Wicked Desires

chapter 20

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Reyansh's curiosity deepened as he delved further into Kriya's box of treasured secrets. One by one, he pulled out the handwritten letters, unfolding them carefully. Each page held her heartache, every word a testament to the love she had for her late father. His eyes scanned the pages, absorbing her words of longing, the way she described missing him every day, and how she struggled through her battles, desperately wishing he were still there to guide her.

He set the letters aside after reading a few, a dark satisfaction mingling with a flicker of understanding. So, this is the side of you no one sees, he mused, glancing at a few other items within the box. Trinkets, small tokens—things she had clearly kept in memory of her father. The sentimental nature of it all tugged at him, yet he dismissed the feeling, knowing that for him, this was simply another layer of Kriya he could exploit.

Then his gaze fell on something half-hidden beneath the keepsakes—a brown journal, worn at the edges, unmistakably a diary. His pulse quickened as he reached for it, his fingers tracing its leather cover. This was it, he thought; this could be the gateway into her deepest thoughts, her most personal reflections. What are you hiding in here, Kriya?

With a smug grin, he opened the diary, feeling as though he was finally peeling back the last layer, ready to uncover whatever secrets she had buried within its pages. This wasn't just a diary; it was his path into the recesses of her mind, and he intended to use every word to his advantage.

Reyansh's hands tightened on the edges of the diary as he flipped to the next page, his curiosity deepening with every word he read. The pages were filled with memories and emotions that Kriya had kept hidden for years—feelings she had poured out onto paper, each entry a fragile piece of her soul. His heart raced, a twisted satisfaction building within him as he read further, savouring each vulnerable confession she had penned.

"Dear Diary," he read again, the words almost echoing in his mind. "I don't know how much longer I can bear this. Being in his presence every day, knowing he is so far out of my reach, feels like a torment I can't escape. Reyansh... he is everything I could ever want. From the moment I first saw him as a little girl, I felt drawn to him, this magnetic pull that only grew stronger as I grew older. But who am I to love someone like him? Just a gardener's daughter in a world that doesn't care about girls like me."

Reyansh's lips curled into a smirk, his intrigue deepening. She had loved him from the start, despite the gulf between their worlds—a world where he had every privilege, and she had none. She had buried this passion, caged it beneath the weight of social boundaries and expectations, yet it was clear she hadn't been able to shake her feelings.

He continued reading, entranced.

"Today, I saw him across the garden again. He didn't notice me, as always. He never does. But just catching a glimpse of him makes my heart ache, even when I tell myself that he is meant for a different life, a life I have no place in. It's foolish of me to love him like this, I know. But love doesn't listen to reason."

Reyansh's eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he read the next lines, sensing the depth of her struggle.

"I've tried to keep my distance, but each time I see him, my heart betrays me. It's not easy to forget him when I feel this way. I see him surrounded by others of his own world, laughing, enjoying a life I can only watch from afar. I'm just the gardener's daughter, invisible to him. But I can't stop myself from wanting him, from dreaming that maybe, just maybe, he might notice me someday. And every time I think that, I feel so foolish."