Fire
Paro gritted her teeth, blood pounding at her temples, roaring in her ears. Her ragged nails dug into the chapped skin of her palms. She nearly gasped at the alien emotion surging through her veins. She had never felt like this. Never known this uncontrollable urge to destroy, to rip, to break something.
That's ENOUGH!'
It was such sweet relief to say the words out loud. The momentary look of astonishment that replaced the sneer on his face was even sweeter.
"You ask why I came back? Why I chose to return to captivity? It's because you've left me no option. It's because I no longer control what I do and where I go. It's because I saw you following me, and I heard you talking about why you'd let me go. And it's because I'd rather return to a jallad like you than betray my loved ones. Even accidentally."
The stream of anguished words laced with bitterness flowed unchecked. After relentlessly picking at it for days, he had finally managed to tear off the scabs from the heart that had just begun to heal. And even he had been unprepared for the torrent he had released.
Paro slumped back against the wall he had pinned her arms to, the flame of her rebellion dying out as exhaustion and despair set in once again. Her eyes stung with tears that she refused to shed. The droop of her head told him that she was done.
Done? Not a chance in hell.
For the first time in ages, he'd found an adversary who seemed to be every bit as stubborn as him. Underneath the ashes of her uncharacteristic outburst, Rudra had detected a hint of the same steel he had been forged from. He hadn't recognized it earlier-- had underestimated her. Not that it was his fault. Her facade of weakness and vulnerability had disguised it all too well. But he wouldn't be making the same mistake again. A burst of adrenaline made his heart pump faster, his breathing almost as unsteady as hers.
Done?
This was just the beginning.
3. The Remains of the Day I-- Page 5
4. The Weight of Questions-- Page 7
5. Of Realism and Illusions-- Page 8
7. Something Borrowed, Something Blue-- Page 11
8. The Fickle Nature of Labels-- Page 13
9. The Merits and Demerits of Salt-- Page 15
11. On His Blindness-- Page 20
12. The Importance of Being Aman-- Page 21
14. What Sunehri Wants-- Page 26
15. In The Pursuit of Hypnos-- Page 32
17. Parvati Ke Nuskhe-- Page 39
18. The Lady Who Wanted To Be A Tramp-- Page 42
19. Madness is like gravity. All it needs is a little push.-- Page 46
22. The Folly of Fools- Page 59
23. Ek Tooti Huyi Choodi Ki Keemat- Page 64
25. Knowing Me, Knowing You- Page 72
26. What's In A Name?- Page 76
28. Cracks- Page 88
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah
