Story: If Only (Chapter 1 Contd.)

Chapter-1 Continued ( Meet)

Liya stared down at her sister and felt her heart hurt. It broke. She was lying there on the bed all alone. Drunk. Unconscious. A ruin. Her throat convulsed. Liya felt the tears swim in her eyes, but pushed back them fiercely. If only she had been here before it became a mess, but what would have been it mattered.

Life wasn’t fair before. Life isn’t fair now. Liya switched off the light. She drew up the covers over Miya’s shouders and walked out of the room closing the door behind her in a cautious soundless click.

She paced about the hall, completely thrown with all the things that Miya had revealed. It was mind boggling and crazy.

No. She wasn’t going to let this happen. She needed to do something about it. A sudden throb of headache started to curl in her mind with all the frantic thinking.

Her forehead cleared, her pulse quickened with effort to keep up her thoughts in not a scramble.

She walked upto her room, changed into fresh clothes. She put on a coat. She looked at herself in the mirror and anger rose up in every cell and nerve. She moved towards the front door, took out the car keys from the table beside the front door. She walked out of the house. She got in the car and drove it out of the garage and pumped it on the road.

The night surronded in a mist around her, she shivered but her will strengthened. Whatever would it takes she wasn’t going to allow any harm come to her sister. Pain was swift to hit chest and eat her heart in guilt.

Liya drove faster and within an hour she reached the huge pent house. Liya stared at it and gulped hard. Her gaze became scared looking at the high pillars and dark bronzened hue of the grotesque looking thing of a monstrous house in front of her. It felt like she had arrived at the gates of hell and into the very quaters of the Devil. Pent house? Mansion? What the hell was it? But it wasn’t a pent house kind. It screamed ghostly dead spirits rising above the ground in the night.

She blinked hard and kept looking at it. Lightening thundered behind it and Liya felt her heart fail when the silvery light only for a second maybe fell on the mansion. It looked even more infested with spirits. Oh, she couldn’t do this. Whatever the gumption she mustered up, it left flying away fast as the fear rose up in her throat fast.

She turned around hastily trying to get in the car. What about Miya? Her mind called out a plea suddenly.

Liya closed her eyes tight. Oh, for the love of god, don’t be a wuss and get moving your feet into the house or whatever it was the ghastly manor.

Breath, breath, breath. It’s going to be a breeze. She told herself repeatedly this until she reached the door.

It was wide open. She looked and peered into the dark alley and gulped audibly hard. Well, so much for the mustered up courage.

She took a deep breath in. Fighting, Liya, fighting. Moving inside she found the floor creaking and slippery. She jumped at the resonating sound collding across the walls. What is this place, a ghostly mansion?

Heaven only help her tonight.

She glanced across the gass lamp lit hallway and was surprised to see so many paintings hung about the walls. It was like a museum. Except that, it seemed more like it was an 18th century art exhibit which was kind of enthralling and also frightening. If given a chance she would rather run from here.

She though walked steadily into the hall and was momentarily blinded by the bright sparks of yellow coming from the fireplace. Liya’s eyes closed a little trying to accustom to the brightness suddenly.

There was a deep red large sofa across the hearth. Everything around was in black. The tiles were. Carpet was deep crimson as if the blood was smeared across it.

Liya moved forward and her feet still creaked on the wooden tiles.

“What are you doing here?” A sharp deep voice barked out and Liya jumped three feet up in the air.

“Oh, my god, goodness in heaven, that scared me.” Liya clutched her chest and barely squeaked out the words.

Really her imagination was running really wild these days.

Whoever it was the voice of the owner got up from the sofa. Liya’s heart thudded while peering in the dark. The ligtening burst through the windows and rattled down the fireplace.

The man looked all built up and pumped up muscles. What if he attacked her? What to do?

Option one. Run screaming.

Option two. Grab the poker from the buring fire and beat at his head.

