Cigarettes & Peonies

35

Maahi walked towards the stop. The Sun above was shining brightly. The sky was pristine blue and cloudless. It appeared to be a perfect Tuesday morning until she heard the sound of rolling tyres. Before she had time to spun and see for herself, the tyres screeched to halt before her. And guess what, who could it be. Well, you know it, it was The creepy Karanvir sitting and beaming on the driver's seat. She gasped loudly.
"You need to learn basic manners." she fumed having been stopped in this indecent fashion. He chuckled and hopped out of the jeep.
"My parents forgot to teach me some. Why don't you be my tutor??" he said. Maahi noticed that he was in a good mood today. Would she try and piss him off??? No, not at all. This Karanvir was atleast tolerable, the mad Karanvir isn't at all. Therefore she kept her anger to herself and tried to act normal.
"I've other things to do. Besides what are you doing so early in the morning??" asked she frowning. He pouted.
"I came to pick you up baby." he answered casually. Maahi glared at him.
"My name's Maahi and secondly, I am not going with you anywhere. Why don't you understand that I don't wanna be with you. I don't want to be your girlfriend. Do I need to shout it out from the town hall." she bristled. He sighed.
"You're the only girl I've ever wanted maahi. I don't understand what's wrong with me. Why can't you accept me as your boyfriend?? I want to marry you maahi. I want us to have a life together. Maahi why are you resisting me?? Are you scared that your parents won't allow you to marry me. Maahi I promise I'll take care of everything. No one's gonna come between us. Just say yes please. Please." he begged. Maahi turned her face away, not liking the sound of it. He was a bad boy and she saw no reason in believing a bad boy. They are dangerous after all.
"Find another girl for yourself. I don't want you." she refused his advances flatly. Suddenly he grabs her arm and she squeaks in pain.
"Don't count Karanvir in those guys who replace women like old clothes. I am a Roy, we don't play with women. If I set my eyes on a girl then that means she's mine alone. And nothing can stop me from having her, not even her. Don't resist me baby girl. You have no idea to what lengths can I go to make you mine. Understood." his eyes were dark and unyielding as he said to her. Tears started filling Maahi's eyes. She had done the one thing she wasn't supposed to do, piss him off. She squirmed.
"Leave me. I'll never be yours. No matter what you do." she yelled at him, wincing in pain. He hauled her to his strongly scented chest. His eyes looking straight into her scared, brown ones.
"Baby you have no idea what I am capable of doing. I'm not the bad boy for no reason. I love you madly and I'll go to any extreme to have you all to myself. You'll submit yourself to me. You'll be mine alone. And I swear baby, if I have to kill for you, I'll do that with no regrets and I can't promise if I will spare the people you love or not. For you, I'll kill anybody. Fucking anybody." he hissed, his eyes cold and dark. Tears poured down her eyes as she struggled in his arms. The road was deserted, that's the only term she could use since nobody was on the road besides for them.
"Oh!! Tch Tch Tch..... Look what you made me do. I never wanted to make you cry but you just madden me everytime. Please baby don't do this. Don't piss me off. I love you and you should love me back. Hm. Now, c'mon stop crying. Let's go to the college. I don't want you getting depressed for reaching late to your class." he said sweetly, kissing her cheek. Bipolar much!!!! Maahi didn't dare say anything. She wasn't risking anything, especially when she was alone with him. He's a monster to be honest. And you can't trust a monster when he loses his cool. Gently he made her sit inside his jeep and after hopping into the driver's seat, he jammed on the accelerator sending the jeep speeding off to the college.

Maahi was in her classroom around 12:00. Karanvir drove her to the college safely. He did try to initiate a conversation a few many times but maahi never responded and therefore ultimately he stopped talking. On few occasions he did uttered sweet apologies for his behaviour but everytime he was met with silence. Karanvir was bipolar, maahi had came to this diagnosis after sending enough time with him. She heard it as a hearsay from a handful of people that it was in his genetics. Many men in his family suffer from bipolar disorder. Anyways, what triggered maahi was when they alighted the bus, Karanvir made sure that he was holding hands with maahi as he walked her to her classroom. Maahi felt embarrassed and even tried to pull away but karanvir's fiery eyes prevented her everytime. Somehow it felt as if he was showing her off to everyone. Like as if he was too proud to have her. The second possibility, which she strongly believed, was that he was trying to warn everyone that she's his alone and that everyone else should stay off her if they love their lives. She was sniffling all along the way. He took notice of that but resorted to talk this out with her later. So, now she was sitting in her classroom. Her classmates had learned to stay away from her since the rumours of karanvir's fascination with her had surfaced. It was better to leave bad boy's infatuation alone instead of getting in trouble and inviting the bad boy's wrath. Karanvir's anger was famous in the valley. Usually the cold blooded murders that happened once every two months were the direct results of his fury. Anyways, maahi was writing down some notes when a paper bag was stamped on her table. She looked up immediately and found Akhil and Bhalla beaming down at her.
"Good morning bhabhi ji." akhil said grinning. Maahi fumed.
"My name's maahi. And what is this??" she asked vehemently.
"Bhaiya ji has send this for you. He's sorry for not coming here for lunch as he's busy in the football practice. But if you want to have lunch with him than he's willing to leave the practice and come here." bhalla told her politely. Maahi stood up, fuming in anger.
"What the...." her phone rang. It was a call from Karanvir. She answered.
"Hi baby....."
"What is your problem?? Why can't you leave me alone??? Look, just ask your friends to take these away right now. I'm not touching this I am telling you." she yelled at him. Akhil clinged to bhalla, he didn't wanted to witness her paroxysms of anger.
"Look baby, I thought we'd already talked this out in the morning that you won't refuse me or my advances, coz that drives me crazy. So baby you're either eating all this quietly or I'm coming there and I don't think you'll like the way I'll feed you coz I'll make sure the doors are locked while I do my business with you. Get it." he hissed. Maahi gulped. She knew what business he was talking about, and given his reputation, she had no doubt that he would what he says.
"I hate you..." she muttered hatefully.
"But I love you and I only love you." she didn't let him complete and disconnected the call. She eyed bhalla and akhil angrily. The two quickly darted out just in case she pours all her anger for Karanvir on them. Once they were gone she sat down heavily on her chair, her hand on her head.
"What I've got myself into!!! Why me God?? Why is this bad guy behind me??" she whispered sadly, looking heavy heartedly at the paper bag. She knew Karanvir must have send her favourites, and she was willing to eat it all if he lets her pay him, but knowing how mad he gets whenever she mentions of paying him, she kept her suggestion to herself. Her classmates were eyeing her enviously.

