AN: Hello Forumwasis. I am here with another OS. Also, it is in no way connected to my previous work 'Broken'.
Would love your views.
- Niki
Warning: 18+
SHACKLES
Tejo quickly arranged her certificates and knocked at the door, before opening it slowly. Her heart was hammering loudly. She had to clear the interview and get the job. That was the only way she could settle her tattered life. Far away from them, she could live freely; without having to face either of them who lived to make her suffer.
Far from Punjab, Fateh and Jasmine would never be able to find her. And with time, she will forget them. With time, she would heal.
With a deep breath, she stepped into the room, closing the door behind her. As she looked up, she felt the confusion rise in her. Instead of the panel that she was supposed to meet, an empty room greeted her. She looked around, and turned back to the door when a voice stopped her short.
“Running again, are we?”
The familiar drawl met her ears, as immediately her insides twisted to a knot, her heart steadying up its pace. Of all the people to run into, it had to be him.
Her shoulders stiff, she turned towards the dynamic presence of the man she had been avoiding furiously for the past month. Her eyes fell on the tall figure decked in tailored grey pants and a pristine white shirt. Her eyes trailed from the unbuttoned collar to his roughened features; dark brows framing his hypnotic brown eyes with high cheek bones highlighting his strong jaw and beautiful sensuous lips.
Gritting her teeth, she tried to regain some composure. She could not afford to lose her countenance here, especially now that too in front of him.
"Mr Virk, how nice to see you here!" she spoke coolly while her heart hammered at tremendous pace.
FatehVeer Singh Virk stared at the woman in front of him with a glint in his eyes. He let out a harsh laugh at her response and watched her shoulders stiffening uncomfortably.
"My word, I am really flattered you find my company 'nice'. I mean with all the techniques you had devised to avoid me; I must admit your response is quite unexpected. Then again, you always were a tremendous actress, weren't you Tejo Ji or shall I say Mrs Tejo Kaur Virk?"
Tejo swallowed as she raised her eyes to meet his and nearly staggered back at the hatred that pooled in those orbs. Her heart lurched as pain sheared through for reasons she had yet to comprehend. No matter how much he insulted her, humiliated her, she could not find it in herself to fight against it. She could neither defend herself, nor could she hurt him like he hurt her. There was something inside her that rose up to curb any kind of hatred that had the potential to grow in her heart against him; instead filling in her a deep sense of longing for her torturer to envelop her in his arms.
It was a state of utter helplessness that she found herself in, unable to break out from her binds and yet in a continuous need for him to be around her. A self-inflicted torment, she could not find a way to free herself from the dark shadows that choked her spirit and haunted her dreams. In fact she had become so used to him that she had been unable to sleep well in the past month with her body desperately craving for him and his absence grating at her like a vivid pulsing wound.
"So," Fateh drawled as he stepped closer, "why are you here, Tejo Ji?"
She gulped as she suddenly felt a strange sense of nervousness grip her. Immediately she stepped back a few paces only to find him step closer into her private space, the gap between them shortening. Instinctively she backed up farther until she slammed into the wall, the cool surface augmenting her heightened sense of awareness.
"I-I am h-here for an interview," she stammered, her eyes flitting from one side to the other trying hard not to focus on the man who stood a hairline's breadth away from her. A chuckle left him and she felt him inching closer. She felt his lips reach her ears as hot breath fanned them and a shiver wracked through her frame.
"Interview?" he breathed out gently. "Or is it another master-plan to hoodwink your husband and run far away?”
A spurt of anger erupted in her.
She closed her eyes. She was tired, so tired of everything. She had never asked for all this to happen to her. In fact, she was not even connected to it all. It was an unfortunate series of circumstances that landed her here; in a situation from which she could neither step back nor move ahead.
She had to choose. But how could she? On one side it was her sister whom she loved more than anything in her life. And on the other side was her husband, for whom she had started to nurture those feelings that only a wife should feel.
So how could she choose?
Their marriage had not been a normal one. In fact, their equation before that day had been one of care, comfort and a deep well of friendship. They had shared their troubles with each other, talked about their dreams, opened up on their insecurities and held hands throughout circumstances which saw the demolition of their hopes.
They had been friends; best of friends.
But then the thread that connected them broke apart and her beautiful sister jilted him in the altar. Things went downhill from there for their families pushed them together and bound them in front of the holy fire fuelled by their broken friendship and Jasmine’s betrayal; as their lives smothered in the ashes.
Life was even harder after that. Getting married against her wishes, that too twice in the same month was epic even for her. She had been so tired of maintaining the cheerful façade throughout the wedding only to realize that she would have to play the dutiful wife to a husband that loved her sister and take care of her in-laws; most of who hated her.
And so started the regular taunts and barbs that she had to face. Her mother-in-law and Maachi would leave no stone unturned to treat her like a speck of dirt in their shoe, a treatment doubled by their hatred for Jasmine who broke the heart of the heir of the Virk family. She became the focus of suppressed anger and bitterness that the mention of her sister and her family aroused in their minds. Her sister-in-law Mahi tried to stop the onslaught but her mother would rebuke her so harshly that she too gave up after some time. To top that off, her brother-in-law Amreek would not even look at her; hastening out of a room whenever she entered.
