Dear Destiny

14- Dear Possessory

*REET*

I wore the satin dress, its shimmering fabric clinging to my skin. It looked stunning, no doubt, but it wasn't me. It wasn't what I wanted to see in the mirror. The dress felt more like a costume-something I wore to play a part, not to express who I truly was. But for the sake of catching my lover's eye, I endured it. I forced a smile as I admired myself one last time in the mirror, a smile that felt more like a lie. Taking a deep breath, I opened the door and stepped out.

The instant I appeared, both boys' eyes snapped towards me. They scanned me from head to toe, taking in every inch of the dress. I noticed a small, victorious smile forming on Atharv's lips.

"I told you, you'd look gorgeous," he said, his voice full of pride. "Now, everyone's head will turn to only admire you."

I forced another smile. "Thanky-"

But before I could finish, Atharv's phone rang. He quickly grabbed it from his pocket. "I'll be back in a moment," he said hurriedly before stepping away.

I nodded and turned towards Ariv, whose eyes were still fixed on me, burning with anger. I couldn't stand the intensity of his gaze, so I turned away. But suddenly, I felt a tight grip on my wrist. Before I could react, he spun me around and pressed me against the nearby wall. I gasped in shock as his arms caged me, his hands planted firmly on either side of my body.

"Reet, I am-"

"NO, ARIV!" I cut him off with a yell, causing him to furrow his brow in surprise.

I pushed his arms away, freeing myself from his presence. I pointed a finger straight at his face. "You can't control me, okay? I'm a nobody to you!"

He didn't say a word, just stared at me with that intense, unreadable gaze. "You can't touch me and behave like whenever you feel to!" I added, my voice trembling with emotion.

"Like if you've never enjoyed my touch before?" he interrupted, his words striking me like a blow. I lowered my hand, unsure of how to respond, and that made him scoff.

"Seriously, Reet? You're so bothered about being touched by a man in private, a man you've never resisted before," he said, his smirk growing darker. "Yet you're not at all bothered when the dirty, hungry eyes of other men'll burn your skin through their filthy stares?"

His words caught me off guard. A wave of shock passed through. What does he wants to proof

"Why are you behaving like this, Ariv?" I growled

"And why are you behaving like this, Reet?" he shot back. "I can see it in your eyes-you're doing this to just get Atharv's attention. Right?"

"It's not about attention. It's my body, my rules!"

"Of course, it's your body, your rules. So why don't you use it to express yourself instead of impressing someone else?"

"What's your problem? Are you going to control your future woman's choices too like this?"

"Absolutely not," he snapped. "I'm not here to control anyone. It'll be of course her choice. She can wear whatever she wants. But I'll tell you this-" his voice dropped to a low, dominant tone, "-it should always be her choice. I would never interfere to make her change it."

His words made me raise an eyebrow. "What do you want to say?"

He sighed, his frustration evident. "Just tell me, Reet, are you even one percent comfortable wearing this dress? Just be honest."

I hesitated, the truth gnawing at me. Of course, I wasn't comfortable, and he could see it in my expression.

"Exactly," he continued, "it's your body, but you don't even follow your own rules."