“Ahhh!!!!!”
Priya screamed in shock as she fell to the floor, startled by the sudden sound of Priyank punching the glass table, causing it to crack in the middle.
As Priyank stood up, his knuckles bleeding from the impact, he ignored the pain and directed his gaze towards Priya, who was now on the floor with her hands covering her ears, looking pale and frightened.
Internally seething with anger, Priyank couldn’t comprehend how Priya could feel pity for someone else when she seemed to only harbour disgust and hatred towards him.
“What’s wrong, Priya? Why are you scared now?” Priyank’s voice was laced with bitterness as he extended his hand towards her, blood dripping onto the floor. “Don’t you feel pity for me now? I’m bleeding too.”
He stared at Priya with intense anger in his eyes, demanding an answer.
“Tell me, don’t you feel pity now? Instead of fear, you should be feeling pity for me because I’m bleeding more than that bastard guy you felt pity for.”
Priya felt a surge of fear and confusion as she looked up at Priyank, his anger palpable in the air. She couldn’t understand how their conversation had escalated to this point, culminating in Priyank’s violent outburst.
As she gazed at his bleeding knuckles, all she felt was a numb feeling inside her body.
But Priya couldn’t bring herself to feel pity for him at that moment. Instead, she felt a profound sense of unease and apprehension, unsure of what he might do next.
Her mind raced with conflicting emotions as she struggled to find the right words to respond to his question. Deep down, she knew that there was no easy answer that could appease him or diffuse the tension between them.
She struggled to muster any sense of pity for Priyank, especially as he continued to terrify her with his unpredictable behaviour. His attempt to garner sympathy after inflicting harm upon himself only added to her confusion and fear.
As she watched the blood trickle down onto her feet and pool on the floor, she was confronted with the harsh reality of the situation.
Before she felt pity for the injured man because he had been a victim of circumstance, but now, witnessing Priyank’s self-inflicted wounds, she couldn’t summon any sympathy. After all, how could she pity someone who brought harm upon themselves?
This wasn’t a nightmare she could wake up from; it was a chilling reminder of the chaos and danger that had become her reality.
“Answer me!! Pity me!! Now pity me or you have no sympathy and heart for me, so don’t it make you a slut because if you feel pity because of someone’s pain, then I am in pain too now, where is that same sympathy for me?” Priyank shouted, crouching to her level. With his bleeding hand, he grabbed the back of her neck, pulling her close to him, their breath mingling.
Chills ran through her body as his warm, wet hand touched the cold skin at the back of her neck.
His thumb could feel her pulse racing with alarm.
Priya’s heart dropped in her stomach as Priyank’s grip tightened on her neck.
She felt trapped, suffocated by him and the intensity of the situation.
The smell of fresh blood smeared across the back of her neck assaulted Priya’s nostrils, intensified by Priyank’s proximity and his firm grip on her. She shuddered in fear, her body trembling.
“Please..” she pleaded for mercy, not even understanding where the words came from.
The overwhelming fear consumed her, drowning out any other emotion. She would have apologised endlessly if it meant escaping this nightmare.
“Please, have pity on me, won’t you?” Priyank’s mocking words cut through the air as he dug his nails deeper into her neck, indifferent to the pain he inflicted, his own bleeding hand notwithstanding.
The sensation of blood on her neck, coupled with Priyank’s mocking tone, made her stomach churn with nausea
Priya’s breaths came in shallow gasps as she fought to keep her panic at bay. The pressure on her neck intensified with each passing second, sending waves of agony through her.
She closed her eyes, willing herself to find a way out of this nightmare. But with Priyank’s relentless grip and taunting words, she felt like she was suffocating, both physically and emotionally.
“Don’t you dare breathe as if you’re the one in pain. It’s me who needs your pity, Angel, not the other way around. I’m the one bleeding, and why the hell do you have your eyes closed?” Priyank forcefully yanked her neck back, causing Priya to suddenly open her eyes, fearing he might detach her head from her body mercilessly. There’s no mercy in this situation. She’s not even at his mercy because he won’t show any.
“Do you pity me too, right?” Priyank repeated his words.
Priya didn’t want to lie, but she bit her tongue.
‘You want to die?’the voice in her head reasoned. ‘Lying isn’t bad if it’s to save someone, even if it’s your own life.’
With her heart pounding, Priya struggled to find the right words.
She couldn’t bring herself to speak, fearing the consequences of her honesty.
In that moment of hesitation, she realised the gravity of the situation.
Lying might be her only chance to survive, to protect herself from the wrath of Priyank. So, swallowing her fear, she forced herself to nod slowly, her eyes betraying the truth within her soul.
“Words, Angel, not your damn head nod. Use your tongue for something useful,” Priyank ordered, his voice dripping with malice.
His intense gaze felt like it was tearing through her, his nails digging into her skin, igniting a fire within her. He looked capable of digging her grave if she didn’t comply.
“Yes, I pity you,” Priya cried out, her breath uneven as she forced the words out.
Her confession seemed to momentarily quell the storm brewing within Priyank. He released her with a scoff, his expression a mixture of disdain and satisfaction.
“Pathetic,” he muttered, turning away from her as if her words meant nothing.
But Priya knew better than to let her guard down. This moment of reprieve was fleeting, and she braced herself for whatever torment might come next.
“Stand up, sweetheart. You don’t belong on the floor; you belong here”