chapter 19

It was almost impossible to stop Vikrant from digging the man's grave right there in the bathroom. His fury was a raging storm, and no one, not even Ranvijay could contain it.A terrified servant, who had walked in at the wrong time, rushed out, his heart pounding as he witnessed the scene unfold.The servant didn't wait. He ran straight to inform the family.By the time help arrived, the man was barely able to stand, his body battered and bruised. He was dragged away discreetly through the back entrance, avoiding the eyes of the remaining guests. No one wanted a scandal, not when the Agnihotris had spent years crafting a reputation of power and respect.But Vikrant didn't care for drama.His only concern was his wife.He exhaled sharply, pushing back the anger that still pulsed through his veins. His fists were sore from throwing punches, but he ignored the pain.With purposeful strides, he picked up Pari's purse and mobile. His fingers curled around them tightly, his jaw clenching as he walked toward her.Pari stood still, her body trembling slightly. Tears clung to her lashes, but she tried to blink them away before he reached her.He cupped her cheeks gently." We are going, hmm?" His voice was low, careful, full of unspoken promises.Pari nodded timidly. She didn't trust her voice, so she simply let herself lean into his warmth.Vikrant exhaled slowly, then wiped her tears with his thumb. His touch was tender, reverent. He smoothed her hair, tucking a loose strand behind her ear, his fingers lingering as if reassuring himself that she was here, safe, with him.Ranvijay, standing a few feet away, watched the exchange in silence.For the first time in his life, he saw his elder brother, his ruthless, unforgiving, cold-hearted brother transform into someone else.Vikrant wasn't the feared Agnihotri heir at this moment.He was simply a man in love.A man who worshiped the woman in front of him.Ranvijay swallowed, his hands curling into fists at his sides. He wasn't used to seeing Vikrant like this. It was strange... foreign. But he couldn't deny the truth before his eyes.Vikrant didn't just love Pari. She was his world.And he would burn everything for her.Vikrant grabbed Pari's wrist and murmured, "Let's go."He was done here. Done with this place. Done with these people.But just as they turned to leave, a servant rushed toward them, his expression uneasy."Sir... Angad Sir has called you both upstairs."The air turned heavy again.Vikrant's jaw ticked, and a dark look passed over his face. His fingers instinctively tightened around Pari's wrist, protective.He groaned in frustration and raked his fingers through his already disheveled hair. The last thing he wanted was another family confrontation."Fuck 'em." His voice was laced with venom, his patience running dangerously thin.But he knew there was no escape.With gritted teeth, he turned on his heel and walked upstairs, Pari in tow.Ranvijay hesitated for a moment, then followed behind them. His eyes flickered between his brother and his sister-in-law, a strange feeling settling in his chest.The party had ended. Guests were leaving.But the real storm was just beginning.The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife. Every pair of eyes was fixed on Vikrant as Angad's voice boomed with rage."What the hell is this, Vikrant?!"His father's fury was evident, his fists clenched as he took a step forward."You hit Sarthak, and that too, this ruthlessly?!" Angad's voice was laced with disbelief, as if Vikrant had committed an unthinkable crime.But Vikrant remained silent.His focus was elsewhere. His bloodied knuckles.With complete nonchalance, he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and began wrapping it around his right hand, tying it tight enough to stop the bleeding but not once wincing at the pain.Sugandha, however, was far from calm.She sobbed dramatically, clutching her chest as she glared at Vikrant."Look at his audacity!" she cried. "Not only did he beat my brother to death, but now he stands here, completely unaffected!"Her voice cracked with anger and grief."Vikrant!"Pari flinched as Anubhav's sharp yell echoed in the room. Her heart pounded as she felt the heavy atmosphere suffocating her.Vikrant let out a deep sigh.Finally, he lifted his gaze, meeting their stares with an eerily calm expression."He harassed my wife."His voice was quiet. Cold. Absolute.A statement, not an explanation.Not an apology.Just a fact.The kind of fact that didn't need justification.Because for Vikrant, there was nothing to discuss."No!"Sugandha wiped her tears harshly, her eyes burning with rage as she