On the frenetic streets of Mumbai, the rain belted down to the rhythm of a converging Western musical score. It made the city remotely breathable despite its population-crammed status. The damp roads reflected the faint red glare of neon lights desperately trying to peek through the thick fog. The love that her husband claimed to possess began to develop in Bindu’s heart once she moved into her apartment this side of the world. Even in chaos, Bindu fell in love with Randio and started dreaming, this love story was beyond a sequence of sentences: it was a narrative one could never wish away. Having lived the life of a Black Widow devoid of dreams but full of chores, Bindu never truly needed or desired excitement. The balance was remarkably well maintained until she was exposed to hope and adventure that her life so desperately required. Of all the love stories that were woven around Mumbai, she singlehandedly changed its narrative once Randio entered into her life. Bindu went from being a woman of hope to completely falling in love with everything that her dreams had to offer. For her, life had always been a sheet of white to which she could add any color she desired, and the only obstacle in her way was her reality. There were no great adventures, singlehandedly bringing the belief of escaping to the mundane for tosh Ghanai into existence. Based on the gloomy reality, she held bleak grasp over her dreams which stood the test of time.
Randio had multiple facets to him that enabled him to fit into different parts of her story, some might even refer to him as a notorious gangster due to the iron grip in which he held the underworld of Mumbai.
Even within shadowy alleyways, they spoke of him in hushed tones, as if he were some sort of mythical beast waiting for the opportune moment to strike. He could very much cripple a neighborhood to the ground if he so desired, and those eyes of his that pierced through one’s very soul incited shivers of terror into even the bravest of men. He was infamous for being hateful and always receiving what he wanted, no matter what the cost was.
Bindu was on her way from work one day and was caught in some rain on her commute, which did not help her already tiring day. Little did she know that the quotient of nightmares, the elusive man, was about to cross paths fatefully with her.
She had walked pass an alley when all of a sudden, a black SUV parked right in front of her ferociously. The door flung open and before she even realized what was happening, a set of strong hands grabbed her and pulled her towards the interior of the vehicle. Everything seemed to spin in a tornado of chaos when the door was slammed shut, which left her inner mind panicking.
"Who are you? What do you want?" Were the very shaky words that flowed out of her mouth. Her heart felt completely out of her control and was pounding within her chest.
A commanding voice spoke, “You are coming with me.” At that point in time, she was not able to see the man’s face, but she could certainly feel a sense of danger radiating off him.
It felt like each and every second bended my thoughts in a never ending loop, causing me to rub my temples - whilst waiting for Chitra to gain control of herself.
The SUV sped through the city, and the further they went, the more Bindu understood she had been dangerously misled right into the core of the world of crime. Streets became unrecognizable with buildings towering them whilst shadows played long and vague mirrored forms of the world surrounding her. Finally, the SUV came to stop right outside a lavish mansion, one that Bindu believed had transcended the bounds of her world.
The moment the door swung open, she spotted the person who had abducted her - stepping out and offering her his hand. In an almost predatory style, he was tall, broad-shouldered with intense dark eyes, that instantly made contact with her.
“You’re completely oblivious to who I truly am, aren’t you?” In a low, yet deeply powerful and magnetic voice he asked.
While her eyes turned narrow, Bindu hesitated. “I’ve seen enough to be frightened.”
"You should. And while you're at it, I recommend you stop being scared of me. I’m Randio," he smirked.
Even though the confession had sent shivers down her spine, there was something in the banter that made her more at ease than frightened.
The ‘demon’ had a complexity of character that contradicted the cold and cruel image she had of him. It was a flicker of humanity buried under all layers of control and power.
Randio took her to the inside where the first thing that hit her was the elegance of the mansion. This world was unfathomable to her. The marble floors, gold accents, and expensive furnishing were all too extravagant. But he didn’t let her go and, as if to underscore that point, she made an attempt to pull away from him.
She was adamant or rather persistent with her attempts. “I don’t belong in this place. Let me go” was all she could muster.
Randio kept looking at her for a few seconds and responded, “You’re not going anywhere, not yet.”
For the next couple of days Bindu, against her will, found herself trapped in the mansion with no possibility of reaching out to the outside world. Although she was never abused, her freedom was taken from her. For someone as powerful as Randio, his interest in her was uncharacteristic. Talking to her as if she were a human being rather than a mere prey, he came to her during odd hours. Without her permission, her interest was piqued and she started getting attracted to the man behind the reputation.
This time it was seen from a different perspective. He was not as bad as she perceived him to be.
Even though he was an unrelenting person in his own realm, there was a soft side of him that she could grasp during the silent times. Whenever he would get lost in his thoughts, he would stand next to the window and gaze into the city. She often wondered what inner demons plagued him.
Bindu told him once, ‘You don’t belong in this world. One evening, while looking outside the window, she added, “You could have a life without all this, but all you’ve done is build a kingdom on blood and lies.”
At first, Randio was silent. Eventually, he replied, “What do you know about it? You live a quiet life filled with simplicity. I have nothing in my life except for this darkness.” His voice was almost a whisper when he spoke.
Bindu, filled with compassion and sadness informed him, “But it’s never too late to change, so you could always walk away and it’s not like you stay here forever.”
He was finally softening. He walked towards her, looking into her eyes and reached out to cup her cheek. “Maybe I have spent too long hiding behind this mask and you are right,” he said softly.
The bond they shared became stronger as days turned into weeks.
Even with the threat that loomed over them, even with their origins, there was something undisclosed that held them together. Everything that Randio had built now began to obfuscate. Bindu had entered Randio’s life like a breath of light, and in her he saw an opportunity for redemption.
As the night rolled in, with a blanket of stars and a crescent moon smiling above, Randio gently grasped her hand and took her to the mansion garden. Even with a world so dark, the flowers made everything around them so much more beautiful. “Bindu,” he said proffering his hands out to bindu, leaning in while his gaze softened, “I never believed in love and I never thought it was meant for someone with now older than me. But with you, I feel something profound. You have shown me a world I had deem impossible. A world with no shadows.” Randio said, letting his tears flow as the emotion struck in his voice.
She now knew how much he loved her, even in state she found him to be dangerous. At that moment, the fear and obstacles did not matter as the love they held, no matter how fragile was much stronger. And so deep in the city where chaos emerged, was where the love of Randio and Bindu blossomed faster than a flower blooming during the night.
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