23- romantic moment
Police Station - Night
"Samrat, I'll drop this girl off... you take care of yourself and bhabhi ji. Honestly, bhabhi ji is very dangerous-be careful around her. And next time, think a hundred times before raising your hand. Who knows, next time you might end up meeting me in a hospital bed!
And you... you're like my child. I'm like your father... I don't want anything to happen to my kid."
Saying this, he kissed Samrat on the cheek and ran off.
A little distance away, Gayatri and Vaidehi were watching everything.
Vaidehi lightly nudged Gayatri's elbow and whispered,
"Is your husband and Professor Sitam... a little gay?"
Hearing this, Vaidik got slightly annoyed.
"What kind of things are you saying? It's nothing like that... that's just his nature."
Gayatri smiled faintly and said,
"Whatever it is, what happened today wasn't normal. Now I'm actually worried for Samrat jiju... what if next time, in anger, you go to slap him again and end up in the hospital yourself?
Sandy's condition is already so bad that he won't be out of the hospital for at least two months... and his friends didn't make it either. The one who survived-well, the police will break his bones anyway. Honestly, Samrat jiju is so clever..."
As she said this, the scene from earlier replayed in her mind-
how Samrat had turned the entire situation around using that video... everything had gone against those people.
Now, after getting discharged from the hospital, they would be sent to jail-for misbehaving with a girl.
Yes, Vaidehi had to pay a fine for breaking Sandy's mother's hands...
but because of Samrat, the matter didn't escalate further.
Just then, Sitam walked up to them.
He saluted Vaidehi and said,
"Bhabhi ji, I apologize for what happened in the afternoon... as a father, I was speaking for my child. My child Samrat slapped you... please don't send him to the hospital."
Hearing this, Vaidik narrowed his eyes.
At that moment, Samrat came from behind and punched Sitam hard on the back.
"You'll be the fifth person getting admitted to the hospital... leave before that happens!"
Sitam clutched his back and groaned,
"You've killed me! I won't spare you... I'll definitely take revenge for this.
Bhabhi, I take back my apology-send him to the hospital too, take your revenge!"
Vaidehi said nothing... she just stood there quietly.
Sitam put on his helmet and, in a slightly sulky tone, said to Gayatri,
"Come on."
Gayatri quickly and excitedly sat on his bike, and taking the chance, held him tightly.
Within moments, the two of them left.
Meanwhile, Samrat and Vaidehi were left standing outside the deserted police station.
By now, dark clouds had covered the sky...
a cool breeze was blowing, and lightning flashed occasionally.Vaidehi's long, thick black hair was blowing in the wind... it had come loose during the scuffle.
Samrat slowly walked toward her...
gently brushing his hand against her cheek, he asked,
"Are you okay?"
Vaidehi softly replied,
"Yes... I'm perfectly fine."
Samrat stepped a little closer...
and with a faint smile said,
"Don't you think... you're a little too clever?"
Vaidehi lifted her head, looking straight into his eyes, and said,
"I could say the same about you."
The very next moment, Samrat moved closer and lifted her into his arms.
"You're mine... only mine. No one else's."
Vaidehi placed her hand on his chest and glanced around before saying,
"This is a police station, not your bedroom... have some shame."
Just then, lightning flashed suddenly, and heavy rain started pouring down.
In the cold, intense night, both of them stood outside the police station, under a tree by the roadside... wrapped in each other's arms.
They were getting drenched in the rain. Nearby, Samrat's bike was parked, with his helmet resting on it.
Samrat leaned in slightly and kissed Vaidehi.
This time, Vaidehi responded just as deeply.
After a long moment, Vaidehi rested her head against his chest and closed her eyes.
Holding her by the waist, pulling her closer, Samrat softly asked,
"Why didn't you stop me... when I was slapping you? You could have stopped me... you're so strong. I had no idea."
Hearing this, Vaidehi said in a low voice,
"You never really understand anything... especially when it comes to me."
As she said that, a hint of sadness crossed her face.
Noticing it, Samrat asked,
"Are you upset?"
Vaidehi quickly composed herself and replied,
"Not at all... everything is fine. We should go home."
Samrat didn't say anything. He simply seated Vaidehi on his bike.
Then, holding both her hands, he gently kissed them and said,
"It's raining heavily... and this rain is a witness that you belong to me. You're mine... and you'll always be mine."
Vaidehi, in a calm voice, replied,
"What difference does it make... whether I belong to you or not?"
Samrat kissed her cheek and said,
"It makes a lot of difference..."
He stopped mid-sentence, then stepped back slightly, composing himself.
"That's enough nonsense... we should head home now."
He handed her a helmet, which she wore.
