Chapter -12
"HOW DARE HE? HOW DARE HE?" Bihaan kicked the sofa on their room ignoring Thapki's pleadings to calm down. "I WILL KILL HIM" he threw the glass water jug into the wall breaking it into thousand pieces and grabbed Thapki by shoulder, "How dare he touch you? How dare he hug you? He should not be alive. No" He jerked away from her again looking for something else to attack.
Thapki tried to say something soothing, but Bihaan wasn't listening. He was having another one of his volatile temper fits. Thapki had strong doubts Bihaan had developed an intermittent explosive disorder (IED) closely linked to his panic attacks. And he was having one of them now a.
"Baby, don't w-worry he is gone. No harm done." Thapki said trying to hold him.
"That is the thing, he shouldn't be gone his body should be here ...I should have killed that dog." He pushed her away from him and started to pace again.
Dorai fixed the door of their room and sneaked out as quietly and quickly he could, praying for his life. He didn't know how that girl was still holding her ground and being so near that angry volcano. Didn't she care about her life? Dorai had heard about Raja daku's volatile temper, what he was capable of doing in one of those fits. He wanted to warn the girl but couldn't surmise the courage to talk to her in front of Raja Bhaiya. Better he save his own life first.
Thapki saw Dorai leave the room locking the door quietly. She dropped the heavy quilt from around her and came closer to an agitated Bihaan trying to cradle his face.
"He had his arms around you and you were almost naked. He should be dead by now" Bihaan repeated looking crazed.
"Bihaan look at me b-baby...Look at me? S-See? I am here. With you. Concentrate on m-me?
Bihaan looked at her but didn't see her, "He shouldn't have done that...Thapki" he said brokenly still shaking in anger.
"Yes he s-s-shouldn't have."
"He shouldn't have touched you...you are mine."
"Yes, I am yours" Thapki said bringing his head down to her bosom, running her hands on his back, trying to calm him down. Bihaan hugged her so tight, Thapki almost yelped in pain but she controlled it. Bihaan didn't know what he was doing right now.
"You are mine Thapki and he brought police with him to take you away from me. As if that would ever work. "Bihaan said from her bosom.
"No one can t-take me away from you."
"YES, NO ONE CAN, I WON'T LET ANYONE. I will kill anyone who tries."
"Let's not t-talk about killing now o-okay?" Thapki said in a soothing voice still running her hands on his back, his hair, trying to calm him down.
"The moment I saw his face I had an explosion in my head and it had nothing to do with him putting his grubby hands on you Thapki. I don't know why I felt such hatred. I hate him...hate him."
"Yes, I hate him too. " Thapki said still hugging him close; wondering whether seeing Dhruv had triggered any memory in Bihaan.
"Thapki...I didn't like seeing you in his arms." Bihaan was still shaking.
"I know baby, I d-didn't like being in his arms e-either. Don't worry about him a-anymore. You already hurt him l-lots. I think he was hurt pretty bad."
"IT WAS NOT ENOUGH" Bihaan became agitated once more and began to raise his head from Thapki's chest. But Thapki held his head harder not letting his head up.
"It was enough for n-now. Shant ho jau, Bihaan. S-Shant."
"Thapki I am trying." Bihaan said frustratingly, almost crushing her to him.
"Bihaan, come with me, let me help y-you baby." Saying that she tugged Bihaan into the bathroom; he followed her meekly like a little lamb. She turned on the cold shower on full speed and made Bihaan stand below the spray, not caring that she was getting wet as well.
"You will f-feel better once you cool down. D-Don't think about him. Think about something else."
"All I can think of is him hugging you." Bihaan punched the shower wall and Thapki quickly took hold of his fisted hand which had to be hurting now.
"Don't think of t-that." She said kissing his fist, trying to pry his fingers loose."Think of how Y-YOU feel when I am in your arms."
"Thapki---"
Thapki shrugged out of the shirt she was wearing baring all and saw Bihaan looking at her with dread and fear.
"Thapki---", He croaked. She stepped into the shower cubicle properly and wrapped herself around him.
"You w-wanted to take a shower na? Half an hour back?? Let's have one together n-now." She said kissing Bihaan's throat.
"Thapki, you shouldn't---", But Thapki was not listening she was busy kissing him, while her hands were on his jeans trying to get it off. No red blooded male could remain immune to such sweet seduction and Bihaan was not indifferent to it either. Still he tried to protest, tried to get her off him. But Thapki wrapped her wet slick body to his wet one more securely. She stepped on his feet and stood on her toes trying to reach his mouth because Bihaan was not bending giving her access to it. She kissed his closed mouth, urging him to response and moved to bit his ear lobe.
