29 - Adversary

(Note: The names, surnames used in my story are just for the story nothing personnel)

Author pov

Fighting himself for a long time from slipping away from the sleep, he is arguing with himself to put his arms around her and engulf her with him but he stood up looking at the small innocent face with thousands of emotions running in his head and eyes.

A part of his heart scrounged him to place her on the bed, his brain slapped him to move away from her.

It would make space for him in her heart if she knows he made her sleep peacefully and he was sure of it, it will make the situation worse than it already is.

The pale face, her uncomfortable sitting position where she had her hand on his head when he woke up did something to him, it painfully stabbed his heart. He is spending days for her simple touch to relieve the pain he is giving himself for hurting her.

Her pure love impaled him.

The innocent character did spear his humanity.

Her dull face swelled eyes, the red cheeks, and of all the fear reflected for those brown orbs still managed to squeeze his heart, they all gave him no happiness. But...

Pain...

Hurt...

More than she is enduring.

He moved close to her face and softly kissed her forehead, "we are meant to be like this, harsh. But, believe me, my hatred is what you need the most more than love right now" he whispered, moving with a heavy heart.

Before she started loving him he took an oath to protect her.

Even betting his life, he will save his oath.

Taking his blazer from the corner of the room, he decided to leave her. As the sun is slowly raising it makes his way to move out of the house without getting caught in any of his family members.

Looking at his mobile he found a missed call from his chief guard, Albert. Quickly getting into his father's one of the cars leaving his car for her, he moved out of Verma Mansion listening to the information his guard provided him.

When he was a safe distance away from the house, he spotted a black car moving along with him a few meters away from him.

He stopped the car and got down without taking his gun.

He saw a man in his suit pants and a crispy white shirt coming out of the car, when he let his eyes wander around the surroundings he also noticed some more men watching them from afar and some passing drivers riding on the same path again with their eyes fixed on Arjun.

"Happy morning," the man in front of Arjun said eyeing his crumpled shirt which will always be perfect anytime.

Arjun laughed a bit, "Indeed it is" giving away his pain in public will make his business and family in a critical situation so he always maintained a robotic image in the business world.

"I never expected you to be this handsome" the man said to Arjun who laughed at him.

"Born handsome" Arjun smirked at him and continued, "Mr. Nithaesh Sarraf"

Nithaesh, a 28-year-old business tycoon from Iran, half Indian, half Iranian. His mother is Indian, after her death his father and he went to Iran, eventually, their visit to his mother's house reduced, his growth in the business made him forgot his home town, but today Arjun dragged him again to remember what he is missing.

"Maybe your handsomeness might take you down to ignore the time you wasted" Arjun sensed anger in his tone for wasting his time.

Albert gave Arjuna a message that Nithaesh wanted to meet Arjun in morning 5, "you should have known I am not into getting messages Mr. Sarraf, contact my assistant for appointments" his voice is laced with an arrogance that made Nithaesh grit his teeth in anger.

"Hand me over my house Arjun" even his angry words reached Arjun's ear he is adamant in making him come over to him.

Seeing Arjun driving in his car, Nithaesh hit his car hard in uncontrollable anger, "Shit"

"Make an appointment, now" he roared making his employees terrified. Even the rarely visits India, he always loved his mother's home which is the only thing he had in remembrance of his mother after his father's sudden death.

*************

Arjun contacted Albert, his most trusted guard working for him for the last 4 years, "Get my suit and Nithaesh file on my table in 10 minutes" before getting his reply he cut the call.

It's time for him to make things right, he wanted to leave her peacefully and he is ready to take any risk to make her life safe.

Parking the car he went to his room in the office on the last floor. Her crying face keeps on crossing his thoughts while bathing, to clear it he took extra time and came out with his emotionless face.

"Everything is on the table sir" Arjun nodded and looked for a hole, "for how many days Vishwanath in contact with him?"

"Two weeks sir, exactly"

"Arrange another PA for me, he should be with me 24/7" Albert nodded, "tighten security on my family, including Advik"

"ok sir"

"Ask the driver to take Diya in my car, she needs to be safe every second" Albert nodded copying every single thing Arjun is saying, he knows if anything goes wrong, it will make his boss angry.

"Vishwanath should be in my cabin in 15" Albert nodded and stopped in his tracks when Arjun called him again, "keep things away from my father, ask Advik to go with Diya wherever she goes. If he disagrees, ask him to talk with me"

"Sure sir" when Albert is out of his cabin Arjun placed his head on the seat closing his eyes calming down his nerves.

Of course, he should be, when things are getting out of hand. Right?

He failed to recognize that something is not going to be right the way he needs.

Diya pov

When I woke up I felt a sharp headache and neck pain due to the same position for hours, as usual, he left me alone.

My hand moved towards my face and then lingered on my forehead, it feels strange. I looked in the mirror and saw myself in the worst stage but something is different today. Again my hand moved to my forehead.

Am I missing something?

knock knock

"Come in," I said looked around the room and found two empty bottles, when I was about to take it a loud cheerful voice stopped me.

"Bhabhiiii...." my poor ears, a girl is hugging me tight still jumping like a kid. I surmise she is Manya.

Seeing my not so response, she became silent and broke the hug, "have I done anything wrong?" her face turned into a sad expression, I shook my head no, "are you not happy to see me?"

"Not like that," I said instantly to not hurt her.

"Then why are you not happy. Wait... why are your eyes are red?" she looked around the room and once she spotted the beer bottles she ran to the door and shut it.

Taking the bottles and trashing them she came to me slowly, "you are an awesome drink, I think" What? No.

"Manya, that is not me"

She laughed, "It's okay bhabhi, I won't tell mom, but please can you let me join in your club, I too wanted to drink" god, what is she speaking?

