Will Die In Love

Chapter 54

Have you ever pretended to be alive? 

Have you ever been to your own funeral? 

That's how Paro felt as she stirred, her eyes fluttering open to a world that seemed alien. The room now bore the scars of a storm she didn't want to remember. A shiver crawled up her spine, and her cold hand traced the outlines of bruises etched into her skin. She felt small, and fragile, like a porcelain doll shattered and left abandoned.

She heard the roar of the thundering sky. It must be raining. The room seemed to hold its breath, even the sky was mourning alongside her. Paro touched the tender spots on her arms trembling, the sole proof of her pained tale she wished was a nightmare.

Last night she lost something precious and it was more than just her sexual innocence. She had lost a part of herself forever and deep down she knew it would probably never be the same. Tears welled up, rolling down her cheeks, leaving a salty trail on her skin. She was tired, not just physically tired but the kind of tiredness that seeped into your bones and made it hard to breathe. 

In that moment, she was a raw nerve, feeling everything and nothing all at once. The world outside was too sad, too harsh, and she wished she could curl up into nothing and disappear. The ceiling, the bed, the muted light coming from the windows __ everything seemed foreign to her. The realization hit her hard.  She lay frozen for a moment, paralyzed by the dread that coursed through her veins.

She wasn't in her room! 

Suddenly Paro was awfully aware of the acute burning gaze fixed on her back. Her fear reached bone-chilling depths. Her heart seemed to pause, then pound with all its might as she slowly turned her head.

And there he was, sitting on a chair, looking at her from the shadows. The intensity of their stare bore into her soul. Paro's trembling intensified as terror gripped her, squeezing the breath from her lungs. Her voice, barely a whisper, cracked with fear, 

"Wh- where am I?"

…………

On Previous Night,

'Are you okay, love?' Adi mumbled the words, finally coming back into reality. His face was still placed into her hair as his fingers kept playing with her hair in a gentle manner.

He was the happiest, the greedy animal inside of him was finally sated after what felt like an eternity. 

Without receiving any response, he finally lifted his face from the crook of her neck and looked at her face only to realize that she lost her senses. 

“Shit!” Adi tried to get up hurriedly but suddenly stopped looking at her. 

His gaze lowered as he focused on the woman who was lying on the bed, relaxed. Her long, silky hair was scattered across the pillow. Her arms and shoulders bore his imprints.  His tight hold around them was gradually causing a darkish red line around her wrists and ankles.

“ Beautiful!”, he said, mesmerized.

Adi raised his hand slowly to tuck a few of her hair strands behind her ear. Her long lashes were drenched in tears. Her cheeks were red, tear-stricken. She looked no less than an angel.  He felt content. His heart was overladen with possession and satisfaction, too gone to even realize the sin he committed. 

“ I love you”. With a gentle kiss on her forehead, Adi finally stood up. 

He quickly went to the washroom to clean himself. Coming out with a wet cloth he started cleaning her with his own hands. Adi smiled at her and Paro stayed sleeping, blissfully unaware of her surroundings, even for a while.