Annika looked at the draft glaring. She has been trying to finish the chapter for over an hour and here she was sitting with her laptop about to die with only forty-five words written on the page. She rubbed her eyes in frustration.

She had already passed the deadline of the book. Her manager had already warned her if she didn't manage to finish this book she better find another career for herself. Because writing was something not for her.

She was struggling to form the words in her mind. The cursor sat blinking at the screen. She sighed closing the laptop shut.

She stood up walking to the corner of the room, she sat down at the seat letting her fingers to be familiar with the black and white keys.

The melody transporting her to the world of her imagination, a word that she fails to describe into the words.

His strong hands secured around her waist while his eyes spitting fire.

Her hands moved across the keys on their own. The symphony created had a haunting beauty to it. She closed her eyes.

His hands tightened earning a gasp from her. The color of his eyes turned hazel from the reflection of sun which hit his face quite beautifully. His skin shimmered under the setting sun. His beard tickled her skin as her breath came out in soft gasps.

She opened her eyes suddenly. She fell asleep on the piano. She looked at the clock, half an hour. She straightened up and rushed to open the draft and penned down her thoughts, her fingers moving on their own. Her heartbeat quickened. She didn't know how it happened, she had just imagined herself romancing the villain she had created.

Little did she know it was not her last time.

<>

The social circle of her husband was something just pure cruel. They were relentlessly trying to drag her beneath their shoes and her husband let them.

"What does he see in her?" Her husband's friend sniggered, she was dressed in a golden gown. No matter how much she tries she can't escape the matrix.

"Honestly, I have expected he'd choose someone with a calibre who matched his but look at her."

"An author, she is. Ever read her works?"

"She is? How come I have never heard of her books."

"Because nobody reads them."

She was used to it by now. That's her fate. She spotted her husband chatting with the one who has insulted her initially he seemed to be enjoying himself. Taking her cue to leave, she exited the party leaving a gust of whispers on her wake. Her husband watched with disappointed eyes.

"You left early." He observed. She kept her eyes trained on the windows. "I wasn't enjoying myself there." She spoke quietly, deciding not to spare him glance. He sighed, "You're not gonna enjoy unless you engage yourself in them. You can't be seriously offended by what the lady had said." She this time turned to look at him glaring. "And why I shouldn't be?" Her husband scoffed. "You're a writer. You are always open to criticism. A little comment shouldn't offend you. Besides it was all harmless fun. You know that." Annika looked affronted at that. Arguing with her husband was as good as banging your head against a tree. She shook her head in disappointment and turned back to stare at the street lights. Without her knowledge she drifted off.

She woke up in familiar surroundings.

"So, you're awake finally." A voice next to her purred. She drowsily craned her neck to see the speaker. The same eyes. They stared down at her, their expression unreadable.

"Who are you?" She choked out, her insides twisting in anticipation. His hands came to rest on her head. He tilted her chin up leaning till their lips were barely touching. "Don't you know that already sweetheart."

She jerked awake.

She was in the car. Her husband was staring ahead at the signal ahead. Shaking her head at her own thoughts she struggled to get her thoughts oriented for the remaining drive.

<>

"We're writers Anu." Her sister assured her. She sighed sending her sister an assuring smile, she was staring at her worriedly. "Our imagination runs wild sometimes." She felt light arms patting her back in a reassuring way. Surely wild.

She looked at her sister, she was in her mid thirties. She was happily married to the love of her life. Her sister, Sunidhi was everything she wasn't. A successful writer, whose books are always bestsellers, well loved by adults and adolescents alike. And there she was she had only three books published and nobody knew their names. Sometimes she doubted whether she was doing the right thing. But her sister remained supportive as always. Her parents didn't bother to contact the unsuccessful daughter as their whole time was consumed by their successful children. She was the youngest yet there was no one to pay attention to her.

"I'll be back in a few." Her sister informed as she moved outside to receive the call. She lied on the mattress with a huff, why does nobody seem to get the problem. She closed her eyes.

"You're back here again."

She gulped. His eyes were predatory.

"I've missed you." She gasped when his hands grabbed her roughly slamming her to the wall. Adrenaline pumped in her veins as she closed her eyes in fear and excitement. Her breath mingled into his as a familiar taste of ciggerates hit her.

And she opened her eyes.

Her niece was staring at her open mouthed pointing to herself. "You want food?" The three year old nodded excitedly. She picked her up and walked to the kitchen informing her sister to make something for them.

The dream of whatever it was pushed to the back of her mind.

<>

Her hands typed furiously afraid to let any words out. She had been inspired after such a long time and this time she was going to finish the draft.

It was two O' Clock in the morning. She had been kicked out of the bedroom which she shared with her husband because the keys disturbed her husband's sleep and he had an important meeting coming up tomorrow.

Her hands clutched his shirt tightly. The material crumbling under her hold as the gusts of winds rushed past her. They zooped through the city under the night sky.

"Having fun, darling?" He called looking over his shoulder, she hummed lowly. She was feeling sleepy as it was hard to keep her eyes open at the winds which were hitting her face straight as they rode his motorbike.

