-28-
The weather was cold in the first week of November after the unexpected rain. Delhi was as usual filled with the busy traffic with the sky turning dark suddenly.
Jayasvi was currently in a mall buying some groceries along with Rishabh who was looking at Random things while pushing the trolley, Jayasvi was checking the expiry dates of the items, she was putting in her trolley.
"What are you going to cook?", Rishabh spoke looking at the ingredients in the trolley with a puzzled look.
"Pizza", she responded casually before buying some more things and moving towards the cash counter to make the payment. She passed the bags to Rishabh with a side look.
"I am not your servant", Rishabh responded as they moved towards the elevator.
"I am not used to holding things and secondly be a gentleman, Hooda family won't settle for less", Jayasvi spoke pressing the basement button since it was the parking area. She saw Rishabh's face turning sore hearing her words.
"How are things going with Dhara di?", Jayasvi spoke already feeling something bad was coming up.
"I don't know Jayu. She is just too much to handle at times. She gets arrogant and stubborn", Rishabh spoke his forehead filled with worry lines.
"You know right what you mean? She is imagining her whole life with you", Jayasvi spoke getting worried now. More than anything her own life was connected with all this.
"That's the point, Jayu. Imagination should stay that way only. Her demands are unrealistic at times. You know our economic status already", Rishabh spoke clearly done with her.
"And you are understanding this now. You should've known that before all this started", Jayasvi responded clearly agitated with the reveal.
"I was never a part of the plan. I got to know about all this a week prior of your engagement and guess what, I could do nothing", he spoke as the elevator opened and he stepped out. Jayasvi stared at him with eyes burning with anger, she followed him wanting to have a conversation about this.
"So what do you want now", Jayasvi spoke trying to follow his speed.
"Nothing to do with her", he responded moving towards his car. Jayasvi knew this will never end on a good note. The moment was about to unlock the door, a bright light made it impossible for them to see anything.
Jayasvi blinked few times before witnessing the scene.
She found Raghav dressed in a long black blazer and matching pants marching in their way with many of his bodyguards all dressed in black 3-piece suits following him.
To be frank, she was scared looking at his facial expression.
He looked as if he will kill anyone right now.
"I told you already Rishabh, one tear from my sister's eyes and you are gone", he announced standing in front of Rishabh ignoring Jayasvi all together.
"I am not liable to her happiness, Mr. Hooda. The world does not go according to her will", Rishabh spoke in a cold unaffected tone. Jayasvi knew she had to come in between. Raghav looked beyond angry. He could do anything right now. She could sense that.
"Raghav, please, let's talk somewhere else", she spoke softly.
"Don't come in between", Raghav growled which made her flinch at the hard tone.
"Don't talk to my sister that way. At least she knows how to control her eyes not like some other girl who can't control their fucking emotion", Rishabh responded in a cold taunting tone.
Jayasvi's eyes widened as she took steps to come in between when she was roughly pushed by Raghav to the side.
She ended up on the floor bruising her elbow with the harsh blow.
"What the fuck did you say?", Raghav questioned holding Rishabh's collar. Rishabh was nowhere matching his strength.
"Just because I was silent for so long just because of my sister, did you really think you can fucking open your mouth in front of me? You low life creature. What do you think of yourself?", Raghav growled holding his neck in a tight grip.
Jayasvi got up on her feet trying to handle the situation. She could feel sharp pain in both of her elbows and right knee but she couldn't think more as she tried to stop them.
"Raghav, please, no. You will kill him. I will talk to him", Jayasvi spoke clearly seeing it was getting difficult for Raghav to breathe. She tried to remove Raghav's grip from around his neck pleading him.
Raghav looked at her once before pushing Rishabh away who started taking deep breaths. Jayasvi moved to help him.
"Tell him clearly to stay away from my sister from now on", Raghav warned Jayasvi showing his finger to her. Jayasvi was scared with everything as tears fell down her eyes as she tried to help Rishabh. She herself felt weak at the moment but nodded nevertheless.
Raghav gave a last look to Rishabh before turning to leave.
