Page 75 of Twisted Deceit
“More than what I know, for sure.” She grinned. “Rajji has not offered her prayers in almost twenty years, as if she was angry with God for ruining our family.” She slowly ran her hand up his arm. “And with everything you’re doing, you’ve restored her faith.”
“Good.” He kept his eyes on the road as her hand slid down from his arm, her hand landing on his thigh. She ran her eye over him before slowly driving her fingers closer to the writhing beast. She cupped her hand over his arousal. “Are you suggesting we pull over and do something between the dunes?”
She bit back her smile. “I like that idea.” Maybe on our way back from the oasis.” She laughed at the disappointment on his face.
“Such a tease.” He growled. “I’ll deal with you when we get back.”
She laughed, her husband’s impatience fueling her desires and she could not wait to be back in his arms, giving into their passion. “Since it is a ritual, I might have to touch your feet.” She winked and added, “I know the drill. I’ll make it up to you for making you feel uncomfortable.”
He squeezed her hand. “How did I get so lucky?”
Aadhya blushed, her heart fluttering for her husband. Not a fake one anymore, a forever one.
Shortly after, the oasis came into sight and then the tent set up for the ceremony. She looked around the place. “I don’t know if I’ve ever been here.”
“I doubt it. This is pretty far, almost the border of the region.” She noticed that his voice had shifted, but she brushed it away as he focusing on the road. He pulled up as close as possible to the tent and parked the vehicle.
She smiled when he asked her to stay put so he could open the door for her. Her eyes followed him as he came around the vehicle to open the door for her. He ran his arm under her legs and scooped her off the seat, making her squeal. “What are you doing?”
“Carrying my wife so the sand doesn’t bother her.” She never would have guessed, a few months ago, that the man who deceived her into marrying him had such a soft side.
“I fell in love with Singoor,” she said and paused to look at him and added, “just like I fell for you.”
He chuckled as he placed her on steady ground before kissing her on her forehead. “Let’s go get our blessings, and I’ll show you a lot more you can love.”
She held his hands took one step, and froze when she heard a popping sound. It was nothing she had heard before but she knew what it was—a gunshot. “Nakul,” she called out as he held her to him, and out of nowhere, a bunch of dark-clothed men were charging toward them.
She watched in horror as one of the men raised his sword to attack Nakul, only to be kicked down by him. He held her to him as he grabbed the sword from one of the man’s hands and started slaying the men away.
“Now,” he growled, and the next moment she saw the men around them fall to the ground groaning in pain. Aadhya was caught in the middle of what she had only heard about but was not scared for her safety. A moment later, it struck her that her aunt was in the tent.
“Nakul, Rajji—Rajji, she is still in the tent. We need to get her.” She felt helpless, standing behind him as he fought off the attackers.
“Lay down, Aadhya,” he called out as he fought another attacker and fell over her. She didn’t hear gunshots but heard the men around them groan in pain as they fell to the ground. “Secure the perimeter,” he barked into the open air.
He helped her to her feet and rushed her toward the tent, holding her close. They stepped into the now empty section of the tent. There was no sign of a ceremony or a setup of a deity. “Nakul, where is she?”
The next moment, she heard the most chilling voice she had ever heard. “Aadi!” It was her aunt calling out to her and her voice held pain.
“Behind the tent,” Nakul called out and left the tent before her. “Secure the area,” he called out as she stepped outside and saw their security had circled it.
She turned the corner of the tent and froze at the sight in front of her. Nakul was on his knees holding up her aunt, whose chest was drenched in blood, and her aunt holding her neck as if to stop the bleeding. “Aadi, come to me,” her aunt called out to her, and Aadhya was too shocked to move.
“We need medical help. Get the van.” Nakul tried to lift her aunt off the ground, but she refused to move. Not far was a man fallen to the ground, a bloodied three-pronged weapon in his hand.
“Nakul, no. I need to talk to Aadi first.” Aadhya was not processing any of the details as she sat by her aunt and took her bloodied hand. “Aadi, I’m sorry, this is not how it was supposed to happen. I was told you and I would be safe forever, and I was betrayed just like I was twenty years ago. I was foolishly in love to realize I was being played. I’m the one responsible for your parent’s death.” Her aunt struggled for air. “I was told that thePeaceritual would be stopped. I didn’t expect this accident to happen.”
Aadhya’s mouth went dry, and she struggled to breathe.
Her aunt gagged, but she held her neck tightly. “I regret sharing the information about the location and timing of the ritual. I don’t know to this day how your mother’s saree caught fire, setting everything ablaze. I’m sorry for what happened to you, Aadi, but believe me when I say I love you more than anything. I need you to know I regret everything I did, even putting the man you love in danger today.”
Aadhya could not believe her words. “Rajji, no.”
Her aunt looked at Nakul. “In the name of love, I even betrayed my best friend Nandini and lost her forever.” Aadhya saw the shock pass through his face as her aunt’s eyes trailed back to hers.
“I deserve this for believing I was doing this for my first love, but I was wrong and—" There was a sudden silence, and the sound of the wind deafened her. She looked at the loving face of her aunt, unable to accept everything she told her.
Why would her aunt go to such lengths?
