RANVIJAY

I burnt myself for you, as I want to show you the sparkle of my love that lit up my soul only for you. Do I sound mad? Or insane, wait for the right moment it will surely tell you about my madness.

I'm at the army hospital to get dressed up for my burned hand. By the way, what was happened to me at night? Why the fuck did I burn my hand? And the answers are my silence.

"How did you burn your hand, Major?" Dr. Rajiv asked while my eyes were pinned to the hanging portrait on the wall. The portrait has only blue color, and that again reminded me of the blue eyes of that anklet girl.

"I had been saving my life, that's why I got hurt", I said in my sharp cold tone. "Don't worry, it will be healed soon", the doctor said, and I nodded. I grabbed my jacket from the side chair and stood up. "I have prescribed some medicine that will heal the wound soon", the doctor said.

"Forget it, doctor, taking medicine pisses me off", I grinded my teeth. I walked out from there. Who takes pills for minor injuries? I threw my jacket into the Jeep and got seated. "I think some shots of rum would be the perfect choice to treat you", I said while bending my burned hand to my chest.

I accelerated and I left the hospital. After driving for 30 minutes, my phone rang. "Yeah, Arjun", I said while gripping the steering wheel. "Did you get your checkup?" he asked. "Yeah, I'm done", I chuckled. "Can you please pick me up? I'm nearby, Hussain dhaba", he said.

"Fine, I'll be there", I said while speeding up my Jeep.

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I finally reached the destination that Arjun told me. I could see him through the windscreen frame. I pushed brakes, "You are rude, but a lifesaver guy as well", he paused when I glared at him. My glare drops his smile instantly.

"Might be rude is offensive for you", he chuckled. He can't be silent for a few minutes. "Not at all, as a rude word glorifies my personality", I said but he cut me off, "Yeah, the angry man personality", he giggled.

"Can we have lunch together, as we are near your favourite place", he chuckled and I nodded. I stopped the car at Hussain's dhaba and got down from the car. I wore a black commando t-shirt. I often stop at this dhaba to have a cup of tea and eat several times. My heart was comforted either by the battlefield or by Hussain's dhaba, where I spent some alone time.

"We have to catch the train tomorrow," he chuckled, while I followed him. My eyes were pinned to the flower pots passing by. "Why don't you answer me, Ranvijay?" I paused on my steps as he glared at me. He held my hand and flashed my watch at my face, "Don't you have sufficient words to have a conversation?" He said, "It's only 2 pm, I think you would have some words still left", He was annoyed.

"Yeah, I know", I said while the Hussain approached me. "Ranvijay bhai, you have come after a long time", he chuckled. Hussain is very fond of me and I also love him. He is brilliant in his studies, but his father doesn't have sufficient money so I bear his study expenses.

"How have you been, Hussain? '', I said in a cold tone while petting his head. "How's your studies going?". Arjun, on the other hand, fixed himself on Charpai.

"Very good, bhai, I study hard as I want to be an army officer like you", he chuckled and it forced a little smile on my face. Smiling is difficult for me as I don't know how to smile but I have done a PhD in how to be aggressive. The sparks I could see in his eyes made me sure that he would be the best officer for sure.

"Yes, absolutely, and I think you would be a braver officer than me", I said low in breath. "Hussain, bring chicken curry, egg curry, and naan for us", Arjun ordered while my unwanted glares were pinned on him. "Relaxed, angry man, we can celebrate our cheat day today", he chuckled.

"I have to do 100 pushups more in exchange for this cheat", I grunted. "And you can surely do it", he giggled. Arjun Rathore is a 6 feet one inch whitish-contrast guy with whisky eyes and dark black hair. We have known each other since college, as we studied together, and he is my best friend and comrade as well.

"Ranvijay, you're very attached to Hussain, aren't you?" He asked while I was making myself comfortable on Charpai. It was hard for him to digest that a rude and bitter person like me could love someone. While we were talking, Hussain's father brought food. "Here is your meal; please enjoy."

"How have you been, uncle?" I asked while pinning my glares at him and he nodded. I scrunched my eyes in pain while having food, as my right hand was wounded. "Are you ok, Ranvijay?" He asked, and I sighed. My veins popped on my forehead because I'm furious with this fucking pain.

"Don't be furious, and tell me one thing: what the stupied thing are you doing at night?" He paused as I glared at him shockingly. He was talking about the anklet incident. "Don't give me this glare, Ranvijay, do you have any idea you harmed yourself just for an anklet?" he rasped, making me sigh.

