Lotus among the Roses

❤️A determined heart ❤️

Kumud's body tensed the moment Devsena uttered those fateful words, her breath catching in her throat. The fear was immediate, an icy grip that made her freeze in her place. Vyom, who held hem, could feel her body going cold as she stiffened.
But as quickly as the terror took hold over her, it was replaced by a boiling rage.
All she could think was that Devsena was a threat, to her... and to her vengence.

Her eyes flared with anger, and before she could even think, her body moved on instinct.

In a blur of motion, Kumud lunged at Devsena, shoving her to the ground with a force that surprised even herself. Her hand found its way to Devsena’s throat, fingers tightening in a grip fueled by fury and desperation. “How do you know?” Kumud’s voice was low, trembling with a dangerous edge.
Her heart was racing, pounding so loudly in her ears that it drowned out everything else. “How do you know about my past? About Padmini? How? Answer!! ” she almost screamed.

Vyom’s eyes widened in shock as he too reeled from the push Kumud had given him while shooting towards Devsena , and then narrowed with an intensity the matched Kumud's own.
He was taken aback by the ferocity in Kumud's actions, getting a glimpse of a side of her, he had never anticipated. His mind raced to make sense of what he was witnessing. " Padmini? Devsena called... Kumud.... as ... Padmini? why! " The Words echoed in his mind, " What in Mahadev's name happened to her...... who did this to her...? "

But despite his confusion, Vyom's instincts kicked in. He too dashed forward, however all his attention was on Kumud.

He watched as Kumud’s face contorted with a mix of fury and pain, her emotions laid bare in a way that stirred something deep within him, a fire that matched her fury. It seemed like to understand this woman, he had to unravel secrets, far deeper than he had imagined.....

There was a gleam in his eye as he understood that Kumud, in her anger could actually harm Devsena. He couldn’t let this escalate any further.

Just as he moved to intervene, Devsena acted with surprising swiftness.

Her hands, with a strength that belied her calm demeanor, latched onto Kumud’s arm and pulled her down. In an instant, Kumud was off-balance, tumbling to the ground beside Devsena. The suddenness of the move left her vulnerable, and before she could react, Devsena had the upper hand, reversing the situation as she now held Kumud down.

The two women stared at each other, the air between them crackling with intensity.
Kumud's jaw clenched, as she tried to move but was stopped by Devsena's iron like grip.

Vyom halted in his tracks, watching the exchange with a mix of caution and intrigue, his muscles coiled, ready to spring into action if needed. His mind raced to piece together what had just transpired, the more he thought, the more his heart sank.

Devsena held Kumud's gaze, her eyes steady and full of an unspoken words.

“I’m on your side, Kumud,” she said softly, her voice calm and reassuring. “I’ll always be with you, no matter what.......” The words hung in the air, a lifeline offered in the midst of the storm that raged within Kumud.

Gradually, the tension in Kumud's body began to ease, the anger that had consumed her ebbing away as she processed Devsena’s words, though her rage did not vanish completely.

There was a strange comfort in the certainty that Devsena offered, a sense that maybe, just maybe, she wasn’t as alone in this as she had thought.......

For a moment, the two women simply stared at each other, words, unspoken seem to   convey the feeling off understanding between them.

Vyom blanked for a moment at this scene. As he watched Kumud and Devsena share that intense, lingering gaze, his mind went into overdrive. Alarm bells started ringing, a loud chorus blaring “Danger! Danger! Danger!” in his head. It was the kind of warning he had expected to get when he would jump in the middle of a raging war zone, with no armour, ready to be defeated thoroughly —or in this case, potentially get emotionally destroyed, for life... loosing his love... that too so... prematurely...STOP!