Shattered (Age Gap Romance )

Chapter One

      He had thought of her as a hooker.

      Drishti looked around the lake which was desolated except them. She had had a bit of drinks with her friends. Not that it had helped fill the chasm in her heart. When she reached home, she found her brother and his ex-wife in an undressed state so what else could she do? She walked to the sea to clear her head.

   Acting like everything was fine drained her. Everything was not fine. She was only 22 and her wedding didn't happen, she had lost her baby. Drishti sighed and picked out a cigarette from her purse. She fumbled around for a lighter but she couldn't find it.

    She looked around, it was the dead of the night, obviously there was no one around the lake except a few cars which zoomed by. She walked around the lake, listening to swishing waters and saw a man in dark clothes with a lot cigarette in his mouth.

   Drishti sighed in gratitude. She walked to him and heard a click. What was that? She stopped in her tracks.  He pulled out the cigarette and blew a puff of smoke. The man turned towards her studying her. The puff of smoke cleared out and she could see him.

    A shiver crawled through her spine, he looked dangerous. His features were sharp with dark hair and sharp cheekbones. But there was something in him that seemed menacing. That was when she noticed the armed bodyguard a few steps behind him. She saw him waved his hand and the guard made himself scarce.

      "I wanted to ask if you have a light?" She lifted her fingers to show her unlit cigarette.

     "No." He muttered and then smiled a sinister smile.

    She huffed. How did he light his cigarette then?

   ***

      Samrat watched her get offended. Watching her face was like watching a folk theatre play, her expressions betrayed her thoughts.

   Usually his presence was enough to scare women and children away. They thought of him as dangerous and he let them. He didn't want them to see what lurked inside him.  What he truly was.

      "Well, no issues. If you just hold still, I would light it then be on my way..."

    She took a step forward and he froze. God, he was a coward. He should've taken a step back but he didn't. His body became stone involuntarily as she came too close. His ears had started ringing as she held cupped the behind of his neck and pushed the tip of her cigarette to his and lit hers.

          It was a long time after she let him go that his breathing returned to normal. His heart was still beating rapidly in his chest. He forced himself to breath and to move, looking ahead.

      "I'm not sure if you're a ghoul or something..."

       He coughed. He had almost laughed. Something that he hadn't done in years.

     "I'm not."

    She was dangerous. Whoever she was. Maybe she was the ghoul. Some water ghoul come to mess with him. Would explain why she didn't run away from him yet.

     "I might be a bit drunk."

      Samrat had figured that out. She reeked of alcohol. He caught himself staring at her,  she was young, and wispy as if she would slip away like smoke. She had a heart shaped face and - he stopped himself. He was right, she was dangerous.

       He threw his cigarette down and crushed it. "I think I know your intentions very well. But lady, I don't pay for sex."

    He gave her a mocking smile, one which would enrage her coupled with his words. She was shocked and then she looked around, maybe searching for his audacity.