Scarred Love - Chapter 89

Rudra froze just as he heard her question. In all these years there have been numerous moments when his eyes had been glued to the tattoo on the right side of his stomach. The dark shading of the tattoo actually covered one of the ugliest wounds that he had got, the scar of which hadn’t been possible to mend even with surgery.

“दण्डपारुष्यात् सर्वजनद्वेष्यो भवति, its Sanskrit,” he replied without looking at her.

“What does it mean?” he heard her ask and almost groaned in frustration wishing that she would drop it.

“It’s Chanakya Neeti. It means you create an enemy by punishing someone who is innocent.”

Ishani gulped down a lump of emotion clogging her throat. The way he said the word innocent, it was as if he was hinting something.

“And the other?”

“It’s karma written in Tibetan.”

The tattoo lay just in the middle of his shoulders and as he touched it he remembered why he had got it.

To remind him of his karma.

“Do you believe in them?” she asked before she could stop herself.

“Yes. Do you think I would get them carved on my body if I didn’t?”

“Do you believe in it?” she asked before she could stop herself.

“Yes. Do you think I would get it carved on my body if I didn’t?”

“How do you judge if someone is innocent?”

Would you just shut up, she tried telling her own stupid mouth but somehow it just didn’t obey. It had already formed the next question before even she heard his answer.

“Well, there are many ways,” he answered, his eyes narrowing a little wondering where the inquisition was heading.

This time she clamped down her teeth hard on her tongue before it further loosened.

When she did not say anything, he came and stood in front of her. He could feel her squirm a little away as if she was hiding something.

Tipping her chin, he asked in a serious tone, “Are you innocent Ishani?”

She felt his eyes burning through her and the tell-tale feeling of being exposed settled inside. As his eyes bored through, she could feel a key unlocking a door somewhere. But before she could open it, her mind slammed it shut. Her eyes darkened and then the shutters were back.

Scrambling away from him, she got up from the bed and walked off.

Rudra’s jaw clenched with effort as he saw her taut back and avoiding eyes.

Well, Ishani Raijdas, you are definitely not innocent. 

And, a time would come when you won’t be able to hide the truth.

Ishani’s mind was again in the jams of memory where she could only grasp fragments of it. Every time she tried to figure out what was it that remained a foggy mass in her head, she would end up with a pain in her temples and terrible nightmares at night.

Let go before it worsens, she heard her mind tell her and she seriously did let go.

Sighing, she came into the room and plopped on the bed. The sound of water from the washroom indicated that Rudra was taking a bath. She had already had hers and yes her breakfast too.

A sudden knock on the door interrupted her thoughts and she got up from the bed to open the door.

“Hey!” Nina said and grimaced as she saw her.

“We thought Rudra would be here,” she said and was about to turn away when Ishani stopped her.

“He is in the shower.”

“In the shower. Did you hear that Nina?” Samantha retorted looking at her.

Nina scowled and barged into the room even though Ishani tried her best to stop her. As her eyes fell on the shed trousers and shirt on the couch, her face fell and then she whirled around to Ishani.

“You! How dare you?”

“How dare I what, Nina? Did you really think he would be with you when I am here?” she asked trying to reprimand her.

But rather than getting flustered, Nina’s face broke into a devilish smile.

“You really did take on the bet? How nice! And, what more Samantha she won. You managed to bed the famous Rudraveer Sangawat. Bet won,” she said clapping her hands.

Ishani clenched her hands in fist hearing the woman uttering those words. Her whole body flared up with anger. Unable to control herself, she neared Nina and clasped her arm.

“I never lose, Nina, you should know that.”

“Well, I do know that but does Rudra know that spending the night with him was just a bet?”

Ishani frowned and saw both giving her a fake apologetic smile. Suddenly she felt a presence behind her and fearing the worst she turned slowly.

Rudra was standing on the washroom doorway, a look of shock written all over his face.

“Rudra, please I—” she started to say but his raised hand stopped her.

“Are they telling the truth? Was it just a bet?”

“Rudra, I can explain, please just listen.”

“ANSWER ME!” his angry voice boomed in the room.

Lowering her head, she just nodded.

Rudra brushed past her towards the couch and picked up his clothes. She looked up at him and watched as he went inside the washroom and came back fully dressed in a flash. Then he picked up his phone from the couch and went towards the door.

“I had thought you would be different. But you are the same as everyone else.”

His words pierced through her like shards of glass shredding everything in its wake. She closed her eyes and turned away knowing well enough that there was nothing she could do to undo what she had done.

The sound of the door slamming jarred through her heart, breaking it into millions of pieces. 

“Well, I hope you have learnt your lesson,” Nina said coming near her.

Ishani did not even turn towards them for she didn’t have the energy to do so.

“And, you thought you had won,” Nina retorted and started to laugh.

As Samantha joined her, Ishani started to tremble with uncontrollable rage. She whirled around and strode towards the door briskly.

Opening it, she looked at them and said in a furious tone, “Get Out!”

Both women smiled and left.

She closed the door and collapsed on the floor, tears of regret and anger spilling over.

Everything is finished.

Her eyes flicked to the unmade bed, the evidence of their blissful night and anguished sobs escaped.

It had been too good to be true. The passionate sleep she had been in had ended.

And, the dream that she had cherished so much lay shattered.

Copyright © Paromita Majumder. All Rights Reserved.