TERE AA JANE SE

Ch 7 His dead heart !

In the grip of anger, Ahil had forcefully draw her closer, and for a fleeting moment, it felt like he had submerged himself in the abyss of her profound, ebony eyes. It wasn't just a gaze; it was as if her eyes wielded a magical force, slowly entrancing him.

Following Aakriti, this was the first instance where Ahil found himself unable to avert his gaze from a girl. Was she a sorceress, weaving a spell that bound him to her? He continued to gaze, his eyes unblinking, only to be jolted back to reality by the approaching honk of a car.

Guiding her to the side of the road, Ahil in his characteristic arrogance, demanded, "Who are you, and what brings you to this desolate road at such a late hour?"

As her cold voice resonated, he released her hand, and in halting tones, she pleaded, "I... I need your help. Please, grant me a lift to my... yes, to my home. Otherwise, he will capture me again. I yearn for freedom. Please, drop me home."

With each word, she sobbed as if he was her sole refuge. Looking at her tear-streaked face, Ahil felt a twinge of sympathy. Yet, in an instant, the image of Aakriti flashed before him, and any trace of remorse was replaced by his customary arrogance.

"I am sorry, miss... but I can't offer you a lift. Seek assistance elsewhere," he uttered, turning to depart. In that moment, Hiya, still weeping, briefly calmed down, her gaze fixed on his retreating figure. He, too, was among those in society who had denied her a ride. Wiping her tears without uttering a word, she briskly moved forward.

Due to the searing pain coursing through her, she found each step a struggle, yet her indomitable spirit refused to yield. She pressed on, a testament to her resilience, navigating the pain with measured steps that echoed her determination.

As he neared his car, a brief pause allowed him to cast a final glance over her shoulder at the retreating figure of the girl. Clad in a worn black saree, the girl's dishevelled appearance prompted a subtle grimace. A silent question lingered - how long had those clothes been her companions?

Then, the unevenly shorn hair caught his attention, and with a thoughtful touch beneath her lips, she mused, "Is she perhaps dealing with a mental struggle, escaping from the constraints of an institution?"

Yet, a swift reassurance from her own heart dismissed the notion. "No, that can't be it. She articulates herself well. Well, regardless, why should I concern myself with the plight of an unknown girl seeking a lift?"

Having uttered those words, he settled back into his car. He retraced the path where the girl had been walking, navigating through the same road she traversed.
____________

Meanwhile, in this dark night, Hiya found herself alone, with no signs of anyone in the vicinity. Fear gripped her intensely as the road became eerily deserted, amplifying her solitude. She pondered over the possibility of someone exploiting her vulnerability in this desolation.

Lost in these thoughts, she suddenly noticed three figures emerging from the shadows on either side of the road, converging towards her. Initially, they trailed behind her, ringing alarm bells in Hiya's mind. While the man in a suit seemed somewhat trustworthy, the other individuals emitted a more menacing aura. The realization struck her like a bolt of lightning - danger lurked.

As she sensed their pursuit, anxiety etched across her face, Hiya hastened her pace. The trio, however, accelerated as well, encircling her from all directions.

As they looked around, fear gripped her entire body. A man, seemingly dirty and filthy, leered at her and said, "We won't let you go so easily. It's been a while since we've had such beautiful prey in our hands."
Another man, grabbing her saree with a jerk, remarked, "First, we'll have some fun with you and quench our thirst."

Then the third man, about to kiss her cheek, was abruptly shoved away by Ahil, who pulled Hiya into his arms. The girl, trembling with fear, clung to Ahil, and he tightly held her against his chest. And literally begging, she pleas, "Save me.. pl-eas-e... these men are evil... please don't leave me."

Hearing Hiya, he went silent. How could he even give a answer, when the girl standing in his arms was making his dead heart beat again.

The way she was clinging over him made her face crystal clear to his eyes. Her dark deep eyes, pink button nose, rosy cheeks, plump lips, chin, naiveness and innocence in her voice, reflecting over her face. Was snatching his breath away. Those sharp close up details with her clear skin just distracted his head for a second. And when a glimpse of developing emotional havoc, building inside him reflected in his eyes for a flash second he did not realise.

Taking her in his arms, protectively he caresses her hair softly. Trying to give her a sense of security and assurance of him standing with her and she doesn't need to be scared. In a flickering second, he sensed too much and seeing her vulnerable state he felt irked.

"How dare you touch a girl?", choking the person next to him growls, his face red with rage as he growls.
And just in the moment when that person feeling scared looked upon him, he kicked him hard where the sun didn't shine and that goon groaned loudly. Hiya trembling clutches over him tight, as his painful groan reaches her ears. She was terrified with the situation around her and he fighting in order to protect her made her flinch.

Ahil could only see red while Hiya interacted in his arms. He was punching that man's face when another one from behind, to scare him, barks, "Hey Mr. Hero, this girl is our possession. So, it's better that you leave her to us only."