The Stigma Called Love - Chapter 16

As soon the electronic lock clicked away, Dhruv rushed inside looking concerned.

“I am so sorry. How did you manage to lock yourself?” he said coming real close to Aparna.

“I must have pressed some button,” she replied with a sheepish grin, instinctively backing away from him.

Nishant watched them from the shadows smiling to himself. As he saw her back away from Dhruv, he felt something heavy lift off from his heart. Now, there was nothing between him and Aparna. As they moved away, he could hear Aparna explaining to Dhruv that she wanted to go home. His forehead creased as he heard Dhruv offering to drop her but in the next instant he smiled with satisfaction as she told him that he, Nishant had offered her to drop her home.

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Aparna’s hands were trembling by the time she reached outside. She could see Nishant saying his byes and every time she looked in his direction, she saw him looking at her. Rubbing her wet palms against her sari, she neared Dhruv’s car, which was parked in one of the corners.

Was it right for her to feel like this? Isn’t this wrong? He is engaged.

As doubts filled her mind, she was about to turn towards the entrance again when she felt someone pulling her behind. Thinking it must be Nishant, she smiled and was about to place a palm on his heart when suddenly she recognised the touch.

Kavin!

Her whole being paralysed the moment his fingers closed around her neck forcing her to look up at him.

“Somebody is looking all decked up. Party and all?”

When she did not react, he shoved her against the wall and came towards her with a menacing look.

“You know, it’s been a long time that I have had you. Time you fulfilled some wifely duties.”

Aparna looked at him as he started to lower his lips to hers. Although, her mind was screaming and kicking with protest, but her body was still immobilised with fear.

He turned her and bit on her shoulder hard making her crying out inaudibly. All these years and Aparna was still a prisoner of the terror Kavin evoked in her. He again turned her towards him like a rag doll and started to press her breasts hard, his other hand groping here and there.

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Nishant took the keys and started the ignition. Looking around the corner, he backed the car towards Dhruv’s car but did not find Aparna there. Getting out, he looked here and there but couldn’t find her. Frowning he was about to go inside when a faint movement in the dark corner caught his eye. Adjusting his eyes to the darkness, he neared the area and suddenly his eyes widened with shock.

Aparna was standing slumped against the wall with blood oozing out from one of her palms. Nishant rushed towards her just as she was about to collapse on the street. Picking her up, he walked towards his car and placed her on the seat. Then, he was about to call Siraj when she caught his arm.

He looked at her eyes and their painful silence reverberated to him. Finding Kavin was not the point now but getting her to a safe place was.

Nishant took out his handkerchief and tied it around her right palm to stop the bleeding. Sliding on the driver’s seat, he tied her seat belt and then started the car. He was taking her to the safest place he could think off. He was taking her to his house.

All along the drive, Nishant kept on looking at Aparna, who just stared out of the window. Every time he saw tears slide down her cheeks, his hands gripped the steering wheel with effort. If only he had not left her alone.

Dammit! It was his fault.

Cursing under his breath, he tried to control his anger. This was not the time for you to react. Right now, calming Aparna is more important than your outrage.

Nishant stopped the car outside his apartment block in Greater Kailash 2 after a tormenting drive of 1 hour. Looking sideways at Aparna, he found her still in the same way: looking out of the window blankly. Parking the car at his designated place, he opened her side of the door and hunched towards her.

In a trance, Aparna placed her hand in his and let him pull her out of the car. Her feet trembled abnormally the moment they touched the ground and Nishant picked her up in his arms, and she buried her face in his neck.

As they neared the lift, he could see surprised looks and hear whispering voices of people who knew him in the block, but he was least bothered. He stared filthily at the liftman who was gaping at them as if he had seen a scene from a porn film and the man instantly closed the door, pressing the button for his floor.

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Reaching his bedroom, he released his hold on her and laid her down on the pillow. Then, he opened the side drawer and brought out the first aid kit. Gently, he untied the handkerchief, his eyes not leaving her face but it was as blank as before.

As he cleaned the wound, he could see a tears rolling down her eyes. Nishant controlled his urge to take her in his arms. Suddenly Aparna sat up just as he was about to put some ointment on the cut.

“I’ll do it,” she said with a trembling voice, fingers gripping the tube.

“You don’t have to be strong always,” Nishant replied, taking the tube from her.

Aparna looked at his face as he applied the ointment on the wound. Fresh tears welled up in her eyes as she saw him blowing air on her cut flesh to soothe the burning sensation of the medicine.

One man tries to rip her apart and one man tries his best to soothe the pain in her.

Nishant stood up from the bed after bandaging her wound properly. He was about to go to the other room when he heard Aparna call out to him.

He turned and looked at her.

“Sleep!” he said with a smile on his face. There were lot of questions zipping through his mind but now was not the right time to ask them. Right now, Aparna needed rest. He had already messaged Dhruv and Madhu that she was with him. There was no way he was letting her go anywhere tonight.

“I am not strong,” Aparna said seeing him turn away from her.

Nishant closed his eyes and turned towards her again. He was about to say something when her raised hand stopped him.

“You don’t know anything.”

Getting up from the bed, she went and stood by the table near the window.

“I am divorced,” she said in an agitated and grieved voice, clutching the table ends with effort.

Sighing, Nishant shook his head as he saw her head bowing down with the weight of age-old beliefs.

“I know.”

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