Aira:

Self - loathing is exhausting.

I sat on the cold stone bench, in the garden. The only place he allowed me to go without eyes boring into me every second.

It's very pretty here. Tall trees, a pond, flowers and even a swing to give it the perfect dreamy look.

There are all kind of flowers, pretty flowers that I am allergic to and so it didn't feel refreshing anymore.

Two days, since he left the mansion and didn't come back. Atleast I had a presence who made me feel like I was atleast alive and with him gone, it felt like I was already dead.

Trapped among a few people who acted like they were Robots.

Maybe I shouldn't really have tried but if I get the chance, I would do it all over again - only this time I would be a little more cautious and atleast succeed.

Fuck, I was sure I had avoided all the cameras then how did he even know which car I got in in less than even ten minutes?

My hand moved to the pendant around my neck and my breathing hitched at the realisation that it was from him.

The pendant was from him and I had never really taken it off.

It was a Pheonix wrapped around a little butterfly.

What did this symbolizes?

The Pheonix crushing the butterfly while it burns to ashes and resurrects again leaving the butterfly to it's twisted fate of ruination?

Solitude? It's worse than you could ever imagine it to be.

It made me realise this was the worst kind of torture and he was doing it all knowingly to drive me insane.

He was going to drive me mad and then snatch my heart out and leave me abandoned for the vultures to feed on.

It felt suffocating.

My eyes moved down the the pendant and with a long breath, I snatched it away from my neck hurting myself in the process and threw it somewhere in front of me.

Feels so much better now.

My eyes swept over the object lying beside me and I held it in my hands, it felt warm as well as foreign to my hands.

I dialled the only person I wanted to talk to right now but knowing I would just put him and others in danger, I decided against it and dialed the two people I knew would pick up.

The phone was lent to me by Rekha aunty despite his clear orders becuase she couldn't see me wallowing in self pity anymore and I was more than Thankful for that.

The call connected in less than three to four rings to both the girls and as soon as my eyes met theirs, I felt a lot more at ease.

"How are you doing there?" Tara's voice was soft, laced with worry. Her concern wrapped around me like a hug I so desperately needed.

I closed my eyes, trying to imagine her beside me, the comfort of familiarity washing over the thorns of isolation.

"I feel like he will suffocate me to my death," I whispered, my voice blending with the rustling of the leaves. The garden seemed to grow quieter, as if listening.

Silence fell on the other side of the line, the only sound my breath mingling with the soft hum of the air. "Aira, I am so sorry. He is being so..."

Varya paused not able to find the right words as I interrupted them.

"There is nothing you both can do about his behavior. In fact, I am sorry for..." I trailed off, my eyes fixing on a cluster of lavender flowers that swayed as if in sympathy. Guilt was a gnawing beast, always ready to pounce when I let my guard down.

"Hey, it's okay. I don't hold that against you," Tara's voice was gentle, but there was an edge of frustration she couldn't quite hide.

"Anyone in your position would have done the same," Varya chimed in, her tone a little brighter, a little firmer.

A weak smile crossed my lips. Varya seemed to be working on something in her hotel room while Adhikrit bhaiya was attending some conference I guess. "I miss you both," I said, my voice catching on the words.

"We miss you so much as well, Aira," Varya said softly. I could hear the faint shuffle of movement as she closed her laptop and gave me and Tara her full attention.

"Do you think he is ever going to let me come back?" The question was a bare whisper, almost lost to the wind that danced between the leaves.

"I..." Tara's pause was as telling as any answer could be.

"Adhikrit said he will try to talk to him and so did Rishaan but..." I let the sentence hang, the unspoken reality sinking in like stones in my chest.

"The decision is solely up to him. Right?" My voice was resigned, I was holding back a storm of hope, I knew wouldn't change anything.

"Hm." Varya hummed giving me soft look.

I pressed my bare feet into the cool grass, grounding myself as I felt the heavy truth press down on my shoulders.

"It feels like I am on house arrest." The words hung in the air between us, sharp and raw.

"I am so sorry, Aira," Tara said again, and I could see her clenched fists, the fierce protectiveness in her eyes.