"Make love to me B-Bihaan?"She said softly into his ear and Bihaan shuddered which had nothing to do with the cold spray of water.
"Thapki-you shouldn't...we shouldn't...I am not in right frame of my mind right now. I could hurt you with so much anger still inside me." Bihaan said stopping himself from kissing her somehow giving himself a mental shake.
"Y-You will never hurt me. I t-trust you."
"Thapki---"
"Take me, please. " She begged sliding her slippery arms around his neck wounding herself more firmly to him nibbling his lips. All Bihaan's resistance crumbled down to her sweet plea and he started to kiss her in earnest. Everything was forgotten...all he could think was making love to his wife.
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"HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE? HOW CAN THAT bas***d BE STILL ALIVE?" Dhruv screamed in frustration as he limped across the room pacing it like a caged tiger. His whole body hurt, especially his head where the doctor had just stitched the cut few minutes ago.
"NO NO NO NO NO" Dhruv screamed again like a mad man. This can't be happening again. He couldn't lose his love again after being so close to getting it. But he remembered how he found her. She was wearing only a shirt. That bas***d's shirt. Dhruv tugged his own hair with his two hands not even feeling the pain that shot through his tender arms. That bas***d had been making love to his Thapki. And Thapki??? How could she allow that cretin to touch her? She was wearing a mangalsutra and sindoor. They have finally got married, after the lengths he went to stop them from doing just that very thing.
"HOW THE HELL IS HE STILL ALIVE?" Dhruv picked up a flower vase and threw it into the ground breaking it into pieces. "I made sure he is dead. I emotionally blackmailed Ma and made her shot him and pretended to look for him when he fell down. If not died from gunshot wound, no one could survive after falling from such a great height...then how the hell he still is?"he talked to himself. Dhruv began to cry then, again remembering how Thapki was clinging to a half naked Bihaan and the way Bihaan wrapped his hands around her.
Dhruv was so close of getting her...he knew he could never gain Thapki by force, so after removing Bihaan from his way he played the waiting game. He let her mourn that bas***d, let her cry day and night, even let her come to this god forsaken forest to look for him...but now he was realising he shouldn't have done that...his goodness had backfired as usual. He shouldn't be good. He should not have waited. He should have grabbed Thapki when he had the chance. And now she was lost forever. Bihaan and Thapki had become one and Dhruv didn't think he could break them up again.
If Thapki was living happily with Bihaan here, then why would that lady say Thapki was abducted by Durga's gang and that she was being raped and what not. That lady didn't even want the reward and she was right about where Thapki was. Then why would she lie about Durga's men. She even said he saw Thapki and saw her getting abused.
And Bihaan? He was like a completely different person to his old self. His voice was same even his body and face, but the way he carried himself, the way he talked and the way he fought all had somehow changed. Dhruv rubbed his swollen jaw, remembering how meanly Bihaan had punched him. Bihaan now had this cruel streak around him. Yes, Dhruv admitted, he was hugging Thapki and yes Bihaan might be still angry with him for almost killing him few months ago but the Bihaan he knew would never hit his brother like this. If the police men didn't restrained him, Dhruv was sure Bihaan would have taken out his brains. And if Bihaan was well and alive and burning in revenge against him, why did he not return back? Why didn't he even contact Thapki? And now living in the forest with her...something was off.
Whatever Bihaan's reason was, whatever brought this change in him, whatever the mystery was, Dhruv didn't care. If he couldn't have Thapki, he won't let anyone have her as well. He vowed.
He began to plan his next move.
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"Bihaan I am m-missing our home so much...let's go back there p-please?" Thapki said in her cutest cajoling voice. Both of them were lying on the bed, Thapki's head nestled in Bihaan's chest and his arm around her waist.
Bihaan didn't open his eyes.
"Bihaan...B-B-Bihaan...suno ...suno na" Thapki raised her head and started to shake him, she knew he was awake just pretending to be asleep.
"Kyon?" Bihaan said at last without opening his eyes.
"Arey... kyon ka k-k kya matlab hai? Hamara ghar hai...we have to r-return there no?? We can't stay here indefinitely. And I am m-missing it. And I am missing Lali too."
"Aab yeh Lali koun hai?"
