《Rich Brat: Sweet Revenge Of A Lazy Princess》


 Chapter 1 - Prologue

    It was a broad corridor of a mall. It was filled with people loitering around all over the place. People moved around with bags and couples held hands and walked around without noticing anything else happening around then.


    On one corner, a girl was sitting. She had a jean and baggie t-shirt on. She was sitting on the ground. Her knees were pulled up and her head rested against the wall behind her.


    Her expressions conveyed her agonizing grief in its cruel form. Tears kept tumbling one after the other quietly. But nobody noticed her.


    Right then a very little girl tumbled and approached the crying girl.


    She reached with her tiny finger and wiped her tears and asked, "Are you scared?? Don''t cry. I will give you Mr. Gwampy. He will protect from the monster." Her voice was very soft but her words were clumsy. She then extended her torn teddy bear and stuffed it into the crying girls arms.


    The elder girl quickly wiped her tears looked up. She was met with a pair of warm brown eyes. It took a while for her to take her eyes away from the sparkling ones in front of her. Once she came out of it she asked softly, "Hey princess, where is your mummy??? Did you wander off on your own?"


    "My mummy is in heaven." The little girl replied instantly with a sad smile and her little fingers pointed upwards.


    The elder one was surprised at first. She did not know how to respond but then after a while she mirrored the little girls smile and said, "Mine too. I just miss her."


    "My mummy said whenever I missed her, I shouldn''t cry. But give her a big smile so that she can watch me smile from heaven. She said I have to be mommy''s brave little girl and make her proud as she watched over me from heaven." The little girl replied in her childish voice and once again reached out to wipe the tears of the elder one.


    But before the elder one could respond, a man frantically approached the little girl.


    The little girl ran towards the man bellowing, "Daad."


    "How many time I have told you to not to go by yourself??" the man scolded her but hugged her closed to himself in her arms.


    The elder girl stood up and took a last glace at the father- daughter duo and walked away mutter to herself, "Mom�� Dad�� I am your brave little girl. Watch over me. I am going to make you proud."

 Chapter 2 - 1

    The Imperial Hotel.


    It was the most luxurious hotel in the city. It stood gloriously in the heart of the city with all its grandeur like a King''s palace. It was tall and majestic while guards watched over it as if it was a fortress.


    Charan stood there inside a crowded hall awkwardly. He was there to attend one of his company''s client daughter''s wedding. Originally his boss was supposed to attend but due to some last minute emergencies, Charan had to replace him instead.


    Clearly he was not used to this. The whole reception hall was brightly lit with chandeliers while people were standing around showing off their expensive suits and high end jewelries. Everything around screamed money from the exorbitant d��cor or the extravagant food to the posh looking people around everything intimidated Charan. Everyone where being polite while praising each other and making connections.


    Charan did not know whether they all actually fit in or were just pretending to fit in. But he could do neither since he did not know a single sole there. He stood there awkwardly in his suit with a plate of food that did not taste right to his tongue. He kept fidgeting nervously. He felt self-conscious as if everyone were staring at him, mocking him. He could not wait to get out of here.


    Right then a girl came in. It''s not the she wasn''t pretty. In fact, she was gorgeous. But the thing was her beauty was not the thing that actually stood out. It was she herself who stood out. The way she was.


    When everyone around was prim and proper trying to fit in, she looked like h.i.p.ster. She had on a torn jean that was ripped on her right thigh and left leg. And a cropped grey sweat shirt with a hoodie. She had a big red headphones slinging over her shoulders while her phone peaked out of her back pocket. And the most singular thing that stood out was her hairs. It was slightly curled and unkempt. It was an asymmetrical bob and was dyed bright red.


    Charan was amazed with how confidently she strode around with so many eyes following her, some curious some mocking. But what was surprising was nobody threw her out. She went on stage congratulated the couple empty handed then came straight towards the buffet. She looked at the food with slight distaste.


    Well Charan could definitely relate to that seeing as he is yet to finish the food on his plate.


    Once getting very little food, the girl looked around and suddenly her eyes landed on Charan. Charan quickly looked away when he realized he was staring quite rudely. But then he heard shuffling sound of chair in front of him. When he looked up, he saw the girl sitting down in front of him unceremoniously.


    "��" Charan did not know what was happening.


    "You were the only other person who was sitting alone here. So I thought instead of two people sitting alone in two different tables, I would just join you." She said nonchalantly. That is when Charan looked around and found what she said to be true. Everyone had one or other person in their tables to chat with.


    After taking a few bites in, the girl looked at Charan intently. Charan felt embarrassed under her piercing eyes. Then suddenly something changed in her eye. It suddenly brightens and a smile formed on the corner of her lips.


    Out of nowhere, she extended her hands and said, "Hi, I''m Shreya. It''s very nice to meet you."


    Charan did not want to be rude, so he shook her hands and introduced himself, "I''m Charan."


    "You are new to this circle ah???" Shreya asked gesturing everything around her.


    "More like ''I am not part of this circle''. I am a proxy for my boss." Charan said with a sign.


    "Oh!" She said and then within a few minutes she gobbled the little food she had on her plates. Then she looked up at Charan and asked, "You''re not going to finish that??" gesturing at his plate.


    Charan simply shook his head.


    Shreya wiped her mouth with a tissue and stood up extending her hands towards Charan and said, "Come on."


    Charan blinked looking up at her. He did not know what was happening.


    "What are you looking at?? Come on. Get up. Didn''t you want to get out of here as soon as possible??" Shreya asked surprising Charan.


    He did not take her hands but still stood up and said in a whisper, "I don''t remember saying that out loud."


    "You didn''t have to. It was written all over your face." Shreya replied coolly and then reached out to his hands and dragged him out of the hall.


    "!!!" Charan did not really have a choice seeing as he was still reeling on what was happening here.


    Charan could not make head or tail of the situation her was in right now. Se he simply let her drag him out without even realizing where he was going.


    When he finally looked around to make sense of his surrounding, Shreya was already dragging him through a corridor. Then she exited through a restricted section and then climbed a flight of stairs before coming into a stop in front of a closed door. She stepped sideways and gestured towards Charan and said with a slight bow and a gleeful smile, "You can do the honors!"


    Charan looked at her weirdly but still reached out for the handle and opened the door.


    First thing he felt was the chilling breeze and the first thing that came into view was the open dark sky above. There was no other light there, so the stars twinkling and the moon shining were all very clearly visible.


    The Imperial Hotel was easily the tallest building in the city and when he saw the view of the city from the top of it, he was awe struck. It was breathtaking and mesmerizing. For a second he forgot who he was. The whole city was spread out in front of him like a carpet.


    Charan came out of his daze when he heard Shreya say, "You''re going to catch a mosquito in your mouth." He quickly closed his mouth and looked at her.


    She looked lost in bliss. She had both her hands extended with her eyes closed as she let the breeze brush past her. She had a pleasant smile curving her lips.


    Charan''s heart skipped a beat. She looked picture perfect at that moment. Like a fairy out of fiction. He just stared at her blankly without being able to take his eyes off of her. His hand moved on its own accords. He reached out and gently tucked her hairs behind her ears.


    Shreya''s whole of her being stiffened immediately. Charan quickly retracted his hand and murmured, "Sorry... I just�� it just��" he tried to explain but nothing came out since he himself did not know what he was thinking. He just suddenly felt her hairs were hindering his view. He just looked down embarrassed at himself.


    "It''s okay." Shreya said casually and sat down in the middle of the terrace with her legs stretched in front of her and then gestured Charan to do the same.


    He first took off his suit coat and then pulled off his cuff links. He then folded his shirt sleeves to his elbows before sitting down beside her. He felt slightly awkward under her unwavering gaze. So he asked in order to distract her, "How did you know to come here??? You work here??"


    She seemed to know her way around the hotel and the staffs in the reception did not kick her out. On top of it, he knew for a fact that the bride''s dad was an absolute snob. So if it were a relative, he would have kicked her out even before entering for the way she was dressed. So Charan figured she must be manager of the hall or something. After all Imperial is known for its protectiveness towards its staffs.


    This was the only high end hotel that preached ''Give respect take respect'' attitude rather than ''Customer is the king''. There were many rich customers who were banned for entry to the hotel because they did not treat their staffs properly. It was done so publicly that nobody dared to be disrespectful even towards their staffs.


    "You can say that I guess." Shreya replied after giving it some thought.

 Chapter 3 - 2

    Charan kept staring at her as Shreya leisurely sipped on her bear. She had a few beer bottles stashed on a corner here. He did not know if he was supposed to call her brave or stupid. He was already baffled as to how she could bring an absolute stranger to a secluded space like this, that too looking the way she looks. But on top of it she was actually drinking!!! Was she out of her mind??? He did not even want to think about what would have happened if it had been some other asshole in his place.


    "Oye, are you not scared??" Charan asked without being able to hold back anymore.


    "Of??" Shreya asked with a confused eyes staring right at him.


    "Of ghosts!" Charan replied sarcastically.


    "You are here right?? What ghost will dare to come near me??" Shreya replied teasing him.


    Charan let out an exasperated sign and then asked patiently with a serious attitude, "How can you bring an absolute stranger to such a secluded spot??? What if I turn out to be some asshole??"


    "Are you??" Shreya asked back with a smile.


    "What if I was??" Charan asked again. He then, suddenly on an impulse leaned close to Shreya right when she turned around to face him. All of a sudden there was just a breathing gap between them.


    He did not want to scare her even though he felt she might actually need a healthy dose of scare. But for now he just wanted to make a point so that she will be cautious from here on.


    Sheya''s froze. She did not move away. Her eyes just darted over his face intently. Their eyes locked. Charan could hear his heart beating rapidly against his throat. Charan immediately scooted back away from her and said meekly, "Sorry�� I was just trying to make a point."


    "I know. It takes a lot more than that to scare me anyways," Shreya said once again taking a sip of her bear.


    After a while of silence, Shreya pulled up her hoodie and laid down gazing at the sky. There was a comfortable silence between them that neither of them wanted to disrupt. But even then Charan couldn''t help but steel glances at her every now and then. And as time ticked by Shreya slowly fell asleep.


    Charan quietly arranged his coat over her and sat beside her cross legged. He did not know why she even dragged him here with her in the first place but some part of him was really glad that she did. Time passed by quietly. There was no other sound except for Sheya''s steady breathing.


    The calm was disrupted by sudden ringing of Charan''s phone. That''s when he realized it was well past the time he was supposed to have been home. He cursed under his breath and picked up his mum''s call.


    "Charan, where on hell are you??" his mum''s voice shrilled through the phone angry without even bothering to great him.


    Charan pulled the phone away from his ears. Once her bellowing was done, he placed the phone against his ears and said, "Mum, don''t worry. I will be home in a while. I am outside right now in a reception." Then he quickly cut the call in fear of hearing another earful from his mum. He could just curry flavor her once he reached home.


    When Charan cut the call and looked around, he was faced with a very sleepy groggy looking Shreya. Her hoodie was still covering her head. She was rubbing eyes with a back of her hands while letting out a yawn.


    "Hey, come on sleepy head. It''s getting late. We should be heading back." Charan said softly getting up first.


    Shreya blinked and looked around dazed. Then her eyes darted over Charan. Then she simple extended both her hands towards Charan and gestured him to pull her up.


    Charan let out a chuckle and pulled her up. When he let her hands go, he suddenly missed her warmth. He quickly walked to the door and started descending the stairs. And Shreya followed with a word.


    Once down Charan turned towards Shreya and asked, "You have a ride back??"


    "I will probably call a cab." Shreya replied.


    "Will it be alright if I gave you a lift??" Charan asked tentatively after much deliberation. He did not want to be too forward and end up seeming like a creepy asshole but then he did not want to send her all alone at this hour of the night.


    "Don''t you have to be home soon??" Shreya asked instead of replying. He heard him say that he will be home soon on the phone.


    "No, it''s okay. I can drop you before going home." Charan replied.


    "Then I don''t mind a lift." She said shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly. Anyways her home was not that far from here. So she did not have to worry about inconveniencing Charan.


    15 minutes later, Charan''s car came to a standstill outside a multistory apartment complex. But Shreya did not get down right away. Rather she turned towards Charan and said, "I�� I�� I was told I was way too straight forward that it leaves them baffled some times. So don''t complain that I did not warn you."


    Then she paused and took a deep breath. She then looked at Charan and said without batting her eyes, "I like you. So if you are single and you are okay with me I would like it if we could hang out and get to know each other."


    "��" Charan''s brain froze. You call that a warning!!!!


    "So yea�� uhm�� here is my number." She said and took the pen from his pocket and wrote down her number on his palm and got down from the car.


    By the time his brain kick started again, Shreya was already out of the car walking away from him. He quickly alighted from his car and followed after her. He slightly grabbed on her arms and stopped her.


    Shreya looked back surprised and then she gave it some thought and asked, "Did I leave something behind??" She checked for her phone since that was the only thing she did carry.


    "Is�� is it okay to call even if I am a single dad??" Charan asked in a very low voice. He knew it was not something he should be ashamed of but then he knew it was not going to earn him any brownie points either. So he felt slightly embarrassed at that moment. For him, his life had been revolving solely around his daughter-Akira for years now. He had always kept her in mind before doing anything. This was the first impulsive thing he had done in forever. He did not even know why. He just hoped it doesn''t backfire on him in the future.


    "Well I don''t mind as long as your kid is okay with it." Shreya replied without missing a beat or sparing a second to think.


    Charan looked up at her surprised and signed in relief when he saw nothing but honesty in her eyes.


    "I mean if you want to bring up past relationship status then I am actually divorced and my past husband was an asshole. So if I have any objection then I will be that thief calling another person a thief shamelessly." Shreya continued and explained.


    "Okay�� I''ll�� I''ll contact you I guess. Anyways go on. Get some rest." Charan said bidding her goodbye with a big goofy grin.

 Chapter 4 - 3

    "Anand uncle, I do not want this deal to fall through at any cost." Shreya said talking over her phone as she entered her apartment.


    "Shreya, don''t worry. We have been preparing for this day for a long time. Akash is sticking to him like a gum. He has no way out. He is cornered from all sides. He has no other option except to make a deal with us. Minister Rakesh is done for." A caring male voice of her uncle sounded through her phone.


    "That''s what scares me even more. A cornered prey is more dangerous since he has nothing to lose and everything to gain. I�� I�� I can''t afford to lose anyone ever again. I don''t know what I would do if I lost any of you guys." Shreya said while her eyes turned ice cold.


    "Hey�� Shreya, you are not losing any of us okay?? Now go and get some sleep. I we will talk about the rest later." Anand said comfortingly.


    Shreya kept her phone down on the table and sat on the couch with her eyes closed. She had no idea how she actually fell asleep on that roof top with all these chaotic thoughts still bombarding her head.


    "Hey dad�� Hey mum�� I miss you guys you know." She softly talked out loud but there was no one around.


    "I am so close to finding the people who killed you guys. Give me some luck from up there okay. Just make sure you keep everyone here safe okay." She continued speaking with her eyes still firmly closed shut. Time passed by slowly.


    But the peace was interrupted when her phone blared. She reached out to see who it was but it was an unknown number.


    "Hello." She greeted.


    "Hey Shreya, this is Charan. I don''t know what''s going on but my daughter is missing and some person just called and asked me to contact you. I don''t know�� I just�� I��" Charan''s frantic voice came through the phone.


    The next second Shreya was out of the doors with her car keys.


    "Charan calm down. Nothing will happen to your daughter I promise. Now send me your location I will be there." Shreya tried to calm him down.


    She opened the doors of her BMW M4 right when she received Charan''s location. She sped out of her apartment and zoomed through the road at high speed without giving regard to signals in a blink of an eye. All her movements were calm but very swift.


    "Charan I will be there in 10 minutes. Now tell me exactly what happened." She asked him talking through the car''s Bluetooth.


    "I�� I had just reached home. My mum left with my dad. They had been looking after Akira till I came home. Once I sent them away, I went to her room and she was not there. I searched everywhere in the house but she was not there. Right then I got a call which just said to call you and few seconds later I got picture of Akira." Charan said trying his best to stay calm.


    "God damn it!! They must have tailed you. Charan I promise you I will get Akira back to you safe and sound. Not a single hair will be out of place. You send me the number from which you got the call. Anyways I am almost there at your house." Shreya said and cut the call.


    Then she punched another number right after she received the number from Charan.


    "Hey boss. Missing me at the middle of the night??" a voice of a young man came through cheerfully.


    "Pritham, I am sending you a number track it now and gather the team. I will have specific instruction in 5 minutes. And I want the number tracked by then." She said sternly and cut the call without giving him any chance to reply.


    Charan stood outside his house biting his nails. Right them a flashy car came to a harsh stop right in front of his house and Shreya alight from it. Unlike the girl she met in the roof, this girl even though wore the same clothes somehow looked cold and domineering.


    But when she came in front of Charan her whole demeanor crumbled with guilt.


    "I am so sorry Charan. I did not anticipate those guys will end up doing to something so preposterous." Shreya apologized. Her voice was a mix of guilt and acid. She looked as if she wanted to crush something.


    Charan did not say anything; he just led her inside his house.


    As soon as she entered the house, her phone blared once again. She picked it. It was Pritham.


    "Hey, that number is not far from the city. It is just in one of the warehouses the Minister owns. They are just street thugs. I have Zack and our guys surround the place already." Pritham reported.


    "Ask them to stand down. Rakesh is not that stupid to keep her in plain sight. Akira''s safety is our priority. I do not want to take any risks." Shreya said and contemplated.


    "I will call you in a few." Shreya said cut the call. Then she called someone else.


    "Akash, you still have people watching Rakesh''s family right??" Shreya asked as soon as the call was picked.


    "Why are you asking?? I mean yes. We have people monitoring the whole family. There was no much movement." Akash said confused as to what was going on.


    "Surround the whole family. I want Rakesh''s son under gun point in 15 minutes." She said and cut the call before Akash could ask anything.


    Shreya was his cousin and family but at time like this she really scared him out of his pants. So he obediently went and followed her orders.


    Then Sindhu called one more number.


    "Adam. Did Pritham fill you in on the details??" Shreya asked.


    "Yes." Adam replied.


    "The minutes Zack secures Akira, I want you to take out Rakesh. I want him in the bunker in one hour." Shreya instructed.


    Adam was stunned for a second. Then he thought about talking some sense to her, "Shreya you can''t just kidnap a defense minister."


    "Can''t I??" Shreya asked arching her brows.


    "Okay okay, my bad. Of course you can. But that was not I am talking about. I am talking about the repercussions." Adam replied.


    "He is defense minister only by title. He is just a cornered rat now. Anyways I will let your dad deal with the press." Shreya said sternly.


    "Just think about it. Don''t do something rash in the moment of anger." Adam advised.


    "I am not being rash Adam. If I just let him go this time, there will be more people following his example. I want those people to know the consequences of touching my family. I am going to mess him up so much that nobody would ever dare to come within 100 miles of my family. Now enough chit chat. Move your people. I will meet you there when I am done here." Shreya said and cut the call.

 Chapter 5 - 4

    Charan just gapped at her. He did not know what to think. His brain was not even working anymore. Seeing her, for some reason he just blindly believed that Akira will come back to him safe and sound. Somehow her domineering presence put him at ease. And when she called Akira her family, he was baffled all over again. Shreya did not even meet Akira and yet she called her family. And he was extremely happy for it in spite of the chaotic atmosphere around.


    "Who are you exactly??" Charan asked with a complicated expression.


    "I am Shreya�� Shreya Srivasthav." Shreya replied awkwardly scratching the back of her head giving him a sheepish smile.


    Charan froze all over again. Then everything suddenly made sense.


    "No wonder none of the staffs dared to stop you at the reception. You freaking own the damn place." Charan said still not fully getting out of the shock.


    Shreya gave him an awkward smile. Right then her phone rang again.


    "Hey John," She greeted on the phone.


    "How do you want to handle the press tomorrow??" John asked without beating around the bush.


    "Just release the evidence we have regarding his terrorist connections. He already lost all power. Only thing left is the public image. Let''s trash it. I want every news station in the country making it flash news for a week. I want people cursing him so much so that the police wouldn''t even dare come looking for him. I gave him a last chance. If he had just given up the list he could have saved his own life at least. His loss." Shreya said shrugging her shoulders.


    "Shreya have you thought this through??? Are you sure you''re not acting on impulse?? One wrong move, everything we worked for so far will fall apart in one second." John asked concerned.


    "I know what I am doing John. What''s the point of taking revenge against my parents'' killers if I can''t keep the people who are alive around me safe?? I can let go of the revenge but I can''t afford to lose any more people around me John. And I think if dad was here, he will agree with me." Shreya explained.


    "He will be proud." John said with a smile and cut the call.


    Then she turned towards Charan and said, "Come on. I am sure Akira wants to see you the first thing. Anyways you are the only person who will be able to calm her down." She then walked out of the house.


    Charan quickly followed her.


    They got into the car and Shreya started speeding out.


    Few minutes in, someone call her. This time Charan was able to hear both sides of the conversation since she put it on car''s Bluetooth speaker system.


    "Hey Shreya, it''s done." Akash voice came through the speakers.


    "Send a picture to Rakesh." Shreya instructed and cut the call.


    Then she punched a number.


    "Hello." A middle aged voice spoke.


    "It''s Shreya." She replied simply. Somehow her voice seemed ice cold. So far it was authoritative and expressionless. But now her voice seethed with acid.


    "Oh!! Aren''t you the little rich princess? What?? Called to ask for mercy and let your little boy toy''s daughter go??" he asked with an evil laughter.


    "You touch a single strand of her hair you will never ever see any of your family ever again." Shreya seethed.


    "What??? What nonsense are you spouting now??" Rakesh asked slightly concerned.


    "Check your phone and call me back." Shreya said and cut the call.


    The very next minute the phone blared once again.


    "You bitch!! You better let my son go. Or else you will never ever see that girl again." Rakesh angrily shouted over the phone.


    "You listen you piece of shit. You even as much as think about harming her, I will have your son''s brains blown up the next second. It''s not a threat. It is a promise. So you better call off your goons and ask them to stand down. Do not test my patience." Shreya said and cut the call.


    Then she called up some other number again.


    "Hey boss." A male voice greeted.


    "Zack, move in and secure Akira. Her safety is the priority. I don''t care how many people end up dead on their side. I will deal with the consequences. Just bring her home safely. And call me back as soon as you secure her." Shreya instructed.


    "No problem boss." He said and hung up.


    Then she made another call.


    "Adam, you can move in on Rakesh after 10 minutes." She said and cut the call.


    Then she concentrated on driving. She pressed on the accelerator and sped through the streets. They were already in outskirts of the city. So traffic was minimal.


    Shreya anxiously tapped on her steering wheel. She won''t be able to ever forgive herself if anything bad happened to Akira that too because of her own carelessness. She should have been on guard and spotted the tail.


    "I am so sorry Charan. I shouldn''t have dragged you with me. I just�� I wasn''t thinking straight. A moment of impulse��" She tried to explain but failed to convey anything.


    Charan did not know how to reply to her. Everything that was happening almost felt like a bad scary nightmare he hoped he could wake up from any second now with Akira beside him. He is yet to process anything that is happening now. For now all he can think about is Akira. He will have to process everything else after he had her safe and sound in his arms.


    "How old is she??" Shreya asked. There was a sense of adoration and gentleness in her voice that was absent so far.


    "8 years completes by this June." Charan replied.


    Zack called just then.


    "Boss, the kid is secure." He said through the phone.


    "Is she okay?? Can I talk to her??" Charan asked anxiously before Shreya could say anything.


    "She is okay. I will have a doctor check her just in case. But she is asleep actually. And I don''t want her getting scared seeing everything around so I did not wake her." Zack replied.


    "It''s okay, don''t wake her."Charan replied signing in relief. All he could think of at that moment was that Akira was safe.


    Shreya quietly contemplated for a while and said, "Zack, make a video call the minute she wakes up. I do not want her waking up and panicking seeing all the strangers around. It is going to take us half an hour to reach there. Once the doctor is done checking her up keep her in a tinted car and away from all the chaos. And you be there with her till we get there."


    She gave some more instructions and cut the call signing in relief.

 Chapter 6 - 5

    After half an hour of agonizing ride, Shreya and Charan reached the warehouse. There were several cars parked around. There was one car in the far end which had men lined up all around it. There were at least a dozen stealthy looking men standing all around. They all parted as soon as Shreya approached.


    Then Zack came out of the car holding a sleeping Akira in his arms.


    Zack was a tall bulky stern looking man. He was fully geared up in blank cargo pants and black t-shirt that clung to his defined muscles.


    "Hey princess, see your dad''s here." Zack said in a very soft voice and handed over Akira to Charan. Surprisingly very different from his look, his voice was actually very warm.


    Charan eagerly took her into his arms and clung to her. He felt as if his life had at last came back to him.


    Zack pulled away from Charan and went to Shreya. He hoisted her into her arms and hugged her closely. Shreya clung to him circling her arms around his neck and at last let her guard down. All her anxiety in the past hour took a toll on her and she felt extremely tired. After a minute or so, Zack carefully put her back on her feet.


    He ruffled her hairs and asked, "Hey baby girl, how are you doing??"


    "I have been better." Shreya said. Her tiredness showed in her voice.


    "Hey�� She is fine. Doc said they had spiked her with sleeping pills. So she probably doesn''t even know she had been taken. So nothing happened. Relax. Don''t beat yourself up so much." Zack comforted her.


    "I should have seen the tail Zack. I shouldn''t have taken the lift. I should have just shut my gobs and slept at the hotel like I always do. I should have known better. I am not a damn teenage girl to want to spend a little more time with her crush." She said frustrated.


    Charan who was listening in on the conversation slightly blushed. He can''t believe she- The Shreya Srivastav just said she had a crush on him and wanted to spend more time with him. He couldn''t help but be a little elated in spite of the circ.u.mstances.


    "What''s with the hair??" Zack asked a question instead of continuing with the topic trying to distract her.


    "Oh it was Mr. Bhatia''s daughter''s reception. I just wanted to irritate him a bit. It is a temporary dye. It will wash off tomorrow." Shreya replied in an amused voice.


    "You are telling me you went to a wedding reception looking like that??" Zack asked in disbelief gesturing at her outfit.


    "What?? He wanted to use dirty tricks to make me come to the reception so that he can flaunt me. That''s why I went like this to spite him. So that even if he introduced me around nobody will believe him." Shreya replied self-righteously.


    "You are such an evil brat you know!!" Zack said ruffling her head.


    Charan who was listening in on them felt speechless. He never thought somebody can purposely dress up like that just to spite someone. He then fake coughed bring their attention towards him.


    Shreya looked at him, "Yea. I will drive you back. Zack you go back and co-ordinate with Adam. He has a new punching bag for you. I want everything out of him. And if he won''t open his mouth, bring in his son too. Anyways we will be doing the society a favor. That son of his is such an asshole. That 30 year old hag made a tape with a minor. So don''t hesitate to take him out if needed. I will handle the rest on my end. I will meet you guys there once I drop them off." She instructed and walked towards the car.


    "You had Rakesh bundled up for me. Aww�� Such a sweet gift! My baby girl is the best." Zack squealed with a goofy grin as if he had received a Christmas gift.


    Shreya got into the car rolling her eyes while Charan followed suit with Akira securely in his arms. Charan was bewildered with their behavior. He did not know how someone can talk about torturing someone so casually. Zack''s eyes were practically gleaming. He felt as if they were from another world or something. When his mind was working on over drive Zack called him and said, "Hey, Charan right??? Doc said she might sleep for at least 12 hours straight. So don''t panic if she wakes up late tomorrow morning." Zack then pointed at Akira. Charan nodded his very diligently.


    Shreya drove off after waving at Zack for one last time.


    Half way through the drive Shreya called Pritham.


    "Boss," Pritham excitedly called out.


    "Once our men are all cleared from the ware house, report it to police. But do not let any information about the kidnapping leak. I do not want any information about Akira leaking to anybody." She instructed.


    "Done. But Boss, why does only Zack get a punching bag??? Even I want one!!" Pritham whined and complained like a bullied kid.


    Shreya let out a chuckle and replied, "Once you are done here, you can join them."


    Charan jaws dropped once again.


    There was absolute silence in the car.


    "So all the bankruptcy of his family''s companies and the burglary and other things reported- were all done by you ah??" Charan at last asked breaking the silence.


    "A lot of shit happened behind the scene but yea it was all done under my instructions." Shreya replied straightforwardly nodding her head and Charan was left speechless for the nth time this night.


    The car came to a stop outside Charan''s house. For the first time she gave attention to the house. It was small and cute and somehow felt warm. It was surrounded but garden on all sides.


    She got down and looked around a bit. "It''s pretty. It feels warm like home." She said. There was a slight envious yearning in her voice.


    "Thanks." Charan said.


    "Can I�� Can I see her??" Shreya asked tentatively looking at Akira.


    Charan approached her with Akira still in his arms.


    Shreya reached out and tucked a few strands of hair behind her tiny earns. She was the prettiest thing she had ever laid eyes on. She had a small face and rounded jaws. Her cheeks were plump her chubby while her nose was rounded. She had prominent brows and rosy lips.


    "She is beautiful." Sindhu whispered.


    "I know." Charan said with pride.


    Shreya pulled away after a while. "I will get going." She said walking backwards.


    "Once again, I''m really sorry." She said with a slight bow.


    Just when she was about to get in the car, she turned towards Charan and asked in a very meek voice, "I know it is kinda shameless to ask but will I be hearing from you??" For the first time that day Charan saw her head hung down. There was no trace of the proud woman that she had been all day. For once she seemed embarrassed and awkward. Her voice was meek and pleading even.


    A part of him wanted to approach her and comfort her but then he had a lot to consider. It wouldn''t be difficult if it is just him. But he had Akira to consider.


    "I don''t know in all honestly. My daughter is my whole world. I can''t put her at risk. I have a lot to think about." Charan replied honestly.


    "I know. I understand." Shreya said and got on the car.


    Charan went in when her car disappeared at the street corner.

 Chapter 7 - 6

    Days went by but Shreya''s face kept popping up in Charan''s head all the time. For the whole week after the incident evidences against Defense Minister Rakesh kept popping up. News reported about his illegal arms deal with terrorist and other corrupt deals he had approved throughout his period of office and everything came out with irrefutable evidences. And the fact that he went missing just added fuel to the already flaming fume. It enraged people. But none of them could find him. And people typically assumed he went into hiding in order to escape.


    And the week after news on his son popped up. This was extremely scandalous but none of the evidence came to public. All public knew was he was arrest under **** charges of a minor kid. Without his dad''s support he couldn''t fight it. And the ruling party in order to keep the air of justice in front of the public prosecuted him swiftly. In order to be prevented their selves from being dragged into the public outrage, they penalized him very strictly and did it in a public way and diverted the public attention.


    But none of the reports involved Shreya. It was as if none of them even dared to report her name even when they knew that she had orchestrated the whole thing from behind the scene. That is when Charan realized the true depth of the power she wielded.


    He was still reeling on the fact as to how she had crushed such a powerful family in just one night''s time. He knew Rakesh was not some small time politician. He had a wealthy backing. He came from generations of money. He wielded power both on the surface and underground. That is why he did everything so blatantly without any fear. So Charan was already impressed with Shreya when he got to know that she was the reason why the guy''s family companies went bankrupt. But seeing what she did to him in the past two weeks, he was simply blown away.


    Maybe that is why her face never left his head in two weeks. He kept spacing out at all odd hours. Shreya''s one expressions one after other kept bombarding on his head. Her joyous smile when they were on the rooftop, her domineering presence when she dealt with the kidnapping and her gently one when she looked at Akira everything came in front of his eyes in flashes from time to time. And her meek slightly begging voice when she asked if he would call her practically haunted him.


    Unconsciously he caught himself Googling her pictures. They were her earlier year pictures. She had completely disappeared from public view in the past couple of years. All business events were always attended only by Mr. Anand Srivastav- Shreya''s uncle. In the public''s view she had settled down somewhere quiet. If only they know she was the one wielding the sword behind the scenes, they will be swarming her like a bee.


    Even that day, he was looking at her photo on his phone when Akira stumbled towards him taking a peek at his screen.


    "She is pretty." Akira said in her cute clear voice.


    Charan looked at her adorable face with a smile. He scooped her into his laps and asked, "Oh yea?? You like her??"


    Akira bobbed her head frantically and said, "She looks like a princess."


    "I know baby." Charan said and kissed her on top of her head.


    They both stayed quiet for a while.


    "Do you miss her??" Akira asked once again with her brows frowned.


    "Why do you say that??" Charan asked slightly surprised.


    "You used to stare at mom''s photo the same way." Akira said with a serious expression.


    Charan froze for a second. Suddenly his behavior in the past weeks made sense. Can it be just that simple?? Was he just missing her??


    "Did she go to heaven too??" Akira asked bringing him back from his shocked stupor.


    "No baby." Charan replied shaking his head.


    "Then you just go and see her. Why are you staring at her picture??"Akira asked crunching her brows once again rendering Charan speechless.


    Can things really be that simple?? Was he just unnecessarily over complicating things?? He could not even count the number of times he had stared at Samantha''s picture desperately wishing it would come to life by some miracle when she passed away. But things were not the same with Shreya. She was here and she was a call away so why was he thinking so much???


    He looked down at Akira. She was looking at Shreya''s picture with a big goofy grin. Suddenly it felt as if he was just using Akira as an excuse to protect himself. It was apparent from one single night how much Shreya would love and cherish Akira. In all honesty Shreya would probably end up pampering her more than him. He could swear with certainty that she protect Akira with all her might. She showed it to him even before meeting Akira. What more can he ask for???


    He suddenly felt he was just being a coward. He was just scared of being hurt. Yes Shreya''s background was overwhelming but she was still with his reach unlike Samantha. So what was actually stopping him?? Nothing actually! He was just afraid to be left behind again.


    "Hey, you want to meet her??" he asked Akira coming to a resolve.


    Akira bobbed her head immediately. But after thinking for a while she asked, "Can we talk to her now??"


    Charan looked at the time. It was just 6 pm. He was sure that Shreya was still busy. Running a business institution like Sri Corporations should come with long hours. After all it was not some small time company. They had ventured into all the nook and crannies of the country. And they dominated every industry they ever ventured into. So he hesitated a bit.


    "Pleeaassee," Akira begged him with her signature puppy dog eyes.


    His hesitation crumpled just like that. He took his phone and called her swiftly.

 Chapter 8 - 7

    Shreya was having a meeting at her office. The whole of her core team was present. The room was spacious and brightly lit. There was a rectangular table in the centre and Shreya sat on the head of the table while the others sat on either sides of her.


    Anand Uncle, Akash, John, Zack, Adam, Pritham, Harshad and Zeenath- these 8 people are her backbone. They are her friends and family all in one. Only people missing were her Aunt Anand Uncle''s Bhagya and her other cousin, Akash''s baby sister Bhavna. Shreya strived with all her might to protect these people and their families at all cost.


    John had been in the family even before she was born. He had been her dad Mr. Adithya Srivastav''s personal secretary. And Adam was John''s son. Adam and Shreya practically grew up together along with Akash and Bhavna. They were all thick as thieves.


    Zack, Pritham, Harshad and Zeenath were handpicked by Shreya for their respective talents. Zack is ex-military, top of his class. He recruited and trained all of her private army. Pritham is the computer genius. You want anything on the internet, he gets it for you. Harshad is her legal advisor. And Zeenath is jack of all trades. She knew a bit of everything. But her specialty was collecting information. She was like a rat. She would easily slip into any place without anybody noticing and gets you anything and everything you ever need- photos, doc.u.ments, locker passwords, keys- you name it. She has her own team of people she had trained to be like her.


    With time Shreya came to trust them and rely on them. She looks after them and their family like her own which earned her their absolute loyalty and integrity.


    There were three names on the board in front of the table. 1. Mr. Abimanyu Bharathwaj. 2. Mr. Abishek Mehta. 3. Naren Guptha.


    "They all saw what happened with Rakesh. They will be on their guards. We lost the element of surprise. So it won''t be as easy. Only advantage we have is the fact that they do not know the extent of our underground networks. And thankfully Rakesh underestimated us and did not contact anyone above him for help. So they don''t know who attacked him. It will take time for them to find out." Anand said analyzing the situation. Everyone was looking at Shreya for instruction.


    Shreya kept tapping her fingers against the table. She contemplated for a while and then asked, "Can we infiltrate their syndicate??"


    "We can but it won''t be of much use. They have a clever system. It is not an open bounty. Each person is given as specific assignments. They have people to do every dirty deed for a price but everything is anonymous. The ground people never really know who their client is. They don''t even know who else are there in the syndicate working with them. It is almost always assigned to one person with the freedom to recruit temporary workers." Zeenath said.


    "And it will take time for the syndicate to recover. Rakesh was a perfect middle man. His position was perfect to recruit army trained personals into the group. On the other side his business connections gave him the perfect opportunity to promote the business of the group. We stumped both the sides by taking him down but it won''t be long before someone else pitches in on his place." Zack said pitching in.


    "I want to take down the syndicate. Give me one way to do that??" Shreya asked.


    "Most straightforward way is to take down all the ground workers. But it is not easy to get our hands on the list of workers. Even though Rakesh recruited them, all he gives is a recommendation. Final selection process is done by those three. And even if we obtain the list, taking them all out won''t fair since not everyone in there is doing this out of their own will. They are blackmailing some of them. It is almost like a parallel military underground. Even client list is not known outside. Rakesh just makes the meet, whether to accept a job or not is again done by those three." Zeenath said.


