RAYA BALH Fan Fiction OS : Love Story 2

PART 2

But who could have known that Ram would choose to rebuild the broken trust between them? He had left the party soon after Priya, walking quickly toward the parking lot, barely acknowledging Ashwin's questions. Ram realized the awful mistake he had made. He couldn’t understand what had gotten into him—why had he lashed out at Priya when it was those men who had been staring at her inappropriately? Not just staring, but whispering crude comments, discussing their perverted fantasies about her. The anger had consumed him, and his mind had blurred with rage. But when Priya slapped him, it shook him back to reality. Her tears made him realize the extent of what he’d done. He hated himself for the hurtful things he’d said to her. He wanted nothing more than to beg for her forgiveness. It wasn’t her fault she was so beautiful that men couldn’t control themselves. She had no control over that, and neither did he.

Sitting in his expensive sports car, Ram grabbed his phone. He had to find Priya and tell her he hadn’t meant what he’d said. He traced her number, and when he found out where she was, his jaw dropped. She was 70 kilometers away from the city. How could she have gotten there so fast? He realized she must have been driving at nearly 140 km/h, and he slapped himself in disbelief.

Ram followed the directions on his phone, driving to the location where Priya was. But when he got there, all he saw was a desolate highway. The air was growing colder, and it looked like rain would start at any moment. He got out of the car, scanned the surroundings, but there was no sign of Priya or her car. He tried to imagine where she could have gone, and then an idea hit him. Maybe she had pulled off the road. He spotted fresh tire tracks on the asphalt and followed them. 

Soon enough, he found her. Priya was lying on the cold grass beside her car, dressed too lightly for the weather. Ram knelt down and gently traced a finger along her cheek. Her skin was freezing, and fear gripped him. She could catch a cold or worse if she stayed out there. He knew he couldn’t just wake her up—he had to take her to his car and warm her up.

He lifted her fragile body into his arms, carrying her toward his car. Her head rested on his shoulder, and her forehead pressed against his neck. He could feel her warm breath against his skin, sending a shiver of relief through him. For a moment, his possessive thoughts crept in, but he pushed them away. Her safety mattered more than anything else right now.

Just then, the rain started falling in heavy, fat drops, as though it hadn’t rained in years. The cold water hit them, making Priya stir in her sleep and slowly open her eyes. She blinked in confusion, clearly not expecting to find herself in his arms.

Ram kept his face expressionless, carrying her back toward the highway where his car awaited.

“Let me go,” she murmured, her voice low but proud.

“I don’t think so,” Ram replied quietly. “You’re freezing, and you need to warm up.”

“It’s none of your business,” she snapped, her eyes narrowing in anger as she tried to pull away from him.

Ram set Priya down beside his car. She spun around furiously, ready to walk to her own car, but he wouldn't let her leave. In an instant, he grabbed her wrist, pulling her toward him with such force that she didn't have time to react. He kissed her hard, pressing his lips to hers in a fierce, passionate kiss. Priya didn't understand what was happening; one moment, she was standing, and the next, her back was pressed against the hot hood of the car. Ram’s weight pressed down on her, his body holding her firmly in place, not giving her a chance to escape. He pinned her wrists above her head with one hand and held her chin with the other, ensuring she couldn’t turn away.

Priya struggled, trying to kick him, but he anticipated every move. The more she tried to fight him off, the more intense and wild his kiss became. She had never been kissed like this before—not even close. She had experienced kisses before, but they were clumsy, and awkward, and never made her feel anything like this.

To her horror, her body began to respond to him, despite the anger and pain that surged through her. She had never imagined herself falling for someone who had hurt her so deeply with his accusations. But now, as he kissed her, she couldn’t help but picture a past version of herself—another woman in his arms, perhaps in the same way he was kissing her now. The thought pierced her heart more than his harsh words ever had. She refused to let herself be just another one of his fleeting lovers.

Priya had fallen for him from the first moment they met, but she had known, deep down, that Ram didn’t love her. He was only interested in short-term pleasures, not anything real or lasting. Many men had wanted to marry her, but she had rejected them all because none of them made her feel what Ram did, even if he didn’t feel the same way about her.

She wasn’t a toy, something to be used and discarded when convenient. And with all the strength she could muster, she bit down on Ram’s tongue when he tried to deepen the kiss. The moment she dreamed about—yet now wanted to end—was broken by her defiance.

Ram let out a sharp gasp of pain, pulling away from her, his eyes filled with disapproval.

"Let me go!" Priya gasped, her lungs burning from the lack of oxygen. "Are you insane?" she demanded.