Then Samrat put on his own helmet and sat on the bike.
Vaidehi sat a little away from him, so Samrat suddenly started the bike at high speed.
With the sudden jerk, Vaidehi was pulled closer to him.
As he sped up, she held onto him tightly.
Heavy rain poured down... lightning flashed repeatedly...
and in the middle of all this, the speed at which Samrat was riding made Vaidehi uneasy.
What will happen next?
Is Vaidehi really upset with Samrat?
And if she is... how will Samrat win her over?
The rain had grown much heavier...
Samrat's bike was speeding down the deserted road, slicing through the wind.
The downpour was so intense that both of them were completely drenched.
But Samrat seemed completely unaffected.
Vaidehi held onto him tightly and said nervously,
"Please slow down... you're going too fast! There could be an accident... it's already raining so heavily, there's strong wind, lightning... and you're riding at this speed!"
Without slowing down, Samrat replied coldly,
"That's where the real thrill is..."
Just then, Vaidehi noticed his hand...
it was bleeding heavily.
She panicked.
"Your hand is bleeding so much!"
But Samrat seemed completely indifferent.
In a calm, cold voice, he said,
"This is the same hand that hurt you... it deserves punishment. I'm punishing it myself."
Hearing this, Vaidehi snapped in anger,
"That's enough! You've already been punished... how much more are you going to hurt yourself?
It was just a slap... and you've already paid for it.
I'm used to it... being slapped by my own people. It's nothing new for me... I can ???? it.
But why did you need to hurt yourself like this?"
Suddenly-
Samrat slammed the brakes.
The bike came to a halt.
Dense forest surrounded them...
tall trees on both sides... an empty highway in between...
the rain was so heavy that even the trees seemed to sway violently, as if they might fall any moment.
And in that silence...
only the sound of their heavy breathing and the rain echoed.
Samrat said angrily,
"Get down."
Vaidehi looked at him, shocked.
"Here?"
Samrat repeated in a firm tone,
"I said, get down."
Vaidehi immediately stepped off the bike.
Samrat got down too, parked the bike to the side, removed his helmet... then took off hers and placed it on the bike as well.
He walked toward her... grabbed her waist and pulled her closer, saying angrily,
"This isn't a small thing! I should die... I hurt you. How could I hurt you?
I never thought I'd lose my temper like that... that I'd slap you in front of everyone."
Lightning flashed loudly.
Samrat continued,
"You've endured a lot since childhood... but not anymore.
Now, you don't have to tolerate anything.
No one-no matter who they are-has the right to lay a hand on you... whether it's me or anyone else.
And I'm especially talking about your own people."
Vaidehi stepped back slightly and said in a cold tone,
"If your speech is over... can we go home now? I'm feeling very cold."
Her white salwar suit was completely drenched...
the fabric clung to her body...
the vermilion in her hair had washed down across her face...
in that moment, she looked like a rain-soaked angel...
But Samrat wasn't focused on her beauty-
his gaze kept drifting to his injured hand, where blood was still seeping through the thick bandage.
Now more irritated, Vaidehi said,
"This is madness, Samrat! You can't turn one slap into such a big drama!"
Samrat shot back angrily,
"I can! The day your mother slapped you... you have no idea how angry I was.
And if she did that then... it means she must have done much more to you before."
Hearing this, Vaidehi slowly closed her eyes...
and an old memory began to surface before her-
"Mom... I didn't do anything on purpose... please let me go..."
She cried as she spoke,
"Bhaiya's book got ruined by mistake... I was just playing in his room... and the tea spilled accidentally..."
But her mother didn't listen to a single word.
She dragged her into a dark room...
picked up her father's belt... and started hitting her.
Vaidehi screamed... she cried...
but there wasn't even a hint of mercy in her mother's eyes.
A 15-year-old innocent Vaidehi...
who had been enduring all of this since childhood...
and was still suffering through it.
That day, she had gone to give tea to her elder brother...
and her aunt's little daughter had come there too. The two of them started playing.
In the middle of it, the tea spilled by mistake...
and her brother's book-where he had written important things-got ruined.
That's it... for something so small, she had to suffer so much.
Sometimes Vaidehi would wonder-
is this really her family?
Is that truly her mother?
Everything felt like a lie to her...
as if she was living among strangers.
Only when she saw her father did she feel a little better...
he was the only one who gave her a sense of belonging.
Samrat immediately placed his hand on Vaidehi's shoulder and said,
"Vaidehi... where did you get lost? Tell me."
Then his voice turned firmer,
"And listen... I slapped you for a reason. Whether it's me or anyone else-whoever dares to touch you will be punished."
