Terrorized By Love [ON HOLD]

Chapter 29: Forever Yours

Mahima fell down on top of the large rock outside, out of breath, completely worn out. She didn't know what just happened in the last hour, nor did she know whether any of it was real or not. In her head, there was a hope that all of this was a dream... but she knew deep down, that it wasn't.

It was not a dream.

She wrapped her arms around the warm rock and took deep breaths to calm herself down. Everything hurt. Warm tears fell down her cheeks onto the rock beneath her, and she broke down crying.

How had this happened?

She remembered to the moment where her Dev held the gun up and pointed it at her chest.

--

Earlier that day:

Mahima watched him raise the gun, her eyes wide with fear. What was he doing? He was surely playing another prank. Or he was giving her baseless threats. There was no way that he could really be pointing that gun at her with the intention to shoot her.

"What are you doing?" she asked him softly.

That was when he stumbled towards her, and he paused just a few steps away. She watched him pull the trigger of his gun and she immediately felt a strong fear take over her body. She was scared before, but she was terrified now.

Her Dev couldn't really be trying to shoot her.

She watched him raise the gun above her head and shoot at the pillow behind her. The bullet pierced through the cloth of the pillow and all the feathers came pouring out.

"D - Dev!" Mahima gasped.

He dropped the gun on the ground and rushed up to her, picking her up and holding her in his arms. Her knees were on the bed, but she hugged him back.

"Listen to me carefully," he told her, his tone dark.

"What?" she asked, her fear growing worse and worse.

"Behind you is a window. Use that window and run. Follow the lake towards the left... keep on going until you see a cave. On the outside of the cave is a stone. Wait for me by that stone," he told her.

She didn't know what to think. She didn't understand where this was going. What was he telling her?

"What's happening?" Mahima asked, sounding scared.

"They're here for you... terrorists," Dev whispered into her ear.

"Terrorists?" Mahima gasped. "You come with me!"

"I can't leave Laksh. I will come to you later. Go to the stone and wait for me," he growled in her ear.

She grabbed his shirt tightly, scared to death that he wouldn't make it.

"B - but -" she stammered.

"No," he interrupted. "Go. Now!"

He broke the embrace and held her cheeks in his hands. Then he leaned towards her and kissed her forehead.

"There is a letter underneath that stone. Read it when you get there. Forgive me," he murmured to her.

"What? Forgive you for what?" she asked, confused.

"Don't talk anymore. Go," he warned.

Then he let go of her and grabbed a shawl from the wardrobe. He brought it to her and wrapped her head with it, revealing only her eyes.

"Nobody should see you. If you come across anyone, do not speak. Walk past them," he ordered.

She nodded.

"The note will explain more. Your life is in danger. The whole country knows you. Be careful of where you go," he said to her. "If you get caught, then you will get killed... and you'll kill me too."

"I - I won't get caught," she stammered.

"Go," he ordered.

She nodded.

Just as she was about to leave, Aditya grabbed her hand from behind and turned her around. Bringing the shawl down from her lips, he pressed his lips against hers urgently, almost like this was a final kiss.

She responded to his kiss with just as much urgency, terrified that she would have to lose him.

"Please don't die," she begged.

"I won't. Go," he said again, and opened the window for her.

He helped her climb out of the window and she started to follow the lake to the left, just like he had instructed her to. As she was walking, she turned back once and saw that the cabin had burst into flames, and a large fire had taken over it.

She gasped.

Immediately, she wanted to run back to him, but she knew not to.

She put one foot in front of the other, and she kept on walking, until she got to the cave about an hour later, where she stopped and fell to her knees, exhausted against the rock.

--

"I will wait here for you," she murmured against the rock, feeling mentally and physically drained. "Even if I have to stay here until my last breath."

She managed to pull her own body off the rock and she lifted it slightly, to see the letter underneath.

This was written by him, by her Dev.

She unfolded the letter and started to read:

Dear Mahima,

I don't know how to tell you what I know. I am a coward, so I can't tell you to your face. Let me see if I can even write it by the end of the letter.

Your life is in danger. You know you are wanted by terrorists. That is true. If they find you, they will kill you. You are not safe even in the President's home. You cannot be known to be alive. We are faking your death. It is for your protection.

You will have a lot of questions. I know. Don't be scared. You must make sure you are not seen. You are on every city's TV screen. Everyone knows your face. They know your name. You cannot be Mahima Ashtikar anymore. You must survive under a different name.

Mahima, over the last few weeks, one thing you taught me was how to smile. You have given me many beautiful memories. Many great moments. I hope I was able to give you equally as many. I hope when you think of me, you won't get tears in your eyes, but rather, a smile on your lips.

You are beautiful and I love you a lot.

I am trying to come to you Mahima... but if I don't get there by sunrise, move from there. Go somewhere else. Hide yourself with your shawl. In a few months people will go to their own world and forget about your death... then you can begin to relax. Until then, wear the shawl like a hijab, just cover your face too. Don't take it off.

I told you what to do already.

Trust me.

Yours,

Ad... see, I can't say it.

Forever yours,

Dev.

She breathed sharply and looked up from the letter. She immediately wanted to run back to the cabin, but she knew that they would be long gone by the time she got back. More tears poured down her cheeks and she gasped.

"You will come by sunrise... right Dev? You will come to me, right?" she asked, her voice cracking. "I don't know how I will survive this life without you."

She pressed her face against the rock and she started to cry even harder, silently praying that her Dev would come to her. She was hoping beyond hope that he would return and that she would meet him again.

How was she going to do this all alone? Where would she go? How would she survive?

She didn't know that the path would be created as she began to walk. What was suffering and heartbreak, would soon perhaps be even more intolerable, as more secrets about the one she loved became known to her.