Her Secret

Chapter 21 - HS

"WHEN HER WORLD IS IN CHAOS, THIS IS HER SANCTUARY."

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They were both tired. Anni knew it when he outright threw Tushar's body on the forest floor lined with twigs and stones that no doubt gave Tushar a few more bruises to cry over when the effect of the poison she induced in him would wear out. X next dropped himself in the chair closest to him, sighing as if his legs finally found eternal relief. Utterly dramatic.

She looked down at herself. The blood coated clothes which were still a deep shade of black. Her mask was back on her face. She had made it a point to wear it once they had entered the study. The papers they retrieved still with X.

Hira gives X a funny look before frowning at Tushar. "Get this man out of my tent. He stinks." Hira props her hands on her hips before scrunching her nose in disgust. "So do you two."

"Thank you for telling us, Hira." She deadpanned. They brought that man here for God's sake! Who better than herself and X would know how much Tushar or they both stink. X rolled his eyes and picked up Tushar once again.

"We should leave. There's a lot of media people out there and if they by any chance see your car parked mere kilometers away from the burning warehouse abandoned...." X didn't have to finish that sentence for her. She knew the scandal it would create. Hence, she was ready to march through the forest and to her car before the fire brigade along with the cops arrived.

"I know." She turned towards Hira, giving her a nod in farewell. "Let's go."

They walked out of the tent with X still holding Tushar over his shoulders like a sack. She didn't let the exhaustion of the fight creep up to her. Not now. Not now. She has to be in Oberoi Mahal by the time morning greets them. She has to be there before the first rays of sun interrupt her quiet entry in the house.

She has one last thing to do before letting herself drown in exhaustion and anger. She was about to lose all control over herself, lead herself as her rage guided her had it not been X's careful sign. She had understood what he asked of her. Stay. Stay with me. She could have led them both into destruction had she not leashed herself for him.

She could have unleashed her anger there. Tushar's saccharine smile still danced in front of her eyes. However, she couldn't jeopardize X. Not X. Never X. She could have let herself burn with rage, drown in it but never at the cost of X. She knows it. He knows it. That is why when his ring glinted in the darkness he hid in, she knew. She knew that now is not the time.

Her anger has to be leashed. She will tame it. She will mold it into something worthy of using. She will not let her anger take advantage of her. She will build it into an abstract sword and behead her enemies with it. She will let her anger simmer, not boil. She will make it restless but not impatient. She will let her anger run through her veins but not yield to it. She will make her anger, her rage, yield to her.

She will not be guided by the blinding rage that overcomes all sense of calm in her. She will make her rage fume into fire and steam and burn her enemies in it.

They exit the forest surrounding the now burnt warehouse quickly. Not stopping for anything. One of Hira's scouts escorted them to the exit. Hira will be packing away her team soon after they leave making sure no proof of them being here is left. X already did everything with the cameras, and she is sure is Ip address is definitely not trackable. At least not for those measly hackers employed by the government.

They stopped in front of her car. X threw Tushar in the back seat of his car which was parked a kilometer away before walking back to her with the stolen papers in hand. She leaned on the bonnet of her car as he extended his hand to her. She took them from X, throwing them in the passenger seat before settling back on the bonnet.