6

Author's pov

Roohi's heart pounded as she realized it was Siddharth Khanna on the call. Without wasting a second, she grabbed car keys, lifted her heavy bridal lehenga, and dashed to her car. The location he sent was deep in a forest, surrounded by big trees. As she drove, her hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, fear creeping up her spine.

The car screeched to a halt on the road at the edge of the forest. The silence and the shadows cast by the trees were unsettling. Checking the location on her phone, she stepped out and started walking through the dense woods. Her footsteps crunched against the dried leaves and twigs scattered on the forest floor.

After a while, the faint glow of firelight caught her eye. There he was, Siddharth Khanna sitting casually by a campfire, roasting marshmallows His sharp, mocking smile greeted her as she called out, "Siddharth."

He turned his head slowly, his eyes gleaming with malice. "Ah, Roohi," he said with a smirk. "I thought I had taken care of you and your family that day, but here you are, alive and well. How disappointing."

"Where is Kabir?" Roohi demanded.

Siddharth ignored her question, his gaze flickering over her bridal attire. "Is it your wedding today?" he asked with feigned curiosity. "You look stunning, truly. What a shame it'll be to ruin your big day."

"Where is Kabir?" she asked again, more forcefully this time.

He shrugged lazily. "Guess what? I don't know where Kabir is. I pranked you on the call. I just wanted to bring you here, and it worked."

Roohi's stomach dropped. She realized too late she had walked right into his trap.

Siddharth stood, brushing off dust from his coat. "Today, we'll see your end, Roohi," he said. He began walking toward her, the flames from the campfire casting a sinister glow on his face.

Without hesitation, Roohi pulled out a gun she had hidden beneath her dupatta. She aimed it directly at him. "Take one more step, Siddharth, and I swear this will be your end."

Siddharth's smirk widened. "You can't do that, Roohi," he mocked.

Before she could react, he lunged at her with lightning speed, grabbing the gun and tossing it far out of reach. Roohi stumbled back but quickly spotted a knife lying near the fire. Without thinking twice, she grabbed it and stabbed him in the thigh.

Siddharth's expression didn't change. He stared at her, even as blood oozed from his wound. Slowly, he pulled the knife out of his thigh and looked at he. "Kabir trained you well, didn't he?"

Roohi didn't waste a second. She pushed him, landing a punch to his face and locking his arm in an elbow hold, forcing him to bend down.

To her surprise, he started laughing, the sound echoing through the dark forest. "You're exactly like Kabir," he said.

Roohi tightened her grip. "You have no idea what I'm capable of," she hissed.

The air between them grew heavier as they stood against each other but soon siddarth grabbed her.

Roohi struggled against Siddharth's grip, his mocking voice rang in her ears. "I'm so happy to kill a beautiful bride," he sneered, tightening a rope around her throat.

Her hands clawed desperately at the rope, her vision starting to blur. She tried to push him away, but Siddharth stood firm.

Just when the fight seemed lost, a sharp gunshot echoed through the forest. Siddharth let out a cry of pain, releasing his hold on Roohi as he clutched his bleeding bicep.

Gasping for air, Roohi stumbled back, her hand instinctively going to her bruised neck. She turned toward the sound of the gunshot, and relief flooded her when she saw Kabir standing a few feet away, holding a gun steady.

"Roohi," Kabir called out.

Without a second thought, Roohi rushed toward him, her heart pounding with a mixture of fear. "Kabir," she whispered, her voice hoarse from the assault.

Siddharth, despite his injury, managed to smirk through the pain. "Ah, Kabir," he said mockingly, his voice strained. "Always the hero. Let's see how long you can keep her safe."

Kabir's eyes narrowed as he aimed the gun at Siddharth again. "You've done enough damage, Siddharth. It ends here."

But before Kabir could act further, Siddharth laughed darkly, stepping into the shadows. "This isn't over."

Kabir lowered the gun, his jaw clenched. He turned to Roohi, placing a protective hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

She nodded weakly, still catching her breath. "I'm fine... but Siddharth won't stop, Kabir."

