It was rare—so rare that he couldn’t recall a single time he had seen her like this. Even when she cried, disheveled and trembling in the past, he had thought she was beautiful. But now, as her lips curved effortlessly, as laughter danced in her eyes, he realized just how much he had been deprived. He had never seen her smile like this. Never heard her laugh. Never been the reason for her joy.

Pain rang through his heart like a haunting echo.

He had tried to make her laugh once. He had tried to pull words from her, to hear that soft, sweet voice willingly leave her lips. But she had never let him in. It was as if she had locked away her true self, guarding her smiles and laughter as if they were a treasure—offering him only the empty shell of her body while keeping the essence of who she was sealed away. He had touched her, taken her, claimed her, but he had never reached her.

Yet now, here she was—offering her smiles freely to others, as if they deserved them.

And suddenly, he understood something crucial.

Her happiness was untouchable. Sacred.

No matter how much he wanted to storm in, drag her back, and lock her away from the world, he couldn’t bring himself to disturb her. Not when she looked this radiant. Instead, all he could do was watch. Worship her from the shadows like a sinner kneeling before a goddess.

But it was becoming unbearable.

Three and a half months had passed since he had last touched her, seen her up close.

For the first two months, he had been completely in the dark, unaware of her whereabouts. And for the last month and a half, after finally finding her, he had done nothing but stand there, hidden from her view, watching her live a life that did not include him.

At first, he had convinced himself that just seeing her happy was enough. That if he truly loved her, he would let her be free.

But he was lying to himself.

He couldn’t live without her. He didn’t want to.

No matter how much he tried to let go, his longing only grew stronger. He wanted to be the reason for her laughter. He wanted to see her smile, not just from a distance, but up close, where he could reach out and trace it with his fingers. He wanted to spoil her, break every single wall she had built around herself until she had no choice but to trust him, depend on him, belong to him.

And so, he finally gave in.

He picked up his phone. He called her.

And he threatened her.

And just like that, he fucked it up again.

The moment the words left his mouth, he knew. He knew he had destroyed something fragile, something that could have been salvaged if he had only been patient.

Because now, her time of peace was over.

Her smile was gone.

The thought of finally bringing her back thrilled him—it excited him. But at the same time, for the first time, he felt something else. Unlike before, he wasn’t just thinking about possessing her. Now, he cared about every one of her emotions, every flicker of pain that passed through her eyes. And he knew—this time, it wasn’t going to be easy.

But none of that mattered.

Because everything was bound to happen.

She was going to become his again.

Sitting in his dimly lit room, his eyes locked onto the CCTV footage as she stepped out of her house. He watched closely, his breath catching at the sight of her face.

Her cheeks were swollen.

Her eyes—puffy.

She had cried.

A sharp exhale left his lips, irritation curling in his gut. He *hated* seeing her like this. But more than that, he hated that he was the reason for it.

His eyes stayed glued to the screen as she began walking toward her workplace. With a flick of his fingers, he switched between the camera feeds, tracking every step she took. He was done waiting.

Now, he was just watching for the right moment.

And he knew—he wouldn’t have to wait long.

Because no matter how much she ran, no matter how much she tried to escape him…

She would always be his.

Aasha

It's been a week that I got call from him. I was shredded into pieces thinking what I can do now. Mu father was with him and he is keeping a watch on me. I want to got to police station but I still remember his threat. And considering the fact that he had a watch on her she us sure he would approach her if she visits police station.

That's why she decided. She decided to leave the village. To run away again. Her father can take care of himself. He was selfish enough to give her away for money. And she was sure he would take care of himself for being such selfish man to her. Or she can just take care of this matter once she falls out of this village and escape his watch.

With a shawl wrapped around my body and a bag in my hand I began yp exit the temple. Knowing he had a watch on Mr would only ne dumb to exit KY hoise at night. That gives him clear idea about what she is intending to. Though the temple was also lame enough, she should try a way out. She've been fearing of him for a whole week before she decided to take up the dare again.