pointed a shaking finger at Pari."He claimed she was trying to seduce him!" she spat out, her voice trembling with anger. " My brother was backing away. But you-" she glared at Vikrant, her voice dripping with disgust "- you are just blind for her!"A low, humorless chuckle escaped Vikrant's lips.His icy gaze settled on Sugandha, and he shook his head mockingly."Vikrant!" Angad's voice was sharp, warning him to hold his tongue.But before Vikrant could respond, Akansha stepped forward.Her posture was straight, unyielding as she addressed Sugandha." Sugandha," she called her name firmly, making the woman flinch."How can you blame Pari?" Akansha's voice was calm, yet edged with steel. "Do you even know anything? Did you see them with your own eyes?"Sugandha opened her mouth, but Akansha didn't let her speak."Ranvijay is the witness." Her words were sharp, deliberate. "I am sure you all trust him, don't you?"Her last sentence dripped with sarcasm.Aimed directly at them.The room fell into uneasy silence."He didn't have to hit him that bad, Bhabhi." His voice was laced with frustration as he looked at Akansha. "We could have handled the situation differently."Then, his gaze shifted to Pari, eyes narrowing slightly."Moreover," he added, his tone turning cold, "she is used to this."Pari frowned."If it were some other girl, we would have taken the same action. But knowing her background..."The insinuation in his words hung heavy in the air.Vikrant's jaw tightened. His fingers curled into a tight fist at his side, his breathing dangerously controlled."Anubhav." Akansha's voice cut through the tension, her sharp eyes boring into him. "Watch your words."" He is not saying wrong though," Angad supported his statement.Ranvijay frowned, " baba?"Angad looked at him, " he is not at all wrong, son. You reached the situation late. She was doing exactly the same thing Sarthak claimed. Who even trusts her intentions?"" I do," Vikrant snapped and gazes turned at him.His hand clasped around his wife's wrist as he pulled her to his side." I trust her. I trust her more than anybody in this room."" Iske jhooth ko sach maanoge tum-"( Will you believe her lie to be trut-)" Haan," he looked at Sugandha, interrupting her.( Yes.)Angad scoffed, his tone laced with mockery."Oh, of course you would." His gaze swept over Vikrant and Pari with thinly veiled disgust. "After all, she gives you what you need the most, while you satisfy her with money."Pari's fingers instinctively curl into Vikrant's sleeve. The sting of those words burned, but before she could react, Vikrant's grip on her wrist tightened protectively.A cold chuckle escaped him, dark, dangerous." Baba," Ranvijay stepped forward, disbelief flickering in his eyes. "Are you seriously questioning your own daughter-in-law's dignity based on a man like Sarthak? A man you know is a disgusting creep?"Angad shot him a sharp look. "You weren't even there when it started, Ranvijay. You don't know-""I know enough, Baba." Ranvijay's voice was firm, cutting through the accusations like steel. " I walked in and saw Sarthak pinning her down. Do you think she called him there herself? Do you think she wanted that?"Silence descended over the room for a second before Sugandha scoffed."So what? Maybe she was just acting innocent when you walked in. These women-"She didn't get to complete her sentence when Vikrant cut her off in the middle." Enough!"Vikrant's voice boomed, silencing the room in an instant. His fierce gaze locked onto Angad, his jaw ticking with restrained fury." End this stupid drama if you guys have only called to character assassinate my wife. Jaa rahe the na hum to kyu bulaya?"( We were going then why did you call me?)Pari looked at her husband. At this time, she could sense a change in his behaviour. His voice cracked in the middle which nobody noticed as he worked well to hide it.Pari turned to her husband, watching him closely.Something was different about him at this moment. His rage was there, burning, dangerous but there was something else too. A crack in his voice. A tremor in his fingers as he clenched them into fists.It was subtle, almost imperceptible but she noticed.And she knew that behind all this anger, behind all these words, he was hurting."Alright, let's assume that Sarthak might have harassed her-""He did!" Vikrant corrected his father sharply."Fine, he did. But does that mean you had to beat him up this badly?"Vikrant nodded, his expression unwavering, sending a chill through the room. Everyone frowned in confusion at his unexpected agreement." Marenge bhi aur khatam bhi kar denge."