Rivals

Chapter 25

Trigger warning: Violence and mentions of sexual assault.

" After I left the college to study abroad we were in a long distance relationship till the year I came back. " He lied which seemed quite an absurd lie to her given what really happened. " Then a few months before, I proposed to her and now we are here. "

" That's not the whole story. " Navya said turning the attention towards her. " He didn't tell you how he would come every day to my office just to see me and sometimes when we fought he would file a lawsuit against me. " She turned towards Ishaan. " Thanks to him they rarely got in the eye of public or you might've already recognised me. "

" Lawsuits?! " Avinash, one of Shrey's friend, exclaimed. " Damn, Shrey you didn't even spare your own love. I am now afraid to get on your bad side. " He shuddered making the others laugh.

The dinner continued with gossips and stories. After a while Vedanta proposed to play the game of 21 truths with a single rule that if one refuses to answer, he would have to drink half the cup of liquor.

The ladies refused to join. Even though Shrey and Ishaan weren't going to play, they somehow got roped in it. The game ended when Vedanta fell asleep. The others too were in no good condition except the two who were roped in. They both managed to not get heavily drunk with a lie here and there. Though they did drink quite a lot. 

After sitting there for a while, watching her companion drink liquor to avoid answering certain questions, she wanted a change of surrounding. She nudged Shrey and told him that she was stepping out for a moment. He nodded his head immersed in a conversation with Ishaan.

She headed to the restrooms. After getting lost again in the hallways on her way there, she decided that it was enough of a surrounding's change and turned back to the hall.

On her way back she felt someone following her. She stopped to see if it was an illusion but indeed someone was following her and when she turned to see he was already an arms length from her.

" Navya? Is that you? " He asked with a smile on his lips and a bit confusion in his eyes. " Yes. And you are? " She questioned not being able to recognise him.

" It's me. Daksh. " He beamed. " The one with whom you went on a date once just to not break my heart. Remember? "

" Ah... I do " she said, slowly nodding her head. The one Ishaan practically begged me to give a chance after Shrey disappeared. She smiled while he asked her about her life and all. Such a small world.

As the conversation went on she started to feel awkward. The conversation shifted from asking her well being to straight up talking about fantasizing about her on many occasions. She was thinking of getting away from him when out of the blue he grabbed her hand.

Confused, she tried to shake it off with a smile but he didn't let go. And before she knew it he was groping her. She tried her best to get away from him but that well built man didn't budge and what made it more creepy was the fact that he started talking about her body as if he was familiar with it.

The only thing that she could come up with, to free herself was to kick him in the groin and run. And that's what she did but he somehow managed to not let her wrist go free.

Gaining his composure, he slapped her with so much force that the only thing she could hear for a moment was ringing. " You weren't like this before. " He commented grabbing her by the hair. " What happened to you? "

She couldn't hear what he said for she was too busy to find a way out of the situation. She took a quick look around and the area was desolate. Even though there was no one to hear her voice she screamed for help but in an instant was silenced by him.

He positioned himself in such a way that she couldn't do anything to escape. With one hand on her mouth, he once again started to grope her. She punched and scratched him but it was of no use. Only a curtain came in her touch as she extended her hand to grab something to hit him with. 

All of a sudden she heard a cracking sound coming from her right side. Then there was again that sound and again and again and after the third time she could feel the blood dripping on her shoulder.

In front of her was Shrey, his hand on the back of Daksh's head with this crazy look in his eyes while he bashed his head on the wall.

She was relieved to see him but was also scared that he might kill him. So she tried to stop him from killing Daksh but he didn't let go off him until he was barely breathing.

As Daksh's limp body fell on the floor, Shrey turned towards her, who was trying to call for help with trembling hands. Snatching the phone away, before she could connect the call, he grabbed her wrist and dragged her towards the elevator.

All the while she was trying to free her self and try to help the crimson smeared man despite the circumstances. But he didn't let go off her hand until they were in the room, he previously booked.

Once in the room he pushed her aside. " Seems like you got a new plan to execute. " He said, wiping the stray blood drops off his hands that dared to land on him. " So sad that your boyfriend wouldn't probably be able to see the daylight tomorrow. "

Boyfriend? She scrunched her eyebrows in confusion because she wasn't in a relationship with Daksh in the past. " He's not my boyfriend. " She raised her voice. " He tried to assault me. "

" And you didn't try to fight back? " He asked getting closer to her. She opened her mouth to contradict the statement but he silenced her. " Don't say anything. I know very well what you were trying to do. "

Pausing for a second he continued, " If you wanted a dick inside you that badly you could've asked me. You could've just begged me to fuck you like a whore that you are. If you are not satisfied with me I can call my friends to come and fu— "

" You are crossing the line here. " She said lowering her hand, fuming with anger.

" Crossing the line? " He questioned towering over her. " I thought there was no limit to how many men you open your legs for? "

She once again raised her hand to slap him but he caught her wrist mid air and threw her on the bed. She tired to get up but he forcibly slammed her body down on the bed while grabbing her hands in front of her.

She screamed her lungs out but before it could reach someone's ear they were cut short by a handkerchief shoved into her mouth. The familiar sensation of a cloth shoved into her mouth to muffle her voice got her body tense.

Shaking the dreadful events of the past, she continued to struggle while he tied her wrists. Once he was done, he started to undress her. As a final resort she kicked him in the stomach and he fell down on the floor as now the alcohol had started to take its effects on him. 

Taking the chance, she bolted towards the door with the only goal to get out of the room. But alas her only chance to escape was gone as he grabbed her ankle causing her to fall down, face first on the floor. This resulted in a broken wrist and bloodied nose but the physical pain was less than the emotional one.

Ignoring her pain she crawled towards the door. On the other hand he saw her futile attempt to get away from him and got up. Her body froze hearing his footsteps.

" Where do you think you are going? It's useless to even try to get away from me. " He roughly grabbed her the hair and then forced her to look at him while she begged him to stop which came out as some random noises.

He then dragged her back to the bed, by the hair and threw her on it. Taking hold of her bound hands, he pinned them over her head and for a moment looked straight into her eyes.

She could only plead silently through her watery eyes and it did have some effect on him. She felt his grip on her loose a bit. A wave of relief came over her but it was short lived as he turned her on her stomach and started to undress her.

And when she thought he would be a saviour, he just turned out to be another predator, shattering the shred of trust she had on him.