[Sequel of Warm Love, hence can't be read as a standalone.]
In the first phase, Reyansh concealed a web of mysteries, but as they stand face to face once more, it's Kiraz who holds the tantalizing secrets waiting to be unveiled. These hidden truths...
The paragraphs in Italic are past conversations. Hope you don't face any problem while navigating through the chapter.
Does it costs you to vote? Next, update when its 1K. And believe me i wouldn't update until and unless i have them.
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The emptiness of the forest amplifies the sound of bullets firing through the air. I press my back against the tree, slowly sliding down to the soil with my palm pressed against my lips to stifle any scream that might escape. My heart races, drumming heat into my ears, mirroring the relentless barrage of bullets. Over and over, I'm thrust back to that memory from five years ago, huddled in the same position in the flower shop.
The musky scent of the wood mingles with the acrid odor of gunpowder and lingering smoke. The tendrils of wildflowers brush against my bare arms. Each bullet that whizzes past sends a jolt of terror through me, making me flinch and press tighter against the tree. I can barely see through the dense foliage, but the occasional flash of light and distant shouts signal that I'm right in the heart of the chaos. Every second stretches into an eternity, and I can only pray that I somehow make it through this.
I remove my palm from my mouth, trying to blink away the haze of tears as I hunch on the soil. The light drizzle dampens the ground, and my jeans dig in as I crawl. Moss clings to the earth, and I cringe as my gaze falls upon a wild mushroom, diseased and repulsive. Stifling the urge to vomit the bread I ate for breakfast, I inch toward a tall, majestic tree, its trunk enveloped in wild leaves.
I move with careful steps, listening to the muffled rustle of water. When two men emerged from nowhere, Reyansh had tackled one while the other lunged toward me, forcing me to run blindly into the forest. Before he could reach me, Reyansh was quick enough to shoot him directly in the spine. But that left me far from him; when I looked back, all that remained was the man lying flat on the ground, blood pooling from the wound caused by the bullet.
I thrashed and screamed, trying to muffle my cries so as not to reveal my location to his friends.
My fingers dug into the dirt as I crawled across the uneven ground. The pepper salt diamond ring brown from the dirt. The faint, muffled sound of water beckoned me onward. My breath came in shallow, labored pants, accompanied by the sharp, piercing crack of bullets. I pulled out my phone from my jean pocket, only to find the signal line dead again. The morning exercise hadn't left me over come my sore muscles and here I was crouched in dirt trying to get signal to my phone.
The ground was rough, with sharp edges of rocks cutting into my palms and knees. Earlier, Reyansh had told me; I was to call Vishal to inform him about the attack.
I moved forward cautiously, pushing aside the shrubbery with my hands, desperately searching for even a hint of a signal. Frustration took over as I slapped my phone against my palm, hoping for even the slightest glimmer of connection. The sound of bullets was becoming a monotonous drone, or perhaps my ears were too clogged to discern anything clearly.
