The Stigma Called Love - Chapter 25

Aparna slowly crept to the bed and collapsed. Why does everything have to be so hard? Why can’t her life be a little less difficult for once? Clutching her thighs to her bosom, she closed her eyes, but her mind had other things to show her.

Image after image flashed through her as she remembered each and every time Kavin had wrecked havoc on her body and soul. Her body wreathed with pain remembering the touch of his leather belt on her skin. She caught the pillow to her mouth as screams of pain escaped her throat. She wanted to run away but all she could do was cry and repent her whole life for one wrong decision made.

Finally when her body could take no more, her mind numbed the pain inside her and she fell asleep. But her sleep was as disturbed as her wakeful hours. Horrifying dreams of Kavin torturing her and Prakriti came back again and again, and every time she startled with them, she felt someone’s soothing hands on her forehead caressing her to sleep again.

Nishant moved away from her bed at about 3 in the morning when finally he found her sleeping soundly. The pain he had seen in her today had burned his soul. Silent tears of regret rolled down his eyes as he looked at her clutching the bed sheet tightly.

I will never do anything anymore to bring your memories back and if it meant staying away from you then so be it.

Brushing his tears away, he walked to the door silently. With one last look at her, he left determined not to return ever again.

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The sudden ring of her phone alarm woke Aparna and she sat up straight on her bed. She picked up her phone and found it was already 6:30. Sighing, she remembered where she was and that it was a full day at the site today.

Undressing, she stood beneath the shower and let the pelting warm water soothe the aches in her body. Suddenly, she remembered everything that had happened the previous night.

And then, it all came back: her hurtful words, her accusations, the look of horror on Nishant’s face and the burning pain in his words.

“You think I am like Kavin?” 

Oh my god, had she really compared him with Kavin?

Worst even, had she really accused him of being worst than Kavin?

As realisation dawned on her, Aparna slid to the floor, tears of anger and regret filling her eyes. She sobbed hard feeling his pain inside her.

She has to find him.

But, will only saying sorry do?

Don’t think about these things, just go and find him, her heart told her.

Rushing out of the shower, she quickly got dressed and went downstairs.

Rooms had been kept empty as Nishant had already informed Lakshman about their arrival. So, she searched through all the rooms but did not find him. Suddenly her eyes fell on a lone door on the third floor. Maybe that’s his room. She rushed towards it and knocked but nobody answered. She turned the door knob but it was locked. Disappointed, she turned away and saw Lakshman enter the hall.

“Lakshman, where is Nishant Sir?”

“Good Morning Ma’am. Well, he must have gone for a morning jog. He does that every time he comes here. He has told me to drop you to the site after you have finished your breakfast,” he said laying down her breakfast on the table.

Morning jog?

“Won’t he come to the site with us?” she couldn’t help but ask.

“I don't know, Ma'am.”

Aparna sat down on the chair and started with the breakfast, but her brain was already giving her warning signals. He must have gone on the jog to avoid meeting her. That wouldn’t be strange after what happened.

Suddenly, she lost her appetite. Keeping down the toast on the plate, she stood up.

“Lakshman, get the car ready. We will be leaving now.”

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Nishant kept the materials report on the table and sighed. He should leave before she arrived. He was going to Shimla today for some construction materials. Somnathji had protested vehemently, but this was the best way to stay out of Aparna’s path.

He sat inside the car and drove off as Aparna’s car entered the construction site from the opposite side.

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It was almost 3 in the afternoon when Nishant reached Shimla. He hadn’t even stopped for a single minute. As he stopped at the material shed, a sudden twitching started from his temples and slowly spread to his eyes and ears. Pressing his temples hard, he tried to ease the pain. Ignoring it completely, he got down and went inside the shed.

By the time he sorted the entire order of the required materials, it was already 6:30 in the evening. Seeing the truck leave, he also started off towards Kasol. He knew Aparna would have left the site by the time he reached the place.

Good!

The more he stayed away from her, the best for her.

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

Aparna paced up and down the room on the site waiting for Nishant. Where is he? Somnathji had told her that he had gone to Shimla for some materials for the project but that was not his job. He was definitely avoiding her. She had even tried calling his phone but it was switched off.

Somanthji and Lakshman entered the room and saw her standing by the window.

“Ma’am, it’s 9. If we don’t leave now then it would be too late,” Lakshman said.

Sighing, she picked up her bags and stepped out of the room.

“Somanthji, please do call me when he reaches.”

Nishant arrived Kasol at about 1 at night. Even though, his body was dead tired after 12 hours of driving, he still waited for the construction materials to get unloaded.

1 hour later, he sat down in the site office, holding his head in his hands. His head was splitting with the throbbing in his temples but it was nothing compared to the terrible ache in his heart. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her anguished face and her burning words echoed around him, each one of them searing his soul.

“Sir, should I order the food for you?” he heard Somnathji ask.

“No, Somnathji. I am not hungry. You can leave.”

“You are going to stay here?”

He nodded and flicked opened his laptop to work on the reports.

Somanthji looked at him and felt helpless.

“Aparna Ma’am was asking about you. Should I tell her you are here?”

The moment he heard her name, a lash whipped across his heart, searing the mark all along.

Nishant shook his head and looked as Somnathji went away. He stood up and closed the door. Turning away, he leaned against it, clutching the doorframe for support as memories of the previous night washed over him. Everything came back and he slumped to the floor as tears of pain and anger streamed down.

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