"Where did you get that"?

"I'm not going to tell you", I'm the type of person who doesn't like to share his stuff with anyone-means not with anyone. "Of course you don't, your stubbornness is too much", he slammed me. "I don't want to discuss this", I said while dropping my eyes to the floor.

"Ok, let's put aside this, we are finally going home after 1 year, I'm very happy", he chuckled, "Finally, I'm going to see my 3-month-old daughter", he added while I clenched my jaw. "I'm excited to take her in my arms, god at that moment", he chuckled and I sighed. His face was lited up with the home-going news as happiness dripped from his words.

"What's the matter, Ranvijay? Aren't you happy that we are going home?" He asked, and after taking a deep breath, I said no.

"No, but why"?

"I don't love my family, so I have never craved to live with them", I replied. My family member's presence annoys me more than my human presence. "I'm used to being alone, and anyway, there is no one special in my home whom I yearn to meet", I used a rude tone. The reason for my hatred towards my house is my father and my stepmother, and because of them, I made myself seem like a rude, arrogant, and emotionless person.

"Ranvijay, sort out your differences with them, I know you have faced tough spots but now you should be with your family. After all, family is everything and for us, family is more important than other people", he paused as I glared at him with my red, furious eyes. "I don't like Arjun speaking about my personal matters", I said with disgust.

"If the topic of discussion is my family, then I'm not interested", I said while closing the topic. I really don't like to talk about my so-called family, who don't have any love for me, and I hate them. Suddenly Hussain came and started picking up the plates. "Bring us 2 cups of tea", Arjun asked while I leaned my neck in anger.

"Ranvijay, now you should get married", his words leaned up my face to him. "Yeah, life becomes more peaceful if you have a partner with you", his words made me sighed in frustration. "Don't make sighs, Ranvijay, you need someone who will mitigate your rudeness and hateness", he blinked his eyes.

"I don't understand a relationship like marriage, and I don't think any girl would have such ability to change me or mitigate my rudeness, and my problems are not her concern", I refused immediately.

"But marriage is a beautiful relationship, I mean, loving your partner and craving for their love and attention makes life immensely beautiful", he explained, the loving side of love and why not. He has a loving and caring wife, and he was on cloud nine when he married her.

He said while my eyes were pinned at the flower that was blossoming just on the right side of mine, and it also had a blue colour, "blue color stop chasing me or else you don't know my anger", I smirked while his words again cut off of my gaze. "Don't you think you deserve someone who only loves you madly?" he said.

"I agree that marriage is a beautiful relationship, but an ugly person like me is not worth for it", I replied while rolling my eyes at him. "I never felt the feeling of love then how I would reciprocate it to someone else", I said while Arjun had a disagreement on her face with my opinions, which was expected.

"So it's better to have distance from love, because there is too much attachment to love, and if you don't get that love, then a person travels till death, but that craving for love never ends", I made the painful confession without realising that I had already stepped into the trap of love.

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All the soldiers were preparing to go home and were excited as well. They were laughing with Arjun. "Arjun sir, we will surely visit your home to meet your daughter", Gaurav chuckled, the most annoying brat in my battalion. "For sure, you guys are all invited to my home for a celebration", Arjun said.

We are best buddies but have opposite personalities, as he has a lighthearted approach to life and a witty sense of humour that make him popular, and on the other hand, I have an aggressive approach to life. I am notorious among the battalion cadets as a rude and strict commanding officer.

Their smiles instantly dropped as I stepped into the camp. "Jai hind sir", everyone said together, and Arjun turned his neck. "We have a departure at 11 a.m., so each reporting should be done at 10:30 at the station. Am I clear, officers?" I commended them and walked out after hearing yes, sir.

I dragged my hand into my pocket and took out a cigarette and started smoking. Whenever I am stressed or furious, this is the only thing that calms me down. "Can I get your cigarette?" Arjun voice came from behind. I extended my packet to him, he is not only a partner in missions but also in smoking.

"Ranvijay, have you done your packing?" he asked while I let out a blow of smoke. "Hmm," I murmured. "I heard the celebration news, Are you going to throw a party?" I pinned my glares at him. "Celebration might be later, meanwhile, I am going to send a photo of her to everyone, I will send it to you as well", he chuckled.

