17 ~ Jealous Kartik #3
"How dare you!" I barked, my voice low but furious as I dragged him across the corridor toward the backyard.
He stumbled at first, caught off guard, but I didn't slow down. I didn't care who saw. I didn't care who heard.
Right now all I could see was red.
The moment we reached the secluded side, I shoved him hard against the wall and my fist connected with his jaw before he could even react.
"Himmat kaise hui uski taraf aise dekhne ki!" I snapped, my voice echoing sharply in the silence.
(How dare you look at her like that!)
He staggered back, holding his jaw, eyes flashing with shock and then anger.
"Main Chahat ko dekh raha hoon... usse tumhe kya problem hai, haan?" he shot back, straightening, his tone equally heated now.
(I was looking at Chahat... what's your problem with that, huh?)
That was it.
I punched him again harder.
The impact made him stumble, but this time he didn't fall. Instead, he grabbed my collar back, his grip just as tight, his face inches away from mine.
"Tumhari shaadi Mukti se hone wali hai!" he spat, his words hitting like a slap. "Lekin possessive tum Chahat ke liye ho rahe ho. Kahin aisa toh nahi..." His lips curled into something provoking, "ki tumhari niyat Chahat par kharaab ho rahi hai?"
(You're going to marry Mukti! Yet you're acting possessive over Chahat. Could it be that...your intentions toward Chahat are becoming impure?)
My vision darkened. "Shut the fuck up."
"Kya lagta hai tumhe? Mujhe kuch samajh nahi aata? Pura time usse hi dekhte rehte ho..."
(What do you think? That I don't understand anything? You've been staring at her the whole time...)
My fist slammed into him again before he could complete the sentence.
He pushed me back this time, equally enraged, and the next second we were both punching each other with no restraint, no pause just pure aggression.
Neither of us ready to back down.
"Bas karo!" Ayaan's voice cut through as he was trying to pull us apart but it was useless.
(Stop it!)
We were too far gone.
"Stop it!"
Her voice cut through the silence like a blade.
Before I could react she was there.
Chahat.
She rushed between us, grabbing Rivan's arm and pulling him out of my grip with more force than I expected.
My eyes immediately fell to her hand wrapped around his wrist.
Something dark twisted inside me.
She didn't even spare me a glance. Her eyes searched Rivan's face instead.
"Are you okay?" she asked cupping his face, her voice laced with concern as she examined the bruise forming along his jaw.
That was enough.
Enough to make every ounce of restraint inside me disappear.
Then she looked at me. There wasn't an ounce of hesitation in her eyes.
Only anger.
"Yeh kya kar rahe hain aap?" she snapped. "Aapki himmat kaise hui Rivan pe haath uthane ki?"
(What are you doing? How dare you raise your hand on Rivan?)
I held her gaze.
"Tum beech mein mat aao." My voice came out low. "Tumhe kuch nahi pata."
(Stay out of this. You don't know anything.)
"Mujhe sab pata hai." She didn't even let me finish. "Please... aap mujhse aur mere doston se door rahiye."
(I know everything. Please... stay away from me and my friends.)
The words were sharp.
Each one struck deeper than the last.
My jaw tightened.
"Chahat..." I said, taking a step toward her. "Tumhe nahi pata yeh tumhe kaise dekh raha tha."
(Chahat...You don't know the way he was looking at you.)
She let out a humorless laugh.
"Mujhe nahi pata?" Her eyes burned into mine. "Nahi. Mujhe yeh nahi pata. Lekin mujhe yeh zaroor pata hai... "She paused for a second. "ki aap mujhe kaise dekhte hain to mujhe aapse koi explanation nahi chahiye."
(I don't know? No, I don't know that. But I do know one thing...the way you look at me, so I don't need any explanation from you.)
Every word was calm and final.
She turned away from me without waiting for a reply.
Her attention returned to Rivan.
She gently held his face, checking the cut near his lip.
"Kahin aur toh nahi lagi?"
(You're not hurt anywhere else, are you?)
I stood there motionless. My fists were still clenched.
Yet for the first time...
The ache in my knuckles was nothing compared to the sting of watching her choose to stand beside him instead of even looking at me.
Rivan gave her a small, reassuring nod.
"I'm fine," he said softly.
Before she could say anything else, he pulled her into a brief hug.
Chahat stiffened for a fraction of a second before patting his back, relieved that he wasn't seriously hurt.
Over her shoulder...Rivan's eyes met mine. A slow, knowing smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
As if it wasn't enough, he tightened his arms around her ever so slightly.
My jaw locked.
The muscles in my neck tensed.
My fingers curled into my palms until my nails dug painfully into my skin.
My fists clenched so tightly that my knuckles turned white.
Every instinct inside me screamed to pull him away from her.
To make him let go but I stood rooted to my place, my gaze fixed on the man holding her... as a dangerous silence settled inside me.