"You motherfucker rich bastard, how dare you talk to my sister that way.
You impotent piece of shit, Can't even control your whore of a sister and warning everyone around.
Jayu, don't marry him, I am afraid he can't even produce a child", Rishabh spoke in a mocking way.
Jayasvi's eyes widened at his disgusting words.
She wasn't aware what got in him but that wasn't the thing she was afraid.
Her eyes moved to Raghav who stood frozen at his place.
Only by looking at his stiff shoulder she knew a storm was approaching, she saw him fisting his hand.
The moment he turned Jayasvi approached him trying to calm his anger.
"Raghav, please, no—", Before she could complete her sentence she was pushed away harshly letting her fall harder this time on the floor.
The denim jeans she was wearing tore from her knees along with her black turtle neck sweater which tore from her elbows.
She could feel pain shooting all over her body.
For a moment even her vision got blurry.
Soon she noticed Raghav attacking Rishabh.
Raghav lunged at Rishabh with a fury that made the air around them crackle with tension. He grabbed Rishabh by the collar, lifting him off the ground effortlessly. Rishabh's mocking words seemed to have unlocked a primal rage in Raghav, one that was terrifying to behold.
Jayasvi, still on the floor and now in significant pain, watched in horror as Raghav's fist connected with Rishabh's face.
The sickening sound of the impact echoed through the parking lot.
Blood spattered from Rishabh's nose, and his head snapped back with the force of the punch.
But Raghav didn't stop. He threw another punch, this one aimed at Rishabh's stomach, knocking the wind out of him.
The sounds of Raghav's fists connecting with Rishabh's body echoed in the parking lot, each blow sending a fresh wave of fear through Jayasvi's already trembling body.
She tried to push herself up, but her body refused to cooperate.
The pain in her bruised elbows and torn knees was too intense, making it nearly impossible for her to even lift herself off the ground.
Every attempt to move sent sharp stabs of agony shooting through her limbs, and she could feel warm blood seeping through the tears in her clothes, staining the cold concrete beneath her.
"Raghav, stop! Please!" she managed to cry out, her voice weak and laced with desperation. But her plea was drowned out by the sounds of violence that filled the air.
Raghav, consumed by rage, didn't seem to hear her.
His entire focus was on Rishabh, who was barely able to defend himself against the relentless onslaught.
Raghav's face was a mask of pure hatred, and his powerful fists continued to rain down on Rishabh, who was quickly losing the strength to stand.
Tears streamed down Jayasvi's face as she watched helplessly, her heart aching not only from the physical pain but from the horror of what was unfolding before her eyes. She had never seen Raghav like this, and the realization that she might not be able to stop him filled her with a sense of dread.
"Please, Raghav, you're going to kill him!" she shouted again, forcing herself to speak despite the pain. She knew she had to do something, anything, to stop this before it was too late.
Summoning every ounce of strength she had left, Jayasvi tried once more to get up.
She winced as she put weight on her injured knee, but the thought of what might happen if she didn't intervene gave her the determination to push through the pain.
Slowly, shakily, she managed to pull herself up to her feet, her legs wobbling beneath her.
She staggered towards Raghav, her vision still blurry from the tears and the pain. "Raghav, stop!" she cried out again, reaching out to him with trembling hands.
But Raghav was too far gone, his mind clouded by a storm of anger and hurt.
He didn't see Jayasvi standing between them until it was too late.
His fist, mid-swing, connected with her side as she threw herself in front of Rishabh.
The impact knocked the wind out of her, and she fell to the ground once more, gasping for breath.
The sight of Jayasvi crumpled on the floor seemed to snap Raghav out of his rage.
He froze, his chest heaving as he stared down at her, the horror of what he had just done dawning on him.
But the anger was still there, simmering beneath the surface, and he couldn't bring himself to reach out to her.
"Please, Raghav... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." Jayasvi sobbed, her voice trembling. She was too weak to move, the pain in her body too overwhelming. She could barely keep her eyes open, but she forced herself to look up at him, to plead with him one last time.