Showing his hand, he said,
"See this? This is the hand that hurt you... I've already done this to it, and I'll do more if needed.
So imagine what I'll do to the people who have been hurting you since childhood.
You can't even begin to imagine... you have no idea what will happen to those who caused you pain."
Now Vaidehi got angry.
"This is madness, Samrat! You've actually lost your mind. What kind of behavior is this?
Do you even love me?"
Samrat suddenly stepped back.
For a few moments, he just stared at her in silence...
Then, in a cold voice, he said,
"Not at all... I don't love you."
Hearing this, it felt like Vaidehi's heart shattered.
In anger, she turned away, flipping her long, rain-soaked hair.
Her wet hair, now heavy, struck Samrat's face as she turned.
It hurt slightly...
but at the same time, the fragrance of her hair gave him a strange sense of comfort.
As if... he was being drawn toward her on his own.
It was raining heavily, and lightning kept flashing across the sky.
On a deserted road in the middle of a forest, a bike stood still. In front of it, Samrat and Vaidehi were standing. Samrat held his cheek and said,
"I got hurt."
Vaidehi, annoyed, placed her hands on her waist and looked at him.
"It's your fault. We're completely drenched. What was the need to stop the bike? We would have been home by now."
Just then, lightning flashed loudly, and Vaidehi got scared and instinctively pressed herself against Samrat's chest.
Smiling, Samrat held her by the waist and said,
"Then why are you coming close to me now?"
Vaidehi, still scared, replied,
"Because... I'm a little afraid..."
Samrat leaned closer and whispered,
"A little... or completely?"
Vaidehi, irritated, said,
"Please let go..."
Samrat immediately pulled his hands back and said,
"Alright, I let go."
But the moment lightning struck again, Vaidehi panicked and held onto him tightly once more.
Samrat smiled slightly, enjoying the moment, while Vaidehi was clearly terrified.
She said nervously, almost angrily,
"Do something... I'm really scared..."
Hearing this, Samrat walked toward the bike and said,
"Alright, let's go home."
They both moved to the bike. Samrat sat in the front, and Vaidehi sat behind him.
As she put on her helmet, she said anxiously,
"Please hurry.
.. I'm really scared. What if lightning strikes us?
"
For a moment, Samrat just stood there, staring at her.
Because of the rain, her suit was completely drenched, clinging to her body.
Her wet hair rested against her waist, and the raindrops falling on her lips made her look even more beautiful.
Samrat thought to himself,
"Lightning has been striking me for a while now... you just don't know it..."
He tried to start the bike, but it wouldn't start. Just then, lightning flashed again, and Vaidehi clung to him even tighter in fear.
Panicking, she said,
"Please start it..."
Samrat tried several times, but the bike still wouldn't start. Frustrated, he got off and kicked the bike hard.
"Fuck!"
Vaidehi, worried, removed her helmet and asked,
"What happened? Why isn't it starting?"
Annoyed, Samrat replied,
"It had to break down right now! What's the point of spending so much on a latest-model bike... they're all the same-just tin boxes!"
Another flash of lightning lit up the sky, and Vaidehi immediately rushed into his arms again.
"I'm really scared... do something."
Samrat looked around. In the distance, he noticed a large abandoned house.
He quickly said,
"Come on, we'll stay there until the rain stops."
The moment Vaidehi saw it, her face changed with fear.
"What are you saying? That looks like a haunted house... how can we stay there?"
Samrat narrowed his eyes at her and said,
"Are you serious? You were just fighting real people, and now you're scared of ghosts?"
Caught between fear and irritation, Vaidehi replied,
"There's a difference between humans and ghosts! I can fight people... not ghosts, oh God..."
Ignoring her, Samrat grabbed her wrist and said,
"Come on... what if lightning strikes us here?"
That made Vaidehi even more anxious. She didn't know what to do-it felt like she was trapped with no good option.
But one thing gave her a little courage...
she wasn't alone. Samrat was with her.
If something happened... it would happen to both of them.
Both of them entered the house. The floor was slightly wet, and there were several rooms inside. The door was broken, and darkness filled every corner.
Samrat checked his phone, but there was no network at all. Because of the heavy rain, there was no signal. Irritated, he muttered,
"Perfect timing... problems everywhere!"
He turned on his flashlight and said,
"Come on, inside."
They slowly moved further in. Vaidehi's condition worsened due to fear and the cold.
Inside, Samrat noticed a room that was relatively dry. There was an old bed covered in dust and dirt, along with some dirty, worn-out blankets. The sight disgusted him-he couldn't imagine how he would stay here with his delicate wife.
But for now, there was no other option.
