pinned beneath him against the silk sheets.
"I love you so much, Ira.." he whispered, his forehead resting against hers.
His voice was broken, raw with a vulnerability he had never shown another living soul.
"You are the first woman my heart has ever beaten this loudly for... it’s driving me crazy."
He leaned down, his lips inches from hers...
Alia closed her eyes, her chest swelling with victory.
She was furious that these words were meant for someone else, but she didn't care...as long as he was hers tonight.
But then, Devraj halted.
He was inches from her neck when he froze, his head tilting slightly.
The scent..cloying, expensive, and choking..hit his senses.
It wasn't the soft, clean fragrance of jasmine or anything close to Ira scent that lived in his marrow.
"You... you are not..my Ira." he whispered.
Alia’s eyes snapped open, wide with shock. Before she could speak, Devraj scrambled back, stumbling away from her on the bed.
He gulped, his eyes dilated and bloodshot, but the clarity of his rage was cutting through the delirium.
"Get out!" he yelled.
Alia’s face contorted, her jaw dropping.
What the hell?! How did he know? She scrambled to sit up, her teeth gritted in a snarl.
"Raj, listen to me–"
"Get the fuck out, Alia!" Devraj surged to his feet, swaying dangerously as the dizziness fought him, but his fury won.
He looked at her with a disgust so harsh it made her flinch.
"Your perfume... it disgusts me. It’s a lie. You are a lie!"
He turned away, his hand clutching the drawer for support.
He needed to wash her scent off his skin. He needed a cold shower before the fire in his blood...or the madness in his head..consumed him entirely.
"What is wrong with you?!" Alia screamed, her voice shrill with a mix of humiliation and fury. She scrambled off the bed.
"I am right here, Devraj! I am the one who stayed!"
Devraj didn't look at her. He was focused entirely on the bathroom door.
"Get out, Alia!" he rasped..
"Devraj, listen... let me take care of this for you. Please." Her voice suddenly shifted, dropping into a soft, manipulative purr as she closed the distance between them.
She reached out, her hands landing on his trembling shoulders.
"Stop... touching me! Leave!"
He shoved her back with a sudden, desperate burst of strength. Alia stumbled, nearly crashed to the floor.
"Oh, but if it were Ira, you wouldn't mind her coming close, would you?!" she shrieked, "When will you get it through your head, Raj? She will never be yours! She belongs to–"
Devraj turned his head then, and the sight of him made the words die in her throat.
His eyes were completely bloodshot, the amber iris almost swallowed by pupils that were dilated into dark, bottomless pits.
He looked less like a man and more like a man being tortured by his own restraint.
"Stop talking.." he said, his voice so hoarse it was barely a whisper. "And leave."
"Let me help you, Raj." she persisted, taking another step forward, her eyes fixed on the pulse in his neck.
"You’re suffering. You can’t fight this alone."
"Don't!" he roared, his body jerking back.
Alia’s patience snapped. The rejection was a knife in her ego for far too long, and she was done playing the game.
She straightened up, her eyes cold.
"You took a massive dosage, Devraj." she said, her voice dropping into a cruel tone.
"Your desire isn't going to just fade away.
This isn't a fever you can sleep off or bath off.
Until you let off that steam, it will drive you into the ground.
A man with your libido? It will make you go insane. "
The admission hit Devraj. The haze in his mind cleared just enough for the truth to settle in.. she hadn't just found him sick, she had caused this.
"You planned this..." Devraj gritted out, the realization carving through his drug-addled brain.
Alia didn’t flinch. Instead, she let a slow, cat-like smile spread across her face.
"I don't know why my touch doesn't suits you, but you crave for another woman's touch, same woman that has another man?..Make it make sense Raj. Look around, she is not here, I can help you. Just one night. That’s all it takes to keep this from driving you to madness." She stepped closer.
Devraj stumbled back.
"Just one night.." she purred, "Don't worry. I’ll make sure you forget all about Ira after I’m through with you–"
Before she could finish, Devraj’s hand shot out, his large palm slammed over her mouth, his fingers digging into her jaw with a bruising force.
"When you talk about filthy character, you keep Ira’s name out of your mouth " he hissed. "I don't fucking need your help. I'd rather burn alive."
With a snarl of pure disgust, he shoved her away.
