Chapter 3 — Criminal

In the morning, Priya woke up feeling as though she was in someone's embrace, only to find herself face to face with a man.

Overwhelmed with grief, she cried out, "Who killed my Lucky? And why am I only wearing a shirt? Where are my clothes and undergarments?" Her tears flowed uncontrollably as she believed that her love had been taken away from her.

Startled by the sound of her cries, Priyank jolted awake from his sleep and angrily shouted, "Who dares to wake me up? Do you want to die?" Hearing his harsh words, Priya's tears intensified, and she sobbed even harder.

Priyank strained to listen to her cries, and amidst the sound, he realized that he had his angel right there with him. Her voice, even in distress, was like music to his ears. Without hesitation, he gently lifted her onto his lap, disregarding the slight lift of her shirt caused by his sudden action. With a commanding voice, he asked, "Why are you crying, Angel?"

"Let me go, you murderer! You killed my love." Priya cried out in pain.

Priyank's anger flared, and he demanded, "Who is this Lucky you speak of?",

"My dog". In between sobs, Priya managed to utter it.

Priyank's anger subsided slightly, but a tinge of jealousy crept in as he questioned, "How can you call a dog your love?"

Priya defended her affection, saying, "He is my love. My mother said he is like a brother to me." Priyank realized that her mother had influenced her perspective.

Desperate to be released, Priya pleaded, "Let me go! Why did you change my clothes? My mother said no one can touch me without my permission."

Priyank's thoughts raced as he remembered that he had even bathed her.

"And I'm not a baby! How can you just take me in your lap? I'm 18 years old." Priyank thought to himself, "This girl has surely lost her mind", Priya continued.

Taking advantage of the moment, Priya stood up from the bed .

Enraged, Priyank gritted his teeth and growled, "Did I tell you to stand up, Angel?"

"You're not my teacher, who gives me permission to leave his class or stand up like that. I'm not in school anymore; I'm in college, sir," Priya retorted,

Priyank sighed and corrected her, "I'm not a sir. My name is Priyank, and I'm 25 years old."

"Oh! Similar names, Priya and Priyank. And you're a big Priyank at 25." Priyank acknowledged the age difference but thought, "Let it be. Who said I wanted her?"Surprised, Priya exclaimed,

His conscience chimed in, "she is lost with her screw"

Ignoring his conscience, Priyank said, "Your name is Priya."

"I'm not going to tell you my name. I never tell strangers my name." Priya declared.

Priyank facepalmed and thought, "She already told me her name when she joined Priya with Priyank. She's just being difficult. She told her name yesterday too. This is hilarious."

"Okay, don't tell me your name is Priya," Priyank smirked.

"Oh! So you know my name. Can you read minds?" Priya exclaimed.

Priyank thought sarcastically, "This confirms she's a patient who ran away from a mental asylum."

Ignoring her comment, Priyank asked, "So, why did you come here?"

"My pet came here last night. I followed him for a walk, but he ran away. I got here looking for him, and then I found him. You killed him, even though I told you not to," she, with her teary eyes, answered.

Priyank's anger flared, and he retorted, "He's not your love; he's just a dog. And why were you roaming around at night? Where were your parents?"

Priya explained, "My mother asked me to take him for a walk." Priyank questioned her mother's decision, "How could your mom take such risks and let you roam around at night?"

Inquisitively, Priya asked, "Are you from the crime investigation department?"

"What?"

"You're asking questions like them, so I thought you might be able to help me." Priya clarified.

Priyank mentally facepalmed,"What are you even thinking?.

"I'm not thinking anything. It's you who's asking." Angrily, she replied

"Just shut up!"

Immediately, Priya stopped crying, afraid of his anger. She hiccuped and apologized, saying, "I'm sorry."

Priyank questioned her mother's decision, "How could your mom take such risks and let you roam around at night?"

"Are you in school? You're 25 years old." Sarcastically, Priya asked.

Irritated, Priyank replied, "No, I'm not in school. Don't test my patience."

Priya continued, "So, are you in college?"

Frustrated, Priyank snapped, "No, I'm not. I already have several companies."

Priya remarked, "So, why would I test you?"

Annoyed by her nonsensical comments, Priyank's anger grew, more and more .

"Do you have a fever?"

"No."

"Then why do you look like a tomato?"

"I'm angry because of your pointless chatter, girl!" Priyank screamed in her face.

Priya defended herself, saying, "What do you mean pointless? I'm talking sensibly."

Priyank thought to himself, "If this is sensible, I wonder what her nonsensical talk would be like."

His conscience mocked him, "Oh, so you want to hear her talk?",

"Just shut up!", Priyank snapped back .

"Okay, I'm leaving."

Priyank angrily responded, "Who told you to leave?"

"Nobody, but it's basic manners not to stay in a murderer's home. I'm going to complain to the police that you killed my love." Priya explained.

"Do you even know what you're saying? The police won't charge me for killing a dog, and even if I killed you, they couldn't do anything." Priyank, with shock written on his face, questioned

"Oh, Mr. For murder, the police can do anything. They chase criminals and punish them. I've seen it in movies."

"Thud."

Priyank rose to his feet, his hand connecting with Priya's cheek in a resounding slap. With a firm grip on her hand, he pressed her against the wall, his voice seething with anger.

"How dare you leave," he exclaimed, his voice laced with fury.

Confusion clouded Priya's face as she asked, her cheek swollen from the impact, "Is this some kind of truth or dare game we're playing?" She struggled to comprehend the sudden assault.

Frustration etched on his face, Priyank retorted, "Damn it, why do you have to be so clueless?" His voice dripped with exasperation.