"Don't be, it's all my stupidity." I glanced at the moon, it seemed as lonely as I am even amongs a thousand stars. "At least back there I felt like a human. He clearly warned me against it, but as much as I don't regret escaping, I just wish I could have made it out."

"Aira," Varya's voice was a plea, a silent entreaty to not let the regret devour me whole.

They weren't even mad at me from trying to escape.

I blinked back the sting of tears, focusing on the velvety petals of a nearby rose. "He doesn't even allow the housekeeper to talk to me. I am just supposed to wake up, eat, and go back to sleep. I am not even allowed to have a phone so I can at least talk to you two." I wrapped my arms around myself, feeling a shiver crawl up my spine despite the warmth of the night.

"Rekha aunty couldn't see me wallowing in self-pity anymore, that's why she lent me her phone, risking her own job."

"He will bring you back. I am sure," Tara said, her conviction ringing clear through the call.

My eyes swept at the creeping ivy that clung towards my balcony, tendrils reaching for a freedom they would never find. "What if he doesn't?" My voice was so fragile, I didn't even recognize it anymore.

"Mom and Dad are only tolerating his idiotic behavior for so long. I am sure you will be back with us soon, Aira," Varya added, her tone soothing, though the tremble in it gave her away.

"I hope so." The whispered words were shallow, as fleeting as my hope.

My heart ached for their efforts and I somehow forced a smile on my lips, "Anyways, Tara, how is your shoot going?"

She mirrored my expression, although her eyes held something else. "It's awesome. The photographer is kinda very hot, you know."

"Very hot haan?" Varya's teasing voice brought a genuine smile to my lips for the first time in what felt like days.

"Like super hot. If not for the devil himself following me behind like a lost puppy, I swear I would have already gotten him in my bed." She gushed out rolling her eyes and I realised she was talking about Rishaan when she mentioned the devil.

"Tara, you know Rish will literally kill..." Varya started, and I imagined the familiar scowl on Rishaan's face.

"I know, but who the hell does he think he is to dictate my life like that?" Tara's exasperation made me chuckle softly, the sound strange and foreign.

"Rishaan has a girlfriend, naa?" I asked, shifting slightly as the cool grass tickled my ankles.

"Hm," Tara's response was dark and annoyed, one I recognized all too well.

I stared up at the twinkling stars in the sky. "Tara, I don't know what is going on between you two, but I just know that you aren't a toy to play with, especially when he has a girlfriend."

"Who the fuck does he think he is to interfere in your love life? If you find the photographer charming, might as well give it a try," Varya's voice was fierce, a spark of rebellion.

"Brother or not, I agree with Aira. Rishaan doesn't have any right over you, especially if he can't get out of the 'my best friend's little sister' phase, Tara." She huffed out, her nose red as she scrunched up her eyes and I admired her quality to take a stand even if it's against her brother.

A breath of laughter from Tara and me gave her a little relief as Varya gave Tara a soft smile and added. "So as your best friend, I want to tell you to not give a single fuck to him and give it a try."

"She is absolutely right." I looked at the ivy again, imagining it breaking free. "You can go on a date with him and get to know him."

Varya nodded, leaning into the camera with a grin.

Just as Tara's laughter reached my ears, a shadow moved behind her on the screen, sharp and sudden. My pulse jumped, my smile freezing. Before I could react, Rishaan's figure filled her frame, his expression stormy and commanding.

"And get him killed?" His voice was a knife, slicing through the comfort we had created.

Tara's face turned pale as she whipped around. "What are you doing in my room?" Her voice was forced, trembling at the edges.

Rishaan's eyes flicked to the screen, and my breath caught. His stare pinned us down, even through the thin glass separating us. "Well, hi there girls, but I don't think Arsh allowed you to have a phone, Aira?" The accusation was a slap, making my hand tighten around the phone.

What if he told him?

"And who is he to allow her anything?" Varya's sharp voice rang out, fierce and protective. I felt a swell of gratitude mixed with the familiar pit of dread tightening in my stomach.

Rekha aunty's job? And I don't even want to think where I stood after defying him.

