Page 89 of Mrs. Pandey
Chapter 42
IRA
I was happy, no, happier when I was with Prashant. It wasn't just his smile or the way his voice could melt the sharp edges of a bad day. He had this effortless way of making the world feel lighter, brighter, more alive.
When he was near, the air seemed warmer, the colors sharper. My chest felt full in a way I couldn't explain, and all I wanted was to wake up to his face every morning. He was, without question, the most beautiful person I had ever seen. Not just outside, but through and through.
I was at my desk, half-buried in a pile of paperwork, when my phone lit up. The sudden vibration startled me, and I glanced at the screen.
The name there froze the air in my lungs.
Kabir.
My heartbeat spiked, my pulse hammering so hard it almost drowned out the sound of the ringtone. I stared for a second too long before pressing "ignore."
It rang again.
This time, I didn't even hesitate. I silenced it. Let it buzz itself into oblivion. I wasn't answering him. Not today. Not ever, if I could help it.
I was just starting to gather my scattered focus when my eyes caught a movement on the screen. A new notification, it was images.
From him.
And then I saw her.
Pari.
A tight knot formed in my throat as my stomach lurched.
"She's beautiful, isn't she, Ira?" His voice came through in a recording he'd sent, low and dripping with something oily. "She's studying in one of the most prestigious colleges in Delhi and living alone. No one is around to keep her safe. So I thought...maybe I should be the one to protect her."
My hands shook as I opened the images. Selfies. Kabir and Pari. She was smiling in some, awkward in others completely unaware of the poison standing beside her.
My chest burned. How had I been so stupid? How had I forgotten? Kabir was a doctor at AIIMS, he could find his way into almost any hospital, any college. And Pari was studying for her MBBS. She was right there, vulnerable.
But the question that tore through my mind was darker: How did he know what the Prashant sisters looked like?
I typed fast, my fingers trembling. "If you try to hurt her, Kabir... trust me, you won't survive the next morning."
His reply was instant. "Are you threatening me?"
My jaw clenched. "I'm promising you."
He laughed, an ugly, grating sound I could practically hear even though it was only words on a screen. "I enjoy my time with Pari Pandey. She's so... innocent and pure. But still she's not you, Ira. I want you. You ran from me, broke our marriage, betrayed me. If you can't be mine, I'll make sure you can't belong to anyone else. And when I'm done with your sweet sister-in-law. Prashant will never forgive you."
His words were knives, each one sinking deeper into my gut.
I typed without thinking. "You will not touch her. If you do, I'll rip your skin from your body. That's not a threat, Kabir, it's a guarantee."
His last message came like the slam of a door. "Let's see what you're capable of, Ira."
The screen dimmed, but the tension didn't fade. My hand was still tight around the phone, knuckles white.
Somewhere deep inside, fear coiled like a snake. But beneath it, hotter and sharper, was something else, rage.
And I was about to make sure Kabir understood exactly what I was capable of.
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