She was tired, alone and angry. The pressure went on building and many a night she woke up, with a scream lodged in her throat from nightmares, followed by an unbelievable intense wave of agony sweeping over her.
And then there was her husband who was meant for her sister; haunting every step of her life, plaguing every cent of her peace and her existence. It was as if he had forgotten that they were friends once. Jasmine’s betrayal had broken something in him; something that was human, altering him to such an extent that she could no longer recognize him as her Fateh.
He would hurt her dignity; her self-confidence and she would fight back, with everything; but she was only human. She could not hurt him the way he poked at her wounds and by the time she was away from him; she would lock herself in the bathroom, reduced into a sobbing wreck every time he was through with her.
Her sister on the other hand, was even harder to deal with. She had loved her since the day she had seen the tiny head peeping out of the blankets in the hospital. She had adored her; given up everything she liked for her. Her Jasmine had been the sun of her life and now she had abandoned her too; gifting her a life of darkness.
Instead, she would lash out at her and Tejo would suffer in silence, drinking her misery quietly, never returning any of her harshness back for she knew that her little sister was hurting too. What she did not understand was how far she could fall to feed her anger for her that soon turned to hatred!
Tejo had never imagine that Jasmine would hate her someday. And that reality burned the remaining semblance of peace in her.
And soon things became worse when one day her perpetually drunk husband touched her for the first time. It had been an accident, and he had passed out later. But she could not forget it and nor did he let her. It was as if it was his way of paying back her sister for the wrong she had done to him; by using her and parading their faux intimacy for the world to see. Once again she had become the collateral damage in the toxic game that Fateh and Jasmine played.
For unlike them, she had no pretence and she too, slowly began to give into his passion igniting touches that swept her heart into an alien joy by the night and gave her tremendous guilt by the day. His closeness ignited in her a slow burn which morphed into a certain fire of need and want and longing that shocked and terrified her. She wanted to drape herself around him, feel his taut frame against her slender, softer one and hold him tightly, her affection washing away all his pain and anger.
"Is keeping silent another of your tactics sweetheart? For they will surely not work on me."
She took in a deep breathe. "Let me go."
There was a certain sense of challenge at those words and he understood them quite well. Fateh surveyed her, letting his eyes drift over her dark lashes shadowing the familiar dark eyes he knew by heart. Her pale countenance contrasted with the bright red of her lush lips; the ones he had owned once. Her supple chest gave into the tantalizing curve of her waist and his thoughts made his blood boil in desire. His head throbbed as their proximity brought to him her seductive whiff of her scent, the combination of roses and chocolate, that made him feel heady and tempted him to lose his senses; acting on the devious fantasies he nursed. She took a startled breath and his sexual fantasy took a turn as the hunger for her began a primitive pulse in his body. He wanted to devour her, hurt her, love her, and own her. He wanted to have all of her and knowing full well that she had never known anyone intimately before, fuelled in him another volcanic need to stamp his ownership on her for the world to see.
And then he wanted to hurt her, make her regret her conspiracy of hiding the truth about his job from Jasmine, teach her a lesson for daring to take his Jasmine’s place in his life and hurt her even more for making him lust for her.
And with his desire came the vigorous sense of self-loathing and anger. He closed his eyes as the wave of disgust rolled through him at his weakness in front of her. His weakness at succumbing into her wiles was only because she bore Jasso’s mannerisms and nothing else, he told himself. She was not Jasso. She could never be her. She was only an alternative, a second choice that he had to live with. She was a ruined shadow of his burnt dreams and no matter how much she pretended; he saw straight thorough her. She was cold-blooded and ruthless like that family of hers. Cheating and duplicity were in her blood.
And as for his desire, it was only because a matter of sexual need, nothing else. With that in mind, he furiously squashed that tiny voice in his heart that reminded him that he had always been somewhat physically attracted to her even when she had been his best friend and he was supposed to marry her sister.
Ignoring that voice, he turned his cold eyes to the prisoner held between him and the wall.
"Why should I let you go? So that you can weave another web?" he cocked his head at her. “So that you can run again? From Punjab to Delhi, huh! For someone who never wanted to leave Punjab, you sure ran away as fast as you could. Or maybe, you were running from your dear husband? Is that it?”
Her breath hitched and he felt her soft supple form tremble. He watched as her beautiful eyes grow wet with unshed tears meet his and her lips tremble. The primitive madness in him rose again and he pressed closer to her, his hard frame completely enveloping her softness. She let out a whimper at the sudden action and bit her lip as she stared at him with sudden panic.
"W-What are you d-doing? Let me go!"
She tried to wrench herself out of the prison of his arms but failed. Her heart thumped erratically and her head felt dizzy at his closeness as the unknown feeling of want spread in her again. She blinked back her tears as she felt like an invalid against the reaction of her own body and heart.
He felt revulsion colouring his thoughts as she pretended her victim card. His eyes hardened.
"Stop playing a victim Tejo Ji. I have seen the real you. Even a Piranha would be more suited to be a victim than you."