"Don't fall asleep on me." He chuckled. She nodded trying to stay awake.

Ouch.

She hit her head against the table.

She looked around. It was quarter past three now. She was asleep for quite a time. Her eyes fell on the laptop screen the script was the exact replica of what she had dreamt. Her heartbeat quickened, is she losing her mind?

She looked over the document sending it off for proofreading. Crossing her fingers, she hoped she achieve the success now. She closed the windows switching off the lights she returned to her bed, her husband's hand coming to rest on her waist.

The tight grip around her neck suffocated her.

"W-what are you doing?" She asked shocked. "R-release me." She gasped out.

"You know I don't like anybody else touching you." He grit out.

"You belong to me. To Shivaay Singh Oberoi. Not him." He growled.

She woke up with a gasp, her breathing erratic.

"Annika? You okay?" Her husband asked as he turned on the bed lamp. She wiped the sweat by her dupatta. She nodded smiling at him reassured. "Yeah, just a nightmare. It's okay." He nodded and went back to his place to sleep. He opened his arms for her to join. She shook her head, "it's almost time i prepare your breakfast." She said looking at the clock. For some reason she didn't want to enrage the villain.

She tied her hair in the bun walking into the kitchen to prepare the breakfast.

<>

She smiled towards the camera almost getting blind by the constant flashes before her. She was getting the hang of it. She answered all the questions she could for her books. Third book of the series was released.

How you fall into love.
A guide by your enemy.

Her book, was a bestseller. Her sister smiled from the audience. Her parents were for the first time looking at her proudly. She caught the eyes of her husband, in them she saw the admiration she had never seen. For the first time in her life she felt truly happy.

"So, ma'am who was your inspiration?"

She should have been expecting this question. She can't just say the inspiration of hers were the dreams or the fantasies her mind had summed up. Either way she didn't care anymore, it had been a year since she last got the vision like that.

She smiled bitterly as her eyes found her husband's and she lied through her clenched teeth.

"My husband."

<>

"Oh thank God. You're awake. Mom and dad were so worried." Her sister sighed in relief.

Annika frowned she looked around and released that she was in the hospital. She was wearing a patient's gown and was plugged to different wires.

"What happened? Why am I here?" She asked when she was finally able to talk. Her mother and sister shared an identical worried look.

"You were in an accident, my child." Annika's eyes widened. "It was a wreck." Her sister whispered. Annika closed her eyes in fear. "Where's he?" She asked worried, as they filled in the details that meant it had been two months since the accident. And her husband was driving the car.

"The damage was much prevailing on your husband's side. He succumbed to his injuries on the way here." Her sister answered sadly.

Her mind went blank. She was a widow. Her husband was dead. She didn't know how to process that piece of information.

She was in denial for days when finally her family decided to send her to therapist. The therapist was really kind to her as she shared her thoughts.

She opened her eyes.

"You're okay." He sighed in relief. His clothes were dirty. Covered with mud and blood? She gasped.

"Are you injured?" She asked.

He shook his head smiling at her worry.

"I'm okay. He really tried to hurt us." He whispered as he pulled her towards himself hugging close. She sighed at the comforting touch. Her eyes fell upon the body lying at some distance. The face was similar to her husband's but she knew it wasn't him.

She woke up.

The next day, she decided that she's going to inform her therapist about the visions.

"He does not exist Annika." Yes, of course he doesn't she was aware of that. He was the character of her book.

"Your mind made that up to compensate the love you never got from your marriage. It created the thrill and excitement that your body craved. He was purely your imagination and fantasy. And since your relationship with your husband weren't ideal your mind decided to paint him as the villain." What? How can that be true. She and her husband were so happy the recent years.

"That was the reason why you didn't get any dreams that years."

She stumbled back in shock. The therapist adviced her to extend her therapy sessions. And she agreed. Could it mean? That she somehow? She shook her head at the absurd thought.

Her eyes opened. She was chained.

"Don't even try to scream." He said placing a gun right next to her head. "Oh, don't worry sweetheart. I wouldn't dream of using this on you. Yet." His smile was wicked. "Unless you defy me, i assure your safety." He said as he pecked her lips.

"Do not go there again." He warned. She had a vague idea what he was referring to.

She woke up. It was her apartment and this time she was alone. She washed up and got ready for her appointment.

"I'm sorry ma'am, Dr. Sharma had to leave for some personal emergency. We don't know when she'll back and the cases of her patients are distributed among the available doctors. Kindly approach the cabin at the right end of the corridor. You will meet your new doctor there." Annika nodded as she walked silently to the door.

Psychiatry ward. The board indicated.

She pushed the door open and sat on the chair opposite to one of doctor's and waited. Her eyes scanned the room. Her eyes fell on the name tag on the table and gasped. She got up and was about to leave when the doctor entered the office. She was rooted to her spot. Her body trembled in fear. The doctor took the seat opposite to her and looked at her with smirk.

The familiar blue eyes freezing her to the place.

"I'm Dr. Shivaay Singh Oberoi. Though I was not expecting to find you here, sweetheart."

(This was something new I had tried. Not my usual genre to write. It was quite dark. Do tell me how you liked it?)