𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐭 𝐀𝐟𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫

Prologue

Neha's POV

“Why did you kill your husband?”

The police officer asked me while my lips thinned in a line as I stared ahead, My brain stayed confined and so did my mouth.

A pool of blood forms around my dead husband's corpse, His lifeless eyes stayed wide open, looking into my soul.

The cold, musty, and brutal scent flooded my nostrils as I glanced at my hands that were covered in blood. There might be a hint of maroon splashed on my face as well.

The view ahead of me should scare me, haunt me, make me want to kill myself for committing the sin yet every ounce in my body feels numb.

Like a soft autumn zephyr, all the emotions within me swirl across my chest, a wave of calm surging deep inside my veins.

I feel…alive.

Alive after taking someone's life.

I lowered my lashes, My arms hugged my small frame as his family member's accusatory gaze boreholes in my direction.

His mom stunned her gaze towards me, eyes filled with deep hatred, “She did it. She killed my son.” Her Scream boomed in the whole house as her hand came in contact with my cheek.

Neil, My husband-sorry- ex-husband, stares straight at me, His cold, blue body lay lifeless as his family members circle around him.

To mourn their son.

To mourn a rapist.

In my whole life, I have been classified as plenty of insults, 'whore', 'homewrecker', 'slut' and even though none of them were true from my heart,

That was my reality.

I have tried to wreck a home. Even if I was forced to.

Forced. The word defines my life.

The day Neil held my hand in a strange grip, on my wedding day, was when I sensed danger.

While the crowd celebrated my marriage, I was fearful of my husband, My body was dreading his touch.

And he proved he was a man after all, he did what I expected from most men.

Her mom's eyes were filled with a deep sense of resentment as she spoke, “She did it. She killed my son.” Her scream echoed throughout the house as her hand touched my cheek.

He attempted to force himself upon me.

Resulting in me forcing a sharp knife into his heart.

I believe in equality.

Potentially, it is time for me to take control of the word “forced.”

“I did not do anything.” The words leave my lips as a chaste truth, Not a single muscle in my body tenses as the police officer's gaze slides between my face to my blood covered throat.

He scrutinized my situation with his eyes. I was dressed in a maroon lehenga with blood covering my entire body, and I had never felt more powerful.

With a gulp, I turned my eyes from the dead body to the officer, “When I came back from the bathroom, He was already dead.”

The officer smirked, maybe seeing right through my lie since he subtly holds the golden thread peeking out from my hair until his finger ran on the curve of my ear,

“Are these for decoration?” His touch on my skin burns, My eyes immediately move to the knife placed around the room.

He follows my gaze and immediately retrieves his hand back, if the situation were different, A smirk would have been on my face.

But being arrested is not on my list for now.

Not when Ayush is waiting for me.

“I did not hear a single scream, Maybe the killer had the skills to end a life without a single sound.”

My words are not helping with the case, They will get more suspicious. So, To look like a sad wife, I force a few tears out.

“She is lying, she did not even look my son during the whole wedding, she hates him and took it out now.” His mother lunges in my direction, but her family holds her down.

“Meri maa ne kaha tha ki tumhari shaadi ek neech khandaan mein ho rahi hai, Pati ki aankhon mein dekhogi toh wo naraaz ho jayenge. mein apne pati ko naraaz nahi kar sakti thi.” The innocence dribbles from my tone as I subtly shake my head.

(My mother had said that you are getting married in a lowly thinking family, if you look into the eyes of your husband, he would get furious. I couldn't make my husband angry.)

His family's mouth's opened agape, the colour leaving from their faces, matching the one with their son.

Ignoring their facial expressions, “Can I go inside the room?” I ask the officers.

“Kyu, Aakhri baar pati ko dekhna chahti ho?” They ask with a chuckle.

(Why? Do you want to see your husband for the last time?)

“Nahi, Mujhe kapde badalne hein, ye lehenga naya hai na, chubh raha hai or mere doosre kapde room mein hai.” My face morphed in a frown, These clothes are heavy and uncomfortable, I want to get away from these.

(No, I want to change., this Lehenga is new, it's pricking at my skin and my other clothes are in the room.)

Most essentially, away from this man's blood.

The officer's jaw tightens as turns towards the constable, “This Women is a murderer, Make a report, I need this lady behind the bars.”

My cheeks lift in a smile, “Please spell my name correctly in the report.”

“Neha Sharma, You will rot in jail, it's my promise.”

“Uh uh,” I click my tongue against my cheek, “See, You are making a mistake again, Mera naam Neha nahi hai.”

(My name is not Neha.)

“Tara Sharma. T-A-R-A, This is my real name. Ab achi report, banana.” I smile as another tear falls down my face.

His mother's slap still irks on my cheek and the fake tears gliding down my skin cause an itchy burning on my face.

How do I tell them that the tears are not from sorrow, they are not because my husband of 4 hours died,

but because my lover just pleasured me with the same knife that I used to stab Neil.

------------------

Money is the anthem of success
So before we go out, what's your address?
I'm your national anthem
God, you're so handsome
Take me to the Hamptons, Bugatti Veyron
He loves to romance 'em, reckless abandon
Holding me for ransom, upper echelon
He says to be cool but, I don't know how yet
Wind in my hair, hand on the back of my neck
I said, "Can we party later on?"
He said, "Yes, yes, yes"...❤️‍🩹

Her name is Tara, The reason will be revealed later.