MY AVERAGE LIFE

Part 54

Sharath Pov:

As I held her in my arms, feeling her heartbeat slow against my chest, I knew something had shifted between us. Shivani's words still echoed in my mind. She had been through so much, and fought battles I hadn't even known about, yet here she was—stronger than she gave herself credit for. It killed me that she had carried that weight alone, that she had turned to self-harm in the past. But more than anything, it broke me to think of how she felt like she couldn't rely on anyone. How she thought she had to carry it all herself. But not anymore. 

As I left the apartment, I made sure to remind Shivani to rest. "I'll be back in a few hours, baby. Don't do anything. Just rest," I said firmly. She nodded, though I could still see the lingering concern in her eyes. But she didn't argue—thankfully. I had more important matters to take care of right now. Her words, "I trust you," echoed in my mind. It meant the world to me that she trusted me after everything. 

And that's why I needed to handle this—so no one would ever dare hurt her again. I entered the basement where that bastard was tied up, still struggling like a worm on a hook. Madhav, Danush, and Aadarsh were there, waiting. I raised an eyebrow at Madhav, who simply shrugged and said, "They were with me when you texted." I nodded in understanding and without a word, Madhav tossed a metal rod in my direction.

 Catching it effortlessly, I approached the scumbag, who looked up, terror evident in his eyes. He was shaking, sweat covering his face. Without hesitating, I yanked the cloth gag out of his mouth, and before he could beg or whimper, I swung the rod hard against his side. The sound of it hitting flesh was satisfying. He screamed, begging for mercy, but I didn't care. His pleas for forgiveness only fueled my anger. 

I hit him again, and again—each blow harder than the last, each one a release of the rage that had been burning inside me ever since he laid a hand on Shivani. I couldn't stop. For fifteen straight minutes, I kept hitting him, my arms aching, but I didn't care. His screams grew weaker, his body slumping in the chair. But I wasn't done. I dropped the rod for a moment, breathing heavily, then untied his hands. 

He fell to the floor like a crumpled rag, trying to sit up using his hands as support. But before he could, I stepped on his right hand, pressing down with all my weight. He cried out in pain, trying to push me off with whatever strength he had left, but it was useless. I bent down, staring him dead in the eyes, applying more pressure to his hand. 

"Isn't this the hand you used to grab her jaw?" I said coldly, twisting my foot for good measure. "Ahhh, please! Please leave me!" he begged, his voice breaking, but I didn't move. "You should've thought about that before touching my girl," I spat, feeling the disgust surge through me at the thought of him laying a hand on Shivani. "Shivani is not yours—" he started, but I didn't let him finish. I slapped him so hard that his head snapped to the side, and he crumpled to the ground again, groaning in pain. "You don't even deserve to say her name," I growled.

As I crouched beside him, gripping his hair tighter, I pulled his face up to meet mine, inches from my own. His eyes, wide with fear, darted around the room, hoping for an escape, but he knew there was none. I wasn't done yet. The rage still burned too deep.

I slowly held his right hand, his scream echoed in the basement as I tightened my grip, slowly adding pressure. "You touched her with this hand, right?" I asked coldly. Without waiting for a reply, I snapped his wrist with one swift movement. His scream pierced the air as I dropped him to the floor.

"That's just the start," I said, standing up and pressing my boot hard against his broken hand, grinding it into the cold concrete. His cries for mercy fell on deaf ears. "You even think of coming near Shivani, or her friends, and I'll make sure you are dead next second."

I bent down and grabbed his other hand, pulling it in front of him. "Maybe breaking the second one will make my message clear." Before he could even beg, I twisted his fingers, hearing the crack of his bones echo in the room. His head hit the ground as he groaned in agony, barely conscious now.

"I  warned u," I said, stepping back, shaking the blood from my knuckles. "Stay away from Shivani. From her friends. From anyone connected to her. Because if I even hear your name in the same breath as hers, I will kill you, and I won't feel a thing."

Danush and Madhav stood quietly by, knowing not to interfere until I gave the signal. They'd seen this side of me before, and they knew it wasn't over until I said it was.

I wiped the sweat from my forehead and turned to them. "Get him out of here. Make sure he's a ghost in this city. I don't want to see or hear about him ever again."

They moved quickly, dragging his limp body out of the room. As they were about to leave, Danush, always the curious one, asked, "What happened?" I only told them what he did to Shivani. "and after that u are still leaving him alive" he asked shocked.

I clenched my fists, staring at fucker "Because killing him would hurt Shivani more than him. She doesn't need more pain, more blood on her conscience. And I won't let anything drive a wedge between us. Not even him. This is about protecting her, not feeding my own anger."

He nodded, understanding. They both did. And with that, I walked out, my mind already shifting to Shivani. All I wanted now was to see her, be with her.

When I reached the apartment, I was excited. The thought of cooking dinner for her and seeing that smile on her face—it was the only thing I wanted after what had just happened. I stepped through the door, expecting to surprise her. But when I entered, I saw her already setting the table. She had arranged everything, the smell of food already wafting from the kitchen.

I couldn't help but smile. Seeing her there, in my space, taking care of things as if she had always belonged here, made me feel luckier than I'd ever been. "You really don't know how to follow instructions, do you?" I teased, leaning against the doorframe.

Shivani looked up, her eyes lighting up when she saw me. "You took too long, and I was hungry," she said with a playful grin.

I walked over, wrapping my arms around her waist from behind, pulling her close. "You know, I could punish you for not listening to me," I murmured into her ear, feeling her shiver slightly against me.

"You wouldn't dare," she whispered back, but her voice was softer now, more vulnerable. That's when I knew she felt safe, even in moments like this.

"Try me," I said, turning her around to face me. Our eyes met, and for a moment, everything else disappeared. I tilted her chin up, bringing my lips down to hers in a slow, teasing kiss, the kind that left her wanting more. She gasped softly when I pulled away, but I smirked, knowing I had her exactly where I wanted her.

"Let's eat," I said, breaking the tension with a grin. "Then we'll see if you still want to defy me."

Dinner passed in comfortable silence, the kind of silence that spoke louder than words. We sat close, her hand occasionally brushing mine, a warmth radiating between us that couldn't be explained.

After we finished eating, I helped clean up, despite her protests. She tried to insist that I rest after all the work, but I wasn't letting her do anything. When everything was done, I turned to her, a more serious tone in my voice.

"Baby, let's sleep in the same bed tonight," I suggested, watching her reaction carefully.

She looked hesitant for a moment, biting her lip, but then she nodded. "Okay. But on opposite sides," she added quickly, a soft blush creeping onto her cheeks.

I chuckled, knowing exactly how this night would end. "Deal," I said, pretending to agree.

We lay in bed, Shivani on her side, facing away from me. But after a few minutes, I couldn't resist anymore. Slowly, I slid closer, wrapping my arm around her waist and pulling her gently against me.

"Sharath," she whispered, but I could hear the smile in her voice.

"Shh," I whispered back, kissing the top of her head. "Just relax. I've got you."

She didn't pull away. Instead, she melted into me, her body fitting perfectly against mine. "You're safe with me," I murmured, tightening my hold on her. "Always."

She sighed softly, her body relaxing fully in my arms. As I held her close, the weight of the day seemed to disappear. All that mattered was that she was here, in my arms, and I wasn't letting her go. Not now, not ever.