Defence Of Desire

•Part Three•

As Aditya lifted his gaze to meet Anushka's, his heart seemed to reach an absolute halt, his breath caught in his throat, drowning his Adam's apple in a suffocation that prevented him from even making a sound.

Like a man depraved, desperate for the last morsel that would satiate his hunger that'd spanned for months, he rose, jumping swiftly over the desk, cuffs clanging as he did, yanking his body back to the table that was cemented to the ground; he was so close, so damn close but yet so damn far. With trembling hands, he reached out, his fingers brushing against her cheek as if to confirm that she was real. "Zoya," he breathed, his voice barely a whisper. "You're here. You're alive."

Anushka gasped at his touch, flinching at the trail of warmth his finger pads scattered over her cheek and jaw, her brown orbs widened as a lone tear slid down his stubbled cheek and into the dip of his chest.

"I knew it, I-" he shook his head, a raucous laugh reverberating from his lips, "I knew you wouldn't leave me, my Zoya" he framed her face with his hands, a smile on his face that lit up the room.

For a mere moment, she was caught off guard by the intensity of his reaction, her heart aching with a strange mixture of sorrow and longing. No one had ever looked at her with such raw emotion, such desperate hope. For a fleeting moment, she allowed herself to believe in the impossible and she found her eyes shutting on their own accord and her face further nuzzling into his touch.

"Everything I said" he grimaced, "I was so stupid, so, so stupid, I know you would never cheat on me, I was caught in the moment, you know me, act first and think later". He captured her face in a hold ensuring her eyes met his so she'd see the sincerity in his eyes "I am so, so sorry, baby".

Like ice-cold water had been poured over her, Anushka froze, slowly, she peeled his hands away, dashing away how much she missed the warmth as she did. Stepping back, she looked away from the longing in his eyes that she knew matched her own. "I am not Zoya, my name is-" she stopped herself at the look on his face.

Ignoring her words, he ran his eyes over her, hands reaching out to close the distance but never quite getting there. "Don't be silly" he almost wanted to laugh. "Of course you are Zoya, my Zoy-" the name hitched in his throat as he noted her bare throat, the chain he'd given her to signify their vow to one another was nowhere to be seen.

Following his gaze, she looked down, unconsciously her hand ran over her neck as she did, as if she was searching for it too.

"Get out" he roared, turning away from her.

"Mr Hooda?" Her voice was low, confusion marring her tone.

"What?" He seethed, "You didn't hear me? I said" he spoke through gritted teeth; "Get out!" Aditya shoved a hand through his black hair, gnawing on his lip in frustration as he did. God, he knew he'd said some stupid things, but for her to remove the one and only sign of their marriage like it didn't even matter to her was just a little too much to take.

Her heart shattered at the anguish in his words, his anger a painful reminder of the depth of his grief. She saw the torment in his eyes, the desperate need for closure and understanding. Tears welled in her own eyes as she reached out to him, her voice trembling with sorrow. "I'm not going anywhere, Mr Hooda" she insisted, her words a fragile thread in the silence of the room.

Spinning on his heel, he clenched his fists "Why do you keep calling me that? Huh?" Frustration darkened his face. "Mr Hooda" he mimicked childishly, "You always call me Aditya, so what's changed now? Is it Rajveer? IS IT?" His eyes were bewildered, frenzied in their madness.

The woman recoiled, her eyes wide with fear, her hands trembling at her sides. A faint sheen of sweat glistened on her forehead, betraying her unease. "Rajveer? I, I don't follow" Her head shook sideways as if trying to make some sense of the mess. "I am not Zoya" she spoke defiantly now, "My name is Anushka and I am your Lawyer".