Chapter 37
Nisha
Sitting cross-legged on my bed, I stare at my laptop screen. Five tabs are open, each one from a college I’ve shortlisted. The cursor blinks on the application form of the one that feels just a little more me than the rest. But as I keep staring at it, my mind begins to drift.
I know Sidharth is still overthinking and worrying. And even though I’ve told him a hundred times that things are okay, I also know that no matter how much I try to reach him, a part of him will always brace for the worst.
I let out a sigh. I guess that’s just something that comes with his job, always looking out for danger and preparing for fallout. That man surely doesn’t know how to simply breathe. Not when it comes to the people he cares about.
But despite all that, the fact that he’s trying means everything to me.
I smile, thinking about how he promised he’d tone his protectiveness down. He even said he’d come over tonight after work to help me go through the college options, even though the idea of me stepping out alone still doesn’t sit well with him.
But despite his hesitation, it still feels like a step forward for us. Because if we’re really building a forever together, it has to start with learning to meet each other halfway, even when fear and doubt whisper otherwise.
“Nisha, look at this guy!”
I blink out of my thoughts and glance up to see Sunita Aunty entering my room, with Shadow trotting behind her, his teeth latched onto the edge of her rust-orange saree.
“Oh my God, he really loves you, Aunty,” I say with a laugh, pushing the laptop aside.
“Ugh! One day, he’s going to ruin all my sarees,” she groans, her hands on her hips as she glares down at him, then looks up at me.
“I’ve been trying to leave for the temple for the last twenty minutes, but this guy just won’t let me go.
I even tried bribing him with that biscuit tin, but he’s too smart. ”
Shadow lets out a bark, and I grin. “Maybe he wants to go with you to the temple.”
“I’m not taking him to the temple with me,” she mutters dramatically, tugging at the fabric, trying to yank it free, without much success.
“Why not?” I tease.
She straightens up, scandalized. “You can’t be serious. He’ll bark there and create havoc!”
“He won’t, Aunty. You know he’s well-behaved. He’ll sit quietly next to you. And people bring their pets to the temple all the time. I don’t think anyone will have an issue.”
She eyes me for a beat, then looks down at Shadow, who’s now wagging his tail like he’s agreeing with me.
“You sure this is a good idea?”
“Yup.”
She shakes her head with a sigh. “Fine.”
Then, as she turns to leave, she points a finger at me. “Tell your future husband he owes me a new saree.”
“I’ll pass your message,” I call after her, grinning as she marches off, with Shadow prancing along beside her like he just won a war.
Once I’m alone, I pull the laptop back into my lap and start going through the colleges again. A smile forms on my lips as I think about how these little pieces of life… this home, these people, this chaos, make me believe that life really is beautiful.
An hour later, I shut the laptop and stretch as my stomach grumbles. I glance towards the door, then to the kitchen. Maybe there’s still some of Aunty’s paratha left from this morning.
Just as I push myself off the bed, the doorbell rings.
I groan. Perfect timing.
Padding towards the front door, I unlock it and swing it open, only to frown when my eyes meet Maya’s.
She stands there in a pale green, knee-length dress, her makeup flawless, and her hair pulled into a high ponytail.
But what catches my gaze almost instantly is the bruise peeking out from the neckline of her dress, just above her collarbone.
My stomach tightens as Sidharth’s words replay in my mind, about how Deepak had hurt her, not just emotionally, but physically too.
When I found out how she betrayed my sister, I hated her. I built this image of her in my head as one of those over-the-top villains straight out of a TV drama. And to be honest, I still hate her. She’s done enough to make sure I never run out of reasons.
But now, the sharp remark I usually throw at her the second I see her doesn’t come.
It’s definitely not pity. Because I could never feel that for someone who hurt my sister the way she did. But I guess it’s just something in that bruised and broken look on her face that tells me to hold my tongue. Just out of sheer humanity
“Can we talk?” she asks softly.
I want to say no, maybe even slam the door in her face. But I just step aside.
She walks in without a word, and I close the door behind me. She then turns to face me, meeting my eyes as I fold my arms across my chest.
“What do you want to talk about?”
She looks at me for a long moment, her eyes eerily calm. Almost too calm. Then, out of nowhere, she throws her head back and laughs.
I frown. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
Her laughter dies as abruptly as it started. She tilts her head, and her lips curl into that all-too-familiar venomous smile.
“Oh, Nisha,” she coos, her voice dripping with mock sweetness. “Did you really think I was some helpless damsel in distress?”
