Tales Of Devotion

CHAPTER FOUR

My heart still aches from the betrayal, the wound still fresh and festering. He moved on, married again, and left me in the shadows, forgotten like a ghost. No justice was served, no closure granted. The pain of being discarded like yesterday's trash still lingers, a constant reminder of what could never be.

How could he so callously erase me from his life, like I meant nothing?

I slowly open my eyes, groggily taking in my surroundings. I'm met with the familiar sight of my bedroom, but something feels off. My brother Rudra's concerned face comes into view, his hand gently stroking my hair.

"Purvanshi, what happened? You just collapsed out of nowhere!"
Rudra's voice is laced with worry, his eyes scanning mine for answers.

I try to speak, but my voice catches in my throat. I'm confused, disoriented. How did I get here? Am I... alive again?

"Bhai..."
I whisper, my voice barely audible.

Rudra's grip on my hand tightens.
"Purvanshi, can you hear me? What's going on?"

I force myself to sit up, my eyes scanning the room frantically. That's when I see it - the calendar on my bedside table. My heart skips a beat as I take in the date: 08/ September / 2010. I'm 16 again. The memories come flooding back - the accident, my death, and... Ayan.

My eyes lock onto Rudra's, a mix of fear and desperation. "Bhai, what's happening? Is this some kind of dream?"

Rudra's face softens, his voice gentle.
"Purvanshi, you're home. You're safe. But what's going on with you? You've been acting strange since yesterday."

I throw off the covers, my mind racing. I have three days until I meet Ayan Singh Rajvansh again. Three days until my fate is sealed. Can I change the course of events? Can I alter my destiny?

Rudra cupped my face,
"Are you fine? Should I fetch a doctor? Get yourself together, Purvanshi, you have to meet Ayan."
Worries etched his face.

"Who?"
I asked, clenching the bedsheet under me.

"Ay-"
Before he could take his name, I slapped him. The maid gasped beside him, but I didn't stop.
How dare he?
How Dare He?
HOW DARE HE?"

It's been six long years since I've been trapped in this arranged marriage with Ayan, and I refuse to go through with it again! Ayan's reputation is a sham, a carefully constructed facade hiding the monster beneath. He's touted as a man who's saved himself for his future wife, but I know the truth. I know what lies beneath that deceiving face, and I know what he'll become after marrying me.

I tried to tell my mother, I begged her to listen, but all I got was a slap in return. 'You sleep too much, Purvanshi, it's all just a dream,' she said. But she has no idea, she has no idea that it's a nightmare that's haunted me for years, a nightmare that I've lived through and can't escape. And of course, no one will understand, no one will believe me. I'm trapped in this hell, and I don't know how to escape.

Third Person Pov

"Did you see him?"
The maid whispered, her eyes wide with excitement.

"Yeah, he's like a dream!"
The other maid replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Who is he? He doesn't even look real!"

The first maid leaned in, a sly grin spreading across her face.
"He's the assistant of the painter who came to teach Baisa. Our Baisa must have a crush on him!"

The second maid giggled, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
"It's her age, after all! Hahaha, she's finally falling for someone!"

As they walked past the corridor, their laughter echoed through the hallway, completely unaware of the turmoil brewing in the room beside them.