~Price And Beggings.~

"You can't escape my love" ~ Zaid

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(Shravya's POV)

Four walls, bars, my explicit paintings, and a big golden cage. Again the same four walls, bars, my explicit paintings, and a big golden cage, in which I'm trapped.

My eyes roamed around the room but nothing seemed new. Everything was the same as I saw last night. Nothing changed.

I was numbly laying on the soft mattress, inside the cage. My empty hazel eyes looking somewhere in no particular direction. I was alone yet I wasn't because my soft cries and the steam of tears leaking from my eyes, were accompanying me. From some past hours, they had become my true companions. And now, it feels like no one could separate us. No one can separate me from the pain... No one, not even me.

Maybe because we are inseparable.

Suddenly the blew of the soft cold breeze made me shudder and I curled myself in a ball. Thanks to God, this time I wasn't naked. I had on a navy blue colored nightgown. I don't remember when I wore it. I don't remember when I fell asleep. I couldn't remember doing any of these.

The only thing I can recall is Zaid injecting me with some drug and I struggling to get myself free from him before darkness took over me. I don't remember what happened or what he did to me afterward.

When I woke up I found myself in this cage but he wasn't here. He still isn't, for which I'm glad.

I still don't know how he found me. What he did and whose hand it was, which I saw in my hotel's room.

I hope Tanveer is okay. I don't want him and uncle to get hurt because of me. I hope Zaid didn't do anything to them.

I wiped off my tears and stared towards the small source of light ' The window'. The brightness coming from there was the only thing that was shielding me from the limitless darkness, present in the room. Otherwise, I already would have been lost here.

I turned my back to face the other side because It's raining outside, a season of the year that brings me to some aching memories of the past. I can't remember the time where I truly enjoyed the rain. From the very start, I wasn't quite fond of rain and now, after some horrible incidents, I have started loathing it.

If I hadn't met Zaid on that rainy day, then we wouldn't have become closer to each other, and probably now I wouldn't have been here, terribly missing some people named Zaid Afzal, Ansh Singh, and Aayush Agarwal.

If they couldn't come back then they should have taken their memories with them too. They shouldn't have left some sweet memories with me, to make me suffer lifelong.

I had taken to wondering lately, during these swift counter years, what had been done if the situation might have been different. If we all would have been together?

If Ansh hasn't died?

If Zaid hasn't lost his memories?

If Aayush hadn't married me?

If I hadn't met anyone of them?

Many things might have been different only if the cruel fate wouldn't have permitted some unfortunate things to happen.

My fists fisted the white blanket as I found myself, stabbing my own self with the dagger of those questions. Even after knowing that there was no use in asking them to myself. I don't know their answers.

Just like a beggar, with my empty hands, I'm begging my fate, to grant me the answers to my questions. But it feels like my begs went unheard because I'm still empty-handed.

Suddenly, the turning of the doorknob sounded. I drew my legs up against my body and didn't even stir when the dark wooden door opened and someone stepped in.

My stomach was in knots when I heard him and felt his steps, moving in my direction. After a moment to stifle my nerves, I closed my eyes, forcing my face to be carefully guarded. Not to let any emotion out.

I gripped the sheets so tightly that my knuckles were turning white, but I didn't feel pain. Numbness was working its way through my body as I felt him walking in circles around the cage and maybe, looking at me as if I was his most prized possession.

The dark desires and twisted admiration for me, in his coal-black orbs always scares me to the core.

"See sona, It's raining outside. Isn't it looking beautiful?" A wave of sickness crashed over me by hearing his voice.

"I know you're awake, so open your eyes and look at me," I heard again but decided not to respond.

"I'm talking to you. I said open your eyes and look at me," he spoke, calmly. I tried not to make a single sound or movement as my lungs heaved for breath, rising and then falling in the rhythm of my panic state.

He knows I'm awake.

My tongue became heavy and thick inside my mouth, when impulsively, I screamed, as loud as I could. "What do you want?!" My eyes were wide open as I stared at him, with pure hate.

"Everything," he whispered, his lips turning into a dark smile as he removed his lounge coat. His suit was fully saturated. Maybe, he got drenched in the rain.

"I want everything you have and you can give," he spoke, dumping his suit jacket on the floor. "So, apprise me with the details. I would love to know what you can give and what I can take," he said and turned his back, his hands working on taking off his vest. After folding his soaked shirt's sleeves, he again turned to face me.

"Do you want to come out?" He questioned, his eyes working as a mirror for me. The mirror which was showing me my helpless and demolished state.

Hysteric laughter wanted to fight its way out of my throat but I swallowed it. My life has become so miserable. I have become so much poor that I couldn't even have the most ordinary and cheapest thing called 'Freedom'.

He is asking me if I want freedom or not. Who doesn't want it?

I slowly rose and sat up, my eyes meeting his as he intently stared at me before moving his gazes to the window. He walked and stood in front of that small entrance, interrupting the brightness, which was coming from there. More darkness engulfed the room and I departed my eyes off him, glancing at the mattress while resting my back against the cold bars of my cage.

Suddenly, I balked when he abruptly laughed, and it exactly wasn't a joyful sound. "Quite a show, they are playing outside." He let out a small chuckle as he swiftly veered around, facing me.

"Come outside. I'm sure you'll totally love it." His gazes held mine as he spoke, and slowly strode over to the cage. I stiffened and stood up, taking a step back when he unlocked the cage and held his hand out for me.

