Callous

Chapter 26/Impulse

HAYA

There were two emotions that really made my eyes wet with tears; anger, and guilt.

And there was no doubt which one I felt at the moment as my eyes landed on Feroze, my body instantly reacting to the anger I felt brimming inside me. I didn't know what I was doing until I pushed Aarib out of the way and came upfront with Feroze who inspected me with a tilt to his head, probably wondering why I wasn't backing away from him, and I couldn't tell what was happening.

It just happened in a blur.

One second, I had tears streaming down my face.

The next, I had slapped him. Hard.

His face stuck to the side where he got the hit, and I gasped.

Oh no.

What did I just do!

My eyes became wide with horror, with the confirmation of what I had just done. I heard Areesha's small gasp, but I couldn't look away from Feroze, watching as he slowly turned his head back to me, his jaw ticking, his lips pressed together in discontent, and his nostrils flaring as he regarded me with dark eyes, cautious eyes.

"What the heck?"

I cried out in pain as he grabbed my hand with which I had hit him and twisted my wrist. But the pain was short because someone yanked me back and then I was hauled at someone. I collided with Areesha, clutching my aching wrist with the other hand and biting my lip to stifle the whimpers.

She wrapped her arms around me, engulfing me in her embrace. I put my head on her shoulder and let the tears fall.

Why did I do that!

"What is wrong with you!" I heard Aarib growl loud and clear. "How dare you touch her again!"

"She hit me first! That stupid woman had the nerve to slap me!"

"You have done worse to her!"

I pulled back, sniffing, and saw that Aarib had backed Feroze into a wall. Both the men were snarling, shaking with fury. Aarib had fisted his brother's shirt in his hands, and my eyes grew wide when he yanked him forward and hauled him back into the wall.

Feroze grunted.

That must have hurt so bad!

"No, don't move," Sheru warned me when I took a step forward, but immediately retreated back double the steps and pursed my lips together. "Let him deal this himself."

Feroze shoved back Aarib, and was barking through clenched teeth. "Your wife just slapped me. How dare she do that! How dare she humiliate me in front of people!"

"How dare you touch her!" Aarib growled, his fist connecting with Feroze's nose. I heard a crack. . .he broke the nose! "How dare you even speak to her like that! Keep your filthy hands to yourself!"

This was my fault, and at that moment, I felt like a stupid, emotional idiot. I took a decision on impulse, whilst I should have listened to the coherent part of me and just swallowed the huge lump of revenge. I should've known better.

This evening was everything I wanted to avoid.

"You choose her over family now?" Feroze glared at me, despite his words being directed to Aarib—Aarib, who was being held back by Sheru, but I could by his stance that he wanted to land another punch on Feroze.

"She is family," he bit back. I could practically feel the anger rolling off of him in waves, and once again, I wished I had just minded my own business instead of riling up Feroze.