16 ~ Heartless Monster
Chahat's POV.
His chest rose and fell with uneven breaths.
My eyes widened.
"Aap?" I gasped, the shock reducing my voice to barely a whisper.
(You?)
His body blocked my path, one arm braced against the wall beside me, leaving me little room to move.
His eyes were bloodshot and unfocused.
Yellow haldi was smeared across his cheeks, and his once-pristine white chikankari kurta was now creased and stained with patches of turmeric.
In his other hand...he held a half-empty bottle.
Without taking his eyes off me, he lifted it to his lips and took another long swig.
I stared at him in disbelief.
A wave of disgust washed over me.
The sight of him drinking like that while looking straight at me made me feel deeply uncomfortable... almost humiliated.
He lowered the bottle but said nothing.
His gaze never wavered.
Summoning every bit of courage I had, I planted both my hands against his chest and shoved him away.
Caught off guard, he staggered back several steps, struggling to keep his balance before finally steadying himself.
His body swayed as he stumbled closer, his eyes red-rimmed and unfocused.
He stepped closer. His lips curved into that infuriating smirk...the one that made my stomach flip and my blood boil at the same time.
"Kyun..." he drawled, his voice low and hazy. "Rivan ko hona chahiye tha kya?"
(Why... was it supposed to be Rivan?)
I gritted my teeth in anger.
My breath caught in my throat when he pulled me towards him again and cupped my face.
"Ye kya..." he murmured, his voice laced with mockery. "Dulhan ki behen ko kisi ne haldi nahi lagaya?" He held my chin.
(What's this... no one applied haldi to the bride's sister?)
My teeth ground together, my jaw tight with barely restrained fury. How dare he? How dare he stand here, drunk and disheveled, and still have the audacity to mock me?
"Mujhe nahi lagwani koi haldi," I snapped, trying to pull my face from his grip.
(I don't want any haldi applied.)
But his grip on my chin tightened.
"Aise kaise..." His voice was intoxicated. He was completely not in his senses.
(How so?)
"Kartik..."
He didn't let me finish.
Before I could react, his hands moved to my wrists, capturing them both. His grip was firm, unyielding, and he pinned them above my head, pressing them against the wall behind me.
I gasped, struggling against his grip. "Kya kar rahe hain aap..."
(What are you doing?)
He didn't answer. Instead, he leaned closer.
His face was inches from mine. I could see the haldi smeared across his cheeks. The bright yellow, still damp, glistening in the dim light. I could feel the heat radiating from his body, warm and intoxicating.
He moved closer and then he pressed his cheek against mine.
I froze.
His skin was warm against mine, the haldi smooth and cool. I felt the grains of turmeric against my cheek, felt the pressure of his face rubbing against mine in slow, deliberate circles.
My breath caught in my throat.
He didn't stop.
He rubbed his other cheek against mine as well...slowly, intimately and sensually. The haldi transferred from his skin to mine, painting me yellow, marking me.
My wrists were still pinned above my head.
He pulled back just slightly, his eyes meeting mine.
His cheeks were smeared with yellow. The haldi was fading, transferred to my skin. I could feel it on my face.
My jaw tightened.
I was already drowning in guilt over the kiss that happened two weeks ago, even though I wasn't the one who initiated it. Still, I should've pushed him away the moment it happened. I was so lost in that moment that I didn't even realize what I was doing.
I cried for days because of everything that had been happening to me, everything because of him.
And now this.
No. I'm not going to tolerate this behaviour anymore. Who does he think he is to treat me like this? He's my sister's fiance.
This is so wrong.
"I said stay away from me," I said, my voice sharp. "Right now."
He leaned in, his lips hovering near my ear. "My sweet little Trouble..." he murmured, his voice deceptively soft. "Rivan ko to stay away kabhi nahi kaha tumne."
(You never told Rivan to stay away. Why me?)
The words hit me like a slap.
I felt my rage building...hot and sharp and desperate. How dare he? How dare he stand here, and question me?
"Don't call me that." I snapped.
"Kya baatein kar rahi thi tum usse." he slurred, his voice thick with alcohol.
(What were you talking to him about...)
"Aapko usse kya farak padta hai!" I yelled in disbelief as I tried to push him away.
(What difference does that make to you!)
He laughed.
A low, bitter sound that made my skin crawl.
"Mujhe kyun farak padega..." he said, his hand shooting out to grab my jaw. His grip was rough, his fingers digging into my skin. "Tum agar so bhi jao uske saath to bhi mujhe koi farak nahi padega..."
(Why would I care... Even if you sleep with him, it wouldn't make any difference to me...)
