Dare Trilogy | Book 3 Editing | ✓

1.18 | Moment of Panic + In His Voice

Posted on March 10th, 2017 | Edited on May 4th, 2018.

Dedicated to @Pyaar12 as a thank you for her never ending enthusiasm and adorable comments. <3

K R I P A . . .

| . . .  C H A P T E R . . . 1. 1 8 . 1 : M O M E N T - O F - P A N I C . . . |

A loud scream woke me up in the middle of the night. I couldn't be sure if it was my imagination. Pushing my blanket aside, I got up to check if Khushi heard it too. I crossed the small hallways between our room and pushed open her door.

It was dark but the moonlight entering through her window was enough light for me to see she was sitting on the floor. Closing my eyes, I questioned in humor, "What, did you fall off the bed?"

She didn't particularly answer to me but she was mumbling some things I couldn't hear. Starting to get concerned, I turned on the lights. She was on the floor, yes, but she was hugging her legs and rocking back and forth. She was terribly shaking.

In a panic and having no idea what to do, I reached her, kneeling next to her and trying to hug her, to calm her down but she slapped them away and inched away from me. "Khushi? Hey, it's me. You probably just had a bad dream. Lis..."

I trailed off noticing she wasn't listening to me at all. She was in her own world mumbling incoherently as tears streamed down her cheeks. I only caught some words, "Leave... don't... please... tried... "

I was scared. Scared for her and seeing her like this. I've never faced something like this but it didn't seem a bad dream.

I didn't want to leave her like this but I didn't know what to do either. Though she wasn't listening, I informed. "I'll be back, okay. Just wait..."

I ran off to my room and grabbed my phone, dialing Arnav's phone as I rushed back to her. She was still rocking back and forth breaking a sweat. "God damn it, Arnav. The one time I need you..." He wasn't answering. It was going straight to voice mail. I dialed Anjali's number hoping he was home and she could get the message to him.

A knock on the door pulled my attention. Why is everything happening at once? I can't handle this! Did others living on either sides on this floor of the building hear her scream too?

I opened the front door to some Indian guy I had never seen before but before he could speak, I apologized. "Look, sorry if your sleep was disturbed. Go away now."

I tried to shut the door on his face but he pushed it back, "Does Khushi live here?"

I stopped trying to redial Anjali's number on hearing her name. "Who are you?"

Both of us turned behind me when we heard another quiet shriek. "Khushi." He said her name, connecting it to her again.

He tried to walk past me but I quickly walked to block his path. "Hey there, who do you think you are? You can't just walk in like..."

He spoke over me in an urgent voice, "I'm Khushi's boyfriend. Now move." As he instructed, he himself grabbed my arm and moved me.

What the fuck? Did he just manhandle me? I forgot that part when I recalled his words. Boyfriend? Hah. He's lying. My eyes widened on realizing I just let a stranger in who claimed to be her boyfriend but I knew better.

I rushed into Khushi's room worrying for her but came to a halt by her room's entryway on seeing him gently cupping Khushi face and speaking to her.

His voice was the complete opposite of the way he'd talked to me. Soft and calling out to her. "Hey smiley, shh. Shh. You're okay. Look at me. You are safe."