My stomach tightens. “What are you talking about?”
“Well,” she drawls, taking a deliberate step closer.
“I figured it’s time you heard it straight from me.
Those threatening messages that rattled you?
That was me,” she purrs. “The fear, the confusion, the emotional chaos you’ve been drowning in?
That was my little gift… a free ride on the roller coaster I built just for you. ”
Nausea twists in my gut, and I just stare at her, trying to make sense of the words that came out of her mouth. She did all this?
“What?” I whisper.
“You heard me,” she says, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction. “Now don’t give me that shocked look like one of those family drama heroines.”
“But why?” I could barely get the word out.
She shrugs like it’s nothing and flops onto the couch like she owns the place. “Because I wanted you gone,” she says casually, as if she’s talking about the weather.
My pulse stutters. “Deepak?” I manage, still struggling to catch my breath. “He… he was the one sending those messages, right?”
“Deepak?” She laughs, a low, cruel sound that chills me to the bone. “Please. He was just a pawn in my game. A stupid idiot who actually thought I loved him.”
I take an instinctive step back, my heart hammering in my ears. “But the bruise on your neck… he hit you.”
“Oh, that?” Her smile widens wickedly as she brushes her fingers along the dark mark. “Sometimes… Prakash and I like it rough, you see.”
For a second, I can’t breathe. God, just how many more shocks does she have up her sleeve?
“Prakash?” I murmur, barely able to form the name.
“Yes,” she nods with a mock sigh, crossing one leg over the other as she leans back. “Prakash and I are a couple. Have been since my college days. In fact, the baby I lost was his.”
My heart slams so hard I feel it in my throat. “You and Prakash? But then… Deepak?”
She grins and tilts her head like she’s telling me a secret.
“Deepak was just a detour. You see Prakash and I like to play around with other people in between to spice up our sex life. But a boring little goody-two-shoes like you wouldn’t understand that.
” She winks at me as she continues, “And let me tell you, Deepak was a good fuck. But then he started behaving like a typical male, always telling me, ‘Don’t drink, don’t party,’ always trying to control me.
And when he found out the baby wasn’t his, he broke up with me.
I wasn’t bothered about the breakup, but I couldn’t let him go scot-free.
I wanted him to pay for rejecting me. So, I cooked up the whole story of him torturing me. ”
My stomach twists as the realisation hits. That night, the man I saw her with… it was Prakash.
“You’re sick.” I take in a sharp breath.
“Oh, Nisha. I know how much you hate me. And trust me, the feeling is mutual. You made me your enemy the day you humiliated me in front of everyone.”
My stomach lurches. “So this was your way of getting revenge on me?”
She swings her legs off the couch and leans forward, like she’s about to deliver another blow.
“Exactly. That’s why I asked Prakash to help me.
He came up with the perfect plan. To pretend to fall for you, play with your emotions, and then crush you in front of everyone.
But things started going off track when you broke up with him and started threatening to go to the cops about Suman. ”
I stare at her, horrified. My mouth goes dry, but I manage to force the words out. “What did Suman have to do with any of this? Why did Prakash hurt her in the first place?”
“She saw Prakash and me together and was going to tell you. We couldn’t risk it,” she says flatly.
“So you…”
“We didn’t plan to kill her,” Maya cuts in, her tone icy cold. “Just scare her. Prakash thought assaulting her would be enough to shut her up. But turns out your loyal little pet was still determined to tell you.”
Tears sting my eyes as a hot rage boils up in my blood, but before I can curse her, she says, almost sweetly, “I have another confession for you, darling.” Her eyes gleam with something unholy.
“I bribed the constable myself to get Prakash out. And yes, I was with him that day—when we entered your house to attack Sunita Aunty. In fact, stabbing her gave me a satisfaction I can’t even describe.
” She lets out a cold laugh. “But you foolish people never even thought it could be me. You all assumed it had to be a man. Turns out, this woman outplayed you all. Smarter. Deadlier. And you never saw me coming.”
“You bitch.” I spit, the word tearing out of me, when she suddenly pulls a gun from her pocket and aims it straight at me. My lungs seize. For a second, the whole room tilts sideways and my heart thuds violently.
“I guess it’s time to make you pay for throwing those words at me,” she sneers as she rises to her feet.
I know running isn’t an option. It would only provoke her, and she might pull the trigger. I have to keep her talking… have to buy time and think of another way out.
