Limits

failed escape

"Tumhare saath yeh kisne kiya?" He asked ferociously. "Naam batao mujhe unke." He growled.

Riddhima swept her eyes over all the Raisinghania members standing behind him. Every single one of them a credible suspect. Every single one of them out for her blood.

"Riddhima, kisne kiya yeh sab?" He asked, grounding his jaw.

Riddhima returned her attention back to him. She was done with his lies. "Jankar kya kar lo ge?" Vansh clenched his teeth. "Ghum kar khud dekh lo. Iss ghar mein koi paraya dikh raha tumhe?" She chuckled. "Wait, I forgot. Parayi toh mein hoon. Mein jiyu ya marun, kissi ko kya parwah?"

Her eyes stung with her hot tears.

"Riddhima," He reached out to grab her hand but she pulled away.

"Meine tumse kaha tha na?" She spoke in a low whisper. "Kaha tha ki koi mujhe maarna chahta hai." She laughed. "But you don't care Vansh."

She stepped away from him, and was heading towards the staircase when Vansh called out to her.

"Bas Vansh!" She spun around, and yelled. "Enough is enough! Pehle goli se maarte hai, phir jhumar gira the hai, swimming pool mein phenk the hai, garam koyle se bhaare hue kamre mein band karte hai. Aaj toh zinda jalane wale the - AAKHIR CHAHTE KYA HO MUJHSE!" Her shrill voice echoed throughout the mansion, leaving everyone stunned.

Riddhima ran a shaky hand over her heated face.

"Bohot ho gaya." She mumbled to herself. "No more."

She spun around, and ran towards her room, ignoring the innocent calls Daadi, and Vansh made to her. She slammed and locked the door shut before Vansh could go in. She went to her cupboard, and pulled out the emergency backpack she had prepared for herself. She quickly changed out of her saree into a pair of clothes that would make it easier for her to run in. The door was being constantly pounded by Vansh's incessant knocking. Fearing it would break at any time, Riddhima looped the straps over her shoulders, and looked out the window. It was high but not so much that she wouldn't be able to survive it. She swung her legs over the window sill, and peered down. She took in deep breaths to calm herself. The door burst open, and Riddhima startled. Without wasting another moment, she made her jump, and landed with a thud. As she stood, she checked herself over to make sure she was fully okay.

"Riddhima?" Vansh's loud voice drifted through the open window.

She didn't bother to wait. She spun around, and ran over to the garden. There was a hidden entrance that Kabir had made for himself to easily slip in and out of the mansion without being noticed. Riddhima thought she heard footsteps behind her, but she didn't bother to turn around and look. Every second wasted in looking back will leave her further away from her freedom.

Once she hit the paved road, Riddhima began running as fast as she could. The sides of her stomach began to burn, and ache but she mustered through it. A little pain now, and there will be nothing but pleasure and happiness for her later.

She eyed a car that drove past her. She scrambled to a stop as it spun, and blocked the road. She should have known better. There's no way Vansh would have let her go that easily. Her heart pounded as she waited for him to make his move. He had just opened the door when Riddhima bolted towards the right, and ran into the dense woods. It was pitch dark, she was moving in unknown terrain, and she had an enraged man chasing after her. Her mind kept chanting towards Bappa to help her get through the night safe and sound.

"Ouch!" Riddhima tripped over a branch, and fell face forward.

She looked over her shoulder, and saw Vansh come to a stop. He was panting heavily, and his eyes were blown wide with rage.

"And just where the hell did you think you were going?"

Riddhima didn't bother to answer. She tried to crawl away from him, but he grabbed her legs and pulled her back. Riddhima screamed when he spun her around and pinned her to the ground.

He was crouched down over her, when he asked, "Tumne soch bhi kaise liya ki tum mujhse bhaag ke jaa sakti ho?"

Anger flared within Riddhima. "Tumne kaise soch liya ki mein tumhare saath rehna chahti hoon?" His hands dug deeper into her flesh. "Aakhir kiya hi kya hai jiske vaja se mein tumhare saath rahoon?"