( I will beat him and kill him also.)He turned his gaze to Sugandha," Bhagwan se prarthna karna ki aapka Bhai kabhi hamari aankhon se samne na pade varna mahadev ki saugand, zinda gaad denge hum use."( Pray to your gods that your brother never crosses my path again. Because I swear on Mahadev, if he does... I'll bury him alive.)" Vikrant-"He raised his hand, cutting off his grandmother before she could say another word." If you didn't say anything till now, you should just keep silent, dadi."She swallowed hard, regret flashing in her eyes for not standing up for them earlier. He turned to Akansha." Are you coming with us, maa?"Without hesitation, Akansha nodded."Now where the fuck do you think you're going, Akansha?" Angad snapped, his voice filled with fury.Akansha didn't spare him a glance. Instead, she walked toward her son and daughter-in-law. But before leaving, she turned to her mother-in-law."If you ever want me back in this house, Maa, then you'll have to make them apologize to my daughter-in-law. Otherwise my funeral will only be shroud from my son's home.""Ma-"Ranvijay stepped toward Akansha."Let me come with you," Ranvijay said, his voice calm but firm.Akansha looked at him in surprise. "Ranvi?"Ranvijay turned to Angad, who was already glaring at him. "I am not abandoning you, Baba. But... Maa needs her sons the most right now. And to be honest, I don't think I can even spend a single night under this roof, surrounded by this toxicity."Angad clenched his jaw, his fists tightening at his sides. His entire body tensed as he watched not one, but both his sons turning away from him.His gaze flickered to Akansha, then to Pari, who stood beside Vikrant, still shaken but holding her head high. His blood boiled. He blamed her for everything, this disaster, this humiliation, this division in his family.His hatred burned so fiercely that he felt like storming toward her, shaking Vikrant, forcing him to see the truth. Pari had ruined everything. She had turned his son against him. If she had never entered their lives, his family wouldn't be breaking apart like this.But Vikrant didn't spare him another glance. Neither did Akansha nor Ranvijay. Without a single word more, they walked away.Angad stood frozen, watching them leave, his mind clouded with rage.The ride home was wrapped in silence. The tension in the air was thick, almost suffocating. Ranvijay and Akansha followed in a separate car, while Vikrant and Pari shared the same space, yet felt miles apart.Pari sat stiffly, her hands clenched in her lap, stealing hesitant glances at her husband. He hadn't spoken a single word since they left. He just leaned back against the headrest, his eyes closed, but she knew he wasn't sleeping. His fingers tapped rhythmically against his knee.She wanted to say something. Anything. But words felt meaningless in the face of everything that had happened tonight. So she kept quiet, staring out the window, waiting for the ride and this unbearable silence to end.As the car rolled to a stop in front of their home, Vikrant exhaled sharply, rubbing his forehead before stepping out. Pari followed, hesitating for a moment before clutching the edge of her saree and trailing behind him. Ranvijay and Akansha arrived moments later.Pari searched for keys in her purse and unlocked the door. Kamla and her husband aren't at home.Vikrant walked in without a word, his strides firm but restless. He threw his blazer on the sofa then walked upstairs.When Akansha and Ranvijay entered, they found Pari standing like a lost child in the living room." Pari?"Akansha called gently, stepping closer.Pari turned toward her, and under the soft glow of the chandelier, the faint red marks above her jaw became visible. Akansha's breath hitched as she reached out, her fingers grazing the bruised skin with a touch so light, as if afraid to cause more pain."I am so sorry, Pari," Akansha whispered, guilt weighing heavily in her voice. "If I had known things would turn out this way, I would have never invited you."Pari's lips curved into a small, reassuring smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. "It's alright, Maa. I'm okay," she murmured, though the slight tremble in her voice betrayed her.She turned to Ranvijay, her eyes shining with gratitude. "Thank you, bhaiya... for saving me."Ranvijay gave her a soft smile, but his gaze flickered upstairs, worry evident in his expression." Bhai?" he uttered.She exhaled softly, lowering her lashes as she whispered, "He seems to be in an extremely bad mood. Ever since I've come into his life, it feels like all I've done is bring him trouble."Her voice cracked, and before