Arjun, wish you are here to let me kill you.

"I swear Manya, it's not me" she playfully hit my shoulders, "it's okay bhabhi (sister-in-law), but this brand is such a good brand"

How the hell she know it?

"But what I wonder, how did you drink two whole bottles? Don't you have a headache? Do you drink regularly?"

"I never even touched it," I said truthfully, "Listen, Manya, I am clearly saying, it's not me. Okay? I don't drink"

She raised her eyebrows, "then who drink it?"

"Your brother" she laughed holding her stomach, "bhabhi..." again she laughed, "who? Arjun bro?" I rolled my eyes.

"What is so hard to believe? Yes, he is the one who drinks it"

She shook her head, "I will believe if you say the earth is flat. But Arjun bro drinking beer? Impossible" she said determinedly.

"Believe me he did"

"Believe me he won't" she argued back with me. God, how adamant these siblings are.

I placed my hand on my head, "see, you got a headache, wait I will bring a tablet and lemonade" she came close to me and whispered, "Your secret is safe with me"

She went to the door and turned to me, "bhabhi, we are going out for shopping. Be ready" the naughtiness in her eyes indirectly warned me.

But she is like Advik, no worse than him.

After refreshing, I ate breakfast as his mother served me, "where is uncle" I broke the silence seeing her silent.

She is still blaming herself, I can sense it, "he just went out Diya" I nodded, "have you had your breakfast?"

She smiled and nodded, I grabbed her hand and made her sit on the chair next to me, "why are you hurting yourself, Aunty?" her eyes watered automatically.

Without thinking twice I hugged her, "Don't cry, Aunty. Let fate decide what should happen"

"Yep," we heard a voice, "now your fate is me. I have decided to take you both to shopping"

"I am not coming" Aunty quickly stood up and went to the kitchen" Manya pouted in my directed, "can you help me?" her sad pout made me agree to help her.

"Let's get going" I smiled and moved towards the kitchen, taking my half-eaten plate.

"Mrs. Krithiga, you promised me you would take me to shop today"

She nodded, "I did but I am not in the mood to go out today, if you want to go, I will ask the driver to take you there, be careful and be home before 12, we are already getting late, still Diya need to pack her things and I too haven't packed anything, I need to instruct our maids to take care of home when I am not here...." she keeps on talking cutting the vegetables.

"Bhabhi, please ask her to come with us" Manya whispered in my ears.

"Don't compel her Manya"

"Then I will tell you drank whole 2 bottles" my eyes widened, seriously? she winked at me, I don't care even if she tells the truth but if his mother knows he came to my room last night she will feel culpable for me again and I don't want to be the reason for it.

But I don't know how sure she is that her brother doesn't drink, he is the worst drinker and I allowed him to drink that too robbed beer/whiskey from my father.

Having no other way I talked with her mother for whole 10 minutes and finally, she agreed to accompany us.

We three went to the shopping mall, unlike other times some guards followed us, ignoring it we did the shopping, after two hours I got tired and I left Aunty at a shop. I and Manya went to the food court to have some food as it's already 12 in the noon.

We both ordered our food and sat down to have some chit chat, she is talkative where I would have cried for talking this much.

"she was just blinking her eyes not knowing what to do, I went to her parent's house and lied to them she is with her boyfriend, then you should have seen her parents face, they danced not minding their surroundings.

She is begging me to tell the truth. But bhabhi you know right, no one is supposed to reveal the truth while doing a dare..."

"Diya" a voice made her stop her radio for a second, this is a familiar voice, Raghav.

"Raghav," I said slowly in shame for not meeting him after he told me he wanted to meet me.

He smiled at me, "Twinkling star" a cute little voice made me look at his side, "Aww my cutie pie, Krish" I hugged him not able to get away from his innocent thousand watts smile lighting the whole place.

"How are you, buddy?" I asked him touching his nose, he rubbed his nose shrinking his eyes, "super, will you come and play with me?" I laughed seeing his cute reaction.

"Sorry Krish, I have some important work" I am throwing myself away from last night events which I don't want to remember at least for some time, a change of place would relieve me from it.

His face fell, "I will play with you some other day. Okay?" he nodded sadly.

Moving my gaze towards Raghav, "sorry" I said the first word I wanted to tell him for a long time, he smiled, "It's okay" he looked around us, "are you in any problem Diya?" he questioned me.

I gave him confused look, "what do you mean" I followed his gaze and saw strange peoples seeing me, some are Arjun's guards and some are unknown persons at the same time Manya mobile ringed, she took it and gave me a sharp look, "we need to go home"

Something serious, I understood it and bid bye to Raghav who understands the situation, after making sure we three get safe inside the car, he went to his car with Krish.

"Why are you both in such a hurry to go home?" aunty said looking into the bags she purchased, I looked at Manya for answers, "nothing mom, dad is calling us, that's why"

I sensed her lie but she shook her head as no, I nodded and when we both reached home his father is sitting on the couch looking tensed.

But he got relaxed after seeing us, "see these girls Dev, asking me to accompany them and now literally dragged me out of the shop, I still haven't purchased half of my list" she complained like a kid to her husband.

He put his hand around her shoulder, "even if you have a whole day you would have said the same thing, right my love?" she hit him playfully glaring at him innocently.

"Okay come on pack your bags, we are getting late" he rushed us to upstairs, "you are coming with us?" aunty asked him.

He grinned from ear to ear, "happily and tension-free Dev is coming with you" mom looks so happy but I didn't fail to notice the fear in Manya's face which she hides with a big smile at her mother.

Many things are fishy here...

And it is successful in damaging my brain.