Rishaan's attention shifted, a dangerous smile playing on his lips. "Baby sis, I am assuming you don't want me to give a call to Adi bhai and let him know of your so-called suggestions to his baby sis. No?"

"Rishaan." Varya's voice was cold steel.

"Yes, Varya?" He turned, his tone deceptively calm, but his eyes still held a dark challenge.

"Who the hell do you think you are threatening my friends like that?" Tara's eyes flashed, and I could almost see her standing tall, her chin raised in defiance.

Rishaan's smile widened, a touch of menace behind it. "Well, ask them to hang up and go back to sleep if you don't want me snitching, Tara."

"Fuck you," Tara spat, her usual confidence breaking through for a moment.

He laughed, low and mocking. "Oh, I will gladly let you."

Tara literally froze on the spot while Varya glared at him and I fake coughed nothing Tara's blush and trying not to get things be more awkward.

"Tara, you think you will be okay?" I asked, my voice barely steady, every instinct inside me on high alert as I stared at her on the screen.

"Don't worry, he won't harm me, Aira," Tara reassured, forcing a smile.

I knew Rishaan wouldn't harm her.

"No, I didn't mean that... I..." My voice wavered, the words tangling in my throat as the weight of helplessness pressed on my chest.

"I know, but rest assured I am fine. Just take care of yourself, hm?" Her voice softened, grounding me for a moment.

I swallowed hard, glancing at Varya. "You both as well."

"I am fine. You both take care, girls. We will meet soon," Tara said, the defiance in her eyes softening to something warm and fierce as Varya gave us a nod, her eyes focused somewhere else as she tried to get back her attention to us.

"Goodnight," I whispered, my heart still pounding.

"Goodnight, babygirls," Varya's voice echoed softly, and then the screen went dark.

I held the phone tightly, my heart still thundering in my chest from the brief, and stolen conversation. Relief and guilt twined within me, each breath a battle to steady myself. Glancing up, I saw Rekha aunty, approaching me with kind eyes and a nervous smile.

"Thank you," I whispered, getting up from the bench and pressing the phone into her open palm. "I owe you more than I can say."

She looked down at the device, her fingers wrapping around it protectively, and then back up at me. "No, miss. You needed this." she said softly, her voice barely above a breath, as if even the garden had ears.

A slight shift in the leaves made me tense. Every sound seemed amplified, every shadow a potential witness. "I won't let him find out," I said, glancing over my shoulder, the fear of anyone watching us terrifying me.

"I won't tell anyone." she promised, eyes wide with sincerity. "But you... you should be careful."

The warning in her voice resonated with a chill deep in my bones. I nodded, forcing a smile that felt brittle at best. "Hm,"

As she stepped away, I felt the familiar tension coil back into my shoulders. The thought of him finding out, of the consequences that would come...

I swallowed hard, sitting back on the bench and covering myself with the quilt I had brought along, and found myself giving in to sleep.

******

Arsh:

The reminder of her hand grabbing the pendant and throwing it somewhere like it wasn't the one thing that defined her flashed in front of my eyes as I stepped out of the car and onto the dimly lit path leading to the mansion.

It had been two days - long, grueling days as I tried to find the motive behind the target set on her that kept me tethered far from her.

The irritation sat heavy on my shoulders, but it was nothing compared to the gnawing emptiness that came from not having my eyes on her.

The garden stretched before me, shrouded in the kind of darkness that was almost suffocating - for her.

The last I saw, she seemed to be sitting in one of the benches out her in the garden but since it's already been more than a few hours to that, I think she must have moved upstairs to sleep.

She wakes up around 7 in the morning and it's only 5 right now.

I moved towards the area I had seen her moving towards knowing I would find the pendant there and that's when my eyes fell on her.

Aira. The sight sent a jolt through me - a mix of relief and something far darker at the realisation that she was out here the whole night.

I could see my men around, their eyes far away but their presence enough to let me know that she was safe.

The pendant was lying right in front of me and yet all I could see was her.

Crouching down, I picked up the pendant and approached her slowly, the sharp scent of jasmine filling my lungs as I closed the distance. She lay there, vulnerable and unaware, her hair fanned out like spilled ink against her cheeks.