Raghav's fist stopped in midair, the aggression never once diminishing in his eyes.
He looked down at her helpless face, and for a moment, she thought she saw a flicker of the man she had come to care for.
But it was quickly replaced by the cold, hardened mask of the man who had just attacked her cousin.
She joined her hands together, trying to plead for the life of her cousin. "Please Raghav, please stop, he will die," she begged, her voice barely a whisper now. Moving any part of her body was getting more painful by the second, but she didn't care. She just wanted this nightmare to end.
Raghav's eyes flickered with something that resembled remorse, but it was gone as quickly as it came. He looked down at Rishabh, who was barely conscious, his body slumped against the wall of the parking lot.
"I don't want to see him anywhere near my sister again," Raghav announced, his voice cold and unyielding. "Otherwise, he won't survive next time."
With that, Raghav turned and stormed out of the parking lot, his bodyguards following him without a word. The silence that followed was deafening, broken only by the sound of Jayasvi's ragged breathing and Rishabh's groans of pain.
One of the bodyguards paused and looked back at her, his face impassive. He gave a slight nod, a gesture that might have been one of pity or apology, before he followed Raghav into the darkness.
Jayasvi sobbed quietly as she tried to crawl over to Rishabh, her entire body aching with every movement. She reached out to him, her fingers trembling as she gently touched his face. "Rishabh, can you hear me?" she whispered, her voice shaking with fear and exhaustion.
Rishabh groaned softly, his eyes fluttering open. He looked up at her with a dazed expression, his face bruised and swollen. "Jayu... I'm sorry," he mumbled, his voice barely audible.
"Don't talk," she whispered, tears streaming down her face as she tried to help him sit up. "We need to get out of here."
As she struggled to support his weight, Jayasvi felt her own strength fading. Her vision blurred, and she had to blink rapidly to keep herself from passing out. The pain in her body was overwhelming, but she couldn't stop now. She had to get Rishabh to safety.
With great effort, Jayasvi managed to help Rishabh to his feet.
They leaned on each other for support as they slowly made their way towards the car.
The cold November air bit into their skin, but neither of them could feel anything but the pain of their injuries and the lingering terror of what had just happened.
As they reached the car, Jayasvi fumbled with the keys, her hands shaking uncontrollably.
She finally managed to unlock the door, and they both collapsed into the seats, gasping for breath.
The adrenaline that had carried her through the ordeal was rapidly fading, leaving behind a bone-deep exhaustion and a gnawing fear that seemed to settle in her chest.
For a moment, she just sat there, her hands gripping the steering wheel tightly as she tried to steady her racing heart. She knew she needed to get Rishabh to a hospital, but panic surged through her as she realized she didn't know how to drive properly.
With trembling hands, she reached for her phone and scrolled through her contacts until she found the number she was looking for. Her fingers were still shaking as she pressed the call button, holding the phone to her ear as she waited for the call to connect.
"Hello?" came the familiar voice on the other end.
"Mama," Jayasvi's voice cracked, her throat tight with emotion.
"It's me, Jayasvi. We... we've been attacked.
Some robbers in the parking lot—they hurt us badly.
" She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes again as she spoke, but she forced herself to stay calm.
She knew taking Raghav's name would only make things worse.
"Rishabh is hurt, and I can't drive. Can you please come and get us? "
Her maternal uncle's voice immediately shifted to one of concern and urgency. "Jayasvi, are you alright? Where are you?"
"We're in the mall parking lot, in the basement," she replied, glancing over at Rishabh, who was slumped against the passenger seat, his face pale and drawn. "Please hurry, Mama. Rishabh needs help."
The things happened so quickly as her mama came after sometime.
She herself was feeling her control on her body losing.
Jayasvi couldn't stop the flood of thoughts racing through her mind.
She couldn't shake the image of Raghav's enraged face, the way he had looked at her with eyes that were almost unrecognizable.
The man she had come to care for had become a stranger in an instant, and she couldn't help but wonder if things would ever be the same again.
But for now, all that mattered was getting Rishabh to the hospital. Everything else would have to wait.
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