The rain was heavy and cold, soaking through my clothes in seconds. But the real cold wasn't coming from the storm. It was coming from the sight right in front of my eyes.
Ten feet away, my husband was holding another woman.
Rudra held her so tightly, as if he was afraid she would turn into smoke and vanish. He buried his face in her messy dark hair. He forgot about the rain. He forgot about his armed guards. And he forgot about me.
"Rudra," Maya cried against his chest. Her voice was weak and scratchy. "He locked me in the dark. Kabir made me watch the news. He showed me pictures of your wedding. He told me you forgot about me."
Rudra pulled back just enough to look at her face. His large hands gently touched her cheeks, careful of the ugly scar on her jaw. His dark eyes, the same eyes that looked at me with so much fire this morning, were now full of pain and guilt.
"I am so sorry, Maya," Rudra's voice broke. He sounded like a man who was bleeding from the inside. "I spent five years trying to find the people who hurt you. I thought I was taking revenge for you."
"You took revenge for a lie!"
The words ripped out of my throat before I could stop them. My voice was loud, cutting through the sound of the rain.
Rudra's body went stiff. He didn't let go of Maya, but he slowly turned his head to look at me. The look on his face broke my heart into a thousand pieces. It wasn't anger. It was shock. He looked at me like I was a mistake he didn't know how to fix.
"Go back to the car," Rudra said. His voice was quiet and flat.
"No," I shook my head, taking a step back. I pointed a shaking finger at Maya, and then at him. "My father is in jail because of her! You ruined my family because of her! You bought me, forced me to marry you, and locked me in a cage because you thought she was dead!"
I let out a bitter, broken laugh. Tears burned my eyes, mixing with the cold rain on my cheeks.
"Everything you did to me... it was all based on a lie!" I cried out. "You didn't love me, Rudra. You never did. You just used me to fill the empty space she left behind!"
"That is a lie," Rudra said, his voice turning rough. He finally let go of Maya's shoulders and took a step toward me.
Maya stumbled a little, her legs weak. One of Rudra's guards quickly stepped up to hold her so she wouldn't fall. But Rudra didn't look back at her. His dark eyes were fixed on me.
"I told you this morning," Rudra said, walking closer. "Nothing changes. You are my wife. You are mine."
"I am not your wife!" I screamed, backing away from him. "I was a deal. I was a hostage. But your war is over now, Rudra. She is back. So let me go. Give me my life back!"
Rudra's face darkened. The anger returned to his eyes. He didn't like it when I talked about leaving. He closed the distance between us in two quick steps and grabbed my wrists. His grip was hard and tight.
"You think you can just leave?" Rudra hissed, pulling me closer. "You think I will let you walk away from me? I spent three years watching you. I marked you as mine. I don't care who comes back from the dead. You belong to me until the day I die."
"Let me go!" I fought him. I hit his chest with my hands, but it was like hitting a brick wall. "She is the one you love! Go back to her, Rudra! Let me be free!"
"No!" Rudra shouted over the storm. He pulled me hard against his chest. His hand grabbed my wet hair, forcing me to look up into his angry eyes. "She is my past. But you are my present. You are staying with me."
I stared at him in horror. He was crazy. He wanted to keep both of us. He wanted to keep his first love, and he wanted to keep his new obsession.
Suddenly, a small, scared voice came from behind him.
"Rudra... please," Maya whispered. She looked terrified as she watched us fight. "Who is she? Why are you hurting her?"
Rudra's grip on my wrists loosened for just one second. He looked back at Maya, his face full of conflict. He didn't want to scare her.
That one second of hesitation was all I needed.
I pulled my hands free with all my strength. Without looking back, I turned and ran into the dark shipping yard. I didn't care where I was going. I just knew I had to get away from him.
"Stop her!" Rudra roared. Panic filled his voice. "Don't let her reach the water!"
I heard the sound of heavy boots running behind me. I ran between the giant metal shipping containers. My chest burned, and I was gasping for air. The rain was blowing directly into my eyes, making it hard to see.
I saw a gap in the metal fence ahead. I squeezed through it, ignoring the sharp wire that tore my sweater.
I stumbled out onto an old wooden pier. There was nowhere else to go. The dark, angry ocean crashed against the wooden pillars right beneath my feet.
"There is nowhere to run."
Rudra stepped out of the shadows at the start of the pier. He was breathing heavily. He told his guards to stay back. He wanted to handle this alone. He walked toward me slowly, holding his hands up like he was trying to calm down a wild animal.
"Go away, Rudra," I cried, stepping backward until my heels were right at the edge of the pier. "Please... just let me leave."
"I told you before," Rudra said. His voice was dangerously soft now. "The only way you leave me is if you die. And even then, I won't let you go."
He took another step closer. "Maya is back. I will buy her a safe house. I will give her the best doctors. I will make sure she has a good life. But you are coming home with me. You belong in my bed."
"I would rather die," I said.
And I meant it. The thought of going back to that house, knowing I was just a replacement, was worse than death.
I looked down at the freezing black water. Then, I looked at the man who broke my heart.
"No!" Rudra screamed, finally realizing what I was about to do. He lunged forward, running as fast as he could.
But he was too late.
I closed my eyes, took one step back into the empty air, and let myself fall into the dark sea.