Page 53 of Mrs. Rathore

So did I.

“You have no right to speak, Avni,” he hissed, his voice venomous, like each word was laced with poison. His grip tightened. My vision blurred. My ears rang. I felt light-headed and weightless like I was floating just above my own body.

Tiny stars danced at the corners of my eyes.

And just when I thought this was it, just when I braced myself to black out he released me.

I fell forward, coughing violently as I clutched my burning throat. My chest heaved as I sucked in air, every breath feeling like fire. Tears blurred my vision, but I didn’t wipe them away.

I just sat there, broken, terrified, and full of guilt.

Because deep down, I knew…

I deserved every second of it.

“I’m sorry…” I choked between ragged breaths, vision blurred from the tears clouding my eyes. My voice was a frail whisper, barely audible over the pounding silence between us.

Aryan stared at me as if I were a disease. His body trembled with rage, the veins in his neck taut, his fists clenched at his sides like he was holding himself back from exploding.

“What did Ira ever do to you?” he shouted suddenly, the venom in his voice slicing through me like a blade. “Why would you do that to her? She was fucking innocent!”

His words struck me harder than a slap. Each syllable was a whip cracking against my soul.

More tears fell as shame swallowed me whole. “I didn’t mean any of this...”

“You wanted to marry me...I fucking did. You wanted me to take care of your family...I did that too! You wanted comfort, protection, a shield...I gave it all to you! So why the hell would you drag Ira into your mess?” he roared, stepping closer, his chest rising and falling like a storm barely contained.

Then, without warning, he dropped to his knees in front of me, forcing me to meet his bloodshot eyes. The rage in them was raw. Wild. Heartbroken.

“I almost thought you were a good person,” he whispered hoarsely. “But hell… you’re the most disgusting thing I’ve ever encountered in my life.”

I blinked, my chest constricting, the air thick in my throat.

“I would rather rot behind bars than let someone like you share my name.” His voice cracked, and I saw the sliver of guilt, the ghost of regret. “I should have chosen Ira over my damn career. I should have never been this selfish.”

He closed his eyes, inhaling sharply through his nose. “I wish... I wish I could make you feel how I feel right now, Avni.” Hisfingers dragged through his hair, trembling. “I want you to hurt the way I’m hurting.”

That’s when I noticed the blood on his shirt. Ira’s blood.

My stomach twisted. Guilt consumed me like acid crawling up my throat.

Then something inside him snapped. His eyes sharpened cold, calculated, and sinister.

“I’ve got an idea.” His tone was chilling in its calmness as he shot to his feet.

He began ripping open drawers like a madman, storming through the room with wild energy.

“Aryan? What are you doing?” My voice was barely a whisper, but my fear screamed.

He didn’t answer. His hands rifled through one drawer after another. When he reached the bottom cabinet, his body suddenly stilled.

I knew.

My heart dropped into my stomach.

“No...” I whispered as he pulled out the velvet pouch. The sound of the metal bells clinking together twisted the knife in my gut. “Please, Aryan… don’t.”

He turned to me, smirking, the ghungroos clenched tightly in his fist. His voice dripped with poison. “Your father told me howmuch they mean to you. You shouldn’t have brought them here, Avni.”