“Maya,” I say slowly, forcing my voice to stay calm, “don’t be stupid. You’ll get yourself in worse trouble.”
Her smile curls and turns nasty. “Trouble? You think I care? I’ve already crossed every line there is. What’s one more?”
I glance sideways, calculating the distance to my room. My phone’s too far.
“You have no idea how long I’ve waited to see you like this, cowering in fear,” Maya hisses, a venomous smile dancing on her lips.
I stare down at the gun in her hand. My pulse throbs in my throat. I know I’m trapped, but I won’t let her see it.
“Don’t do this,” I say again. “You seriously want to spend the rest of your life rotting in jail?”
“I’ll worry about that later. For now, I want you gone.”
But before I can rack my brain for a way to escape this psycho, the door bursts open and Sidharth storms in, fury evident in his every stride.
“Sidharth!” I cry out, relief and terror crashing in my chest. He takes in the scene and instantly positions himself between Maya and me, shielding me from her.
I grab his arm instinctively, my fingers digging into his shoulder. “Sidharth, she’s lost it. We need to go!”
He doesn’t respond. His cold gaze stays locked on Maya.
“Put the gun down,” he growls.
Maya’s lips curl maniacally. “Do you really think I’m that stupid?”
Sidharth shrugs off my hold and takes a slow step towards her.
“Don’t move!” she shrieks, her finger twitching on the trigger. “One more step, and I’ll shoot!”
“Sidharth, please don’t…” My voice cracks, but he ignores me and takes another step forward.
Before I can reach out to stop him, Maya fires.
The deafening sound of the gunshot tears through the air.
My heart stops, the world tilting beneath my feet, as I see Sidharth jerk back.
I watch in horror as he staggers, and then before I can react, he lunges forward and wrestles the gun from Maya’s hand.
Sidharth snarls at her, “Your game is over.”
The door bursts open just then, and Viraj storms in with two female constables. It all happens at once. Maya thrashes and screams as they handcuff her, shouting curses that fade into the background, but at this point, all I can see is Sidharth. I immediately rush to him.
“Sidharth,” I cry, holding him just as his legs give out and we both collapse to the floor. I look down and see his shirt soaked in blood, his breathing uneven, his eyes fluttering shut.
Panic claws at my chest. “No, no, no… stay with me, please….” I beg, my voice breaking as I cradle his head in my lap, his blood seeping into my T-shirt.
Viraj is already shouting into his phone. “We need an ambulance at Sector Nine, now! Officer down. I repeat, officer down!”
“Sshhh… relax, okay?” I whisper, trying to sound calm even as my world shatters around me. “Help is on the way. Just stay with me. Please.”
He coughs weakly, but his eyes remain shut.
“Open your eyes…” I choke out between sobs, brushing his hair back with shaky fingers. “Please, look at me!”
As if hearing me, his eyes slowly flutter open, and his lips curl into the faintest smile.
“I… was right,” he rasps.
Tears spill down my cheeks as I nod. I know exactly what he means… about his instinct, about the feeling that troubled him, that something was off ever since he caught Prakash and Deepak.
“I know,” I whisper, nodding through the tears. “You were right. You always are.”
His breathing grows ragged, and his eyelids become heavy, threatening to close again.
“No!” I shake my head, panic rising in my chest. “You’re not allowed to go. Do you hear me? You are not allowed to go!” My voice cracks as I lean closer. “You have to stay. I haven’t even told you about all the colleges I picked. You promised you’d help me choose.”
Sidharth smiles weakly at me. His eyes are barely open now.
“You promised to take care of me. You can’t break that promise now,” I say, placing his hand against my heart.
“I… I… love…” he tries to speak, but it breaks into a choking sound, followed by a fresh gush of blood.
“I love you. I love you, Sidharth. Please, please don’t leave me.” My hands tremble as I press harder on the wound, desperate to stop the bleeding.
And then his eyes close, and his hand goes limp.
“No!” I scream, shaking him. “Sidharth! Wake up!”
Viraj is suddenly beside me, his hand firm on my shoulder. “Come on,” he says softly, pulling me back as paramedics rush in.
I sob harder, refusing to tear my gaze away as they work on him. “Please save him, please….”
They lift him onto a stretcher and start wheeling him out. I turn, stumbling forward to follow them, but my vision tilts violently. The hallway spins around me, and my knees buckle.
The floor rushes up to meet me, the voices blurring into one.
The last thing I hear is someone shouting, “She’s fainting!”
And then, the darkness swallows me whole.