"COME OUT!!" He yelled, his voice was rawly devoted to anger, which made me tremble and I gave way to fits of hysterical cries."I WON'T!!!" I yelled-cried, my lips parted as I roughly breathed a small intake of air.

"Sona," he deeply exhaled, stepping away from the entrance. "Come out if you want to see that bastard Aayush alive," he spoke and gave me a sardonic smile.

I blinked miscellaneously, not believing what I just heard and what he just said.

"Aayush is alive?" A whisper left my mouth and for a moment, only my cries and deep, mournful sobs punctuated the silence that followed by my whisper.

He nodded his head in a small nod and ambled back to the window. I couldn't help and also walked out of the cage, following him. When he halted, I deliberately approached him and stopped at the distance of an arm-reach.

Slowly my eyes followed his regard, but my breaths bitterly hitched in my throat when I toom in the terrible sight of Aayush. He was brutally getting beaten by some men.

"Go and save him, if you can," he uttered and his mouth dented into a malicious smile. His coal-black orbs were guarded with endless darkness as they confronted mine.

Without wasting any moment, my feet quickly overturned to the door and I ran as fast as I could. My breaths became abnormal as I passed corridors after corridors, and the servants, who passed me sympathetic looks. Not caring about anyone, I didn't stop and ran, but my steps abruptly ceased, when behold the sight of three men, standing in the doorway and blocking my way.

"Step away. Let...let me go outside," I sobbed, trying to pass them but they didn't even budge and sternly stood in their spot.

"Ma'am you can't go outside. It's sir's order," one of them stated. Hastily, my gazes traveled outside and I cried more loudly, on seeing Aayush's condition becoming worse from all the beatings. He can't take it anymore. He is having too much blood loss. He will die if this kept going and if they kept beating him like this.

"Then... Then stop beating him," I whimpered."Please!"

"We can't. It's sir's order," one of them again spoke, and just like that, a sea of despair dragged me under its crashing waves. I stepped back and rushed to the room, where Zaid was.

Only he can stop them.

I again scampered, helplessly through the same corridors until I reached the room, from where I ran.

"Zaid...Zaid, please stop them," I cried, entering the room. My hands trembled as tears of helplessness came out of my eyes. "Please," I begged. "He will die."

"I'm afraid I can't do that," he advanced in my way, firmly holding a knife in his hand. The same knife he used last night, on himself.

I watched him, holding my breath as he arrived in front of me. My heartbeats stuttered when he grabbed my hand and put them on his chest before he smoothed my hair back, off my forehead. His intimate gesture filled me with aversion but still, I tried to control myself and stared directly into his eyes. "Please save him," I begged again.

Holding my gazes he slowly ran his fingers into my brown locks, "I can't," he whispered. "And more than that, I don't want to."

YES, YOU CAN!!

I wanted to scream but I didn't because I didn't have any time to waste yelling at him. My eyes wandered down, angry tears falling out of them as I bite my inner cheek.

What should I do? Aayush will die.

Suddenly, he stroked his fingers across my cheekbone as his thumb wiped my tear away. Panic gripped me when he brought the knife up and I felt its cold tip onto the surface of my neck.

"Just because you're begging this much," he murmured. "I can try to save him."

Before I could register his words, I flinched when he bought the knife's blade under the sleeve of my nightgown and slowly moved it upward until the fabric of my sleeve gave up, splitting into two parts.

In the horror, I pushed him away but he caught my wrist and pulled me back towards himself. Resentment rushed through me and I struggled in his hold but stopped moving when I again felt the knife's cold blade. This time under the fabric of my second sleeve.

A shudder ran through my body as goosebumps covered every inch of my membrane. His gazes felt like acid pouring all over me. I tried to move back but froze in dread when he draped his arm around my waist.

"Stop if you cherish that his life," his voice was hollow, wavering with menace, forcing me to keep up to his order. Just for his life.

"Please tell your men to stop beating him," I whimpered softly but silently as I felt the sharp intake of his breath when he inched closer. His knuckles brushed against the skin of my neck, sending shivers down my spine as he hoisted the knife up, under my sleeve, pushing the fabric to abdicate against the blade.

I brought my hands up and grabbed the nightgown before it could fall down. He also dropped the knife and encircled his arms around my frame as I clutched the ripped-out gown against my chest.

A gasp escaped past my lips when he gripped my shoulders, pressing me against him and bringing me the quavers of contempt as well as of panic.

I hate you, so much.

I swore to myself, tightly shutting my tear-filled eyes, holding his breaths lingering on my skin as his lips touched a contact on my earlobe. "The guards stopped beating him the moment you came running to me," he murmured. "But he is severely injured and had lost too much blood."

Lost too much blood.

Have several injuries.

His words imitated inside my head and I found myself evolving powerless. My sobs and cries appeared to become too heavy to hold within my mouth, and I let out a painful cry.

He can't die.

I won't let him die.

"Zaid, ple...ase...I...I...beg you. Please...sa...ve him. Please send.... him to... a.... hospital," I wailed, vulnerably.

"Okay, I will but..." he whispered in my ear, but there was an amusement prevailing on the surface of his voice. Leaving a kiss on the side of my neck, he dropped his arms and stepped back, "But sona, don't you think everything has a price?" He said in a low tone and I froze...............

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Q-Will Shravya be able to save Aayush?