Obsessive Flames of Love

Inside Tanvi’s room

“You came?” Ameera asked with relief and glanced at her drenched clothes.

“Why not?” Tanvi teased.

Seeing the slight blush on her wet cheeks, “Who dropped you?” Ameera raised her head from the bed and inquired.

“Dhruv. Teqware founder.” Tanvi replied while removing her sneakers and cleaning herself.

“What the…” Ameera was dumbfounded and jumped out of bed.

“Yep,” chuckled Tanvi. “I’ve made a fool out of myself today.”

Ameera laughed, “I heard he’s good looking. How is he?”

“He’s damn hot.” With that, Tanvi waved her hand onto her face, and Ameera’s eyes widened.

“Woah!!”

“He took my number.”

“For?” Ameera knitted her brows.

“Hanging out, I guess.” Tanvi shrugged her hands.

“Is he flirting with you?” Ameera blurted when Tanvi spilled out the water in her mouth.

“What the fuck?”

“Hehe! Cool down.”

“It sort of felt good, though.”

“What if it worked between you too?”

“Shut your nasty mouth.”

“Hey, listen. If not, then why does he need your number? He can have anyone else’s, right?” Amara raised her point, which seemed too obvious to her.

“How’d I know?” Tanvi shrugged.

“Screw you.” Ameera shot her with a pillow, and their blabbering went on.

…

A Few months later, at Cafe coffee day

Tanvi and Dhruv sat facing each other when the smell of coffee tempted her. Tanvi licked her lips while Dhruv was smiling at her. “Damn! He’s making my flutter.”

“Let’s order something?” He asked while giving his hand.

“Sure.” Her cheeks reddened and grabbed his hand.

“Cold coffee.” They said in unison and chuckled glancing at each other.

Sat at the corner table when the bright sun rays were falling on it, providing her with warmth in the cool winter. She rubbed her hands and cupped the coffee cup before taking a sip when Dhruv was observing her every move, and a slight smile was spreading across his lips.

“Let’s go to a movie?” asked Dhruv while biting his lips and shifting to her side.

“Now?” She peeped at him.

With a hum, he continued, “Matney show?”

She gave a cheerful smile while showing a thumbs up, “Done.”

While roaming inside the mall, “let’s move out?” Dhruv questioned Out of the blue and she remained struck hearing that.

Tanvi gaped at him and asked while squinting, “to where?”

“Near to your office. We’ll be taking a flat.” Dhruv admitted by squeezing her hands while looking her in the eye.

“For what?” She questioned, still unbelievable that they were having this talk.

“Because you’re stressing yourself out in traveling,” Dhruv said earnestly by placing his hand on her shoulder to which she felt protected.

Tanvi bit her lips, “Um. Okay. Can we find a decent house easily in Mumbai? Impossible.” She humphed.

“It’s not for you, but I can,” Dhruv smirked proudly and pecked on her cheek lovingly.

“Ey! Fine you got me then.”

“Good.” He mumbled, which she heard, and her heartbeat increased.

“A.. ah… Dhruv.” She squealed in panic as the realization sunk in.

“Ha!”

“Will you be with me in that house?” Tanvi inquired while her eyes narrowed. A little bit of anxiousness was visible to him.

“What do you want me to do?” He asked in return making her baffled,

“I mean, I’ll take that house for myself, and we can hang out at times instead of always living together.” She suggested in a careful tone, not to disappoint him.

“Are you sure?”

“Mm-Hmm.”

“Okay then. Anyhow, my house is nearer to your new one. So I can rest assured.” Dhruv chuckled, and Tanvi relaxed in his arms.

…

A few months later. Inside Tanvi’s house.

“Want to try a few dresses?” Dhruv asked while he sat beside her on the couch when Tanvi was fuming with anger.

“Nope. I’m good.” She said, moved her gaze to the television, and increased the volume.

“Come on. I know you’re a fashion freak.” Dhruv came closer to her and caged her in his broad arms.

Tanvi gaped, “after what you did, you’ve got the guts to ask like this?” Tanvi gritted her teeth while thinking.

Dhruv chuckled, “I’m sorry, babe. Let me make it up to you?” He tried to calm her by doing what pleases her.

Tanvi stood up and went into the kitchen when Dhruv followed her. She wanted a strong aberration to get deviated from his presence, “Tanvi. You’re angry, don’t give in easily to him.” She reminded herself.

But Dhruv had other plans, he hugged her from behind and consumed the distance between them. She protested but finally gave in because that’s what she missed from him in the past weeks.

The close bond they carry was falling apart, and that scared her. “Because she loved him more than herself.”

After an hour

“Shall we now?” Dhruv asked while kissing her forehead.

“Okay.” She looked at her feet to avert her gaze while her lips pressed into a thin line.

…

Inside Forever 21

With the bright illuminations, people were passing through them, glancing at all the dresses surrounding her.

“This looks good, Know?” Ameera asked, pointing at an off-shoulder black one-piece while her eyes gleamed.

Stared at Tanvi and peeped at the dress, he shook his head while his eyes narrowed at her pout.

“Ah! This is the 10th shop we’re looking for, and we haven’t found one dress.” She screamed in frustration while his eyes focused on her.