Maahi's classes got over a little earlier today, so she decided to spend the rest of her day in library. Atleast Karanvir won't come searching for her there, that's what she thinks. She hadn't switched her phone on since afternoon. She knew there would be tons of missed calls from him along with myriad of messages. But with her phone switched off she atleast had an excuse in handy for not being able to recieve his calls or reply to his messages. Karanvir didn't storm into the library. The reason was that he was way too busy in his football practice. The tournament was about to begin next week and he had to be present in the ground since he was the captain. In the library, maahi met a boy named Angad, he was a B.Tech student and was sitting on the same table as her. He was a funny guy, not by face if anyone's wondering, by his looks he was a little above average. Ofcourse he wasn't as handsome as Karanvir, why do we guys keep forgetting that he was a Dolce Gabbana model, but he did look good. Honestly, maahi did liked guys like him who were soft spoken, chivalrous and cute. In short he was the typical good guy your parents want you to marry. On the contrary, guys like Karanvir are the ones your parents warn you to stay clear of. They spend some time together in the library, studying their own subjects and talking occasionally. They even left the library together and walked towards the bus stop.
"Do you know Karanvir?? The captain of the football team." he asked softly. Maahi resisted rolling her eyes. Boy, he's after her obsessively and you're asking if she knows him.
"Little bit." she replied, not liking the mention of him.
"I don't like him. He's a bad boy. I wonder if he ever studies or not. I can't understand why people want to waste their parents money when they don't want to study. He has a business, why not be a dope seller like your father. Why unnecessarily waste time here??" he said. Maahi frowned. Why was he so bothered about Karanvir?? Besides how does he know that Karanvir was wasting his father's money. He wants a degree and he's here for that. He did had a choice to run a business without any education but he chose to study. Even though she hated Karanvir but she don't think she likes this guy either. He seriously was jealous of him and his popularity.
"You know what maahi. You should stay away from him too. I've heard rumours that he's besotted with you. Just don't come infront of him. Stay away from him. He's a bad influence." he suggested.
"Oh really. Am I bad influence??" came a deep husky voice from behind. Maahi stopped short. Angad's blood froze.
"I-I....."
"The record's broken I guess. So what were saying to my girlfriend hm. That I'm a bad guy and she should stay clear of me. Hm." Karanvir asked lowly, his eyes glinting with malice. Angad's face was pallid in fear.
"Karanvir please...." maahi tried to stop him from doing something he was famous for doing. Karanvir smiled at her before punching Angad's face really hard. He fell sideways on the ground.
"Owww...." he groaned in pain. Maahi screamed as the students started running away to save their lives.
"You dare provoke my maahi against me. Huh!!! I'll kill you..." and he kicked him on his stomach. Maahi sobbed in fear. Angad was coughing violently.
"Sorry....Sorry...." he begged.
"Maahi is mine you bastard. She's mine alone." and he kicked his face. Angad's cheek bones were broken already.
"Please stop..... he'll die...." maahi begged with tears. Karanvir, although mad in bloodlust, stopped once she begged to him. He turned towards her, his dark eyes gleaming with obsession and insanity. Few boys dragged Angad away before Karanvir could kill him. Maahi looked up at him in horror as he stalked towards her.
"You befriended him." he asked. She sobbed. He cocked his head on his side.
"DID YOU BEFRIENDED HIM." he yelled. She flinched.
"Yes-Yes but..... but he was just a friend.......I..."
"He can't be. No one can't be your anything. I'm the only one who you'll ever have. Did you hear me!!!" he shouted, his eyes evil and unforgiving. Maahi sobbed.
"Please..... leave me." she whispered with tears. He grabbed her waist and pulled her to his chest.
"Baby doll. You're my madness. You're my sweetest obsession. I will be your only friend, your only lover and your only husband. You can have no other friends. The only one who'll be in your life is me alone. And if you try to be closer to anyone else than he/she meets the same fate as this guy. You're just mine. YOU BELONG TO ME, JUST ME. YOU'RE MY PERSONAL PROPERTY. Did you hear me. The sooner you understand the better." he said before smacking his lips on hers.
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