Dark Love

CHAPTER-31. ANKLETS

While reading this, a lone tear began to shine on her face. She was tired, exhausted from everything she was going through. She started to feel as if she had truly lost everything, feeling too weak even to hold such thin paper.

Slowly, she sat on the bed and looked at the box while clutching the letter tightly in one hand. With her other hand, she took the box and stared at it before tossing the paper onto the floor. When she opened the box, she saw a pair of anklets inside. She gazed at the gold anklet, which was very beautiful.

For a moment, her tears dried in her eyes. Her pain, her anger, and every emotion she had been feeling until now seemed to fade, hiding in her heart for a minute. Looking at that simple but stunning anklet, a small smile crept onto her face. She softly caressed the anklet and took it from the box, lost in her thoughts.

"Why......? Why are you like this? You know everything about me-my likes, dislikes, my weaknesses -yet I don't even know your name. Why are you hiding from me? Am I just a toy for you to play with? Am I that bad that you can't even tell me your name? Or is this some kind of revenge for something I don't even know about? What do you want from me? These beautiful gifts you give me, along with those horrifying letters, don't fit well together. If the gifts were from someone I love or who loves me, I might accept these beautiful gifts. But since they're from you, someone who is playing with my feelings, I can't..."

Thinking this, she kept the necklace in the box and lay down on the bed while hugging herself. As these thoughts filled her mind, a small smile faded from her face, and tears began to well up in her eyes again. She started to feel the same emotions that she had hidden in her heart for a moment. Today, she just wanted to cry and let all her emotions flow with those tears. She didn't want to hold back; she didn't want to hide them somewhere in her heart anymore.

It was midnight, and Meera had fallen asleep still dressed in her clothes, tears marking her cheeks as she mourned her fate. Her dark green, netted anarkali lay on the bed messily, covering her body properly, while her dupatta was draped halfway across the bed and touched the ground, partially covering her upper body. Her hair was spread messily on the bed, soft and silky. Dry tear stains remained on her face, evidence of the sorrow she had experienced that night.

A letter and a paper bag were on the floor, while her bag and phone sat on the other side of the bed. An anklet box lay beside her. The dim yellow light from the lamp illuminated her face, making it shine like golden glitter. One hand rested on her stomach, while the other lay beside her. Her mangalsutra, which she had kept hidden from everyone, sparkled around her neck in the gentle light.

As she slept peacefully, forgetting everything around her, her apartment door slowly creaked open, and a figure entered. Once inside, he locked the door behind him and walked toward Meera's room, shrouded in darkness. His shadow was visible in the moonlight, and his white shirt shimmered in its glow, contrasting with his black hair. As he walked, he tossed his coat, which he had been holding, onto the sofa. A masculine fragrance trailed behind him, filling the room with its scent.

When he reached Meera's bedroom door, he paused for a moment, his hands tucked into his pants pockets. After a short while, he slowly pushed the half-closed door open and stepped into the room, walking quietly toward the bed. When he approached the edge of the bed, he stood there, staring at her glowing face. He was so lost in her beauty, yet his expression remained neutral.

After a moment, he slowly moved and sat on the bed near her feet. Gently, he touched her foot and began to caress it softly. She was so tired and deep in sleep that she didn't even sense it. Watching her, he spoke while gazing at her.

"hum... mujhe pata tha ki aap yahi karengi. aap yeh paayal nahi pehanengi, isiliye mehi aagaya aapko yeh paayal pehenaane ke liye"

("I know that you will do this. I know that you will not wear those anklets; that's why I came here to make you wear them.")

As he said this, he smiled at her and bent down to pick up the box on the other side of Meera. After taking it, he opened the box, took out the anklet, and placed the empty box in front of him while looking at Meera. He kept one anklet on his thigh and slowly put the other anklet on Meera's leg. Feeling the coldness of the metal, Meera instinctively pulled her leg back in her sleep.

Looking at her, he chuckled softly and took another anklet, placing it on her other leg. As he gazed at the anklet on her foot, which shimmered beautifully, he felt a surge of emotions in his heart. The feeling was so intense that, without realising it, he began to touch the anklet resting on her foot. While gently caressing it, he spoke to Meera, who was sleeping.

"aap toh us gulab ko bhi phek di hogi na? mujhe pata tha... isiliye mene aap ke liye aur ek gulab laya hu"

("you must have thrown away that rose too, right? I know...... that's why I bring another rose for you.")

Saying this, he took out a single red rose from his pant pocket and kept it beside Meera. He was so lost looking at Meera that he even lost track of time. He came to his senses when his phone started to vibrate in his pocket. This disturbance turned all his soft expressions into irritation. With a frown on his face, he took out the phone, glanced at Meera, and then went to the balcony to talk.

On the balcony, he received the call while keeping one hand in his pants pocket. After answering, he stayed silent for a minute, listening to the other side before saying,

"I am with my wife, so don't disturb me. I will be there before sunrise."

He ended the call, put the phone back in his pocket, and stood there, closing his eyes and feeling the wind. After a while of relaxing his mind, he turned his head and looked at Meera, a small, satisfied smile spreading across his lips. He slowly moved from the balcony to the empty side of the bed and sat down.

Then, he gently approached Meera, turned her toward him, and lay down while holding her waist firmly, hiding his face in her neck. Feeling her warmth and scent, he let out a long breath that created a tingling sensation in her body. In her sleep, she unknowingly pressed his head closer into her neck and kept her hand entangled in his hair, gripping it slightly. Sensing this, his smile grew even bigger, and he tightened his grip on her waist while closing his eyes and kissing her neck over mangalsutra.