OS Destructive Love
Anika tried to scream even though she knew screaming was pointless. Her hands were tied to the back of the chair she sat on and a cloth was tied to her mouth. She was in a hut, inside a jungle and it was suffocating and hot. Daksh was standing next to her, his eyes half crazed as he showed her a video on his laptop which had the footage of Shivaay's reception.
A reception that dadi wanted them to have but here, there was a twist. The bride had changed again. But in the eyes of the media, she was the real Mrs. Oberoi, Tia Kapoor. The media didn't know about the bride swap on the wedding day. But there were a few people who didn't share the happiness of the crowd. Dadi looked disappointed, OmRu looked plain furious while Shivaay seemed restless.
Shivaay's plan had been simple, Anika thought. To let the media think Tia was his bride and when he divorced Anika, he would marry Tia in a small ceremony and things would be just the way they should have been in the first place.
Dadi had not approved of this and she had maintained that till Anika was his wife, she would be given the respect she deserves. The reception should have been Anika's and Shivaay's but Daksh had kidnapped Anika . And Shivaay had replaced her with Tia in another attempt to save face.
It hurt to see him with Tia even though Anika knew it shouldn't. It hurt that he didn't even think that she would back out from the promise she had given dadi and run away from her own reception. She turned her head, not wanting to see the video any longer.
Daksh turned off the video and looked at her angrily.
"So you see, Anika, he didn't love you. I did. But what did you do? You chose him. You chose to call him when you were in trouble. You hugged him when you were chased by the stalker. You got engaged to me and that night you clutched the newspaper that had the photo of him to your chest and cried. But he didn't love you, I did and you betrayed me for HIM."
Anika shivered as it dawned on her that the stalker was none other than Daksh. He could have known about her movements only if he had fitted a camera in her house, just like the stalker knew about her movements. Shivaay's low opinion of her, his rejection had made her fall into the devils very own trap.
Angrily Daksh moved to the other end of the cabin, watching out for danger. The reception footage that Anika saw was 4 hour old and he had shown only a part of the footage to her. There was another part to that. The part where the restless Shivaay left his own reception within minutes of it beginning and walked out in front of the whole media in search of Anika.
It wasn't that he didn't want Shivaay to find him, quite the opposite in fact because he wanted Shivaay to know what it felt like when the person you loved more than anything didn't love you in return. He wanted Shivaay to experience that pain for now.
After he would be sure Shivaay suffered enough, he would take Anika away and drive the knife further.
Daksh didn't have to wait for long as Shivaay Singh Oberoi armed with police force walked towards the cabin. Rushing inside, Daksh stood in front of Anika as Shivaay entered the cabin
Shivaay looked furious. His shirt was loosened and his hair rumpled. He dragged Daksh away from Anika and punched him repetitively till he was dragged behind by a police officer. The rest of the police cornered Daksh while Shivaay walked and freed Anika
Shivaay felt a rush of relief so profound that he could have wept. No amount of hatred that he had for Anika could reduce the fear when he found out that Daksh had kidnapped Anika. At first he thought that she had run away from the reception and he pointed out to dadi how they had made a mistake in judging Anika. However he had not succeeded in convincing them. In a burst of temper he had told them that the reception would take place but it would be Tia standing by his side. He pointed out that since Tia was kidnapped and didn't run away from the wedding, she didn't deserve to pay a price for his mistakes.
He had walked with Tia for the reception and posed for the media but the feeling of restlessness that Anika was in trouble hadn't left him. Within five minutes of the reception, he had called Khanna asking him to trace Anika. In the next five minutes, he had left the reception in search of his wife who his security head informed him was kidnapped.
The moment he had known Anika was kidnapped, her one night stand, her greed, his family's reputation, the media speculations, none of this had mattered to him. He had run in search of the wife, he had minutes ago claimed wasn't his wife in his eyes
He untied her and helped her stand up, checking for himself to see if Daksh had harmed her in anyway. Putting his arm around her, he was in the process of making his way out, when Daksh called out from behind
"So Shivaay saves his damsel like a knight in shining armour. Anika, you must be feeling a rush of love for your husband don't you?" he asked
Shivaay's arm unconsciously tightened around Anika whose emotions were in turmoil. She hadn't expected Shivaay to rescue her, nor had she expected him to beat up Daksh the way he did. For one wild moment she thought Shivaay would kill him. As he tightened his arm around her, she left the last thread of love she still had for him grow a little stronger
"But did you know Anika, that the night after sangeet that you spend in my room? Shivaay saw you in that room with me. I tried so hard to tell him that even though it was my room, it was Saumya who slept with you because she was scared to sleep alone. But he chose to believe that you spend the night with me. Not only that, he saw me passing on the loan papers to you and thought that I paid you 15 lakhs for sleeping with me. No matter how much I told him that this was loan you applied for Saahil's education, and I was merely passing papers on Dadi's behalf, he didn't believe me."
Anika stood shocked. Her first thought was to dismiss every word Daksh said but she remembered Shivaay's reactions that morning, she remembered Shivaays words when he had accused her of sleeping with anyone for money. She would have dismissed those thoughts too but Shivaay's shocked reaction told her that Daksh was telling her the truth. It was then that the last thread of love broke but it didn't fill her heart with hurt. There was a layer of numbness around her chest and she knew her heart would be numb for a long time.
Shivaay stood frozen. He couldn't even find the strength to tell Anika that Daksh had given her a wrong version of the truth. But he knew that it wouldn't make any difference because the truth that mattered was that he had believed Anika slept with Daksh for money and whether the belief was his own or someone else made him believe that was immaterial. He was hurting like never before and the enormity of what he had done was dawning on him
Without meeting Anika's eyes, he ushered her out of the cabin and took her out of the woods towards the waiting car. He was surprised that Anika hadn't removed his arm off her. He helped her into the car and got in beside her, his heart battling with so much. He was drowning in guilt of making her suffer and now he was suffering twice as much.
"Drop me home please" she said calmly
Her voice was polite but it hurt him far more than any harsh word. He knew he had no words to defend himself at the moment and so he quietly said
"Anika, its important that we go to Oberoi mansion. Even though Daksh is taken into custody, he wont be there for long. You forget Daksh is a very rich man. Right now we will pick up Saahil from your house and both of you can stay at Oberoi mansion for the time being."
He knew that she wouldn't refuse this offer as Daksh on loose meant Saahil's life could be in danger as well. She didn't respond to his argument and her quiet acceptance filled him with uncertainty
As they reached her house, Shivaay waited in the car, letting Anika pack the necessary things. He needed some time off to think. The temper, the craze that had taken hold of him ever since he believed Anika slept with Daksh had quietened only now and he was left wondering if Anika would ever forgive him for everything he put her through.
Love was a destructive emotion, and his belief in that was strengthened today.
For his love for her had destroyed her.
As he waited, from the corner of his eyes, he saw Anika help Saahil towards the car. His head snapped and blood froze in his veins as he saw the eight year old boy walk with crutches.
He remembered the incident when he called her brother handicapped'
He remembered her throwing water at him
He remembered punishing her for that.
Would his sins ever end? He wondered. Feeling as if all the burden of the world was weighing him down, he looked into Anika's eyes knowing he would see anger and hatred in those depths. But what he saw there, clutched his heart with very real fear
The emotion in her eyes was that of indifference.
Love was a destructive emotion, he was sure of it now
For he knew that his love for her would now destroy him
_________________
Thats it
No continuation😆😆😆
Tell me what you think
Aashti
(OS written with a little help from Addie)
Debate Mansion
