The Velvet Healer (The Roys, #1) ✔

Chapter 6 - Jai

Few moments later, she shivered in the pouring rain. Since her childhood, she always loved rain. Depending on the circumstances, she could associate rain with different human emotions. Like, right now, this downpour resembled a sorrowful singing damsel.

A second thought of going back to her hometown crossed her mind. Would it be a reasonable decision? She used to love her hometown until the night that changed it all. That clubhouse, although now seized by police, was still there bearing the proof of her nightmare.

She closed her eyes as a flash of memory crossed her mind.

Sometime in past,

The pain raked through her fragile body as she was pulled forward harshly and crashed onto a rock-solid body. Both of her hands were held together tightly behind her back. Her body was tightly pressed against the felon as he put his free hand on her lower jaw firmly.

He whispered in his vicious husky voice on her face, the smell of strong alcohol in his breath. "You'll always be mine." Then his hand found its way up to the back of her neck. He clutched a handful of her hair roughly and pulled them back violently. She screamed through pain. But her scream got muffled by a non-consented kiss. The flavor of strong alcohol and nicotine mixed with his saliva met her mouth and stayed there until she was almost devoid of oxygen.

She struggled in vain to free herself. But her actions evoked her captor to destroy her mouth more furiously. At some point, she felt a stinging pain on her lower lip. A strong metallic and salty flavored liquid ran through between her teeth and met her tongue. She groaned in agony before her tongue entangled with his. His tongue grazed along the length of her tongue and bit it down painfully. She cried out painfully as more tears streamed down her face.

Mercifully, he let her go this time and let out a vicious laugh.

~~~

Priyasha opened her eyes slowly, her eyelashes heavy from the raindrops... or perhaps tears. She couldn't tell at this point. She located a figure running toward her with an umbrella opened above his head. On a closer look she recognized, it was Jai.

"Ma'am! Why are you drenching yourself like that? Come under this umbrella!" Jai cried out, genuinely worried.

Priyasha pulled herself up on her legs reluctantly and fell behind Jai under the umbrella.

"You may get sick ma'am. You shouldn't neglect your health," said Jai.

Priyasha let him lead her toward their building, then across the ground floor parking lot in silence, until they reached the elevator door. She turned toward him and asked, "Jai?"

"Yes?"

"Why did you disappear in the morning like that?"

He wasn't expecting that question from her at this moment. She could tell that observing his sudden fidgeting. His eyes darted toward the entrance of the parking lot as if he was expecting someone.

Then he sighed and met her eyes. "I should not disclose anything to you. It is not the right place and I am not the right person."

Priyasha shook her head. "Jai, I have the right to know about the place I am living in or the person I am living with. And it seems, you're the only person I can ask these questions." She grabbed his left hand and pleaded, "Please."

He stared at her and for a few seconds. She thought he would never tell her anything. A fear raked through her mind. Was it something about Abhiraj? Nothing daunted her more than the fact that she had been living with a stranger she barely knew anything about. What would she do if these secrecies were related to him?

However, a moment later, Jai opened his mouth.

"Unlike you," Jai started in a low voice. "Roy Sir's obligations aren't limited, and..." He hesitated before adding, "some of them aren't... conventional." He paused momentarily, then resumed slowly, "But I can tell you about myself and the reason why I ended up here. I am from a poor family. We don't have the privileges to claim for our social rights. My fundamental background was full of theft, drug dealers and... murder." He looked unapologetic while saying so.

Priyasha's knees gradually became numb as she was trying to calculate two and two, four and his connection with Abhiraj.

"Once I made a deal with a nefarious person. He wanted me to break through a renowned businessman's security and stole a particular document. I was successful. Back then my age was around fifteen or sixteen. When I returned successfully and delivered them, I was paid a handsome amount. For me, it was enough to buy myself ample amount of drug to immerse in them. I was happily coming out of the place until a hand stopped me from behind. After that, you can now see me here. It was Roy sir. I solely work for him now. I told you to stay safe because of your innocent appearance. I realized you've no idea about the danger that lurks around people like Roy sir." His eyes roamed across the parking then rested back on Priyasha.

Her chest pounded like a rabid caged animal until she exhaled a shaky breath. She didn't even realize she was holding her breath until now.

"Ma'am, you should go and get changed now. Take some rest." He motioned for her to enter the elevator as he took a step toward it. She dragged herself into the elevator slowly and leaned on the wall supporting her wobbly legs.

If what Jai said was nothing but the truth, she could not afford to live with Abhiraj Roy. Jai entered the elevator and pressed the button of the second floor.

It is difficult to put your trust in strangers. But when you do trust them and realize it was a mistake, you find yourself in a vulnerable position. Trusting someone is significantly dangerous. You never know when your trust associates with the unreliability of a person and makes you defenseless against them.

Just before she could press the doorbell, Abhiraj opened the door, standing tall before her. Priyasha realized his appearance looked more intimidating now that she knew something about his background. She stepped back when he moved forward and leaned to help her with her drenched bag. His eyes darted up as their eyes locked. He retraced and crossed his arms over his chest focusing on her intensely. His biceps bulged under his grey t-shirt making his appearance more domineering.

Both of them stayed quiet. Her shallow breathing was noticeable. She waited cautiously for him to notice her uncomfortableness until he moved and leaned on the door frame.

One of his brows slanted in strong disapproval. "What's on your mind?" He asked in an unnerving voice making her flinch.

She was scared, nervous, mortified... all at the same time.

She looked up at him and the words left her mouth before she could stop herself. "I don't know how to trust you. Who are you?... What are you?"

His jaws clenched visibly before he said, "I'm not who you think I am."

She lowered her gaze when he added, "But I can't talk about it. Not tonight."

Her heart ached for some unknown reason.

A momentary pause later, he softly said, "Come inside."

She inhaled a shaky breath then slowly stepped into the apartment, cautious of her wet clothes glued to her torso. He must have noticed every curve they made on her. It was awkward because she didn't feel self-conscious around Jai for the same reason, then why him?

He moved to give her enough space so she could slide in, then commented behind her, "Being a rain lover while it is pouring like this is stupidity." She stopped in her track and cast a glance at him over her shoulder. There was a visible scowl on his face. After that, he closed the door with a loud thud and went to his room without another word.

Priyasha stood there, watching his back long after he vanished inside his room. Could she really risk it by choosing to live here? She asked herself a few times before tiredness engulfed her. She took off down the hallway and shut herself in the bathroom. At that moment, she had a variety of coherent and non-coherent emotions running through her mind, and it made her feel like breaking down. She knew that she had to be strong; but her incapability in doing so kept slapping across her face over and over. She turned on the shower and watched ruefully as a torrent of steaming hot water spurted out. Then she stripped off her clothes and stepped under the running water, allowing it to wash away her hot tears which she no longer could shed in front of others.