"Don't send it to me", I replied. I don't have enough time to play message message on the phone, it is quite irritating. I rare use my phone because I don't know how to make conversation. Do I sound like an alien? "I decided to meet her so I'm gonna visit your home soon", I said, and he paused his glares at me. "Really?".

"Than do one thing, bring that anklet girl with you", Arjun giggled while I rolled my eyes at him. I get it now. This jerk started teasing me. He knew it very well that I didn't know about her. "Forget about her", anger dripping from my words but he giggled.

He laughed at my situation, "Look at you, your expression is like I mentioned her and she stepped into your thoughts", He tapped my shoulder and had the biggest smile he could have.

Arjun is quite a fantasias man, and it was the first time he saw me with girl ornaments, and it was not so hard for him to understand that she meant something to me. "Arjun, stop irritating me", I used a rude tone, as I wanted to prove him wrong. "Why, don't you have something in your heart for her?" he chuckled again.

"No, I don't know words like love, attraction, and infatuation", I said. "Neither I want to love anyone nor do I want to be loved by someone, and you know that", I said while he was holding his laugh, and I paused again. "Hh, you're making me frustrated, Arjun." I sighed and pinned my eyes on soldiers who were doing pushups on the ground. "You're liar",

"If you don't want to love someone, then why were you so desperate yesterday night to take out that anklet from that bonfire?" I started flicking my eyes while listening to his question. He is right, if I don't want to be in love with someone, then why do I sleep with the anklet that belongs to an unknown girl attached to my heart every night, and why did I burn myself for her at night?

"You started falling in love with her", he paused on his words and I rolled my eyes at him. "When we love someone, we keep their belongings close to our heart", He started to convince me, but did I convinced? NO. I started pressing the popped veins on my forehead.

"I have to go for some reports, please excuse me", I ignored him and walked out from there.

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Arjun and I were sitting together on the train and I wanted to sit near the window to feel the breeze. "Arjun gave me the window seat", I said, low in breath. Why the hell did he become so comfortable so quickly? He glares at me like I'm his biggest enemy.

"Okay, take it, I'm going to sleep on upper coach", he grunted, and he went to upper coach to get enough sleep. I threw my leather jacket and unbuttoned my shirt to chest and sat down. A notification popped up on my phone, but I ignored it like trash. "I also want to sleep, but I don't know when sleep finds its way to my eyes", I whispered, closing my eyes.

Whenever I sit alone, I don't know why I become a loner. Each scar of mine getting flashed in front of my eyes. My heart is fluttering in pain as I keep remembering my wound. I started feeling uneasy. I tugged my hand into my pocket and took out the anklet, and put it on my restless heart. I was feeling better now. "It's been six months since I used this anklet as medicine to heal my heart wound, but why?" I questioned myself.

This is insane, no one can control me like this. It's been six months for me to fall for her like this. Is it not madness that I'm falling for a girl whom I barely know, and the cherry on top moment is that I don't know how she looks like?

I got frustrated with myself, and I think there's only one way left for me to get rib out of this. I clenched the anklet in my fist and pulled my hand out of the window to throw it. come on, Ranvijay throw it, you can't be a puppet of anyone's hands. Do it, Ranvijay. I glanced at the anklet while my grip on the anklet got tighter until my knuckles got white. "I can't take you away from me", I sighed.

I immediately dragged my hand inside and placed the anklet again on my heart. I sighed when its pleasant sound mixed with my heartbeat. I can hear the sweet music while closing my eyes. "You are mine and will always be mine", I murmured while caressing the anklet with my cheeks. Every touch of her anklet making me crave more for her owner.

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I reached Pune (my home city), and it took me 1.5 hours to reach home. The taxi driver stopped the car. I grabbed my jacket and bag and got out of the taxi. My eyes get pinned to the nameplate, tug on the left side of my house. My home name is SWARG (heaven), which was kept by my grandmother. There is nothing like heaven in this house, and I don't know why it got this name.

As soon as I rang the doorbell, I was welcomed by kaki (aunt). "Ranvijay, how have you been?" She chuckled, and I glared at her. I don't know why my aunt's voice makes me annoyed. I touched her feet to take a blessing, and I walked out before she gave her blessings.

"With whom you are talking at the door, at least take him inside", a woman said from behind. My eyes landed on my grandmother, who is sitting on the coach. "Ranvijay!!" I touched her feet too. "Bhagwan tujhe hamesha khush rakhe", she kissed me on my forehead, which annoyed me as I don't like to be touched by anyone.