    The room stayed quiet after that. Everyone was waiting for Shreya to make a decision. There was no other sound except for Shreya tapping her hands on the table. She contemplated for a long time before getting up from her chair.


    "Okay for now forget about taking down the syndicate and the list of recruits. Since they are on high alert, we will lay low for now. But I want people inside the syndicate on both sides. I want people to approach them as clients and then some as recruits. And I also want people on all their companies and families. I want eyes and ears on each and every member of their families and I want regular reports on each and every deal their companies make. I want evidence that those three are running the syndicate." Shreya instructed walking in circles around the table.


    "But Shreya we won''t be able to do anything with the evidence. It was Rakesh stupidity he did not ask anyone''s help. But if it were these three, they have clients all over. Even the media would not report on them and the police are utterly useless. Even if we could somehow make the evidence public and take these three down, someone else will simply replace them. The syndicate won''t die. The only way to put a dent on them is to weed out every last recruit." Harshad said interrupting her.


    "I know. I am not going to go public with it. But it might just help me get the list from inside." Shreya said.


    "How??" Akash asked frowning.


    "I have my ways. Let''s see if it works when the time comes." Shreya said with a mysterious smile.


    "I can move my people to infiltrate the companies and I think Zack still has some connections in the army. He can deal with infiltrating the syndicate. The client side obviously will be done by Akash." Zeenath said after giving it some though.


    "Choose your people wisely. I do not want things slipping through the cracks. Make everything anonymous so that even if they are caught they won''t know anything. And watch you own backs. If we can infiltrate, then they can do the same." Shreya said.


    Then she came and sat on her chair once again with her hands joint in front of her resting over the table and said sternly looking at each of them personally, "But more than anything I want to tighten to security on everyone especially Bhavna and each of your families. The operation can go down, I don''t care. But I don''t want any mishaps like that of Akira happening again. So watch each other''s backs and move with caution. And also continue the detail on Charan and Akira. I don''t want them getting caught up in this all over again."


    "What about you??" Zack asked when she stopped talking.


    "What about me??" Shreya asked back in confusion looking at him.


    "You need a security detail too Shreya." Zack said exasperated.


    "I can manage. You did not train me for nothing you know. Anyways people have practically forgotten my face and nobody knows what I am doing anymore so no need to fuss." Shreya said shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly.


    "If something happens to you, I am going to recue you and then beat you to pulp" Akash said gritting his teeth in an extremely annoyance.


    Right then Shreya''s phone blared. She reached out for her phone while saying, "Well good luck with that" to Akash. She looked down on her phone and her eyes suddenly brightened when she saw Charan calling.


    "Anyways, that is all for today. I am going to go. Have fun." She said waving at everyone and walked out of the room picking up the call.

 Chapter 9 - 8

    "Hello", Shreya called out cheerfully. Charan could clearly feel her enthusiasm even when she is not in front of him.


    "Hey," Charan said with a slight grin.


    "I want to talk." Akira interrupted before either of them could say anything.


    "Hey Akira wants to speak to you." Charan said and handed over the phone to Akira.


    "Hello." A sweet clumsy voice of Akira came through the phone.


    "Hey princess," Shreya called out. Her voice was considerably gentle.


    "Hi, I am Akira." Akira introduced herself.


    "Hi, I am Shreya." Shreya replied.


    Akira asked straight off the bat, "Do you like daddy??"


    Shreya was surprised by the sudden question but still said in very gentle voice. "Yes, I like him. I like you too." She couldn''t help the warm smile that spread on her face as she replied.


    Akira asked in a slightly high pitched voice, "Really??" But then after a pause she continued, "Then I will like you too."


    Shreya''s face instantly lit up like a Christmas tree. With great effort she contolled her emotions and asked, "What did you want to talk to me about??"


    Akira gave her father a sly look and instantly rated him out, "I just wanted to say daddy misses you. He keeps staring at your photo all the time."


    Charan immediately blushed and snatched the phone from Akira. "You little devil. So this is why you asked me call ah??" He scolded her by pinching on her cheeks lightly.


    "I just thought you wouldn''t say it on your own. So being the good daughter I am tried to help you." Akira sassed and walked away. Charan was rendered utterly speechless by his own daughter. His eyes couldn''t help but follow her absolutely amazed. When did she even device her evil plan???


    After stepping inside her room Akira suddenly stepped back and peeked outside. She then pointed at Charan''s hand and said, "She''s still on the phone. And good night." She then sternly shut her doors.


    Charan quickly came back to his senses and took the phone to his ears. First thing he heard was the sweet sound of Shreya''s hearty laughter.


    "Did you hear all that??" Charan asked awkwardly. Tip of his ears turned red in embarrassment.


    "Your daughter is very smart." Shreya replied once she calmed down.


    "Tell me about it," Charan replied rolling his eyes with indignation.


    Shreya chuckled slightly but did not say anything after that. She stayed quiet as she thought of what Akira had said to her. Just the thought of it sent her on an over drive. She was so elated that words got caught at her throat. On the other hand Charan was still not out his embarrassment so both of them stayed silent for a while when their own minds were far away. They could only hear to each other''s breathing.


    "What are you doing?? Are you busy??" Charan asked softly after a long while breaking the silence.


    "No�� I am done for the day. Charan, do you�� do�� " Shreya hesitated from asking.


    "What is it??" Charan asked.


    "Do you want to meet??" Shreya asked. Her voice was very meek as she blurted out.


    Charan remained quiet for a while. He himself did not know what he ever did to make such a powerful arrogant woman to act so docile in front of him. But he felt completely defeated when she acted like that especially after all his yearnings to see her in the past two week.


    "Okay. Where are you now?? I will come over." Charan said getting up from his place.


    "No. I will come over. Akira is there. You cannot leave her there alone. I am actually near your place anyways." Shreya replied instantly. And the excitement in her voice was not concealable.


    "Okay, I will be waiting." Charan said with a smile and walked towards the door. He sat down on the steps leading to the door and stared at his road end. A few minutes later, Shreya''s black BMW turned into the street and sped towards him.


    Charan chuckled under his breath and stood up. He went and opened his gates just as Shreya got down from her car. She galloped around her the car and came and stood right in front of him with a wide smile.


    Seeing her act so enthusiastic and childish, Charan couldn''t help himself. He extended his hands and ruffled her hairs. He then took her hands and dragged her inside and Shreya very obediently followed without protest.


    "You want something to drink??" Charan asked making her sit on the couch.


    Shreya shook her head and then looked around and asked "Where is Akira??"


    "She went to bed."Charan answered as he came and sat beside her.


    Silent ensued between them. Charan looked at Shreya intently trying to assess as to what was going on in her mind right now. All he saw was her extremely pleased eyes with a soft smile cracked at the corner of her lips with her head hung low. He reached out with his hands and tucked her hairs behind her ears. She had shoulder length hair which was actually jet black unlike in the reception.


    "You know, when I thought about it I never really thanked you for bringing Akira back to me safe and sound. Thank you so much." Charan said sincerely.


    "You don''t have to thank me. It was my fault she was taken in the first place. I was just correcting a mistake." Shreya replied shaking her head.


    "You did not just correct a mistake. You went over and beyond. I saw on the news what you did to Rakesh." Charan said with a smile.


    When she heard him, Shreya pursed her lips and contemplated for a while. But then asked in a meek voice, "Does it�� seeing this side of me�� does it scare you??" She was extremely hesitant as she blurted out the question. She hung her head down without being able to meet his eyes. In her life she has to be cold. She has to be ruthless if she wanted to protect the people she loved. She had no choice. She cannot afford to lose any more people. And so far she did not really care of how people would see her but it was not the case with Charan. Their relationship purely hinged on how he saw her. If she sacred him off the very day she met him then there was no hope for any future. That thought made her nervous and slightly anxious.


    "Scared won''t be the word I would use. I was actually amazed. Oddly enough it actually made me proud." Charan said in a very soft voice while he extended his hands and lightly caressed over the back of her head.


    When she heard his reply Shreya looked up at him abruptly with a pleasantly surprised expression but that soon turned into a sparkling glittery smile that took his breath away.

 Chapter 10 - 9

    Back in the office eight pairs of eyes stared at the retreating figure of Shreya slightly stupefied. It''s been so long since they saw her with such a joyous expression. When she lost her parents, Shreya also lost her innocence. She was always uptight these days. She would do something reckless every now and then but they could always feel her holding back.


    "Is it just me or does Shreya look like her old carefree self??" Akash asked slightly astonished.


    "It''s been so long since I last saw her do something impulsive and get in trouble." Anand said with a fond smile.


    And Zack being the uptight person he was asked sternly looking at everyone around, "Did someone check on the guy yet??"


    Immediately everyone shook their head diligently. Zack frowned and turned towards Pritham.


    "No no no�� Don''t give me that look. I am not looking it up on Shreya''s back" Pritham said panicked even before Zack had any chance to speak up.


    Last time Pritham checked on something behind Shreya''s back he was caught red handed and she used him as her punching bag for a whole week. Strictly speaking they we engaged in hand to hand combat practice but Pritham was a techie. He was no good with his hands except for when he is using them to type on keyboards. So in front of Shreya he was nothing short of a punching bag.


    "What if he is an asshole??" Zack asked frowning in concern.


    Pritham shut his ears with both his hands and refused to hear to him. He was kinda weak when it came to human manipulation especially when it was from people he trusted.


    Harshad walked to Zack and kept a hand over her shoulders and said, "Stop torturing the kid."


    Adam pitched in and asked, "You think Shreya would have let her guard down so easily for an asshole??"


    Zeenath tapped her fingers over the table and thought through for a whole minute and asked, "A basic background check shouldn''t do much harm right?? Better safe than sorry."


    Anand could see an argument bubbling in the corner. And he had seen these people argue before and it was not a pleasant sight. He had seen cats and dogs fight more decently. So being the elder he interrupted them and said, "You kids�� You guys have no problem listening to her orders when it comes to bigger things. You don''t even raise a hair in protest but when it comes to the guy she likes why can''t you guys give her the same faith??"


    His stern voice shut up any possible protest anybody could possibly make.


    "She is a goner." John spoke for the first time with a slight smile.


    Everyone looked at him weirdly. They might not know all the details but from what they saw Shreya had met with him may be twice in total. So his statement did not make sense to them.


    Adam looked at his father with a frown and said, "She just met him."


    John let out a chuckle and said, "I know that face all too well. She is just like her father. Once her mind sets on someone, she would not ever look at anyone else in her life. Srivasthav''s are such stubbornly loyal bunch."


    He then looked around the table and addressed everyone at once, "She is not some stupid teenager with a crush. She knows what she is doing. She doesn''t trust easily. Nobody can know that better than you guys. So let her be. Let her live a little. Anyways I don''t know about you guys but I am getting sick of this room. I am off."


    John walked away waving at everyone.


    "Me too." Anand followed suit.


    Seeing them leave everyone at last stopped gossiping about their boss''s love life and went home.


    Anand reached home merrily humming. His wife saw this and gave him a peculiar look.


    "Somebody is excited! Did you win a lottery??" Bhagya asked frowning at her husband.


    "Do I even need a lottery with Shreya around??" Anand sassed at his wife with a smirk.


    Bhagya rolled her eyes and asked, "Aren''t you ashamed to let a youngster spoil you??"


    "Why should I be ashamed?? She is my daughter. What is wrong with her spoiling me??" Anand once again sassed with a proud smile.


    Bhagya just shook her head and let out a chuckle at her husband''s antics.


    Anand grew up heavily protected by his brother. It was not that he was stupid or something. He was very capable when it came to work but he was never been exposed to darker haunting sides of the business world. And the bond between the brothers was unbreakable. When Adithya died, he lost a part of himself. But soon Shreya filled up that space completely. She not only filled up his heart she also filled up the spot of the protective guardian in spite of her being so young.


    Sometimes Bhagya''s heart ached for Shreya. When she lost her parents, it was as if she had lost her innocence completely in a blink of an eye. She was forced to grow up too soon. She always had this determined face after that. She worked with all her might and expanded her father''s empire into a whole new level.


    But with that she never did anything for herself. She showered all her pent up love towards Anand and their whole family. She spoiled them rotten to point of no return. They all tried their best to fill up the space she lost when she lost her parents but it was not that easy. Shreya had insecurities that they did not know how to eradicate.


    No matter how much they tried they were just not her parents. They all understood that but it was just not easy to accept. Bhagya had caught Shreya staring at her parents'' photo so many times that she lost count.


    Bhaya shook her head coming out of her thoughts and asked Anand, "So you''re going to tell me what got you excited??"


    "You know that slightly crazy impulsive face Shreya has whenever she is doing something for herself without giving it much thought?? I saw that face today after such a long time. She has a boy she likes." Anand said gleefully. He looked like he was in cloud nine.


    On the other hand, Bhagya just blankly stared at Anand for a second. She could not believe what she was hearing at that moment. She stammered as she asked in disbelief, "You mean she is in love??"


    "She just met him but I think he is it." Anand replied.


    When at last the news sunk in for Bhagya she could help but let out a shriek in excitement. "OMG OMG OMG!! Shreya has a boyfriend!!!" Bhagya lamented excited.


    You can''t really blame them for the overreaction. Shreya had been absolutely disinterested in boys from the start. Her first marriage was actually nothing but a business deal. No matter how much Bhagya protested, Shreya remained headstrong and went and made the deal.


    But 6 months into the marriage she came back home with bruises. Even though the guy actually got it worse, Akash and Anand were till enraged. But she dealt with her ex with the same cold indifference she has with her business. She sued him for divorce and sucked him dry in alimony. His company went bankrupt. Then she informed about his a.d.u.l.tery to a gossip newspaper and provided them with scandalous photos. When she was done with him he looked so much worse than if he had been just beaten up.


    Bhagya always felt like they had miserably failed her as her parents because of this. After that she had tried to set her up with dates and such but Shreya always went only to please Bhagya. That is why her joy after hearing the news was immense.

 Chapter 11 - 10

    Charan came back to the living room with coffee in both his hands only to find Shreya curled up into a ball in the corner of the couch nicely sleeping. He found himself staring at her unguarded expression. At the roof when she slept she had her hoodie on so her face was barely visible to him. But now her sleeping face was clear as day he couldn''t help but find it adorable. Her head kept bobbing left and right without support.


    He quickly kept the cups in the table and went inside and got a pillow. Then he carefully shifted her and laid her over the couch with the pillow under her head. She softly mumbled something in her sleep and shifted her body sideways.


    Charan made sure she was comfortable before sitting in front of her on the floor. He reached out and kept caressing her head softly. And Shreya snuggled into his touch subconsciously. He did not have the heart to wake her up and sent her home. Or maybe he just wanted to keep her for himself a little longer. Whatever maybe the reason he just was not ready to let her go just yet.


    Somewhere between overthinking and staring at Shreya, Charan fell asleep right there on the floor. He woke up only when his daughter shook him awake the next morning. When he opened his eyes, he was faced with an empty couch. Then he turned to Akira.


    Akira was still dazed. Her hair was sticking all over the place while her PJ top was hanging past her shoulders. Charan scooped her over and sat her on the couch.


    "Hey baby��" he greeted her softly as he tucked her hair behind her ears.


    "Hey dada��" she replied. Her voice was still laced with sleep. She blinked her eyes several times to wake herself up.


    Charan reached out and softly plucked her dirt at the corner of her eyes asked softly, "Did you sleep well??"


    Akira bobbed her head adorably making Charan''s heart melt.


    "You my pretty lady look gorgeous this morning." Charan said with hearts shooting out of his eyes as he caressed at her head but before any of them could say anything they heard noise from behind.


    "Hey sorry if I woke you I was just about to leave��." Shreya''s voice trailed as a pair of brown eyes pierced through hers after such a long time all over again. Warmth surged through her without her realizing as she stared at Akira. She had never dreamt of meeting her again in her life. Maybe that''s why when she faced Akira Shreya''s voiced got clamped up while her eyes lost their ability to look away from them.


    On the other hand Akira was looking at her dazed. Her eyes were practically shooting stars at Shreya. She was looking at Shreya as if one of her fairy tale princess had magically come to life. She quickly got down from the couch and stumbled towards Shreya. She was light on her feet as she looked like she was ready to jump someone. Her excitement of meeting Shreya was immense and very apparent.


    Charan chuckled at his daughter''s antic. He came near her and scooped her into his arms and made introductions, "Hey princess, this is Shreya. The lady you talked to on the phone yesterday. And Shreya this is Akira, my lovely daughter."


    Charan''s voice brought Shreya out of her stupor. She gave Akira a big smile and said, "It''s very nice to meet you." Her voice was very gentle but still slightly hoarse.


    "You look very pretty." Akira said shyly without meeting Shreya''s eyes.


    "Omg Charan! She is so cute." Shreya gushed over Akira. She was absolutely charmed by Akira in first sight all over again.


    "Can I hold her??" Shreya asked with her arms awkwardly extended forward.


    But before Charan could even react Akira readily hopped into Shreya arms and it was almost like match made in heaven. They both completely disregarded Charan and started talking animatedly.


    Akira told Shreya about something happened in school while Shreya gapped at her every word avidly as if she was telling her something precious. Akira kept moving her hands all over the place animatedly as she talked about something while sitting on Shreya''s laps. Shreya kept a protective arm around her small body.


    Charan shook his head and left them to their antics and went to get freshened up. Since it was a weekend he probably would have took Akira to his parents place but with Shreya around he was not so sure what would happen. So he called his mum and informed her of potential changes in the plan.


    When he came back he saw Shreya''s phone blinking away.


    "Shreya your phone is ringing. And Akira, go brush your teeth." Charan said and at last interrupted them. Akira gave her dad a nasty glare but still did as he told. She quickly got down from Shreya and rushed towards her room while Shreya extended her arms to pick the phone to check. It was a text.


    "Hey you are staying for breakfast??" Charan asked Shreya in between when she was sending a text.


    "I don''t want to impose." Shreya said slightly embarrassed putting away her phone. She was not planning on staying the night but somehow when she woke up it was already well into dawn. Since she lived alone there was no one waiting up on her. She was used to staying at strange places or at times she would even simply drive around all night but for Charan- she was not sure it would have been comfortable to have someone barge into your house all of a sudden and stay the night just like that. And she did not want people gossiping around him because of her after all her car was pretty eye catching standing outside especially in this neighborhood.


    "It''s not much. Just stay." Charan said and moved to the kitchen without giving her chance to refuse again.

 Chapter 12 - 11

    It was an open kitchen with an island in the center. As a single dad Charan could proudly say that he was quite proficient in kitchen. At the start it was a struggle but thankfully Akira was still very young back then. So she was not exactly picky with her choice of food so he coped with it better than he thought. And slowly he learnt and made things to her taste. And as of now he was pretty comfortable in kitchen.


    Shreya quietly followed him while her eyes stuck to him fascinated. She grew up being a typical rich brat so she did not know how to cook. She might not be picky when it comes to eating. She is quite familiar with all street foods and stuffs but making them was whole new thing. So she was quite captivated with the picture of Charan cooking.


    Charan could feel her eyes on him. So he looked up at Shreya and asked frowning, "What are you looking at??"


    "Nothing." Shreya said shaking her head while walking towards the kitchen. "I am just not used to seeing men doing something so domestic like cooking and stuffs. I just find it oddly attractive and maybe s.e.xy even."


    Charan couldn''t help but let out a chuckle hearing her straight forward reply. He looked up at her and commented amused, "You weren''t really kidding when you said you were blunt were you!!?"


    Shreya smiled at him brightly and said, "Nope" popping the ''p'' at the end.


    Then she thought of something and asked, "Hey what are you guys doing today??? If you guys are free you want to hang out maybe?? I mean only if you and Akira want to. It''s okay if you have something planned already��. I mean I just��" She started confidently but her confidence wearied down as she finally finished. She looked down fidgeting with her fingers.


    Charam just shrugged and said nonchalantly, "I already informed my mom that we are not going back today. So we are free."


    "I mean it is okay if you have planned to be somewhere. We can hang out some other time. It''s not a big deal." Shreya said but her disappointment was heavy in her voice and her face screamed it the loudest.


    Charan looked up at her once again and said, "Come here" while gesturing her to come near him.


    Shreya stepped near. There was just the counter between them. Charan reached out and slightly swatted at her forehead.


    "Ouch!" Shreya exclaimed surprised. It was not really painful just caught her off guard.


    "You can leave the overthinking for when you are running your company." Charan scolded her.


    Shreya pouted and puffed her cheeks but then after a while she started talking in a very low voice, "It''s just�� I just feel like I am barging in and disrupting things. Even last night I just came and comfortably slept over without really asking. It shouldn''t have been convenient. And now you are making breakfast for me." Her voice trailed. By the time she was done it her voice was at par to a mumble. And she hung her head without meeting his eyes.


    Charan couldn''t help but find her adorable at this moment. He reached out and pulled at her cheeks and said, "Aahg�� You are so cute when you act like this you know. If I was not convenient I would have just woke you up and kicked you out." Even though he was telling it he knew he would probably never have the heart to do it to anyone. Especially to Shreya. He hated waking people up.


    When he carefully analyzed Charan saw the pattern in her behavior. She took one step towards him confidently without realizing but doubted and hesitated with the next step when she becomes conscious of what she was doing.


    As he thought of it Charan let of a sign. He then gestured Shreya to come inside the kitchen. Shreya frowned but did not ask anything. She came and stood in front of him. Then she suddenly thought of something and said, "Hey if you''re thinking about making me help then forget it. I have never been inside a kitchen all my life. So�� Ooww Charan what are you doing??" Shreya exclaimed midway when she felt herself floating in air suddenly before she could even finish what she was about to say.


    Charan scooped her and sat her over his island counter. Then he stood in front of her resting both his hands on either side of her. He looked intently at her confused face. He slowly reached out and tucked her hairs behind her ears and started talking gently, "You don''t have to hold yourself back Shreya. It''s not just you. Even I want this�� This relationship-whatever we have between us- I want it too. Or else I wouldn''t have called you yesterday. So don''t hesitate so much okay."


    His voice was extremely gentle but firm. Warmth surged through her as she listened to Charan but the logical part of her still nagged her. Thus she looking at her own fingers with her head was hung low and started talking, "You can''t really imagine the kinda baggage that comes with me Charan. I was born there and I can deal with it. But I don''t want to put you and Akira through it. When I think of what happened that day because of my one second of impulsiveness, I can''t help but regret dragging you with me. Thankfully nothing major happened that day. But if�� I don''t even want to think of the possibility. When I think of all these I know I should stay far away from you but my mind just keeps coming back to you somehow. You don''t know the number of times I have driven to your road end without even realizing. No matter how much I try I just keep coming back to you somehow." Shreya confessed resigned.


    If her confession had surprised him, Charan did not show it on his face. On contrast he seemed calm as he intently listened to everything Shreya said. He reached out and lifted her face by her chin and made her look at him then he said in a soft voice, "Hey I might not know definite details but I am not completely oblivious. I am not going to stand here and say that I can handle myself. I probably can''t. It is simply beyond my means and ability. I agree. But I am not scared. Not because I am blind but because I have confidence in your ability. I know you will do your utmost to keep us safe. You are going to come and get me if something happens right??" He asked at last looking straight into her eyes.


    Shreya immediately bobbed her head vigorously.


    "Then you don''t have to hold back." Charan said running his thumbs over her cheeks.


    "It''s just�� I just can''t afford to lose anybody anymore. So I never brought anybody close to me in years. But now that I have to I am scared." Shreya said in a whisper.


    Charan patted the back of her head softly and said, "It is okay to be scared. Just take one step at a time. And I will do the same okay."


    Shreya bobbed her head obediently once again.


    Just then something rattled on the stove behind them. Charan turned back to get back to cooking while Shreya hopped down and went in search of Akira.

 Chapter 13 - 12

    Right when Shreya came out of the kitchen she heard Akira voice bellowing from her room.


    "Shreya" Akira called out as loudly as she could.


    When Shreya reached Akira''s room she found her struggling with her frock. It was stuck over her shoulders in an odd sort of way and Akira was violently struggling with it.


    Shreya quickly approached her saying, "Hey hey hey�� slow down. I am here." Then she pulled the frock down and zipped it properly.


    Once her dress was properly done Shreya looked at Akira and asked, "Do you want me to do your hair??"


    Akira nodded immediately delighted.


    Shreya turned and started brushing Akira''s hair and did a fancy looking French braid.


    As she was doing this, Shreya softly asked Akira, "Hey princess, you want to hang out with me today?? If you want to go somewhere, I will take you. Of course your dad will also be there."


    Akira''s eyes instantly brightened as she excitedly asked, "Can we go to amus.e.m.e.nt park???"


    "Okay" Shreya replied simply with a smile.


    When both came out Charan was already out with the breakfast.


    Akira excitedly hopped towards her dad and started talking about their outing, "Dada�� Shreya is going to take us to amus.e.m.e.nt park today. She said she will go to ALLLL the rides with me. And�� and�� and she said she will buy me ice cream and burger." Her words stumbled in over excitement.


    Charan looked up at Shreya, "You will end up spoiling her."


    Akira instantly glared at Charan but kept quiet.


    Shreya awkwardly scratched the back of her head, "I am weak when it comes to kids. I won''t know how to say ''no'' especially to someone as cute as Akira."


    Akira beamed as soon as she heard Shreya and looked smugly at her dad.


    "You don''t have to gloat." Charan rolled his eyes at her daughter''s antics. "Now come on let''s eat."


    "Oh! Yea�� can we stop by at my apartment before leaving?? I need to shower and change." Shreya asked.


    Charan and Akira bobbed their heads in sink.


    Shreya stood near her car waiting for Charan and Akira to come out. She thought of something and quickly made a call.


    "Zack, have some people around me. I want them to watch my back."


    "You mean body guards??" Zack asked surprised from the other end.


    "Yes�� I just need them to deal with anyone who can possibly follow me. I am going to be out with Charan and Akira today. So I don''t want a repeat of what happened last time."


    "Okay. I will have my guys over."


    "I will be at my apartment in about half an hour. Make them come there directly." Shreya said and cut the phone.


    Right then Charan and Akira also reached her. They both wore jean and t-shirts. Akira obviously wore pink while Charan''s t-shirt was ash colored. Everybody got into her car and reached Shreya''s apartment in a blink especially with Shreya''s driving, it took them only half as much time as it would have needed normally.


    "Hey make yourselves at home. Just do whatever you want. I will be very quick." Shreya said and disappeared into a room.


    Thankfully the apartment did not look as intimidating as he thought it would. After all Shreya was the richest person in the country. But on contrast her apartment actually looked homely. It was slightly big but not very extravagant.


    The door opened to the living room. It was spacious and had a sofa set in front of the television. There were two huge French windows opposite which showed the full night view of the city. Left to him was the dining room with kitchen. And of course the kitchen had a liquor cabinet. And there were stair which he assumed should lead to bedroom since Shreya disappeared into one of the doors upstairs.


    Akira excitedly explored the apartment. She then even went upstairs before Charan could stop her. Resigned he followed behind his daughter. He finally found her playing in the balcony of what he assumed to be Shreya''s bedroom since he could hear the shower running.


    "Akira. Don''t run around. You are going to end up breaking something." Charan chided her softly. But he could never be harsh with her. So his tone betrayed his indulgence.


    "Dada�� look�� You can see the whole city from here" Akira excitedly dragged Charan along with her showing him the view outside her apartment.


    Right then the shower stopped and Shreya came out of the shower with wet hairs and fully clothed.


    "Hey guys�� just two more minutes, we can leave" Shreya said and started drying her hairs.


    She was wearing a jean and t-shirt and like Akira''s it was also pink with full sleeves. Her face looked slightly flushed from the shower.


    Once drying she plaited her hair in a French braid quite similar to that of what she did with Akira. As soon as Akira saw Shreya, she was on cloud nine.


    "Shreya�� we match." Akira exclaimed.


    "I know baby. You like it?? Now come on, up you come." Shreya hoisted Akira into her arms and started walking outside with Charan hot on her trail.


    When they reached the parking, Shreya did not go to the car. Instead she looked at Akira and asked, "Okay baby now which car you want to go in. You can choose anything from this one to that one." She pointed.


    Charan''s jaws dropped. She had pointed at about a dozen cars lined up and each of them was top end cars. They were not over the top luxury cars thankfully so but then none of them were normal either. They were cars that make you look at them twice on road but without drawing too much attention.


    "That was so clich��d rich brat move." Charan commented rolling his eyes once he was done drooling at the cars.


    On the other hand Akira got down from Shreya and seriously contemplated. She looked at the cars one by one.


    "Hey this�� Okay I do like cars. But they were not bought just because I like them. This is security. Switching cars makes it harder to be spotted and high end cars harder to break into. Zack made me buy them. We shuffle them within the family from time to time" Shreya explained pouting aggrieved for being called a brat.


    Charan instantly softened and caressed her head and said teasing her, "Okay okay�� you are not a brat. Now stop pouting before I kiss you in front of Akira."


    Before Shreya could comprehend what he said, on a sudden impulse Charan leaned over and smacked his lips against hers for a quick sloppy kiss and pulled away.


    Shreya''s mind blanked. Her eyes widened as she saw Charan walk towards Akira with a smug grin. Shreya came out of her trance when she felt a small bundle of flesh crash against her legs.


    "Shreya, we will go in that one" Shreya said pointing at her Land rover.


    Shreya quickly got the keys and the three left swiftly.

 Chapter 14 - 13

    "Ouch" Charan exclaimed as Shreya harshly pinched on his arms.


    "What did I do??" He asked confused.


    After going ride after ride, Akira at last agreed to take a break. They bought some snacks and stuffs and were now currently resting in a playground. Even then after sitting for a few minutes Akira ran off to play on the swing while Charan and Shreya were sitting on the ground a few feet away from her munching on their snacks.


    "That was for the parking lot." Shreya said looking at him annoyed.


    Charan asked, "Why??? I can''t kiss??" He said leaning impossibly close to her face making a disappointed face. Shreya could feel his breath on her face.


    "No no no��" Shreya exclaimed immediately highly fl.u.s.tered. "I did not mean it like that�� I just�� I was just�� in front of Akira��." She stammered nervously but nothing coherent came out.


    Charan could take it anymore. He let out a delighted laugh pulling away, "Gosh you''re so easy." But his laughter was short lived as he felt Shreya slap him on his shoulders.


    "Ouch Shreya!! That is domestic abuse." He rubbed over his shoulders dramatically while in reality it did not really hurt much.


    "Yea?? Wait till we get home, I will show you what real domestic abuse looks like." Shreya said with a sweet smile but something on her face somehow felt really sinister.


    "Sorry sorry... I shouldn''t have teased the queen. It''s this peasants fault entirely." Charan surrendered immediately acting cute to plead mercy.


    Shreya huffed and pouted, "You are not fooling me again. You can act cute for all you want but I am not falling for it twice ever."


    "Really?? Is that a challenge??" Charan asked arching his brows.


    Shreya folded her arms and looked at him with her chins held high, "Yes, it is."


    Charan''s eyes instantly gleamed with mischief. "What if I win??"


    "What if I win??" Shreya asked back.


    Charan thought for a while and said, "We will keep it old school. Loser has to fulfill one wish of the winner."


    Shreya frowned suddenly, "Wait this is not fair�� Even I get to play. So who ever fool the other first wins?!"


    Charan shrugged and said, "Deal."


    "Shreya��" Akira came running right on queue and crashed into Shreya.


    "What is it baby??" Shreya asked taking her into her arms.


    "Can we go now??? I want ice-cream." She said.


    "Got bored of the swings already did we??" Shreya asked caressing at Akira''s head.


    Akira nodded her head diligently. Shreya let out a chuckle and hoisted Akira into her arms and took her for ice cream. Charan followed them but then again he was completely forgotten by the two ladies walking in front of them.


    By the time they came out of the park, Akira was exhausted. She fell asleep in Shreya''s shoulders on the way to the parking lot. She took out her phone from her back pocket and made a call.


    "Hey, one of you come over. Meet me in the parking lot."


    She said as softly as she could and cut the call. Once she cut the call, she looked at Akira to make sure she did not wake up. She kept patting on her back ever so softly. When they finally reached their car, a tall guy wearing casual cloths stood by the car.


    "Hey Andrew," Shreya greeted the guy and handed him the car keys.


    "Oh by the way�� tomorrow is your kid''s birthday right?? You can take the day off. Just ask Zack to send someone else to fill in tomorrow." Shreya said once they all entered the car.


    "Thanks, Shreya." The guy in the front grinned and started the car in high spirit.


    Shreya was still holding Akira in her arms. Charan could see that her arms are getting numb.


    "Give her to me for a while. I will hold her." Charan said reaching for Akira.


    Shreya shifted Akira away from his reach and said in pitiful aggrieved voice, "Anyways you will take her home with you for the night. Just let me hold her till then."


    Charan did not know whether to cry or laugh. She was looking at him like a disapproving father trying to break two lovers apart. He felt like a third wheel disrupting their date.


    "Okay okay�� I am not taking her away from you. You just shift her to your lap of something. Your arms are uncomfortable right??" Charan relented and said.


    "No, its okay. I don''t want to wake her up." Shreya said looking at Akira cautiously.


    "She is a heavy sleeper. She won''t wake up." Charan said and carefully shifted Akira to her laps.


    It was pretty late when the car came to a stop outside Charan''s house. Shreya got down with Akira still on her arms. Before going inside she turned. She noticed the SUV trailing behind them.


    "You can go with the guys. I can drive myself home" She said to Andrew and took the keys from him.


    "Sleep tight boss." Andrew said and left.


    Once inside, Shreya settled Akira on her bed first. She made sure she was comfortable before coming out of her room.


    "Aren''t they your bodyguards?? Aren''t they supposed to accompany you to your house??" Charan asked with a frown as soon as Shreya came into the kitchen. He made Shreya some warm milk.


    Shreya stood there leaning on the island counter leisurely.


    "No�� not exactly. Originally they are to watch Akira. At least Andrew is. Others were just helping out today since we were in public." Shreya said sipping on the milk.


    "You assigned bodyguards for Akira??" Charan asked surprised.


    "Well! Duh! Of course I will. After what happened it was a given." Shreya said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world to assign bodyguards for a primary school kid.


    "There is one for you too. But don''t worry they will be very discreet and faraway. They won''t interfere unless and until it is an emergency. After all you did not spot them for two week. And these are my handpicked people. I trust them. So you can be rest assured they won''t divulge any information out. Ever. And they will keep her safe." Shreya continued.


    Charan did not know what to say. On one side he was touched by her protectiveness on the other side he was very shocked. The fact that she had took so much the effort even before he called her. The fact that she would care for him so much even when he did not give her any answers- he did not know how to feel about all of these. But a surge of warmth spread through him and filled him completely.


    Just when she was done with the milk, Charan scooped and sat her down on the counter just like this morning. Shreya yelped in surprise.


    "Can you like stop man handling me??" she asked glaring at him.


    Charan stood there in front of her leaning over while stranding her.

 Chapter 15 - 14

    Charan looked at her intently stranding her. She was the most heartwarming thing he ever laid eyes on in such a long time. He ran his fingers through her hair and tucked them behind her ears.


    Shreya''s eyes darted over him confused. She did not know what was happening. She was completely oblivious to the effect her small little act has had on Charan. For her protecting people around her was something she did. It was something she got used to doing on a daily basis. It was nothing special. She doing this without any expectation is what made her special. This attitude of hers was what moved the people around her. Everyone around her was actually fiercely protective of her even though they are yet to have the opportunity to show it.


    Charan ran his thumb over her frowned little face. His fingers traced her brows, her nose and finally settled on her cheeks.


    "You??? You don''t fool around. I am not falling for it again. I am not going to lose the bet." Shreya said pouting holding her head high proudly.


    She looked so adorable at that moment that Charan couldn''t take it anymore. He leaned in and captured her lips in his gently. Her soft lips felt heavenly against his. He nibbled on her lower lips softly. There was not hunger in them. He just wanted to convey him emotions across. Thus he kept the kiss soft and sweet. He sucked on them gently before letting go.


    Shreya was dazed. She did not expect this. The kiss left her blank. When his lips touched hers, she felt a tingling on her lips that made her feel all fuzzy on the inside. By the time she came back to her senses Charan was already pulling away from her. But she was not ready to let go yet. Without her knowing, her hands gripped on his t-shirts and brought him closer. Her lips smacked against his for one more kiss. But this kiss was completely different from the first one. This one had a sense of hunger and desperation in them. Shreya desperately bit on his lips and then soothed them later. Her hunger was contagious that drove Charan to the brink of sanity. He held her head with his hands and plunged on her lips with vigor and passion.


    Both of them finally pulled apart when they were completely breathless.


    Shreya took deep breaths leaning over his shoulders to calm her racing heart while Charan kept a protective hand over the back of his head caressing them gently. Only the heavy breathing of the two can be heard.


    Once Charan got back his normal breathing, he said in a soft voice, "Thank you��"


    Shreya pulled away and asked with a frown, "For what??"


    "For Akira�� When I lost Samantha my whole world revolved solely around Akira. Akira made everything easier. Everything I did, I always considered what''s best for her. But that day when I met you�� for the first time I was impulsive�� I did something for myself�� All the way home that day I was afraid how it would affect Akira�� And you eradicated all that fear in one day��" Charan said looking up at her sincerely.


    "I know what it is like to lose a parent. You can have all the love in the world but nothing is ever going to be able to fill the gap that they left behind ever in your life. It''s because I understand her that I am able to be there for her. I know I can never fill that gap in her. Nobody really can. I''m just trying to make a place for myself in there." Shreya said with a distant look in her face.


