Terrorized By Love [ON HOLD]

Chapter 16: Tainted

Ashamed. That was what she was. She felt dirty, used, and worthless. When the one that she felt so strongly for asked her whether she had been touched by other men, in such a disgusted tone, she couldn't help but be ashamed. It was shameful. Her own brother touched her. How could she tell him that?

When Mahima didn't answer, Aditya got up and stormed out of the room. Mahima just pulled her knees up to her chest and started to sob.

"W - why did I forget t - that D - Dinesh..." she mumbled, the tears falling to her knees.

It had been going on for years, that it almost became regular, and felt... normal. She had grown used to it. She had surrendered, even though she hated it. She didn't know that it would come back to haunt her like this.

Laksh entered the room a few minutes later.

"Dev is keeping watch. Are you okay? He looks disturbed," Laksh said.

Mahima nodded, but the tears continued to fall.

"I - I just want to be alone," she mumbled.

Laksh nodded and disappeared. Mahima got up and took a shower. After she got changed, she stepped out of the cabin and saw that Dev was sitting on the porch, with a rifle in his hands. When she came out, he looked up, and then firmly looked ahead again.

"Sorry," she whispered.

He ignored her.

She walked past him and went to the lake where the waves were rippling. There was a large rock beside the water. The wind blew her hair back and she watched the water.

They would be able to see her from the cabin. She wasn't too far away from them. Dev could even be watching her right now... but she was still so far away that he wouldn't be able to really tell what she was doing.

Laksh joined her after about an hour.

"Are you hungry?" he asked her.

Mahima shook her head.

"What did Dev say to you?" Laksh asked and sat down on the rock next to her.

"Nothing," Mahima mumbled.

"If he said something to hurt you, he doesn't mean it. He's trying to push you away," Laksh explained.

"No. He meant this," she whispered, and her breath got stuck in her throat. "He - he reminded me t - that I'm dirty and useless."

"What?" Laksh asked, sounding confused.

"H - he reminded me that I'm not innocent. That I'm tainted," she told him, and the tears fell down her cheeks. "I'm not... pure."

"If you're not pure, then what is he? He's even more tainted Mahima," Laksh said.

Mahima sniffled.

"He isn't tainted. He's nice... he's doing such a good job, protecting us all... he isn't bad like me," she whispered.

Laksh shook his head.

"You don't know Mahima. You don't know," Laksh muttered.

Mahima turned and looked over her shoulder to see that Dev was watching them. Laksh turned back and followed her gaze. Then he reached out and touched Mahima's face, wiping her tears away, before sliding his hand down her arm and holding her hand.

"What are you doing?" Mahima asked.

"Follow my lead," Laksh said. "We're going to get a confession out of him today."