“Nandana’s words snatch the ground under my feet. I try to gauge the intensity of her abhorrence in her eyes. Those have loathing but more than that they have disbelief, uncertainty and confusion. My suspicions get ground. Nandana might have heard Billu’s words and believed all. She might not be unconscious during his assertions. It is obvious that she has been shocked to know all this about her loved one and reacted in this way due to anger and perplexion. She will understand if you can make her understand. My astute mind tries to convince me. I purse my lips in determination and take a deep breath. Aditya Oberoi can turn any adverse situation into positive ones. I lean towards her and place my staunch eyes on her fuddled ones.”

“Look, whatever you heard from that guy is not true. He was a bloody burglar. And I am sure he is a crazy man too. He mistook me as some other person. Couldn’t you see how desperate he was to get money in return for your life? You relax and try to forget all these. Look, I kicked him out of our house. You just think that nothing happened in the past few hours. Erase those bad moments from your memory. Let me call Dr Nikhanj. You need rest and medicine. We will talk when you will be totally in your sense. I know right now; you are very confused and traumatised.”

Aditya affirms and stretches his hand to touch Nandana’s cheek but she retrieves like an alert serpentine and in the next moment, gets down from the bed.

“Erase those moments just the way you tried to erase my past from my life? Mr Aditya Oberoi, I remember everything. Not because that guy told every truth about you. In fact, I couldn’t hear him for a long but before that, I could feel the same fear when he and his partners kidnapped me. I could feel the same suffocation and helplessness which I experienced in that dark car….Ufff…how horrific that was. I was struggling for breathing; I was struggling for life. But…but that darkness…that darkness was engulfing me…They were throttling me, beating me. I …I was sinking…ufff….Papaaa…”

Nandana pauses while pressing her temples and staggers. Aditya rushes towards her restlessly and almost yells,

“Nandita, stop thinking about all these. You are not well…lie down and sleep.”

Nandana again steps back showing her hand to stop his eager pace.

“I have slept enough, Mr Oberoi. Now you wake up. Maybe you didn’t hear me exactly. I not only remember how I was kidnapped by that goon, but I also remember my real name. I am not Nandita. I am Nandana Basu. Daughter of Vivek Basu. And you…you are that guy who tried to buy my dignity with your money.”

She hisses and continues,

“Now…now I can figure it out…why I kept on dreaming about those hazy figures inside a car? That pain in my head (She touches the faded mark on her forehead). Because, because they hit me here and perhaps…perhaps I lost my memories due to that injury. And you…you tried to convince me that I lost my memory in an accident. You lied about my identity, my name, our relationship…You lied about everything because you were the one who kidnapped me. You Devil..”

She loses her control. Her eyes are spitting fires. For a moment, Aditya keeps on staring at her with a bewildered expression. Gradually, his jaws get hard. The bafflement in his eyes is replaced with a sly diabolic emotion. He thrusts his hands into his pocket and walks toward Nandana with a slow yet determined gait.

“Well, you again honoured me with a new name, Mrs Nandita Oberoi….oopps..Ms Nandana Basu…uhhhhuuu…Mrs….Ms….shit, I am confused (He fakes a puppy face). But as you called me a Devil, I should keep the worth of my name. Isn’t it, Ms or Mrs? So, let me tell you the whole story. I know your sharp brain has awakened from a loooo..ng sleep but still, you are confused about many things which only I yes, this Devil can clear. So, here it is…”

Aditya halts for a moment. Till then, both almost reach the wall, adjacent to the bathroom door. As Aditya neared Nandana, she retrieved the same distance. But now she has no place to increase the gap. Aditya observes it and smirks.

“Think about escaping later. First, listen to the whole story, Baby. This Devil’s story.”

Suddenly Aditya turns and again walks to the centre of the room and starts with a virile and intimidating voice.

“This story started when I first met you in your school. You had something which triggered me to have you in my bed. At least for once (He chuckles at Nandana and she breaks her eye contact with disgust). But you refused. Like a moral-bound middle-class girl, you refused me. Never mind. But you did a mistake. The biggest mistake of your life. You slapped me. Tch...Tch…Tch…Ms Basu. Wrong move. You shouldn’t have done this. That slap was like a burden to me, and I don’t owe anyone. So, I kidnapped you. Just to repay the debt but in my style (He winks). But unfortunately, or fortunately, you lost your memory.”

Aditya shrugs and walks to his left side bending his head as he is thinking about something.

“Then I thought nothing could be better than this. Well, I could have made you mine forcefully but…(He looks at Nandana and shrugs) what could be better to have you with your full consent? So, I thought to give you a completely new identity, a new name, and a new relationship. I wiped out your past from your life, Ms Basu and made you mine as Mrs Nandita Aditya Oberoi. Once you hurt my ego; in return, I snatched your everything. Now, you will have to live with this Devil only. Tch…Tch.. my mistake...(He taps his forehead as he is trying to recall something) With your Brute. Remember you named me this…so lovingly, my Angel. I am your handsome Brute, my Angel. I am sure you haven’t forgotten it!”