"Pati hoon mein tumhara." He growled.

Riddhima scoffed. "Pati? Pati wali kaunsi harkatein ki hai tumne? Jab dekho chikhte chilate rehte ho. Bin matlab ka gussa, aur agar kuch kaho toh yakeen karna toh door, sun na bhi nahi chahte. Kyun rahoon mein aise admi ke saath?"

"Riddhima, don't cross your limits." He warned.

"Kyun na karoon mein?" She argued. "Limits cross karne ka haq sirf Raisinghanias ko hai kya? Din dihare kissi ko bhi torture kar lo. Kissi ka bhi murder kar lo, sab chale ga. But koi aur bol kar toh dekhe phir limit cross ho gayi?"

"That's enough." Vansh said, trembling with anger.

"Wahi toh mein keh rahi hoon." Riddhima said. "Bohot hogaya. Kyunki tumse toh kuch hone se raha. Jo bhi karna hai mujhe hi karna hoga."

"Riddhima, watch it." He backed away from her slightly.

"Sahi toh kaha meine." Riddhima continued, bolstered by a new confidence. "Tumse kaha kuch hota hai. Tumhe toh sirf baatein karni aati hai Vansh, aur kuch nahi."

"Riddhima!"

"Jitni marzi naam chilana hai chila lo Vansh, but sach badal nahi jayega." Now, full seated, she asked him, "Tumne kitni baar vaade kiye mujhe protect karne ki? Kitni baar kahan ki 'mere hote hue tumhe kuch nahi hoga'. Toh aaj raat kya hua?" She pushed him. "Kahan gaya tha Vansh Raisinghania ka promise?"

"Tumhe bacha toh liye." Vansh retorted.

"Dhaanya ho aap ka." Riddhima slapped her hands together, and bowed before him. "Bohot shukriya aap ka patidev. Kaise chukaoon aap ka yeh ehsaan?"

"Ghar chalo." Vansh commanded.

"Kabhi nahi." Riddhima retorted. "Tumhare saath toh mein jahano mein bhi na jaoon, tumhara ghar toh bohot door ki baat hai."

He leaned forward, and got too close than she would have liked. She leant back, but stood her ground.

"Mein puch nahi raha. Bata ra hoon. Tum ghar chal rahi ho." His calm, and assured manner unnerved her.

"No." She said once again.

Vansh didn't say anything else. He instead grabbed for her, and tried to force her to go with him, but Riddhima resisted. There was no way she was going to go back to that house. At least not without a fight. She somehow managed to slip out of his hold. She kicked him once, and scrambled to get up. She didn't know where she was running, but as long as it took him far away from Vansh, she would be happy. Unfortunately, she didn't get too far as Vansh quickly caught up to her, and grabbed her by the waist. He spun her around, and began carrying her back with him.

"Chodo mujhe!" She screamed, whilst hitting him.

"Not a chance sweetheart." He replied, keeping his eyes ahead as he kept walking.

Riddhima paused momentarily. There he was: the monster she had known.

She continued to squirm and flail against him but it was no use. They reached the main road, right where they had left the car. Riddhima doesn't even want to know how he knew exactly where the car would be. All she knew was that she did not want to get inside. She reached up in the hopes she would be able to scratch at him, but he held her wrists down. Rather than going towards the front of the car, Vansh led her towards the trunk. He swung his foot underneath the sensor and it clicked open.

"Don't you dare." Riddhima warned as she eyed the dark trunk.

Vansh wordlessly threw her in. Glaring, Riddhima tried to get out, but Vansh held her by the throat.

"No sweetheart, don't you dare." He snarled, "Agar dobara bhaag ne ki koshish ki," He squeezed her throat tighter, "toh seedhe tumhare Bappa ke paas bhej dunga."

Light headed, Riddhima fell back. The last image she saw - Vansh's burning eyes, concealed only by the closing of the trunk.