CHAPTER 4 : DESCENT INTO DARKNESS

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Time passed slowly, casting a heavy silence over Arjun in the days that followed. The party buzzed with laughter and music, but his heart remained wrapped in shadows. Each moment spent dwelling on the taunting words of Sanjana and the desire to reach out to Meera filled him with inner turmoil.

The night brushed past him like a ghost, and that haunting figure lingered at the corners of his mind. He craved her laughter, her unwavering kindness—qualities he’d grown to admire yet feared to tarnish.

He found himself at a local café, the aroma of coffee and pastries filling the air. He scanned the room, a mixture of hope and dread pooling in his stomach. But she was nowhere to be seen.

Meera had made the decision to give Arjun space, hoping he’d come to terms with his demons. She poured herself into her writing, channeling her feelings into the stories that had begun to define her existence. Words coursed through her veins, creativity bleeding onto the page.

Yet, deep down, the ache for Arjun was relentless.

“What are you doing?” her best friend A diti asked one afternoon as she found Meera hunched over her notebook, the ink barely capturing the swirling emotions within.

“Writing,” Meera murmured, unable to hide the sadness in her tone.

Aditi leaned closer, her brow furrowing in concern. “You’re writing about him again, aren’t you? You need to stop obsessing over someone who doesn’t appreciate you.”

“It’s complicated,” Meera sighed. “He’s dark, but I can’t help feeling he’s misunderstood. There’s a side to him that I want to see, the side only the right person can reach.”

Aditi crossed her arms, skepticism etched on her face. “Do you really think you can pierce through all that darkness? He carries baggage that could bury anyone alive, you know?”

“Maybe that’s why I want to try,” Meera replied softly but with conviction. “What if I’m the one who can help him? Everyone deserves a chance at redemption.”

“Redemption? Or destruction?” Aditi cautioned, disbelief coloring her words. “You can’t keep running back to someone who treats you like an accessory in his twisted game. It’s not going to end well for you.”

“I know,” Meera whispered, clenching her hands into fists. “But I can’t ignore how he affects me. It’s like a magnetic pull.”

Before Aditi could retort, the café door jingled softly, a chill creeping inside as Arjun walked in, the world around him quieting as he entered. He wore a black leather jacket that hugged his form perfectly, an air of danger surrounding him that was impossible to ignore.

“Meera,” he called, his voice resonating across the room, a low growl that demanded attention.

“Arjun!” her heart raced as their eyes locked, but a jab of apprehension shot through her as Aditi’s forbidding gaze pinned him with contempt.

“I’ll just… step outside,” Aditi said in a mutter, the tension palpable as she slipped out, leaving the two standing in an emotional battlefield.

Silence ensued, heavy with unspoken feelings and past hurts. Arjun took a cautious step forward, his gaze intense and searching. “Did you really think you could escape me?”

“I don’t know what you want from me, Arjun,” Meera responded, her voice shaky but resolute.

“I want you to understand,” he replied, stepping closer, desire coursing through the air between them like electricity. “You see the monster, but have you ever looked deeper?”

“What do you want me to see?” she questioned, a hint of defiance creeping into her tone even as her heart fluttered at his nearness.

“My pain,” he murmured, anguish shadowing his voice. “You think I’m a monster because I am one. I’ve hurt everyone I’ve loved, and I fear… I might hurt you too.”

“Then let me help you,” she implored, tears brimming her eyes. “You don’t have to face this alone.”

“I can’t allow you to get hurt, Meera,” he confessed, anguish lacing his voice. “You don’t understand the darkness that surrounds me,” he said, his words filled with a tortured sincerity.

“Maybe I don’t understand, but I want to try,” she said, her voice a whisper. “Everyone carries their own darkness, Arjun. But running from it won’t help, nor will pushing me away.”

He absorbed her words, wrestling with the turmoil inside. “You think I can change? That there’s hope for me?”

“You’re human, flawed, just like the rest of us,” she replied, her heart pounding. “Embrace it. Let me in.”

“I’m afraid, Meera,” Arjun admitted, his voice cracking as he gripped the table, the fight in him glaringly visible.

“Fear can’t dictate your choices,” she urged, stepping closer, ready to bridge the emotional expanse that divided them.

“Then help me, show me how to embrace the light when all I know is darkness,” he implored, desperation glaring in his gaze.

Before she could respond, Arjun’s expression changed as Sanjana strolled back in with an air of confidence, her presence instantly darkening the room. “Oh, how sweet,” she purred sarcastically. “Are you two bonding over his tortured soul?”

Meera tensed, the underlying tension thickening again.

“Leave us alone, Sanjana,” Arjun warned, irritation etched across his features.

“Why would I do that? You seem so… happy,” she taunted, her laughter dripping with malice. “It’s pathetic to see you try and fail at being a decent human being with her.” ..

                            THE END

💮🌹🥀.. Have a nice day

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