| Dark Devotion |

27

A B H I M A N

My fist connected with the punching bag, making it swing before it came back to me once again as I kept throwing punch after punch. Sweat dripped down my face, and my muscles were sore from the relentless workout.

I wasn't giving myself a break. I knew I was overworking my body by spending hours in the gym, but it was the only thing that could keep me from going to her.

One week.

It had been one agonizing week since she left, and not once had I heard from her. I had no idea why I had expected to hear from her when she had begged me to let her go. She left the next day as if she couldn't wait to get away from me.

Her tear-streaked face was still burned into my mind, and I felt guilty for letting her go through this much pain.

I kept punching the bag, throwing one powerful punch after another, but no matter how much I worked out or how hard I hit the bag, the tension and anger wouldn't subside. Sweat continued to drip down my face as I continued, pushing myself to go harder and faster, desperate to divert my mind from her.

At least she's safe now.

It was for the best for her to leave. She couldn't be happy with someone like me. She had only ever been in danger since we got together. I almost lost her too many times already, and I still had no idea who had been behind the attack or what kind of mess her mother was involved in.

I was going to get to the bottom of it, make sure no one was ever going to hurt her again, and let her live a quiet and safe life like she was meant to; one that was far away from me because that life didn't exist with me.

My world wasn't for her. She was too pure, too innocent to have shit like this happen to her. It had broken her to the point where her once-bright hazel eyes, the ones I fell in love with, had lost their entire spark.

I hoped she was doing better and healing, even if it wasn't with me. I just wanted her to be happy, and I knew it couldn't be with me.

I wanted to see her, even if it was just for a mere second. Just one last time. Damn it. Even working out for hours couldn't distract my mind completely from thinking about her.

The bag hit the ground with a loud thud, making me snap out of my thoughts. I let it be on the ground and sat down on the bench as I wiped the sweat off with a towel and tried to calm down my heavy breathing.

I picked up my phone and looked at the picture I had saved of her. It was the one she had sent to me after I had gifted her the earrings. It was my favorite picture; the way she was smiling, and her eyes had so much life in them.

My phone rang, and the caller ID interrupted my gaze at the picture, a habit I had developed since she left. I kept staring at it, fully aware that I couldn't see or hold her, but I clung to it for my sanity, even though it was simultaneously tormenting me.

"What?" I snapped into the phone.

"Hello, handsome." Rishabh replied with a chuckle.

"What do you want?" I didn't hide my annoyance that he had disturbed me.

"Are you in the gym again?" He said in a disapproving tone. "Are you trying to become a bodybuilder?"

"If you have nothing useful to say, keep your mouth shut."

"What's the fun in that?" I could hear his grin through the phone as I made my way out of the gym, not in the mood to listen to his bullshit.

"Fuck off."