Pocket Full of Lies

29- Victim? Or not?

Rehaan's POV

Seriously, what's wrong with her?

If she was the one who hit me, then why was she afraid of a non-existent culprit? At first, I thought she was just making it up, so that she wouldn't look bad for following me to the department store. But now, she is talking about changing locks. Why change it when the one who hit me is already inside?

She wasn't even scared when neighbour-aunty spoke about finding me. What if she had seen Muskaan? Muskaan would have got jailed, without anyone knowing that it was self-defense.

Here my heart had come up to my throat, and this girl was standing with no care in the world. As if...as if she wasn't the one...

"What?" She shouted, frustrated by my constant stare.

Shaking my head to say nothing, as I wasn't sure of my own thoughts, I just moved inside to place the shopping bags on the kitchen counter.

Muttering something under her breath, probably cursing me, she too moved to place the milk and other perishable items inside the refrigerator.

We were both working quietly but in sync as we put everything in its place. On the outside, I might have been quiet but there was a tornado taking place inside my head.

Just guessing and assuming wasn't an option now.

I needed some clear facts to know how to proceed from now on. My guilt was on one side, but I seriously needed to know if she did it or not. And also assure her that she was safe with me either way.

"If I...if I say there would be no consequences, will you tell the truth?"

Her eyes widened and her breath hitched as soon as she heard my question, giving my earlier theory a solid base.

"Wh...What truth?" She stuttered. "I never lied." She claimed, but there was no confidence in her stance. I could clearly see her hand trembling as she moved it across her hair unconsciously.

"Muskaan, I know you are scared. But I promise, neither would I blame you nor would the police be involved. I seriously understand why you did what you did. So let's cut the chase now. You must be also tired of the constant lies."

Muskaan sighed suddenly, her body relaxing from its previous rigid posture, before she turned to properly face me.

"I didn't hurt you," she said, this time with full confidence.

"I might not remember anything, Muskaan, but I have eyes to notice everything. I can see the effects of the past on you. I seriously wouldn't blame you if you did hurt me. If I was actually a toxic boyfriend like I am thinking, then I deserved what happened to me. I—"

"What the hell are you babbling about?" She asked with a frown on her face, looking more confused than ever.

"Do you seriously want to lie all the way?" I questioned instead. "Aren't you tired of continuously lying? I am telling you that there won't be any consequences. So just tell the truth and free yourself from the torture of acting like you still love me."

"You...know?" She whispered in a scared voice. Sweat had gathered around her forehead and upper lips as she gulped in fear.

"What? That you don't love me now?" I scoffed, but toned down my attitude as I saw her backing away in fear.

Of course, she would get scared. Given the abusive person you were, she is obviously panicking, thinking that you would hurt her.

I held my hands in surrender and spoke in a softest and gentlest voice I could muster so as to not spook her. "Muskaan, relax, relax. I am not going to hurt you. I seriously won't. Umm...here," I slid a knife and a spatula towards her side of the counter. "Use it to save yourself."

I wasn't going to hurt her, not even if the situation took a bad turn. But she needed to think that she had something to protect herself so she could be at some peace.

Muskaan sighed, looking back and forth between the so-called weapons and me, before stopping and looking at me with a small, guilty smile. "I know that you are not going to hurt me, Rehaan. You never have," she said with sincerity in her voice.

Sliding the knife and spatula back towards me, she joked, "But you should keep them with you for safety. Especially when the person who you think has hurt you is standing near you."

"I just don't think that. There are many facts and theories that only point out against you."

"Don't I know it," she muttered, exhaling from her mouth.

My eyebrows rose at her words. I didn't think she would be aware of this.

Who would even think about it? With your suspicious glares and questions, how could anyone be aware that they are being suspected? My subconscious mocked me.

I bit my tongue at my own stupidity. Obviously, she knew. We had many conversations surrounding it. In fact, I had openly told her that I suspected her.

"I honestly deserve it. After all the abuse you have suffered because of m—"

"Abuse?" She looked at me incredulously. "What drugs are you on?"

I chuckled at her taunt, but resumed the actual topic.

"Seriously Muskaan, you don't have to lie anymore. There's no need to save my petty feelings. I have clearly seen and understood what I have done. I didn't even let you have a job for seven years..."

"Who said you didn't let me have a job? Where are these assumptions coming from?" She threw her hands in the air.

"When would you have the time to look for a job after all the work I made you do here?" I said, feeling guilty, "I literally turned you into a slave."

"Slave, huh?" Her nose flared as she glared at me. "Rehaan, stop turning me into a victim I am not."

Did she not see it? Did she think all these things were normal?

"Then what else was it? I literally turned you into a slave, making you do everything and anything, while I did nothing to help."

Her face had puffed up as her temper rose even more. If this was a cartoon, there would be smoke coming out of her ears.

"I wasn't a slave," she repeated, gritting her teeth.

"Of course, you aren't. I am the culprit, the abuser who made you like this. I know it's hard to accept the reality, but it's not your fault. It is all on me. I am the one who made you do everything—"

"You Fucking Paid Me To Do The Work," she yelled, before her eyes widened as she realized what she said.

We both froze at the spot, one in panic and another in shock.