Chapter 2

ARIA

I am happy that I was able to escape from that psychopath. Otherwise, my grave would have dug up next to my parents. I shivered at the thought and quickly paced up.

As I reached my house, I let go of the breath which I was holding from so long. Finally, I am at home.

I remember getting kidnapped while my way back home. Everything messed up since then. I met Damiano since then.

I found the knob of my door opened.

Huh?

I blinked not understanding the situation. It never happened before. I always locked my door no matter what. Then why this door is open? Is someone inside? A thief? Or maybe that psychopath.

Oh shut up Aria.

He doesn't even know about your tiny house. How he's gonna come here. Most probably I forgot to lock it properly.

But then again why I got these bad vibes that something bad is about to happen? Why? I asked myself the question about which I had no indication.

Taking baby steps I entered inside. In fear, I quickly closed the door behind me and I was about to go upstairs before my eyes fell on the couch.

The room was dark, only a limited source of light was filtering from the window. I saw a shadow on the couch and the figure looked familiar.

Shit!

No. It couldn't be him. Please, God!

My body once again started trembling in anxiety. I tried to calm myself down but the fear was inevitable.

The fear was him.

Damiano.

He stood up and came closer to me. As soon as his face became visible to me, he held me by my cheeks and pulled me closer to him.

His eyes. They were burning in outrage. He was angry, very angry.

My tears streamed down silently. I felt nothing but numb. I knew my end is near. I get flashes of what he did to those dolls.

"WHY?" He screamed.

I said nothing, I was not in the state of uttering a single word. I was about to get a panic attack but I knew he won't bother about me. All he wants is the answer to his question that why his doll that is me left his mansion.

"WHY YOU TOOK MY DOLL AWAY FROM ME?" he screamed, again.

My breath became uneven with goosebumps rising all over my body. I cried silently, but truly. My tears were honest but he didn't bother.

All he wants is his doll, not me.

But all of sudden he left me and sat on the floor.

What? I thought he was going to kill me?

He sat with his chin resting on his knees and he kept on moving back and forth. I looked at him in confusion, my panic was now long gone.

"My doll." He started releasing tears.

"Damiano?" I called out his name but he didn't respond.

"My doll." He whispered again.

The look on his face broke my heart. He was in pain. But why?

After collecting enough strength I decided to go near him. I sat in front of him and touched his shoulder. "Damiano?"

He didn't respond once again.

What's wrong with him?

"Where is my doll?" He asked me, innocently.

For a moment, I forgot that he's a psycho. He seemed like a little child whose toy has been missing and he was crying because he can't find it.

But I am right in front of him, no? He always calls me his doll then why he's crying?

"Look, Damiano, your doll is in front of you." I pointed at myself.

He stared at me for a second before he shook his head in denial. "No. You're not my doll."

What? I mean what the actual f***?

I took a deep breath and observed his face carefully. It broke my heart to see him sad. But on a serious note what's wrong with him?

"Please give me my doll back." He pleaded.

I didn't understand anything. He always calls me his doll then what happened to him today?

I wondered.

"Please.." he folded his hands in front of me.

Now I really felt bad for him. He seems okay when he's angry but not vulnerable. I couldn't tolerate his vulnerability. It hurts me too.

I tried to hug him so that I can give him some comfort but he didn't let me do so. I clicked my tongue in frustration.

What should I do now?

I closed my eyes and thought of something before an idea struck in my head.

Doll, right?

I quickly went upstairs to my room and searched for my doll. As soon as I found it, I returned back to Damiano.

"You want your doll, right?" I asked in a sweet voice.

He nodded his head like a little kid.

I smiled and gave him my doll. He first looked at me then at the doll. And soon a soft smile curved on his face.

"My doll." He smiled looking at the doll.

Eh? Isn't this strange?

And that's when I realized he wasn't obsessed with me but with the dolls.

He never tried to think of me as Aria, he invariably sees me as a doll. And his obsession was definitely not me.

I mean just look at this person, he was not even recognising me. What had happened to him that he became obsessed with dolls? And thought me as one?

"Damiano."

"Yes." He said, hugging the doll to his chest.

I laughed at his antiques. "You want to eat something?"

"Yes, I and my doll would like to eat baby food."

Oh, God!

He's really crazy but I don't know why I find him cute this time.

I shrugged my shoulders."I don't have baby food. Would you like to eat porridge?"

"Yes, that would be fine." He smiled.

Oh, my heart!

I quickly prepared food for him and he ate silently making that doll eat too. Well not technically, he just brought the spoon near her mouth.

"Now my doll would like to sleep." He made her sleep.

And damn it was fun to watch him act like a little child. I laughed and don't know why I placed a soft kiss on his temple.

Well. He's not that bad.

Yeah right! He practically killed those lifeless dolls.

I rolled my eyes at my own thought but shrugged it off.

He slept on the couch and I looked at how cute he seems while sleeping. When he's awake he's such a monster but for tonight he was a little lost child.

I so want to know the reason behind his obsession with dolls. I've to crack his mystery.

And of course what happens tomorrow morning when he returns back to his usual self. But will he return back to his real self or stay like this?

Well, who knows? Let's see what the morning brings for me.