A Life Of Lies | ✔

Hansika • 12

The muffled groans and the harsh sounds of impact are unmistakable. It has been twenty minutes since Shankar asked me to get inside the bedroom and ushered me in when I asked too many questions. Not to mention, he locked the door. The 'bedroom' is actually the smallest room in the lighthouse, but it has a bathroom attached to it and it is perfect for Anirudh's little bed setup, and what Anirudh likes, Anirudh gets. the bedroom has a magnificent view of the ocean in one wall and it shares the other wall with a bigger room.

And that room is where the sound is coming from. I know, I know so well, that the sounds of pain come from Ayansh. It is so clear and obvious. But the reason remains unknown. I know Anirudh is not inside that room, for if he were, he would have shouted at Ayansh while the others mercilessly hit him. He's always a verbal one. And that could've given me some information. Knowing Anirudh is not there and Ayansh is getting beaten makes my stomach twist further. Did Ayansh actually do something to Anirudh? Is that why the goons are beating him up?

A key chimes against the metal lock of the bedroom door. The twist is so harsh, I can hear it from the farthest corner of the room. At the first instant, I breathe out and relax, knowing Ayansh didn't do anything wrong to Anirudh. At the very next, my stomach tightens. Anirudh is here.

"Princess," his soft voice approaches me a second before his huge appearance does. "Why are you sitting on the floor? Sit on the comfy bed, love." He walks over to me and gives me a hand. His smile is ever too bright, his brown eyes sparkling.

When I don't respond to him, he flicks his wrist. "Hani? Take my hand." I do as he says and he pulls me up. But, instead of letting me go, he pulls me flush against his body. I gasp.

He lets out a soft sigh, his breath tickling my ear. "Missed you, Princess."

It has been eight whole months since the both of us were in the same room. Yet, my stomach tightens exactly the way it used to. Muscle memory, they say. I try to cope up, breathing in and out.

"Did you miss me?" He prompts.

I just nod to appease him. Better safe than sorry.

"It doesn't seem like that, Princess." The words go straight to gut. My whole body tightens up.

He slowly parts from me, his hands coming up to hold my face. "Just kidding. Of course you missed me. We love each other, don't we?"

I try to look at him earnestly as I nod. He smiles and presses my shoulders down, making me sit on the bed. Taking my hand, he plops down next to me.

Anirudh does this thing usually, where he takes my hand in his and brings it to his face. He examines my nails, running the pad of his thumb through each. And then he kisses each of them, softly tonguing my cuticles sometimes. It's a sign for when he's in his own world and he's not bothered by anything else. Read: he's in a state where I can relax and not worry about his next move.

But this time, he doesn't take it to his face. Beads of sweat form on my forehead as my hand quickly goes to wipe them off.

"If you did love me, pray, why did you leave me the second time?" He brings my hand to his mouth and softly kisses it.

My breath quickens. "Easy, easy," he says. "Think and give me an answer."

"Ani..." My eyes well. "I'm so - sorry for leaving like that. It's just... My father's death wasn't grieved properly. So, it got to my head and pushed out all sane thoughts. It was an act of impulse."

"Oh, baby," he coos, but there's no adoration felt in it. He's really not come to play. My legs begin to shake.

"When did you realize, then?" He raises a single eyebrow. "When did you realize that all of that was out of impulse and that I'm the one you need in life?"