A vivid hurt lanced her at those words and her chest throbbed as if someone had wrenched into her rib-cage and twisted her heart out. She felt weak, vulnerable and tired.
"What do you want?"
He smirked and leaned forward invading her senses. "Good, that you have finally come to the matter. What I want is simple Mrs Virk; do not avoid me again." He pressed hard to her now, the cold wall digging into her back. "Don't you dare run away again! No matter where you go, I will find you. Understood?"
She remained silent feeling the shadowy cuffs locking her into the dark pit again. A sense of resignation and frustration weighed in her. And yet it was shadowed by a triumph that spoke from her heart that he didn't want her to leave. His harsh breath was the only warning she got when he grabbed her jaw and lifted it for her eyes to meet his. His touch burned her and something in her stomach coiled.
"Understood?" he asked softly, a sinister facade layering his tone.
She nodded. His eyes darkened and his fingers gently touched her cheek. She froze and a trembling rose in her. He inched closer; she felt the danger enveloping her, the blazing longing dulling her senses, clouding her instincts. His hand felt hot against her clammy skin. His hot breath met her lips. He was close now and she could see his dark lashes distinctly.
She had to move, she had to go away before things wet south. She had to go away and she lunged at him, desperate to free herself. However, before she could do much of a damage, he caught her hands in an iron grip and pinned them against the wall. She stared at him in apparent panic and next second he angled his head down and his lips captured hers.
It was a sudden paralysis that hit her as his lips attacked her with a sensuality and confidence that made her incapable of any thought. Her hands loosened and as if realizing her incapability of struggling, he released her wrists, instead choosing to grip her waist with one hand gently kneading the luxurious curve of her form and entangling the other in her dark mane bringing her closer to claim her harshly. Her hands mindlessly moved to his shoulders and tightly grasped them as she wrapped herself around him, giving him access to every bit of her as he tasted every inch of her mouth, leaving her burning and wanting for more. Her breasts tingled and his arms tightened into a cage she never wanted to escape.
A heated moan left her and all of a sudden, the haze broke. At once he dragged his lips away from her and stepped back. Breathing heavily, he watched her taking in shuddered breaths, her hair dishevelled and her frame trembling as she stood pale and shocked at the events.
She raised her eyes to meet his and at once he reared back at the emotions, he saw broiling in them. It was as if she was looking back at him with all the love in the world in her eyes. He felt something take hold of him and it battered against his ravaged soul. He gritted his teeth to control himself and took in a deep breathe.
"Your resignation in your college back in Punjab is cancelled. The Principal wants you back in the office tomorrow at 10 o' clock sharp. You will go back to your friend's place, explain that your husband is here for you, pack your things and return with me to Punjab. Meanwhile you will not run again and you will not apply for other interviews. Got it?"
She stayed mum, her heart beating furiously as it took her back to those lanes she wanted to forget. It had become too much to bear with Fateh inching inside her heart when all he did was hate her. Even their physical intimacy felt dirty and vile with Fateh rushing off to shower right after he spilled inside her. It was as if he could not bear her touch to remain on him and washed up immediately to forget their closeness.
It pained her, slowly shredding her heart to multiple pieces; all the while as he made her pretend about being a happy couple in front of the world. His hands grasping her waist as he smirked at Jasmine cruelly, kissing her all of a sudden knowing that her sister would see them; all of them tore apart any semblance of bond that had remained between the sisters.
Her Jasmine had raged back, lashing at her, wounding her; piercing her with such words that she would never forget. She had accused her of using her body to lure her fiancé into the marriage bed and Tejo had lost her patience.
Neither could she hurt Fateh, nor could she hurt Jasmine.
So, locking all the pain, anguish and humiliation inside her; she ran. Quitting her job and escaping with her luggage to Delhi was no easy task. But she had done it and had nearly settled with one of her friends from college who had shifted to Delhi after her marriage.
Everything was set with the interview lined up; one she was sure to crack.
But then, he had found her to take her back to that hell.
His hands grasped her chin and tugged at her face to make her look at him. She stared at him with wide eyes. His eyes narrowed and a sneer flitted on his face. “Didn’t I tell you to stop playing the victim game? What did you think when you married me? That I would never touch you? And remember, I never forced myself on you. You gave your consent too. Look at yourself. Your heart beats thunderously when I am near you and you burn when I touch you. And then what? You ran? Trying to make everyone pity you to show that your husband and sister both hate you? Please Tejo Ji, you are the one that gained the most in this exchange. So, stop crying rivers and go pack. I have withdrawn your name from the list here. You have thirty minutes.”
Saying so, he stalked out of the room, leaving Tejo behind staring blankly at the doors that announced his departure.
Her legs trembled vigorously and she slowly slipped down the wall as her limbs refused to hold her weight and settled limply on the floor. Her heart raced and she felt tired, inexplicably tired. Her head felt dull, heavy; her body a trembling wreck. But what affected her most was the tiredness of her soul which fell claustrophobic and suffocating.
A tear slipped down her cheek and a prayer left her lips.
Please let it all be over. Please!
Udne Ki Aasha
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
