Bound by Desire 18+

13. Kiss 🔞

Vedanti pov:)

The night was heavy with tension as Shivya and I drove toward the seedy bar at the outskirts of the city, where we were told the traffickers would be meeting. The intel Shivya's team had gathered was clear—the children were being held nearby, stashed in a truck not far from where their captors would be indulging themselves. But getting to them without causing a scene was another matter entirely.

Shivya's fingers tightened on the steering wheel, his knuckles white. His jaw was clenched so hard I could almost hear the grind of his teeth. The tension between us had been palpable ever since I told him my plan.

"No, Vedanti. There's another way. We'll find it," he'd said back at the safehouse, his voice thick with concern.

But I knew what needed to be done. The men in that bar wouldn't just let anyone waltz in and take what they had stolen. They needed a distraction—one so tempting, so consuming, that it would pull their attention entirely. And that's where I came in.

"Shivya," I had told him, my heart racing, "we don't have time for another plan. The longer we wait, the more danger those children are in. Let me do this."

He hadn't taken it well. His eyes had darkened, his possessiveness flaring up like a raging inferno. "You think I'm going to let you walk into a den of wolves and dangle yourself in front of them? Never. I won't allow it."
("Main kabhi bhi tumhe un gundon ke saamne aise nahi jaane doonga. Kabhi nahi.")

But I had already made up my mind.

Now, as we approached the bar, the atmosphere between us was cold, tense. I could feel the anger radiating off of him, but I also knew he wouldn't stop me. He understood, as much as he hated it, that this was our best chance.

"Stay close to me," he muttered under his breath as we parked. His voice was a low growl, thick with jealousy and rage he could barely contain. "And don't do anything reckless."

I turned to him, meeting his hard gaze. "I know what I'm doing, Shivya," I said softly, though I wasn't sure if I was reassuring him or myself. "Just trust me."

"This isn't about trust; it's my obsession." he hissed, his voice like a dangerous whisper. "The thought of any of those men looking at you, touching you... it makes me want to kill every single one of them." 

I swallowed, feeling the weight of his words. His possessiveness, his protectiveness—it was all-consuming. But there was no time to argue. The children's lives were on the line.

The bar was dimly lit, thick with the stench of sweat, alcohol, and smoke. It was the kind of place where no one asked questions and no one gave answers. Shivya's hand was a steady presence on the small of my back as we entered, though I could feel his tension building with every step.

The traffickers were easy to spot—five men, sitting at a booth in the corner, laughing, drinking, completely unaware that their lives were about to be turned upside down.

My heart pounded in my chest as we approached. I could feel Shivya's hesitation, his anger simmering just beneath the surface, but I had to do this.

"Go to the back," I whispered to him. "Find the truck. I'll keep them busy."

His eyes flashed with fury. "Vedanti..." His voice was a warning, a dangerous edge to it. "If they so much as lay a finger on you—"

"They won't," I interrupted, my voice firmer than I felt. "Now go."

For a moment, I thought he might refuse. But after a long, tense silence, he finally nodded, though his eyes burned with a mixture of anger, fear, and jealousy.