Undying Love |✔

Chapter 4- He'd Be the Death of Me

"Kill her!" They chant in unison.

I am shackled to chains and bound to a Banyan tree. A large field is covered with dry grass, and so many men are gathered for this event.

They drag her by her hair with such force, I wince.

She doesn't scream, doesn't beg for her life. She doesn't even cry, just smile with melancholy, and look at the scene playing around her with saddened eyes.

It's making me angry, and tears are falling down my face repeatedly. I try to break free from these ropes desperately. They are searing deep into my skin, marking it with profound red marks.

I don't feel any pain as my heart is burning to break free, with the urge to save the love of my life, who is inches away from her fate.

"Don't kill her, you rascals! Leave her!" I shout, trying to get my voice reach to those monsters, but every frantic attempt of mine is in vain. My voice dissolves in thin air behind the roars of people.

Two men dragging her suddenly stops in front of a panch, a person who is known to do justice in villages, raises his hand with a silver looking object, and I scream her name at the top of my lungs.

"Rohini!"

That's when my eyes flung open, and I sat up panting like a dog.

As my eyes adjusted and reality came into focus, I noticed I was in a hotel room. I was clutching the bed sheet tightly around my fingers. My shirt was drenched in sweat, and my head was buzzing from the lack of sleep and the nightmare I'd just had.

I looked in the other direction, and when I found Rohini's side of the bed empty, not a single thought passed my head was positive.

It was a struggle not to think of something negative. But as I'd endured a nightmare, it was impossible for me not to think of all the horrible things.

What if those guys came while I was sleeping, anesthetized me and took her?

What if Amit and Aamir, despite their efforts, couldn't get through to us?

My heartbeats escalated, and my throat went dry. When I willed myself to call out for Rohini, a figure covered in a towel appeared from the bathroom, which made me loosen my grip from the sheets.

Thank Goodness, she is okay!

She came in a hurry towards me and sat next to me.

"What happened?" she asked. Her voice trembled, and her face was filled with worry and fear.

My throat was closing in on me with so many emotions, all I could manage to say was, "Rohini," and shake my head.

The same nightmare played in my mind like a movie. I closed my eyes. Despite the efforts, tears made their appearance.

Her soft hand came to rest upon my cheek, and she wiped away my tears."What happened? Bad dream?"

I couldn't will myself to speak, so I just nodded.

"It's okay. I'm right here," she soothed me with her soft voice.

"I know," I croaked, and crushed her towards me.

I hugged her tightly with no space left between us, as I was afraid of letting her go. The thought of loosening my hold on her, even an inch, terrified me.

She responded to my hug with equal fervor.

After some time, when I could form some words, I told her about my nightmare in a broken whisper.

"They were carrying you...and I... I couldn't do anything."

"I'm okay," she reassured again.

"I know, but I can't afford to lose you," I whispered.

"I'm not going anywhere as long as you're with me,"

"You don't understand. Those people in your village are crazy, and we're not even sure about these people we're with right now,"

"Aditya, relax. Here, have some water," she moved away from me and handed me a glass of water. 

When I was about to take it from her, I noticed she was just covered in a towel.

"Where are your clothes? And why are you like this?" I asked.

"My clothes are in the bathroom." She shrugged.

"Shouldn't you be wearing them?" I questioned after I'd gulped the water in one go. It made me feel better.

"My boyfriend here called my name in a panic. I had no choice, but to come as quickly as possible. The easiest way was wrapping this," she stated casually and pointed towards her towel.

"Oh," I muttered, not knowing what else to say.

My mind was subconsciously watching a single drop of water on her neck disappear inside her towel.

"Yeah, oh," she replied, but it all sounded distant.

What made me come out of my reverie was a loud bang on the door. I looked at her only to see a smirk that was directed at me.

Now isn't the time. I wanted to say.

"Who can it be?" Instead, I questioned in a whisper so that only she could hear.

"No idea," she answered in a voice that sounded like a howl in this silent room.

"Can't you speak a little low? We don't want to be heard. They can be dangerous," I whispered a little loudly.

Meanwhile, bangs on the door started again, dissolving the silence in the process.

"How d'you know they are they?" She asked curiously. Someone was clearly enjoying my discomfort.

"I'm just assuming. Besides, we can't take any risk." I emphasized.

"Let me go see who that is," she stated, but before she could take a step further, I grabbed her by her wrist.

"Like this?" I asked looking at her towel.

As if realization about wearing just a scrap of a towel, and not her clothes just dawned on her, she stated, "Oh, I will go and change,"

"Yeah, that would be a good thing. Don't come out unless I tell you to, okay?"

She nodded with a smile and went away.

I sighed, walked up to the door, and asked, "Who's there?" in a made-up voice before opening it.

"It's me."

That me was Amit.

I opened the door, but not before cursing under my breath.

"Why were you speaking oddly?" He asked.

"I just woke up," I answered nonchalantly.

"We're going to be on our way in about fifteen minutes. Be ready," he said.

"You could've just said this before silently banging on the door, you know?" I almost said you made me scared, but bit my tongue at the last minute.

"Then, I wouldn't have known whether you were still asleep or not." He replied with a blank expression. Before I could say anything, he was out of my sight.

I'm gonna suffer a heart attack because of him one day.

With this thought, I closed the door with a sigh and went to tell Rohini about our departure.

But, she was already out of the bathroom. This time her clothes were in her hands, and she was standing in front of me. Her laughter seemed ready to burst.

"Get ready." I said rather sullenly, and went to bathroom to do the same.

That's when she started laughing.

"Not funny!" I shouted from behind the door, but the laughter became louder.

I shook my head and started getting ready smiling to myself, relieved that she was here with me to make fun out of a terrible situation.

~*~