“What?”

“Let me find one then?”

“Uh! You gotta be kidding me?”

Dhruv chuckled, “I know what you need, babe.”

“Okay then. Get me one.” She said while shrugging her hands and sitting in the chair.

“Here, try this.” Dhruv gave her an A-line maroon dress and shoved her to the trial room when the people beside them felt jealous of her with the love and care Dhruv showed for her.

“She sure is lucky to have such a boyfriend.” A worker mumbled.

“Yes. My boyfriend never does those things.” Another one was added.

“Ha! My boyfriend won’t even take me to do shopping.” Another complained.

Tanvi chuckled hearing them and felt blessed.

“Woah! Your selection is indeed amazing.” Tanvi praised Dhruv and patted his shoulder.

“See! That’s what I always say, but you won’t listen to me.” He teased.

“Errr… don’t you think you’ve gone overboard.”

“Nope.”

“You’re shameless.” Tanvi stuck her tongue out and began running out of the shop.

“You can’t escape from me.” He smirked, and they laughed when he caught her, and the passers-by were giving ridiculous stares at them.

“Don’t they’ve anything to do, instead of mocking us?” Tanvi huffed.

Dhruv smiled, “forget about them. Let’s go to…?”

“Beach!”

“No!! Marine drive.” He said.

“I’m bored to go there.”

“I’ve no interest to go to the beach.” Their bickering continued.

A few months later

Tanvi stood outside on the road on a bustling day with the blazing sun scorching her cheeks. “Do you know where Dhruv is?” That question pricked her hard. Her mind kept on echoing with the same enigma, over and over.

“I don’t want to doubt him, but these days he sounds a little more than strange to me.” Tanvi reflected, while her heart was becoming heavy with an unknown emotion driving her insane.

People and vehicles were moving as fast as they can beside her, and children were running on the streets while street vendors were shouting ice cream. Dried leaves fell on the roads, and the hot breeze burned her body.

“Everything was perfect except me.” She thought, feeling stuck over there. Fidgeting with the buttons on her black shirt, while her sneakers were buzzing with the tapping of her foot. Hair strands slipped onto her neck from the messy bun with blows of wind.

“Let me find it out. There’s nothing wrong to go there, right?” She asserted but sounded more like convincing herself.

“If I found nothing, then I’ll be at ease.” With that, She hopped into a car. Her hands were becoming sweaty with the fear inside her with each passing minute. “What if their words became true?” Her mind was attacking her with all the puzzles about Dhruv.

Finally, the car halted across a huge twenty story apartment. Tanvi paid the bill and stepped down. Looking at the building, she felt her legs were being tied up to go ahead.

Tanvi gathered her courage and strode as fast as she can. She even tripped in between while hurrying into the mentioned address with unexplainable emotions. Stared at the door, her one hand held the knock while the other gripped her shirt tightly.

Screams were coming from inside, but they were not clear enough to go in. “I’ll place my ear on the door.” She decided and heard, “Ah, baby! Let me fuck you.”

Hearing Dhruv’s voice from inside, her mind went blank. She opened the door without any thought and befell into oblivion, facing it as if a bolt of lightning pricked her.

Shouts deafened her, and her breath paused without knowing how long? Staring at Dhruv’s intense position with another woman in his arms, making out lovingly with her, broke Tanvi.

The simmer of hurt in her cracked out into unstoppable tears and Dhruv remain dumbfounded by her presence. He dressed up and came out when Tanvi was boiling inside.

“What’s this, Dhruv?” She confronted in a wobbly tone.Content from NôvelDr(a)ma.Org.

Dhruv didn’t even have the tiniest bit of shame and said, “I liked her.”

“Have you gone mad?” Tanvi shouted.

“Being with you makes me insane, Tanvi.” He cursed with disgust.

“Oh! Don’t bluff. Come on, leave all this shit here and come with me.” She grabbed his hand while wiping her tears to preserve her love for an unworthy man.

“We can give it a fresh start Dhruv.” She stressed, controlling her emotions.

Then he gave a wicked grin and yelled, “I’m tired of you, Tanvi.”

Dhruv made himself free from her grip, “I can’t start it afresh with you. I can’t handle you anymore. You are driving me nuts. Your possessiveness, your dramas. I’m done with everything about you.” He screamed and cussed at her with utmost hatred that tore her inside.

“What did I do to make you talk like this with me?” She asked puzzled by his loathing on her.

“You told me that You loved me? Is this what you called love?” She questioned him.

“Stop your bullshit Tanvi! No man will be with you from now on if you’re like this! Goodbye! I can’t bear your presence anymore. Don’t ever come in front of me to show that disgusting face of yours.” Dhruv uttered each word with burning hatred from his eyes and voice that shattered her heart.

He broke her emotionally and mentally. His words imprinted in her heart and mind. Tanvi felt destroyed and defeated by the words Dhruv used and ran away in an attempt to escape the harsh reality that shoved her into the darkness.

Later, he became a cruel monster who engraved unbearable fear in her each nerve to the point that she was broken, beyond repair.

His very presence terrified the hell out of her. The despicable things he did to her, the pain he instilled in her, made her crumble. The brutal treatment from him imprinted a life-lasting hurt in her.