"Kartik..." I looked at him in disbelief.
My heart pounded. My breath caught. My entire body went rigid with shock.
How could he say that?
I felt the sting of tears in my eyes. Felt the ache in my chest. Felt the way my heart cracked just a little bit more.
But I wouldn't show him.
I wouldn't let him see me weak.
"Fark padna bhi nahi chahiye," I said, my voice steady despite the tremor in my heart.
"It's my fucking life," I continued, my voice rising with each word.
"Rivan ke saath ya kisi aur ke saath bhi agar mujhe sona ho to aapko koi farak nahi padna chahiye. Aur agar farak pad bhi raha hai to mujhe koi farak nahi padta."
(It shouldn't make a difference either. And it's my fucking life. If I want to sleep with Rivan or anyone else, it shouldn't make any difference to you. And even if it does, I don't care.)
I stepped closer to him.
My eyes blazing. My chest heaving. My entire body trembling with rage.
"You're a fucking nobody," I spat, my voice dripping with contempt.
He laughed sarcastically, "You know what? Being drunk doesn't change my opinion of you. You're stubborn, disrespectful, immature and reckless. What else can you expect from a girl who spends her nights sneaking into clubs underage?"
My anger knew no boundaries. I twisted beneath his grip, yanked my hands free, and pushed his hand away from my jaw.
"You're disgusting," I whispered.
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
"What did you say?" His brows furrowed.
"You heard me." My voice was shaking now. Not with fear, but with rage. "Strange... for someone who can't stand me, you never seem capable of staying away."
He smirked, "Don't ever mistake my attention for interest little Trouble. You don't have a single quality I look for in a wife. I don't want a woman who questions me. I want one who knows her place."
I scoffed, "Even if you were the last man on Earth, I'd never marry someone with a mentality as cheap as yours."
The confession hung in the air between us. It was like poison on my tongue. A knife to his pride.
He shook his head slowly, "The day I marry someone like you is the day I've completely lost my mind."
I lifted my chin. Met his gaze. Let my voice turn cold and sharp.
"For someone who keeps saying he'd never choose me, you seem awfully obsessed with proving it. Maybe you're trying to convince yourself more than me." That hit the nerve.
His jaw tightened. His eyes darkened. "Chahat... behave."
"I won't. You started it jiju," I said it deliberately, my voice sharp as a blade. "And I'm not Mukti who'll stand here and listen to shit from someone like you."
I looked at him with disgust.
I could feel the heat of his anger radiating from his body. Could see the way his fists clenched at his sides.
"Thank God it's Mukti you're marrying," I said, my voice dripping with venom, "because who can marry a narcissistic like you."
"Chahat..." His tried to warn.
"Third class you're." The words tumbled out of me like a flood. "The most disgusting person I've ever seen. Ever came across with. Bloody gutter mouth narcissist disgusting misogynistic arrogant heartless monster you're."
"Shut the fuck up..." He yelled and grabbed my jaw.
I clenched my eyes closed.
Slowly I opened my eyes and he pushed me away. His eyes were red with anger. He took the bottle to his lips and drank again.
My body reacted before my mind could catch up. I stepped back, My heart pounded. My breath caught as I saw him taking predatory steps towards me.
He was towering over me now. His eyes were blazing. His chest was heaving. His entire body was vibrating with barely controlled rage.
He gritted his teeth, "You'll regret cursing me Trouble..." he said, his voice low and dangerous.
I swallowed hard looking at his angry face. He looked so dangerous.
I lifted my chin.
"Threaten me all you want," I said, my voice steady despite the tremor in my heart. "It doesn't change the fact that you're a disgusting monster who doesn't deserve anyone's respect."
I saw something snap in his eyes.
The last thread of control. The final shred of restraint.
He moved faster than I could react.
His hand shot out, tangling in my hair. His fingers twisted in the strands, pulling just hard enough to tilt my head back. I gasped as the sharp tug sent a jolt of pain through my scalp. "Aahh..."
"Just wait," he said, his voice low and dangerous. His breath fanned across my face, warm and sour with alcohol. "Until I fuck this attitude out of you."
My heart pounded. My breath caught. My entire body went rigid with shock and fear.
But beneath the fear, something else flickered. A shiver that had nothing to do with the cold.
"They're right about you..." I whispered, my voice trembling. "You truly are a heartless monster."
Something flickered in his eyes.
His grip tightened in my hair.
I shivered then I pushed him away with all my strength, I shoved against his chest. He stumbled back, his grip loosening, his body swaying with the effects of the alcohol.