Chapter Eighty Eight.

Chapter Eighty Eight.
The rain had been relentless for hours, hammering against the windows like it was trying to break through.

The occasional rumble of thunder shook the air, but Veda was curled up on her bed, laptop balanced on her thighs, lost in work.

Her blanket was wrapped snugly around her, the soft hum of her fan competing with the sound of rain.

She was midway through typing a sentence when..

BANG!

The loud knock jolted her fingers still. She froze, blinking at the screen for a second before looking toward her door.

Another heavy, impatient thud followed, rattling the wood.

Veda’s eyes flicked to the digital clock on her bedside table.

10:03 PM. The red numbers blinked at her.

Her brows furrowed.

Who on earth…?

She hadn’t ordered food. None of her neighbors had mentioned dropping by.

And in this weather? Nobody sane would be out.

Pushing her laptop aside, she untangled herself from her blanket and set her feet onto the cold floor, shivering slightly.

The apartment was quiet except for the storm outside.

As she padded out of her room and toward the door, the uneasy feeling crept up her spine, heavier with each step.

The next bang was sharper. More impatient. Her stomach tightened.

She swallowed hard, hesitating just a second before unlocking it.

The metallic click echoed too loud in the stillness. She turned the handle, pulled the door open..and froze.

Her breath hitched.

Standing there, drenched from head to toe, rain dripping from his hair and down the hard lines of his jaw, was Varun.

Her eyes widened, her face draining of color.

He didn’t move at first, just stood in the dim hallway light, his boots soaking her doormat, his wet shirt clinging to his chest and shoulders.

But it was his eyes, intense, unblinking, locked on her, that rooted her in place.

“Veda.” he said softly. Almost tenderly. Too tenderly.

She instinctively stepped back, her throat dry. “W…why are you here?” Her voice barely made it out.

“I found you.”

Before she could react, his hand shot out, gripping her arm, pulling her into him. His arms closed around her like steel, holding her in a suffocating embrace.

Veda gasped, the cold and wet of his body seeping into her clothes, her skin crawling.

She pushed against him, her voice shaking. “Varun..stop!”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he murmured against her hair. “Why did you leave without a word?”

She shoved at his chest with all her strength, finally breaking free, her breathing rapid.

Her eyes darted toward the door. “What are you doing here? How did you even find me?”

His steps closed the gap she created, forcing her backward into the living room. “I have my ways.” His tone was calm. Too calm.

Veda’s breath trembled. “Please leave, Varun.”

He reached for her again, fingers curling around her wrist this time. His grip was unyielding, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Stop moving away from me, Veda. I don’t like it.”

“Because you keep coming closer, and I don’t like it.” she shot back, her voice low but shaking.

And then, he smiled.

Just a small curl of the lips, but it sent a chill down her spine. With his wet hair falling over his forehead, the dark shadow of stubble along his jaw, and the storm rumbling behind him, it wasn’t a warm smile. It was… unsettling.

“Well..” he said in a voice just above a whisper, “I like it, Veda. I like you… close to me.”

Her pulse was pounding so hard she swore he could hear it.

The storm outside roared, but in the space between them, it was too quiet, only the sound of her shaky breathing and the occasional drip of rainwater hitting her floor from his clothes.

“Varun…” she warned, but her voice came out smaller than she wanted.

He tilted his head slightly, studying her like she was something fragile… or something he owned. “You ran from me.” His words weren’t a question, they were an accusation. “Do you have any idea what that did to me?”

Veda’s back hit the wall before she realized she’d run out of space. “I didn’t run from you..” she lied quickly. “I came here for my training—”

“Don’t,” he cut her off sharply. That single word felt like a knife in the air between them. His eyes darkened. “Don’t stand there and lie to me, Veda. You left because of me..”

Her throat tightened. She wished she could deny it more convincingly, but the way he was looking at her made every excuse crumble.

“Varun, please… this isn’t okay. You can’t just show up like this.”

“I can..” he said simply, as though it was the most natural thing in the world. “I will. Whenever I want, Veda. Wherever you are.”

Her stomach sank.

He stepped forward again, slow and deliberate, closing the distance. His wet clothes brushed against her nightshirt, and she flinched. “You think you can hide from me in some small apartment?” he murmured. “You’re mine, Veda. You’ve always been mine.”

“I’m not—” she started, but he lifted his hand suddenly, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek.

The gesture would have been gentle if not for the possessive look in his eyes.

“You are..” he whispered. “Even when you hate me, even when you run, you’re still mine.”

Her breath caught. She wanted to scream, to push him away, to run out the door into the rain, but her legs felt like lead.

The thunder outside cracked loud enough to make her jump, and that small reaction made him smirk faintly. “You’re trembling.”

“I’m cold.” she lied again.

He leaned closer, his breath warm despite the chill of the rain on him. “Then I’ll warm you.”

Veda’s heart thudded painfully. “Varun… leave. Now.”

“It’s raining…” Varun’s voice dropped even lower, almost a whisper. “I can’t leave.”

Veda swallowed hard. “Then… how did you come here?”

“I walked.” His answer was simple, but the way he said it, calm, almost pleased with himself, made her skin prickle.

His eyes didn’t leave her face, and then… he smiled again. That slow, unsettling smile.

She wished more than anything that he would just turn around and walk out the door.