The Entangled Obsession

14. The Golden Cage

FLASHBACK CONTINUES

In a dim hallway, Mr. Wester gestured for Piya to follow him. The uneven flicker of candles along the corridor's walls created a haunting ambiance. Shadows played tricks, stretching and contorting in the subdued light, intensifying the mysterious atmosphere as they ventured forward.

Piya hesitated and asked, "Where are we going?" Her voice trembled a bit.

Mr. Wester turned with a creepy look in his eyes. "Patience is the virtue," he said mysteriously.

As they walked through narrow passages, it got colder, and the darkness felt heavy. Piya felt a shiver and a weird feeling in her stomach. They reached a plain-looking door with carvings. Mr. Wester opened it with a creak, revealing a hidden room glowing in soft gold light. Piya's eyes widened at what she saw.

The walls were covered with portraits of a beautiful brown-skinned woman. Each stroke of the pencil seemed to pulse with the energy of a lover, capturing the nuances of her existence with an almost obsessive precision.

In one drawing, the woman looked really happy, biting into a juicy peach fruit. The artist carefully drew every little detail – the curve of her upper lip, the fullness of the lower one, and the shadows that made them look soft.

Each stroke made the lips look even more peachy and lush. It seemed like the painter was really, really into how beautiful her lips were, almost like he was hypnotised by them. The way he drew them, so precise and delicate, conveyed that there was a deep fascination and a bit of obsession going on in the artwork

Right beside it, there was another drawing that made Piya's heart ache. The woman in this one was crying intensely, and it felt even more heart-wrenching. She was confined in a gleaming golden cage, desperately gripping its bars as if imprisoned not only by her emotions but by the confinement of the cage.

The artist paid great attention to the details, capturing the tears streaming down her cheeks and the tight grasp of her fingers on the golden bars. It seemed the painter wasn't just infatuated; it was as if he took a sadistic pleasure in portraying the pain and sorrow of the women.

In stark contrast to the previous image where happiness was perfectly captured, here, the artist seemed almost cruelly obsessed with depicting her pain. The shiny cage, instead of highlighting joy, made the anguish even more pronounced, revealing a disturbing fascination with the woman's suffering.

Further down the wall, there was a drawing of the woman peacefully asleep, yet it held that same intense, almost maniacal quality. The artist carefully brought out the softness of her features—the gentle curve of her cheek, the graceful shape of her neck, and the subtle rise and fall of her chest. It went beyond simply treasuring those quiet moments; it felt like the painter was captivated, unwilling to let go, chasing her even in her dreams.

Next in stark contrast, a bold and provocative painting captured the woman engaged in a fervent kiss. The artist had immortalised the intensity of the moment—their nude intertwined bodies, the caress of their lips, and the fire of love in her eyes. It was a portrayal of desire, a snapshot of the passionate connection shared between the lovers. The sensuality was undeniable , each stroke etching a tale of an intense romance, bordering on a toxic obsession.

As Piya moved through the room, the eyes in the drawings seemed to follow her, like the woman's gaze was alive in the artwork. The whole collection spoke of a deep, dark love where the artist wasn't just watching but was deeply involved in every part of her complicated life.

In the middle of the room, there was a big bed covered in fancy fabrics. But what surprised Piya the most was a golden cage hanging from the ceiling, making strange shadows. She gasped, realising this wasn't a normal room.