Alia crashed to the floor. She let out a whine of pain, but as she looked up at him, her expression twisted into something cruel.
"She will never love you, Devraj!" Alia shrieked from the floor, a smirk cutting across her face. "Who knows? Maybe she’s busy with Kunal right now. Maybe she’s calling his name while he touches her. While he pleases her in ways you only dream of!"
The words hit Devraj. He gulped, his throat tight, the image Alia had painted flickering in his mind.
He forced his leaden legs to move, dragging himself toward the bathroom..
He needed cold water...ice, anything to drown out the yearning in his blood and the poison in his head, praying the ice would be enough to kill the fire before it consumed the last of his sanity.
"I bet she likes sleeping with different men! I wouldn't be surprised... she–"
The words were cut off by a violent, shattering explosion of glass. Devraj had seized a heavy marble vase and hurled it.
It missed her by inches, Alia shrieked, as the reality of his rage finally pierced through her ego.
Devraj stalked toward her, his movements lethal despite the tremors wracking his body.
He leaned down, his face inches from hers, his eyes twin pits of fire.
"I will kill you, Alia.." he hissed, the threat sounding like a death sentence. "If I ever see your face again, this is your last warning, I will forget every shred of my humanity."
Alia scrambled back, her breath hitching in her throat.
She had never seen him like this..completely unmoored from the cold man he usually was. He does get angry, but he looked.. dangerous now.
"I have always held back because you are a woman.." he growled.. "I have never raised a hand to one. But if you dare cross that line again... if you mention her name one more time... I will end you. Do you understand?"
Just then, the heavy door hissed open. Advik burst into the room, his chest heaving, his eyes wide as he took in the wreckage and the shivering woman on the floor.
"Devraj! Are you okay?!" Advik rushed to his side, catching him as Devraj’s knees finally began to buckle.
"I’ve called the doctor..he’s five minutes out. Hold on, man."
Devraj offered a single, weak nod. He didn't look at Alia again.
He turned and dragged himself toward the bathroom, his focus entirely on the promise of the ice-cold water that might save him from the fire in his veins. Atleast.
Advik watched him go, then slowly turned his gaze toward Alia. She was still on the floor, her sapphire dress rumpled, her face a mask of humiliated fury.
Advik let out a low, mocking chuckle that echoed off the high ceilings.
"Let me guess.." Advik said, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he looked down at her. "The grand plan failed? Again?"
"Shut up.." Alia spat, as she tried to gather what was left of her dignity.
"Alia, listen to me..." Advik stepped closer, sliding his hands into his pockets..
He loomed over her..
"If I were you.." Advik began, "I would take my shame out of this city. Otherwise, Devraj is going to make it his life’s mission to humiliate you." He flashed a smile.
"Don’t get me wrong..I’d enjoy watching every second of it. But remember, Alia, you’ve only got about eight or nine months left before... phew... you’re history."
Alia’s face contorted. "How annoying. You, of all people, should know exactly where you stand in this hierarchy, Advik."
Advik didn't flinch. He leaned down, his face inches from hers, his eyes devoid of any warmth.
"Devraj doesn't put his hands on women. Neither do I. But unlike him, I have lines of women across this city ready to beat the living hell out of you for whatever price I care to name."
Alia’s breath hitched, her eyes widening.
"Y..you wouldn't dare."
Advik straightened up, the playful mask dropping to reveal the cold enforcer beneath.
"You of all people should know, I don't play games."
"Fuck off, Alia!" He yelled.
Alia gritted her teeth, her dress rustling as she scrambled to her feet.
She looked at the bathroom door one last time, her eyes burning with a desperate spike of malice.
"Tell him this... Ira will never be with him. Never!" she spat, before picking her heels and storming out of the room.
Advik rolled his eyes, the sound of her heels fading down the hall.
"Good riddance.." he muttered.
Just then, the bathroom door creaked open. Devraj stumbled out.
He was drenched, his hair matted to his forehead, and water was dripping from his soaked pants onto the marble floor.
He looked worse than when Advik had first arrived..his skin was a sickly, translucent pale, and his eyes were unfocused.
"I..it didn't work.." Devraj whispered..
"Shit!" Advik cursed, springing forward to catch him. "Dude! What the hell did she actually do to you?"
Devraj tried to speak, his throat working as he looked around the room.
