KATHA

31 KALKI - MASQUERADE BALL

In the opulent heart of Samrats' lavish mansion, the Annual Masquerade Ball unfolded in a whirl of extravagance and glamour. Guests from high significance politicians to gangsters wanted in at least two countries were swathed in finest fabrics, their masks concealing both identity and intent. It was a night of secrets, hidden agendas, and a relentless display of ugly power.

I stood at the corner of the grand ballroom, my face hidden behind a simple black mask that mirrored my disdain. I watched the revelry with a raging anger and a strong itch to just crush those champagne glasses, ram them down Bulbul's throat, dangle her bloody corpse for the room to see and end it once and for all.

There was nothing I hated more than Bulbul Samrat. She was my nightmare, a dark void that ate me away inch by inch just by existing after she'd ruined me in all sense of the word. She was a vile creature, a symbol of corruption and manipulation, and I could no longer let her the privilege of breathing freely. I'd begin the orchestration of what demon I'd become, what demon she'd carved out of me. I'd give her the taste of her own medicine over and over until she choked on it. Going after my woman ? My Little gazelle ? Wrong fucking move. I'd end anything and anyone with the intention of even hurting a hair on her body. I'd end them mercilessly. I'd bathe the city with their blood.

I counted the minutes, each one bringing me closer to the reckoning.

As the night wore on, my gaze remained locked on her like a predator biding his time waiting for the perfect moment to strike. I had no intention of letting her escape me and I'd planned to make her demise a spectacle- a grim reminder to all those who had been complicit in her reign of power.

My eyes followed her until the giant double doors opened and a couple stepped in.

My heart faltered.

The moment was like a cruel twist of fate, one that left me seething with a fury that seemed to consume me like a raging tornado.

Kathavali Rathore and Rishikesh Sharma walked in hand in hand. And Bulbul beamed, now rushing towards them as fast as her gold Kanjivaram saree and all the jewels of Surat on her body allowed her.

For a moment, the world seemed to blur around me as all eyes turned toward the unexpected pair. Or maybe it was unexpected for me. Bulbul knew one or both of them. Did she invite her to harm her ? The fury inside me was palpable, a heavy weight that settled in the pit of my stomach, threatening to swallow me whole. I couldn't believe my eyes. It was as if the past and the present had collided in a nightmarish blend, and I was trapped in the center of it all.

Above everything, I was shocked that Kathavali hid it from me. Because when I told her I was going, all the invitations were already out.

My eyes were stuck on her like she was the source of life rushing through my veins. The simple black saree draped around her like a cascade of shadows, framed her tall curvy figure in a beguiling veil of mystery. Bejewelled in delicate jewellery, she looked like a goddess as the entire room, unworthy of her presence, stared at her in balant fascination. Even though the upper half of her face was concealed, a wave of intense emotions washed over me, a primal rush to rip all off their eyeballs out after showing them who she belonged to. Me. That was my woman.

She was confident in her manner, her dark eyes sparkling with a hint of mischief and intrigue as she regarded the room with regal indifference. A Goddess indeed. A Goddess with wicked eyes.

Her magnetic spell only intensified as she walked further into the room. Conversations hushed, gazes followed her every step, and the dance floor seemed to clear a path for her. Eyes devoured her, parted mouths salivating. The possessive anger that welled up within me was visceral. I resented every gaze that dared to linger on her, every whispered compliment that should have been reserved for me alone. Looking at her, seeing her smile, her laughter, was a privilege that was mine and mine alone. She was mine. In all sense of the word. My sanctuary that I cherished and loved above all else.