"Let him try," Kabir said, his voice resolute. "As long as I'm here, he'll never get to you."

"How pathetic," Siddharth said with a mocking smile, standing under the tall trees. "This ends today. Both of you won't leave this forest alive."

Kabir's jaw tightened as anger boiled inside him. Without saying a word, he ran toward Siddharth and punched him hard in the ribs. Siddharth stumbled but quickly recovered, throwing a punch back at Kabir.

The two men started fighting fiercely, their fists landing hard on each other. Kabir kept hitting Siddharth, his rage driving him, but Siddharth fought back just as hard, grunting with every punch.

Roohi stood a few feet away, struggling to move in her heavy lehenga. Her heart was racing as she watched the fight. She noticed a gun lying on the ground near a fallen branch, just a short distance from her.

Taking a deep breath, Roohi started moving toward the gun. The forest floor was uneven, and the weight of her lehenga made it even harder to walk. She tripped over a root but quickly steadied herself, her eyes fixed on the weapon.

Kabir and Siddharth were still fighting, their heavy breaths and grunts echoing in the quiet forest. Kabir's voice broke through the sound of their fists. "You'll never hurt her again!" he shouted, throwing another punch.

"You think you can stop me?" Siddharth growled, hitting Kabir in the stomach and making him stumble back.

Roohi finally reached the gun. She bent down and picked it up, her hands shaking. She turned to face Siddharth, lifting the gun with trembling arms. "Stop it!" she shouted, her voice breaking. "Or I'll shoot!"

Both Kabir and Siddharth froze, turning to look at her. Siddharth's eyes narrowed as he stared at the gun in her hands. "You don't have the guts," he said, taking a step toward her.

"Don't test me," Roohi replied, her voice steadier now. She kept the gun aimed at Siddharth, her finger on the trigger.

Before either of them could do anything, a gunshot rang out in the quiet forest. Roohi froze as she turned to see Kabir fall to the ground, clutching his leg. Blood seeped through his pants where the bullet had hit.

"Kabir!" Roohi screamed, rushing to his side. She knelt down, her hands trembling as she tried to stop the bleeding.

Standing a few feet away was Siddharth's guard, holding the smoking gun. Siddharth turned to him, a cruel smile spreading across his face. "Good job," he said calmly. "Now leave us."

The guard gave a small nod, and disappeared into the forest.

Siddharth turned his attention back to Kabir, who lay on the ground in pain, unable to stand. With slow, steps, he walked over to them.

Roohi was still by Kabir's side, her hands pressing against his wound, trying to stop the bleeding. Siddharth grabbed her by the shoulder, forcing her to her feet. "Get up," he said sharply. Roohi stumbled but obeyed, her terrified eyes meeting Siddharth's as he pointed the gun at her.

"Kabir," Siddharth said with a mocking tone, "how about I kill your fiancée now? Wouldn't that be nice?"

"Don't!" Kabir gasped, his voice strained with pain. "Don't do this, Siddharth."

Siddharth ignored him, his focus on Roohi. "One of you has to die today," he said with a twisted smile. "So, who's it going to be?"

Before Kabir could respond, Roohi's voice broke through. "Kill me," she said.

Kabir's eyes widened in shock. "What are you saying, Roohi? Are you out of your mind?"

Roohi turned to him, her face pale but resolute. "If you survive, you can take revenge on Siddharth. But if you die, I can't do it alone. So let me die instead," she said.

"Sweetheart," Kabir began, his voice breaking, but Siddharth cut him off with a cruel laugh. "Sweetheart?" he mocked. "How touching."

Siddharth's laughter faded, replaced by a sinister grin. "You know what? I've changed my mind," he said. He aimed the gun at Kabir and pulled the trigger again. The second bullet hit Kabir's other leg, and he cried out in agony.

"No!" Roohi screamed, falling to her knees. She crawled toward Siddharth and grabbed his leg, her tears streaming down her face. "Please don't kill Kabir! Please, I'm begging you!"