The steady rhythm of her breathing kept reminding me of how fragile she was, and how easily that peace could be shattered.

A shiver ran down her body, and I clenched my jaw. The night air was cool, biting even, and she didn't belong out here in the dark.

Just like the pendant didn't belong anywhere other than her neck.

I reached out, my fingers brushing her hair aside, and an electric tension snapped through me. My touch was possessive, almost harsh, as I caressed the side of her face, unable to help the way my hand lingered.

"Aira," I whispered, my voice rough, almost a growl. Her brows knitted slightly, a soft noise escaping her lips as she shifted in her sleep. The sound was a siren call to the part of me that never rested - the part that wanted to possess, claim her, protect her and possibly keep her hidden from every danger and every man, even myself.

Before I could think better of it, I scooped her into my arms. Her body tensed for a moment, then relaxed, molding into me like she was meant to fit there. Her head fell against my chest, and a sigh slipped from her lips, the sound pulling at something deep and twisted in me.

"Arsh..." The murmur of my name, faint and sleepy, was enough to make my heart pound. She didn't open her eyes, but the corners of her mouth lifted slightly, as if she knew I was here.

"Wake up little wolf," I said, my voice a low promise. I carried her through the garden, each step deliberate, the night holding its breath around us. The warmth of her seeped through my shirt, anchoring me in a way that nothing else could. When I reached the door, I pushed it open with my foot and stepped inside, the silence of the house wrapping around us like a shroud and without waiting for anything else, I took us to our room.

She stirred as I made her sit on the couch, her eyes fluttering open, unfocused and dazed. For a moment, we just stared at each other. Her gaze, soft and searching, made my throat tighten and it frustrated me.

"Am I dreaming?" she whispered, a question, a plea.

"After I am done with you, you would be praying it should have been a dream." I said, a command laced with darkness. I brushed my thumb over her cheek, the touch lingering longer than necessary. "Wake up."

Her brows drew together, confusion sparking in the depths of her eyes as she reached out, her fingers barely touching my cheek in a fleeting caress. The softness of it seared through me.

"I thought you weren't coming back?" Her voice cracked with the ghost of abandonment.

"Did you miss me that bad?" I asked, the smirk that touched my lips feeling hollow even as I forced it.

"No."

"No?" I repeated, amused.

"You didn't miss me?"

"I didn't, but," her breath caught, and something twisted deep in my chest at the hesitation there.

"But it felt so lonely without you in here. You scare me," she admitted, eyes wide with an emotion that danced between fear and relief.

"Infact you terrify me, but it's better that way. I can feel, even if it's hatred and resentment." The vulnerability in her voice sliced through the barriers I had spent so long erecting, exposing the raw truth.

"Even if it's just you being threatening or when I try to annoy you or plan different ways to get on your nerves." A tremor ran through her, the fight still alive in her despite everything.

"I have a hope, I hold on to that." The room seemed to shrink, every heartbeat resounding like a war drum.

"You still hope?" The amusement didn't waver.

As expected, she was going to be so much fun.

"Maybe you would let me go someday."

She hoped for the impossible.

"I won't." The finality of it should have been a cold blow, but instead, it hung between us, heavy with everything unspoken.

"Maybe your heart will melt."

"I don't have a heart, mi amor." The words fell from my lips like an iron shackle, binding us to the inevitable.

"Or maybe I can run far away from you and succeed in it."

"In your fucking dreams," I growled, the ferocity hiding the anger that thrummed beneath my skin at the very idea.

"But with you gone I felt so much worse. I thought you would never come back. It's better to fight you than fight my own demons. It's so much easier to make you a target of my hatred than self-loathing." Her confession unraveled between us, fragile and fierce all at once.

"I thought no one would come back for me and I will suffocate into this silence, all alone." Her voice broke, the vulnerability in it a dagger to my chest.

"I will always come back for you, little wolf." The words spilled out, a fierce, unbreakable promise carved out of the storm inside me.

"To hurt me?" she whispered, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. The hope and despair there were so intertwined that it felt like looking at the remnants of a battlefield, broken but alive.

