LOVE AGAIN | 18+ || ✔

☆|| P e r s u a s i o n ||☆

A A R N A

His soft snores reached my ears when silence prevailed over the room. He seems to be sleeping now.

After some time, Slowly tracing my hand back I lastly glance at him. The AC temperature is making the room even cooler, so I cover him with the white soft comforter. This man is going to be the nightmare of my sleep tonight I am sure.

I shut the door without producing a sound.
When I make a turn, my eyes capture Jahnvi Aunt walking through the corridor while her arms cross each other.

I smile sighing, making myself comfortable in the environment. His erratic touch and alcoholic mouth already made me feel uneasy around my breath.

She nears me when I move towards her.
A smile curls her lips softly. Not the usual smile but one with the pain behind it.
"He is asleep," I respond to her in advance.

"Was he drunk—-badly?"
She adds the word later asking me.

Should I tell her about his indecent behaviour? The way he-neared me perceiving me as Paris.

I gave her a soft nod. "He was drinking when I reached the terrace. Also he—" I gulp before speaking.

"He thought I was her and tried—"
I stop marvelling at whether I should disclose to her or not. It shouldn't sound pathetic or as if he did something wrong with falling in love with her.

Her brows cling.
"Tried what—? Did he misbehave Aarna?"
Her worried voice puts my esteem in a dilemma. Although I don't appreciate his acts but I can't let him down in front of his mother who trusts him, and her upbringing, the clash between my morals is making me haywire, perplexed. Rather her eyes travel to my exposed neck and a gasp leaves her mouth.

"Aarna—this red mark?"
She comes closer touching the slight red mark over the left side of my neck.
What mark is she talking about? Is it from—

"This is...", she breaths deeply before looking into my eyes with a painful glint of sadness.
"He tried to be intimate with you? Forced you? Touched you—?"

The words came out of her mouth like a painful whisper. Did he? Did he harass me? That sounds so pathetic. I despise him for doing that but I was the one to be near him, initiate going closer and not push him away.

I am equally responsible for what happened on the terrace. My stupid brain froze and I couldn't think straight. I am not uncomfortable with his touch but his alcoholic breath. I just realised, his touch is not that made me uneasy but the alcoholic breath and his softening words for her did crumble something inside of me.

Mahadev! What has happened to me? Why am I justifying his acts? I should hate him after what he has done. But I can't. Despite everything happening, I can only feel for him, my heart pulls towards his feelings, and I feel attracted.

"Aarna. Answer me—"
Her worried voice brings me back to reality when she touches my shoulders, pressing firmly.

"No. He didn't force me. He was drunk. There was darkness around. No light. He did perceive me as her, he said he loves her and she should let him love her—" I say with a firmness In my voice.

I respect that she trusts me.
She breathed and her lips pressed into a small smile. "And this mark—?" She asks, her eyes showing a knowing emotion.

"I—this—-there were mosquitoes—yes— at the terrace. Maybe their bites. It's nothing serious."
I try to excuse and she seems less convinced with me. "I will ask Ma to get cleaned the terrace portion. It's monsoon coming so there will be more." I nod with a small smile.