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Authors pov
"Woh mein... Come inside and then talk," Armaan said, leaving Mannat standing at the door. Mannat hesitated but eventually stepped inside. Her eyes roamed around his room, and her mind replayed the events of the day, sending a shiver through her innocent soul. She gasped when she saw Armaan taking off his T-shirt. She immediately stepped back, closed her eyes, and said in a trembling voice,
"Yeh... Kya... K-kya kar rahe ho aap?"
Within seconds, she found herself pressed against the wall. Armaan was standing right in front of her. His eyes roamed over her, calculating every detail that always seemed to ignite something within him. Both stood close, too close, and as their eyes locked, Mannat stammered,
"Kyun kar rahe ho yeh sab? Aapko andaza bhi hai ki aapki maa aapse kitna pyaar karti hain! Koi apni maa se aise baat karta hai jaise aapne—"
She was abruptly cut off by Armaan's loud voice.
"Just shut the fuck up, understand?" he snarled. Holding her arm tightly, he brought his face closer to hers until their lips were only a breath apart. A single push would have them crash together. His eyes burned with something primal, a mix of hatred and anguish.
Mannat’s voice quivered as she tried again, "Dekhiye—"
"Shut up and listen!" he barked. "Tumhe pata bhi hai, Mere dil mein iss satarah saal tak kya raha hai ?" His eyes, filled with raw pain and anger, bored into hers.
Mannat shook her head vigorously, terrified. His intensity, his words, his very presence overwhelmed her.
"Dard sirf or sirf dard," he said in a low, bitter tone. That one word pierced her soul. She wanted to heal his pain, to comfort him, but his eyes told a different story—a deep hatred and loathing directed entirely at her.
Suddenly, Armaan let go of her and began putting his T-shirt back on, this time a black one. His voice, cold and husky, broke the silence,
"Out. Now."
Mannat, shaken and unable to utter another word, left the room. The faint sound of her anklets fading away confirmed her departure. Once alone, Armaan lay down on his bed and covered his face with his hand. Memories of his childhood resurfaced, bringing tears to his eyes. One single tear escaped before he drifted into a restless sleep.
---
At the Dining Table
The clatter of utensils was the only sound in the dining room. The family ate silently, avoiding eye contact. Armaan, too, ate in silence, but his gaze was fixed on Mannat from the moment she sat down. His stare made her feel exposed, as though he could see through her. Unable to bear it any longer, she stood up, barely having touched her breakfast.
"Badi Maa, I’m going to college," she said hastily.
As she turned to leave, Sumitra spoke up, "Armaan, beta, drop Mannat to college, okay?"
Armaan couldn’t defy his grandmother’s words, so he nodded reluctantly. He got up and walked outside.
As he reached his car, his father called out, "Armaan, I hope you remember Mr. Shah's deal, right?"
Armaan heard him but didn’t respond, ignoring his father entirely. He got into the car, leaving his father seething at the dining table.
Outside, Armaan honked impatiently. Hearing the sound, Mannat hesitated but eventually got into the car, sitting in the back seat.
"Tumhare baap ka naukar nahi hoon main. Samjhi tum? Aage aakar baitho," Armaan said, his gaze fixed on her through the rearview mirror.
Mannat felt a pang of hurt at his taunt but decided to ignore it. She moved to the passenger seat and sat beside him quietly.
As the car sped through the bustling streets, silence filled the air inside. Mannat kept her gaze fixed on the road ahead, avoiding looking at Armaan. She could feel the tension radiating from him, a storm brewing beneath his calm facade. Every glance he threw her way in the rearview mirror sent a shiver down her spine.
Minutes later, the car took a sudden turn onto a deserted road. Mannat's unease deepened as the urban landscape faded into a quiet, isolated area surrounded by tall trees and nothing but silence.
"Yeh kahan le ja rahe hai aap mujhe college ka rasta yeh nahi haii?" she asked hesitantly, her voice barely above a whisper.
Armaan didn’t answer. His hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles white, as though he were trying to restrain something. The car came to an abrupt halt near an abandoned clearing, the eerie silence of the area amplifying her fear.
Armaan stepped out of the car without a word. When Mannat didn’t move, he walked around, opened her door, and grabbed her wrist.
"Bahar aao," he ordered, his voice cold and commanding.
Mannat tried to resist, but his grip was firm. Reluctantly, she stepped out, her heart pounding in her chest. The chilling wind seemed to echo the dread building within her.
"Armaan, yeh... kya kar rahe ho? Mujhe college chhodna tha—"
"Chup!" he snapped, cutting her off as he pulled her deeper into the clearing. Stopping abruptly, he turned to face her, his eyes blazing with an intensity that froze her in place.
"You think you can come into my life and take over everything? Tumhare bas ki baat nahi hai, Mannat. Tum samajhti kya ho apne aap ko?" he hissed, his voice low yet dripping with venom.
Mannat's lips quivered. "Maine kuch nahi kiya... main toh bas—"
"Bas? Tum bas meri maa ka pyaar chheen rahi ho. Tum bas meri jagah le rahi ho. Tumhe lagta hai, tum yahan khush rahogi , aur mujhe fark nahi padega?" He took a menacing step closer, and she instinctively stepped back, her back hitting the trunk of a tree.
Tears welled up in her eyes. "Aap galat samajh rahe ho... main kisi ki jagah nahi lena chahti thi..."
"Lekin le li na?" he interrupted, his voice rising. His face was inches away from hers now. "Tumhe mere dard ka ehsaas hai, Mannat? Satrah saal tak maine jo saha hai, uska ek percent bhi nahi janti tum. Main jo kar raha hoon, woh mere dard ka ek chhota sa hissa hai sirf ho tumhe dikhana chahta huu."
Mannat’s tears spilled over as she shook her head. "Mujhe nahi pata tha... aap kyun aise kar rahe hain..."
Armaan let out a bitter laugh. "Pata chal gaya na ab kyu kar rha huu yeh sab tumhari dosti ne sirf mujhse mera sab kuch cheena hai ? Toh ab yeh yaad rakhna ki ab meri baari hai tumse tumhara sab kuch cheen ne kii—and yeah just stay out of my way, Samjhi?"
His words were sharp, cutting into her already fragile heart. He let go of her wrist with a forceful shove, and she stumbled slightly, clutching the tree for support.
Without another word, he turned and walked back to the car, leaving her standing there, trembling and crying. Mannat slid down to the ground, her sobs echoing in the empty clearing. Her tears were not just of fear but of a deep helplessness she had never felt before.
Armaan sat in the car, gripping the steering wheel tightly. His heart and mind were at war. He wanted to push her away, to punish her for the pain he believed she had caused, yet a part of him couldn’t ignore the pang of guilt seeing her tears.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he honked once, forcing Mannat to gather herself. She wiped her tears and dragged herself back to the car, her steps heavy with dread.
The rest of the drive was silent, the tension suffocating, but one thing was certain—Mannat would never forget this warning, and Armaan’s demons had just begun to surface.
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