    When she lost her parents, her uncle and aunt pitched in. They tried so hard to fill in that gap. She loved them so much more for it. But what they did not realize was no one can fill that gap. But she was really grateful for them for being there for her. Without them she did not know how she would have coped.


    Charan caressed her head comfortingly and said, "Maybe unconsciously even Akira actually realizes your intentions. She has never been so taken by someone so soon before. She is actually pretty reserved. Moreover that face of yours helped a great deal."


    "How so??" Shreya frowned and asked.


    "She said you look like a princess." Charan replied remembering his daughter''s reaction after seeing Shreya''s photo for the first time.


    "Really??" Shreya asked with glittering eyes as if her crush had just complimented her.


    Charan chuckled and ruffled her hair. For a second there her sparkling eyes and the dazzling smile took his breath away. He did not know how to look away from them. At that moment he perfectly understood his daughter''s reaction. She really was pretty as a picture.


    Shreya waited for his reply but instead all she got was a slightly dazed stare.


    "Oye" Shreya called out waving her hands in front of him bringing him back from his daze.


    "Sorry��" Charan mumbled at last coming back to reality.


    After a while Charan thought of something and asked, "Was it okay for you to spend the whole day with us??"


    Shreya shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly and said, "It''s not a big deal. There are other people there to deal with things."


    Charan looked at her suspiciously. While they were in the park Charan noticed Shreya would keep getting calls and messages. She snuck out every now and then to answer them when Akira was distracted. More than that, she was not meeting his eyes now as if she was hiding something.


    But before Charan could ask anything, his own phone pinged.


    Zack: Is Shreya with you??


    "You have to be somewhere aren''t you??" Charan asked after seeing Zack''s message.


    Shreya hung her head low but did not reply.


    "Come on. Get down. I will walk you to your car." Charan said taking her hands in his.


    But Shreya did not budge. Instead she clung to him. She circled her hands and legs around him and whined, "I don''t want to go."


    Charan let her be for then and caressed her head. Then he started convincing her softly like he convinces his daughter.


    "It''s important right?? Or else Zack wouldn''t have contacted me. You go now and resolve this. Once you are done, call me. I will pick you up. Okay??"


    "But it will take a long time�� The meeting will take forever to finish" Shreya whined childishly making a crying face.


    Charan let out a sign but then he did not try to talk to her anymore. He simply lifted her by her hip and started walking out of the house.


    Shreya yelped in surprise and then tightly gripped her arms and legs around him and held on to him.


    "Charan," Shreya called out irritated and tried to get down. But Charan held her in place. He let her go only when they reached her car.


    He carefully placed her on the ground and gave her a kiss over her forehead. Shreya very reluctantly got into the car and drove off.

 Chapter 16 - 15

    Shreya stormed into the meeting room with an extremely annoyed expression. But Zack looked at her equally annoyed.


    "You know how many times I have called you??" He asked in a very frustrated voice.


    Pritham and Adam looked between the two nervously. If Shreya and Zack got into a fight, nobody will be able to stop them.


    "You just ruined my date!!" Shreya replied pissed off standing right in front of Zack glaring at him.


    Adam braved himself and intervened before the situation exploded.


    "Hey guys�� before you start breaking bones can we address the actual issue here first?? You know the company issue��" He stood right between the two. Even if one of them refused to listen to him, the first punch would sadly land on Adam but thankfully both of them decided to behave like a human being and sat around the table.


    "Somebody hacked into our systems." Pritam said.


    Shreya looked at him sharply.


    "Hey hey�� don''t give me that look. I stopped him. I even tracked him down for you." Pritham explained panicked.


    "Then why am I here??" Shreya asked. They all could smell the foul mood she was in. They all silently prayed they were not in the receiving end of it.


    "He�� he was looking for your information. He did not know to look for you specifically but he was looking for personnel above Anand Uncle." Adam said.


    "I looked into his computer he was gathering information on all Top management people in the company. He had information on all of the Board people�� their bank accounts, schedules and personal information including the family whereabouts. Since he did not know who you were, he hacked into the company mainframe and got caught. Or else we would have never known what hit us." Pritham said.


    Shreya contemplated for a minute and then said, "Inform all the people to relocate for a while just in case."


    Zack opened his mouth at last, "I talked to them. Some of them said they were approached by people before to sell out the company. But they all had straight out refused. So this is probably leverage. And the information weren''t sent out yet. So they shouldn''t be in much problem as of now."


    "The problem as of now is, he wouldn''t talk and there is nothing else on his computer that we acquired from him. So we don''t know yet who is targeting the company." Pritham said.


    Shreya got up and started pacing around circling the table. Everyone had long gotten used to this habit of hers. Once they have given all the information they have gathered, she will usually pace around the table deep in thoughts. She wouldn''t really talk before gathering all the information and analyzed all the nook and cranny of it.


    "I want people on all the board members�� just in case. We can''t really know none of them made a deal or not. So it should both serve as their protection and help us keep an eye on them. But do not make any move. It is strictly observe and report. And send me whatever the hacker had found on them to me directly. I want to go through them. And then tighten the security around all the ongoing high value projects. Restrict access only to persons directly involved. I do not want any leak. Since they are targeting the company, next step is possibly to directly affect our projects once they acquired top people on their side."


    Then she turned towards Pritham and said, "Pritham, get me information on the hacker''s personal life. I want everything you can find on him and his family then I will have him talk. He is probably hired anyways and he probably has a lot of security for his workspace. SO it is useless to find his lair. SO just find his house."


    "It''s probably S corp. or Walia, only those two have this kinda resources and guts to go against Sri corp. Moreover they both lost a lot of business to us in last two years. He just has to confirm which one it is. I will get it out of him."


    Pritham nodded his head solemnly. At times like this Pritham was always amazed by Shreya. She could always think of all possible outcomes in the shortest amount of time. And her predictions so far have always been bullseye.


    She then turned towards Adam, "I don''t want any news about the company being hacked leaving this room. If people knew we were hacked they will panic regardless of whether or not we lost valuable information. And on top of it, I do not want any rumors within the company about me ever. My anonymity is the key and we have to make sure it stays that way. If people knew I was still meddling with the company, all hell will break lose and we will become sitting ducks. So until we solve my parents'' murder no one should know I have returned."


    She further discussed things on upcoming projects and stuffs for a long time. Once she was satisfied she had covered all aspects, she stood up.


    "I think that is all for now. I will text you guys if I have something else. Pritham, mail me the details I have asked for. We will meet again directly at the bas.e.m.e.nt." She said and left.


    Everyone just looked at her retreating figure.


    Pritham spoke first, "Why does she want the information gathered by the hacker??? How will it help?? Anyways it''s not sent out." It was hard for him to comprehend everything Shreya does. He will ask all sorts of questions and learn but he was still miles away.


    "If there is some name missing in them, that mean that person had already made a deal. Moreover, if those people have any obvious vulnerability, she will either have to get rid of the vulnerability or them. Since having such a person with vulnerability in the management at hostile time like this is like a walking around with a time bomb." Zack explained.


    "And since Shreya owns more than three quarter of the company shares, outside people has no chance of taking over the company. This is probably done by competition. If they can''t acquire the company, they will try to destroy it. So obviously the next best option is to ruin our reputation. For that they will need info on our future major projects if they want to make a big impact." Adam further elaborated.


    "Argh! Why do I always end up questioning my IQ when it comes to her??" Pritham asked himself baffled.


    "Oh you should have studied with her�� Everyone in our class used to feel that way." Adam replied drily. Shreya and Adam were of same age so they shared a classroom. She was not exactly a genius but had a high IQ. On top of it she was actually someone with high EQ. She saw through people easily. She read them like a book. She was not exactly social but she always knew whom to keep close and whom to keep a distance from.

 Chapter 17 - 16

    "Tuk tuk tuk," Her boot heels clicked and echoed as she sternly strolling through the dark bas.e.m.e.nt. The echo resonated through the long dark corridor giving away an eerie feeling that rose goosebumps.


    She entered a room. The room was 10 floors under the Sri Corporation tower. Only way in is through an elevator and access is restricted to a hand full of people. When there was a need they had remote location but when things were not way too complicated, they simply used this bas.e.m.e.nt for all their dirty works.


    There was nothing there. It was just a huge open hall with concrete walls on all sides with a steel door and ventilators above.


    Shreya swiftly approached the center of the hall were the hacker was sat to a chair. He had bags under his eyes but other than that he was untouched. There were guards all around the room inconspicuously standing in shadows.


    A little while later, Zack came from behind her and place a chair for her. But he did not leave instead he stood guard just a few feet behind her.


    Shreya leisurely sat down on the chair kneeling her hands on the armrest and crossed her legs. Her posture was extremely arrogant while her face showed extreme indifference as if she had dealt with such a situation on a daily basis.


    "It''s a pleasure to meet you Mr. Rajesh Aurora." Shreya said coolly resting her chin on her hands. She looked at him with a sweet sinister smile.


    A chill ran through his spines. Even though she looked small and talked with a sweet smile his instincts said otherwise. He felt as if she was not someone he could actually handle. But then if he showed any weakness right from the start, he will be dead for sure. So he steeled himself and looked at her with faked calm eyes.


    "Pleasures all mine." Rajesh replied sarcastically.


    "Oh you do not have to flatter me." Shreya replied and let out a chuckle.


    She was chatting with him as if he was some long lost friend rather than her hostage. Somehow this was more unnerving than the interrogations he had gone through with her subordinates. Even then he strived hard to keep a straight face.


    After dilly dallying for a while Shreya got to the point.


    "Look Rajesh, I appreciate your skill. And you obviously know your client and it should be easy to guess why they asked for the sort of information you have collected right??" Shreya asked still maintaining her relaxed posture.


    Rajesh remained silent. Of course he knew the information he collected won''t be used for anything good. But then he needed the cash. He had no choice. He wouldn''t have taken the assignment otherwise.


    Seeing as he was not replying anything, Shreya continued, "So�� I thought about it and then I did exactly what you did. I simply found leverage just like you did." She then nonchalantly took out the tablet and tapped away on it.


    Rajesh back stiffened immediately. He was in the verge of losing it already. He had been in here for what felt like years which already put him on edge since there were people who were waiting for him on the outside. So when he saw his daughter''s photo on the tablet as she dangled it on his face, the surge of anxiety and anger surged through him. His eyes instantly turned red as his mind played all sorts of worst case scenario''s that can happen to his daughter.


    Rajesh lunged for her, "You bitch��" But his hands were met with iron grip while Shreya stayed in her leisure state without even bothering to bat an eye or move a muscle. She did not even flinch. She just looked up at him amused while people retrained him. He couldn''t even touch her hair.


    "When you do it, it''s alright! But when I do the same, you suddenly feel unfair. Don''t you think it''s extremely hypocritical of you??" Shreya asked languish while letting out a sarcastic laughter.


    Rajesh immediately froze. He realized he was beat the minute she walked in. He realized she was playing him like a game for entertainment. His fa?ade of calm instantly crumbled as he stopped struggling, "Sorry�� I''m sorry�� I just had no choice. I�� You should know why I had to do it." He started pleading instantly.


    "Oh you surrendered already?? Wow. Pritham is going to nag me now. He had painstakingly gathered so much information and all it took was a single photo." She said lamenting to herself without giving regard to pleading voice of Rajesh.


    Rajesh knew the moment she called his name, the person in front of her was not someone he cannot take lightly. He had covered his tracks pretty well. But she found it in a matter of two days. SO he knew he was screwed already. He was just trying to buy some time but when he saw his daughter''s photo, what little will he had completely drained.


    "I will tell you. I will tell you who hired me�� I will do anything you ask for. Just.. please.. please don''t hurt my little girl. She doesn''t know anything." He begged.


    "Speak" Shreya said simply and waved her hands. The guards instantly let him go.


    Rajesh staggered and sat on his knees and started talking. "I don''t know how they knew of my skill. I had stopped that line of work a long time ago when I got married. But somehow they tracked me down. The assignment came 3 months ago. But I just accepted it now since I needed the money suddenly. They made down payment. I traced the email and money back to S corporation. I have evidence and stuffs. I will show you. I am not lying."


    Shreya did not ask anything else. She just turned towards Zack and said, "See?? It was so easy. For this, you guys sat with him for three days. Shame on you." She was obviously teasing him while Zack glared at her.


    Shreya somehow exactly knew where to hit with just one glance. She could always say where it would hurt the most. She was too lazy for physical torture and she was pretty much an expert in psychological torture.


    Shreya did not bother after that. She stood up to leave with Zack hot on her trail.


    Once in elevator she turned to Zack and gave some instructions, "Just tell him to mail the evidence over and let him go. Take him to his daughter. She must be out of surgery any minute now."


    "Once she recovers slightly, relocate them. When S corp. finds that he was released from our custody and he has no info for them, he is going to be caught on cross fires. Cover his tracks and relocated him."


    When Shreya went through Rajesh background, she already lost the urge to keep him. He was a normal family guy with a normal job. He had kept his skills under wraps for a long time now. His daughter is around 18 years now and she needed a kidney transplant all of sudden due to some unforeseen circ.u.mstances. Shreya already guessed he must have taken the job by seer desperation. The people hired him probably used it to their advantage knowingly.


    So she arranged for her daughter''s surgery as soon as she came to know of it. She was planning to let him go today regardless of whether he told her anything or not.


    She was just going to play with him for a bit, but she did not expect him to crumble so completely. She slightly felt guilty for it now.


    ''Anyways he will be happy to see his daughter safe and sound in a couple of hours and when that happen he will forget about her mental torture completely'' Shreya mumbled to herself and brushed it off as she got out of the elevator strutted out of the building.


    Zack gapped at her back. This is why nobody really dared to cross with Shreya. Coz if any of them truly pissed her off, none of them could survive her wrath. They would rather face her physical abuse.


    Just her ''wanting to play'' brought Rajesh to his knees. Imagine what could happen if she truly wanted to torture someone!!!


    Simply put, Shreya was a she-devil in jeans and sweats.

 Chapter 18 - 17

    Shreya was sitting in the spacious office buried in doc.u.ment. Things have been slightly hectic lately. With people aiming to ruin the company, Shreya was being extra cautious and checked everything personally.


    She looked up from the papers in the front when she heard her phone ring. She was way too distracted to look at the caller id.


    "Hello." She said clutching the phone in between her shoulder blades and ears.


    "Hey Shreya�� this is Charan. Where are you??" Charan asked from the other end.


    Shreya''s face instantly brightened as she let go of her pen and gave her full attention to the call.


    "I am at office. You??" Shreya asked.


    "Uhm�� Me too. Thought I will pick you up today. But the person at the desk says she doesn''t know where your office is!!!" Charan said scratching his head.


    "Give me a minute. I will be down." Shreya said and instantly hopped towards the elevator.


    She reached the lobby in about 5 minutes time. A big goofy smile spread on her lips as soon as she laid eyes on Charan. He was standing there in the middle of the hall in jeans and formal shirt looking as dashing as ever.


    Shreya swiftly went to him. She took his hands in hers and dragged him away while glaring at the person at the desk with an overbearing pout.


    Charan looked around. He found it odd. Nobody seemed afraid of Shreya. Rather their faces were slightly mocking and looked at her with disdain.


    Once inside the elevator he asked, "Uhm�� is my eyes gone wrong or the people here stupid?? Why do I find their stares odd??"


    "Oh don''t mind them. I dress like this and since my position in the company is top secret, for them I am just a ''crazy niece'' leeching off of my uncle while coming here to play all day. And since I find it pretty entertaining, I let them gloat for now." Shreya said shrugging her shoulders.


    Then she thought of something and let out an amused laugh.


    "Why are you laughing??" Charan asked frowning.


    "I just imagined their faces when they will come to know the truth." Shreya said with a crazy glint on her face.


    Charan couldn''t help but gap at her. He suddenly felt sorry for her employees.


    "Anyways why aren''t you home yet?? Who is watching Akira??" Shreya asked walking out of the elevator.


    "She is at my mum''s. She won''t be back until Monday. She is having a sleepover with her cousin." Charan informed.


    "What?? I won''t be able to see her for three days then??" Shreya asked making a long face.


    Charan just gapped at Shreya. How come both his daughter and girlfriend are so in sync is beyond him. "You two are behaving like pair of lovers. Akira asked the same thing. I had to bribe her with Dairymilk before she agreed to go. Lots of it mind you." He said dryly rolling his eyes.


    "What?? She fell for Dairymilk?? If I were her, I would have extorted Diarymilk and a few dresses to go with it. I need to teach her better." Shreya said making a mental note to talk to Akira.


    "Oye�� Don''t teach her stuffs like that. Convincing her is already tough enough." Charan said scolding her. It''s no wonder she is running such a successful big business.


    "What?? I am not teaching her anything bad. I am just teaching her not to be taken advantage of." Shreya said nonchalantly. Then her eyes landed on a brightly lit room. She pushed open the door without bothering to excuse.


    "Uncle, I better not see your dinner wrapped intact still now." She said loudly as she walked in.


    Anand jolted at the voice and then he hurriedly scrambled to reach for the dinner parcel she had delivered an hour ago. He stealthily hid it behind him and looked up at Shreya with a sheepish grin.


    "Hahaha�� very funny. That trick might have worked on a 12 year old. Sadly for you, I am not." Shreya said sarcastically as she stood in front of him with her hands folding.


    Anand hung his head pouting. At that moment he looked like an aggrieved bullied kid. It was actually quite funny to see a grown ass man acting cute in front of his niece to escape being scolded.


    Shreya let out a sign seeing his expression.


    "Charan, can you wait for me in my office?? It''s right next door. I won''t be long." She said to Charan and she walked towards Anand.


    She took the food from behind him and then took his hands in hers and dragged him to the couch. She opened everything and looked at Anand sternly.


    Anand obediently started eat. She stood up and got him some water. Once he was done eating, she got him his tablets. But all this while, she did not utter a single word.


    "Shreya," Anand called out. But Shreya did not reply nor did she look at him. She just maintained the cold face.


    If anything Anand absolutely hated the silent treatment from Shreya. Her silent treatment was torturously horrible. She will not utter a single word whatsoever and this will go on for days.


    Anand immediately panicked when he thought of it. They both had a bond that only they understood. Anand saw his brother in her while she saw her dad in him. So receiving silent treatment from Shreya is especially cruel for Anand.


    He quickly brought her into a bear hug and engulfed her in his embrace completely.


    "I''m sorry. This won''t happen again. I promise." Anand said solemnly.


    Shreya softened immediately. For some reason, she could never be mad at Anand no matter what he does.


    "You better have your meals on time. Or else I am not going to talk to you at all." Shreya mumbled and returned the hug.


    "Okay. You go on. Your friend is waiting for you." Anand said letting her go.


    "You go home now. You can deal with this some other time. It''s getting late." She said but Anand walked to his desk and continued his work.


    "I just have a little more. Once I am done, I will go." He said.


    Shreya did not nag anymore. She left for her own office.

 Chapter 19 - 18

    "I''m sorry about that." Shreya said to Charan as she entered her office.


    Charan was sitting on the couch flipping some magazine.


    "Are you done with your work??" Charan asked as she approached him.


    Shreya did not reply. She simply scratched the back of her head giving him a sheepish look. She still had work to do but she also wanted to accompany Charan. So she felt extremely conflicted.


    Charan frowned at her waiting for a reply.


    Shreya signed and sat beside him. She made a pitiful face and asked, "Can you stay till I am done??? I will be done very quickly I promise." She swore anxiously as if she was afraid he would refuse and leave her right away.


    "Of course" Charan said ruffling her hair.


    Shreya beamed immediately and rushed to her desk with determination to complete everything in a record speed. Charan couldn''t help but let out a chuckle at her antics.


    His eyes followed her with a silly smile. He was charmed silly by her already and there was absolutely nothing he can do about it. His eyes did not deter from her even for a second.


    She looked especially small sitting on such a large chair behind that huge desk filled with files and a laptop. She was shuffling through a pile of papers with her browns frowned in concentration.


    When he stared at her, at last he knew why her employees thought she comes here to play. It was probably because of her attire. She was wearing an ankle length ripped jean and an oversized ''Hello kitty'' hoodie. Her hair was unkempt with curls while her accessory included a gipsy earing and a skull necklace.


    She sported prominent dark circles around her eyes while her face remained devoid of any makeup.


    But in spite of it all, Charan could not take his eyes off of her. He sat on the couch comfortably facing her while his gaze burned over her every move. From the way she would tuck her hair behind her eyes to the way she would bite on her pen- his gaze observed everything. She crunched her brows and bit on her lips as she concentrated on something on her laptop. He couldn''t help but find her especially attractive when she worked. He couldn''t help but drool.


    When she was at last done with all her work, Shreya looked up to see what he was up to. She thought he must have been bored but was instead met with his burning pair of eyes. His gaze was swallowing her whole without meaning to.


    Shreya slightly squirmed under his gaze but still did not look away.


    "Are you done??" Charan asked in a whisper for some reason.


    Shreya bobbed her head.


    "Come here." Charan said and gestured her to come closer.


    Shreya got up and approached him wordlessly. When she reached him, Charan pulled her to him and sat her on his lap strangling him. Shreya yelped in surprise and steadied herself by holding on to his shoulders. When their eyes met, they drowned in each other.


    Both their heart raced at the close proximity. Charan reached out and tidied her hair by tucking them behind her ears. He could clearly see her face now in high definition. He gently stroked her slightly blushed cheeks with his thumb.


    Shreya nervously bit on her lower lips while her hands holding onto his shoulders dug into his skins unconsciously. If not for his shirt, he nails would have already left its mark on him.


    Charan actually did not do anything but his eyes voiced all his unsaid emotions. They conveyed all his desires and Shreya felt completely lost under his gaze. She was completely enthralled under his spell. Without realizing, she leaned down and captured his lips between her wet ones.


    When he felt her soft lips against his, Charan lost his last shred of restrain. He held her face tightly in place and kissed her senseless. Both of them desperately held on to each other while their lips battled against each other. Shreya desperately bit on his lower lips which earned her a throaty groan from Charan. She then ran her tongue over them to sooth the pain.


    Both of them pulled away at last only when they needed air. But Shreya had not had enough. She leaned in and bit on his cheeks. Her teeth dug into his skin quite harshly which was quickly replaced by her tongue the very next moment.


    "Shreya��" Charan''s husky voice called out as pain and pleasure rocked him simultaneously.


    Shreya leaned back satisfied at last as her eyes darted over her handy work. Her teeth mark was very prominent on his fair cheeks. It was as if she had marked him as hers. No self-respecting would really approach him while he sported that mark.


    ''He was hers'' for some reason Shreya liked the sound of it. She ran her thumb gently over his cheek with the mark while a sudden surge of possessiveness washed over her. This feeling was completely alien to her but then she still drowned in it.


    "You are mine." She declared firmed in a throaty voice without looking away from him while her eyes blatantly conveyed her possessiveness.


    An amused chuckle bubbled at the base of his throat when he first heard her but her eyes shut him up. The intensity of her gaze left him flabbergasts. She was looking at him as if she wouldn''t mind waging a war against any person who dared to try snatching him away from her. Just the thought sent warmth surge through him and exploded in his head.


    Charan lifted her by her hip and laid her on the couch while hovering on top of her.


    "Yes�� I am yours." He said hoarsely before latching his lips to hers one more time. This kiss was intense, deep and hungry.


    He sucked on her lips as if he was a starved man while Shreya pulled him close to her desperately. Her hands and legs circled around him and pulled him towards her with all her might. With great difficulty Charan balanced himself on his elbows. He knew if this continues, he would end up crushing her. She was petite and won''t be able to stand his full weight. So he took her stubborn hands from around him forcefully and held them above her head.


    "Charan��" Shreya instantly groaned in protest but her voice got completely swallowed by him as he plunged into her deepening the kiss. All Shreya could do was shiver and whimper under him as he showed her a sense of euphoria.


    They finally pulled back breathlessly after what felt like forever. Charan hunched over her while burying his face on the crooks of her neck. Both took in deep breaths to calm down their racing heart.


    Once he got back his breathing, Charan shifted and whispered near her ears, "You know, your ex is probably the biggest idiot I have ever heard of. And thanks to him I became the luckiest bastard in whole of the universe." His voice was deep and husky from their make out session just now and it slipped into her ears like a honey leaving her giddy.


    Butterflies exploded at her stomach instantly when she comprehended what he just said. Her lips beamed uncontrollable into a sweet smile.


    Her gentle sweet smile with red cheeks was what greeted him when he pulled back and looked at her face. He leaned over and gave her a chaste kiss on her temple and completely pulled away.


    He stood up and extended his hands towards her for her to take. Shreya slipped her hand into his naturally.


    "Come on. You must be hungry." He said pulling her up.


    "Starving." Shreya replied simply and followed him out of the office.

 Chapter 20 - 19

    "Do you want to stay over???" Shreya blurted out nervously.


    When they left the office, it was pretty late. So they agreed for take away. They brought their food to Shreya''s apartment to eat.


    Dinner was lively as Charan encountered his experiences with Akira as she grew up. Shreya avidly listened to every word he said. But once they were done, Charan got up to leave. Shreya''s face fell instantly. She did not want to part with him just yet. Thus she braved up all her courage and asked him to stay.


    But then Charan froze. It was not that he had a dirty mind but it was practically impossible for a man to not to think dirty in such a situation. Especially after the make out session they shared at her office cabin.


    Only when she saw Charan''s expression that Shreya realized there was something wrong with the she asked the question.


    She immediately panicked and tried to clarify, "No.. no�� no�� Not like. I just wanted to sleep�� I mean sleep- sleep. Not that sleep�� I just wanted to be with you��" She finally shut up when she realized she was just making things worse and not clarifying worth a shit.


    "I will just shut up now. You just go home get some sleep." She mumbled into her hands as she buried her head into them embarrassed.


    Charan couldn''t hold it anymore and laughed out loud. His laughter was carefree and graceful somehow.


    Shreya wanted to look at him laugh but her embarrassment got the better of her. So she did not dare lift her face.


    Once Charan calmed down from his laughing fit, he approached her.


    "You just want to sleep with me ah??" Charan asked teasingly against her ears.


    Something snapped in her when she heard his teasing voice. She was annoyed with herself for being such a blabbering mess and she was annoyed with him for not letting it go.


    With her irritation, all her embarrassment flew out. She sent him a laser sharp glare and then turned towards her own room. She did not bother with him.


    Charan chased after her quickly and held her from behind. He hugged her with his hands circling around her waist.


    "Sorry�� I am sorry. I won''t tease anymore." He whispered against her ears. He could easily guess her emotions at that moment when she asked. He knew it took a lot of courage for her to ask him. It was just she looked so god damn adorable when she stammered that he couldn''t really hold himself back.


    Shreya''s demeanor softened when he heard his apology. But she still did not speak anything. So Charan thought she was still mad at him. He took her hands and dragged her to the single couch.


    He sat in and quickly pulled her by her waist and sat her on his laps. Shreya shifted slightly and sat sideways snuggling into his chest comfortably. Her small frame looked even smaller when she was completely engulfed by Charan''s large body. She snugly fit into his embrace as she lay comfortably with her face buried against his chest. She clung to him like a bullied kid seeking comfort.


    "Sorry baba�� I will stay okay." Charan tried to coax softly her seeing her aggrieved expression.


    At last Shreya relented and said with a sly smile, "Okay��"


    Charan heaved a sigh of relief for having averted a possible calamity. But little did he know that, the little devil in his arms wearing an innocent expression was actually playing him and he fell right into her trap without even realizing!!


    Shreya sat up straight and reached out and took his hand into hers and started playing with it. Then she laid her own hands over his. Her small hand only reached up to the base of his fingers making her pout. Charan did not interrupt her. He let her be and he took his other hand and ran then through her hairs. He gently tucked her hair behind her ears.


    Charan realized only at that moment how much he had missed this in his life. This feeling of having someone in his arms and the sense of companionship they provide you just by being there with you. The comfort they give you without even saying a word. He suddenly felt very grateful that she had dragged him to the roof with her.


    He leaned over and pecked on her ears and whispered against them, "Thank you��"


    "For what??" Shreya asked confused.


    "For barging into my life." Charan said softly.


    "You''re welcome." Shreya said beaming at him. But then her expression became odd as she thought of something. She bit on her lips as if she was preventing herself from asking something.


    Charan of course saw the change in her expression. So he asked, "What is it??"


    Shreya pursed her lips without saying anything. But after a while, "I just�� umm�� do you miss her??" she asked in a low voice.


    She did not say who she was talking about but her hesitation, her expression- they straight up told him she was talking about Samantha.


    "Every single day," Charan said with a sad smile.


    "Will you tell me about her??" Shreya asked seriously.


    Charan looked up at her slightly surprised. Her face clearly said it was not some misplaced curiosity but a genuine wish to know a person which only surprised him further.


    "You want me to tell you about her??" Charan asked frowning.


    Shreya bobbed her head eagerly but then continued in a low voice, "Only if you want to��"


    "Why??" Charan asked once again.


    "Because she is Akira''s mum and your wife." Shreya said looking up at him with clear eyes.


    There was no negative emotion in them. Charan knew how possessive she was but still he saw no jealousy in them whatsoever. And he did not miss to notice how she used present tense. She did not say "was" but instead said "is". That moment he clearly understood what she truly meant when she said she was not trying to occupy the space Samantha left but is just trying to make a space for herself. He also understood she was not just talking about Akira then but was also talking about him.


    Something painfully twisted in his heart but it was not unpleasant. At that moment he felt as if, if only Shreya was to ask, he would gladly rip out his heart and give it to her silver platter.

 Chapter 21 - 20

    Shreya looked up but Charan did not reply. He wore a very complicated expression. She thought it was probably because he became sad remembering Samantha. She felt as if she had overstepped. So she promptly apologized.


    "I''m sorry�� I shouldn''t have asked. I was not trying to make you sad. I was just��" her voice trailed as she did not know how to continue. She was not being curious or carelessly poking at his sore spot. She just wanted to know the person who had once loved him.


    When he came out of this trance, Charan saw that she had completely misunderstood his expression. But he did not explain either since he knew she would never really see how mind-blowingly amazing she was even if he said to her a million times. So he simply gave her a kiss on the corner of her forehead and crashed her back into his embrace and started talking.


    "Samantha�� she is actually straight opposite to you. She was quiet and reserved actually. Ours was an arranged marriage. There was really not much drama between us. It was very comfortable and pleasant. She was a primary school teacher." He said and paused.


    "She must have been good with kids. No wonder Akira is such a good kid." Shreya said in between with a pleasing smile.


    "She was. She would have liked you a lot." Charan said with a smile.


    "How did she��??" Shreya asked without being able to finish the question.


    But Charan understood what she was asking. "Cancer.." He simply said.


    "Was it bad?? Did she suffer a lot??" She asked in a low voice.


    "Not much. When we first diagnosed it was already too late."


    Shreya did not reply. She just shifted and hugged him tightly. She knew nothing she ever says is ever going to make it better. Since she knew that she did not want to say a few callous words of comfort and make him pretend that her words have helped. Because she knew they wouldn''t. Not in a million years.


    Charan understood her intentions. So he said, "I am okay now. It took a while. But having Akira helped. She pulled me out without really knowing what she was doing."


    And Shreya knew that better than anyone else, because Akira pulled her out too without knowing what she was doing. With these heavy thoughts running through her head, the exhaustion finally got to her. Her eyes dropped without her control. She did not have the energy to fight it.


    She unconsciously snuggled more comfortably into him and drifted off the sleep.


    Charan stared at her sleeping figure for quite a while. He did not know how she managed to wrap him around her tiny finger in such a short time but he was not complaining either.


    "I am head over heels in love with you Shreya." He whispered against her ears very softly and lifted her into his arms.


    She slightly stirred on her sleep but did not wake up. He carried her to her room and gently placed her on the bed. He made sure she was comfortable before walking out. Then he went to the couch and drifted off to sleep.


    Next day, Charan woke up when he heard the doorbell. He opened his eyes groggily and made sense of his surroundings by then the bell rang again.


    But before Charan could get up and make a move, Shreya stumbled out of her room. Her eyes were tightly shut as she reached the door. She opened the door and at last opened her eyes slightly to see who it was.


    "Hiiiii��" a bubbly male voice screeched through. A small boy stood there with a parcel. Shreya reached out took the parcel, mumbled ''thanks'' and shut the door on his face quite rudely.


    The boy had long got used to this. He just chuckled and went on with his work. He knew the person here was not a morning person. So whenever she was already awake, he gets treated to a breakfast. But if he ended up waking her up like today, he gets the doors shut on his face. It was almost like she had a split personality or something.


    At first he was so confused until he started noticing the pattern. They did not even know each other''s name. He called her ''elder sis.'' While she called him ''Bunny'' since he had a bunny hoodie the first time they had breakfast together. They were not close but they still had a vague understanding of each other.


    "Who was it??" Charan asked confused sitting up on the couch.


    Shreya went to fridge and dumped to content in there and said, "Milk delivery."


    She then walked towards him. She looked around and finally settled down on the couch. She laid beside Charan just leaving him enough place to sit. The couch was small so she had to curl herself to fit in. Charan saw this and was about to get up and give space but Shreya shifted and laid her head on his lap.


    "Morning��" he said caressing over her head.


    "Morning." She mumbled back opening her eyes.


    "Sorry I slept half way yesterday."


    "It''s okay. You want to sleep some more now??" He asked seeing her struggling to keep her eyes open.


    But he did not get any reply and when he looked down; he saw that she had already fallen asleep. Charan let her be and reached for him phone. He texted Akira.


    Charan: GM Baby girl. How is my princess??


    Akira saw the message but did not reply. Akira usually wakes up early for school and invariably it became a habit. So he knew she was sulking at him for sending her away this weekend. So he took a picture of Shreya and sent her.


    Akira: "extremely angry emoji"


    Akira: Don''t gloat. I will have my turn and you are not going to like it.


    Charan let out an amused chuckle seeing his daughter''s revenge declaration.


    But before he could reply, he heard the front door open and a young man walked in.


    Charan was about to wake Shreya up but the person panicked and furiously shook his head and said in an urgent whisper, "No�� no�� no. Don''t wake her up. She becomes a She-devil if someone wakes her up."


    Charan frowned not understanding what was happening but still froze his hands midair.


    "Hi I am Pritham. When she wakes up just ask her to call Rajesh ASAP. She will understand." Then he left quietly.


    Once closing the door, he turned back and looked back with an odd expression.


    As far as he knew, Shreya has a hard time falling asleep when there is someone else present in the house. But here she was sleeping on a person''s lap. But he brushed it off and walked away making a mental note to ask Shreya about it later.

 Chapter 22 - 21

    When Shreya woke up, the first thing she laid eyes on was very charming Charan cooking in her kitchen. Since the couch was laid right in front of her kitchen, he saw him as soon as she opened her eyes.


    She dragged her legs and sneaked behind him. But in spite of her efforts, Charan still saw her coming.


    "You are awake??" He asked.


    She did not reply but walked towards him and hugged him from behind.


    "Do you even use your kitchen??? Your fridge is practically rotting away." Charan commented. When he first came in to make something for her, he was actually met with an empty fridge. Except for some bread and beer, there was nothing in there. So he had to go out and buy some ingredients for their meal.


    "I don''t like eating here. If I wake up before the milk guy comes, I will make some toast and share breakfast. Or else I will just have a glass of milk and skip them. Lunch and dinner I usually have it delivered at the office. So I don''t really use my kitchen much except to get water." Shreya said nonchalantly coming and standing beside him.


    Charan looked at her and then her house. That''s when he noticed it. She was alone here. Suddenly images of her sleeping alone and eating alone in this house popped up in his head. He could see her roaming around all alone at night with a blank expression. He did not like the image. Her face looked sad in all of them.


    "Why do you live here alone??" Charan asked. He was confused since from what he had heard so far, her uncle and aunt seemed to adore her so they shouldn''t have had any problem with her living with them even if she was divorced. So he knew this should have been Shreya''s choice.


    Shreya thought about the question for a while the chose her words carefully and said, "I don''t know actually. I just got used to it I guess. Along the way somehow I just couldn''t stand having people around me all the time. I don''t mean it in an offensive way. I just stopped bringing people closer to me. It broke my uncle''s heart when I said I couldn''t stand to live with them but then he did not really object."


    When she finished, Charan was reminded of Akira instantly. When Samantha died, for one week Akira had shut herself in her room. She was only 6 years old back then. She did not really cry. She just quietly stayed in her room. But she absolutely refused to let anyone in. If someone approached her, she would throw a tantrum. She would go into a screaming fit. She came around at last only after hearing to Samantha''s recording. Samantha left some voice recorded messages, especially for Akira. After hearing it, for some reason, she just started being her old self. Just a tad bit more mature. NO wonder both of them got along so well from the start.


    Charan''s heart ached when he thought of Shreya doing the same for all these years. She had shut herself within these walls for so long that she actually got used to it and does not find it odd anymore. He turned around and brought her into his arms and hugged her tightly.


    Shreya could not really decipher what was going on with Charan. She just blinked at him confused.


    "What happened??" Shreya asked.


    "I just want to hug you," Charan said plainly without explaining anything else.


    Shreya did not understand what was he up to or what he was thinking but then ''hey�� who would say no to a hug??'' She sure was not one of them. She even soothingly caressed on his back comforting him.


    "��" Charan did not know how to say that he was actually trying to comfort her instead of the other way around.


    But he did not have the heart to let go just yet. So he hoisted her off her feet hugged her closer to him. Shreya yelped in surprise and then by instincts wrapped her hands and legs around him.


