Besabriyaan

Chapter 22

"Ms. Murhty, meet him. Maddy, Cabir's brother."

"Hi"

"I'm called, Maddy. Madhyam. What may I call this beauty?"

"N-Nandini Murthy."

"Beautiful."

"Ms.Murthy, we know Maddy is quite some handsome but you seem quite baffled."

"Brother Manik, you always seem to put me high."

"I-I..... have to go."

I kept scurrying aimlessly holding my elbows closer as the flashes of the party was still haunting me. I couldn't care any more about what would Manik feel seeing me dropping the handshake with Maddy all of a sudden and run for my life without notifying him. The night wasn't young and fun anymore rather it was gruesome. My hands were shaking as I pulled the phone out of my bag and without foreseeing anything dialled up the man I somewhere believed would fight my fears along with me.... Randhir.

Just as he received the call, I realised maybe I have gone over the top by calling him at this late hour but hearing the abnormality in my tone, without wasting a second he questioned me where I was. It took me few moments to look around and comprehend that I had reached the beach on my foot. I wondered how long have I been walking...maybe because I considered getting ran over by a car better than dying in the hands of that butcher. I told Randhir where I was and all I heard in response was "Don't move. I'll be there in 15."

I didn't bother to disconnect the call because I was so very exhausted and turned around towards the waves not caring about the unruly hair flying allover my face. The tear stains were still afresh and in spite of all the soothing breeze, I felt warm and needed to throw up badly. Fifteen minutes seemed longer, the night seemed darker and the terror of being watched by those pair of eyes in the lonesome beach turned me a paranoid looking everywhere cautiously.

That smile....that crooked devious smile was telling me something in the crowd as if warning me. What worse could happen now that the murderer moved an inch closer to my life, murder me? Rape me? I felt dizzy not having the strength to stand on my feet anymore.

Chills ran down my spine as on the sand before me I saw a shadow towering behind me with it's arm extended to hold me. I froze there gaping the shadow with my eyes threatening to drop out of sockets. Each nanosecond it was only getting closer and I was too coiled to turn back and witness my assaulter.

I jumped in my place closing my eyes the moment the cold hand was placed on my shoulder.

"Please don't kill me. Please don't kill me." I yelped joining my hands.

"Beautiful, relax! It's me!" The voice seemed familiar yet I didn't have the nerve to see him.

"It's me... Randhir." He held both my upper arms and I sighed breaking down on the boulder.

Hiding my face in my palms, I sobbed digging the depth of his worry deeper.

He knelt down before me making an effort to loosen my palms from my face and succeeded.

"You seem so scared. What are you doing in the middle of the night here? Did anyone..." He didn't finish. Instead just looked around to find some clue not being helped by me, at all.

With time, my sobbing converted into howling and his face looked flushed but that was all I could do at that point of time.

RANDHIR