A light in the flame

Chapter 6 - Hot and Cold

Akshara was speechless. Her brain doesn't seem to process the situation.

She started panicking.

Abhimanyu stopped at the ICU counter. The nurse who was by her side earlier was openly checking out Abhimanyu.

"Can I help you, Doctor Birla ? " she asked.

"Yes, I need the full report made for my wife," he stated.

The nurse glanced at Akshara, "Sure let me go get it for you. The patient needed some rest, that is why we kept her. But nothing serious to worry about".

" That's for me to decide." Replayed coldly Abhimanyu.

Too scared to add more to his apparent anger, the nurse went quickly to get him the report.

After reading the report, he nodded and continued down the hallway. She tried to come up with a plan, but her mind was alarmingly blank. He pulled her into the elevator. When the doors closed, she stared at their reflection. He towered over her, richly dressed and intimidating.

" You will stay with me for the night, you are too weak to go wherever you want to go in this condition. I have an apartment nearby, we will spend the night there and tomorrow we will talk." he stated.

"I can't do this," she said.

"You can."

"Fine. I don't want to do this."

"Suck it up."

This was definitely not her Abhi.

The elevator stopped, allowing a doctor to get on. She debated whether she should reach out for help. As if Abhimanyu could read her mind, he tightened his hold on her, a clear warning not to test him. She wanted to push, but she was too damn tired.

The elevator opened on the ground floor. He tugged her out and stopped in front of the double doors that led out to the parking lot.

Thinking about Abhir, she started panicking again.

"I'm staying here," she said and turned away.

He wrapped an arm around her waist and lifted her off the ground. She howled as he carried her through the double doors into the snow. She knew that it would be cold in Paris in December but she didn't expect the snow. In fact Sid told her during the flight that the chance that it would snow this year are very low. Just her luck ...

He trudged through the snow until he found a black Bugatti, which was quite a feat since it was nearly unrecognizable coated in white. He unlocked the driver's door and shoved her in. She crawled across the bench seat as he climbed in behind her.

"I-I'm not going a-anywhere with-with--" she chattered.

"Shut it," he said as he turned the key in the ignition and adjusted the seat to fit behind the steering wheel.

When she reached for the door handle on the passenger side, he grabbed her jacket and jerked her around to face him. Their breaths came out in white clouds and clashed in the air between them.

"You owe me, Akshara."

Something inside her snapped, and a moment later, he jerked back.

Belatedly, she registered that her palm was throbbing and realized what she'd done. His skin wouldn't show her handprint, but the promise of retribution in his eyes confirmed that she had slapped him.

She didn't fucking care. After a hellish day of fear and worry, his bullying had pushed her over the edge.

"I owe you?" She was so furious, she could barely speak. "I-I did everything for you and your family ! I gave up everything for you ! I lived for you only !! I even sacrificed a whole year without hesitation for you."