Terrorized By Love [ON HOLD]

Chapter 35: An Exposed Past

Mahima didn't know how she was still alive. Her childhood friend, the one she thought about to this day, had turned into one of the most despicable kinds of men? A terrorist murdered his own mother. How could he be one of them? She didn't know whether to feel happy that he was alive, or sad and angry that he was a terrorist.

Ajay watched her reaction with surprise. He didn't seem to understand why she reacted that way. Finally, after a few moments, he seemed to put two and two together and he asked, "Is he your childhood friend?"

Mahima nodded slowly.

"He's not bad," she whispered in response, almost like it was denial. "He hates terrorists. A terrorist killed his mom. He can't be one of them!"

"They take children and they brainwash them," Ajay informed her. "That's how the job is. All of them didn't start out like that... they always weren't terrorists."

Mahima sniffled, trying to hold back the tears in her eyes, but she couldn't help it. They poured out. Her Aditya was a terrorist. She wanted this to be a lie. She wished it was a nightmare.

"Why do you still think about him?" Ajay asked her. "I thought you moved on with Dev."

"You won't understand what friendship is," Mahima snapped at him. "He was my first ever friend. Dev is just... I can't explain it. He's my lover. Aditya still always had a special place in my heart."

"First love?" Ajay asked.

"Child love," Mahima answered. "Maybe there are different kinds of love."

"Hmm... makes sense," Ajay said with a shrug, then he yawned. "Don't worry about it. He's not the same Aditya you fell in love with."

Mahima scowled at Ajay. Who was he to judge what she felt for Aditya or Dev? As far as their agreement went, he had to stay out of her life.

"What's your last name anyways?" Mahima asked him.

It was funny how she married him without knowing what his surname was. They hadn't spoken once since their agreement that night. It had been a small wedding with the villagers. Most of them didn't even know how to string a sentence together in English. The villagers were illiterate, so when they signed the marriage certificate, Mahima wasn't sure whether the villagers could be witnesses.

Ajay didn't seem to have any issues with the arrangement, and she hardly cared if this marriage was valid.

"Bhatnagar," Ajay answered.

"I'm still Mahima Gupta," Mahima informed.

"I don't care," Ajay replied.

"Okay..." she said, and tried to divert her attention from the truth that had been revealed to her just a few seconds ago.

This conversation with her so-called husband was only being done so she could forget about Aditya's profession. She was trying to distract herself.

"I'm going back to work from tomorrow," Ajay informed. "You'll be okay here by yourself?"

"You don't need to be concerned about me," Mahima told him. "I'll be fine."

"I'm going to tell the President you're okay," Ajay then said.

"You can tell the President whatever you want. I don't care," Mahima replied. "As long as my Dev is safe."

Ajay rolled his eyes.

"I heard that line from you about a million times by now," he told her.

She breathed sharply and ignored him.