    Charan had his head buried over her shoulders.


    Shreya had her hands circled around his neck securely and asked concerned, "What''s wrong?? Are you okay??"


    "Just let me hold you for a minute okay??" Charan whispered against her neck.


    Shreya did not want to pry so she did not ask anymore. There was a sense of desperation in the way he held her; it did not make any sense to her. On the other hand, Charan''s emotions were on a twist. He himself couldn''t clearly understand what was happening. All he knew was, at that moment, he wanted to protect her in his arms even if she did not really need his protection. Even if he did not have the ability to protect her physically, he at least wanted to protect her heart.


    At last Charan let her go when he heard something rattle behind him on the stove. He gave her a kiss on her crown before letting her go.


    "Go on. Freshen up and come down. The food will be ready by then. And hey�� before I forget. Pritham came in about an hour ago I think. He asked you to call some person named Rajesh."


    Shreya looked at him one last time to make sure he was okay before backing out to her room.


    The first thing she called Rajesh. When he found out that Shreya arranged for his daughter''s surgery, he agreed to help her out. Maybe even join her team if she would take him. Of course, Shreya jumped on the opportunity.


    "Hey, what''s up??" she asked as soon as the call collected.


    "These guys were smarter than we thought. They had already leveraged your company employees." Rajesh said dejectedly.


    This was actually within her expectations. So she just said, "You don''t have to worry. You just mail me whatever you found to me. And also don''t hold back anything you found either. Just hand it over to the other side. I will deal with it appropriately on my end." She then hung up the call.


    She then went to freshen up. When she went down, Charan was still not done with the food. So she thought of getting some work done.


    "Akash�� Are you awake??" she asked as soon as the call got connected.


    "Go away," Akash said groggily.


    "I forwarded you an mail. Just make sure those people are there in my office first thing Monday morning okay?? And also schedule a meeting with all the board members. I want full attendance no matter what." She said.


    Seeing as she had called for business Akash gave her full attention. And once she was done he simply said, "You got it. And hey�� mom is asking you to bring your boyfriend around for her to meet."


    But before Shreya could respond Charan''s voice bellowed from the kitchen, "Shreya come down to eat. Food is ready."


    "He is cooking for you??" Akash''s mocking voice asked her next on the phone.


    Shreya did not bother to reply. She just cut the call and walked to her food.

 Chapter 23 - 22

    Shreya bounced through the building to her office in her denim shorts and t-shirt. She had a hoodie over her tees but she wore it like a shrug by leaving it unzipped. The employees couldn''t help but stare. But then again you can''t really blame them. Who comes to the office in shorts??? But then again nobody really had the authority to question her anyways. So they just gave her an odd look and continued with their own work.


    Shreya was extremely happy after spending the weekend with Charan. She even ate breakfast made by him before coming to the office. So did not bother with them. She went straight to Anand''s office.


    Anand was behind the desk going over something when Shreya barged in.


    Anand looked up at her and immediately scolded, "Aren''t you being too bratty at the office?? What''s with that outfit??"


    "What is wrong with what I am wearing??" Shreya asked looking down at herself confused.


    "Nothing is wrong with it except for the fact that you will be attending a meeting today that you scheduled," Anand said pointing at her.


    Shreya strolled unbothered to the couch and sat down with her legs crossed.


    "So?? What''s that got to do with this??" She asked arrogantly.


    "��" Anand did not bother anymore. Anyways he was never going to be able to be hard on her and he knew how stubborn she was. So he did not want to waste his energy on something that anyways will not change the outcome.


    "Why did call the meeting??" Anand asked instead.


    "You will know when you see it. I will be chairing the meeting. You and Akash are too soft for this. You will let them off easily. Your hearts will end up bleeding for them with just a few pitiful expressions from them." She said sarcastically.


    Right then Akash walked in, "Hey�� don''t treat us like fluffy toys." He said annoyed.


    "You guys are my fluffy toys. Anyways villain role suits me better." She said in a matter of fact tone giving emphasis to ''my''.


    "��" Akash and Anand looked at her speechless. Fine, they could never really win against her.


    Anyways no one will be able to question her. Between the three of them, she is actually the most qualified to run the company anyways. She graduated from the most prestigious college with a master''s in business management when she was just 21 years old. And on top of it, she is actually the majority shareholder in the company. So naturally, no one will be able to question her authority.


    Anand had long asked her to come forward and take over. But Shreya had been too lazy and preoccupied with other stuff. So she let Anand deal with the company except for some occasional interference here and there. Her main work so far has only been to approve which projects to take up and which ones to reject. She did not meddle with day to day happenings of the company or show up for meetings.


    "And Akash, ask those employees to meet me at my office at 9 sharp." She said and strolled out.


    Looking at her back Akash murmured to himself, "Can I bring popcorn for the meeting??"


    But of course, Anand clearly heard him in the silent room.


    "You�� Be more serious, will you?? You guys have talent but no discipline." Anand scolded his son instantly.


    "I am serious. Look at her. She is way too excited. She is obviously going to screw someone. There will definitely be a huge drama to see. Of course, popcorn will make it so much more entertaining. And if you want to talk about discipline, don''t you think you should first talk to your precious daughter. At the very least I wear proper clothes." Akash said sassily proudly pointing at his own formal suit.


    Of course, Anand couldn''t refute anything his son was telling since it was absolute truth. But then how could he possibly reprimand Shreya!! One ''puppy dog'' look from her, his heart always becomes a puddle and Shreya knew of this weakness and made use of it appropriately to her advantage always. So he long before gave up the hope of disciplining her.


    "Do I have to inform the Board that Shreya will be chairing the meeting??" Akash asked.


    "No. Let them come. We will give them a surprise." Anand said and swiftly dismissed Akash.


    Shreya was sitting at her office leisurely on her rolling chair with her legs crossed and hoisted on the table. Her boots made a clinking sound every time she shook her legs. She was busy playing a game on her phone when she heard someone knock on her doors and come in excusing themselves.


    Akash informed the employees to go to a particular room at the set time. He did not tell them who they will be meeting. So they were frozen stunned at the entrance when they saw the person they had to report to was Shreya.


    None of the employees really have any good impression on Shreya. They always looked down on her. They did not even know what position she held in the company. They always thought she should be some low-level director- a position given to her so as to give some face to Anand, who is their CEO. But when they saw her occupying the room of the President, of course, they were stunned.


    There was even a metal engraved plucked at her desk that read ''The President- Miss. Shreya Srivastav".


    Everyone got instantly scared. They were not really informed of why they were all gathered here. There were about 5 people. But Shreya still sat there unbothered by them playing the game on her phone.


    They all gathered around her desk and stood there awkwardly. Shreya, at last, kept her mobile down and sat up straight of her chair when the phone bellowed ''Game over''. Even then she sat back very leisurely leaning back on the chair with her legs crossed and with her hands joined in front of her. The way she sat was very lazy but somehow looked extremely arrogant like an empress.


    "Names and positions." She commanded coldly.


    They all could feel the menace directly at them. Their backs stiffened unconsciously as they swiftly said their own names and the positions they held in the company.


    Then Shreya pointed at three out of the five, "You. You. You. You guys can go to the finance department and collect your cheques for this month and go. Your services are no longer needed for the company. You guys are fired." Her words were commanding and final.


    Everyone stood there frozen like a statue not being able to comprehend what was going on.


    "You guys can go work at S corp. seeing as you are getting paid from them already." Shreya''s voice coldly continued.


    As soon as they heard her, their faces instantly paled as cold sweat formed on their forehead. They realized that they were found out. When they saw the cold expression on Shreya''s face, their legs buckled. Just when they thought of begging for mercy Shreya talked once more.


    "Don''t bother begging. It won''t help. Just out now. I don''t even want to see your faces. And nobody knows about my position outside of this room. If you go gossiping about anything that happened here, forget about ever finding any job ever in your lives." She said sternly.


    The three of them couldn''t really do anything but walk out of the office with their heads hung low. Not that they did not want to beg but there was something in Shreya''s voice that compelled them to obediently follow her directives even when their minds screamed to stay behind and plead for mercy.


    And none of them dared to talk or complain about what happened. As it is, between Sri corp. and their clients, they almost constitute 75% of the business of the country. So they could already forget about getting any well-paid jobs. They did not want to ruin their chances of ever getting at the very least a normal job. They highly regretted their greed right about then.

 Chapter 24 - 23

    "You guys know why you two are still here??" Shreya asked at the remaining two.


    Both of them shook their heads diligently without daring to open their mouths.


    "You, miss- did not accept any benefit. And you, sir- your daughter had an accident and you needed cash ASAP." Shreya said pointing at them both respectively.


    Both hung their heads low with guilt. They both were actually loyal but they did not have any choice but to sell out information even when guilt ate them.


    "Explain," Shreya said pointing at the female.


    The female employee was on the verge of crying as she explained, "My daughter�� she studies with one of their director''s son. They both went out together for a while. He�� he had all kinds of stuff on her�� I just couldn''t�� I am so sorry�� I really tried to get them back. I just�� I am so very sorry." She said fighting back her tears.


    "Okay enough. Since the circ.u.mstances were extenuating, you guys get one chance. Next time regardless of the circ.u.mstance, you will be out. But more than that, when you face any problem like this before selling us out- first approach the company. We will solve it for you. That is the least the company can do for you for working your asses off here from day till night." Shreya said sternly.


    They both nodded their heads obediently signing in relief.


    In an hour'' the three people being sacked and the reason was published on all company forums. On top of it, it also briefly discussed the case of the other two employees with their names redacted. The news asked the employees to approach the company at such vulnerable circ.u.mstances instead of seeking help outside. And the company also promised to solve the problem to the best of their abilities.


    It may look empathetic on the surface but all in all, it was a clear warning as to what would happen if they ever betrayed the company.


    Thus the whole company was noisy the whole day with people gossiping and discussing. And it was the same in the conference room. Everybody sat down in there elegant suits as they discussed the situation and possible solutions while some others wondered why the meeting was not commencing yet seeing as Anand was already present and why he was not sitting on the head of the table.


    But Anand did not bother explaining. He just calmly sat on his chair without participating in the discussion while Akash sat opposite to him with a wide grin. His excitement could not be suppressed as he eagerly stared at the doors.


    Just as the clock ticked 10, the conference room door was opened by an elegant hand while Shreya walked in briskly on her knee-length boots and denim shorts while her head was still buried on her phone. Her stride was swift and arrogant. She did not bother greeting them. She went straight to the head of the table and sat down comfortably leaning backward with her legs crossed.


    The whole room just gapped at her quietly. Unconsciously all of them felt a chill run down their spine. In spite of the way she was dressed, the arrogance and the confident aura around her was very domineering. Subconsciously everyone was compelled to sit straight respectfully without even realizing they were doing it.


    She, at last, kept her phone down and looked up at the people.


    "Good morning, ladies and gentlemen." She greeted them politely.


    They all greeted her back respectfully.


    "Meeting should not take long. I will come straight to the point. Today I gathered you people here to show what happens when you betray the company. So getting on the business, you, you and you." She said pointing out three middle-aged men without bothering to call them out by their name.


    "You guys are fired. And don''t bother going job hunting after this. You won''t find any. I already made sure of it." She declared straightforwardly straight out if the bat stunning everyone in the meeting room.


    There was a whole minute of absolute silence as everyone tried to catch up to her words and comprehend them properly. When it finally hit them what she was saying, the three people were instantly angered. They couldn''t accept that a kid they saw grow up had the ability to suppress them.


    From her confident voice, it would seem that it was no threat from a kid but a promise from someone who had absolute power. But they still looked down at her because of her age. They were confident that Shreya did not have the power to even find evidence let alone do something like that.


    So they played dumb.


    "How dare you?? Do you know how long I have worked for the company?? How dare you a mere kid question our integrity?? You don''t even have the authority to do that??" one of them said.


    "The position you hold is a grace given by us out of respect for your father?? How dare you use it to slander us??"


    "It is a position given by us. Show some respect or else it won''t take long to take it away from you??"


    Only the accused spoke up. None of the other voiced any opinion. They wanted to. After all, they have worked together for years but then they saw that Anand was not saying anything. SO they shut their mouths and watched the drama.


    "Why are you all staying quiet? Are you guys really going to let her, a mere kid, do this to us??"


    "Do you guys believe in her nonsense??"


    They continued wailing shamelessly. Shreya just let them spout for a while. Then the three of them turned towards Anand and Akash.


    "Akash even you are not going to speak up for us???"


    "Anand are you just going to sit there and watch???"


    "Hey don''t look at me. I don''t even have the gut to question her let alone the authority to defy her." Akash declared straight away with a panicked expression waving his hands defensively.


    "Even I am out of it. You guys have any problem, ask her directly. I don''t want to be dragged down with you guys. She is already pissed at me for not eating on time. I don''t want to be on her bad side. I like my job very much." Anand said flaunting her authority shamelessly brown-nosing her. He was purposely taunting them for threating to sack her of her position. It was a clear declaration that nobody here had the power to take her position from her.


    Shreya couldn''t help but smile slightly at their shameless acting. Her cold face considerably softened. At the same time, it warmed her heart seeing their support for her.


    "��" Everyone else.


    When everyone else heard Anand''s reply, they were all left speechless. For them, Anand had given her the position of President just for a keepsake for his brother. They always thought he had absolute authority over the company. But looking at him now, they did not know whether he was just giving her a face or was it really true that Shreya can fire him.


    Whichever it was, the result will be the same if they even tried to go against her. So if they were scared to speak up before, now they became absolute statues. They did not even dare to move a muscle. As Anand said, they liked their jobs very much.

 Chapter 25 - 24

    Seeing that nobody was ready to speak up for them, they felt wronged and unfair. It even scared them slightly. But they had been selling information for a while now and they were not exposed so far. So they were confident they had covered their tracks and on top it when they saw that Shreya did not bother to defend herself, they thought she really did not have anything on them. So they became bold with their words.


    "So this is how you guys are going to treat us after we have given our lives for the company??? How shameless can you guys be???"


    "I am going to sue for slander."


    "I am going to resign. I don''t have to work in a place where I am not valued and respected. Don''t come begging after me later when the company faces a dire problem because of this brat."


    Shreya has had enough of their bullshit at last.


    "Don''t worry Mr. Bhathra. Nobody will ever come begging for a traitor." Shreya said coldly.


    Then she simply signaled at Akash. In an instant, all evidence they had gathered against the three was displayed behind her on the projector. Evidence traced back as far back as 3 years ago. One slide after the other made shocking revelations. This continued for three whole minutes within which all the dirty deeds of the three was revealed for everyone to see. If this ever got out, let alone a job, they will all end up in jail for sure.


    Once it was done, "Is this explanation enough for you three??" Shreya asked coldly.


    All three developed cold sweat all over their body. They were completely soaked by the time the slide ended. At last, they were scared. At last, they realized, she might be 28 years but how did they forget?? She was after all Adithya''s daughter. They have long lost the hope of keeping their position. Now it was enough if they could live the rest of their lives in one piece. So none of them had the guts to even beg anymore, let alone defend themselves.


    "Pay proper damages to the company and scram. What happened here today should absolutely stay just within this room. For the time being keep sending info out. If I even hear that so much as you guys breathing in the wrong direction, forget about walking around as free men. It is already mercy from my part I am not handing you to the authorities. It is a grace I am giving you because of my dad and the relationship you had with him. Now get out of my sight." Shreya said coldly.


    The three scrambled out of their places frantically and obediently exited the room.


    When the doors closed behind them, there was pin-drop silence. Nobody even dared to breathe loudly anymore. At last, they understood what Akash meant by not having the guts to question her.


    How can the lion give birth to a p.u.s.s.y??? How did they forget who her father was?? They felt ashamed for underestimating her so ridiculously for so long just because of the way she dressed. Now even if it is not physical, they could all feel a tight slap on their faces.


    "Mr. Sen and Mr. Srinivas." She pointed at two people.


    Their backs immediately stiffened. They were about to be drenched in cold sweat out of nervousness.


    "I know S corp. recently approached you guys." Shreya said.


    "I did not agree I swear." Both said in the chorus panicked.


    Shreya let out a soft chuckle and then said, "I know. Don''t worry. They will probably come to you again in a while. The next big projects of the company come directly under you guys. Only you guys will be able to provide them with the info they need."


    "I will never agree with them even if they tried to kill me." Mr. Sen solemnly swore while Srinivas nodded vehemently in agreement.


    Shreya was highly amused by them but then said, "No, you should agree. Agree with them and do deliver whatever they ask for. Next time they come, they won''t bribe but they will probably threaten you or your family. It''s a headache to watching over your shoulders all day long. So just agree and deliver. When you deliver just send me a copy first. I will make some changes to the data. Just make sure they do not know that you guys have been found out. I will deal with the rest on my end."


    Even though they could not see what she was planning, none of them dared to question her decision either. Maybe one day they will grow the guts, but today was definitely not that day.


    "Okay, meeting dismissed." She said at last and walked out just the way she came. Only this time Anand and Akash followed them high on their toe.


    Everyone in the conference room, at last, breathed at ease.


    Shreya sat down on the couch unceremoniously with her leg rested on the small table in the front. Akash swatted her legs down and sat down beside her. And Anand sat opposite to them. Of course, Shreya stubbornly kept it back up.


    "What are you planning to do with S corp.??" He asked without bothering with her inappropriate sitting posture.


    "Well, anyways the information is leaked. So for now, put a pause on those projects. In the meantime just collect the compensation money from those three. I will deal with the rest." Shreya said nonchalantly looking at her mobile.


    "Okay. If that''s the case I will go make the necessary arrangements accordingly." Anand said and left the room.


    But Akash did not leave. He was staring at her.


    "Why are you still here??" Shreya asked irritated.


    "What are you planning?????" Akash asked with a suspicious frown.


    "It''s a secret," Shreya said shrugging her shoulders.


    "S corp. will know they got caught. How will we counter it??" Akash asked again.


    "We don''t have to. For now, box the news of the board members leaving. Don''t process the papers just yet. I don''t want them finding it out already. At least not until they approach and extort from Mr. Sen and Mr. Srinivas. Anyways we published the employees being fired. So they will be lethargic that we only found out about the small fishes and be bolder with Mr. Sen and Mr. Srinivas. So there won''t be many problems on that side. After that, all we have to do is pretend to be defeated. When we stop all those projects, they will think we got scared and without any choice, we dropped those projects. They will gloat and celebrate victory and of course, make some mistake. We will just take advantage of it. Now get out. You are giving me a headache."


    Akash looked at her helplessly. He put his arms around her and brought her closer. He leaned in and kissed her crown and said in a concerned voice, "You go home now. I will do follow-ups. You have done enough."


    Others might have not noticed but he could clearly see the concealed dark circles. She did work her ass off last night once Charan slept off.


    She coordinated with Rajesh and Pritham and collected all the evidence and then had to call in a lot of people to ban them. She did not really sleep worth a damn shit yesterday.


    For once Shreya listened to him and followed after him.


    "I am going to go get some sleep then." She said and ran past him.

 Chapter 26 - 25

    Shreya woke up only in the afternoon. When she saw the time, she quickly called Charan.


    "Hey��" Charan greeted her.


    "Hey�� I don''t have work today. Can I go pick Akira up from school today??" Shreya asked.


    "No problem. I will send you the address." Charan said. Normally either his mother picks her up or she straight up goes to daycare herself. Today his mother was actually busy. SO she will be going to daycare. So it shouldn''t be a problem.


    "I will take her to my place. You come there once you''re done. We will have dinner together. Okay bye." Shreya said and hung up quickly as if she was afraid he would refuse. Charan just chuckles and sent her the address and informed the daycare.


    Right on time, the school bell resonated through the walls as Shreya stood right in front of the gates. She had her usual denim jeans and sweets on while her face had a bright glittering smile. Children started coming out in piles when suddenly Akira''s eyes landed on a familiar figure. She rubbed her eyes several times to make sure she was not hallucinating.


    When the figure did not disappear from her sights, her face instantly brightened. "Shreyaaaaa," She shouted and galloped through the crown in record speed and hugged her legs tightly.


    Akira hated going to daycare. It was boring and she felt extremely out of place. But she knew her dad had to work and that he can''t bother granny every day. So she never said anything to anyone and obediently went to daycare. That is why she was so much more thrilled to see Shreya here. Shreya being here meant she did not have to suffer through one more evening in daycare.


    Shreya instantly hoisted Akira into her arms and hugged her closer. For Shreya, Akira was nothing short of a bundle of joy. Healing from all the ruthless actions she has to take in the outside world.


    "Baby, I missed you soooooo so much you know. Your dad is so cruel to send you away for TWO full days. My eyes were going rotten without seeing you." Shreya said dramatically. She may be over exaggerating but she really did miss her dearly in these two days.


    Akira''s heart instantly warmed up. She let out a playful giggle and then planted a wet sloppy kiss on Shreya''s cheeks and said, "I missed you too."


    When she felt the kiss and heard her words, Shreya melted into a puddle. How she wished she could just kidnap her and raise her in some secluded spot away from the whole world.


    "Akira, baby. If you''re going to keep acting soo cute, I am going to want to kidnap and raise you myself." Shreya said in a desperate voice.


    "��" Charan who stood a few feet behind Shreya was left speechless. Since he did not have much work in the office, he took permission to especially join them. But when he came, he was greeted by this. When he looked at his own daughter''s face, his jaws dropped.


    Akira seemed to be saying ''take me away�� we will live happily ever after.''


    "Oye, aren''t you guys forgetting a person," Charan said annoyed coming in front of them.


    "What are you doing here??"


    "Why did dada come here??"


    Both asked in unison.


    "��" Charan was left speechless once more. Why did he feel like a shameless third party disrupting their date???


    Once he recovered, "Thank god I came. Or else you two brats would have eloped leaving me behind in the altar." Charan said sarcastically.


    Shreya looked at him slightly embarrassed.


    "Dada, don''t overreact. If we are to elope of course we will make arrangements for you. We will safely leave you with Granddad and granny. Don''t worry." Akira said adding fuel to the fire.


    Charan''s face became ugly instantly. He was actually defeated by his own daughter. Why the hell was she so smart at countering him???


    Shreya couldn''t control her laughter anymore. She let out a burst of delighted laughter burying Akira closer to her.


    "Oh, god baby. You are simply too perfect." She cooed her encouraging her further to bully her father shamelessly.


    Charan reached out and pulled on both of their cheeks. He pinched them quite hard but he could not bring himself to be angry with them no matter how much they teased him.


    Half an hour later all three were huddled in front of the television watching cartoon while munching on their burgers.


    Of course, Shreya dozed off in the middle. After all her sleeping hours hadn''t been that great in the past week.


    Charan got up and cleared all the mess around first. Then he lifted her up and placed her properly on the couch while Akira went up and came down with a blanket. Akira personally tucked her in.


    "Hey, dada has to go back to the office. You are going to stay here or should I drop you at daycare??" Charan asked Akira in a low voice.


    "Here�� I will stay here." Akira hurriedly replied afraid she would be dragged out to that boring daycare even today.


    "Okay let her sleep for now. If anything happens, call me okay." He said and left home. The security system locked itself behind him without him having to do anything. Then just to be safe, he sent a quick text to Zack.


    ''Hey, this is Charan. Can you send someone over to Shreya''s place??? My daughter is there and Shreya is asleep.''


    A few seconds later a stern ''No problem'' came back as a reply.


    At last, Charan went to the office with ease.


    It may be the way Zack had held Akira in a protective manner when he first found her, Charan came to trust him unconsciously even if they had only met once. But the same trust was not exactly reciprocated by Zack. He had not mistreated him but he does not trust Charan fully either. It may be his overprotective attitude towards Shreya that''s blinding him.


    For now, things were a stalemate between them. Only with time things can change.


    Zack contemplated. Shreya''s security system was biometric. So he can''t exactly send anyone in seeing as Sherya''s asleep and Akira is way too small to be able to let anyone in. Moreover, he did not want to scare Akira. So he thought and sent a text out.


    "Didn''t you want to meet the little princess?? Go over to Sherya''s. Need a babysitter.''


    Shreya woke up blinking her eyes and the first thing she heard was two people talking from the living room.

 Chapter 27 - 26

    If you see from the outsider''s point of view, the scene was pretty comical but then to Pritham, it was a whole lot of awkward and embarrassing situation. He entered Shreya''s apartment in high energy to meet the little princess that Shreya kept gushing about nonstop. But he was stopped in the entrance by a little blob of flesh and unlimited cuteness with a stern face. She did not even reach his hip but she stood there glaring at him with both her hands on her h.i.p.s. Pritham squirmed as if he has been called to Principal''s office.


    "Who are you??" Akira asked with a very a.d.u.l.t-like expression on her small chubby face. She made sure her voice was not too loud so as not to disturb the sleeping Shreya.


    Pritham awkwardly cleared his throat and said, "Uhm�� ah�� I am Shreya''s friend."


    "How can I believe you??" Akira asked narrowing her eyes.


    "You can call Shreya and ask," Pritham replied slightly smiling.


    "She is sleeping," Akira replied. She even moved slightly towards the dining hall entrance where Shreya was currently sleeping. She looked protective. Her eyes were clearly warning him not to even think about waking her up or else he will be receiving hell.


    "Uh�� ah�� this��" Pritham awkwardly stood there. He did not have Charan''s number. Only Zack had his number and Zack was currently in a meeting. So he thought about how to resolve this without having his head on the line.


    After pondering for a while, at last, he thought of something. He quickly took out his phone and swiped through his gallery.


    Then he showed Akira a photo of himself and Shreya with a proud grin.


    "See�� I told you I am Shreya''s friend." He said gloating.


    Akira carefully scrutinized the pictures and shrugged her shoulders and said, "Okay fine. I will believe you. What do you want now?? You cannot disturb Shreya." Her voice told that the final statement was not debatable.


    "I am here to look after you until Shreya wakes up. Your dad called saying you are alone here. So." Pritham said beaming at her.


    "I do not need a nanny, but it is okay. I will not chase you out since you are Shreya''s friend. I am Akira." Akira said bossily and extended her hands and gave him a gentleman''s shake.


    Pritham literally felt as if he was the kid and she was the a.d.u.l.t between the two of them even though the reality was actually far from it but then again he also, at last, understood why Shreya kept gushing over Akira. She is actually a little Shreya as far as personality goes. Both of them were Bossy, Arrogant and of course extremely mature and smart making you squirm in front of them.


    "I am Pritham." He said shaking her small tiny hands kneeling in front of her.


    Once Akira made sure of his identity, she gave him a once over. She looked over him thoroughly head to toe. He actually was pleasing to eyes. Lean, tall and handsome. But what caught her eyes was the Super Mario t-shirt he was wearing. Between her dad and the daycare, she actually spent quite a lot of time alone and playing games was one of her pastimes right after reading books. So seeing his tee''s she decided to give him a chance.


    A half-an-hour in, Akira and Pritham were playing Super Mario in Shreya''s PS3. Pritham was, of course, a professional but even then Akira was very tough for her age. And of course, she was also hyper on a sugar rush. Pritham made the mistake of giving her chocolates. Who knew she will end up eating all of it in one go.


    "Hey, guys��" Shreya called out stumbling towards them in her half-awake state.


    Akira of course immediately discarded her joystick and sprinted towards Shreya. She dashed in such speed that Shreya almost toppled backward because of her dazed state.


    "Hey, baby. Sorry I slept." Shreya said and lifted Akira over her hip and held her in her arms.


    "It''s okay. You were tired." Akira said cutely in a very understanding voice that made Shreya''s eyes full of hearts. She also lifted her tiny hands and tucked Shreya''s bed hairs behind her ears.


    Right then Pritham coughed from behind them and made himself known. He had a feeling that if he didn''t he would be left behind like thin air.


    "What are you doing here??" Shreya asked, at last, taking her eyes away from Akira.


    "What do you think?? Charan asked to babysit since certain someone slept off conveniently leaving a little girl all alone in the house to fend for herself." Pritham said very sarcastically.


    Shreya could not defend herself, after all, she did say she would look after Akira but ended up sleeping but Akira, of course, gave Pritham a death glare.


    "You shouldn''t be saying that. Certain someone did not even know how to switch on the stove to warm me some milk." Akira stabbed him mercilessly. That again was one of the most embarrassing moment of his life where he was taught by a 9-year-old to the warm milk.


    Of course, Shreya''s expression also became awkward when she heard Akira. After all, even she did not know how to use a stove let alone warm milk. The only thing she actually knows in a kitchen was how to pop the bread into a toaster. She made a mental note to learn it from Charan before she was caught by Akira in a similarly embarrassing situation.


    "Akira�� I thought we were friends??" Pritham said shamelessly trying to curry favor her.


    But of course, Akira saw right through him.


    "You are my friend but Shreya is my BFF. So you don''t even stand a chance." Akira said in a matter of fact tone shutting up Pritham mercilessly.


    Akira then got down from Shreya and went to use the loo.


    Shreya''s lips spread into a gloating smile.


    Pritham saw it and got irritated.


    "Don''t gloat. Even you don''t know the k- of the kitchen." He said sarcastically.


    "But I did not get caught by a 9-year-old," Shreya said nonchalantly.


    Of course, she wouldn''t, after all, she actually grew up like a princess. She was the most favorite among everyone in the family. She had been treated like a queen no matter which relatives'' house she crashed at. So it did make more sense that she would not know how to cook.

 Chapter 28 - 27

    Charan quietly entered Shreya''s apartment. Even though he did not have much work in the afternoon, a client came in the evening. So he had to stay late. Of course, he did not have to ring the bell since Shreya had long before added his biometrics to her security system�� to be precise it happened just 7 days after they started going out.


    He did not even know how she trusted him so much in just a week to let him into to house unguarded but then she did not really give him a choice or ask his opinion on it.


    A small smile spread on his face as he saw the scene that greeted him.


    Shreya and Akira were huddled up on the couch with Akira comfortably lying down on her lap. Shreya was reading for her in her soft gentle voice. And of course, she was reading Harry Potter. That had been Akira''s favorite from the first time she laid eyes on the books. God knows how many times she had already read it.


    Shreya''s voice was so soft that in that quiet night listening to it almost felt like she is coaxing you to sleep. And Akira did end up sleeping like a baby. Shreya made sure that Akira is safely settled in bed, only then did she notice Charan standing around leaning against the door without making any noise.


    She went near him beaming, "When did you come??"


    "Just now," Charan said reaching out and caressing her head.


    "You had your dinner??" Shreya asked dragging him to the couch.


    "Why?? Are you going to cook if I hadn''t??" Charan asked teasing her.


    "You wish. There is some leftover pizza. Pritham came over so we ordered. Anyways my kitchen skills are limited only to toasting bread and spreading jam." Shreya said cuddling into him.


    Charan smiled and reached out and kept his arms around her shoulders and kept her close.


    "As expected of a spoiled princess," Charan said against her ears.


    Shreya pinched him on his torso making him wince but then he let out a chuckle. He leaned a planted a kiss over her temple with an adoring smile.


    Shreya suddenly thought of something and sat up.


    "Hey�� teach me some basics in the kitchen will you??" she asked completely surprising Charan. But when he looked at her, she seemed embarrassed and awkward.


    "Why are you asking all of a sudden??" Charan asked.


    Shreya, of course, told him all about the silly banter between Akira and Pritham.


    "SO you want to impress Akira??" Charan asked with his brows raised.


    "Well, of course, I cannot let my image fall down in front of her. I might not become proficient in cooking but at the very least I want to be able to warm her milk." Shreya said with a serious expression.


    "Then what about me??? Don''t you want to impress me and cook something for me??" Charan asked with anticipation.


    "Of course not. One- if you want something to eat, you can obviously make it yourself so there is no use of me learning to cook for you. And two- I have other ways to impress you." Shreya said in a sly tone.


    "Like what??" Charan asked confused.


    Shreya looked at him with mischief. She sat up on her knees on either side of his legs and straddled him.


    Charan looked at her amused. He arched his brows and looked up at her while his hands circled around her waist holding her in place. He was curious as to what she might actually do. She had a knack of catching him off guard.


    Shreya looked at him seductively with a sly smile. She kept her eyes on him and leaned over impossibly closer to him. There was just an inch gap between their lips. Charan''s eyes darted over her lips with anticipation. Just when he was about to close the gap between them, Shreya shifted and dug her teeth into his cheeks. Just like in her office, she bit him and left a mark of ownership.


    "Ouch��" Charan exclaimed in pain. See, as he said, she had a knack of catching him off guard.


    "Were you expecting something else??" Shreya asked and let out a giggle at his shocked face.


    Charan''s face softened seeing her like this. He had long before noticed she always had a sense of gloom whenever he would drop her off to her apartment. She always looked slightly depressed here for some reason.


    "You know I am not a food right?? Last time this happened, the mark stayed for two whole days. Everyone was looking at me weirdly." Charan said in dismay.


    "You should have just explained that your girlfriend likes to bite," Shreya said proudly shrugging her shoulders.


    Like hell, he would. That would be even more embarrassing. But then again everyone probably deduced as much already.


    Shreya ran her thumb over the mark gently. She did not even understand her own obsession. She was like a wild beast marking her territory. This possessiveness she felt for him was so new and so addictive.


    "This right here says you are mine." She said with burning eyes.


    Air stuck on his throat seeing her like this. It was not like there is a flock of girls chasing him. He was just an ordinary guy with a kid that made him extremely unpopular. At best he had a decent face that was all. So this whole thing did not make sense to him logically but still warmed his heart irrationally.


    "I know," Charan said and pecked her lip lightly.


    Shreya beamed instantly. She was happy that he did not question her crazy side. She had always been a rational person so far. That is why the fact that she had such an irrational side was baffling for herself on so many levels.


    "You seem to be in a good mood today��" Charan commented with a smile. He reached out with one of his hands and caressed on her hairs lightly.


    Shreya slid down and laid her face over his chest and nuzzled in.


    "Of course I am. You should have seen Akira. She was like a mother lion defending her cub. Pritham said that she was glaring at him just for thinking about waking me up." Shreya said proudly.


    "So you are on a sugar rush because a 9-year-old protected you from your friend''s teasing???" Charan asked dubiously.


    "So what??" Shreya asked fiercely.


    "Nothing. Just asking." Charan immediately retreated. He was pretty happy they get along well.


    Shreya sat down on his laps and comfortably leaned on his embrace.


    "This feels like home suddenly. You know whenever I come here from work all that greets me will be walls�� I am not complaining or anything since I chose to be this way. But it was still very cold. But now, some how this place actually feels warm." She said smiling to herself.


    Charan did not say anything, he just caressed her behind her head and gave her a kiss on her temple. He then shifted down the couch and laid comfortably with Shreya streached right beside him. His eyes drooped without his realizing. It had been a long day after all.

 Chapter 29 - 28

    When Charan opened his eyes the next morning, the first thing he noticed was the little blob of flesh wedged between Shreya and him and he was on the verge of falling off of the couch. Charan signed and lifted Akira and laid her on top of him.


    He then looked at Shreya still sleeping soundly. Unconsciously a smile formed on his lips.


    He liked it this morning.


    When he lost Samantha, he lost a part of himself. But he still had Akira. He was not alone. He had a family. They did not give him much opportunity for him to feel lonely or broken. So for most parts he had been perfectly fine except for occasions when he will remember and miss her and with time he got used to them.


    But then when Shreya barged into his life, he suddenly felt he had been missing something in his life. The sense of companionship�� The warmth of having someone beside you�� The care of someone waiting up for you to come home�� Having someone beside you when you wake up�� A person to share your life with��


    Only when he had Shreya beside him did he notice what he had been missing all along. That is why he could cherish her without reservations.


    He had already lost someone like this in his life, so he knew the importance of it more than anyone else. And he would not lose it over something as silly as holding himself back or second-guessing himself.


    Because he knew how to truly appreciate what he had with Shreya, he was also not so bothered about their differences. They were superficial for him because he knew what true loss is and what it felt like.


    When his thoughts wandered, Shreya subconsciously snuggled closer to him seeing as no small hands and legs were sticking out between them any longer.


    He looked up the clock�� he realized, they had slept in. He silently shook Akira awake. They have to go home, get ready and then go to school. It''s late.


    But when he shifted, Shreya woke up instead of Akira.


    "What happened??" Shreya mumbled in had half-awakened state rubbing her hands over her eyes.


    "We are late. We need to be going. I have to get her ready and then drop her off at school." He said once again shaking Akira.


    It is earlier than her usual time but since they have to first go over to his house, he had no choice but to wake her up.


    "Morning dada��" Akira mumbled and rubbed her eyes just like Shreya did a minute ago.


    Charan shifted Akira and sat up with her on his laps and Shreya was still lying down behind him.


    "Morning baby," Charan said helping Akira tuck her loose strands behind her ears.


    Once Akira came back to her senses, she looked around and found Shreya. She immediately abandoned her dad and snuggled with Shreya. And Shreya engulfed her into her arms gladly.


    She then looked up at Charan and said with a puppy dog eyes, "Don''t go, please�� If you guys go, I will be left all alone here." She said with a pitiful expression.


    "Even I don''t want to go," Akira mumbled still buried deep in Shreya''s arms but she just peaked her head out slightly so that only half her face with her begging eyes were visible to Charan.


    Both were critical hits for Charan.


    Charan helplessly looked at the duo. Those expressions should be made illegal.


    "Akira you have to go to school," Charan said slightly exasperated.


    Akira did not bother to reply; she just completely turned her back to him and snuggled into Shreya.


    Charan instantly looked at Shreya half accusing and half begging. He for one was no good at handling stubborn Akira. He almost always ends up giving in for her because she wouldn''t budge. But then she was always mature so she won''t be stubborn about smaller things or throw tantrums that often.


