Witnessing his smile widening as she stood before him within a foot distance, made her blood boil, she clenched her fist tight, leaving the red imprint of nails on her palm, her brain recalled the recent memory of her being caged against him and she kicked him in the stomach, causing Manan to bend with a deep frown on his face,
But Hrida didn't stop there, took a grip of his hair like she is holding someone's horns and slightly swayed his body from here to there, then pushed him to the ground with the utmost force, he fell on his back, groaning in pain, yet his smile didn't waver from his lips and this pissed off her more.
Without any warning, his hand advanced towards her leg, luckily, she noticed his move at the right time and stamped her feet on his hand, he shrieked and muttered gibberish incoherent words but she didn't care.
She bends down while his fingers are still being crushed underneath her feet, Manan's smile vanishes, and he hisses in pain, but she doesn't pay any attention to that.
She utters in a strict tone with a hint of gentleness hidden in her voice, " I just can't understand why you perceive girls as dolls to keep behind your glass chamber.
Do you have some eyesight problems? Can't you see the difference between plastic dolls and real human girls?
A human girl made of flesh, elements breathing alive has emotions and feelings, and is not some play doll to be purchased, used, or played with.
Do you get it, dumb Manan bhaiya?
I don't know what intention you had for attempting to buy me but I know for sure, it was not nice. And another thing, as I remember, you can't buy a human and your intention behind this was most probably illegal and immoral.
You seriously need mental therapy to treat your perspective because you need a new perspective and then, you might be able to see the world with the right pair of eyes."
Manan felt his inside being twisted, he felt uncertain and uneasy feeling within by her words, he avoided looking into her eyes as if trying to block her from seeing his true self, he felt like vomiting out of a sudden.
Unable to control himself, he vomited a black pool, painting a small area of green grass with the shade of black. Hrida felt a bit disgusted but she controlled herself and moved to the next block, while Manan fainted right after vomiting and his shadow pounced over Shashi, he silently hisses feeling heaviness everywhere in his body.
The third block, prideful stood Vanya's Husband with an egoistic smirk playing on his lips as if the whole world was under his feet. She snickers playfully and sarcastically with a polite voice asks him to scoot off.
Vanya's husband is baffled in disbelief, his ego damaged a little by her attitude, he reminds her supposed place with a mocking tone," Beware, pretty little girl! If you try to tell me what to do and what to not, then I am confident that you will be put in the same state as Vanya but of course, this time you won't be spared like her.
I am sure you remember how I inscribed marks and designs with color of blood, since you were present there to witness this show live, ain't I right? Hmm?
Ohh, and yes, I also know that you were that person who reported against me, otherwise there wasn't a single person who would have dared to go against me.
If it weren't for you, my useless wife would have been long gone but you had to disrupt it all as if you are some kind of mercy goddess. Huh !"
Before Hrida could rebuke him, he raised her in mid-air by choking her throat with a strong grip, her lungs were suffocating, unable to breathe, wriggled in his grip in the struggle of escaping from his grip.
Her neck felt like being suffocated by a rope, and she gasped heavily, Kritak rushed to her but he was thrown away by an invisible force, he didn't stop, he kept crashing himself into an invisible shield but he couldn't break the shield.
Here, Hrida is losing her vision, her body is shaking, watching this scene, Soma escapes from Navya's grip and shouts at Vanya's husband with a fiery tone, " You, egoistic maniac, you are nothing but a coward, who flaunts his baseless power over humans.
Leave Hrida, this instant, you are messing with the wrong one.
Even if Hrida may forgive you, I won't spare you, you maniac. Leave her!" His loud insults did affect him a little bit, his grip loosened for a few seconds, which allowed Hrida to inhale a deep breath, but then his grip tightened, making Hrida breathless literally.
Hrida felt like a fish out of water, starving for each breath, the remaining amount of air also escaped from her lungs, her fighting instinct numbed to feeling dizzy, her eyes willing to close and rest forever.
Soma cries out, " Hrida, don't give in. Please, leave Hrida, she doesn't deserve any of this. Please! She is losing her life, you maniac. Navya didi, Lakshman bhaiya, Mom, any of you do something, save her."
Shashi's ears were deaf to the outside world until now, the agony that held him close in its grip couldn't mute his ears from hearing Soma plead for Hrida's life.
He heard it all clear, and he growled with a scary tone, " Mr. Blind ego, leave my partner out of your touch, otherwise, the shadows....gahhh...growing on me, will consume you whole by my single command after all they are being integrated with me.
So, they would love to make you suffer....gahhh.. just like a black hole that tears every single atom of yours while swallowing as its prey.
Would you like to try, if not then, leave her."
His voice was so heavy and threatening that everyone present there felt shivers in their arm except Shashi's mom, Hrida, and Soma. Vanya's husband felt his core shaking from his voice, his arm lowered, and Hrida's feet almost touched the ground.
But then, Vanya's husband's head ached with sharp pain and his eyes changed from grey to void and hollow black, he raised his arm back up in the air, Hrida hanging in mid-air by his hand wrapped around her throat.