Siddharth looked down at her with disgust and kicked her hard. Roohi fell back, hitting the ground, her body shaking from the impact.

Siddharth walked back to Kabir, who was writhing in pain, unable to defend himself. He pulled out a knife, the blade gleaming in the faint moonlight. "Let's make this more fun," Siddharth said.

Kabir tried to move, but his legs wouldn't cooperate. Before he could say anything, Siddharth stabbed the knife into Kabir's hand. Kabir screamed in pain as the blade cut deep. Siddharth didn't stop. He pulled the knife out and stabbed Kabir in the chest, over and over again.

Roohi watched in horror, screaming and crying, but she couldn't stop Siddharth. She crawled forward, reaching out to Kabir, but Siddharth shoved her back with his foot.

"Stay out of this, Roohi," Siddharth said coldly. "This is between me and him."

Kabir's body went limp, his blood pooling beneath him. Siddharth stood over him, breathing heavily, his eyes filled with happiness. Roohi, shaking and sobbing, crawled to Kabir's side, cradling his face in her hands.

"Stay with me, Kabir," she whispered through her tears. "Please don't leave me."

Siddharth turned away, wiping the blood from his knife. "This is what happens when you cross me," he said.

He disappeared into the shadows of the forest, leaving Roohi alone with Kabir, her screams echoing into the night.

Roohi's scream tore through the night, filled with pain and disbelief as she held Kabir's body in her arms. Tears streamed down her face, mixing with the blood that now soaked her hands.

"Kabir," she whispered shakily, shaking his body gently. "No... no, you can't leave me like this. Please, wake up. Please!"

Kabir didn't respond. His face, pale and lifeless. He slowly lifted his hand full of blood and applied it on her forehead.

"I fulfilled my promise," he said. "We are married now... Mrs. Kabir Roohi Malhotra."

Those were the last words he would ever say.

Roohi clutched him tighter, her sobs growing louder as the reality of his death began to sink in. "No, no, no!" she cried, shaking her head. "You can't leave me like this, Kabir! You can't!"

Her tears blurred her vision as she gently brushed his hair away from his face. His expression was calm, almost peaceful, as though he had found some comfort in his final moments. But there was no comfort for her only an unbearable emptiness that grew with every passing second.

Roohi looked at the blood on her forehead, her trembling fingers touching it lightly.

"Kabir..." she whispered, her voice breaking. "How am I supposed to live without you? How?"

Her cries grew softer, but the pain in her chest didn't ease. The love of her life was gone, and no amount of tears could bring him back. She leaned down, pressing a kiss to his cold forehead, her tears mixing with the blood that covered his skin.

"I'll love you forever," she murmured, her voice barely audible. "Even if you're gone, you'll always be mine."

■

Back to present

Tears filled Roohi's eyes as she shared her painful past. Vihaan's eyes also welled up, and Arvind, who had been listening quietly, looked deeply moved.

Arvind spoke softly, "So, you're doing all this to get revenge on Siddarth?"

"Yes, that's why I came to you, to ask for your help," Roohi replied, her voice filled with determination.

Arvind nodded, his face serious. "My team and I are already working on it." He stood up, his tone firm. "I'll take care of everything." With that, he left the room.

Once Arvind had gone, Vihaan walked over and hugged Roohi tightly. She returned the hug.

Vihaan pulled back slightly and noticed the tears still in her eyes. Gently, he wiped them away with his hand. "I'll help you, Roohi. We'll get your revenge. I promise."

Roohi gave him a small, sad smile. "I broke your trust, Vihaan, as your student. I know it's part of my plan, but I had to come closer to you to get help. That's why I chose you."

Vihaan reassured her, "It's okay, Roohi. You don't need to apologize. I understand."

He went to get her a glass of water and handed it to her. She drank it slowly, feeling a bit better.

Vihaan sat beside her and asked quietly, "Do you still love Kabir?"

Roohi looked at him, her expression softening. "Yes," she said, her voice steady. "I love him. Whether he's alive or not, it doesn't matter. He's my husband, and I'll always love him."

To be continued

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