    She was always a little too obedient to his liking, actually. Charan would have liked it if she had thrown tantrums like this from the start rightful for her age. When she was obedient, it was almost as if she had become an a.d.u.l.t a little too soon and it broke his heart that she did not get to be a child.


    But it seemed like Shreya has brought back her childish side back. But even if he was happy, he has to be an a.d.u.l.t seeing as there were two kids here.


    Shreya, of course, caught up to what Charan meant. She wasn''t kidding when she said she did not want them to leave but then she did not want to be a bad influence either.


    "Uhm�� Ah��" Shreya started awkwardly.


    Then suddenly her face brightened, "How about I come with you guys??? I will just take 5 minutes to get ready. Then I will drive my car. That way we will reach your place faster." She said with a proud smile. After all, it was early morning and her rash driving skills were top notch.


    "That''s okay with me," Charan said and looked at Akira.


    At last, Akira slowly looked up and nodded. Shreya immediately handed over Akira to Charan and sprinted to her room. And like she said, exactly 5 minutes after she came out of her room in ripped jeans and some band t-shirt freshly showered.


    By then Akira and Charan also slightly refreshed washing their faces.


    Just 15 minutes later they were at Charan''s house. Shreya went to help Shreya get ready.


    "Shreya you go. I can get ready." Akira straightaway rejected her offer and shooed her away.


    So she came to the living room and found Charan in the kitchen.


    She went and sat on the island counter pouting.


    Charan looked at her peculiarly and asked, "What happened??"


    "She kicked me out," She said curving her lips upside down looking sad.


    Charan chuckled but did not reply. He busied himself with the work at hand. Since he was getting late, he made a very simple breakfast with bread toasts and eggs. Shreya keenly looked at his every move. Now at least she can say she knows how to switch on a stove.


    When he took out the bread, Shreya suddenly hopped down and said proudly, "I will toast the bread. I might not know how to do much else but I am an expert at toasting bread."


    She was beaming gloatingly. Charan let out a chuckle.


    "Toaster is over there. I will go get ready. And don''t burn my kitchen down." Charan teased her and left.


    Shreya made a silly face at his back but got to work.

 Chapter 30 - 29

    It was pretty late when Shreya came to the office. After all, she had to drop Akira at her school and then drop Charan off at his office before coming. When she strolled into her office, she found Akash sitting there waiting for her.


    These three months have been bliss. She had been practically living off of Charan. He fed her all sorts of food and his couch had been her bed. But she was still very happy with the way things were. And thankfully so Charan had not complained about her shamelessness yet.


    "Why are you here??" Shreya asked coming over sitting on her chairs.


    "One more project fell through," Akash said gravely.


    "Somebody is helping them. Okay just give me a month okay?? I will wrap it up." Shreya said.


    "How?? And on top of it, we have a meeting with the banker in a month. We have to show them something or else the banks going to be pissed." Akash said concerned.


    "What happened to the mall project??" Shreya asked.


    "Well, that one''s still safe since I am the only person handling it." He said.


    "You just keep on with it," Shreya said and dismissed him. She then focused her attention on the paperwork in front of her.


    Dealing with S corp. had dragged more than she had first imagined. Somehow the company had successfully convinced all the suppliers and clients not to work with her company. On top of it, they have not approached any people on her company as she originally thought they would.


    S corp. is practically run by thugs. So she was sure it would be easy to catch them on the act but somehow they had become smarter in just a couple of months. It was not logical. She knew someone is helping them from behind but she did not have the patience to go around and check on their backs. She would rather attack from the front line. She was doing just that but then it was going to take some time.


    She could easily change the minds of her clients either by force or otherwise but then approaching all of them was time-consuming and requires a lot of work. She being the lazy person was actually planning a sneak attack. It''s just going to take some time to reap the fruit. And she was a patient person. It''s just her banker is going to give her hell.


    By the time she was done with all her works, it was pretty late. She came over to Charan''s house without even realizing where she was going or the time. Only when she parked her car that she saw that it was well past midnight. She just sat there contemplating whether to turn back to her house or to shamelessly ring the bell and wake them up. She just leaned behind on her seat and closed her eyes. She just sat there without deciding on anything.


    Just then, the doors of the house opened. Charan walked out in his PJ''s with his hands tucked away on his pockets. Seeing that Shreya did not step out of the car yet, he went and opened her doors quietly.


    He saw Shreya resting on her seat with her headphones plugged in jarring into her ears. Charan leaned over and took out one of her headphones.


    Shreya startled and looked up.


    "Hey�� why did you not come in??" Charan asked rubbing his hands on top of her head. She looked extremely worn out.


    Shreya nuzzled into his hands happily, "I did not realize it was so late. So I was thinking of going back but I was too sleepy to drive��" she mumbled. She was brain-fried.


    "Come here," Charan said and lifted her off of her seat and carried her bridal style. Charan already noticed that she had been way too tried the past few weeks and she had been coming over less. Now he knew it was because she had to stay at the office late.


    He can''t really do anything about her work. All he could do was take care of her when she was done. So he took her in and sat her on the couch.


    "You had your dinner??" He asked her.


    "No�� But I don''t want to eat now. It''s too late. And I want to sleep." Shreya said lazily lying down on her couch.


    Charan let out a sigh. He then went to the kitchen and brought her a glass of milk.


    He sat on the couch in front of her and caressed her head.


    "Hey�� you don''t have to eat. Just drink this okay��" He said while helping her sit up.


    Shreya did not really have the energy to argue so she very obediently gulped the milk in one go and slouched back.


    Charan went to his bedroom and brought her pillow and a blanket. Not that he hadn''t offered her to use his bed but Shreya somehow convinced him with her stubborn attitude to let her sleep on the couch. He was still to decipher how she did that actually. All he knew was when she first started staying over, he would try to convince her to sleep on the bed but then it suddenly stopped and became a natural thing for her to sleep on the couch. And somehow she always looked very comfortable on the couch. So he let her be.


    When he placed the pillow behind her, Shreya suddenly opened her eyes. She shifted and tapped on the space beside her.


    Charan''s lips twitched as he laid beside her. Shreya immediately crawling on top of him lying down on his embrace and went back to sleep. She used his arms as her pillows and snuggled in.


    "I need to buy a bigger couch." He mumbled to himself. Even though he always indulged her, this couch was way too small for two people. He did not know how she always slept so comfortably in such a cramped space. It may be because of her small frame but he almost always ended up with a body pain whenever they slept like this. And of course, his legs dangled out of the couch touching the air around while hers always ended a few inches short of the armrest.


    Now that he looked at her, Shreya was actually pretty small with a very petite frame. He just never particularly noticed since she always walked around in those heeled boots.


    He brought her closer to himself went to sleep.

 Chapter 31 - 30

    "Hey Charan, what are you doing?? I am bored." Shreya whined barging into his study.


    She felt as if she would go crazy if she continued working her ass off. So she took a break and switched off her phones today and came home early. But sadly for her, Charan was busy. She tried being patient but she couldn''t take it anymore and decided to just come and ask.


    "I''m working Shreya��" he said without taking her eyes off of his work. He was drawing something using a big ruler on a whiteboard.


    Shreya peaked curiously but when she saw what he was drawing her eyes suddenly brightened.


    "Hey Charan, what do you do for a living???" Shreya asked slightly excited.


    Charan frowned and looked at her.


    "You did not know??" he asked her confused. After all, they had been going out for a couple of months already. And he always thought since she was such a big shot, she would have already dug in all the information she could on him and run a deep background check. At least that was what stereotype told him about rich people and he never had anyone rich around him to actually question the stereotype.


    "No�� it never came up. So obviously I wouldn''t know." Shreya replied.


    Charan looked at her shocked. For him, she was so trusting and open with him because she already knew everything about him. It never crossed his mind that she would trust him purely based on instincts.


    "Really??? You never ran a background check on me??" Charan asked surprised.


    "Why would I??" Shreya asked not really understanding where he was going with it.


    "Don''t all rich people do a background check before going out??" Charan asked once again.


    "I don''t know. You are the first one I am going out with. So I have no idea what are the norms for it." Shreya said giving him an innocent look. She always did her business with her brains and made relations with her heart. So she never really ran background on anyone for personal purposes. She always had gut instincts and she could easily weed out the fake smilers with just one glance. So she never needed it.


    "Anyway don''t change the topic. This is serious. What do you do for a living??" Shreya asked once again with a serious face.


    "I am an architect. Me and my friends�� we run a small firm." Charan said.


    Shreya''s face brightened considerably. She looked around on the table.


    "I am taking one of these��" She said reaching for his visiting card.


    "Okay�� but what are you planning??" Charan asked looking at her suspiciously.


    "You will know," Shreya said cryptically.


    "Can you do this some other time. I am bored." Shreya whined all over again.


    Charan, at last, gave in and close his work to accompany her. They sat down to watch a movie but of course, few minutes in Shreya fell asleep.


    Charan gently caressed the dark circles under her eyes. He then took her and laid her on his bed and went back to work.


    The next day, Shreya reached the office bright and early on a high spirit. She called Akash as soon as she reached the office.


    "Hey help me run a background on this firm," Shreya said handing him over Charan''s visiting card.


    Akash''s eyes blazed. She wouldn''t ask for a background check if Charan hadn''t given her a reason to. So his protective instinct kicked in. "What did he do??" He asked Shreya with a growl.


    "Whoa whoa. Slow down. I am not asking to run a background on Charan. I want the work profile and feedback of his firm. He did not do anything." Shreya instantly said trying to defuse him before he misunderstood something and went wayward.


    Akash frowned confused.


    "Why??" He asked.


    "You will know. Put a rush on it. It would be good if you can deliver it before lunch or max by afternoon. And also bring the files on the mall project to my desk" She said.


    That''s when Akash saw the name of the firm and the profession. Suddenly he understood what she was up to. So he went out to do what she asked of him.


    Akash was extremely efficient. He delivered everything she asked at lunch. As she went through the file, her excitement grew leaps and bounds.


    She immediately called Charan.


    "Hey�� what is it??" Charan''s mellow voice came through along with the rustling noise of some pens on the background.


    "Hey�� can you come to my office tomorrow at noon??" Shreya asked straightly cutting through the case.


    "Hmm�� let me check. I think I have a meeting tomorrow��" Charan said shuffling through his calendar.


    "Can you postpone it??? Please�� You will like it I promise." Shreya pleaded.


    Charan gave up. As if he could deny her. Who was he kidding?? SO he just promised he will be there and decided to push the meeting over to one of his friends.


    "Okay, I will see you tomorrow," Shreya said on high spirit gleefully.


    "You won''t come home??" Charan asked before she could hang up.


    "No, I have to work late," Shreya said and hung up before he could convince her otherwise.


    He did not know when it became a habit to wait up for her?? When it became a natural thing to see her on his couch first thing every morning?? Or when he stopped being able to sleep without her in his home??


    That is why he did not mind her coming over no matter how late it was. He was not trying to be generous but he was being selfish.


    And on top of it, she never eats without him around. She probably bosses everyone around in her office so that no one can really question her.


    He wanted to call her back but then he did not want to disturb her either. So he let her be just for tonight. Then he will have a proper talk and drag her home and feed her properly. Deciding thus, he went back to work.


    He then calls his friend slash business partner.


    Ajay came in knocking on his doors.


    "Hey asked for me??" he asked. They went to college together and they started the office together with his other friend Kabir about two years back. They were all thick as thieves and they were there for him when he was down. His previous boss also helped out a lot. He was like a second father of sorts for all of them. That was the whole reason why he went to that stupid reception that day on his behalf. But seeing as how things have turned out, he was actually very glad.


    Unlike Charan, who was tall and had a muscular build, Ajay was pretty short and lean. He was practically bones wearing a shirt.


    "Hey�� cover for me tomorrow. Attend my noon meeting. I already sent you relevant files." Charan said looking up at him.


    "Why??" Ajay asked.


    "I am not sure actually. Shreya suddenly wanted me to go over to her office. I thought she was extremely busy. But it seems not." Charan explained.


    "You�� You are pushing your work to me so that you can go on a date?? I won''t go." Ajay said irritated.


    "Really now?? You want me to call up your wife and tell her about your drunken escapade last week. And how you crashed at Kabir''s place and lied to her that you were on a business trip??" Charan asked. His wife was trying to make him quit but Ajay kept slipped every once in a while. But since it only occurred on very rare occasions, Charan and Kabir decided to cover for him.


    "You�� you are despicable. Threatening your friend�� I am not talking to you." He said pettily but then took the files before going out.


    Charan chuckled. He knew Ajay for a long time. He actually saw through his silly act. Whenever he went out with Shreya, his friends seemed happier than him for some reason. After all, they were beside him when he mourned Sam and it was not an easy sight to see. Even though Charan pulled through after a week, that one week was not easy. He seemed like he was in hell or something. That is why they were happy for him now. They were ecstatic he found someone all over again.


    Charan was grateful for them and cherished them too.

 Chapter 32 - 31

    Charan lazily strolled through Shreya''s office building a little before noon. He wore a formal shirt and pants. But then he had let out his shirt with the sleeves folded to his elbows while his top two buttons were left open. So he gave a very causal and lazy vibe.


    The staff there had long gotten used to seeing him. He went straight to the private elevator and kept his thumb impression and pressed the top floor. When he reached her office, she was surrounded by heaps of files as always.


    But then when he approached the desk, he saw that she was actually sleeping with her head rested on the desk. He also noticed she was still in her previous day''s clothes. He looked around the office. There was a blanket and pillow on the couch while a pizza box was rotting away in front of it on the small table. Charan deduced Shreya must have slept over the night here and that pizza was probably last night''s dinner.


    He went near to carry her to the couch but Shreya startled awake as soon as his hands landed on her shoulders. He instantly cursed himself under his breath. But still seeing that she was not completely awake, he lifted her and walked towards the couch.


    Shreya looked around dazed with her eyes half-opened. But then she felt like floating all of a sudden and then after a while she landed on plush leather.


    Charan carefully laid her down with her head placed on the pillow.


    "Go on�� get some more sleep." He said gently patting her back. But right then Pritham came barging into the office making a whole lot of noise dragging in some luggage. SO all his effort went into the drain as Shreya sat up completely awake.


    Charan looked behind him at Pritham and gave him a glare. They had not officially met yet but Charan knew who he was. Akira had a picture of him from when they both hung out and of course, he had to listen to her rant for straight half an hour as to how clumsy and idiotic he was outside of a video game. And right at that moment, he couldn''t agree more with his daughter.


    Pritham awkwardly apologized and exited the office but the damage was already done. Shreya was completely awake.


    "Hey��" she said looking up at Charan.


    "Sleep some more. You look like a panda." Charan said.


    But Shreya shook her head stubbornly. She then stood up went to the table and sat on her chairs.


    "Sorry�� did you wait long??" She asked letting out a big yawn.


    "No�� I just came in." Charan said and approached the desk.


    "I will just refresh and come okay��" She said and got up.


    Charan caught her arms and said in a serious tone, "Hey get some sleep okay?? We can talk afterward when you are free��"


    "No�� I need to talk to you about something. Just give me a minute." She said and walked away.


    Right after 2 minutes, she came back in with a tablet. She then handed over the tablet to Charan.


    Charan looked at it. There were pictures of a plot of land. Shreya then handed him a file that had dimensions and some other details of what he assumed to be of the land.


    Charan frowned at her confused.


    "Those are the specs of the mall project our company is currently working on. Sri corp. is the major investor in the project. And we are stuck with building design and interiors. So we need someone with your skill set." She said briefly without explaining anything. But Charan could understand the underlying implication.


    "Shreya�� I am grateful that you have considered me for this but I can''t possibly accept this��" Charan said looking at her baffled and slightly embarrassed. His firm was very small. They never really even dreamed of getting such a big project. And even if they got such a project in the future, he wants it to be because of his professional ability and not because of his personal relationship.


    Shreya saw right through him.


    "Charan, you think I am an idiot who is going to give away such a huge project just because you are my boyfriend??" Shreya asked him slightly baffled.


    Charan frowned taken aback by her question.


    "Then why??" he asked.


    "You know my company is having setbacks because of S corp. right?? It is going to take some time to solve. So in the meantime, I have proposed several projects to divert their attention while actually working on this one. It is a construction project of a mall c.u.m a multistory luxury apartment building right in the heart of the city. I cannot approach anybody just like that since there is a risk of information leak."


    "And on top of it, they have eyes and ears all over the city and inside my own company. For the time being, I need them to think they are winning. So I need someone I can absolutely trust and someone completely low key and inconspicuous. And you fit the bill to the T. You have no idea how happy I was when I got to know you were an architect."


    Charan blinked several times. This did not feel real to him. He just gaped at her. He did not know what to say or what to think.


    "Shreya�� even then�� this is just��" Charan started. This was just too huge. It was like seeing a baby who just took a few steps suddenly flying over the sky.


    Shreya then handed him another file. It had the whole of his career inked including his ex-bosses recommendation letter.


    Shreya continued, "I did thorough research on your work. I like your design. When I say mall and high-end apartments, everyone just ends up giving me gloss and glittery designs with blatant luxury. What I am looking for is something more creative and more comforting design. And I like your firm''s designs. I did not choose you in a whim. I am a businesswoman after all. The only thing I am worried about is whether you guys can take up the volume of work. I can probably provide you with some staffs but it won''t be much since there are only a handful of people I truly trust in here and none of them are architects."


    Charan still just stared at her without saying anything. He was only comprehending every second word she said. It would take some time to think it through.


    "Okay�� I won''t scare you anymore. Here is the draft contract with our proposal. You go discuss with your partners and give me an answer. But I am going to need an answer in two days. I am kinda in a rush." Shreya said at last.


    Charan exited the building still completely out of it.


    Right when Charan exited, Pritham let himself into the office.

 Chapter 33 - 32

    "What is it??" Shreya asked looking up at him.


    "I got the information you asked for. The evidence on S corp.''s dirty laundry. Threatening people was nothing new for them. So it was pretty easy. There were so many cases that I am actually surprised why they did not approach Mr. Srinivas and Mr. Sen this time. That apart, there are so many financial frauds that we don''t even have to lift a finger�� What do I do with these??" Pritham asked getting straight to the point.


    "Obviously make it public and forward a copy to the authorities anonymously. I want their shares prices crashing down. Do it overnight�� you know through the usual channels�� And if my guess is right, someone is helping them from behind. The person is probably straight as a bat. That is why everything illegal stopped. The person should be powerful to be able to influence so many of our clients without using physical violence. That is why it is critical we finish this as soon as possible." Shreya said.


    "Yes, boss. I will get on with it." Pritham said.


    "Hey, I''m going to go home. Can you come and wake me when you are done. I need to be here when the prices crash." Shreya said and went out. In her state, she did not dare drive. She called Hank one of her bodyguards to drive her home.


    "Hank, take me home," Shreya said and laid down on the seat. She is one of those people who did not know how to survive without sleep. She did not need excessive sleep but she really cannot survive much without a minimum couple of hours each day.


    Hank parked the car outside her apartment and sat there awkwardly. Shreya was in deep sleep and since he was there beside her for a long time, he knew what kinda hell will await him if he ever woke her up.


    Resigned, he got down from the car and hoisted her on his back giving her a piggyback ride. Thankfully she did not wake. Shreya was the most erratic person he had ever seen�� Sometimes she will sleep like pig�� She will not wake up even if a bomb blasted right beside her and then there were times when she will wake up to someone actually breathing a little too loudly.


    Anyways, all the long-time bodyguards knew everything about her and also her tendency to escape from their grasps. Following her is a tough job.


    Since he was being careful not to wake her up, he did not hear the camera shuttering from behind him. He carefully laid her on the couch and exited the house.


    On the other side of the city, Charan reached his office and sat there dazed.


    Ajay came in after attending the meeting and found him like that. He quickly called Kabir with him so as to tease him a bit.


    "Look at him all dazed after a lunch date," he exclaimed to Kabir and let out a giggle. The giggle, at last, brought Charan back to earth.


    "What are you guys doing here??" Charan asked frowning.


    "He called saying, at last, you have lost your nuts" Kabir straightway pushed Ajay under the bus while Ajay snickered.


    If it was a normal day, this bantering between the three would have gone on forever. Teasing each other was their favorite pass time. But Charan had things to discuss with these idiots. So he did not bother with what Kabir said but instead reached into his bags and directly stuffed the draft contract into Ajay while giving away the other details of the project to Kabir.


    "What is it??" Both of them asked in sync frowning.


    "Read," Charan said simply and let them read.


    Few minutes of silence passed by and then both of them looked at Charan with their eyes wide open. And then they looked at the papers once again. Then, once again looked at Charan with a shocked expression. The same cycle continued for a couple of times. Then they both looked at each other and then asked in chorus��


    "What the hell is this???"


    "Duh, it is obviously a job offer for the firm." He said in a matter of fact tone.


    "Well, I can see that�� but how did you get it??" Kabir asked at last calming down slightly. Ajay now knew why Charan looked so out of it when he came in. The contract had a little too many zeroes in it�� no that''s not right�� the contact had way too many zeroes in it.


    "Uh�� Ah�� I told you right I have a new girlfriend��" Charan voice trailed. He was not particularly hiding her identity�� he just did not want to scare them so he did not say her full name to them.


    "Yes�� Shreya something��" Ajay said giving him a suspicious look. After all, he went to see his girlfriend and came back with such an explosive deal, something felt fishy.


    "Ah�� em��. Her full name is Shreya�� Shreya Srivastav��" Charan said after biting on his tongue several times.


    Once it hit them what he was talking about, both reacted instantly.


    "What???" Both asked shocked all over again.


    "You mean�� the Shreya Srivastav???" Ajay asked with his eyes wide open.


    "Yup��" Charan said with a slight smile.


    It took them a while to come out of the shock. After all who did not know Shreya Srivastav. She was the Princess of the country. She was, after all, the richest person in the country. But because of personal issues, she disappeared from public eyes for years now right after her divorce. But even before that, she was always very low key for a couple of years before her parents died.


    She was brought into the spotlight all over again when her parents died and the same repeated itself when she got divorced from her husband Mr. Prasanna. So they could have never thought such a figure will cross paths into their lives in the form of their best friend''s girlfriend. That did not even seem within the realm of possibilities.


    "Wait�� that can''t be right�� I once saw your girlfriend when she dropped you off. She looked normal. She had a dirty jean and sweats on." Kabir suddenly said.


    "Oh�� that''s her office attire. She goes to the office like that." Charan said rolling his eyes. Well compared to attending a big shot''s wedding reception in shredded jeans, going to the office like that seemed less shocking for him but then it was not so for both of his friends. After all, they knew the stigma of dressing up professionally in a corporate environment. They end up treating you like an animal if you are not dressed properly even if you are very smart and talented. SO they just stared at Charan while their jaws dropped touching the floors.

 Chapter 34

    Shreya was excitedly telling the story of the book she just read while still sitting over his laps. Charan leaned back on the headboard of the bed and looked at her excited little face. He was not really listening to the story. He just let her sweet excited voice seep through his ears and relished in them. Her eyes gleamed every now and then whenever she will reach certain parts of the story that she particularly likes and enjoyed.


    Shreya suddenly stopped when she finally noticed Charan''s expression.


    "You�� You are not listening at all are you??" Shreya asked pointing at him accusatorily.


    "Of course I am. Why would you think I am not listening??" Charan played dumb with a sickeningly sweet smile.


    "Because�� you are having that dreamy looking eyes while looking at me." Shreya replied pointing at his eyes. Annoyed that she had been talking for half an hour straight only for them to go un-heard, she glared at him irritated.


    She looked like a small little kitten growling at him ready to pounce.


    "I was just lost in your beauty," Charan said cheekily earning himself a swat on his forehead.


    "Save the flattery. It won''t work on me," she said and pouted. Folding her arms she looked away from him.


    Damn those pouting lips!!


    She looked adorably enticing. Charan suddenly flopped her down the bed and hovered over her. Surprised from his sudden attack, Shreya looked at him with wide eyes while an incoherent yelp escaped her lips.


    As their eyes met, Shreya clearly felt the tension suppressed in them. Charan''s eyes darted over her face in one slow sweep while his hand gained a brain of its own and caressed her cheeks.


    "You know�� It was not flattery. You are absolutely beautiful Shreya." Charan whispered in a deep voice that was extremely sincere while his eyes bored into her''s peeling out even the smallest layer of barrier between them.


    Shreya couldn''t take her eyes off of his. His eyes were drowning her and there was nothing she could do about it.


    "And thanks for the job�� I won''t let you down." Charan whispered once again with the same sincerity and then leaned down and locked his lips with hers for a quick kiss.


    "You just have to do your best. And you are most welcome." Shreya said brightly smiling at him.


    Charan pulled away and sat beside her. He looked at his hands and spoke, "Why did you choose me? For a person of your means, you could have easily found someone better�� even from abroad to do this for you�� so why me?" he asked the one question that had plagued him from the moment he had left her office. Maybe, for her, choosing him was nothing short of a kid choosing his toy but for him, it was a huge leap that he had not even dreamt of. She lifted the whole of his career in a single whim. And he wanted to know why this had happened.


    "Don''t think this was in a whim Charan. Yes, if I hadn''t known you, this project might not have come to you�� I agree. But I really need you for this one. I can find anyone I want�� yes�� with how things. I really can''t just hand it over to anyone and I won''t be able to find someone I trust at this short while and I can''t afford to delay this one any further. In a way, it''s you who is helping me out here." Shreya said truthfully.


    Charan''s lips twitched on the corner. After all, there is no other feeling more blissful than being needed by the person you love.


    Charan leaned down and kissed her one more time and said, "I will do my best."


    "That is all I need from you. And I was thinking�� I know you will be busy these few months�� Will it be alright if I take care of Akira in the meanwhile?? I mean�� it''s just an idea��" She finished slightly hesitating to continue further.


    "I will ask her��" Charan said. He then properly laid down on the bed while Shreya snuggled closer to him.


    "Just let her stay here�� I will be able to fair well with everything else except for cooking. For cooking�� I will ask my maid to do it." Shreya rambled on about her grand plan to spend time with Akira. Charan felt left out all of a sudden.


    "Only Akira can sleepover??" Charan asked innocently interrupting her.


    Shreya blinked not understanding what he meant.


    "I can''t stay over??" Charan asked acting pitiful.


    "Won''t you be busy in office??" Shreya asked completely oblivious.


    "��" Charan did not know whether to laugh or cry. How can someone so smart be so clueless sometimes he did not know? And between his daughter and himself, somehow his daughter always won. He did not stand a chance.


    Shreya let out a giggle seeing his disappointed face. She pinched on his cheeks with a huge grin.


    Shifting to lie down over his chests, she spoke softly against his skin, "You can come and stay over whenever you want. That''s the whole point of adding your biometrics to my security system in the first place. You could come and go as you please. No one can question you."


    Her giving him a free rein into her home is almost like she is giving him free rein over herself and her life. And the fact that she was giving him that right humbled him and he wanted to cherish it with all his might.


    Somehow at that moment, he realized there was no going back for him. She had completely drowned him. She had him on his knees and she was it for him. He wanted a future with her�� a whole life with her. She had completely swept him off his feet with a few simple sincere gestures and he was caught completely off guard.


    "Hey�� what are you thinking?" Shreya asked bringing him out of his train of thoughts.


    "I was thinking that I will be one happy man if I could get a lifetime with you��" Charan confessed bluntly in his deep warm voice.


    Shreya was completely shocked by his confession but not in a bad way�� it''s just�� since she did not know his train of thoughts, it caught her off guard. But when she comprehended what he meant, her lips spread out reaching her ear.


    "I don''t know what brought this up�� but since you want it�� I will make it happen." She said confidently showing off her overbearing side.


    Charan let out a chuckle while warmth spread all over his heart making him dizzy with happiness. Her overbearing side was almost like she would strive hard to fulfill anything as long as it''s him who is asking for it.


    What a valiant knight in shining armor he has got for himself?


    At that thought, he laughed out loud.


    Shreya looked at him weirdly not knowing why he was laughing all of a sudden.


    "What happened??" She asked.


    "Nothing�� I was just thinking about something." He said vaguely brushing it off.


    Then he got up to freshen up.


    "You go to sleep�� I will have a quick shower and come." He said and got down from the bed.


    Shreya pouted for being left out of a joke.

 Chapter 34 - 33

    "So the question is whether we accept the offer or not?? She gave me two days to decide." Charan asked once both of them came down from their euphoric high.


    "It is huge�� like HUGE huge�� it is going to take a lot of long nights." Kabir said pointing out the difficulties.


    It was a huge leap for them but not so out of their abilities either. They had a couple of multi-story buildings designed previously. More than that, all of them had a decade of working experience before they started the job. All of them had experience dealing with big projects before. This time the scale was just a tad bit higher than the usual. But if they put their brains, they could do it. But then they had families now, so they can''t exactly pull a whole lot of all-nighters now.


    "We will manage. We will not get another opportunity like this. If we pull this through, it will be a huge leap for us." Ajay said. After all, who would shoo away the golden geese that had stumbled into their stable on its own???


    After a long discussion, the came to a conclusion and a plan as to how to go about it. When he left office it was pretty late. Charan had already asked Akira to stay over at his mum''s. He was actually on his way home but somehow his hands took him to Shreya''s apartment.


    His heart was complicated. His mind was wandering all over the place. Thoughts bombarded him�� Some positive some negative. But one thought itched to his mind like a leach�� and that was the need to see her. He felt as if he wouldn''t be able to sleep if he did not see her.


    So he strolled into her apartment silently. All lights were switched off. There was darkness all around. He kept his bag and walked towards her bedroom.


    To his surprise, Shreya was actually awake. She had a huge headphone on her while busily typing away on her laptop. But then again she did not have her lights on. The only light was the brightness of the screen of the laptop.


    Charan switched on the lights startling her.


    "Oh�� It''s you. You gave me a fright." Shreya exclaimed as soon as she composed herself and saw him clearly.


    Charan was still in his office clothes. He wore it the same way he came to meet her. It''s just he looked kinda tired now.


    "Come here," he said gesturing Shreya to come to him.


    Instead of getting down from the bed, Shreya walked over the bed. Shreya stood on the edge on top of the bed while Charan stood right in front of her on the floor.


    Charan gently reached out and held her tightly wrapping his arms around her in a death grip. His face buried into her stomach. Shreya stayed quiet and gently ran her hands through his hairs messing them up.


    "Tired??" She asked softly.


    He simply nodded his head against her. But somehow he was not satisfied so lifted her off of the bed and cradled her against him.


    Shreya yelped in surprise and hurriedly wrapped her arms and legs around him holding on to him.


    She could sense that something was wrong with him but could not really figure out what.


    "Hey�� are you alright?? What about Akira??" Shreya asked softly.


    Charan sat on the bed with Shreya held firmly on his laps. He pulled away and looked at her face.


    "Akira is with my mum. Sleepover..." Charan replied simply.


    "Oh��" Shreya said but the disappointment was not lost to Charan.


    Charan couldn''t take his eyes off of her. For him, she was like a bulldozer. Her trust in him and her feelings for both of him and his daughter�� they baffled him so much that it left him speechless. Why does she care about him and his daughter so much?? Why does she trust him so much?? God knows how many times he had asked himself these questions.


    Why?? Why him of all people?? It may be his insecurities speaking but then it was also an absolute fact that she could have anyone in the country�� and yet why on hell did she choose him of all people. He did not even know if he was happy or scared of this fact.


    "What are you thinking about??" Shreya asked softly seeing him make such a complicated expression.


    "I am thinking about you��" Charan answered honestly.


    "With such a complicated expression???" Shreya asked arching her brows.


    "I was just thinking about stuff��" he said dismissingly. He might have questions, but he had no courage to voice them yet. He was drowning in her deeper and deeper every passing day and he was terrified to disrupt it even if he did it unknowingly.


    It was not just Shreya; even Charan had this illogical fear of losing people from around him. It did not matter how he lost them; he had a hard time dealing with it. Maybe it is something common for people who have lost their loved ones in their lives.


    "I''m just scared��" Charan said so softly that it was barely audible. It''s because he realized right at that moment what it truly felt to have her beside him that he was terrified to imagine a life without her.


    Shreya was taken aback at first but then asked confused, "Scared of what???"


    "That this is all a dream and I am going to wake up alone in my bed any moment now and you have never barged into my life��" Charan confessed. He did not want to show him his vulnerable side but then a part of him also wanted to share it with her.


    Shreya did not know what was wrong but she leaned over and bit him on his cheeks as always. It was just a tad bit harder than usual.


    Charan hissed in pain and while his eyes burned at her.


    "See�� you are not dreaming��" She said cheekily bringing him out of his heavy mood.


    Charan let out a chuckle and embraced her tighter.


    "I missed you��" He mumbled softly.


    "We just met a couple of hours back��" Shreya said with a frown.


    "I still missed you��" He said once again stubbornly.


    "��" Shreya did not know why he was acting like a child all of a sudden, but she really did not have the heart to push him away either. So she just wrapped his head in her arms holding him close.


    Charan himself did not know what was happening. He had matured a lot after all he is a father but today�� the happier he was the more scared he felt.


    The innocent trust she had in him without any reservations, it scared him and excited him at the same time. SO it was as if he was in a blissful hell.

 Chapter 35

    Early morning, the sun was just over the horizon while Charan was in the office finalizing the contract agreement that he had received from Shreya. He was just making one last sweep to make sure he hadn''t overlooked anything when his phone pinged. He looked at it curiously when he saw that the message was from Akira.


    It was a picture. When he downloaded it he was served with the photo of Akira and a very nicely sleeping Shreya in the background. Charan let out a groan. Just as he was about to keep the phone, it pinged again.


    Akira: See�� I told you I will have my day ;)


    "��" Charan did not know what to say.


    Vengeance of his daughter was savage after all.


    He just shook his head and went on with his work.


    On the other hand, Shreya woke up when she heard a delighted giggle from beside her in a very childish voice. She opened her eyes and they landed on a brightly grinning face of Akira. The next second Shreya reached out and engulfed her into her arms and Akira very obediently co-operated with her.


    "Morning baby�� What were you laughing at just now?" Shreya mumbled squeezing Akira against herself.


    "Nothing. I just imagined dad drowning in jealousy��" Akira said nonchalantly.


    Shreya just blinked away. She did not really understand what was happening.


    "Nothing Shreya�� Don''t worry about it." Akira dismissed the matter.


    "Okay�� anyways the maid should be out making breakfast already. You go get ready�� I will also freshen up and come do your hair." Shreya said getting up from the bed. She then led Akira to the guest room where all her things were kept. Akira got her uniform from the luggage she had packed for herself but the rest were already in the room. Shreya as soon as she knew Akira will be staying with her for two whole months, she went on a shopping spree buying her everything and anything she could possibly need. From her favorite juice to her favorite cartoon character plush toy, she bought everything. She even went and brought her cute colorful cartoon PJ''s that''s enough to last a year. All Charan could do was give her an exasperated look.


    Once done with her quick shower, Shreya came down and found her main- Mrs. Rajalaskmi alas Raji. She was a plump middle-aged woman with a down to earth personality. She was like an elder sister she never had.


    "Raji, how was your grandson''s annual day function yesterday??" Shreya asked coming into the kitchen scaring the shit out of her.


    Raji took a few deep breaths first calming herself down.


    "Don''t scare me like that idiot. I am not so young anymore you know��" Raji said clutching her hands over her heart startled.


    "What did I do??" Shreya asked confused.


    "Anyways�� check your phone every once in a while, will you?? Your Mr. Little guys had already sent you all the photos of last night." Raji said sarcastically.


    Raji had been working for her since she moved into this apartment. Raji''s daughter and son-in-law, both are working. So she will bring her grandson with her whenever she had to look after him. SO invariably Shreya and he became buddies in no time.


    Raji is not working for her now per se�� she just comes over on weekend and nags her to clean. But since Akira is over, Shreya requested her to cook for the time being. After all, she can''t exactly ask Akira to survive on bread toast and take-outs.


    "Okay, I will check it out. Anyways�� feed me. I am starving." Shreya whined.


    Right then they heard a noise from behind as Akira walked down fully dressed up in her school uniform and a clumsy pigtail bobbing behind her head. She was crunching down uncomfortably carrying her school bag. Shreya reached out took her bag from Akira.


    Half an hour later, Shreya''s car came to a screeching stop outside of Akira''s school. Akira did not get down immediately. She sat there fidgeting with her hands nervously.


    "Here you go Akira. You have a nice day okay??" Shreya ruffled Akira''s head slightly and said.


    Akira nodded but then she suddenly hopped on her seat and quickly smooched on Shreya''s cheeks and tried to make a quick exit but then she clumsily stumbled to get her doors open.


    Shreya giggled while a blush crept over Akira''s cheeks. Shreya got down from her seat and walked around to Akira''s side. When she opened her doors, Shreya was met with very adorable little red cheeks.


    Akira refused to meet her eyes so Shreya crouched down to her level and looked at her face patiently. Shreya then leaned over and pecked her cheeks just the way Akira just did and whispered, "You have a nice day baby. I will come and pick you up in the evening okay?? Then I will take you for some ice creams."


    Akira instantly beamed with her rosy cheeks as she got down from the car and hopped past Shreya towards her school with her lips reaching her ears.


    Shreya entered Charan''s office with the same goofy grin. Akira brought her warmth in ways even Shreya herself could not comprehend. She saw that part of herself in her that she had long forgotten. A child who was forced to grow up a little too soon�� but when such a kid shows her childishness like today, it was heartwarming beyond any bounds or any reason because it meant that the child actually trusts you. And Shreya knew what trust meant from a child like that.