Option one feels better because option two would make her go closer to the stranger and if she did, there were chances that he would jump on her and kill her then and there. Well, that doesn’t sound a great solution, because she would be useless once she dies and another thing is that she couldn’t lift the heavy iron poker at all. That would be the lamest of all lame defense mechanisms ever. Oh, dear god, thinking all these heavy duty solutions was making her head hurt and reel.

Sam jumped finally looking at the man’s face come into view of her vision. Her heart beat faster than ever and if it raced any more in pace a step more, Liya was sure she would die of heart failure that instant itself.

But it was only him. Damn her imagination really. She should stop reading the gothic books. It was making her paranoid of the dark suddenly. It was only him, her mind cried out irritated. Dev. For heaven’s sake, he looked more like a vampire now with the deep red round necked sweater t-shirt and black trousers. The silky locks lay over his forehead in silken strands. His hands burried deep in the trouser pockets and he looked nonetheless pleased at her barge in.

Well, she was displeased too and angry. Yes, angry. Thank goodness, the fear left so suddenly.

Liya brought in the gathered up courage. She rose up straight in defense and cleared her dry throat.

“And I should ask you the same.” She shot back sounding equally snarly.

But suddenly Liya frowned looking into his narrowed gaze. Does he even know her? Does he think that she was an intruder trespassing into his property? Well, she had rather lesser than less meetings with him in the past, so it was a little obvious to her that he didn’t know her. He had and she had must have seen each other of only about what a handfull of times, right. That’s all.

She hadn’t attented the wedding either or never was a everyday visitor.

“I’m Miya’s..” She started to introduce herself but he rudely cut her off with the palm of his hand.

Liya stared surprised at his hand. Wha? Really? She flustered up. Mr. Dev thinks himself a damn royalty, doesn’t he.

“Miya’s charity sister. Yeah, I know that. Get along with what you’ve come here and get moving and out of the door. I don’t really have time to listen to the strays.” He muttered in a drawly rough bored voice, and slid down on the sofa uncaringly.

Liya’s eyes widened and her mouth opened and closed like a gasping fish without water.

Charity sister? A stray?

Her blood boiled instantly. The jerk. She treaded her feet loudly and moved around to face him.

He had a thick volume of a book in his hands. He looked deeply immersed in it already, but as she looked around, she was surprised to see a large mirror by the wall. It gave view clearly of everything around and behind the sofa.

Really, what a narcissist. How self centered to look at himself time and again. If the story was true, he would certainly grow roots soon.

Liya counted to ten and bit back the colourful names she had in mind looking at him ignore her presence completely like that.

“I have come to talk about Liya.” She muttered through gritted teeth and clenched fists.

His eyes all blank caught hers for a seconds.

“What about her?” He asked disinteresred, looking down into the book again.

Liya mumbled out incredulous words. Really? He was asking her that. Miya had been his wife, yes?

“How can you leave her in such state? She is all alone and…

“And I care why.” Came the ever uncaring response.

Liya stared.

“Wasn’t she your wife?” Liya asked incredulously.

And wasn’t he a small bit respectful for the one he got married even though it was a fake one relationship or whatever that was she got from her sister’s hacked up explantion.

He finally looked up at her and caught the strained tone coming from her voice immediately.

“I didn’t get married to her. She isn’t my wife.” He replied back serenely.

Say what? Come again? Not married? What? But how..

He turned a leaf of the book slowly. His fingers long and manly moved across the lines.

“What? Didn’t your sister tell you that?”

His was voice and tone was silky smooth and sure.

At her shocked silence he continued.

“She ran away before the wedding even began. To save grace your parents brought her back much later. It was good that, there wasn’t any invitees to the court or I would have been embarrassed like hell and your parents and sister would surely have paid heavily for the damage.” His voice turned hard and brittle while he talked.

Liya reeled now really.

“Bu..but…but you’re married though. Everyone thinks so and..

His eyes sharp caught hers again.

