Her Nightmare | 18+

| In His Embrace |

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PARINIDHI

As Devansh turned towards me and closed the gap between us, our eyes met with a spark of recognition. A surge of mixed emotions—anger tinged with disappointment—flooded through me, tightening my throat with unspoken words.

Deliberately, I closed the remaining distance, my gaze steady and piercing. "Devansh," I said, my voice quivering with restrained emotion. "I need to talk to you right now."

"Can we discuss this later, Pari?" Devansh pleaded softly, reaching out to touch my hand.

I hesitated briefly, allowing his hand to grasp mine, but I couldn't afford a public spectacle at the crowded party. Yet, my mind was racing with urgent questions that demanded answers.

Earlier, Devansh had hinted at a secret, suggesting he might know about my discovery of his diary. While I was ready for honesty, I feared any misunderstandings caused by others.

"What's troubling you, love?" Devansh's voice, warm and concerned, brought me back from my thoughts as he gently locked his fingers behind my back.

I met his gaze squarely and spoke softly yet firmly, "Devansh, I need to talk to you right now."

Devansh flashed me a tight-lipped smile before gently taking my hand in his, conceding, "Alright, love, whatever you say."

With a quick farewell to Mukul, he led me towards the exit, our hands intertwined. Settling into the back seat of the car, Devansh turned towards me as the engine hummed to life. His gaze softened as he held my hand, asking quietly, "What's on your mind, Pari?"

I shifted slightly to face him, searching his eyes as I voiced my first question, "Does Natalia love you?"

Surprise flickered across Devansh's face, swiftly masked as he replied, "Yes, but I only found out recently myself. What's wrong, love? Did she say something to you?"

Ignoring his question, I pressed on with my second query, "Has there ever been anything between you and Natalia?"

"What kind of question is that?" Devansh snapped, his gaze darting to the window beside me.

A pang of suspicion pricked my thoughts—Is he hiding something from me?

"It's a straightforward question, Dev. Why are you so defensive?" I countered, refusing to be intimidated.

Devansh sighed heavily, turning to face me. "It's not just about the question, Pari. It's absurd. You know why? Because I've never seen Natalia in that way. I've always regarded her more like family than a friend. Her feelings for me and your suspicions about her are only complicating things unnecessarily."

"But she couldn't have simply fallen in love with you like that, who knows since when. And if Natalia loves you, it means Naina doesn't. I've always had this feeling because I never saw love or obsession in her eyes, only hurt. That's why I let her go so easily, despite everything she did to hurt me," I asserted firmly, recalling my interactions with Naina.

Devansh shook his head slightly, locking eyes with me as he gently took my hand in his, his tone patient and understanding. "Pari, I don't know when or why she developed feelings for me. Someone like me doesn't deserve anyone's love. And if you're wondering whether I intentionally or unintentionally encouraged her, that's simply not the case, love. Yes, there was a time when she relied on me, and as a friend, I provided comfort when she needed it. But I never anticipated she would misinterpret my care."

I carefully processed Devansh's words before responding with a measured tone, "Firstly, don't say you don't deserve to be loved, because that's not true. And secondly, when you mentioned she needed comfort, what exactly had happened to her?"