The Stigma Called Love - Chapter 7

Nishant looked at the report send by Aparna and smiled thinking about her precision. Even though, she had been distracted by his actions time and again, still she had managed to note down each and every detail. His decision was made the moment he finished the reading the report. He was not signing the Khurana deal until and unless he had had the opportunity to discuss Aparna’s report with everybody.

Picking up his desk phone, he dialled Aparna’s extension, but nobody answered. Frowning, he dialled Shivang’s extension and was told that Aparna was out on site.

Damn! He wanted to meet her before he left for Jaipur tonight but now that is not at all possible. He picked up his mobile and dialled her number, but she did not answer. Busy, thought Nishant. Sighing, he sent her a call back message.

**************

Aparna closed her laptop and wiped the sweat formed on her forehead. Opening the door of the suffocating and small site office, she heaved a sigh of relief when her face was hit by fresh air. Thank god, it was time to go home.

Sitting inside the cab, she fetched out her phone and saw 3 missed calls from Madhu, 1 missed call and message from Nishant. He had requested her to call back. But, she resisted as the message seemed more personal than professional and after the Khurana Maur City incident, it was best to avoid any personal contact with him.

As the cab neared Mayur Vihar phase I, she saw a huge jam extending all the way to her apartment block. Sighing, she asked the driver to drop her there. No point getting stuck in a traffic jam. Walking couple of blocks will do no harm. Paying the driver, she got down the cab and started to make her way through the traffic.

15 minutes later, she neared the lane where she, Madhu and Harish lived. She took a turn and collided with a man. An apology was about to escape her lips when her nose caught a familiar scent.

Kavin!

Her mind clogged with fear as realisation filtered through her.

She turned around and was about to run, when Kavin caught her arm and dragged her towards him.

“Hi, wifey darling,” he said looking at her scared face with a devilish smile.

Aparna’s body shook with fright as she looked at his face. Even after 3 years, this man still had the power to shake her being with a force more potent than death. She trembled as Kavin lowered his face towards her. Biting her lower lip with his teeth, he pulled hard.

Aparna cried out with pain as she felt her skin tear but still she did not retaliate. In all these years, she still did not have the power to fight Kavin.

Letting go of her lip, Kavin pined her against the wall. Then, he lowered his lips towards her neck and bit hard.

Aparna closed her eyes as his teeth sunk in her tender skin. 

Oh god, when is it going to enough for me?

Kavin kept on with her onslaught for another 10-15 minutes biting her everywhere he could and she just stood there transfixed with fear. Then, suddenly he let her go and the moment he did, she slumped to the ground.

Thinking Kavin had had enough, she was about to get up when his fingers circled around her throat. Strangling her hard, he dragged her up against the wall.

“I hear you have got a good job. So, where is my money? You know you need to pay me every month or I’ll have someone pick your daughter up,” he said leering at her breathless face, his fingers pressing hard against her throat.

Nothing came out of Aparna more out of fear rather than her oxygen constricted throat.

“Transfer the money today,” Kavin said and let her go.

Coughing hard, Aparna slowly slipped to the ground in an unconscious state.

Taking the opportunity, Kavin rummaged through her bag. Finding nothing more than couple hundreds, he flung the bag back at her and left.

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Madhu paced up and down the drawing room, her fingers wringing in tension. Where is she? Why isn’t she answering her call? She almost jumped out of her skin as the calling bell rang. Rushing, she opened the door only to find Harish standing there smiling from ear to ear. But the moment he looked at her face, he knew something was wrong and it had to do with Aparna.

“Where is she?”

“She hadn’t come home till now. And, she is not answering my calls,” Madhu replied in tensed tone.

Flinging his bag on the sofa, Harish ran out of the house followed by Madhu.

Searching all along the streets of their apartment block, they neared a corner and saw crowd gathered around something on the ground.

Without thinking at all, both of them ran inside the crowd and saw Aparna lying unconscious.

“Get me some water, please,” Harish requested the guy standing next to him.

As he sprinkled the water on her face, Aparna eyes opened slowly. Realising that she would be scared like hell, Madhu grabbed her in her arms and asked Harish to get the car.

Settling her inside the car, Madhu couldn’t help but notice the blood oozing out from Aparna’s lips and neck. Also, she noticed the visible red strangling marks around her throat.

It had to be Kavin.

Reaching home in a matter of minutes, both of them helped Aparna out of car, and then inside the house and settled her down on the bed. 

Aparna’s body trembled with pain just as Madhu placed a soothing hand on her head. Tears rolled down her eyes and finally she gave in to them. Sobs of fear and pain escaped her throat as Madhu and Harish enclosed her in their arms.

One mistake of hers had ruined her entire life.

She can never love again.

She can never let another man touch her.

Never, ever again.

Never.

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