"To hurt you." The words left me, but they felt foreign, as if they belonged to someone else. My voice was low, almost tender, betraying the storm within. "To break you and ruin you." I paused, letting the truth of it sink in, the air between us electric and crackling with tension.

Her eyes widened, and I watched the tears quiver, held captive by sheer willpower. "Why? Why won't you just let me go?" Her voice was barely more than a breath, but it carried the ache of someone who had fought too many battles and feared she was losing this one.

A bitter laugh escaped me, rough and ragged. "Because there is no version of this world where I let you out of my sight and feel calm ever again." The confession slipped out, raw and unguarded. It was a truth I hadn't meant to admit, even to myself.

She swallowed hard, shifting on the couch, the fabric crinkling under her. Her fingertips trembled as they reached for mine, hesitating, unsure whether to touch or retreat. "But I can't keep surviving on this... this torture, this solitude. You know that, don't you?"

I closed the distance between us, leaning down until I could feel the warmth of her breath on my skin. "I don't want you to survive."

Her breath hitched, a sharp intake of air that seemed to fuel the fire between us. For a heartbeat, the world fell silent. The only sound was the thundering of my own heart and the whispered promise of her unspoken answer.

She tilted her chin up, defiance sparking to life in her eyes even as they glistened with vulnerability. "And if I do?" The challenge in her voice was brave but brittle, the last shield of someone cornered but unyielding.

A dark smile tugged at my lips, the shadows in me rising like a predator finding its prey. "In the end, you won't even be able to recognize your own self, Aira."

Her response came swift and laced with venom. "Fuck you."

I smirked, leaning just enough to brush her ear with my voice. "I will let you, but first, answer my questions."

"Do I look interested?" Her defiance flared, and for a heartbeat, the tension felt like a spark ready to ignite.

I took the pendant out of my pocket and let her blank gaze roam all over it.

"Who told you you can take this pendant off?" My voice dropped, each word sharp and precise, slicing through the moment with a warning.

"I don't want anything near me that reminds me of you," she spat right in my face.

She was really doing a great job at trying to piss me off no matter how much I tried to keep my control in check.

Ignoring her protest, I reached behind her neck and clasped the chain with deliberate, rough hands. The cool metal settled against her skin, a claim, a mark she could never escape. "Don't ever take this off," I said, my voice low and menacing, each word sinking into her like a promise carved in stone.

Her fingers gripped the pendant around her neck, her eyes narrowing. "This is the ugliest design I have ever worn. What does it even mean?"

"Don't take that off you." I whispered, my breath fanning across her cheek. My fingers lingered at her neck, feeling the rapid pulse beneath. Her chest rose and fell in uneven waves, each breath a silent challenge.

"Why? So you can remind me that I am nothing more than your prisoner?" Her voice was sharp, cutting through the tension like a blade. The defiance in her gaze pushed against the boundaries I had set, testing them, testing me.

I leaned in, eyes narrowing. "Careful, mi amor," I said, the warning in my voice as dark as the shadows pooling around us. But she didn't flinch? instead, she smirked - a daring, reckless move that made my blood simmer.

She looked sleepy mere second ago and punishing her first thing in the morning in ways she can't handle wasn't on my to do list today.

"You are sick." she snapped, each word dripping with provocation. And then she did it - her hand flew to the pendant, fingers curling around it as if to rip it off again.

Before I could stop myself, I grabbed her wrist and pinned it above her head, pressing her back into the couch. The room felt smaller, suffocating with the proximity of our bodies and the unspoken promises hanging in the air. Her eyes widened, lips parting as a mix of fear and something else flickered in their depths.

"Watch how you speak to me," I said, voice low and lethal. The grip I had on her wrist softened, but my eyes never wavered. "Or you will soon find out just how sick I really am."

The silence crackled between us, her breath shallow as she stared up at me. The challenge had faded, replaced by a tension so thick it could be even cut with a knife.

I met her gaze, the rage rumbling in my chest. "Now, answer the question, Aira."

A flash of confusion darted across her face, quickly replaced by stubbornness as I let my next words assess her. "Who allowed you the phone, little wolf?"

The confusion flashed to surprise and dread and her eyes widened.