Aditya gives a sinister smile and ambles to Nandana. She presses herself more to the wall.

“No…I am not Nandita Oberoi. You took advantage of my amnesia. This marriage is a farce…a deceit. I will tell everything to the police. I will tell the police how dangerous you are. You are a liar, a killer…”

Nandana’s voice is trembling. Tears are streaming down her cheeks. She is not crying because today she came to know everything about her past, but she is crying that suddenly her life has become the biggest lie. The man she loved, the man she trusted the most and the man she started to believe as her whole life is actually the source of her every pain. Once she named him her Brute, but she didn’t know how brutally he has ruined her life. A suppressed sob let out of her mouth. Aditya towers her hostilely when his eyes fall on her tears. A sharp pang jabs his heart. The fire in his eyes gets suppressed.

“Yes, I am a liar, I am a killer. I kidnapped you but that is my past, Nandana. Like you, I also wiped out my past life. I agree that I wanted you out of my lust but today I want you for my love. Can’t you see? I have changed, Nandana. I changed for you. Can’t you forgive me and give me one chance to mend my mistake? Can’t you forget everything and start a new life with me? I love you, Nandana…trust me.”

Aditya mouths helplessly. Right now, he just wants to embrace Nandana and be lost in their world. Nandana meets his eyes. Her eyes have pain, love, anger, void and abhorrence everything.

“I trusted you, Mr Aditya Oberoi. I trusted you more than anything. I trusted you over my Papa. But you don’t deserve anyone’s trust, anyone’s love. Probably for so, God snatched every love and loved one from your life. You are actually a Brute who doesn’t have a heart. Who can’t love. Who only has lust and hunger for flesh. I hate you, Aditya. I can’t forgive you.”

She hisses out by controlling her emotional outburst. For a moment, both keep on looking at each other’s eyes. Both eyes have pain and rage at a time. First Nandana breaks the eye contact and tries to distance herself. She wants to leave this place at once. Only then, Aditya’s voice halts her pace.

“You are right. I am indeed a Brute. A heartless creature. I can’t love anyone. Thank you for the reminder, otherwise, I was fooling myself that I actually love you. So, when you have come to know my actual characteristic, I have to show you my true colour, Mrs Oberoi…uuuhuuu…you can’t deny. I have proof of our marriage. What did you think? I am so foolish. Yes, we got married in a temple, but I have those photographs. And in case the court tries to deny those evidence, I have your signature on our legal marriage paper too.”

Aditya arches his brow as a winner. Disbelief and astonishment cloud Nandana’s eyes. Aditya nods and blinks.

“Remember the day when we were going to the mall for shopping for our wedding reception, and I gave you some papers to sign. Of course, those are not simple bills, but you were so excited about our reception party that you didn’t even bother to check them and did the blunder…Tch…Tch…You are so naïve Nandana and that is special about you.”

Aditya takes a circle of Nandana who is now standing like a statue.

“Now, when everything has come to the light, one more thing I want to tell you. I was the person who told Dr Nikhanj to give you such medicines that you never regain your memory. The reason is…well you know.”

He shrugs and folds his lower lip casually. Nandana is looking at him vacantly.

“You called me heartless killer…right? Let me tell you one more truth so that you can realise how perfect you are to judge me. You remember Menaka Patel. The killer of my parents.”

Aditya pauses for a second. His eyes are beaming with triumphant joy. He adds,

“I killed her. Yes, that was not an accident. It was my planned punishment. This is me. Aditya Oberoi. The most dangerous, ruthless and evil man. No one can leave him without his will. Then how do I let you go, my wife? If not out of love, then out of lust…you will have to be with me.”

Aditya growls while Nandana shoots daggers at him.

“Never, I will never live with you. I hate you and I hate myself more because once I loved you blindly.”

Her voice chokes with anger. In a blink of an eye, Aditya yanks Nandana by holding her wrist and she dashes on his chest like a doll.

“I have already seen your love now show me your hatred, Baby. Let me see how mind-blowing it could be to have you under me without your consent. You know it was my fantasy to dominate you in my bed. Thanks for fulfilling my dream. Come…”

He drags her towards the bed while Nandana is scuffling to free herself from his iron grip.

“Come on…this is not the first time we are having sex. Just the difference is, it will be more fucking than making out. But what to do? You only call me a heartless Brute. Now bear this Brute.”

Aditya throws Nandana on the bed and starts unbuttoning his shirt.

“Today the Brute will devour an Angel….not a fairy tale…Right? Ha..ha..”

His malicious guffaw echoes in the closed room.