Love Me Like You Do: A Soul Stirring Game Of Destiny

You are your own Knight

Josh reached the entrance of the dorm. He was in full fury, ready to charge. He was grunting with anger when he received another call on Shivi's phone. He turned around to see if there was someone over the phone and noticed an Indian guy in a white shirt and black pants. When he noticed this, he marched towards him. He muttered to himself in full rage, "You are finished, you bastard." Dinesh was turning to the other side. He grabbed his arms and pulled him so that they could meet face to face. He confirmed it was the same face in WhatsApp display pic. He held his collar tightly with his left hand and charged with his right hand. Josh was fuming with wrath.

Within 3 seconds, Josh had hit his face 5 times. He already had a black eye. There was a cut on his lips, and his cheeks were bruised. He screamed at the top of his lungs, "How dare you speak to Shivi like that. She is as delicate as a flower, and you empty your dirty mind to her. How dare you?"

He pushed him towards his car, and he fell on the bonnet of the car, trying to recover from the assault. Dinesh, in a pained voice, exclaimed in a chicken voice, "Who the hell are you?"

Josh screamed at Dinesh, "Your death. You have no idea who you have touched. How the hell can you talk to Shivya like that? You thought the girl doesn't have anyone here and you can make her do whatever you want? Now, not just you, your entire clan will suffer."

Dinesh groaned in pain and tried to get up, almost blabbering, "I am calling her father right now and telling him how she is fooling around with a white guy."

Josh sneered "No, you will call and tell her father that you lost your job and can't go ahead with your marriage."

Dinesh laughed sarcastically, "I am an investment banker in a billion-dollar firm."

Josh raised his eyebrows and said coldly, "Your English is pathetic. You are confusing between past tense and present tense."

Dinesh asked confused, "What?"

Within this, Dinesh received a phone call from his superior, and Josh taunted, "Attend it. Maybe it will correct your English."

Dinesh attended the call and the more his superior spoke the more pale he turned. Hardly any words escaped his lips. His facial expression changed as if the devil was on the other side of the call. He cut the call after 2 brief moments. By now, Shivi came running to the scene, saw Dinesh and held Josh by his hand.

Shivi screeched "Josh... Josh... What have you done to him? Oh my god!"

Dinesh saw Shivi and tried to move back swiftly, as if he saw a ghost, and fell, landing on his bum.

Josh ran and caught him by the collar again. He pulled him near Shivi. Dinesh's face was just 2 feet apart from Shivi's.

Josh with anger and frustration in his voice said "Punch him... "Then in a louder voice screamed "Shivya..... Now."

Shivi was almost scared to death seeing Josh's behavior. Her almond eyes had almost become double in size because of the shock.

Shivi held Josh's hands and said, "Josh, leave him."

Josh said in a hoarse tone, "No, beat him. I can't be there always. You will have to deal with dirt like this. You can't get scared and hide yourself in a cupboard. Dogs like these will keep biting until you know how to fight back. Go ahead, hit him once and tell yourself you can do it even when no one is around to help you. You are your own knight. Hit him and tell yourself that you can face 1000 shitty guys like these if they ever mess with you. Do it to tell yourself that you are really not as helpless as you think. People will always take you for granted until you give it back. Go ahead, Shivi. Punch him. Punch him, I say."

Shivi, all her life, believed she was miserable and incapable of doing anything on her own. Despite excelling in academics and being a daughter who followed her family's opinions, they consistently made her feel worthless, convincing her that she didn't deserve anything great. All the suppressed emotions she had harbored for years erupted like Mount Fuji, and she landed a powerful punch on Dinesh. Frustration continued to build up, prompting her to strike him repeatedly. Witnessing her losing control, Josh hurried to her side, enveloping her in a tight embrace as he attempted to pull her back. It took a moment, but she eventually calmed down.

Dinesh hastily got inside the car and drove away as fast as humanly possible. Shivi, overwhelmed with emotions, let out a long scream at the top of her voice while looking at the sky. Her frustration and pain were evident. She closed her eyes, turned, and hugged Josh, releasing her tears. They stood there in that embrace for more than 5 minutes. Eventually, Shivi regained her composure.

Shivi exhaled with peace evident in her face, "Thank you."

Josh looked deep into her eyes and said, "Thank yourself. You are your own knight, as I said. Never think you are not capable of doing anything. I will always be there for you no matter what, but you should know you can handle anything and everything on your own."

She was taken aback by how she had reacted. If someone had told her just an hour ago that she could kick the balls of a guy like Dinesh, she would have laughed at herself. All her life she has silently endured what her parents had forced on her. She has never even said "no" to her parents. But now, Josh had shown her a side of herself that she had never witnessed. Ideally, it should have been her father or brother standing by her, encouraging her to stand up to guys like Dinesh, especially if she didn't believe in herself. Yet, here they were, the ones who had pushed her into this mess, and Josh made her realize that she had to voice her opinion, even if it went against her parents. She had to speak back to save herself from more heartache. By now, she realized that she could fight the whole world, but she also felt she had to fight her own family to make them understand her. However, all she had done her entire life was trying to please them. She could fight the world, as Josh said, but she wondered if she would be able to do that with her own family.

Shivi lowered her gaze, and that's when she noticed that Josh's knuckles had swollen amidst all the chaos. She held his hand with both of hers and looked intensely into his eyes. She led him into his room, knowing he had a first aid box. She nursed his bruises, applying Dettol, and a small "Uff" escaped his lips. Her eyes welled up.

Shivi's concern was evident in her eyes and voice as she asked, "Is it hurting?"

Josh, with a mixture of pain and frustration, replied, "A lot. Because someone hurt you, and I didn't stop it beforehand."

Shivi attempted to comfort him, saying, "Oh Josh. There was nothing you could do."

Josh sighed, his expression reflecting a sense of helplessness.

Shivi admitted, "I am happy that I punched him, and I have no doubt about that, but I am scared. What if he says these things to my dad? He will kill me. He will assume we are..."

Interrupting her, Josh questioned, "We are what?"

Shivi pursed her lips, grappling with her thoughts.

Josh, expressing disbelief, stated, "If I ever see a guy like this near my daughter, I swear I will kill him. But your dad is asking you to date a guy like him. Oh sorry, it was not even a date; he was trying to get you married off to him. Unbelievable."

He breathed heavily; and said, "Anyway, he will not say anything to your dad nor his own dad. He knows what is at stake."

Shivi didn't understand a single word, her face adorned with a curious expression. Worry lines creased her forehead as she feared her dad would become even angrier. She met Dinesh just because she didn't want to add fuel to her father's anger, but now she and Josh have beaten Dinesh black and blue. And this might intensify the situation.

She wondered as a reaction if her dad will come to UK and take her from there back to India in next flight. If this happens, she will be a bride in the very next weeks. The anger her family harbored towards her pursuit of further studies could lead to such drastic consequences. Filled with these emotions, her eyes welled up with tears. Josh, observant of her distress, pulled her close into a comforting hug.

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