She woke up gasping. She was exhausted, every muscle of her body ached. Her legs throbbed from standing still all night, her throat was raw from the silent screams she didn't let out.

She remembered
The punishment.
The way he just left her there.

Her chest tightened, the panic creeping in. Her hand fisted the sheets, her breathing turned ragged and her mind went spiraling.

She tried to get up and stumbled on floor.

She couldn't breathe.

The walls felt like they are coming closer and suffocating her as every second passed. Her chest was tight. Her lungs refused to pull in enough air.

A sharp pain coiled in her chest, squeezing her, cutting off all the air... Everything went dark, her pulse rang in her ears, too loud, too fast!

She gripped her throat, gasping, desperate to pull in some air, but nothing was working. Her lungs were on fire, her limbs numb with cold! Her entire body was struggling.

The air felt too thick. Her own body betraying her, spiraling out of control!

She wanted it to stop.

She needed it to stop!

Her mind was spiraling, drowing in weight of everything as his words still rang in her ears– The past, the pain, the regret!!

She barely heard the sound of door clicking.

She barely registered the sounds of his footsteps before he grabbed her roughly and forcefully shaking her back to reality.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" His voice sharp.

Her body jerked at his touch trying to push him away, she was too weak and her limbs violently shaking to push him away.

"Breathe" He ordered. It always worked on her. His grip on her arms was tight, almost bruisning. "Look at me!"

"I-- I-- I-- Can't!" She says trying to catch a breath.

She was losing herself

She was falling

"Breathe"

His grip tightened, forcing her to focus on him, his dark gaze locked into hers. Her expressions unreadable – Anger, frustration, something else he didn't understand!

'I– I can't" she gasped.

"Yes you can and you will" He growled.

Her nails dug into his arms, panic spreading through her veins like poison.

Her breathing too fast but throat constricted the effort to let in the air. Her heart slamming against her ribs, so hard so painful as if it was going to stop!

"It's not that... It's– just– I– can't do– this anymore." She tried to breathe.

"You are just panicking. It will be okay." He says in low tone.

"What if I don't want it to?!" She asked as her lips trembled and tears running down her shaky face.

Something changed in his expressions!

"I deserve this." She choked. "I deserve everything that is happening to me."

"You got your revenge Siddharth, you broke me, you destroyed me." She whispered as her breathing still frantic.

He stilled.

He wrapped his arms around her but she fought, struggled pushing him away.

"Just stop!" He ordered. She couldn't.

His hand travelled to her back and one hand caressing her cheek.

"Focus on me." He ordered "Do what I do."

Then he inhaled deep and slow.

She tried. She really did but her lungs didn't co-operate. Her body still caught in Fear.

He growled, frustrated! Suddenly he pulled her against him. She gasped. He felt warm.

"Feel my breathing and try to match it." He muttered against her temple. His hand stroking slowly making circles behind her back.

She was shaking too hard, her pulse erratic. But his grip didn't loose. His chest rose and fell. She could feel him breathing against her skin.

"Breathe with me." He murmured.

She forced her lungs to follow

It took seconds or minutes... But slowly, painfully her breaths started to even out.
Her body still trembling but not on verge of shattering.

Her breath was still uneven but the panic had faded into something worse– Regret

Regret sat on her chest making it heavy, heavier than fear from him, her love for him, her hatred for herself... The moment she could breathe again something inside her snapped.

A raw broken sob ripped out from her throat. The tears came out fast, blinding her, drowning her in emotions she had kept inside her for so long.

She shoved him away, Hard!

"Don't touch me!" She screamed, her voice hoarse.

His jaw tightened. He didn't move. He didn't speak.

She let out another sob, more violent this time. Her chest heaving violently. "This is all my fault." She choked out.

"I ruined everything. I made the worst mistake of my life, and now–" Her breath hitched, her hands gripped her hair like she will pull regret out of herself. "Now I am paying for it in worst way possible."

Her shoulder shook, her knees came close to her chest and she sobbed into them, loud and raw!

"I shouldn't be here... I shouldn't even be alive after what I did." She whispered.

He moved.

Before she could react, before she could brace for his anger he grabbed her by chin and forced her to look at him.

"Say that again!" His voice dangerously low.

She swallowed back another sob, her body sobbing under his grip... "I–"

His fingers tightened.

"Say that again, and I swear to god I will make you regret it more than you already do."

His eyes burned into hers, dark, furious, beneath that, beneath that anger there was something else, something even more dangerous...

Something possessive!

"You think dying is an escape?" He whispered, his finger brushed her shaking lip. "You think I'd let you disappear that easily?"

She squeezed her eyes shut. "I hate myself." She whispered.

His grip didn't loosen.

"Good." He said. "Hate yourself all you want. Regret it. Cry over it." His lips curled. "But you don't get to escape."

Her entire body trembled under weight of his words.

And then suddenly his arms were around her again.

Not soft, not gentle, but firm.

A fresh wave of tears hit her. She didn't push him away this time. She couldn't. Her sobs just got louder and louder as her body shattering against his.

And he let her.

He let her break in his arms, let her spill every regret, every ounce of pain through her tears.

He didn't say anything.

He didn't comfort her.

But he held her.

Like she was his.