Defending herself, Priya replied, her voice filled with determination, "I'm not clueless. I'm right because you said 'how dare,' but we're not playing a game, so why would I dare? Yeah, I have to go."

Priyank sighed, his mind swirling with questions. "Why does she have to leave?" he wondered, his thoughts racing.

His conscience taunted him, reminding him, "Because she doesn't belong to you. She can go wherever she wants. What do you want, huh?"

Another sigh escaped Priyank's lips as he responded, "Are you planning to go outside naked?"

Priya demanded, her voice firm, "Oh yeah, give me my clothes."

Relinquishing his grip on her hand, Priyank instead held her waist, causing her to wince in pain. She pleaded, "Let go of me. You are hurting me with your nails here yesterday. Please, it's painful, just leave."

Releasing her waist, Priyank attempted to inspect her wound, but Priya grabbed his hands, asserting herself. "Hey, nobody is allowed to touch me without my permission. I told you that before, and you're doing it again," she reminded him, her annoyance obvious.

Frustration welled up within Priyank as he retorted, "How dare you try to stop me."

Priya stood her ground, her voice unwavering as she replied, "It's not about daring. It's about what's right."

In a fit of anger, Priyank grabbed Priya's hair, his voice laced with menace as he threatened, "If you open your mouth again, I'm going to cut your tongue."

Silent and fearful, Priya remained quiet, her heart pounding in her chest at his menacing words.

Releasing his grip, Priyank commanded, "Go take a bath. I am going to send someone with clothes." Priya obediently left the room.

Entering the bathroom, Priya proceeded to take a bath. When she emerged, she found a girl waiting for her. Judging by the clothes she held, Priya deduced that she was the maid.

Polite and respectful, the maid handed her the clothes and said, "Ma'am, here are your clothes."

Priya expressed her gratitude and inquired, "Whose dress is this? How did you know my size?"

"The dress was ordered by Sir from a boutique. Please wear it now," the maid replied, her tone courteous.

Priya proceeded to change into the dress, feeling a sense of curiosity about how they knew her size.

Priyank entered the room and casually stated, "You can leave now."

The maid trembled slightly, quickly exiting the room.

"I told her your size," Priyank stated matter-of-factly.

Perplexed, Priya asked, "How do you know my size?"

"When I bathed her, I memorised every inch of her body. Her red hair and red eyes are simply captivating, as if they were a gift from God," Priyank pondered, his thoughts drifting.

Interrupting his musings, Priya repeated her question desperately, "I'm asking you something."

"I don't like it when people ask me questions," Priyank replied, his eyes narrowing as a smirk played on his lips.

Innocently blinking her eyes, Priya countered, "Why? Didn't your teachers ask you questions in school or college?" She brushed her hair aside, her gaze fixed on him.

Changing the subject, Priyank suggested, "Let's go eat."

Priya shrugged, following him to the dining table.

As they sat at the dining table, Priyank's mother arrived home, her eyes immediately drawn to Priya's beauty.

Curiosity piqued, Priyank's mother inquired, "Who are you? And why are your cheeks swollen?"

Priya pointed towards Priyank, her voice tinged with pain, as she replied, "He slapped me," the memory of the assault still fresh in her mind.

Shock registered on Priyank's face at her bold honesty, his anger intensifying.

Fury consumed Priyank's mother as she scolded him, "Why on earth did you slap this girl?"

"Priyank, she's still a child! Why can't you understand that you can't raise your hand against women? First, you injured the servant's arm, and now you slapped this girl. Why can't you control your anger? Why do you always end up fighting?" Priyank's mother exclaimed, her voice filled with disappointment.

Gasping, Priya asked, "What? He injured a servant's arm?"

Priyank clenched his teeth, pleading, "Mom, please don't bring up that topic again, okay?"

Sighing, Priyank's mother thought, "He's not going to listen. Let it be."

Turning her attention to Priya, she asked, "Child, what is your name?"

"I don't tell my name to strangers," Priya replied, her voice firm.

Priyank's mother's stern gaze met Priya's, as she asserted, "Child, I am older, and you must respect your elders."

Apologising, Priya conceded, "Sorry," before adding, "My name is Priya."

Curiosity getting the better of her, Priyank's mother asked, "Why are you here, Priya?"

"Yesterday, my dog accidentally entered your house. I came to retrieve him, but your son shot and killed him. I fainted, and when I woke up, he had changed my clothes and made me sleep in his room. He also injured my waist by digging his nails into it," Priya explained, leaving no detail unmentioned.

Shock washed over Priyank as he witnessed her boldness in speaking the truth.

Growing angrier, Priyank's mother demanded, "How could you kill a dog, Priyank? Why did you change this girl's clothes and make her stay in your room? And why did you hurt her?"

In a fit of rage, Priyank shouted, his hand slamming onto the dining table, causing the glasses to shatter and his hand to bleed.

Fear gripped both Priya and Priyank's mother at the sudden outburst.

"Mom, I don't want to answer. You're irritating me," Priyank shouted, his frustration evident.

Stepping forward, Priya reached out and held his injured hand, concern etched on her face. "You're injured," she stated, her voice filled with genuine worry.

Priyank was taken aback, as his mother had never approached him when he was angry. Yet this little girl had the courage to do so.

As Priya's dress became stained with his blood, Priyank attempted to pull his hand away, but Priya held on firmly.

Priyank's mother watched in astonishment, realising that her son had never allowed any woman to touch him, let alone change his clothes or tend to his injuries. Yet here he was, allowing this girl to do so, even in his anger.

"Aunty, please give me the first aid kit. His injury needs to be treated first,"