she could stop them, silent tears streamed down her face. She quickly wiped them away, shaking her head as if trying to compose herself, but Akansha immediately pulled her into a warm embrace."Don't ever say that," Akansha murmured, stroking her back soothingly.She broke the hug and said, " you should go to him. Trust me, he wouldn't get angry with you."Pari sighed and nodded." Should I cook something for you guys?"Akansha shook her head, " just go to him."Pari nodded hesitantly and turned to walk upstairs, her heart pounding with each step as she approached their bedroom.Pari reached their bedroom door and paused, her fingers trembling slightly as she grasped the handle. She took a deep breath, steadying herself before pushing the door open.Inside, Vikrant stood by the large window, his back to her. His suit jacket was discarded on the chair, and the sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to his elbows. His right hand, the one he had used to hit Sarthak, was still wrapped in the handkerchief, now stained with blood. In his left hand, a cigarette burned between his fingers, faint wisps of smoke curling into the air.The tension in the room was thick, almost suffocating.She lifted her foot and stepped inside, clicking her anklets together and closing the door behind.He didn't turn around. Instead, he brought the cigarette to his lips, taking a slow drag before exhaling sharply." Are they home?"" Y..yes."She cursed herself for stammering, for letting her hesitation show. But how could she not? The air around him was heavy with unspoken rage, with the weight of everything that had happened tonight..Pari hesitated for a moment before stepping closer. The sharp scent of tobacco filled her nose, and she frowned, her irritation bubbling to the surface.Without a word, she reached for the cigarette in his hand, but before she could grab it, Vikrant pulled his hand back, his brows knitting together in confusion. His dark eyes studied her as if trying to understand what she was doing.She didn't back down. For a brief second, a flicker of fear passed through her, knowing his temper, but she ignored it and swiftly snatched the cigarette from his fingers.He stared at her, surprised but silent."Let me apply medicine on your hand," she said, her voice firm yet gentle.Pari wrapped her fingers around his wrist, her touch gentle yet firm. For a moment, Vikrant didn't move, his sharp gaze fixed on her face, as if debating whether to resist. But then, without a word, he let her guide him.She led him to the bed, her grip never loosening, and he followed silently, the cigarette now forgotten.She made him sit at the edge of the bed before walking to the almirah, grabbing the first-aid box with steady hands. As she returned, she knelt before him, her eyes briefly meeting him before lowering to his injured hand.Gently, she took his bruised knuckles in her grasp, her fingers barely brushing his skin as she slowly unwrapped the blood-stained handkerchief. The sight of his torn skin made her stomach twist, but she swallowed the unease and tilted her head slightly to the side, determined to focus.She soaked a cotton ball in antiseptic, pressing it carefully against his wounds. A sharp hiss escaped Vikrant's lips, his fingers twitching slightly, but he didn't pull away.Pari paused, her lips pressing together. "It'll sting," she murmured, as if apologizing in advance.He didn't respond, only watching her with hooded eyes as she continued, wiping away the dried blood with slow, deliberate strokes.He studied her expression until his eyes landed on the handprints on her cheeks. His heart clenched and anger bubbled inside him.He scolded himself for not banging Sarthak's hand on the wall right at the moment he had dared to touch her. The thought of that filthy hand leaving its mark on her skin made his blood boil all over again.Vikrant's jaw clenched, his fingers curling into fists despite the pain. He should have broken every bone in Sarthak's hand—no, he should have buried him alive for laying a finger on her.Pari, oblivious to his turmoil, continued tending to his wounded hand.When she was done, she threw the cotton in the dustbin, she came to him and glanced at the little patch of blood on his collar." Your shirt... You should remove it."He stayed silent for a moment, just for a moment before resting his hands behind on the bed, supporting his body." Tum utar do."( You remove it.)She blinked, taken back by his words. She couldn't quite depict if it was a request or order.⋆༺✷༻⋆Read more Chapters in scrollstack as early access and leave your reviews in the comment section.