"What phone?" The denial was instant, her voice steady, but I saw the flicker of guilt that betrayed her.

"I hate liars," I said, my voice a low growl.

"I didn't touch any phone," she insisted, but I could feel the thin thread of truth and lies between us stretching, threatening to snap.

Besides I knew whether she touched the phone or not. Who she called and whose number she dialled on the keypad but decided against it.

"If you lie one more time," I warned, leaning in until our breaths mingled, "The one who gave you the phone will be the one facing my wrath, little wolf." The tremor in her breathing was subtle, but I felt it regardless.

Her eyes flickered with defiance before a resigned look settled in. "Fine, I will tell you," she said, her voice low, but I caught the trace of vulnerability beneath the steel. My chest tightened.

"I am listening," I replied, my tone clipped but edged with something deeper.

"She didn't give me her phone willingly. I practically threatened her to." Her confession sent a current of anger and relief colliding inside me.

She was lying again but she was trying to save my housekeeper not that I cared but it was enough to tell me that she was still her.

Despite being forced to shoot me, her heart was still hers.

And I won't stop until I have it in my hands.

My jaw clenched, struggling to contain the mix of pride and fury that warred within me.

"I didn't call anyone else. I only talked to Varya and Tara." Her voice wavered, eyes locked on mine, pleading for me to believe her.

I know.

But rules weren't something to bend or break, they were the only thing that kept the chaos at bay.

"You broke a rule," I said, the statement cold and final.

"What rule?" she snapped, her eyes narrowing. That familiar fire flared up in her gaze, the one that made my blood race despite everything.

"My rules." The words fell between us like an iron chain, binding and immovable.

Her breath came faster, a flush rising to her cheeks as she struggled against the storm brewing in her. "I am not your fucking prisoner," she spat, each word a spark that threatened to set the fragile balance ablaze.

I stared at her, the distance between us shrinking as rage twisted with something deeper. The urge to close the space, to show her exactly what I could do to her pulsed me.

But control was everything, even as it splintered under the weight of her rebellion.

"You are whatever I say you are," I said, voice a low, unsteady growl, the barely restrained storm in my chest pushing against the rage that burned me.

Her eyes blazed with anger, matching the thrum of defiance that tightened the space between us. She pushed against my chest, palms flat, the resistance sparking through me like wildfire.

"You can't control me like this," she said, voice raw and daring, each word hitting me like a challenge.

My fingers twitched, fighting the urge to pull her back into the gravity of my hold. Her defiance, the way she looked up at me with fire in her eyes, only made the pulse in my neck throb harder. I leaned in, my face so close to hers that I could see every flicker of emotion in her gaze. "Should have thought before crossing me." I whispered, each word laced with a dark promise.

"I will do it all over again," she continued, the tremble in her voice swallowed by sheer determination. "One chance and I will run as far as I can from you."

Not that you will get any far.

The walls were so high, it could almost touch the highest skyscrapers in the city but even if Aira somehow managed to get across the walls around the mansion, somehow dodging the 100 men surrounding the house, there is 20 acres of land surrounding the mansion - an hour of running before she can get to the main road.

A bitter smile tugged at my lips, more habit than amusement. "Fight it all you want, little wolf. But know this - I will always catch you."

Before she could fire back, the sharp knock on the door cut through the tension like a blade. I gave the permission and to enter as the handle turned, and Vyom stepped inside, his eyes darting between us before landing on me with an urgent expression.

"There is a plan." His tone was clipped, void of the hesitation he must have felt seeing us like this but he ignored it blankly.

I clenched my jaw, fighting the impulse to stay and finish what she had started. The flicker of relief in her eyes when she realized I had to leave made my chest burn. Without another word, I released her wrist, the sudden absence of touch leaving my fingers cold.

Turning on my heel, I didn't bother glancing back. "The phone call, I will deal with it later." I said, the promise hanging in the air like the echo of thunder. Then I strode out, the sound of the door closing behind me swallowing her response, if she dared to give one.

Dekho? Mai target set kr rhi ek 😭 Jaise hi wo complete ho jaega Mai next chapter Daal doongi. I promise. Bhale wo fir 1 din me kro ya 1 hafte me.

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