Karma : A Tale Of Vengeance and Love

Chapter Thirty Four : A Hastened Wedding

“I hope Kalyani”, the man let out a deep sigh on the phone.

“That you've not forgotten your aim.”

She nodded, taking a sip of her coffee. Slowly, winter was beginning to step in and she could feel the cold breeze break through the early morning.

“Ofcourse not. Everything is fair in love and war. Love is over, war begins.”

But even as she said that, a pinch of hurt erupted in her soul. She felt her chest tighten and her voice seemed muffled. She cut the call abruptly because she was in no state to speak more.

She had always been a private, silent person. A woman of few words. Yes, she loved to write, and that was the only time when she could express herself effortlessly. She may have been cold or stern, but she had a way with words.

Cold, inexpressive, that's how her peers would often describe her. But despite it all, she had a heart of gold and was genuinely kind. Her helping nature and pure soul beneath the hard shell of ice, was what made Rudra fall for her in the first place.

Years of trauma and fear had conditioned her to behave that way. To protect her soul, she had to build walls around herself. That was her defence mechanism; pushing people away before they got too close to hurt her.

But despite all this, she had let that man in, only to feel betrayed this way by him. That same sheepish man with that silly smile she had encountered randomly one day at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple.

That shy man had managed to slowly make her fall in love with life, with his lively nature and enthusiasm. She had begun to open up and be more expressive and happy. Their heartfelt conversations of wisdom and romance were a testimony to that.

Even the shy Rudra He got out of his comfort zone to express his love for her. He had once been a sought after playboy, improving his  cool dude personality and flirting skills, during his younger years abroad. But soon he got out of that phase and never seeked true companionship. Because he had never truly been in love before. And soon, his authentic shyness began to envelope him again.

They complimented each other, becoming  wholesome and best versions of themselves as they grew  in each other's company. Even in their career, they were doing well. It was the perfect time to get married, but ofcourse the circumstances were strange at the moment.

She almost fell like a happy small child, a social butterfly, a free spirit in his presence. She did not even have any problems adjusting to his family, friends or colleagues. They were all very cordial.

Except for that one creep. And that's where things had begun to drift apart.

He had locked her out when she let him in.

Deep inside her fears.

Fear of abandonment. The most crucial one.

Because she always felt that whosoever she loves the most, ultimately left her, by some tragic twist of fate. Just like her father did.

This mistrust had caused her to lead a life of detachment and fear relationships. But it ofcourse takes one man to prove all that wrong.

However, she was now on crossroads. She didn't know what step to take further.

Ofcourse, she agreed to go ahead with that secret plan she had been preparing for since a child. She couldn't back out of it.

But at the same time, she didn't want to hurt Rudra in the process. She had never intended to make him a pawn in the game. Unintentionally, she had to, because it was the easiest way to get to her enemy.