Unreachable Destiny- The Curse Of Your Love

Chapter-75: Jaan... Great Forms Of Love.

Ever since then, there has not been a single day he has not watched her until the day she left for her studies at the age of 12. The three years he spent alive in her smiles, laughs and joy were the most beautiful parts of the end of his childhood. Despite his wishes, he never followed her to places, yet knowing where she would be at a certain time of the day, naturally made him present there, waiting for a glimpse. Despite knowing her name, he called her 'Jaan'(The Life He saved). Maybe it was because he saved her that he grew protective of her over time. The fear of her getting hurt, like his sister, kept him alive at night after she left. The only time he actively followed her was the day she left the village. He rode his cycle behind her car till the border of the village and he bid her his farewell in silence.

He spent the coming years becoming the leader of his father's gang. In turn, he had to give up the little humanity left in him, but he held out hope, fully aware that she would have to return one day. Seven years passed in the blink of an eye, even though it took him everything to survive them.

Like any other day, he returned to his house for lunch, after dealing with a depter who refused to pay the monthly interest. He wouldn't have to deal with him himself if the guy had not been escaping for months, but there was no mercy in this field, only punishment. Even if he has no way to afford the money, he still has to pay with blood. He sat at the table for lunch as Raghu, the only person who knew where Prathap's heart lay, ran to him with a smile on his face. Ranav was about to take his first bite when Raghu's words stopped him.

"She's back. For her sister's Tilak." Nothing else needed to be said as Prathap stood from his chair and walked out of the house with his hand unwashed. Raghu runs after him with a cloth so he can wipe his hands clean and they both get into the car with nothing to say. They drove to the mansion, not so far from his residence, which was not a coincidence. Prathap didn't care as he stepped into the mansion in broad daylight because no one could stop him. Over the years, Prathap grew powerful, even more than his father, to the point that no one in the village could question him or his actions. They were clearly preparing for the Tilak and everyone was busy. No one noticed Prathap first but he didn't hesitate as he started to ascend the steps, clearly knowing his destination. He didn't know what he would do or say to her, but he couldn't care less. All that mattered was to find her, to see her alive.

As he took the stairs up, he saw a woman wearing a silver-coloured lehenga walk down the stairs with a plate of radiant confetti in her hand. He ignored her as he went up but she seemed very uncomfortable as the hem of her lehenga kept getting in her way. Maybe it was the excitement of the fact that he would get to see her, that he wanted to show some kindness to a stranger. He went up to her, about to take the plate when she lost her balance trying to pull up her lehenga to avoid stepping on it.

Prathap did not touch her, she did. Almost instinctively, he stretched his hand to put it around her midsection to stop her from falling but he pulled back immediately, avoiding contact. It was the woman who reached out as the plate in her hand toppled over the both of them. They swirled 360 degrees as she grabbed his collar, pulling him down with her, but he held onto the railing of the stairs, stopping both of them from rolling down the stairs. The confetti sprinkled over them as they both looked at each other, one shocked while the other angry. It was Prathap who was angry, but his anger dissipated as he looked at her, finding her familiar, until he realised who she was.

Jaan...

She had grown a lot in the past seven years. Her once chubby cheeks were now still full but not as bubbly as they seemed to be in the past. Her eyes were the same as they used to be, only now you can see the Kajal that accompanied them to make them more intense and deep. Her lips had a bell shape now and her hair was longer than it used to be as it grew past her waist. Seven years ago, she was just a child, with a spark of curiosity in her eyes, her face still round with the softness of youth. She had now transformed into a complete woman, her features sharp yet graceful, embodying the delicate balance between maturity and the remnants of her childhood. Her heartbeat seems louder but that it is due to the scare she just had. The falling confetti only seemed to intensify the moment as if highlighting this moment that they met for the first time after a long time apart. Prathap smiled at his own thoughts. It was not even like she knew him before. She never saw him or noticed him. It was just him that knew her and he knew her better than most of the people in her life.

His chest pierced with a certain longing he was unable to describe, but the sight of her seemed to soothe the fire that burned him from inside. If it had been any other woman grabbing onto his collar with such force, he would have easily let her fall, but he stood frozen as her tight grip on her collar, tightened further as she tried to straighten herself and the action only choked his neck further, but he let the burn build as he watched her struggle. He brought his palm behind her, placing it on her spine as he pulled her up and towards him. He did not curl his arm around her, touching her only through his palm to her spine as she stared with her eyes wide. It was not that he did not desire to touch, it was just that she was someone he knew for a very long time, but someone he only now is seeing in a different. It was probably the burning youth that was responding to a beautiful woman, but she was more than just a woman to him, she was his shade in the burning sun, his shelter in storming rain. His feelings are deeper than his youth, deeper than his existence.

She the only life he ever saved and the only life that mattered to him.

"I am sorry." Her voice seemed like water being poured on his yearning heart. He let her go once she was steady. Her face was so close that it almost made him choke on air, his heart racing like every breath was its last. He couldn't utter a word as he felt lost in her gaze, he just nodded curtly and watched her descend the stairs as gracefully as one could. He followed her down, like he was being pulled by a string and there was no way to say he was not.

He watched her from behind as she left, not sparing him a single glance. It did not faze him in the least, as he did not desire her attention but her existence. There were great forms of love, his was just a strong will to see her alive. He picked up her anklet which she dropped and ran behind her.

Akriti felt someone coming up behind her and turned around to find the man from before running to her. He smirked at her and raised his fist. She almost thought he was going to hit her when he loosened his finger to reveal an anklet hanging from his palm. Her anklet. She reached out to take it when he pulled it back with a laugh. She narrowed her eyes a him and gave in with a smile. She takes it with annoyance and walks away; this time, he does too. He takes his steps backwards as he looks at her walking away from him again. The smile did not leave his face until he reached his home. Only when he saw his gang members waiting for him did he let go of the smile to put on his business face.

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Hello Readers,

I guess we are sticking with the 1.5K word limit. If you enjoyed the chapter, hit the vote button and share your thoughts in the comment section. We are going into the past lives now and this is the most important phase, so I don't want to make lacking and I have my finals coming up, so.... We are taking a break until mid-December. I will try my best to upload one more chapter before that, but hey, no promises. So, let's all hope I do well in my finals so we can all get back to the story and do well here as well. See you guys in the next chapter...

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