Marked By Darkness

Chapter 88- Possessiveness

Ruhi's POV...

The evening light streamed through the window as I sat on the edge of the bed, scrolling through my messages. Just as I was about to put my phone away, a new message appeared on the screen. It was from Sounak.

"Hey, Ruhi. I'm sorry for the way I behaved that day. I let my frustration get the best of me, and I shouldn't have. I hope you're doing okay."

I hesitated for a moment, re-reading his words. A small part of me felt relief at his apology. We'd been through so much, and I hated how things had ended the last time we spoke.

Typing quickly, I replied, "It's okay. I hope you reached there safely."

A moment later, my phone buzzed again with his response. "Yes, everything's fine. Take care of yourself."

Just as I hit send, I heard the door open, and Ruhan walked in, his usual cheerful expression lighting up his face. But his smile faded when he noticed me focused on my phone.

"Everything okay?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, just... Sounak texted me. He apologized for the way he acted that day," I replied casually, trying to keep my tone neutral.

But I didn't miss the way his expression darkened, his jaw clenching slightly at the mention of Sounak's name. The easygoing warmth he had just a moment ago seemed to evaporate, replaced by something sharp and tense.

"Sounak?" he repeated, his voice low. "And you texted him back?"

I looked up, surprised at the sudden change in his tone. "Yes. He apologized, and I told him it's okay. There's nothing wrong with that."

Ruhan took a step closer, his gaze intense. "Why do you even need to talk to him, Ruhi? Haven't you been through enough because of him?"

I frowned, feeling a surge of defensiveness rise in me. "I don't see why this is any of your business, Ruhan. Sounak apologized, and I accepted it. That's all."

He shook his head, his expression a mixture of frustration and anger. "You don't understand, do you? After everything he put you through, you're still ready to just forgive him like that? How can you trust him again so easily?"

My patience snapped. "And who are you to judge me? You've lied to me before, Ruhan. You're no different."

His face fell, hurt flashing across his eyes before his anger took over again. "I'm trying to protect you, Ruhi. But it's like you'd rather let Sounak walk all over you again than even listen to me."

"Protect me?" I scoffed, my tone turning cold. "Protect me from what? You're just jealous. You can't stand the thought that I cared for someone else before you came into my life."

His eyes narrowed, his fists clenched at his sides. "Is that what you think? That this is just jealousy?"

I crossed my arms, refusing to back down. "Yes, I do. Because if you really cared, you wouldn't try to control who I talk to."

Ruhan's expression grew darker, his breathing heavy as the tension between us thickened. In a sudden, heated motion, he closed the distance between us, his hands gripping my arms as he pulled me toward him. Before I could process what was happening, his lips crashed against mine in a hard, urgent kiss.

My heart pounded in shock, my body frozen as his mouth moved against mine, fierce and intense. I felt the anger in his kiss, the frustration, the jealousy. And for a moment, I couldn't help but get lost in it. But as I regained my senses, I tried to push him away, only for his grip to tighten as he kissed me even harder, as if he was trying to convey everything he couldn't say with words.