It's Always Been You

Chapter 11 - Finding Solace

Abhimanyu's eyes were blood red, his body shaking with rage as he clenched his jaw, and his hands fisted to his sides. He stood in front of Akshara like an roaring lion, baring his teeth, ready to protect it's mate.

"Abhi..." Akshara's voice was meek as she tried to get his attention.

Abhimanyu turned around to face Akshara when he's eyes darted to the reddened imprint of a large hand plastered on her cheek. Her lip was bleeding and her face was just beginning to get it's color back after having it turned blue by Rehaan's chokehold.

Her lips quivered and tears rolled down her cheeks as she wrapped her arms around herself. Abhimanyu tilted his head, his eyes beginning to water as he saw his best friend standing in front of him, looking lifeless.

"Abhi..." Akshara held herself back, embarrassed for the situation he had found her in, but equally grateful that he had.

Abhimanyu slowly dragged his feet up to Akshara, unsure of what to do. Automatically his hands reached out to assess the marks on her face, only for Akshara to flinch at his slightest touch.

Abhimanyu curled his fingers into the palm of his hands. His eyes darkened and his jaw clenched witnessing the abuse of his Akshara at the hands of that coward.

He turned around with a menacing look at his face, ready to put Rehaan six feet under. No one, no one physically assaulted his best friend and got away with it.

"She's a fucking whore. She cheated on me. She fucking stepped out on our relationship. And you know what whores like her deserve? They deserve to be slapped." Rehaan grit out, standing up, stabilizing himself.

Enraged upon hearing Rehaan call Akshara a whore, Abhimanyu pulled his hand back, curled his fingers inwards and punched Rehaan in the jaw, knocking him off balance. Rehaan touched his hand to his lips only to see it be busted and bleeding.

"Don't you fucking speak of Akshara like that!"

"You bastard!" Rehaan exclaimed, stepping forward to attack Abhimanyu.

However, Abhimanyu was faster. He punched Rehaan, knocking him onto the ground. Feeling enraged, Abhimanyu kept punching Rehaan, one after the other. He sat on Rehaan's chest, constricting his airflow as Abhimanyu continued to slap and punch a fighting Rehaan onto the ground.

"How dare you fucking lay a finger on Akshara?" Abhimanyu grabbed Rehaan by his collar, and repeatedly trashed him against the concrete floor, enough to give Rehaan a concussion.

"How dare you fucking hurt her?" He raised Rehaan's skull of the ground and then punched his face a few more times, repeatedly.

"Abhi...please! Don't kill him. He's not worth going to prison for!" Akshara cried.

"But you are!" Abhimanyu turned to face Akshara with monstrous eyes. "You are worth it, Akshara." He stated, intently.

"Please. I'm a scared. I want to go home." She whispered, wiping her tears away from her cheeks. "Please Abhi, I need you. I need my best friend."

Abhimanyu heard the plea in her voice. Unwilling to let Rehaan get away, but knowing Akshara needed him, Abhimanyu turned to look at Rehaan once more. Rehaan laid on the ground drenched in a pool of his own blood. But yet, even the sight of Rehaan laying there, lifeless, was not enough to satisfy him.

Rehaan deserved worse than this. Much worse. Abhimanyu punched Rehaan once more before getting up from his chest.

"Raising a hand on a woman doesn't make you a man, it makes you a coward. And that's exactly what you are. A fucking coward." Abhimanyu kicked Rehaan on the stomach once, then twice, until Akshara rushed up to him, wrapping her arms around his chest.

"Please Abhi. Let's go." She whispered.

Abhimanyu glanced at Rehaan with undeniable hatred, again who was beginning to sit up now, clutching his stomach and his jaw.

"You will pay for this." He stated, wiping the blood from the corners of his lips.

"Yeah, well, I will be waiting." Abhimanyu growled. Abhimanyu intertwined Akshara's fingers in his, clasping it tightly as he pulled her behind him, walking away from Rehaan.

~*~

Akshara's eyes darted nervously to Abhimanyu's clenched jaw and his stoic expression as he walked her to his car. She then gazed down to where their hands were intertwined and she felt a warm, safe, protective feeling engulf her chest.

Safe.

She was safe now. And protected.

Akshara's lips turned up into a small, hesitant, affectionate smile as she looked at Abhimanyu. She knew now that she had made the biggest mistake of her life by saying yes to marrying Rehaan.

~*~

Abhimanyu opened the passenger side car door and and helped Akshara sit inside. He then leaned over her chest and buckled her in. Securing her in, safely.

He then walked around the car to the driver's side before getting in and turning on the ignition.

The image of Akshara being strangled by Rehaan playing like a nightmare in the back of his head. So blue —her face had been so blue. The moment he had seen Akshara leave the restaurant behind Rehaan, he knew something was wrong.

Her expressions. The sadness in the eyes. Lost. His Akshara had looked lost. Broken.

And then he had come out of the restaurant to stop her —to tell her he missed her —the old her. His Akshara. His best friend. He had come out to tell her she was making a mistake by marrying Rehaan.

But the moment he had seen Rehaan's hands on her, he had lost it. He was a very temperamental man, but the vision of her —with her reddened cheeks, tear streaked face and scarred neck —it triggered something in him.

"Please don't take me home."

"Was he always like this?"

Akshara and Abhimanyu spoke simultaneously. They looked at each other before turning back to face the front. Akshara bit her lower lip, trying to hold back her tears.

She felt ashamed of the situation she has landed herself in. She knew Rehaan was not the right guy for her. She took a deep breath, fidgeting with her fingers. She lowered her lashes, looking down at her lap, too ashamed to even look at Abhimanyu.

From the corner of his eye, Abhimanyu watched Akshara fidgeting with the hem of her dress nervously. Despite seething in anger, Abhimanyu reached out and covered Akshara's hands with his, giving her comfort.

"What happened back there, it wasn't your fault. You are not responsible for his actions, okay?"

She wished to believe the words out of Abhimanyu's mouth but somewhere deep down, she felt responsible for her own miseries.

Abhimanyu turned the car into an apartment building complex, parking in it's underground structure.

"Where are we going?" Akshara asked, turning to face Abhimanyu.

"We own this building. So naturally dad thought it was a good idea to own an apartment too. He says it's to be used as a model apartment for buyers and renters but I'm pretty sure he comes here to get away from mom for a few hours."

Abhimanyu got out of the car and opened the passenger side door for Akshara.

"Abhi..."

"You said you don't want to go home. And we need to talk. So we are going to go up to the apartment and you are going to let me tend to your wounds. And you are also going to tell me what the fuck that man did to my best friend. No lies. No holding anything back. Because I swear to God, Akshara, I am this close," Abhimanyu pinched his fingers together, "to losing it. You have no idea what went through my head when I saw him touching you. I saw red, Akshara. No one. No one has any fucking right to touch you."

Akshara nodded her head, biting her lower lip. She got out of the car and slipped her hand in Abhimanyu's outstretched one. As they rode the elevator up to the apartment, Akshara's eyes kept focused on Abhimanyu, grateful now than ever that she had a best friend like him.