Page 136 of Entangled Vows

Rain lashed against the windshield of the car as he killed the engine. His grip on the steering wheel was unnaturally tight, his knuckles bone-white, trembling with restraint.

“Our wedding venue,” Karan said, turning to her with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “You always wanted something private and traditional. Now you’ll get it. This will be nothing like your marriage with that… that Vikram.” His tone twisted into a snarl.

Mahika’s stomach churned. Panic flared through her as she tried to think about her options. a) She had pepper spray in her bag, but it would only disarm him for a moment. Not help her in the long run. b) She had a digital watch in her bag, but it was useless as its battery had died before lunch. So, she couldn’t speed dial anyone.

She almost gave up, thinking her doom was near. But then suddenly, she remembered the bracelet. Goddamn it.How could she forget it?

She inhaled sharply, her fingers moving discreetly to cover her wrist. She pressed the hidden button on the bracelet twice… then the third time.Done.

Now, she desperately hoped and prayed the alert had gone through. She had to stall him somehow, so she started talking to buy time.

“You brought me here... to get married? Karan, you know I’m already married. This isn’t funny.”

“Fuck that marriage with that…that Vikram,” he snapped. His voice was sharp and unhinged. “This is where it begins. You and me. No more lies. No more interruptions. You’re mine. Only mine.”

She reached for the door handle, but it wouldn’t budge. Her breathing turned quick and shallow. She looked at him, her panic rising. “Why are you doing this? I thought you were my friend.”

His voice dropped to a chilling whisper. “I wasneverjust your friend. Why can’t you see it? This is destiny, Mahika Jaykar.”

“It’s Mahika Vikram Khurana,” she said quietly, her voice quivering.

Something inside him snapped. His hand flew up and slapped her hard across the face. Her mind reeled and her head hit the window with a painful thud. Pain bloomed across her cheek and lip. She couldn’t even cry out before his hand twisted into her hair.

“You’re only his wife for a few more hours. I’m going to marry you. And then I’m going to kill him.”

“What? No...” she screamed as he yanked her closer by the hair.

“Yes,” Karan hissed. “I have contacts. Deep into the mafia. I can have him dead by tomorrow with just one phone call.”

He laughed, a high-pitched, fractured sound that made her blood run cold.

“Please stop. You’re… you’re not this monster,” she cried, tears spilling freely now.

“You don’t know me at all, my poor, naive Mahika,” he spat, releasing her as he turned to look out the window.

She sobbed quietly, her heart pounding. Her hand instinctively wrapped around her stomach. The thought of her unborn baby fuelled something fierce inside her. If anything happened to her, to the baby…

No. She wouldn’t think about that. Shewouldn’tlet anything happen to her baby.

“Stop it, Karan. You’re being scary,” she whispered, trying to make him realise he was still the old person she knew. But little did she know, the person she remembered never existed. It was all a façade.

“Scary?” He turned to her with a twisted smile. “I should’ve scared you more. Remember the blank calls you kept getting? That was all me.”

“What??” Mahika gasped, horrified.

“Yes, my doll. I used to listen to your voice. I even recorded it. I used to listen to it on repeat.”

“You sick bastard,” Mahika screamed angrily.

“And I followed you everywhere. You always seem to sense when I was watching you. It’s not easy, catching glimpses of you 24/7, every day. So I lived in the car and kept tabs onwhere you went and what you did. Remember that night you were chased by bikers on the road? That was me again. I had planned to let those men scare you first… then come to get you like a saviour. But that bastard Vikram got there first. Like some damn hero.”

Her heart sank. So it wasn’t paranoia. It had always been him. Watching. Stalking. She shuddered in revulsion.

“How dare you?” she shouted. “I can’t believe I thought you were my friend. You’re a sick predator… a monster with no heart.”

“Call me whatever you want,” he muttered, his tone angry now, his words choppy. “I’ve loved you since college. I was always there for you. My uncle told me to make you fall for me. I tried. I was your friend. The good guy.”

Mahika stared, horrified. “Your uncle?”