OS: Beauty and the Beast

( A very fairy tale one shot. I hope you like it.)

"I told you nah? I told you!" Abhi said as he grabbed Pragya by the shoulders. "I told you to stay away."

"Why do you want me to go?" Pragya replied. "I can't stay away from you!"

"I don't want you to go but you have to." Abhi cupped her face. "It's dangerous!"

"What's dangerous? Huh? What?" Pragya asked him.

"You have to leave Pragya." Abhi said turning away and looking at the sky. "I can't tell you."

"I am not going to leave you!" Pragya told him. "I love you Abhi."

"What?" Abhi looked at her.

"Yes. I love you." Pragya said as she took a step towards him.

"You can't love me. I told you not to!" Abhi said backing off.

"You don't love me?" Pragya stopped abruptly and looked at him. Abhi stood there silent for God knows how long.

"I.." Abhi stopped. He saw tears forming in Pragya's eye as she slowly started to back off. She turned to run but Abhi caught her hand and pulled her towards him. "Tears because of me? Never."

"Leave me." Pragya struggled. "You don't love me. Leave me."

"Shh." Abhi hugged her trying to calm her down. "Never doubt my love for you."

"Then why can't we be together." Pragya said looking at him.

"I don't want to hurt you." Abhi told her leaving her and backing off. "Please go before it's too late."

"I am not goi-" Pragya was cut off by a groan. Pragya stared at Abhi. Abhi groaned. His voice going deeper than usual. His eyes going into slits, his canines growing larger and sharper. Abhi started to change. His nails grew, yellow eyes. He had fur all over. Pragya stared at him horror. Abhi turned to her. There was a murderous expression on his face.

Pragya's brain was screaming at her to run but her heart refused. Her heart overpowered her will power. She stood adamant in her place, not moving an inch. Abhi lunged at her. She fell backwards, her elbows scraping due to the rocks underneath. Abhi pulled her up and pushed her towards the wall. She hit her head on the wall that gave her a gash on the forehead. Yet, she refused to leave. She stood there still.

"Abhi?" Pragya addressed the beast. "It's me Pragya. Your wife!" Abhi looked at her for a moment, the murderous glare fading away for a second but it was replaced with a more ferocious one.

"ARRRGGG." Abhi said before he charged at her. He grabbed Pragya by the neck and tried to choke her.

"Abhi...it's... me" Pragya squeaked. She was losing her breath faster. Her heart was still adamant. She didn't struggle, she let Abhi choke her. Why? She didn't know. It was as if her heart controlled everything of her body. Despite she was being choked, she was at a strange ease. "Abhi... look at...*GASP* me..."

Pragya could feel her soul leaving her body. She could see the blackness covering her eyes but just before she could meet her fate, Abhi let go. Pragya fell backwards gasping for air. She looked at Abhi, he was changing. He was returning back to normal. After Abhi had turned back to normal, he looked around to see any casualties, the moment he saw Pragya, he turned pale.

"Pragya? Pragya!" Abhi ran towards her. He examined her. "Oh Pragya, I told you to leave. Look what I have done?"

"I'm fine." Pragya said gasping for air. Abhi gave her a sad smile. "Are you okay?"

"Stop." Abhi said looking at her. "This is serious, I could have killed you!"

"But you didn't." Pragya looked at him.

"That was only because my phase ended." Abhi looked at her. "You were lucky. You were lucky these twenty minutes passed quickly."

"Twenty?" Pragya looked at him. "It's only been five minutes."

"What?" Abhi looked at her.

"Yes." Pragya smiled.

"That's not possible." Abhi said. "I can't change back that quickly."

"You did." Pragya held his hand. "You stopped midway."

"That's not possible." Abhi repeated.

"It is." Pragya cupped his face. "You need to have faith in yourself."

"I... Why didn't you run away?" Abhi looked at her. "Why didn't?"

"My heart wouldn't let me." Pragya told him.

"Are you not disgusted?" Abhi stared at her.

"Disgusted?" Pragya replied. "Why would I be disgusted by husband?"

"You're not afraid?" Abhi asked. All of his insecurities were coming out.

"Afraid? No." Pragya smiled. Abhi stared at her for a moment. She wasn't afraid. She wasn't afraid of this hideous beast that would control him night over night. Instead she loved him, instead she had faith in him. He slowly leaned in a kissed Pragya's gash on the forehead.

"I'm sorry for this." Abhi replied softly.

"I am not angry." Pragya told him. "Let's go home."

"Home?" Abhi looked at her. "Are you sure? It's been..."

"Six months." Pragya looked at him. "Just six months would not erase the bundle of memories you have given us. We were hurt because you chose to hide this instead of taking our help."

"How will I tell Daadi... Aaliyah?" Abhi said slowly. "They will despise me."

"No, they won't. There are your family." Pragya explained. "They will love you forever. I came here looking for you. It took me two months to reach here and now I am not leaving without you."

"Pragya it's not safe." Abhi looked at her. "I can't bear hurting anyone of you."

"We'll chain you if we have to but you're coming." Pragya joked.

"This is serious." Abhi told her.

"That's the problem. You're serious. You're taking my part away from me." Pragya told him. "You're Rock Star Abhi. You're never serious. You don't think, you act out of the moment and that's what we love. I don't want an emotionally conflicted Rock Star.. I want a fun loving one. Please come with me?"

"Okay." Abhi said after staring at Pragya for exactly five minutes. "I'll come but if I hurt someone.. I leave that very moment."

"No. You leave after hearing me or Daadi or Aaliyah." Pragya told him. Abhi squinted his eyes at her and then nodded. He wrapped an arm around her as they walked towards home.

"So... why suddenly you came looking for me." Abhi asked. "Why now? Why not before?"

"I..." Abhi had caught her off guard.

"I?" Abhi looked at her.

"Two months ago..." Pragya sighed. She was nervous. She didn't know how to say it. "Two months ago I... I found out I'm... I'm pregnant." Abhi stopped dead in his tracks.

"Are you okay?" Abhi rushed with his words. "I pushed you.. I tried choking you.. and DAMN IT! Is everything fine? The baby? Our child? Any pain?"

"I'm fine. I'm fine." Pragya assured him. "Our child is okay. So you're happy?"

"Happy? I'm jubilant!" Abhi laughed as he picked her up. "Haye you truly are my beauty."

"And you're literally the beast." Pragya replied. Together they headed home, where they had once promised to protect the other. Now at this point in life they could see their promises being fulfilled and their life taking a better turn.

Loved it very much.
Thank you for the OS
Please do write some more.

That was beautiful 👏!!!!

Very nice OS...Loved it👏😛...