The door burst open and here came Ansell, as expected. The moment stopped for us when he came into our view. There was a time when he was dear to both me and William in our own way but now the only feeling that is left in us is that of resentment.
We no longer want him in our lives.
He is not aware of many things happening around him but he is still responsible for everything that we are going through. If he wanted, he could have searched for the truth, but he never trusted us. He believed what he saw. His anger has become his biggest enemy.
William’s hold on my wrist tightened, as I am sure he didn’t want me to go away from him. I didn’t it as well. Fifteen minutes were not enough for us.
“Time’s up” Ansell declared coldly. His eyes moved between both of us.
I know he was expecting me to stand up and walk away with him but I couldn’t muster enough courage. I wanted to spend some more time with my brother.
He waited for me for a few seconds but as he is not a man with patience, he stomped towards us and forcefully yanked my wrist away from William’s hold.
“Please, Ansell, just let her go. She hasn’t done anything. Torture me, kill me, do whatever you want, just free her”William pleaded once again, his voice filled with desperation.
The force which Ansell held my wrist I wanted to scream in pain but I didn’t make any noise because it would unnecessarily worry William. He is already going through a lot of trauma; I don’t want him to worry anymore.
William’s fists were clenched tightly and I am sure he would have put up a fight to protect me, especially when his hands were free but he knew that Ansell and his four men waiting outside for one command, it was practically impossible for him to fight alone and that too in such a weak state. He was scared that Ansell would hurt me for his actions or maybe he had already warned him about that just the way he did me by blackmailing me to kill William if we tried something.
“For once, I could grant your wish to kill you but I can never let her go until my last breath” Ansell’s voice words echoed in the whole room as he said them aloud and clearly before dragging me away from my brother.
“Nara, please don’t involve yourself in this. Try to find out a way” William’s plea reached my ears, but the distance between us grew as Ansell led me out of the room.
As I left, I turned back for a brief moment, locking eyes with my brother. I wanted to assure him that I was strong enough to fight him and no matter what happens, I will not let that spirit within me die till he is free from this hell.
“Strong, William, will free you soon” were the words that managed to escape my lips before we were out the room, and my brother was lost from my sight.
Ansell opened the door of his car and waited for me to sit. I knew that he was already angry so it was not wise to test his patience anymore so I sat inside without wasting time.
I don’t want to run away from him, not anymore because now I want to first know the whole truth and free my brother before thinking about myself.
The engine roared to life as Ansell started the car and excuted a U-turn. Dusk billowed in the air ad we accelerated away, the car’s speed reflecting the tension in the atmosphere.
I stayed silent because everything that Wiliam tol me was replying in my head like a movie and this time Ansell also didn’t turn up the music.
I knew where he was taking me and my eyes were out of the way all the time. I was preparing myself to face Desy. O could feel my blood boiling when I thought about what she had done to my brother. I am not going to forgive her. That day is not far when I will reveal her true face in front of her brother, the one who thinks that she is the most innocent girl when I haven’t seen anyone as cunning as her.
I could tell him everything even now but I know it is of no use. It will only waste my energy, as he will not believe me because he trusts his sister blindly.
And why would he?
We don’t even have any evidence to prove our innocence. He has seen Desy and William in that situation. It was a bitter truth that made our situation even more daunting.
“So?” Ansell’s voice broke the silence, snapping my attention back to him.. “Are you satisfied now, having had your little chat with your brother?”
He paused a second.
“You see, I am not the devil you think. I granted you some time with him. If you listen to me and do as I say, maybe in the future I will provide more such privileges ”
My gaze shifted to him, finding his eyes alternating between the road and brief glances in my direction.
‘There is no need for it, I will soon be free from your clutches’ my subconsciousness said.
I wanted to say a lot to him instead, I kept my lips sealed. It seemed that today he was in a talkative mood, eager to engage wit me for some reason. He wasn’t boiling in anger anymore.
“Won’t you tell me what you said to him? What did you get to know from the conversation?’ he further asked.
“That you are getting fooled and you are unknown to the things as much as I was” the words slipped from my lips before I could stop myself. “You are blind with eyes”
“Huh?” His brows are knitted in confusion.
“You don’t know anything ” I said.
“Then tell me” he asked, amusement clear in his voice.
“There is no point in it because I know how hard it is to accept that someone so close to us has committed such a heinous crime” I stated the fact, but I knew that it was challenging to make him accept what I was saying.
“So you believed the story that your brother told you?” He asked me.
“Didn’t you believe the story that your sister told you?” I asked him back.
“She is not making any stories. Every word that she told me is true ” he said with confidence. “And I also saw that from my eyes ”
“Ansell, I know that you saw them in such a compromising situation that anyone in your shoes will think the same but things are not the way you are seeing them. There is a lot hidden from you that has yet to be uncovered. You don’t even know you yourself are becoming a pawn in someone’s game” I said in a breath.
“I am not getting your point ” his confusion grew.
“Open your eyes, Ansell ” I exhaled heavily. “Open them before it’s too late”
Suddenly, he applied the brake, and the car jerked to a halt.
“If you don’t open your eyes now, then I don’t know about myself but your life will become hell” I warned.
“What rubbish?’ his voice was laced with irritation as his nose flared slightly, hearing what I was saying. He was clearly not buying it.
“I am believing what my brother said and you are believing what your sister told you. What if nothing is true? There is a completely different story between what we are seeing and what we are hearing. And in all this, both uf us have to suffer. Our relationship, which would have been so beautiful, has been ruined so badly that I don’t think that things could ever become normal between us. Even if I agreed to your condition in exchange for releasing my brother, even after that, our relationship would just be one of force and compromise. I will never be able to give that love to you that you desire and have always craved your entire life”
I took in deep inhale of oxygen, trying to steady myself. I could hold myself anymore. If I can’t tell him the truth, the least I can do is make him realise it.
“Leave about me, leave about my brother, just think about yourself. Is this the way you desire your life?”
He swallowed audibly, my question seemingly striking a chord within him, which I took as a cue to go on.
“”Is this the way you wanted to be with me?” I pressed further, waiting for his response.
He didn’t answer this time.
“How much regret would you feel if you discovered that everything we have been led to believe is a falsehood? That everything was just a facade?” I asked him question after question and he seemed to be quiet.
“And the one who has suffered in all this is you, me, and our relationship”
I could see a flash of pain passing through his eyes as for a second, he imagined what I said to be true.
“Would you ever be able to mend the wounds that you have given to me and to my heart forever?” My voice slowed down as I asked him.
He licked his lips as he stared at me intently. A brief silence that followed my words was broken by him.
“You know that?” He finally said, “Your brother has manipulated you. You are saying what he told you but you don’t know the reality. There are a lot of things that are hidden from you. I am sure there is no need to mend our relationship because I am not going to regret anything. You are in my arms, you are mine, that’s enough for me to live’ he stated before his focus moved back to driving.
I exhaled in frustration, shifting my gaze away from him. Engaging in an argument felt pointless when it was clear that my words wouldn’t sway him.
I decided to collect the evidence first before talking to him again. I know he has done all this because of the fake story that his sister told him but even after the truth comes out I will never be able to forgive him.
The wounds he had inflicted were deep, and their scars were unlikely to heal. I will never forgive him.
. My thoughts were cut short when he once again applied the brake. I was a bit surprised because the journey wasn’t meant to end soon. Home is still away.
I looked out find that we were not home, he had brought me somewhere else.
But why?