Looking around, he found some dry wood. He gathered it, took out his lighter, and started a fire. Within a few moments, both of them began to feel a little warmth.
Samrat pulled out a cigarette pack from his pocket, lit the lighter, and handed it to Vaidehi.
"Hold this."
Then he took off his jacket and shirt and sat near the fire. Taking the lighter and cigarette back from her, he lit one.
Meanwhile, Vaidehi, shivering from the cold, said,
"What should I do... I'm freezing..."
Samrat glanced at her and said casually,
"How would I know? Sit near the fire, your clothes will dry."
Hearing this, Vaidehi glared at him in anger.
"Have you lost your mind? How can I sit like this...? Why don't you understand-I'm a girl!"
Samrat lit another cigarette and said indifferently,
"Then that's your problem, not mine... I can't do anything."
Outside, it was raining heavily, and in the middle of that deserted forest, Samrat and Vaidehi were stuck inside an abandoned house.
Vaidehi was shivering badly from the cold. Looking at Samrat in frustration, she said,
"Do something..."
Samrat looked at her and replied calmly,
"Wait a little..."
Saying this, he spread his white shirt near the fire. It was already slightly dry and began drying more with the heat.
Vaidehi kept shivering, watching him with hopeful eyes.
After a while, Samrat picked up the shirt and handed it to her.
"It's dry enough now... change out of your wet clothes and wear this. Sit near the fire-you'll warm up faster. This is all we can do for now."
Vaidehi nodded slightly and quickly walked to the darker side.
She changed out of her wet clothes and wore Samrat's shirt. It was far too big for her-it fell below her knees, and her hands were almost hidden inside the sleeves.
Slowly, she walked back toward the fire.
By now, Samrat had almost finished an entire pack of cigarettes. Just then, the soft sound of her bangles caught his attention.
He looked at her-and for a moment, he fell silent... as if he couldn't believe that such a beautiful girl was his wife.
Vaidehi looked stunning. Her long, wet hair fell below her waist. Samrat's white shirt draped over her... and the thin line of sindoor in her hairline made her look even more beautiful.
She came and quietly sat near the fire, but the cold hadn't left her yet. She was still shivering slightly, even though the shirt was slowly drying.
Suddenly, a strange sound echoed from somewhere.
Hearing it, Vaidehi got scared. It felt as if something... or someone... was there.
On the other hand, Samrat wasn't paying attention to it. He was just staring at the fire, occasionally glancing at Vaidehi.
All of a sudden, a lizard fell onto Vaidehi's back.
She screamed loudly and ran straight into Samrat's lap, clinging to him tightly as she said in panic,
"A ghost grabbed me!"Samrat got irritated hearing her and said,
"Vaidehi, get off my lap... this feels weird."
But instead of moving away, Vaidehi clung to him even tighter.
Wrapping her legs around his waist and hiding her face in his chest, she said,
"No... I'm really scared... I'll stay like this..."
Samrat, who had been shivering from the cold until now, slowly began to feel warmth, even sweat forming on his forehead. He held her waist tightly and said in a low voice,
"Vaidehi... I'm losing control..."
But Vaidehi was so frightened that it was as if she couldn't hear anything.
Suddenly, Samrat pulled her closer. He was sitting against the wall, and her body pressed against it. Moving closer, he gently held her face and placed his lips on hers.
Vaidehi held onto him and didn't stop him.
For a while, both of them got lost in that moment.
Then Samrat slowly lowered her onto the floor and leaned over her. He began unbuttoning the white shirt she was wearing, one by one.
His lips moved from her face to her neck... then to her shoulders.
Vaidehi held onto his back tightly, as if fear and the intensity of the moment were both taking over her at once.
Just then, lightning flashed again.
Startled, Vaidehi pressed herself closer to him, digging her nails into his back and saying in a trembling voice,
"Samrat... I'm really scared..."
But Samrat seemed lost in a different state of mind. Ignoring her words, he said in a low, heavy voice,
"You're scared... now you might feel a little pain too..."
As he said this, he gently bit her shoulder.
Vaidehi shivered slightly in pain and said,
"Samrat... what are you doing... it hurts..."
With a faint smile, Samrat said,
"Vaidehi... I'm losing control... I want you completely..."
He moved closer, slowly pulling her shirt aside.
Vaidehi just kept looking at him.
Bringing her face closer, Samrat held her hands and said,
"It might hurt a little..."
Vaidehi nodded softly,
"It's okay... I can bear it..."
Samrat intertwined his fingers with hers and pulled her closer. His lips brushed along her face, neck, and shoulders, moving slowly downward.
Vaidehi's breathing grew faster-fear, nervousness, and an unfamiliar feeling all mixed together, surrounding