"Where... where is the–"
Before he could finish the sentence, his knees gave out entirely. He went limp in Advik's arms.
"Shit! Devraj! Stay with me!" Advik yelled. "The doctor will be here soon!"
~????~
The sun was blindingly bright, casting long shadows across the bed where Devraj lay. He was shirtless, his muscular shoulders framed by the mess of white pillows, his skin finally cool to the touch.
Advik paced the length of the room, his eyes never leaving his friend.
"How is he?" he asked.
"The toxins are finally out of his system." the doctor replied, checking the watch on his wrist as he monitored Devraj’s pulse.
"He’s stabilized. He’ll be fine now."
A groan vibrated in the room. Devraj’s eyelids fluttered before slowly opening.
He stared at the ceiling for a beat, the fog of the drug lifting to reveal a pounding headache. He turned his head, his gaze landing first on the doctor and then on Advik.
"Oh, thank God.." Advik said, his voice returning to its usual mocking lilt.
He stepped closer to the bed, a smirk tugging at his lips.
"I thought I was going to have to write your eulogy, man. Glad to see you’re not dead yet."
Devraj ignored the teasing, his brow furrowing as the memories of the night..Alia’s touch, the ice-cold shower, the suffocating heat...came rushing back. He looked directly at the doctor.
"What did she give me?"
"A cocktail of high-grade stimulants designed to push your libido past the breaking point.." Advik interjected, crossing his arms.
"Dude, we had to hit you with the antidote twice just to get your heart rate to stop sounding like a drum and bass track."
Devraj sat up, the duvet sliding down to his waist to reveal his dark grey sweatpants. He rubbed his face slowly..
"Was it really that much?"
"It wasn't just the dosage, Sir." the doctor said, his expression turning professional yet uncomfortably pointed.
"There is... something else I need to address."
Devraj got up and head his way to the bathroom.
"And that is?"
"Mr. Rathore... at your age, and given your physical health... you really need to consider a regular partner...A girlfriend, at the very least."
Devraj froze his hand on the doorframe. He turned around, his amber eyes narrowed, staring at the doctor.
"What?"
"Yes, Mr. Rathore.." the doctor continued, clearing his throat.
"The reason the first antidote didn't fully take is because... well, your natural drive is exceptionally high. You’ve been suppressing it for so long that when the drug hit, your system went into overdrive. Your body is under a lot of self-imposed tension."
Advik turned away, his shoulders shaking as he fought a losing battle to hold in a massive laugh. He bit his lip, staring at a very expensive vase to keep from losing it.
"It’s actually a bit remarkable.." the doctor added, packing his stethoscope with a professional shrug.
"Most men would have lost control long before the antidote arrived. You’ve been holding back for a very long time, Mr. Rathore.
But the body has its limits. You really need to find a partner. ..or get married?."
That was the breaking point. Advik exploded into a fit of laughter, clutching his stomach as he doubled over.
Devraj didn't say a word. He simply gave the doctor a dismissive gesture. The man took the hint, offering a quick nod before hurrying out of the master suite.
"Damn! Man!" Advik gasped, wiping a tear from his eye as he continued to cackle.
"I pity the woman who eventually marries you! You aren't just a man, you’re a walking–"
Devraj turned a chilling glare toward him. Advik’s laughter died in his throat.
"But really, Man.." Advik said, "You’re 33 You’re at your peak. You need a woman in your life. Specifically.." he added, his smirk returning with a vengeance, "a woman who can actually handle you behind closed doors."
"Enough.." Devraj rasped, his voice still hoarse from the drug’s dehydration. "I want Alia gone. Cancel her influence with the Rathore name, strip her of her social standing, and I want her blacklisted from this city and country by sunset. Ensure she knows exactly why."
Advik straightened his suit, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction.
"Gladly. Consider it done."
As Advik walked out, Devraj rubbed the back of his neck, the doctor’s words echoing in his mind.
Will Ira be able to handle... it?
The thought slipped out of his subconscious before he could stop it.
His heart gave a loud thud against his ribs. He immediately shook his head, a growl of frustration escaping his lips.
"Ugh, stop thinking that." he mumbled to the empty room, his face darkening with a rare flush of heat.
"I blame the drugs. I definitely blame the drugs."
??????