He had leaned back and his left hand slid across the sofa liesurely. He surely looked and spoke like a true territorial guy. Thorougly owning the place like the jungle king himself.

His eyes green foresty and gleaming sparks narrowed at her assessing stare.

“Who says it?” He asked her in raised voice.

Liya step back. Jeez, why was he shouting. She hurried to explain.

“The media…in the papers and magazine..”

He smiled suddenly and Liya stared at him as if he was crazed. He changed swift like a chameleon. Wasn’t he angry just now and why was smiling like a creep suddenly.

“That was a show. Since the news came out that I was getting married wouldn’t it be a shame if I didn’t get a bride back for them. Eh, your sister was easy though and maybe you’re too, I wasn’t aware then looking at the resembling innocent looks you two have. But deceitful little witches, aren’t you all woman.” He muttered thoughtfully looking at her, after a moment of silence he continued…”Thank god, I didn’t get married to her.” He muttered putting the book away on the glass teapoy.

Liya blinked rapidly. Did he just say that her sister was easy? How dare his arrogance, the brute.

“Look here, whatever that is, you should at least have some sense and manners to leave a woman like this and…” She started to raise her voice angrily but the words evoparated as he stood up suddenly.

Her eyes widened looking at him walk or rather prowl towards her slowly.

“I..I was just saying..” Liya flustered as he pulled closer than into her space.

His presence this close shut out her mind completely. She went blank feeling his body heat hit her skin suddenly. His face shoved in her vision closer and she could hear him breath. She could hear the rustle of his clothes touching hers. Heck, she could even feel his heart beat and pulse and it disconcerted competely. Every thought derailed and stopped instantly.

He smelled of woodsy scent, fresh apples and cologne and mint after shave. It hit her senses and she reeled back again. She needed to run this instant.

His eyes cool glanced down all over at her as he moved closer about slowly in a circle around her.

“I wonder why are you here.” He muttered into her ear from behind her….”Why did your sister sent a sorry gift like you to my place, huh? Though you wouldn’t satisfy me in a bite, but I could use some.” His voice came closer to her neck and husky.

Liya felt his breath all minty hit on her skin and she moved away far as if burned.

Humiliation coursed into her veins.

“You must be crazy to think I would have anything to do with you or with anyone like you.” Liya muttered back disgusted suddenly.

His eyes flashed and his jaw grinded looking across at her.

“And do you think, I would have anything to do with the plain likes of you? And I’m not the one here panting and flustered up affected.” He shot back nonchalantly giving her a bored out once over.

She felt her face heat up at his words. That’s it, she was leaving.

Liya turned around without a word but she gasped as she felt his body get plastered on her back. It burned everywhere now. She gasped breathless as his hand circled around her waist.

His face got burried in her neck and his lips touched her skin and scorched her body right away into flames.

“Don’t go yet, Sweat heart. Let me show you around my place….or perhaps my bed.” He muttered those words crudely into her ears.

Liya struggled to contain herself but his clutch around her waist was an iron band.

“You have curves in all the right places, don’t you.” He muttered still holding her prisoner in his arms tightly from behind.

His front was hard chiselled and all manly.

Liya tried hard to free herself.

“Let go.” She said firmly but it came out all breathy and in a gasp and whisper.

His hand moved up her arm and he slid the dress sleeve down her shoulder ripping half of the material in the process and exposing her skin to the cool air. Goosebumps rose up her flesh.

Liya gasped.

“What are you doing? Let go off me, you big oaf.” She cried out and frantically got herself free.

She ran fast and hard and out of the hall without looking back. She ran really fast before he could catch her. She heard a loud booming of laughter behind her. Her heart gave a thrilled jerk. Burning hot she ran out of the mansion and got herself into the car safely.

Good grief, what was that? She was in a shivering mess and half of the sleeve of her dress was torned. The area around her neck was red and marked. She could feel his touch like a brand all over her skin. It creeped everywhere into places it shouldn’t go. She needed to take a shower badly now……

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Credit to: kfar