Ram tightened his grip on her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. "You’re not going anywhere, Priya," he said, his voice low and determined. "Not this time, not ever."

Priya tried again to break free, but his hold was unyielding. She had never felt so powerless, so trapped, even though she prided herself on being strong. But Ram was different—he was strong in ways she hadn’t imagined.

"Go ahead, scream if you want," he taunted, his voice thick with authority. "But there’s no one around to help you. What will you do, scream for nothing or listen to me?"

Priya clenched her teeth in anger, sending him a look filled with contempt. She didn’t respond. She just wanted to escape this moment, escape him.

Ram watched her silently for a moment before speaking again, his tone turning serious. "You want to know the truth? I saw something in you the first time we met. I didn’t fully understand it then, but I knew you were special. I made a mistake by letting you walk away from me, and I’ve been paying for that mistake ever since. You entered my life without me even realizing it, and now I can’t get you out of my head."

His voice grew more intense, full of emotion. "When I see other men eyeing you, I can’t stand it. I want to punch them, tell them to keep their hands off you. Because you’re not just another woman to me, Priya. I know you. And every time I see someone look at you the way they do, all I feel is rage."

He stopped, looking at her for any reaction, but Priya was silent, her gaze distant. He was searching her eyes, desperate for her to believe him. But as he tightened his grip on her wrists, he realized too late that he was hurting her. He loosened his hold, cursing himself for not noticing sooner how fragile she was.

Priya didn’t speak, but her silence only made him more uncertain. Was she giving him one last chance to explain, or was this truly the end?

"I beg you, Priya, please forgive me for what I said at the party. It's not your fault that all men admire you. It's my fault for not protecting you from them. I was blinded by jealousy and couldn’t think clearly. I didn’t realize how much I hurt you until after you left. I’m so sorry for those harsh words. I wasn’t myself back then."

Priya looked at him calmly, her gaze firm. There was no anger in her eyes, but there was no warmth either. "You acted like I was your wife who had deceived you," she said, her voice steady. "But you know I’m not."

Ram’s heart sank as he realized the depth of her words. "I agree. I was wrong, Priya. I’m the only one to blame for not telling you how I feel sooner."

He looked at her with regret, his hands loosening from her shoulders. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around her in a gentle embrace. Priya allowed him to pull her into a standing position again.

"I love you, Priya. There’s no reason to keep it a secret anymore. I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life, but losing you would be worse than death. All I regret is that it took me so long to realize that my life has no meaning without you by my side."

Priya’s heart raced at his confession, but her expression remained unchanged. "So, what now, Ram Kapoor? Do you think I’ll be happy just because you’ve confessed? You’re right. It took you too long to open up."

His words hit her harder than she expected. She’d wanted to hear him say those things for so long, but the timing felt wrong. She never imagined he would confess after their fight. It wasn’t how she had envisioned her perfect love story.

"I can’t expect you to return my feelings," Ram continued, his voice filled with regret. "Even if you can’t forgive me, I need you to know that you’re everything to me. I can’t lose you again. I’ve hurt you so much with my indifference. I don’t understand why I was so foolish. You have every right to slap me, kick me, or even hate me for what I’ve done."

Priya could see the sincerity in his eyes. She knew he regretted everything—his words, his actions. The sadness in his eyes made her feel a pang of guilt, even though he was the one who had started their argument.

"Ram," she whispered, watching him look away in shame. "There’s still so much left unsaid between us. Yes, your words hurt me like a knife in my heart, but even after all of it, I couldn’t hate you."

Ram’s heart lifted at her words, but there was still sorrow in her face, and he longed to erase that sadness. The smile he had seen on her lips at the party was the one he wanted to see again—the one he had wiped away with his unthinking accusations.

"I love you too, Ram. All these years, I’ve loved you. And even now, after everything you said at the party, I can’t bring myself to stop loving you."

Her confession struck him like a jolt. Priya, his Priya, loved him too. But why did she look so sad? Was her love for him more of a burden than a blessing? His heart twisted at the thought.

Priya lost in her memories, looked down, the pain evident in her expression. 

"But you never noticed how I felt about you," she said, her voice breaking. "You always looked the other way. You had crushes and love affairs, but you never wanted me. So why are you telling me now that you love me?"

Ram’s heart clenched with guilt. "I wanted to protect you."

"From what?" Priya’s voice rose. "From yourself?"

"Yes. And from myself too," Ram murmured, his voice filled with regret.

Priya stood tall, her pride shining through. "Then you need to understand this, Ram. I don’t need anyone to protect me."

To be continued...