Chapter One: The Night He Chose Her
Sunday nights were supposed to belong to love.
For years, Sohani believed that love meant waiting by the river with Alok, watching the Ganges shimmer under fading sunlight. They had grown up together. He was her habit, her history, her promise of forever.
But habits can turn into cages.
Alok loved her fiercely—too fiercely.
He chose her clothes.
He questioned her calls.
He didn't like her speaking to other men.
"If I am enough for you," he would say softly, gripping her chin, "you don't need anyone else."
She mistook control for protection.
Possession for passion.
Until the night she met the devil.
The Boy with Blood on His Hands
It happened on a crowded Kolkata street.
Sohani was walking beside Alok when chaos erupted ahead. People screamed. A circle formed.
And inside it stood a man.
Tall. Broad-shouldered. Covered in blood.
He moved like violence itself—swift, precise, merciless. When he raised his arm and struck his opponent down with a knife, the crowd scattered in terror.
For a split second, his dark eyes lifted.
They locked with hers.
There was no regret in them.
Only fire.
That was the first time Sohani saw Rajat.
And she hated him instantly.
The Night Fear Changed Shape
Days later, fear found her again.
She was returning home from tuition when a group of men began following her through a deserted lane. Their footsteps quickened. Laughter echoed.
Her pulse raced.
Before panic could swallow her whole—
A shadow stepped between her and danger.
Rajat.
This time, she didn't see a monster.
She saw a storm unleashed for her.
His fists were merciless. His rage controlled. Within minutes, the men were gone, scattered across the pavement.
Breathing hard, he turned to her.
"Don't walk alone," he said quietly.
There was no arrogance. No expectation.
He walked away without waiting for thanks.
That night, hatred shifted into confusion.
And confusion into something far more dangerous.
Jealousy Burns Harder Than Love
Rajat insisted on dropping her home.
She didn't argue.
When the car stopped in front of her house, Alok was already there.
His expression darkened instantly.
He saw the torn edge of her sleeve.
He saw the blood on Rajat's knuckles.
He saw her stepping out of another man's car.
He didn't ask what happened.
He decided.
That night, Alok's love turned into fury.
Accusations filled the room. His voice rose. His hands gripped her wrists too tightly.
"Were you waiting for him?"
"Is that why you've been distant?"
Sohani cried, trying to explain.
He didn't listen.
For the first time, she realized something terrifying—
The man she once called her hero made her feel small.
And the man she once called a villain had protected her without asking anything in return.
The Bell at Midnight
Alok left in anger the next morning.
No calls. No messages.
Only silence.
Days passed.
Sohani tried convincing herself that Rajat meant nothing. That the way her heart reacted when she remembered his voice was just gratitude.
Until the night the doorbell rang.
It was past midnight.
Her heart leaped.
Alok.
He must have come back.
She rushed to the door and opened it without turning on the lights.
A tall figure stood there.
She pulled him inside instinctively.
And he collapsed.
When she switched on the lights, her breath stopped.
Rajat.
Blood soaked his shirt. A deep stab wound cut across his abdomen.
He was pale. Unconscious.
And bleeding fast.
The Dangerous Choice
For a moment, she froze.
Helping him would mean stepping into his world.
A world of violence.
A world she feared.
But he had saved her once.
Without hesitation.
Her heart made the choice before her mind could argue.
She locked the door.
Carefully, desperately, she cleaned his wound. Her hands trembled as she pressed cloth against the bleeding. She searched online for emergency instructions, whispering, "Don't die… please don't die…"
Hours felt like eternity.
Finally, the bleeding slowed.
Exhausted, she sat beside him.
Her clothes were stained red.
Her heart beat louder than the thunder outside.
Why did losing him scare her this much?
When the Villain Opened His Eyes
Rajat woke to the faint scent of antiseptic and something softer.
Her.
He tried to move but winced.
Then he saw her sitting beside him, eyes tired, hair messy, fear still lingering in her gaze.
"You?" he murmured weakly.
She nodded.
"You saved me once," she whispered. "I couldn't let you die."
For the first time, Rajat looked at her not as a stranger—
But as something fragile he suddenly wanted to protect from everything.
Including himself.
Their eyes held.
The air thickened.
She stepped closer to adjust his bandage. His fingers instinctively wrapped around her wrist—not harshly, but gently.
"Why would you risk yourself for me?" he asked.
Her voice trembled. "Because you're not what people think you are."
Something in his expression changed.
He had never been seen before.
Not like this.
A Night of Realization
Thunder roared.
The lights flickered.
And in that dim room, something unspoken bloomed.
He didn't touch her in hunger.
He didn't claim her like ownership.
He simply pulled her closer so she wouldn't slip while tending to him.
Their breaths mingled.
Her heartbeat echoed in his chest.
For the first time in years, Sohani felt safe—
Not controlled.
Not judged.
Just… held.
That was when she realized the truth.
She was falling.
Not for the hero of her past.
But for the villain who never pretended to be one.
Outside, danger still lurked. Whoever had stabbed Rajat would return. Alok's jealousy would only grow darker.
But inside that room—
For one fragile, dangerous night—
Two broken hearts chose each other's silence over fear.
And now, the question remains…
Will Sohani surrender to the dangerous pull of Rajat's world?
Or will her past with Alok drag her back into a love that feels like a cage?
Tell me in the comments—
Should Sohani choose the villain… or return to her first love?