    That is why she was particularly very happy that morning. So much so that she felt as if her feet weren''t touching the floors. She hopped and danced to Charan''s office after parking her car.


    She stopped at the building reception to ask for the floor.

 Chapter 36

    As she walked through the office doors, Kabir and Ajay''s jaws dropped.


    She strutted through the office so arrogantly in her boots and denim. She had her head hung down doing something in her phone while a huge headphone adorned on top of her head. And her hair was pulled into a messy bun that was a little too messy for any formal setting with strands falling out of them all over her face. The highlight for her attire is most probably the skull pendent bobbing over her sleeveless t-shirt.


    Charan joined them from behind.


    "You are telling me she goes to her office like that??? Ajay asked to himself in disbelief.


    "No kidding. According to my information, she attended and chaired a Board meeting like that." Charan replied from behind him.


    Shreya reached them just then completely oblivious to the gossip. She beamed at them and chirped, "Hi��"


    Charan grinned softly and introduced his friends to her bringing both Kabir and Ajay from their dreamlands.


    Ten minutes later, they were all in Charan''s office. Silence ensued as Shreya carefully scrutinized the contract in front of her while all three sat all around like statues biting their nails nervously.


    She sat quite comfortably in the chair with her legs crossed. She was completely at ease and slightly arrogant even. Her expression and her whole being emitted the confident woman she was and it was almost impossible to look away from her.


    Charan, at last, knew why no one ever complained about her dressing. Shreya did not really need formal attire and stuck up formal pants to intimidate others. She carried the aura with her without needing anything else to add to it. You will just be drawn to obey her without even realizing it. While Ajay was still trying to comprehend how a little girl in shorts and t-shirt was able to make him sweet buckets in a matter of 10 minutes. After all, Shreya was at least 7 to 8 years younger than him by his estimate. The only calm person there was Kabir. More than calm, he was fascinated by Shreya so he was busy fangirling without having the time or space to actually overthink.


    Shreya was completely oblivious to the three people around her. After about half an hour, when she was done reading over every last detail, she signed the papers and at last looked up.


    "Why are you guys staring at me??" She asked dubiously.


    All three in sync cleared their throats and looked away finally realizing they have been staring at her this whole time.


    Seeing as she was not going to get any reply from them, she stood up and shook their hands individually saying, "I left a number in there; contact that number for any further queries. It''s nice doing business with you, gentlemen." Her voice was poised and emotionless completely different from what Charan was used to so far. It surprised him but it also made him feel giddy for being able to see a different side of her today.


    And once out of the office, her demeanor completely changed all over again. All traces of the cold businesswoman were gone in one split second.


    She suddenly stopped walking and stood right in front of Ajay with gleaming eyes and a mischievous grin. Ajay stood there perplexed without moving a muscle. He felt like he might piss his pants at any moment now. He did not dare to even look up at her face. He was so scared of her that he did not even notice the change of air around her. But Charan could clearly see the change of air around her�� he saw the happy-go-lucky girl he had always known.


    "Shreya, you are scaring him��" Charan said exasperated.


    Shreya was bewildered.


    "What did I do??? I was just going to make friends with them since they were your friends��" She said completely oblivious to her effect on the people around her.


    Kabir instantly seized the opportunity and pushed Ajay aside and shook her hands.


    "I will be your friend, Ms. Shrivastav." He said. His voice could barely cover up his enthusiasm. Kabir was actually the most rational person of the three but at that moment he did not know why he was so over his head. Maybe it was the way she was able to scare the shit out of someone like Ajay who was so tall and bulky with her small petite body and that too without really doing anything. It captivated him.


    Ajay, at last, noticed the change in her and hurried to make it up.


    "Me to�� me too." He said raising his hands high up as if he was answering a question in his classroom.


    "Okay, that makes me sound so old. You can just call me Shreya." She said completely amused with their reactions.


    Charan''s jaws dropped. He could, almost, imagine his friends waggling their tails for her.


    "You guys free now?? You want to join me for lunch??" Shreya said excitedly.


    Ajay and Kabir immediately scrambled all their pending work files and deposited them into Charan''s hands.


    "We are absolutely free. It''s just Charan cannot join since he has a lunch appointment." Ajay said shamelessly.


    Before Charan could even call out on their shameless lying asses, Shreya had already dragged both his dimwit friends out of his office and into her car.


    He took out his phone and sent Shreya a text.


    Charan: Hey�� aren''t you forgetting you have a boyfriend!!!???


    The text was followed by a lot of angry emoticons. There were so many of them that it actually looked childish rather than angry.


    Then he stomped to his office after picking up all the files needed for the meeting that his two idiot friends had shamelessly stuffed him with and went away with his girlfriend.


    Shreya: I do remember but you wouldn''t volunteer embarrassing information about yourself. So, for now, I am going to gossip and extract as much info as I can.


    Shreya replied with mischief dripping out of each word.


    He did not even know whether to laugh or cry at that moment. He could already see the colorful future he is going to have with her and he cannot wait to live it with her.


    He just chuckles and went back to work.

 Chapter 37

    Shreya walked into a family restaurant with Ajay and Kabir hot on her trails. They all ordered food to their preferences.


    As soon as the waiter walked out, Shreya looked at both of them with gleaming eyes and a big mischievous grin.


    Ajay and Kabir looked at her puzzled and slightly nervous as to what she might ask.


    "Okay, since we are friends, there shouldn''t be any secret between us right??" Shreya asked out of the blue completely catching them off guard.


    So they could become her friends just like that ah??? With the Shreya Srivastav that too?


    "I guess��" Ajay said uncertainly not knowing what she was getting at.


    "So can you tell me all the embarrassing stories of Charan???" Shreya asked. If her eyes were gleaming before, they were absolutely sparkling now.


    Kabir laughed out loud.


    "So this is what all your excitement was about?" He asked smugly amused.


    "What do we get in return?" Ajay asked without giving her the opportunity to reply.


    Half an hour later Shreya walked out of the restaurant with Charan''s childhood picture, loads of gossip and of course a big fat grin.


    "Hey don''t forget�� we get to ride your car for two weeks each starting this Monday��" Ajay reminded her.


    "Stingy�� I thought you said we were friends." Shreya said pouting at him.


    "Yes�� and friends should keep their promises to each other." Kabir said joining them.


    Shreya huffed childishly but then said, "Fine. I will have someone deliver it over."


    Ajay and Kabir entered their respective cabins with a wide grin while Shreya went in search of Charan. Charan was sitting behind the desk doing his job when she barged in without knocking. She beamed and extended a bag in front of him.


    "See�� I bought your food! Don''t you have the best girlfriend?" Shreya proclaimed shamelessly.


    "Yes yes�� The best girlfriend who forgot about his boyfriend completely and went to have fun with his friends," Charan complained in extreme irritation without even looking up at her. He was not trying to be petty but then he was extremely annoyed. She did not even greet him before she went off. That pissed him off. And of course, his fowl mood intensified after meeting the snobbish client that Ajay was supposed to meet with for lunch.


    Shreya blinked for a minute but nothing came out of her mouth. Between the two of them, she was the impulsive and petty person and Charan had always acted mature and understanding. So she was unfamiliar with this situation. She did not know how to convince him.


    She was not really ignoring him�� she was just a little too excited to know more about Charan that she completely disregarded him in the process somehow. And she knew his anger was justified�� it''s just she was completely blank as to how to defuse him.


    She timidly took a few steps towards him and stood beside him fidgeting with her hands. But Charan did not bother looking up at her.


    "Charan��" She called out meekly. With her head hung low, she looked like a battered puppy but sadly Charan did not look at her. He knew the minute he sees her, all his irritation will fly away like a kite without strings.


    "I''m sorry��" She said sadly when Charan did not bother replying to her even after quite some time passed.


    Charan could not take it anymore and look up at her. She was not acting cute or being sly. He could see the guilt and sincerity in her eyes. He shifted his chairs and pulled her to sit over his laps. He circled his hands around her waist and snuggled into her neck.


    "You know, Akira was already torturing me from morning�� She kept bombarding me with photos of you completely gloating. I was already very miserable because of it since I couldn''t be with you. And on top of it, you just walked away with my friends like that without even giving me a second glance��" Charan whined all his grievances.


    "What did Akira do??" Shreya asked.


    Charan reached out to his phone and showed her his chat history with his daughter. Akira had sent him at least a dozen photos of Shreya�� They were photos of her sleeping, eating, setting up the dining table and driving.


    Shreya''s jaws dropped. Then she remembered Akira telling about her making someone drown in jealousy. But not in a million years did she ever think that she would be doing it to her own dad.


    Well, that explains all the clicking sound she had been hearing from the morning.


    But seeing this just increased her guilty consciousness.


    "I''m sorry��" She said once again.


    "It''s okay��" Charan said still leaning over her.


    "And your daughter is little miss devil you know??" She chuckled and said looking at the photos.


    "That she is," Charan admitted without any protest.


    Shreya suddenly thought of something.


    "You know she gave me a list of places she wanted to go during her short vacation. Originally I thought it was cute and giddy happy but after I saw this, my guess is�� that is also done for your benefit. Brace yourself; your torture is just going to intensify," Shreya warning him.


    Charan made a long face. He could already see his next two months. He really regretted provoking the little devil. But after all, regret is a bitter pill. It was too late to make it right. So all he could do was silently swallow it.


    "I will let you get back to work," Shreya said trying to get up but Charan held her in place.


    "Just a few more minutes please." He said softly against her ears.


    "Okay, I won''t go. But at least have your lunch before it goes completely cold." Shreya said and dragged him to the couch.


    But instead of being dragged, Charan pulled on her hands and crushed her against him and engulfed her in a hug.


    "What happened??" Shreya asked bewildered.


    "Nothing happened. Just let me hold you for a minute. I don''t know when I will get the chance next. I am going to be extremely busy from now on." Charan said. Even though they will be staying in the same house, he knew it would be extremely difficult to spend time together in the next two months and he did not like it one bit. But then he wanted to prove to her that she did not make a wrong choice so he would work extra hard just for her.

 Chapter 38

    Akash knocked on Shreya''s doors. He got a call from her suddenly asking him to come to her office early on Sunday morning. The whole building was deserted. But as soon as he pushed the doors to her office, ear-splitting music boomed all around the walls. And Shreya was sleeping soundly on the couch.


    Akash let out a sigh and took the remote and first switched off the music. He was lost as to how she could actually sleep with such loud noise but then with Shreya, she couldn''t fall asleep without this chaotic noise. And the past month had been hectic for her. Between watching Akira and the company, she barely had a couple of hours of sleep a day.


    Only this weekend, Charan insisted on taking Akira to his mother''s place. So she got a break and he felt helpless when he found out that she spent that break in her office instead of going home. He went to the adjacent room and brought her a blanket and a pillow. He did not even know why she bothered to put up a room for herself in the office if she was just going to sleep on the couch.


    Just when Akash lifted her head to properly lay her head down on the pillow Shreya suddenly sat up straight bumping onto his head.


    "Ouch��" Akash said rubbing on his head with one hand while doing the same over Shreya''s head with his other hand.


    At last, some of the grogginess cleared away and Shreya focused on her surroundings.


    "Are you okay?" Akash asked as soon as Shreya looked up at him.


    "Yup�� Just give me a few; I will go refresh and come." Shreya said and wobbled away.


    After a few minutes, she came back and sat on the chair leisurely with her legs crossed. She had a sense of arrogance when she sat in that chair. It had always been like that. It''s after all her father''s chair.


    She passed Akash, a file and sat there leisurely with both her hands rested over the armrest.


    "What is it??" Akash asked flipping through the paper.


    "Share transfer papers�� You now have 60 % shareholding in S corp." Shreya said nonchalantly as if this was something normal for her. But it was not so for Akash. He was shell shocked and could not clearly comprehend what she just said. He just gaped at her for a while.


    But once he came back to his senses, "What???" Akash asked shocked and finally focused on the papers and skimmed through them.


    "How did you get them??" he asked looking up at her.


    He always thought their conflict with S corp was done and dusted when she found all the evidence of their financial frauds and handed them over to the authorities. It became a big scandal and almost most of the top management of the company was behind bars now. He was actually waiting for the news of the company becoming bankrupt at any moment now. But who knew Shreya had a bigger plan.


    "Of course with the compensation money I got from those two good-for-nothing directors we had," Shreya said nonchalantly.


    "But it won''t have been enough to buy 60% stakes!!" Akash asked frowning.


    "Well I destroyed it first didn''t I?? I actually have excess money from the compensation we got!" Shreya asked slyly but then grinned from ear to ear the next moment utterly proud of herself.


    Akash jaws dropped.


    "Let me get this straight�� you destroyed the company and made the share prices drop and then bought them??" Akash asked in disbelief.


    "Yes�� and anyways you have to follow up on the takeover hereafter. My work is done. Rest you handle it. You would have to probably crash their meeting tomorrow. The details are in the file. I am going to go home now." Shreya said casually as if she did not just take over one of the largest enterprises in the country without batting an eye.


    She then got up from the chair and walked out leaving a very confused Akash behind.


    Akash called his dad.


    "Dad, do you know what your dear daughter did??" he asked straight off the bat.


    "What are you blabbering so early on a Sunday morning???" Anand asked irritated.


    "She bought S corp," Akash said rolling his eyes. He knew his dad. He never got out of the bed until it''s at least noon on any given Sunday unless he had to come to the office or if Shreya was coming over.


    Anand sat up straight in the bed surprised but then he did not expect any less from Shreya. Then he thought of something.


    "I am not managing another company," Anand said dryly.


    That''s when it hit him. Shreya bought this company in his name which means he has to be the one managing it.


    "Shit shit shit��" Akash cursed.


    "What happened??" Anand asked.


    "She bought the shares in my name!" Akash replied to his dad.


    Anand blanked for a second before letting out a laugh. It was a known fact that Shreya was lazy. She is quick and crazy smart but when it came to daily routine monotonous works, she will be easily irritated and walk out. That is why Anand is responsible for the daily management of Sri corp even though Shreya is the one who approves which projects to take and which ones to drop. And S corp is almost as big as their own company which means Akash has to put up as many hours as Anand hereafter.


    Anand was incomplete mirth with just the thought of this. His son was after all known to goof around. He did not have any sense of responsibility. So he partied around a lot unless it was something Shreya ordered him to do.


    So he being in charge of a whole company should be very fun to watch and he knew for a fact that Akash did not have to guts to refuse Shreya.


    "Don''t be too happy!" Akash said irritated as he longingly said goodbye to his carefree goofing around days.


    "Well, I am just happy that there is still someone out there who could actually make a proper man out of you," Anand said with a huge smile and instantly cut the call.


    He got out of the bed and danced his way to his kitchen searching for his wife.


    "Bhagyaaa." He called out excited startling his wife.


    "What??? Why are you up so early and why are you howling and waking up the neighbors??" Bhagya asked seeing her husband.


    "If you know what happened, you will be the happiest. Shreya, at last, put a leash on your son??" He said without bothering to acknowledge his wife''s glare.


    "What happened??" Bhagya asked looking at her husband suspiciously.


    "She bought him a company! Hahaha." Anand said enthusiastically.


    "How does it account as Shreya putting a leash on our goofball son??" Bhagya asked confused.


    "You do not understand. She actually bought all the shares in Akash''s name. So he will obviously be the person fully in charge of the company. Which means regular working hours�� which means less time to party and more responsibility�� But the most amusing part is, she did it right under his nose and he did not even realize it until I pointed out." Anand said in high spirit.


    The bulb, at last, lit up on the top of Bhagya''s head. Her lips curved unconsciously.


    "Atta girl!!" She praised Shreya and went away to call her.


    Nobody is going to be happier than Anand and Bhagya to see their son be responsible. It is not that he was a bad kid�� it''s just Shreya shouldered the responsibility at a very young age that their own kids grew up spoiled by her. And it was about time Akash shouldered the responsibility with her as her elder brother.


    And Akash had undeterred admiration towards Shreya�� so much so that he would not refuse anything she ever said. But because of it, he never listens to anyone else either... he does not even listen to his own parents. So it was a two-edged sword since Shreya never demanded anything tedious out of him. But now that things have changed, they were literally on cloud nine.


    At times, Bhagya really feared what would happen to her family without Shreya in it�� that picture was really very terrifying to even imagine.

 Chapter 39

    Shreya walked out of her office and straight away called Charan.


    "Hey��" Charan answered distracted on the other end.


    "Where are you?" Shreya asked.


    "I just dropped Akira off at my parents'' place and entered office. You??" Charan asked unlocking his office doors.


    "Just got out of my office... Can I come over?" Shreya asked and a few minutes later she added, "I won''t disturb you, I promise."


    "It''s okay�� Come over." Charan said and hung up. He went to his work right away.


    In that empty office, every scratch of his pen echoed clearly through the walls. Such silence was disrupted by the hopping sound of a pair of shoes on the corridor. Shreya hopped all the way to his office and peeped through the door pushing it ever so slightly.


    Charan looked up and was met with a pair of eyes peeking. He let out a chuckle.


    He sat upon his chair leaning behind.


    "What are you doing??" Charan asked with an amused smile.


    Shreya walked to him and gave him a sheepish grin.


    "Come here," Charan called her closer.


    Shreya walked over. Even though her lips were smiling, he could clearly see the dark circled around her eyes.


    He sat her on the table in front of him and caressed her hair and cheeks. Shreya snuggled into his touch like a pampered kitten and Charan''s face softened considerably seeing her like this. They hadn''t been able to spend much time with each other in the past month. He had been so busy that he always reached her place well into the night. And by the time he got there, both Akira and Shreya were almost always asleep. And he woke up and left before they woke up.


    Only yesterday he got to spend some time with Akira since he had dinner with his family at his mum''s. That is why he did not refuse Shreya when she asked to come over even though he had a load of work waiting on him.


    "Why didn''t you go home and get some sleep??" He asked.


    "I thought I could get some sleep here and then have lunch together," Shreya said letting out a yawn.


    "Then you go get some sleep."


    Shreya just pouted and whined but did not get down from the table. She just extended both of her hands out asking to be carried.


    Charan rolled his eyes but still got out from his chair and carried her to the couch.


    "You are worse than Akira sometimes you know??" Charan asked as he tugged her in. He made sure she was comfortable and left a kiss on her temple. "Good night"


    Shreya fell asleep in a blink of an eye while Charan went back to his work. There was an innate serenity in the office. Shreya did not even stir the slightest. She slept through like a baby but Charan couldn''t help stealing glances at her from time to time. Once he was done with his work, he ordered some food and approached her.


    "Hey��" he said caressing over her head and said down in front of her.


    Shreya did not wake up. She mumbled and stirred. When he tried to wake her up again, Shreya shifted and laid on his laps.


    "5 minutes��" She mumbled showing his 5 fingers like a kid. Then she circled her arms around him. Charan chuckled and wrapped his arms around her. But they were interrupted by food delivery and Charan untangled himself and took the delivery.


    As soon as he opened the boxes, the room was filled with the aroma of food which instantly shook Shreya awake. She sat up as if someone was heating her butt and looked around.


    "Hey�� look who''s up??" Charan said looking up at Shreya while simultaneously unpacking the food.


    Shreya jumped from her spot and hopped towards the food.


    "Whoa whoa whoa�� Slow down. Go wash your mouth and hands first." Charan stopped her at her tracks.


    Shreya pouted but still obeyed him.


    "Now can I eat??" Shreya asked showing him her clean hands and open mouth.


    Half an hour passed and Shreya happily whirled around in the office and patted on her now full stomach. She looked very content.


    "Someone looks happy," Charan commented hugging her from behind.


    "Of course. I am going to take a full one week off!! I have worked way too much in the past month. So I am dumping my work to Akash this week and relax for a while." Shreya beamed.


    Charan glared at her.


    "Can''t you take the leave when I am free??" Charan sulked.


    "But you won''t be free for another month!! And Akira has three days'' leave next week. And she already put together a full list of things and places she wants to do and visit." Shreya said with a proud smile for making a perfect plan.


    "So you are telling me that you two are going to go have fun without me for three freaking days??" Charan asked in disbelief.


    "You won''t let us??" Shreya asked suddenly hesitant with her pleading eyes.


    Charan did not reply but instead, he reached out inside his pockets for his phone and showed her some photos.


    "You see that? That''s what I have to put up with on normal days. I can already imagine how horrible it is going to be when you guys go out��" Charan said rolling his eyes. He had been thoroughly tortured by his daughter in this past month she had been staying with Shreya. Akira kept sending him pictures making him absolutely miserable and maybe slightly jealous even.


    Shreya looked at the photos bewildered.


    "What did you do to provoke her to this extent??" Shreya asked in awe seeing at least a dozen pictures of her being sent to Charan every single day in the past month.


    "I just�� remember the last time she had to stay overnight with her cousin. Back then I sent her a picture of you and me spending time together. Now she is getting back at me." Charan confessed resigned.


    Shreya blinked at him several times to see if he was joking but when she saw his dead-serious expression she couldn''t help the laughter bubbling at the base of her throat seeing his dejected eyes.


    "Your daughter is an expert in revenge!" Shreya said in between laughter.


    Charan just rolled his eyes and he knew he could not deny it anyways.


    While still in a laughing fit, Shreya suddenly opened the camera app on his phone and captured a picture of them both. And before he could even see what she was doing, she sent them to Akira.


    Charan looked at her shocked.


    "Why on hell did you do that??" Charan asked baffled.


    "Just because��" Shreya said shrugging her shoulders.


    Charan just shook his head but prepared himself to receive his torture in the coming days. After all, he couldn''t bear to scold either one of them.

 Chapter 40

    Akash walked through S corp. with a string of people following behind him. He was here to crash a party and his excitement was very apparent. He could barely keep himself from grinning like an idiot. But he kept his face calm and as he is going to be their boss in the future, he even tried to keep his face stern even though he did not know if it worked. After all, all his friends and family always knew him as a goofball and lazy ass. So he wanted to be responsible and grow up maybe.


    Keeping all these in mind, he opened the doors of the conference room. Instantly 20 or so people''s necks turned towards him and while curious eyes followed his steps. He confidently strode in and sat on the head of the table. They all already knew they were getting a new head but no one knew who it was. That is why all their faces froze in an expression that was extremely funny.


    It took everything in Akash to not laugh out loud.


    "Good morning, people" Akash greeted everyone in the room bringing them out of their daze. But before anyone could react or respond, the conference room doors came crashing open loudly and a woman came stumbling in clumsily dropping a bunch of papers on the floor with a loud thud.


    She stood there shell shocked as everyone''s eyes in the room fell on her. She made an extremely awkward face and stood there without moving a muscle.


    Akash let out a sigh and said, "Madhu��" he started but he did not really know what he was supposed to say in this situation. She was his personal assistant and as everyone can see now, she was extremely clumsy.


    After a while of calming himself down, he gestured with his hands and said, "Bring me the papers."


    "Sorry, sir," Madhu said and handed him the relevant papers for the meeting.


    "It''s okay��" Akash said and let it go. It was always the same. She was after all good with her analytical skills. But when it came to moving around, she almost always ends up making a big mess like this. And more than anything else, she had the perfect puppy dog eyes that he could never escape. So he was bound to let it go every single time no matter how embarrassing the situation is for him.


    After two hours, Akash and Madhu stood in the elevator next to each other with Madhu having her head hung low.


    "Why are you keeping your head down??" Akash asked even though he knew the reason for her guilty expression.


    "I''m sorry, sir." She mumbled under her breath.


    Akash extended his hands and ruffled her hair. Madhu instantly knew he was not angry with her. A bright smile spread on her face while her sparkling eyes landed on Akash.


    "You were so great Akash. Their faces were priceless. I wish I could have maybe taken a photo secretly or something. It was so worth it." And thus started her nonstop talking. She went on and on gushing over what happened at S corp. until they actually reached their own office. Akash sometimes wondered if it was possible to die from asphyxiation just by talking nonstop. He did not know how she could talk so much without taking a breath.


    Her rambling, at last, stopped when she saw Shreya in Akash''s office. Her attention, at last, moved away from Akash and focused on her surroundings. That is when she realized they got out of S corp. She gave Akash a sheepish look while he rolled his eyes at her obliviousness.


    "Hey, Shreya�� I will go back to work now. Excuse me." Madhu said in a small voice and exited the office.


    Shreya gave both Akash and Madhu an amused look. She was sat there on his couch with her legs crossed and raising her brows at Akash.


    "Long story��" Akash dismissed without explaining.


    "Why are you here?? I thought you were going to take a week off??" Akash asked going to sit beside her.


    "I came to check up on you of course. How was it today?? Were they surprised? Shocked?" Shreya asked excitedly.


    "Did you not see Madhu now?? Seeing her face, you should know already that I completely rocked today??" Akash said lifting up his collars proudly.


    Shreya rolled her eyes but then reached for his head and ruffled them lightly encouragingly.


    "You do realize you are younger than me right??" Akash asked slightly swatting her hands. Even though he was faking sarcasm, he wasn''t fooling her. She could clearly see the spark on his eyes. Akash had immense respect for Shreya, so being recognized by her was everything to him.


    "Yea, by a few months," Shreya replied to his question pinching on his cheeks.


    Growing up, things were actually exactly the opposite of what it was now. Shreya always looked up to him. She had been that innocent and immature once. But then everything changed, and their roles got reversed. She matured so much overnight that Akash had no way of catching up no matter what. Even he did not completely understand how his protected little sis went from someone who depended on him to become someone he depended on and admired.


    Then Shreya thought of something��


    "Yea�� what with you and Madhu??" Shreya asked in a teasing voice.


    "What about us??" Akash asked confused.


    "Oh come on! You think I don''t know how impatient and stuck up you are with your employees. But she�� I heard you give her a lot of levies." Shreya asked.


    "I do not. She does her work to the T. She just doesn''t know how to walk without tripping." Akash explained defending himself.


    Shreya looked at him without trusting his words but she did not pry just yet. After all, she could see he was completely oblivious to his own actions let alone to the pair of eyes shooting arrows at him from the time she walked into his office.


    "Anyways, since you have everything under control I am going to go away now. I have nothing but time for the next full week and I am going to get loads and loads of sleep��" Shreya said and strolled away.


    "Hey, Shreya�� You don''t have to worry about things here. I have it under control. You take rest for as long as you want okay?? You earned it," Akash said giving her a bear hug.


    "I don''t know how not to worry��" Shreya mumbled under her breath but gave him a nod and walked away.


    "You don''t know how to take care of yourself either," Akash said under his breath and shook his head. It was not like he could force her not to worry so all he could do was share her burden as far as he possibly could. He went back to do his work.

 Chapter 41

    Charan closed the doors behind him as quietly as possible. But still, when the door clicked behind him, Shreya sat up with a start on the couch and looked around.


    "Hey��" Charan said taking off his shoes and softly unloading his bags on the table. He then approached her and sat beside her.


    By the time the couch dipped, Shreya was already swaying with her eyes closed. Charan never understood how she did this every single time. She always woke with the slightest of sound but as soon as she sees who is on the door, she goes right back to sleep the very next moment�� in the sitting position if he might add.


    Charan sighed and laid her back on the couch carefully. When he was about to get up to leave, surprisingly, Shreya reached out and held on to his arms. She narrowly cracked her eyes open and looked him.


    Charan sat back down and caressing her head.


    "Hey��" he said very softly.


    "Hey back��" She mumbled almost incoherently. She seemed extremely dazed and groggy. She was hardly keeping her eyes open.


    "Go back to sleep," Charan said patting on her back. But Shreya did not let him go. Instead of closing her eyes she put some efforts and kept them open.


    "What is it??" Charan asked.


    That''s when she gestured Charan to lie down beside her which he complied to instantly. Shreya shifted and settled herself comfortably with her head rested over his chests snuggling in like a happy kitten. Charan wrapped his arms around her and caressed her head comfortingly.


    "How was your day??" Shreya asked. She was still only half awake but even so her speech was coherent enough.


    "Very long��" Charan replied simply in exhaustion which was very apparent in his voice. Charan could not wait for this one month to pass so that things can go back to how it was.


    He was not complaining or anything. In fact, he liked the job�� especially this one more than anything he had ever worked on before. Shreya gave them a liberal budget and the freedom to be as creative as they wanted to be. SO he had more liberty than any work before and was able to push his own limits. It''s just�� it was so exhausting when he finally walks out of the office well past midnight every day.


    That''s when Shreya started talking about her plans for her outing with Akira over the weekend. Her soft voice in the silence room was like a lullaby. Two minutes in, Charan''s eyes dropped by themselves. Seeing this, Shreya shut up and went back to sleep with a smile.


    The next morning, Shreya woke up to rustling sound. When she opened her eyes, she was, of course, met with Charan making breakfast in her kitchen. Unconsciously a sweet little smile formed on her face as her eyes followed him fondly.


    She was reminded of her dad. This used to be such a common sight when she was growing up. Her dad used to cook for the whole family every single day. Rain or shine, if he was home, no matter how late he came back home, he always made her breakfast. He said it was his way of being her father. It was his way of giving her some normalcy away from all the glitz and glory around them.


    Lost in her thoughts, Shreya did not realize Charan''s eyes on her. Seeing that she was daydreaming with her eyes wide open, Charan came towards her and waved his hands right before her eyes.


    "Sorry�� I was just thinking about something." Shreya said sitting up.


    "Good morning," Charan said pecking on her temple.


    "Morning�� what time is it??" Shreya asked with a big yawn.


    "I don''t know�� 8.30 around. You need to go to the office??" Charan enquired.


    "Technically not. But I have a meeting. So have to go." Shreya said slouching on his shoulders.


    "Come on then. Get up. Even I need to be in the office soon." Charan said patting on her head.


    Shreya sluggishly got up from the couch but sat back the next second.


    "I don''t want to go." She said childishly.


    But before Charan could do anything, his phone rang. He looked at Shreya and gave her a look that clearly asked her to go get ready. Shreya pouted and turned her head away from him and laid back on the couch stubbornly.


    Charan sighed and went to attend his call. But thankfully when he came back, Shreya was no longer attached to the couch.


    "Shreya��" Charan called out searching for her but he did not get any response. So he went in search of her only to find her sleeping on her bed with her room wide open. Charan let out a puff of air and went inside. He reached his hands out and touched her arm to shook her awake but then suddenly he was forcefully pushed flat on the floor with iron hands clad around his neck while strands of soft hair caressed his face.


    Charan blinked in confusion not knowing what was happening. All he knew was one second he was trying to wake Shreya up and suddenly the next second he was being chocked in a death grip. A few seconds passed and the hands around his neck vanished as quickly as it appeared. Charan let out a series of cough trying to bring his breathing back under control.


    Shreya frantically patted on his back trying to soothe him while apologizing profusely, "I''m sorry�� sorry�� I just�� It was a reflex�� Sorry, Charan. It was not conscious."


    At last, Charan calmed down and looked up at Shreya.


    "It''s okay�� are you okay??" Charan asked looking up at her.


    Shreya signed and nodded. Half an hour later both of them left the house to their respective offices.


    Shreya scolded herself all the way to the office. She had very quick reflexes and acute sensitivity to touch while she slept, thanks to her ex. She had been getting better. More relaxed. But at times she still slipped up. That is the main reason she stopped having people around while she slept in the first place. This is also the reason why everyone around her was terrified of waking her up. Even if they did, it was always by calling her out loud.


    For a while there, she became so comfortable around Charan that she forgot all about it.


    That is why she chastised herself all the way to her office. She was so preoccupied with this that she did not even notice the people sitting in her office as she entered.

 Chapter 42

    Pritham and Rajesh looked at Shreya confused. Shreya was murmuring something for herself with her eyes stuck to the floors.


    "Shreya��" Pritham called out trying to get her attention.


    Finally, Shreya looked up and focused on her surroundings. She realized then only that she had actually reached her office.


    "Sorry�� I had something in my head. Anyways, what is up?? Why did you guys call me here??" Shreya asked sitting on her chair with her legs crossed as usual.


    Pritham extended some files towards Shreya. Shreya took the files with a questioning look.


    "Surveillance photos and background on the chairperson of S corp. You asked us to put a tail on him a while back remember?? I just got something." Rajesh explained.


    Shreya opened the folders and looked at all the information intently. Pritham kept shaking his legs out of habit making an annoying noise in that quiet room as his shoe''s heels kept tapping on the floor. But Shreya did not bother looking up from the files in front of her. When she concentrated on something nothing entered her senses but on the other hand, Rajesh frowned irritated at Pritham but still did not say anything after all he did not know any of them for that long even though somehow they seem to like him and slightly trust him even.


    After finishing going over all the files, Shreya, at last, looked up at them. She could say that Priitham was dying to say something. All it took is a look from her and words stumbled out of his mouth as he explained in detail how he obtained all this information spending all his precious sweat and blood.


    Shreya patiently listened without interrupting but midway Rajesh lost his patience and said, "Bottom line is the person who was helping S corp. is Malini, Abimanyu''s only daughter and when we tried to gather info on her we were met with a thick wall of resistance." Rajesh said concisely converting Pritham''s half an hour of ranting into two simple lines rolling his eyes.


    Pritham gave him a dirty look while Shreya let out a small laugh.


    "It''s okay. You don''t have to worry about Malini. I will take care of it." Shreya said vaguely.


    "Shreya don''t underestimate her. She is known to be extremely cold and ruthless. And we don''t know how she knew, but she seemed to be the one who originally suspected that there is a person above Anand uncle. So we need a plan to eliminate her or else all the plan will go into the gutter. What if Abimanyu finds out about you?? What if he comes after you as he came after your parents??" Pritham said anxiously. He was so preoccupied that he did not even realize he was talking everything in front of Rajesh.


    Shreya gave him a glare with an exasperated sigh. She might have agreed to work with Rajesh but she still has a long way to go if she has to come to trust him. That is why she only told him information regarding S corp but not anything pertaining to her own parents or anything else. But because of this blabbermouth, that shit went down the gutter.


    "I said I will take care of it Pritham," Shreya said dismissingly raising her voice pissed. She can''t really blame Pritham after all she was the one who babied him from the start. But sometimes he was way too oblivious for his own good. But thankfully Rajesh was different. He could see he did not belong in the conversation and stealthily diverted the topic.


    "What do you need me to do now??" Rajesh asked Shreya.


    "Just keep an eye on the Chairman. I do not want any backlashes from his end. He will be dying to retaliate. After all, we just like that took over a company he built for all his life. Anyways you can go now." Shreya dismissed him and then she looked at Pritham and glared.


    Obviously, Pritham did not understand why he was being shot with arrows all of a sudden. After all, he was in high spirits for finding out about Malini. It had not been easy to find that she was the one helping S corp so long. She had been extremely cautious not to expose herself. So he was really looking forward to being praised but when he was met with her glare, he was in a complete loss.


    "You and your mouth Pritham, seriously??" Shreya said shaking her head.


    "What did I do??" Pritham asked and blinked.


    Shreya gestured him to come near her but Pritham being the scaredy-cat he was instead backed away from her.


    "It''s okay, you tell me from there itself." He hurriedly said getting ready to make a run for the doors.


    Shreya just gave him a look and gestured once again to come near her. Pritham gulped but went near her anyways cautiously. Shreya smacked him lightly on the back of his head and lectured, "Idiot, don''t you know what to say and not to say in front of outsiders?"


    That''s when he recalled what he had said in front of Rajesh just then.


    "Oh�� Sorry. I did not realize." Pritham said giving her a sheepish look.


    Shreya just rolled her eyes.


    "But it is also your fault," Pritham said self-righteously pointing a finger at Shreya.


    "How is that??" Shreya asked arching her brows.


    "Because you keep hitting me in my head so hard ALL the time that my brain is not working properly anymore," Pritham said childishly with an aggrieved face giving special emphasis to ''all''.


    "��" Shreya just gapped at his shamelessness. If someone outside heard him and saw that face, they are going to think that she was being physically abusive towards him.


    Shreya just shook her head and gestured him to get lost.


    Pritham did not need to be said twice. He made a beeline to the doors in a hurry and of course, crashed into Akash head-on.


    "WTH," Akash exclaimed rubbing the head where they just bumped. But Pritham did not stop.


    "What''s wrong with him?" Akash asked puzzled.


    "Don''t mind him. What did you want??" Shreya asked instead.


    Akash too gave her some files. It was the detailed plan of what S corp was planning for. If they had delayed taking over even a bit, they would have been completely screwed.


    Shreya glanced through it and then gave Akash the photos of Malini. Akash immediately understood what was happening.


    "Ah�� No wonder the plan was so detailed and ruthless." Akash commented.


    Shreya discussed some business with Akash for a while there and then both went their own ways.


    Shreya went home of course while Akash went to S corp. to do some follow-ups.

 Chapter 43

    Akash flipped through a file and absentmindedly pushed open the doors to his office. But his legs stopped on their tracks when his eyes fell on the scene in front of him.


    Madhu was crouched on the floor while a broken glass jar lay scattered all over the place in front of her. But the dramatic part was the deep gash on her palm and elbows. Blood flowed out of them as did tears from her eyes. She was biting on her lips quite hard so that no sound could escape them.


    Akash came back to his senses when he saw Madhu reach out with her uninjured hands to pick up the shattered pieces bare.


    "Madhu��" Akash exclaimed and approached her in a hurry.


    Madhu looked up startled. With everything in front of her, she did not really hear Akash enter the office. Her hands froze in place as soon as she heard his voice. She turned her face and looked up at him with her hands awkwardly hanging midair.