"Laluji gave us Lali as a wedding p-present. She is a beautiful cow. Now I don't h-have to go to the village to fetch the milk. Lali will g-give us"
"Tou Lalu ko main dudhwala nazar ata hu kya? Sab kuch chor char k main yeh karna start kardu? Dudhwala ban jaun main??"
"Bihaan stop being so m-mean. Lali is his most f-favourite and precious cow and he gifted t-that to us. That shows how much he l-loves me and respects you. Aur daku sey to dudhwala hazar guna ach-achcha hae."
"Achcha? Aisa hai kya?"
"Ji haan"
"Toh thik hae na...jau apne dudhwala k paas. Yaha kya kar rahi ho?"
"You don't have to t-tell me that. I know you will help me take care of Lali once we r-return so that makes you a dudhwala and so I am already with my d-dudhwala. "
"Are you sure about that?"
"Yes."
"Maybe I will give it to Mirza and Gomez who will eat her."
"B-Bihaan you have become a monster." Thapki said in aghast.
"I am taking that as a compliment thank you...I am proud of that."
"All you can t-think is how to kill, m-murder and maim..." Thapki huffed.
"Yes that is my profession. Mera hunar hai."
"And have y-you?"
"Have I what?"
"Kill someone?" Thapki asked in a small voice doodling in his chest not looking at him. Dread squeezing her heart.
Bihaan was quiet for some time and Thapki's heart broke to thousand pieces in between those moments.
"I...I...I think he is still alive...but I am not sure", Bihaan said at last.
"What do you mean?"
"I was in a gunfight with this another bandit team. So I was firing in self defense and I think...I think I hit him. I heard his cry and saw him fall down. And there was blood. But I didn't have time to check. I don't know where he was hit, whether he died or survived...I had to leave." Bihaan said in a small voice.
He had died a thousand deaths after that night. Yes, he fights, breaks people's legs and arms but he never wants to take a life. His ruhu would never forgive him for that. What if that guy was dead...Bihaan shuddered. He didn't want to be a killer.
"Maybe he is alive and w-well" Thapki raised her head and saw the anguish and guilt in Bihaan's eyes.
"I hope so too." Bihaan said and hugged her. She was his ray of shining light. When she was near him he didn't feel rotten or worthless. He felt like a human being, a good man. He felt whole.
"Let's go back to our hut, Bihaan."
"You want to run away, don't you?"
"Haven't you heard, someone informed D-Dhruv where I was, who I was w-with. They thought I was with Durga's men, which is t-true by the way."
"Yes I was wondering the same thing."
"What if Dhruv or the police f-finds out you are really from Durga's gang? They will t-take you from me and put you in jail."
"It is not that easy to put Durga's men in jail..."
"I don't care...D-Dhruv is evil, he will try to make us apart a-again...he will try to utilise any weakness he s-sniffs."
"I would like to see him try."
"He will be back here I know, so before he c-comes back we should go away. And n-no one can find our hut...that is the safest p-place to be right now."
"I am not scared of that fox, I am not going to run away in fright and I am definitely not going to hide. It is he who should be running and hiding now not vice versa."
"Bihaan, it's not time for b-being macho...if anyone finds out you are a d-d-daku---"
"Nothing will happen."
"Police have seen your face...if your new identity c-comes out they will forever h-hunt you."
"Nothing will happen."
"Bihaan over c-confidence is not good."
"I am not being over confident; I am just saying what is true."
"I don't want to l-lose you again."
"You are not going to lose me"
"T-Then let's go, leave this place."
"I have to find out who betrayed me. Someone tried to take me away from here by sending me on a fool's errand so that you would be alone when Dhruv comes. Someone planned everything."
"It wasn't D-Durga who send that letter and asked for y-you?"
"No he didn't and I don't think Ganju did either, now that I am thinking clearly. How would he know where I am staying? No one knows except Durga, Dorai and us. Durga and Dorai would never tell on us"
"Then who would do t-that?"
"That's what I am going to find out and I have to stay here for that."
"How is that going to help?"
"I'm sure Dhruv will be back. I will find out from him."
"Are you s-sure you can control yourself from hitting h-him? You can't act like a daku a-around him. He will smell a rat and f-find out."
"If I must."
"I do not like this p-plan."
"Me neither. But that's how it has to be. I need to find out who betrayed me. It's a matter of Durga's honour."
"Okay...what should we do now?"
"Now, we wait for the prey to come to us."
ps. Extremely sorry about the late update. Thanks for being so patient with me.
Inshallah I will update the next part soon. Wont be this late.
