ENIGMA

TRAPPED 2

After a long, tense silence, Advik snapped, his voice dangerously controlled. “Is that you throwing another tantrum? Or are you just trying to test how far you can push me?”

Ruhani looked up at him, fire flickering in her eyes. “Do I even have a choice, Advik?” she shot back, her voice shaking with frustration. “Am I wrong to feel like I have to wear these chains just to be with you? Isn’t that what this is?”

Advik stopped pacing abruptly, turning to face her with a cold, piercing gaze. His voice dropped, filled with a restrained fury. “Chains? You think what I’m asking of you are chains?” He let out a low, bitter laugh. “You don’t even understand what real chains feel like”

He stepped closer to her, his eyes boring into hers with intensity. “I’m giving you structure, safety. And I would hate to teach you what happens when you ignore that and put yourself in danger. But if you think your little games of defiance are going to go unnoticed, you're wrong.”

"I would hate to teach you a lesson about what happens when you go out, get drunk, and degrade yourself in the company of people who don’t care about you. But if that’s what it takes for you to learn, then we’ll have plenty of time to show you the difference between right and wrong.”

She felt her heart pound in her chest, her throat tightening. She hated that he had the power to make her feel so small, but she couldn’t help the defiant spark that remained. “Why do I need your permission to make choices about my life? My work? My future? Why do you get to decide what I can and can’t do? What makes you so superior that you.. ” Her words came out in a rush, fueled by anger and fear.

Advik’s face darkened, his voice turning cold as ice. “Don’t you dare finish that sentence, Ruhani.” He stepped closer, his presence looming over her like a storm about to break. “I don’t want to make you cry today, but if you think for one second that I’m not superior, that I’m not the one in control, then you’re mistaken.”

Ruhani’s breath caught in her throat as he continued, his words laced with a cold finality. “You’re not marrying a weak man. I’m the one who’s going to take care of you, protect you, and yes, punish you when you’re wrong. You might hate it, but that’s how it’s going to be.”

Chills ran down her spine. His dominance, his certainty—it was overwhelming. She hated that part of her was terrified, and yet, there was a small voice inside her that recognized he was right, that craved his protection even though she rebelled against it.

Advik’s tone softened slightly, though the warning in his words was unmistakable. “You want to be responsible. Then here’s a real test. After tomorrow, I’ll cut off all the family’s funds. You want freedom? Fine. Go ahead—be an adult. Earn your own money, feed yourself, and take care of your family and in laws.”

He took another step closer, his voice lowering but no less intense. “Why stop at just yourself? Feed your mother and father too. Pay the bills, keep the house running. I’ll sit back and let you live the life you think you want. I’ll be your beloved Ronit, sitting on the sidelines while you go out and take on the world. Sustain the lifestyle you’re about to enter. Tell me, can you do that?”

The words stung, sharp and biting, and Ruhani’s throat went dry. She felt the weight of his challenge pressing down on her, suffocating her pride. She couldn’t meet his gaze, couldn’t find the strength to argue back. She knew the truth, even if she hated to admit it. She wasn’t ready for the kind of responsibility he was describing.

Advik’s voice grew louder, a hard edge creeping in as he demanded, “Tell me, baby, can you do that? Can you take on the responsibilities that come with the freedom you’re asking for?”