32—His wrath.

32— His wrath.

“Love is bound to happen but what if it happens with the wrong person or if the person you are in love with is actually the image you already made of them in your head? What if it's nothing but a self made lie to quench your own gratification? Does love even exist without any expectancy?”

—Saumya Tripathi.

“At least the singing of birds is not drowned out by motorway traffic here,” she remarked.

It was a critical remark, nonetheless. The place was in the middle of nowhere; that explained the absence of traffic noise. It was a rare sight—peace that was often lost in the chaos of bright, noisy, fast-moving activity.

As she watched the small, harmless birds wandering freely, she felt something akin to serenity just by observing those fragile lives. The chirping of birds around the fountain brought a calming sense of déjà vu, one that lingered in her memory and could never be replaced.

She breathed. The same air that had seemed suffocating not long ago now felt breathable—just barely. Closing her eyes, a heavy weight pressing against her chest, she tried to steady her breathing and fill herself with calm.

“That is what you would have wanted, wouldn’t you?” she murmured, opening her eyes to glance at the sky.

Rubbing her eyes softly, she thought of her parents—their happy moments together. The memories always brought a soothing sense of comfort.

The wind felt gentle against her cold skin as it brushed across her bare face. Radhika lifted her chin slightly, letting it wash over her. It was, indeed, a beautiful day—calm and soothing in its quiet embrace.

Ironically, if only she had known it was just the calm before the storm…

Radhika was so engrossed in her thoughts that she failed to notice the presence that came barreling into the room, carrying with it an aura so dark that the temperature seemed to drop a few degrees.

Though she remained unaware, Uzair felt an unexplained fear surge through his veins—perhaps fueled by the anxiety of his own conclusions.

Entering the room, his storm-filled, coal-black eyes scanned the space, searching for the one he intended to question for the stunt she had dared to pull.

When he found her, he strode across the room. His dark, unsettled gaze moved over her, giving her a quick once-over, checking for any visible injuries. Finding none, he let out a quiet breath of relief.

It was almost ironic.

But the relief vanished just as quickly, replaced by a surge of fury. The tension in his stride turned ominous as he approached her petite figure.

Fury hardened his features, his insides turning cold as he closed the distance between them.

Her back was still turned toward him, completely unaware of his presence.

There would be chaos—if only she knew what was about to happen.

Looking at her petite form for a moment, his mind questioned whether she had truly tried to flee. But a second later, his clouded thoughts dragged him elsewhere, each one more gruesome than the last.

It was terrifying. Even he was terrified at the mere thought of something happening to her.

Those thoughts made his entire being radiate fury. Consumed by them, he strode forward.

“There she is.”

Closing the distance between them in less than five seconds with long strides, he came to a stop behind her.

Half a second before everything happened, she sensed it—an unconscious awareness of a dark presence radiating behind her.

His hand gripped the nape of her neck, spinning her around with force until she faced him. His eyes burned with fury.

Hers were clueless.

Her heart jumped at the sudden, intrusive touch before she winced in pain at the rough hold on her hair. Her wide, confused eyes met his. She gawked at him in disbelief.

Reaching back with both hands, she tried to pry his hand away, peering up at him, unsure of how to react. With his towering height, he blocked her vision until she could see nothing but him—only him.

She was too stunned to react to his immoral actions. However, the disbelief in her eyes slowly faded into fear as she noticed the fury simmering in his gaze.

Her heart felt as though it would burst out of her chest. The courage within her dissolved under the weight of his obsidian stare.

“W-what are you doing?!” The tremor in her voice was unmistakable.

Leaning closer, he stared into her eyes, his gaze intimidating.

“Planning on breaking free from here again?”

His eyes remained fixed on her, observing every small movement as she struggled.

“I didn’t know you enjoyed escaping so much.” Moving his cold lips closer to her warm ear, he whispered, sending goosebumps across her body. His sharp eyes held hers captive.

It took her a moment to process his words. Her mind lagged behind. It was obvious—her wide, round eyes reflected confusion, but quickly widened further in fear as his grip tightened.

Shivers of cold, mixed with nervousness, ran down her spine. His hold hurt her. Her body was pinned between the railing and him, his free hand braced beside her waist, leaving her no room to move.

Tears shimmered in her eyes as the injured skin on her back brushed dangerously close to the railing—still raw, still unhealed. She struggled in his grip.

“W-what?” she thought, tongue-tied and shell-shocked.

Gathering what little courage she had, she swallowed hard.

“W-what are you talking about?” she asked, her voice trembling, watching the fury radiating from him. But why? She didn’t know. What could have made him say that?

“You’d be astonished to know that I’m rarely surprised,” he paused. “But the stunt you pulled… it did surprise me.”

The darkness in his eyes deepened as his gaze wandered over her small face.

“When I found out, I realized you were trying to do something strictly forbidden to you.”

A cold sensation slithered down her spine. It was nerve-wracking.

She was unsure, timid about what he was implying.

Had he completely lost his mind?

“Why?” he snarled.

At that moment, her heart sank further, confirming the thought she had about him not long ago. She had been too naive to believe he was what her uncle had made him seem.

This was his true nature. His brutal behavior was both concerning and alarming. In that moment, she felt nothing but fear and fury—both clashing within her.

Angry tears blurred her vision. He was nothing but a deceiver. Nothing but a monster—just as she had always known. She could no longer make sense of his behavior. It confused her to the point where she wanted nothing more than to disappear somewhere he could never reach her—not even in a million years.

“What were you even thinking, for God’s sake?!”

He took a deep breath, trying to let some of his fury slip away. His muscles flexed beneath his white shirt, straining with tension.

He needed to know what had driven her to do something so reckless—even after knowing the danger it carried. What was wrong? Why would she do something like this?

If only she knew what she had done.

“Look at me.”

His voice was sharp, leaving no room for refusal. She hadn’t even realized she was staring at the floor, lost in her own thoughts.

“When I’m talking to you, you don’t look away.”

When her eyes met his, a chill ran down her spine.

“I told you to stay away from things you don’t understand.”

A pause.

“Yet you walked straight into it.”

Silence.

He clenched his teeth, the tension visible on his face.

“Do you even understand what you’ve done?”

His voice dropped, dangerously low.

“You think this is a game?” He leaned closer. “Because I can assure you… it’s not.”

It took her a moment to break the silence.

Her breath hitched, but she forced herself to look at him.

“You don’t get to act like this…” Her voice broke slightly. “Not when you’re the one who kept me in the dark.”

His jaw tightened. His expression flickered—just for a second.

“You think this is about control?”

He stepped closer, his voice dropping dangerously low.

“I kept you in the dark because you wouldn’t have survived the truth.”

Her breath faltered.

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