She gestured me to sit beside her, "How have you been, son?" and I nodded. She is the most powerful lady in my house, and her name is Kalyani Karmarkar. "Bhai water", The housemaid offered water to me.

"Ranvijay, son, when did you come, and how are you?" A female voice echoed in my ears from the staircase. I placed the glass on the side table and stood up as the woman entered. I hate her, and she is the reason that I hate home. Her name is Bhagyashree, my father's second wife and my stepmother, but I never called her Maa. Her presence makes me annoyed.

"Ranvijay, this bandage is on your hand, are you ok, beta?" Granny worriedly asked while caressing my hand, and I jerked my hand from her grip, "I'm ok", Everyone stared at me. While I walked towards the staircase leading to my room, not giving damn to everyone's cares. "Thank God you are ok", Bhagyashree cried. But do I care for her concern?

No

"You must be hurt seeing me fine, Mrs. Karmarkar, don't you?" I taunted her. Why the hell has she always wanted to talk to me? Why can't she understand that I hate her? I turned while a smooth female voice stopped me. "Ranvijay, my son!!" It was my mousi (aunt), and I paused on my steps.

She took five steps towards me while my back was still facing her. "How have you been, son?" she caressed my back, and I turned myself to hug her tightly. Her solace has warmth like my real mother, and I just felt that I was embracing my mother. She is my elder aunt as well as my mother's real sister.

My mother and Manju mousi are sisters and married in the same house. She loves me like her own son, and I also respect her like my mother.

"It looks like you're not eating properly, just look at you how weak you have become", she scolded me. She is still the same, always worried about me. Now how do I explain to her that I'm perfectly fit and I have to eat according to my diet.

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I entered to my room, and it didn't seem as if I had come home after a long time. The curtains and bed sheets had all been changed. From the beginning, there were two beds in my room, one in the middle of the bedroom and the other near the window. I often use a window bed, as I don't sleep much.

I turned my gaze to the left wall. There was a photo of me in my service uniform tugged, and my mother's photo was hanging next to me. My mother's name was Vaishali. I was only 6 years old when she passed away. And from that day on, I distanced myself from my father. I used to hate seeing Bhagyashree at my mother's place, and it was increasing with time.

This hatred had increased to such an extent that it was starting to destroy me from the inside. "How are you, maa?" I bowed to her. "Look, once again, I have defeated all my enemies and come back safe too, It was all your blessings, and I missing you whenever I come home." I was feeling disheartened. It's been 23 years since I remember her every day like this, earlier my eyes used to be moist, but now all the tears have dried.

"May I come in?" Manju mousi asked, and I nodded. "You haven't freshened up yet, and I brought kanda poha for you," she said, grinding her teeth. "Give me 10 minutes", I quickly went to the shower and came out in exactly 10 minutes, as I couldn't risk taking more time. I took the plate and sat down on the bed in front of her, and started eating.

She has magic in her hands, as her food is always delicious, and I really enjoyed it but didn't know how to appreciate it. "It seems like you love the food but won't be able to tell me," she chuckled while petting my head with her loveable touch. She knows how stubborn I'm.

"Ranvijay, why do you always behave so rudely towards Bhagyashree Vahini? She is your mother, beta", she paused as I glared at her. "She is not my mother", I corrected her. "Ranvijay, it's been 20 years, and you still behaved like you did in your childhood", she rasped, her words making me sigh.

"I don't want to talk about it, and I need to sleep as I'm exhausted while travelling", I said in a cold tone. "Fine, good night, sleep well", She stood up and took five steps when my jacket caught her attention, which was scattered on the floor. "Why do you throw it on the floor, Ranvijay?" She grabbed the jacket while I was sitting closing my eyes.

"Ranvijay, what is that?" Her anklet started tinkling. I instantly leaned up my face, and the moment made my eyes widen as mousi was about to grab her anklet. "Mousi, stop it!" I screamed, and she got startled. I immediately took big steps and snatch my jacket from her, "what happened beta", she shocked.

"Nothing", I stammered. "I can take care of my stuffs, you don't worry about it", I said while her expression was screaming that Ranvijay, you surely hiding something from me. "Okay, take care", she said, and left out. I took a deep breath of relief. First, I closed the door and went back to my bed.

I took out my anklet and threw a jacket on been bag. "We were about to caught today, you should be careful", I said while clenching the anklet on my fists.

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Next Update Alert - 17th Dec

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