Hrida cries out for help, her words choked in the throat, " H..lp me ! I can't bre..the. Agh..hh." Her head spins, and black spots cover her vision, noticing this, Lakshman shouts with a pleading tone, " Hrida, don't lose, you have survived the worst of worst, you just need to hang in there and slip out of his fingers no matter what."
Navya reminds her with a strong voice, " Try whatever you can and puncture his arms, you can do it, I know. Hold on to the faint light and crawl forward. Attack where the hollowness exists, do it."
All of them were encouraging Hrida to hold on for some moments more, she could hear their words, and she clearly understood Navya Didi's hint.
Hrida gathered a last bit of energy left in her and swung her feet and kicked him right near the throat, completely surprising him, but he was prepared, he didn't lose his hold. Hrida felt like this was how it would end, her light defeated by the hollow shadow.
She gasps heavily and feels her body lighten and free, then a loud thud sound is heard, everyone assuming Hrida is on the ground as they had covered their eyes to avoid witnessing the tragic scene.
But, Hrida's vision returned, and she balanced on her feet, she then heard Vanya's husband's loud groan, but she ignored it and focused on her breathing. She inhaled deep breaths until she felt her lungs filled with enough amount of air, her body adjusting to a normal pace, she stood still and forgot about everything for a few minutes.
When she finally felt, her body vibration halt, her eyes shifted to her right, Vanya stood, one foot on the ground and another on her husband's stomach, her husband struggling under her foot.
Hrida was in awe remarking Vanya's eyes glowing like fireballs and her arms spread wide open like she was gathering every bit of her courage to diminish her husband's demons.
She thumps her foot stronger on his stomach, making him gasp loudly, he husband grunts with an annoyed tone, " You, stupid Vanya, you think you can control me, no, you can't.
You always do this, you humiliate me in front of everyone, flaunting how talented and perfect you are in front of everyone. In addition, my own family always compared me to you and always counted my flaws and faults, I never felt heard or useful. It's not my fault that I am not flawless and talentless.
Since childhood, I was never given/ trusted with anything as my family members favored my other cousins over me. But when I married you, I felt proud to have a good-hearted and flawless person as my partner but you too showed true colors in front of my family.
You never sided with me, you never thought of me as a responsible and dependable person, so you shared your problems and secrets with my family except me. I tolerated that, but then you started choosing for us, not giving me any choice to express my wish.
I loved you with all my heart but you didn't consider me worthy as your partner, still, I crushed my ego for you and forgot those upset feelings.
But the moment I heard you telling my cousin that you had always been a perfectionist, so you never imagined marrying someone like me, this made my heart bleed slowly and my feelings transformed into strong hate for you. I hate you !"
Vanya replies, almost on the verge of crying, " You hate me but I love you, I still love you and I hate myself for that. Badal, you could at least have confronted me about this. I…you misunderstood my statement, my love, my acts of service, everything.
My statement wasn't to humiliate or make you feel low, rather it was to make them realize how perfect you are for me and how you taught me to live life without the laws of perfection. You just assumed from a single statement that I thought low of you and was ashamed of you but I never was.
And, about our family praising me, I have defended you many times when they sued to compare you with me because I didn't see a single flaw in you but I guess I made you feel like the worst, you felt hated and unworthy because of my perfectionist habits. I am sorry for that but I am not going to say sorry for today because you deserved it for that market incident and hurting this girl, who saved you from going to jail.
Kali might have deepened your negative feelings but you were the one to sow its seed in your mind, so face it and pay for your unjustified actions. I seriously don't know why you let other's thoughts blindfold your heart, you were never like this, you were the most amazing person in my eyes.
My perfection always haunted me, but you taught me to unapologetically live life, now look at you, being controlled by threads of shadows. My heart hates to see you in such a state but you are responsible for your miserable state.
And, if you lay a finger on Hrida or tried to take her life, then you won't be in the condition to walk, I warn you."
Everyone is shocked and touched by Vanya's words especially Hrida, who is gawking at her like a fish, she whispers with a weak admiration tone, " Goddess! Just like a powerful Goddess, Vanya didi looks like a goddess, such powerful strength, love, and compassion in her words reflect her true soul."
She bows her head to her in respect, Vanya turns to Hrida, her eyes softened into doe eyes, staring fondly at her, her hands cupped her cheeks, caressing her cheeks with affectionate touch, her eyes glistening with tears wanting to escape.
Vanya whispers with the warmest tone, " Thank you, beta, for saving me that day. If you didn't have the courage, I wouldn't have any life left within me right now.
Thank you! Your curious eyes are filled with questions like ' how I passed through the shield, who informed me, etc…'
To be honest, I don't know exactly but I had a dream of you being choked by my husband and the surroundings were clear in the dream, so I ran from the hospital to help you. I passed through the shield by just crashing straight through it when I saw Badal choking you to death.
Forget this and go save that boy and I will take care of him. " Vanya gave one glance at her husband, who lay limp and unconscious on the ground, whereas Hrida moved to the next block.
Shashi's mom slipped out from Navya's hold and collided strongly against the barrier after hearing Vanya's last statement in the hope of reaching out to her children, who were in extreme pain. But, only her arm got bruised and nothing other than that happened, she sank on her feet and helplessly stared at nothing.