    When her eyes met with him, she could clearly see his anger which made her so nervous that she forgot to breathe.


    Akash hurriedly disposed of the files in the table and came to her. He pulled her to her feet carefully holding her arms and dragged her to the couch. He sat her down and went to the cabinet to get the first aid box. While walking towards the couch, he took his phones and called the cleaning crew. His actions were swift and to point. After all, if the glasses actually stayed in there longer, he was afraid she will get hurt all over again. And given Madhu''s track record, it wouldn''t be a surprise.


    Madhu just sat on the couch without making a single sound. Tears kept tumbling down her eyes silently. She had her heads hung down afraid to meet his eyes. At times like this, she really really hated her clumsiness. When she was drowning in self-deprecation, she felt Akash take her hands in his with care. He examined the cuts carefully. Thankfully they were not as deep as he originally thought. It was just the blood around the wound that gave a very scary image. If it had been deep he would have had to take her to the hospital to get them stiched.


    Once he was done inspecting, he first took the cotton to clean and disinfect. As soon as the cotton touched the wound a winced escaped her lips and she bit her lips harder. And of course, more tears kept coming down her eyes but she did not let any noise escape her mouth after that.


    Akash worked in her wounds as gently as he could and as quickly as humanly possible. But even then, by the time he was done bandaging her wounds, Madhu''s cheeks were red from tears while her teeth left a deep bruise on her lips.


    Faced with such a vulnerable face, Akash did not have the heart to scold her for her carelessness. He just let out a sigh and ruffled on her hair. He then said softly caressing on her swollen cheeks wiping away the tears, "Can you just be a little more careful? Please?"


    "Sorry��" Madhu whispered.


    Akash then got up to return the first aid box when Madhu got up right behind him volunteering to help.


    "I''ll keep it back��" She said trying to take back the box.


    Akash just gave her a look and gestured her to sit back.


    "Don''t even think about getting up from there until all this mess is cleaned up." He said sternly.


    Madhu immediately sat right back very obediently. She even kept her index fingers over her lips in order to add to the effect. Akash lips curved into an amused smile when his eyes landed on hers but he did not say anything else. He just went back to his desk and started with his work.


    In the silent room, the only sound was the cleaner sweeping the glasses off the floor. The person kept looking between Akash and Madhu not understanding what was up. After all, one was busy doing his work behind his desk while the other was sitting on the couch with fingers on her lips. Somehow this scene reminded the cleaning person of her kindergarten days when she will end up sitting just like this whenever she did some mischief and got scolded by her teacher. Anyways since she knew better than to voice her opinion in this situation, she just cleaned up and silently exited the office with a suppressed laugh.


    The doors closed behind her with a click and the room was left with pin-drop silence. Madhu got up from her seat silently and tried to sneak out but of course, Akash saw what she was up to. He did not stop her but instead said in a stern voice, "Be careful when you work. Do not let water spill on the wound just yet."


    "thank you, sir. I will be careful." Madhu said obediently and decisively left the office.


    Akash let out a laugh at her antics amused.


    Madhu, on the other hand, clutched her hands over her heart and sat there for 5 whole minutes trying to calm down her racing heart.


    She always lost her cool whenever she was around her boss. Her whole-being becomes absolutely stupid whenever she was near Akash. And each time she sincerely wished the floor to swallow her whole.


    She did her best to compose herself and went back to work.

 Chapter 45 - 44

    Charan came back home pretty late as usual. And as always he carefully closed the doors behind him. But when he entered to house, he was surprised to see Shreya still wide awake in front of the television. She was seeing a horror movie with a blanket dr.a.p.ed all around her. Only her face was visible and her eyes were focused solely on the screen. She was so engrossed that she did not hear the front door opening nor did she notice Charan coming and standing beside her.


    At last, when he sat beside her, she gasped in surprise and jumped. She was so shocked that she felt as if her heart had jumped out of her ribs. And you can''t blame her. She was seeing a scary film all alone with maximum volume and with her surrounding sound system, it was as scary as it can ever get.


    "Charan, you idiot. You almost gave me a heart attack��" Shreya exclaimed slapping him jovially on his shoulders. She then took deep breaths to calm herself down.


    Charan gave her a dubious look and asked, "What did I do??"


    "Why do you have to walk around like a cat!!" Shreya complained at last calming her racing heart. She then reached out for the remote and paused at the movie and switched on the lights. She was sitting in complete darkness until now to add to the effect of the movie.


    Both of them crunched their eyes due to the sudden flash of bright light.


    "Well, I thought you would be asleep. Who would have thought you will be busy talking to ghosts!!" Charan said rolling his eyes.


    "What happened to Akira?? Was she okay??" Shreya asked changing the subject. Akira was taken to her grandparents today. Her holidays start from tomorrow and by stick orders from her gran, she had to spend the first day with them. And the next three days, she gets to spend it with Shreya. And Akria was not given any options. So she agreed to it begrudgingly.


    "I don''t know really. But my dad did call after picking her up from school. So she should be okay��" Charan said. Then he leaned back and laid down on the makeshift bed she had formed with the pillows.


    Shreya just joined him and snuggled beside him. Charan ran his hands over her head gently.


    "Why are you still awake??" He asked after a while.


    "I took a long nap during the day. So I couldn''t sleep. And I thought I could spend some time with you. Have you eaten??" Shreya asked.


    Charan just shook his head and said, "I did not get time."


    Shreya contemplated. She then got up at last and the blanket fell off of her.


    "I will make you something!!" She said confidently and walked to the kitchen. Charan followed her hot on her trail curiously. She went in and opened almost all the drawers before actually finding a pan. Then she went in search of a spoon. Then out of one of the racks, she found an instant noodles packet and showed it to Charan proudly.


    "Are you sure you are not trying to poison me??" He asked cautiously. After all, who takes a frying pan to make noodles??


    Shreya just gave him an oblivious look not understanding what he meant.


    Charan just chuckled and gestured at the pan she was holding and said, "You need a pot, not a pan."


    Even after hearing him, Shreya was still clueless as to what he was saying. She just blinked at him.


    Charan could not help the smile that formed on his face. He just found her impossibly adorable sometimes. He went up to her and took the packet from her hands and placed it on the counter. He then lifted her and sat her down on the counter first before turning away from her.


    He first unbuttoned his cufflinks and folding his sleeves up to his elbows. Then he went and thoroughly washed his hands. Then he swiftly found a pot and showed it to Shreya.


    "See, this is a pot. And the one you took is a pan��" Charan explained simultaneously filling the pot with water.


    Shreya unconsciously nodded her head while her eyes kept following his every move eagerly. She was fascinated and captivated by him. And this was hardly the first time she felt like this. Somehow she always went into a trance whenever she saw him cook for some reason. She just found it extremely intriguing and attractive. Especially the way he had his shirt sleeves folding to his elbow�� it just took the whole picture up a notch for her. While she was busy gawking on him shamelessly, Charan had already done all the necessaries and put the stove on simmer for the noodle to cook.


    When he turned back, he couldn''t help but notice the change in her stare. He went near her wordlessly and stood in front of her. All the comfortable sweetness was dispersed and instead, the air was filled with heaviness.


    Shreya kept staring at him without batting her eyes.


    "Did I ever tell you I find you extremely attractive when I see you cook??" Shreya asked in a whisper with her eyes still trapped on his face.


    Charan''s lips curved wordless.


    Her hand found a brain of itself and inched towards his face. Her fingers, starting from his forehead, slightly caressed and slide down over his eyes slowly. Charan''s eyes fluttered shut against her fingers while his whole body leaned towards her touch subconsciously.


    Her touch was feather-light. So much so that Charan barely felt them but then even such a light touch had a considerable effect on him. For the lack of a better word, he felt her touch to be healing.


    His eyes never opened as her fingers left past his eyes and lingered on his cheeks. He had a slight stubble formed there that poked at her fingers. So she did not linger there longer and continued to his lips. His lips were spread into a very content smile at that moment that just brightened his whole face. Then her thumbs went and caressed on his dark circles.


    "You should eat and get some sleep��" She whispered and stopped her hands on their tracks abruptly.


    Charan opened his eyes at last and was met with a concerned pair of eyes. He did not say anything. He just leaned over and rested his head over her shoulders and nuzzled into her neck.


    They just stayed like that for a while. Shreya ran her hands over the back of his head comfortingly and whispered once again, "I''m sorry��"


    "For what??" Charan asked still resting over her shoulders.


    "Dinner��" Shreya said meekly.


    Charan, at last, pulled away and looked into her eyes. The guilt creeping in was very visible in her eyes. He caressed one of her cheeks with his hand and gave a lingering kiss on the other.


    "Don''t sweat it. I wouldn''t have eaten if not for you�� Now come on, have a few bites with me. Then we will go and get some sleep��" Charan said softly pulling on her hands.


    But Shreya did not budge. Instead, she held on to his hands and stopped him from moving away. She then looked right into his eyes and said in an extremely small voice, "Don''t spoil me so much Charan. Then I wouldn''t know how to live without you��"


    "All the better. Then I would know you wouldn''t run off leaving me behind." He said jovially and pulled her down from the counter. This time Shreya did not protest and quietly gave him company as he ate his dinner.


    But she was also determined to learn some of the household things that she might be needed to do if she had to share some of his burdens.


    It was not that she was na?ve or spoilt. She can be a brat but she had never been a spoilt brat. She knew to shoulder responsibilities and share the burden of people she loved and cared about. It was just that the things she could actually help with when it came to Charan are things she had never ever done in her life so far. Be it cleaning or going to grocery shopping or washing dishes. She always had people doing these for her from when she was young. So she was clueless when it came to domestic things like them. And she did not want to hire people for him look insincere or worse, look as if she was trying to flaunt her wealth. So short of doing it herself, she could not find any other solution.


    But she was confident she could learn them if she could put some effort and with that, a smile formed on her face at last.

 Chapter 46 - 45

    The whole place was bustling with people all around. They were surrounded by dads trying to hold hands of children running around while mothers were curry flavoring kids to take their food. On one corner a little girl was throwing tantrum into making her parents buy her the balloons. Akira stopped there and looked at them for an extended minute with envy on her eyes before moving on. As soon as she turned away from them, she was met with a huge bunch of balloons in front of her.


    Akira''s eyes instantly gleamed in excitement as she stumbled towards them. Once Akira was right in front of her, Shreya, at last, lifted her hands and revealed her face with a big goofy smile.


    "Who wants some balloons??" Shreya asked ginning.


    "Meeee��." An excited reply came from Akira immediately.


    "How many??" Shreya asked playing around with her.


    "All of them," Akira replied reaching for them with both her hands. There were at least 2 dozen balloons there. The strings did not even fit in her small hands. But with some effort, she successfully took all the balloons out of Shreya''s hands. But before going off the play with them, she gestured Shreya to hunch down. And when Shreya leaned down, Akira gave her a smacking kiss on her cheeks.


    "Thank you, Shreya��" Akira said sincerely before going off to play in the park now armed with the balloons. Akira gave away most of them to the kids around. She even gave some to the kid she was watching before. After which both of them went away and played together.


    The whole park was filled with laughter thereon. Some parents there even gave a smile to Shreya. Shreya took out her phone and clicked a string of pictures of Akira. Her face was glowing with so much happiness that it became contagious. Shreya was almost giddy with joy as she sent the pictures to Charan.


    They were at the zoo. Sadly Charan couldn''t make it. He had work. Hopefully, he could make it at least tomorrow. Shreya still couldn''t help but smile remembering how Akira asked her out.


    Akira had 4 days'' leave this week due to some issues at school. And she had made a detailed plan before hands. On the last day of school, once she came home, she took it excited to Shreya. Shreya was actually checking out some company stuff in her study when she heard soft tapping of her small legs. Akira carefully cracked open the door slightly and peeked in first. But she did not go in. She stood there hesitating seeing as Shreya was working.


    But Shreya had heard her come long before Akira even opened her study.


    "Akira��" Shreya called out to come inside. Akira took careful steps in and stood a few feet away from the table.


    "I will come back when you are don''t have work. Just look at this for me when you are not busy." She said meekly and placed a piece of paper on the table. Akira was almost to the doors already when Shreya got to actually see what was written on the paper.


    "Akira��" Shreya called out before she could run out completely.


    Akira stopped on her track and looked behind.


    "Come here for a second baby��" Shreya said gesturing Akira to come to her.


    Akira took small steps and at last, came to a standstill beside her chair. Shreya scooped her up and sat Akira on her laps.


    "What is this baby??" Shreya asked gently. There were names of a bunch of places written in the note Akira just delivered. That was all.


    "I just�� I have a few days of holiday. SO I just�� I just thought maybe we can go somewhere�� That is if you are free��" Her voice was so small when she finished that it was barely a whisper.


    "And these are places you want to go??" Shreya asked showing her the piece of paper.


    "No no�� We can go anywhere you want to go�� I just�� I just thought of some places��" Akira hurriedly explained but still failed to mask her wishes.


    Shreya understood her just fine without the words.


    "We can go to ALL of these places. Even I don''t have work till Monday." Shreya said ruffling her small head.


    "Really??" Akira asked instantly in disbelief. Her eyes showed all her insecurities and vulnerabilities. A little girl this small shouldn''t be making that kinda faces. A little girl should be able to demand all the plush toys in the world and throw tantrums to be taken to the park. They shouldn''t have to be mindful of office hours and hold back on what they want. But then Shreya couldn''t really do anything about it now.


    "Yes�� Really." Shreya said smiling at her.


    "Yes�� I going to go tell dad about this." She said excitedly giving Shreya a quick hug before hopping down from her laps.


    Shreya''s daydreaming was interrupted when she heard Akira call out for her to push her on the swing for which Shreya obliged readily.


    After an hour of playing around Akira, at last, got tired. They were now sitting in an eatery trying to catch a breath.


    Akira ordered a milkshake. When they were waiting for the orders to be served, Shreya took Akira''s small hands in hers and held on to it gently under Akira''s curious glance.


    "You missed your mom today, right??" Shreya asked gently.


    Akira''s eyes widened hearing to Shreya but she hung her head low the next second trying to hide her emotions.


    Shreya once again scooped her on her laps and softly spoke to Akira. "Baby, it''s okay to miss your mum. Just don''t be too sad when you do okay??"


    Akira did not say anything for a while but then said in a small voice, "I know. She always told me that whenever I miss her, I should give her a big smile. It''s just so hard. Sometimes I just want to see her so bad that I end up being sad��"


    Shreya embraced the little bundle onto her arms and gave her a hug. After all, what are words worth when you can''t make the pain go away.


    "She�� Before she�� I mean one of the last places we went together was the zoo. So�� I just��" Akira mumbled without really completing any of her sentences.


    "Where else did you guys go?? Did you have fun??" Shreya asked.


    And that was all Akira needed. She started talking about her mum with a joyous expression. She told Shreya about all their adventures and outings forgetting all the sadness.


    Something warmed Shreya''s heart when she heard Akira talk. She just kept smiling and listened to her clumsy words as she tried to recollect everything she ever remembered about her mum.

 Chapter 47 - 46

    Because of all the playing around, Akira fell asleep as soon as her head touched the bed. Just as Shreya was getting out of Akira''s room, she heard someone opening the front door. When she walked to the living room, she found Charan sitting taking off his tie with his head rested behind. Shreya came and sat beside him.


    "How was your day?" Shreya asked looking at his tired face.


    "Fine," Charan said looking at her with a smile. Then after a while, he leaned sideways and laid down resting his head over her laps. Charan snuggled in comfortably while Shreya just ran her hands through his hairs softly.


    There was something extremely just right about this picture. Shreya played with his hair with a slight smile. Her smile was content and happy.


    For a long time now, from the time she had lost her parents; this was all she ever wanted in her life. A sense of normalcy�� an ordinary day. But it had been hard to get.


    "What about you guys? Did you guys have fun?" Charan asked closing his eyes relishing in her soothing touch.


    That''s when Shreya came out of her head and told him all about her day with Akira. She described it with such vivid details that Charan could almost picture the both of them right in front of his eyes as if he was actually there watching them.


    Once she was done with all the fun parts, she paused. Shreya slightly hesitated before continuing, "She�� she missed Samantha today. She talked about her a lot." She said and looked at Charan for his reaction.


    Charan paused listening to her and his eyes flew open in surprise. He just looked at her slightly confused to make sure he heard her right.


    "What is it??" Shreya asked confused seeing the expression on his face.


    "You are telling me Akira talked about Samantha??" He asked surprised.


    "Yes�� why?" Shreya asked once again.


    "Nothing. It''s just�� for some reason, she wouldn''t talk about Samantha anymore. It was almost like she was trying to forget about her entirely all of a sudden. I never even noticed it. All I know was one second she couldn''t shut up about Sam and the next second, let alone talk about Sam, she will become extremely quiet when anyone else even mentioned Sam in front of her. SO even I slowly curtailed talking about Sam in front of her�� We always only mentioned her in some abstract form. I thought I could maybe talk to her when she was a little bit older and explain things better." Charan encountered. His emotions were complicated at that moment. He couldn''t understand why Akira would talk to Shreya but not him. But he was still happy that Akira had confined at least to Shreya.


    "She said she went to the zoo with Sam. But she did not remember all the details. Just vague things like how she rode on her shoulders once to see a lion or how they shared an ice cream. At first, she did not talk at all. But when I asked her about it, she opened up slowly." Shreya explained.


    "Yea�� When Sam first got diagnosed, she begged the doctors to let her have a week before she got admitted. And that one week, Sam spent every waking minute with Akira. She went crazy and took her to all the places she could possibly think of. It was almost like she was trying to imprint some happy memories of her for Akira''s sake." Charan replied remembering. But then he became absolutely silent contemplating on something.


    "You know�� it''s probably because you become sad every time you talk about Sam that Akira had stopped talking about her��" Shreya said breaking him away from his thoughts.


    Charan did not reply but then blinked at Shreya for a while when a sudden burst of memory came to him.


    "What is it??" Akira asked seeing as his brain was working overtime.


    "There was that one day�� I was not really in a very good place in my head that day. Akira came home excited about some project work she did at school. She drew the whole family with our old house on the background. I just lost it that day. I don''t even know what happened after that very clearly. I just remember waking up the next day with red eyes and Akira sleeping curled up beside me in my bed. She was hugging me so tightly as if she was afraid to lose me too." Charan said with a distant look on his eyes. Since Akira did not say anything about that day, he always thought everything was alright. Maybe he said something to her that he shouldn''t have.


    "Just talk to her. She is a big girl. She will understand." Shreya said. She was not just saying this. She knew for a fact that Akira is mature enough to understand if Charan talked to her properly.


    "I just�� she was so little back then you know. I just did not think she will remember is all." Charan said closing his eyes all over again.


    "She was probably desperately trying to protect you in her own way," Shreya said softly.


    "I just wish I hadn''t put her through anything worse right after she lost her mom," Charan whispered guiltily.


    "You don''t have to be guilty about it. She is your daughter and a family. I know you think she is too small that you have to protect her from everything. But trust me when I say this, she will be better if you actually let her help you. She loves you as much as you love her so she will want to do her part to help you. Let her do it for you Charan. She will feel better." Shreya said still running her hands over his hair.


    "She grew up a little too soon didn''t she??" Charan asked with a sad smile.


    "Inevitably so. It had nothing to do with how you raised her. The minute she lost her mom�� she had to grow up. Both of you never really had any choice. When you lose someone so integral to your life, it changes you." Shreya replied with a slightly sad smile.


    But Charan knew she was probably talking from experience. Given she was way bigger than Akira when she lost her mom but when she did, she lost both her parents.


    Charan circled his arms around her torso and hugged her tightly, giving and taking comfort simultaneously.

 Chapter 48 - 47

    "Shreya, I want that one," Akira said pointing at the red pastry on the display. Shreya immediately ordered them.


    This was the last day of Shreya''s vacation as well as Akira''s. Shreya should be at the office the next morning sharp at 8 am or else Akash was going to give her hell. So they decided to play it safe and stay near. They both loitered around in the house watching all sorts of animated movies from the morning.


    At night, Charan asked them out for dinner but as always, he was running late. So to pass time Shreya brought Akira to a mall nearby. And of course, the mall had a cake shop that caught Akira''s attention. SO they were now buying red velvet cheesecake. And Shreya being her did not really know how to say no to Akira. SO by the time Charan actually joined them, Shreya''s hands were already full with all sort of assortment of bags.


    Charan let out an exasperated sigh.


    "What is all this??" He asked Shreya giving her a look. He had a premonition of what they were already, he just wanted to confirm to make sure.


    "These�� these are�� um�� They are�� household goods. I needed something for my home. Yes, that is it." Shreya brightly lied through her teeth. Just that she was no good at hiding things. Charan could clearly see a tail hanging out a bag which he assumed is a bag full of plush toys.


    This happened one time before. Both of them behaved like kids and bought all sorts of plush toys. Leave them at an aisle full of toys, they will end up feeding each other''s crazy love for toys. Last time Shreya did this, she got an ear full from Charan saying she was spoiling Akira way too much. And of course, Akira''s room was full of plush toys now. So much so that Akira''s bed was not enough anymore.


    Akira stealthily hid behind Shreya with just her eyes peeking out to meet her dad''s eyes.


    Seeing the two in front of him, he just shook his head and smiled resigned. He reached out and took the bags from Shreya and walked towards the food court.


    Shreya and Akira gave a high-five before following Charan like a pair of obedient kids.


    Shreya never went overboard with her spending. Especially given their difference in status, Charan always thought he would be left to drown in insecurities. But Shreya was actually very down to earth. Expect for her cars and her apartment, she actually did everything a normal person would do. Nobody will be able to believe that she is actually the richest person in the country seeing the way she dressed. She ate and shopped in normal places. She seemed to detest luxury places and products. She will let Charan pay too whenever they ate out alternatively. So Charan pretty much forgot about their difference in status.


    The only place she did not have control is when it came to Akira. When Akira asked for something, Shreya somehow seemed to not know how to say ''no''. Charan did not know how bad it is going to get but as for now, things were harmless. So he let it pass.


    But more than that. He knew his own daughter. He knew that Akira is sensible. This is why when they reached home after dinner that day, Charan went to her daughter''s room for a chat.


    Akira sat on the bed with her head hung low.


    "I won''t ask Shreya for toys anymore. I promise." Akira said before Charan could even say anything.


    Charan smiled at her. He went and sat beside her.


    "It''s okay. You can go do whatever you like with Shreya. I can see that it is not just you but it also makes Shreya happy when you ask for something. Just remember when to stop okay? If you really want something, you should work for it. And when someone gives it to you, remember to be grateful. You can be spoilt just don''t become a spoilt brat." Charan explained softly tucking a few stray hairs behind her ears.


    Akira nodded her head solemnly giving her dad a bright smile.


    "But I wanted to actually talk to you about something else��" Charan started and paused looking at Akira.


    Akira blinked at her dad but patiently waited for him to continue.


    "Why did you stop talking about your mum??" Charan asked cutting to the chase. It was not just now. He had always been this straight forward to her. He always told her what was what and brought her up. He never hid anything from Akira or beat around the bush. And he was not about to change that now.


    Akira widened her eyes and they hurriedly darted towards her dad. She just stared at him for a while without saying anything.


    "It''s okay, baby. You can tell me." Charan encouraged softly. But Akira did not talk even then. So he asked, "Did I do or say something?? It''s because of something that happened that day right?? The day you drew our family picture??"


    Akira immediately shook her head vigorously going pale.


    Charan took a deep breath and scooped her into his laps. He sat her down on his embrace tightly comforting her. Trying to give her a sense of security. And it worked too. After a long time, Akira started talking slowly��


    "That day�� You�� you cried so much and�� and said you miss mum soo much that you wished you could be with her��" She blurted out stammering.


    Charan immediately understood what he had done. He knew kids take things literally but he did not think it is going to be this literal. He hugged her tightly and said in a very serious voice, "I do miss her baby. But remember, I am going to do my damnest to be with you as long as I possibly can. I promise okay? Sorry, I scared you that day. I am so sorry baby."


    Akira did not say anything. She just buried her small face into her chest and circled her arms around him tightly.


    "I''m not going to leave you, baby. That day, I did not mean to say that I was going to leave you behind. I was just sad that I can''t be with mom." Charan softly spoke reassuring her. After all, Akira''s insecurities had built up through the years. He knew he can''t make everything right with this conversation but he is going try his best to make it count.


    He also knows he won''t ever be able to eradicate her insecurities all together. Because, to Akira, leaving is not just leaving anymore. She got to know the true meaning of leaving permanently a little too early. So all he could do was make up as much as he possibly could.


    "Good night baby. I love you. I am so proud of you." Charan said and gave her a chaste kiss over her head. He tucked on her blankets one last time and exited the room.

 Chapter 49 - 48

    Charan pushed open the doors to the conference room.


    The conference room was deadly quiet. All the chairs sat around the table in a disarrayed way while papers and pens laid lying around all over the table. Lights were all switched off but there was still some light coming inside through the windows.


    On the head of the table, Shreya sat on her chair with her foot hoisted on the table.


    She sat there leaning behind facing the ceiling with her eyes closed shut. Her legs were crossed on the front in her skinny fit jeans while her blouse bunched on her hip creasing up. But she was least bothered.


    The meeting took forever to end. She is beat and her brain is begging for some rest. So she plugged in some music on her headphone and just sat there completely exhausted.


    That was how Charan found her. He just stood there and watched her leaning over the door frame. She looked dead beat and exhausted but somehow she also looked perfect for him.


    It always amazed him how she could unplug completely with just some loud music and a dark corner. By now, Charan had long gotten used to this sight. Whenever she needed rest, she always switched off all the lights and sat in one corner with loud music plugged in.


    After what seemed like forever, Charan walked towards her and put his hands over her shoulder.


    Shreya sat up startled.


    "Shit�� Charan. It''s you? You scared me." Shreya exclaimed taking out her headphones.


    "Sorry. I did not mean to scare you." Charan said and sat down pulling a chair beside her.


    "What are you doing here?" Shreya said sitting up.


    "I just heard that you fought cats and dogs with the investors to get approval for our plan. SO I came in the check on you." Charan said reaching out his hands to caress her tired face.


    "Oh, its nothing. They were just being jerks and I, of course, showed them who the boss is." Shreya said beaming at him proudly. Her face was begging him for some compliment.


    And Charan was not about to deny her anything at that moment.


    "Atta girl," Charan said and ruffled her head.


    After all, it was not an easy task to win against a room full of wolves. And on top of it, their plan was slightly unconventional. The mall was not made to look sickly attractive and scream luxury, rather it was designed to be cozy and comfortable.


    And of course, as per Shreya''s idea, they even included a library in there which was crazy but then who is going to say ''no'' to a boss lady?? Not him definitely. A very HUGE library might he add.


    Sri corp. accounted for almost 70% of the investment. But then the rest is sponsored by Banks and other financial institutions. Even though it was only 30% of the capital, it was still a lot. So it was inevitable for them to ask all sorts of questions.


    Shreya slumped over and rested her head on his shoulders. The position was actually very awkward given they sat in different chairs and in all probability Shreya would end up with a sore neck if she remained in that position for an extended period but still she just leaned on him.


    Charan patted on her head with a smile. But when she frowned in discomfort he lifted her up and sat her on the table. He cradled her on the front like he usually carries his own daughter. Shreya did not even let out a yelp. She just lazily leaned on his shoulders and wrapped her legs around his waist as he stood right in front of her holding the back of her head.


    "You want to go home??" He asked gently embracing her.


    "NO�� I need to get back to work. Just stay like this for a while. I need some energy boost." Shreya mumbled without opening her eyes.


    Charan looked down at her. She was clinging on to him like a sloth. She looked extremely lazy and ridiculously adorable. With a sudden surge of enthusiasm, Charan lifted her up on her arms and swung around in circles scaring the crap out of.


    Shreya strangled her hands around his neck shocked and exclaimed, "Charan��."


    "You are so perfect. So perfect that it''s almost like a dream��" Charan proclaimed ecstatically.


    Shreya blinked at him confused why he was being so overdramatic all of a sudden. But still, some part of her heart warmed up irresistibly and a small smile sneaked on her lips.


    "What happened to you??" Shreya asked between laughter when he finally stopped circling around.


    "I am just happy you are with me now," Charan said slightly giddy from all the circling. But thankfully he was not so out of it to drop Shreya. He still held her on his iron grip.


    Shreya just smiled and pecked on his cheeks with a huge smile dancing on her face. Charan''s eyes instantly sparkled with a proud grin.


    Shreya just shook her head and said, "Okay, doofus. Now let me down. I need to get back to work."


    Charan pouted in disappointment. But still, carefully and very reluctantly let her down on her feet.


    "You go and have some rest. Akira missed you all this time. GO spend some time with her. There is time before I could sort out all the legalities from my end. SO you can be free until then."Shreya said walking out of the conference room.


    Charan still looked down while he silently followed behind her like a pup. When they reached her office, Charan pulled on her arms brought her against her him engulfing her in a hug. Shreya''s head crashed against his chest.


    "Did you not miss me?? I missed you actually." He whined pitifully. They really did not get to spend much time in the past few months. At least with Akira, he got some time here and there but with Shreya it was zilch. When she was free, he was stuck with work and when he got some time off, she was busy. SO it had been hard for them would be a huge understatement.


    Shreya did not really reply. She just circled her own hands around him and tightly held on to him.


    Shreya was not one to profuse her emotions. Charan knew that. He also knew that she was one to prove her feelings by actions and not by words. That is why he understood her silence at that moment.


    Charan pulled away after a long while. He pecked on her head and pulled away.


    "I will see you tonight��" He said finally and left her to her work.

 Chapter 50 - 49

    Shreya was sitting at her office immersed in her work when suddenly someone barged into her office. She looked up only to find a completely haggard Pritham on sight. He looked as if he needed a long shower and some food and sleep ASAP.


    "What happened to you??" Shreya asked frowning at his appearance. Pritham was one who was very particular about his physical appearance. His hair was always prim and proper while his clothes were always pressed to perfection. On top of it, he was a neat freak.


    Pritham did not reply but instead flopped on her couch and ran his hands over his hair. Then he started talking in an extremely irritated voice, "I tried to hack into Abimanyu''s company�� you know with Malini involvement with S corp. I just wanted to make sure he was not doing anything sneaky behind our backs."


    "And??" Shreya asked when he paused.


    "I got caught. They couldn''t backtrack me but they were still skilled enough to stop me on my track. So it''s going to be hard to get to them now. They up-ed their security all over again. Sorry." Pritham said hanging his heads down.


    "Don''t worry. Abimanyu wouldn''t have anything useful to us on his company server anyways. And on top of it, it was probably Malini who stopped you. She majored both in business and coding. And she is the one who is running the company now. Abimanyu is not involved with the company for a while now. Whatever he is doing, we are not going to find it on their servers anyways." Shreya consoled him. But what she said was also the absolute truth.


    But Pritham''s spirit was still down. After all, one thing he was good at was this and he failed even in that too.


    "Oye�� Pritham. Don''t beat yourself over this too much. Go home, get some sleep now." Shreya said sternly seeing his expression.


    Pritham slumped and walked out dejected. But he also swore he was not going to give up just yet.


    Just as he walked out of the office, his phone dinged.


    He got a mail in one of his dummy accounts.


    It read "Hi there. Better luck next time."


    Instinctively Pritham knew it was most probably Malini. He did not even know how he knew it. He just had a gut feeling. He went back to his office and worked with more vigor.


    ...��.


    The day went on without any intrusion for Shreya after that. Of course, that was until Charan walked into her office to pick her up for the day.


    Shreya was just about wrapping up her work when Charan walked in through her office doors.


    "Just give me a few minutes. We can go out after that." Shreya said and picked up the files and started arranging them in order.


    Charan did not sit down as he usually does. But instead looked behind Shreya at the huge painting hanging behind her head. It did not make any damn sense. It was just a splash of colors. It was just a combination of red, orange and yellow on a white canvas. But even then it looked mesmerizing somehow.


    In that huge wall, the painting fits right in. At least aesthetically, it looked extremely good.


    "Who painted this one?" Charan enquired curiously.


    "I have no idea. We, all the people in our family are what you call artistic- handicaps." Shreya commented without really looking away from her work.


    "Then who bought this??" Charan asked. He had not seen any painting except for this in any of the offices on this floor that included the conference room, Anand and Akash office. Nor did he see any painting in her house which was odd given how big the house was.


    The office building itself had some here and there though but Charan figured they were probably done by the interior designers. So this one painting just struck him as odd.


    "Oh, this one. I don''t know�� Probably my dad. He has a weird habit of buying some things out of the blue. And since this used to be his office I am almost certain this was his handy work." Shreya replied nonchalantly. Her hands, at last, stopped moving. She picked her phone and started walking out of the office.


    When she saw that Charan was still seeing at the painting weirdly, she called out to him," Charan come on. Let''s go. Akira is going to be waiting."


    Charan shook his head and averted his eyes away from the painting at last. He never really took the time or the effort to see the painting before, after all whenever he came, Shreya was almost always in the room and there was no way he is seeing anything other than her. But somehow today this painting just caught his eyes. And it had a weird effect on him�� it was almost hypnotic or something. He did not know how to describe it. He just found it hard to take his eyes off of it.


    "Your dad has a good taste," Charan commented as he followed Shreya out. Even he was no expert in art but he also knew art is not about what you see but what it makes you feel.


    Shreya just shrugged at his comment.


    "Like I said I have no idea about art or anything artistic. So I can''t really agree or disagree. I was just too lazy to change anything in this office so I let everything be just the way it was when I took over." Shreya said distractedly.


    Shreya still remembered the first time she walked into the office after losing her dad. She ended up seeing Adithya at every corner of the room. It was so painful that she almost ran away from this place. But still, she couldn''t bring herself to change anything here. Because she knew the kinda effort her dad made selecting each and everything in this office. So with great effort, she sucked it up and started drowning herself with work behind the same desk as her dad.


    Working somehow made her feel closer to him.


    Charan could see something not so happy pass through her face. He just put his arms around her shoulders and guided her out of the building.

 Chapter 51 - 50

    Shreya stood in front of Bhagya fidgeting with her hands.


    Bhagya looked at her niece weirdly. After all, Shreya hardly got nervous. She was someone who could intimidate a person twice her size without breaking a sweat.


    "I�� Uhmm�� I mean�� Charan invited me over to his house�� TO MEET HIS PARENTS!!" Shreya at last said. The panic was apparent in her eyes when she thought of meeting his parents.


    "Okay�� So??" Bhagya asked not understanding what she was trying to convey.


    "You know me, aunt. I behave like a brat and dress like a hippy. What if they don''t like me?? What if they asked Charan to stay away from me?? What if I mess up big time?? You know me and my mouth- I don''t have a filter! Blah blah blah" She lamented for straight 10 minutes without taking a breath.


    Bhagya just stared at her bewildered. She blinked several times to see if she was dreaming or maybe hallucinating. But when she realized whatever she was seeing was real, she couldn''t control her laughter.


    Bhagya laughed hard clutching her stomach making Shreya blush from embarrassment. That is when she realized she had been blabbering for a long time now. But then she couldn''t help it. She often came forward as someone arrogant and disrespectful. And she never had a good track record when it came to communicating with elders. Except for Bhagya and Anand, she was never liked by any elderly people she ever met.


    And of course, her dressing and mannerism never helped. She never knew anything traditional all her life.


    So it was no wonder she is panicked about meeting Charan''s parents. SO far she never cared if someone liked her or not. She never even tried since the people who actually mattered to her never complained about anything. But now, she had to make them like her and on top of it, they are Charan''s parents and Akira''s grandparents. If she ever wanted to be part of their future, she absolutely should make them like her.


    And this was unchartered territory for her that made her shiver with just the thought. She had been driving herself crazy from the moment Charan told her.


    And since this was not something she could solve on herself, she came to Bhagya for help. But who knew she will end up being seen as a cartoon character.


    By the time Bhagya stopped laughing, Shreya already got pissed and left the room pouting.


    Bhagya shook her head at her antics. But then she went to her room and brought out a Long skirt. She had long before bought this one for Shreya. When she saw the long skirt she just thought Shreya would look amazing in this. But of course, Shreya never wore anything other than jeans and tees. A long-time back, she used to wear long dresses when she was still attending parties. But even that stopped when she went into hiding after her parent''s death. So Bhagya never even got around to giving it to her.


    Bhagya brought it out. Shreya was sitting there, once again blabbering the same shit to Anand.


    "I was already scared and asked aunt for help. But she just laughed at me as if I am performing some stand-up comedy��" She whined.


    Bhagya could clearly see Anand trying hard to suppress his laughter. For a normal person, this might not be much. But with Shreya''s arrogance, she is scared to meet some people is beyond hilarious.


    But before Anand could lose control and become the scapegoat for Shreya''s wrath, Bhagya showed her the long skirt.


    Between ranting, Shreya''s eyes fell on the long skirt. It was red and the flair was long. The top was golden colored. It looked traditional.


    Shreya jumped from her place and looked at the dress intently.


    "Is this for me??" Shreya asked with gleaming eyes. Her lips spread to ears unconsciously.


    "You like it??" Bhagya asked even though her eyes could already see how much she liked the dress.


    Shreya enthusiastically bobbed her head. Next second she sprinted from her place and smothered Bhagya into a bear hug. She crashed into her aunt so hard that Bhagya almost toppled.


    "Thank you, aunty��" Shreya said and gave Bhagya a noisy kiss on the cheeks.


    Shreya rarely ever wanted anything for herself. Even if she needed something, she always got them herself. So Bhagya rarely had the opportunity to give her something.


    But a few times she got something for Shreya, she always had this ecstatic reaction as if she had gifted some kind of treasure to her. It simultaneously warmed her heart as well as gave her a sense of melancholy.


    But for now, she reaped on her happy face and then looked at Anand. He looked almost dazed looking at Shreya but also pouted at her wife.


    Bhagya stuck her tongue out at her husband playfully and said, "You should have got her something if you have the mind to be jealous!"


    Shreya, of course, did not let Anand loose. She went to her uncle and gave him a hug too.


    "Shreya, when are you going to bring Charan to meet us??" Anand asked keeping his arms around her shoulders.


    "I can bring him around whenever you say." Shreya shrugged and said.


    "How about this Sunday?? We can call everyone and have a get-together��" Anand suggested.


    "Okay�� but no funny business okay?" Shreya said with a warning look. She knew very well how protective Anand and everyone around her can be. She did not want them to put CHaran in an awkward spot for her sake.


    Anand agreed non-committedly. Of course, he had to give the ''If you ever hurt her, I will have your legs speech'' And he knew Akash will want a part in this. What kind of family they will be if they did not warn their girl''s boyfriend?


    Shreya saw right through her uncle but let it be. She knew there are some things Anand wouldn''t listen to her. And no amount of her reassurance is going to do any good.


    She will just give Charan a prior warning before bringing him to meet.

 Chapter 52 - 51

    Shreya sat there in front of the mirror all dolled up. Bhagya had been at it for at least an hour. And for the life of it, Shreya did not understand what she was up to. Right then her phone rang.


    "Hey Shreya, have you started?" Charan''s voice came from the other end.


    Shreya immediately scrambled from the place taking her purse and got out of the room.


    "Yes.. yes�� I am out of my house now." Shreya said on the phone balancing it between her shoulders and her ear while simultaneously pulling on her boots.


    "Hey�� take your time. I was just checking." Charan said just then he heard something crash on the other side of the phone. "Hey, are you okay??"


    "Yea�� yea�� I just dropped my purse. I will be there in half an hour." Shreya said and cut the call.


    She then turned around and blew a kiss to Bhagya and Anand and scurried away.


    "Don''t drive like a maniac. You still have a lot of time." Bhagya called out from behind her but then Shreya was already far off.


    Shreya got into the car and pressed on the accelerator all the way down. She pulled her legs away only when she reached Charan''s parents'' place. But she did not get down just yet.


    She sat there and took deep breaths trying to calm herself down. But it was not really helping when all sorts of crazy thoughts bombarded her. So she just sat there staring at nowhere with a blank expression on her face.


    That was how Charan found her. He approached the car and tapped on her windows when he saw that she wasn''t getting down.


    Shreya came back to her senses when Charan knocked on her windows. She looked up and was met with a warm smile and a charming face of Charan waving at her to get down.


    Shreya reached for her doors with her shaky hands and got out. It took her a minute to steadily stand on her own two feet.


    "Woah�� Woah�� Woah�� you okay there?" Charan asked putting his arms around her waist to steady her.


    Shreya took a deep breath and slowly let out before properly looking at Charan.


    "Yea�� I''m fine." She, at last, said looked at Charan and gave him a very constipated smile.


    That is when Charan actually looked at her and instantly his jaws dropped.


    She looked breathtaking actually. He had never seen her out of jean and tee. Maybe that why she looked almost mesmerizing to him at that moment.


    She wore a red color full-length skirt that flared out wide on both sides with a golden border. And her sleeveless blouse was beautifully embroidered in gold that brought it to a whole new level. Her shoulder-length hair was left loose with soft curls while her jewelry was classy but simple.


    Charan gave her a once over and couldn''t take his eyes off of her.


    Shreya cleared her throat and asked nervously, "Does it look weird on me??"


    Charan came out of his trance and took a second to comprehend what she was asking. But when he did, he shook his head and said closing his mouth shut at last, "You look stunning."


    "Are you sure?? I mean I haven''t worn anything like this before�� like ever. So I don''t really know. And you said your mom liked traditional kinds of stuff... And so I asked my aunt for help. And she gave me this. And I wore it in hope that maybe if I dress up she will have a better impression of me. I don''t know�� I just thought it might help maybe��" She blabbered without taking a breath.


    "Hey�� Take a breath. You are going to be fine. They are going to love you. I promise."Charan interrupted her running his hands behind her back in hopes of calming her down.


    Shreya rubbed her wet palms against each other nervously and said in a soft voice, "I just�� I am just clueless as to how to act. I have never been in a situation like this before."


    "Don''t worry Shreya. Akira had already painted you as some princess straight out of her fairytales. So they already know you as good as Akira does. So you have nothing to worry about. Just be your normal self and you will be fine." Charan consoled her.


    After a couple of minutes more of lecturing, Shreya got her act together. When they had just taken a few steps towards the house, the doors to the house flew open and Akira stumbled out of it on her small legs.


    "Shreya��" She screamed as soon as her eyes met with Shreya''s.


    Shreya lifted her skirt and fastened her steps towards Akira.


    "You actually wore boots to this dress??" Charan asked bewildered noticing her feet. When she stood, her feet were covered by the skirt so he did not see them before.


    Shreya stopped at her track and looked at him blinking at lids rapidly.


    "Why?? Is that wrong??" She asked looking between her dress and legs.


    Charan just shook his heads at her obliviousness at some specific things.


    "No no�� It''s not wrong. It''s just slightly weird. Anyways come on in. My parents are waiting." Charan said and dragged both his own daughter and Shreya with him before they could say anything. That''s when he actually noticed the sweat on Shreya''s palms. He slightly squeezed them to show his support.


    While on the other hand Akira let go of her dad''s hand and went to Akira''s side and looked her head to toe.


    "You look beautiful Shreya." Akira complimented and took her other hands.


    She did not know if it was Charan''s large hands engulfing her firmly or the small hands of Akira barely covering half of her palm, Shreya was filled with warm. And in that warmth, she completely forgot her nervousness and a small smile spread through her lips.


    She moved forward into Charan''s home with the father-daughter duo guarding her on both sides.

 Chapter 53 - 52

    As soon as they entered the house, four pairs of eyes fell on them.


    A middle-aged lady approached them with a sweet smile and welcomed Shreya.


    Akira instantly flew towards the old lady, "Grandma�� grandma�� this is Shreya. See�� Didn''t I tell you she is pretty??" She said dragging her grandma towards Shreya excited.


    Charan came forward and did the introductions.


    "Shreya, this is my mum, Srimathi. That''s my dad, Gopal. The little guy over there is my nephew, Akil. He is my sister Preethi''s son. And the guy over there shamelessly gawking is my little brother, Bharath."


    "And everyone, this is Shreya."


    Everyone exchanged pleasantries and sat down. Srimathi and Akira went into the kitchen to get everyone some snacks and drinks.


    The first one to approach Shreya was actually Bharath.


    From the moment she walked into the room, the guy had been staring at her non-stop to point where it would have been extremely creepy if it were done by a stranger. But since he was Charan''s brother and he barely looked 20, she somehow found him amusing.


    But of course, she wasn''t the only one who noticed his odd behavior.


    "Bharath, stop staring at her." Charan scolded but then left his seat to go look at what his own mother and daughter were up to in the kitchen. While Bharath took this opportunity and approached Shreya with Akil on his arms.


    Akil looked a year or two older than Akira. The little guy had light green eyes that stood out with such chubby cheeks that Shreya couldn''t resist extending her hands to pinch them.


    But the little guys seemed not so into people touching him. Since as soon as she laid fingers on him, his brows frowned. Shreya retreated respectfully and then looked at Bharath.


    "You have something on your mind there??" Shreya asked looked at him.


    "I just�� I''m just wondering what my brother could have possibly done to get you." Bharath said without holding back.


    Shreya just said smiling, "He did something similar to what you are doing right now? He stared at me without blinking too the first time we met."


    Of course, nobody could possibly ignore the hidden humor in her statement. But that also showed how comfortable she was with Charan.


    Bharath jaws dropped as he asked in disbelief, "And that was all it took??"


    "Mhmm," Shreya said nodding with a smile.


    "He really didn''t blackmail you that he is going to jump off of a cliff or something for you to go out with him??" Bharat asked still not believing.


    "Nope��" Shreya answered simply with an amused smile while Charan joined them back and handed Shreya her juice.


    "You have such little faith in me, little brother??" Charan asked sarcasm dripping from all over him.


    "Who is talking about ''little'' faith. I have no faith in you." Bharath replied giving his brother a sweet smile that looked so fake.


    "Hahaha�� very funny. First, wipe your drool, you doofus." Charan said slightly hitting on the back of his head.


    This banter went on for a while. Shreya looked at them with an equal amount of adoration and amus.e.m.e.nt. She was reminded of a time when she grew up. Between Akash, Adam, and Bhavna, she never really felt like she did not have a sibling. They were all that close growing up. They stuck to each other like glue.


    "Don''t mind them Shreya. They are always like this." Gopal said to her with a warm smile bringing her out of the thoughts.


    Shreya just nodded at him and something caught her eyes. The little guy was sitting on the far end looking at her curiously. Shreya gestured him to come near her.


    The little guy got down from where he was sitting and sprinted to Shreya. Shreya picked him up and sat him on her laps and started talking to him.


    "Hey, little guy. What''s your name?"


    "Akil�� yours?"


    "Shreya��"


    "What do you have in here?? Oh, a game console. So, you like playing games ah? What''s your favorite game?? I like Super Mario."


    And that was all it took. The little guy''s eyes sparkled and twinkled as he talked about all the games he had played so far.


    Shreya just listened to him intently even though she had no clue what he was going on about. The only games she ever played were quizzes and puzzles other than Mario of course. So when it came to racing games and shooting kinds of stuff, which the little guy was talking about, she was yet to learn. But still, the little guy was very detailed in his teaching, so she could easily follow.


    "Akil�� come here." Srimathi called for him- interrupting him. But the little guy got down from Shreya and sprinted immediately.


    Shreya then only looked around. Gopal was nowhere in sight and Charan and Bharath were having a staring match. That was until Srimathi called for Charan of course.


    But before Shreya could strike up a conversation with Bharath, they were called all of them for dinner.


    Shreya sat there in the center with Akira and Akil on both sides. And the kids were piling food on her plate like crazy. It was like a competition between the two but of course, Shreya got the worst of it.


    When it was too much to eat, she looked up to Charan helplessly.


    Charan just gestured her to push the plate to him while Shreya gave him a grateful look. But of course, Srimathi saw the whole exchange and gave them a peculiar look while Gopal just brushed it off. Charan was a neat freak so it was very surprising to see him eat someone else''s food. Even though none of the others noticed her look, Shreya did.


    But they were quickly distracted by something Bharath said but still.


    When they finally got out of the house, it was already dead into the night. After dinner, Shreya tried to volunteer to clean up with Charan but then he already knew her track record with all the broken plates and glasses she has over at her own place. So he made her sit at the safe distance and keep him company while he did the cleaning.


    And once more Srimathi noticed it and Shreya saw the same.


    That is why when Charan and Shreya got out of the house and standing in front of her car alone, Shreya asked, "On a scale of 1 to 10, how much did I screw up??"


    "You did not screw up. Trust me will you?? I know my mom." Charan said running his hands behind her.


    Shreya did not really know what to say. Her insecurities when it came to elders skyrocketed when she lost her parents. So she for all she cares she was in an alien land when she met with Srimathi and Gopal. But they seemed polite to her throughout the day. And they did not glare at her every time she talked to Charan. So that should count for something right.


    Right when she was about to move, Srithmathi came from inside the house with a box on her hand. She then came to Shreya''s window side and handed Shreya the box.


    "Leftovers. Charan said you live on bread and take-outs. And you seemed to like home food from what I saw today. SO I just thought��" Srimathi''s voice trailed without knowing how to continue.


    But Shreya''s expression said that she did not have to say another word.


    Shreya''s lips were competing with each other to reach her ears while her hands held the box like a precious stone.


    "Thank you so much, aunty. I will see you soon. Good night." Shreya said and drove off her car.

 Chapter 54 - 83

    As soon as the doors closed behind her, Srimathi gave Charan and Gopal an ear-splitting grin.


    "She is so cute." Srimathi gushed going towards Charan. She then engulfed him into a bear hug and said, "I am so happy for you."


    Charan just wrapped his arms around his mum.


    Once his mum''s excitement calmed down, she went to put Akira and Akil to sleep for the night while the father and son duo sat in the living room side by side. After a while, Bharat came and joined them sitting beside his brother.


    They stayed quiet for a while but then Gopal started talking.


    "Charan, you do know what you are doing with Shreya right??"


    "Why are you asking me this now?" Charan asked frowning. His dad never questioned him about this before. So he wanted to know what had changed suddenly.


    "I am not trying to discourage you. I just want to make sure that you know what you are doing��" Gopal explained.


    And before Charan could answer, Bharat intervened and said, "He loves her dad."


    Charan just looked at his brother sharply exasperated.


    "What?? It was so obvious. Do you know how many times I actually saw you staring at her in the three hours she was here?? Too many times, that''s how many."Bharat said shrugging her shoulders with his arms wide open feigning innocence.


    Charan just shook his head and decided to ignore his brother all together and faced his own dad and said, "I know what I am doing dad."


    "Did you think about Akira in all this?? Is she right for Akira?? Will she be able to be her mom??" Gopal asked once more concerned.


    "Akira is the first thing I thought of before I even started anything. And the moment they both met, I knew I made the right choice. Shreya is not going to be her mom but she is the best thing that could have happened to Akira. Trust me. You should see them both together to know what I am saying." Charan said confidently.


    "Well, she knows her way with kids. I will give her that. Akil was practically waggling his tails after talking to her for 5 minutes." Bharat said slightly skeptical. It''s not that he did not like Shreya. But he did not have enough interactions with her to form an opinion yet. And like every man in the family, he was extremely protective of every person in the family and that included his own brother. So for him, it was his duty to be careful and point out any mistakes of his brother. That was in spite of how he teased his own brother in front of her.


    "No Bharat, I am not talking about the charming part. Yes, she does know how to charm a kid. But with Akira�� it''s more than that. Shreya actually gets Akira in a very deeper level. She understands her in a way even I never got to know Akira. And coming from me, you know that''s a lot." Charan said and looked up at his brother.


    Gopal put an arm over Charan''s shoulders and said, "Hey�� as long as you and Akira are safe and happy. That is all we need."


    "I am. I am happy, dad. So is Akira." Charan said sincerely.


    "Then like your mum said, I''m happy for you," Gopal said smiling at his son.


    "Me too." Bharat followed suit.


    Right then, the front door opened loudly and a woman in ponytail and salwar came in and sat on the couch in front of Charan taking a deep breath and resting her head.


    "How was your day Preethi??" Gopal asked his own daughter. Preethi is his eldest and Akil''s mom. She is living with them from the time she got divorced.


    "It was fine, dad. What about you guys??" Preethi asked back sitting leisurely. But before any of them could answer, she suddenly thought about something and sat up straight and exclaimed, "Shit�� Shit�� It was today right?? You bringing your girlfriend?? Shit, how did I miss it?? Did she already leave??" She asked anxiously.


    "Yup�� " Bharat answered his sister''s question.


    "Shit��'' Pretthi said dejected and hung her head low.


    "I don''t know how could you possibly forget it after mom reminding you so many times!!" Bharat said in a sarcastic voice.


    "Let''s see you work in the emergency room for 14 hours straight and remember what happened at breakfast!!" Preethi growled. She is a doctor and the long hours sucked big time. That was the main reason why she and her husband never worked but that was apart from him being an asshole.


    But it was not like she had much choice. So she couldn''t take it when her ex-husband called her an incompetent mom and blamed every small thing on her. SO it is safe to say the divorce was not been a smooth sail. But thankfully her own parents and brothers stepped in and helped her. Or else she had no idea what would have happened.


    Her parents asked countless times to move in back with them to Charan too but he just stubbornly stayed there. A part of her understood that being in that house is his way keeping Samantha alive in their lives but it took a toll on both of them.


    But somehow both of them pulled it together on their own. If it were her on their places, she was not so sure she would have pulled through like this.


    That is why the whole family was so surprised and happy when Charan told them about Shreya.


    Bharat just rolled his eyes at his sister and said mockingly, "Well I am not the one who pestered mom to ask her brother to bring his girlfriend home!"


    Which was true. If not for Preethi, Srimathi wouldn''t have asked to meet up with Shreya so soon. Typically she would have given some privacy before asking to meet the family.


    Preethi just hung her head slouching her shoulders.


    "Don''t worry Preethi. I will bring her around again." Charan said patting on his sister''s shoulders.


    Amongst everyone in the family, Preethi was the most protective of him�� Something about her being the eldest and being her responsibility to look after him. That was the whole reason why he even agreed to the meeting in the first place.


    Anyways, Charan just bid goodbye and retired to bed.

 Chapter 55 - 54

    Charan came to his room only to find Akira on the phone.


    "Who are you talking to baby??" Charan asked sitting beside his daughter.


    "Shreya��" Akira answered and went back to talking to Shreya.


    But after a while, Akira reluctantly extended to phone to Charan and went to bed with a pout.


    Charan couldn''t help but slightly laugh at his daughter''s behavior.


    "Hey, you reached home??" He asked on the phone while tucking Akira and switched off the lights. He then quietly exited the room and went to the terrace.


    In the house filled with people, the terrace was the only place he could get some privacy. Or else, if he was caught talking to Shreya not long after she left, his family will talk his ears off the next day teasing him.


    "No�� Not yet. I will reach in a while" Shreya said without really explaining where she was.


    "Where are you exactly??" Charan asked frowning.


    "Two streets over��" Shreya mumbled in a barely audible voice.


    "Two streets from where?? Your home??" Charan asked once again.


    "No�� your house..." Shreya said even more softly than the last time.


    Charan let out a puff of air trying to keep his own emotions at check. He knew getting angry at her stupidity is not going to help anyone in this situation. So he took a few deep breaths and calmed himself down before talking into the phone, "Shreya, it''s getting late. You need to get home."


    "I know. It''s just��" Shreya trailed. She did not want to go home just yet.


    "We will be home tomorrow and you can stay over okay?? Just today one day okay??" Charan said softly coaxing her.


    Right after that, he heard rustling sound which he assumed is Shreya reversing the car.


    A few minutes passed when Shreya suddenly thought of something.


    "What did your mom say?? And your dad?? I did not really talk to your dad!! I did not know what to talk about�� So was he offended or something??" Shreya lined up the questions anxiously.


    "Don''t worry. They all liked you. And ''no''�� dad was not offended. I told you right they will like you. Mom was ecstatic."


    "Really?" Shreya asked grinning brightly. Her shift in mood was very apparent in her voice.


    "Yes, really," Charan said emphasizing.


    Shreya just smiled ear to ear without replying.


    Charan kept her company up until she reached home.


    "Oh yea, did you like the dress?? Was it weird?? I just never wore anything like that before. SO I don''t know how or what I was doing with it?? Was I awkward with it??" Shreya once again lined questions nervously.


    Charan found it very odd and yet extremely heartwarming to think Shreya would be so nervous about meeting his parents. That kinda told him how much she cared about him and his family. After all, from the time he knew her, he never saw her wear anything other than denim.


    "You looked so breathtaking that I found it so hard to keep my eyes off of you the whole time. But from what Bharat said, I am guessing I wasn''t very successful." Charan replied with a warm smile up until the last part when he rolled his eyes.


    "What did Bharat say??" Shreya asked.


    "He said I was in l..." But then he stopped himself in the middle suddenly realizing what he was about to say. He cleared his throat and said covering up what he was about to say.


    "He just said I kept staring at you the whole time you were there."


    Shreya was about to reply but yawned instead. If she hadn''t been so tired she probably would have caught him trying to cover up something so obvious.


    "Go�� get some sleep Shreya. I will see you later." Charan said walking downstairs.


    "I will. I could barely keep my eyes open. Okay, good night. Love you." Shreya said and hung up. She threw her phone away and flopped into the bed headfirst. She had already changed into her PJs. That was the very first thing she did as soon as she stepped inside her home. She did not know how she tolerated it for so long. She was just not comfortable and she was not used to it.


    She snuggled into the pillows comfortably ready to go to sleep without even realizing what she had just said.


    But on the other side, Charan stopped on his track. His breath caught at his throat while his hands and legs stood frozen at the same spot.


    Did he just hear what he thought he did??


    ''Good night. Love you'' these words kept repeating on his head.


    His heart sped like crazy at just the thought!!


    As he said, Shreya always had the knack of catching him off guard all the time! His face spread into the biggest grin ever while warmth spread through him like a wildfire. In a dazed state, he walked into walls headfirst twice before safely reaching the living room. He was rubbing the forehead where he got hit with the wall. They were red by now.


    But even then he was actually smiling like a creep.


    Bharat stood there a couple of feet away from his brother with an amused smile.


    Of course, Charan did not notice his brother until he walked right into him too.


    "What are you doing??" Charan asked, at last, composing himself slightly.


    "The more important question is, what are YOU doing walking into walls in the middle of the night??" Bharat asked raising his brows.


    A slight blush spread on his cheeks for being caught by his little brother at such an embarrassing situation. And Bharat, of course, caught it.


    Bharat went and put his arms around his brother''s shoulders and said in a teasing voice, "If someone saw you now, they are going to think you got confessed to by your crush or something!!"


    Charan''s eyes widened and he turned so fast and looked at his brother. And before he could stop himself, words just tumbled out of his mouth as he asked, "How do you know that??"


    "What?? Shreya confessed?? How?? Where?? When??" Bharat exclaimed quite loudly. He was just pulling Charan''s legs.


    But Charan just cleared his throats and said, "Good night. Sweet dreams brother."


    "Hey hey hey�� You can''t leave me hanging like this!! I am your brother. I won''t tell anyone. Promise�� Just tell me what you happened?? I won''t be able to sleep otherwise!!" Bharat begged.


    But all he got was the loud noise of the door being shut on his face.

 Chapter 56 - 55

    The days had been going smoothly for Shreya except for the long hours of course. With S corp. out of the way, all the previous projects that were put on hold were renewed. And of course, the development of the mall is also going as planned without hitch. And since this project is personally handled by her, she oversaw every nook and cranny of the planning as well as the execution.


    Originally, the project was to be handled by some designated directors. But because of S corp. intervention, the project went to Akash. And since Shreya intervened with the planning and design, Akash felt it was only appropriate that Shreya explain everything to the other investors and banks. Which in turn spiraled into her handling the project personally since she was the one who gave her word to the investors. This actually led to longer hours but Shreya did not mind the hours as much as the process of dealing with all the people. She was barely keeping up with the names.


    That day she decided she needed to take a break before she drives herself crazy.


    She walked out of her office but then when she was walking past Akash''s office the doors suddenly pulled open and Madhu came out rushing. But she stood frozen at her place when she unexpectedly met with Shreya there. But then she quickly wiped away her tears and greeted Shreya with a slight bow and went to her own desk.


    Shreya looked at her back bewildered. But then Akash''s office doors opened once again and this time it was Akash himself. Like Madhu, even Akash froze seeing Shreya but then he did not run away just yet.


    "You want to tell me what is going on??" Shreya asked her cousin with her brows raised.


    Akash gave her a sheepish look and said scratching the back of his neck, "I messed up."


    "Fix it. By today." Shreya ordered and left.


    Akash hung his heads low and went to Madhu''s cabin. He peeked in only to find her bawling her eyes out.


    "Madhu��" He called out softly.


    Madhu instantly stiffened and hurriedly wiped her eyes and looked up.


    "Yes sir, you need anything??" she asked with the coldest eyes and a professional voice. She was distant. And only at that moment, Akash realized how warm she had been with him all this while. And he had to ruin it with his stupid mouth!


    He nicely chided himself in his head and looked at Madhu with his best pitiful face he could muster.


    Everything was good until lunch today. Akash had a lunch meeting with one of the difficult clients. So when he came back he was already in a foul mood.


    So when Madhu came in with some papers for him to sign and when he found loads of silly mistakes, he blasted her. He drained all his previous frustrations at her.


    Madhu did not really say anything then. But then a person came later and said they had forwarded the file to the wrong person.


    And thus she was giving him the cold shoulders not that he doesn''t deserve it. Still.


    "I''m sorry��" Akash said sincerely.


    And it might not be an everyday sight where Akash is apologizing but it was still not an exceptional sight either. Adithya was very strict on fairness. So when he formed the company, he taught the bosses to not only be fair between the employees but also to be equal with them.


    And Shreya, of course, continued the tradition. SO no matter who messes up and no matter the level of superiority, he should apologize. And anybody not abiding by the rule will be dismissed without notice without discrimination.


    Madhu looked at Akash. She saw the guilt clear as day.


    "It''s okay��" She said softly and then blew her nose on the hanky.


    Akash, even though knew he was off the hook, something just did not feel right. He could see that his words have hurt her a lot. A lot more than an apology could mend.


    So Akash strolled towards her. He crouched and sat on down in front of her chairs and took her hands in his. He then looked at her straight in eyes and said, "I mean it Madhu. I''m really sorry. I did not mean it when I said you were not competent. I am sorry I shouldn''t have ever uttered them."


    "But I am incompetent. Maybe this time it was not my fault. But I do bring a lot of trouble for you�� so you don''t have to worry about it." Madhu said softly hanging her head low but something uncomfortable hitched at the base of her throat even though she meant every word she uttered.


    "No-no-no�� Madhu, look at me. You are not incompetent. Yes, you are clumsy at times but it doesn''t affect your work. Or else I wouldn''t have kept you with me all this time. And I really sorry if I ever made you feel that way." Akash explained gently still carrying her hands within his.


    Madhu did not really reply but a lone tear stumbled out her left eye. At that moment, when she was being consoled, that is when she actually knew how insecure she felt in this job all along. For some reason, she always felt Akash was actually putting up with her rather than being qualified for the job on her own feet.


    "I just�� when I am frustrated I end up saying all sorts of crap�� so please don''t take them seriously. I promise I will try my best to be more reasonable when I am frustrated. No guarantees though! Just a warning��" Akash blabbered seeing as Madhu was starting her waterworks again.


    But his words were not helping. They just made Madhu more emotional. All her feeling for the person sitting in front of her and all her insecurities with regard to this job, everything made it hard for her to get her emotions under control right at that moment.


    After all, it''s only when you know that someone is going to catch you that you will let yourself be vulnerable.


    But on the other side, Akash panicked seeing as she was starting a full-on brawl.


    "Hey hey hey�� If someone is going to come and see this, they are going to think I am bullying you. So can you please do something about the waterworks?? Because, I don''t know if you noticed but tears freak me out!! Literally!" Akash said panicked and even showed his sweaty palms for proofs.


    He is not proud of it but tears really did freak him out. And somehow every female in his life already knows of his weakness. That only made his life so much more miserable. He never ever won even one argument with his own little sister yet because of this.


    All she had to do was bring one god damn tear appear on her eyes and Akash will end up bringing the stars to her feet.


    Madhu let out a giggle seeing him so freaked out. It was amusing seeing her boss, who runs almost half of a multinational company so panicked over a few drops of tears. A wide grin spread on her face without realizing it.


    Akash, at last, heaved a sigh of relief seeing her smile. He reached out and wiped the last bit of tears off of her face.


    "Get back to work." He said at last and left.


    As Madhu watched Akash''s retreating figured, without her knowledge, there was a sense of longing in her eyes.


    Akash may be too oblivious to notice it but Shreya who was watching everything that transpired just a while ago being hidden could clearly see. And big grin spread on her face as she hopped away.

 Chapter 57 - 56

    Shreya went straight to Akash''s office.


    She took off her sling bag and discarded it on the couch and sat on them as usual with her legs crossed. For a change, instead of denim, she was actually wearing camouflage pants that were a little too big for her with white tees.


    "What are you doing here still?? Weren''t you going home??" Akash asked surprised seeing Shreya still at the office.


    "Yes�� I was. In a minute." Shreya said leaning back comfortably on the couch.


    Akash did not reply. He just let her be and went back to his own desk to continue his work.


    "Fixed your screw up??" Shreya asked leaning her chin on her hand.


    "Yup��" Akash replied without looking up from his work.


    "You mean you begged her to stop crying??" Shreya asked rolling her eyes.


    "Yup�� Works every time." Akash agreed once again.


    "Oh, hey Madhu�� Don''t tell me you heard that??" Shreya said turning towards the doors.


    Akash looked up so fast that his neck could have a crack but all he was met with were shut doors.


    "What the hell Shreya??" Akash asked irritated.


    Shreya gave him a sarcastic grin and got up from the couch. But before going aways, "You keep being so oblivious to your surroundings, she is going to end up with someone else. And I am not lending my shoulders when the time comes." She said and sassed away.


    Akash, of course, did not understand any damn shit Shreya just said. He just shook his head and went back to work not bothering to think about what Shreya meant just now.


    Shreya then went to Madhu and just said one sentence, "He is an idiot."


    "What??" Madhu asked confused.


    "Instead of crying, you should consider giving him a tight slap next time. Maybe he will end up growing some brains"


    Shreya said and walked away.


    Madhu just blinked at her back for an extended minute but she still did not understand what she meant. And like Akash, she too went back to work without giving it much thought.


    ...........................��


    Shreya''s sneakers did not make any noise as she entered CHaran''s office. As naughty as she was, she sneaked up from behind him. He was on the phone while simultaneously noting down something. Since the door was situated on the left-hand corner behind him, Shreya easily sneaked up and hovered behind him a peaked on what he was writing. But it was the name of a hotel in the city.


    "What are you doing??" Shreya asked without bothering to move away. Her voice rand right beside his ears freaking the crap out of him.


    "What the hell!!"


    Charan jumped in his chair in fright. He moved away and looked up. But when he saw that it was Shreya, he suddenly scrambled and covered up everything on the paper he was writing just now and cut the call in a hurry.


    Shreya looked at him suspiciously.


    "What are you doing??" She asked giving him a scrutinizing glance.


    Charan''s face slightly paled but he managed to look normal and said, "Nothing, it''s work. Just work stuff��"


    Shreya did not bother asking more. She was not the one to pry anyways. And her lack of curiosity helped too!


    So instead she opened up her sling bag and took out a bunch of papers and files. All of them landed on the desk in front of Charan with a loud thud.


    "What are these??" Charan asked flipped through a few of them.


    "These�� these are all the legal and other doc.u.ments required to start the construction of the mall. Everything is approved as per your plan. There is also a construction contract. It''s in the name of our subsidiary." Shreya said. She couldn''t keep the grin out of her face.


    "But it''s only been two weeks since we submitted the plan. How did you get all these approved so fast??" Charan asked astonished. After all the legal system was dead slow in this country.


    "I have my ways," Shreya said with a proud smile.


    "Now, all you have to do is watch over the construction and keep them within the budget." Shreya continued hoisting herself on the table.


    CHaran checked whether all the papers are in order when Ajay walked in. His face beamed as soon as he saw Shreya and that happiness was actually mutual.


    Shreya hopped down from the table and went near him eagerly greeting him with a hug.


    "Long time buddy��" Shreya said ruffling Ajay''s head. Ajay was the only male a.d.u.l.t who was just about her own height. Everybody else around her was practically giraffes compared to her. And on top of, Ajay acted like a kid with her. SO she particularly liked him.


    "I know. I have been busy��" Ajay pouted childishly and said.


    "Busy playing with teddy bears??" Shreya teased.


    "No�� I was busy with work. You see WORK??" He emphasized waving the files in his hand but then went on to say, "And what is wrong with playing with teddy bears?? My daughter loves it!!"


    He looked so self-righteous that Charan did not know whether he was acting like an idiot or he is one.


    "Which kinda is my point! Your daughter is 3 years old and you are not!!"Shreya said rolling her eyes.


    "SO??" Ajay asked once again.


    Shreya did not bother any more seeing as he was lacking something essential to argue. Brains!!


    "Oh, yea�� before I forget. The first payment should be in your banks. If they are not already, they will be in a few days." Shreya said to both of them.


    After that, Ajay dealt with his business with Charan while Shreya went out to loiter around.


    By the time Charan and Ajay came out of the office, the whole damn office stood surrounding Shreya as she told everyone something making funny faces and animated hands.


    "Shreya�� They are all supposed to be working!" Charan called out sighing.


    "Oh, oops." She said giving a lip service before hopping down from the table she was currently sitting on. All the staff members dispersed scared while Ajay gave them a glare.


    Shreya just obediently followed Charan to his office while sneakily waving byes to the office.

 Chapter 58 - 57

    Charan was in the office�� working when he got a call.


    "Hello��" he talked into the phone without really looking into who was calling.


    "Hey�� this is Akash. Can you check up on Shreya now?? She�� I would go except that she wouldn''t let me in. Maybe you will have better luck!" Akash said without really making much sense.


    "Why?? What happened?? I just talked to her yesterday morning. She said she is going to be really busy at the office for a couple of days." Charan said frowning setting aside his pen.


    "Yes�� She is fine�� I mean at least physically. It''s�� today is her parent''s anniversary... SO she is not really in a good place. She should be in her house, can you please check-up on her??" Akash explained.


    "Yes, don''t worry. I will go now." Charan replied and was out of the office in two minutes straight. He stopped to take a breathe only when he reached her house and stood there in front of her doors. And to his surprise, the doors won''t budge. He tried the bell, but there was no sound coming from the inside.


    "Shreya��" Charan called out concerned. He pounded on the doors rapidly. Thankfully Shreya''s was the only place on this floor. Or else he would have had hell to face from the neighbors.


    But there was no movement from inside even after half an hour of trying.


    Then he called Akash.


    "Hey, are you sure she is in there??"


    "Yes�� She usually just shuts herself in there whenever she�� Just let her be. She is not going to open up until she is ready." Akash said resigned. It had always been like this. She never let anyone near her when she mourned. When she gets like this, she won''t come out for days together at times. But when she comes out, she always behaves as if nothing had ever happened.


    Akash just thought maybe this year it could be different since she had Charan but it seems his hope hadn''t paid him off just yet.


    Charan just sat there for a while�� thinking. An idea came all of a sudden when he sprinted from the place all of a sudden.


    An hour passed when he came back with Akira. Akira was still in her school uniform and she was being carried by Charan.


    Akira pounded on the doors with her small hands and called for Shreya.


    When Charan thought about it, he somehow felt like Akira would be that one person who could make Shreya do something she did not want to.


    A few minutes passed but still no movement from inside.


    "Shreya, I am hungry��" Akira whine clearly faking it. Charan looked at his own daughter surprised. He brought up one smart kid.


    As soon as the words escaped her lips, there was the sound of rustling on the other end of the door and the door cracked open slightly while Shreya peaked out before letting them in.


    "I don''t have anything to eat here. Just bread!" Shreya mumbled in a heavily rasp voice. She looked extremely haggard and that was actually putting it lightly.


    Akira did not reply but instead fell right into Shreya''s arms and held her tightly.


    Shreya was startled for a second but she circled her arms around Akira just as tightly.


    Charan let out a silent sigh in relief. He then took the food that he had bought on the way and kept them on the table.


    Shreya gave him a questioning look.


    "What? I knew you wouldn''t have anything to feed yourself and us! So I bought them on the way. Akira''s choice of course." He added with a wink.


    That''s when Shreya understood she played right into Akira''s hands.


    After a minute or so, Akira pulled away crunching her nose.


    "You need a shower!" She said making a funny face.


    That''s when Shreya actually looked at herself. She looked like crap. She was on her last night''s clothes and her hair looked like a bird''s nest.


    She let go of Akira and excused herself to her room while a slight color spread through her cheeks.


    Charan gave his daughter a reprimanding look but Akira just shrugs her shoulders and went to her own room to change.


    Charan went to Shreya''s room.


    The room was dark and was quiet except for the sound of water running. When he went in, he saw that the doors to the bath were actually open. And inside he found Shreya standing in front of the shower fully clothed. She was just standing there letting the cold water drench her.


    Charan went in and switched off the shower. He then brought her into his embrace without really saying anything. Shreya clung to him weakly. She just rested her head against his chest and stood there closing her eyes. She did not cry or say anything. She just stood there blankly completely out of it.


    Even though she was right there in front of him, Charan felt like he couldn''t reach her or touch her. She looked as if she had retreated to her cocoon where she was hiding all of her emotions.


    Charan pulled away and took her face into his hands and looked at her. She looked exactly what you would expect. Her eyes had that tinch of vulnerability with a lot of despair and anguish while her face looked blank as a white sheet.


    "Hey�� Remember a few days ago you told me to let Akira be there for me??" Charan asked softly.


    Shreya frowned and thought for a second before nodding.


    "Let us be here for you too! Don''t push us away Shreya��" Charan whispered once again tucking her loose strands of wet hair behind her ears.


    Shreya just stared back at him for a while before leaning back into his embrace. She stayed like that for a long while without really uttering a single word.


    When Charan thought that he hadn''t gotten through to her, he heard her whisper.


    "I miss them so much��" Shreya''s voice was barely audible but then in that still room, it echoed through the walls. Then a lone tear escaped from the corner of her eyes and tumbled down her cheeks.


    Charan could clearly hear her voice crack from anguish. If he could, he so wished to take that sadness away from her. But he knew nothing he could say or do that''s going to take it away. All he could do was be there for her and wish it would give her enough to make it bearable.


    So he just tightly held on to her until that time she was ready to be on her own.

 Chapter 59 - 58

    Akira''s shrill voice filled the whole house. She was recounting how she had this huge fight with one of her classmates and how she kicked his ass like a pro in an argument. Akira''s proud and extremely smug expression brought a slight twitch on Shreya''s lips.


    Somehow she got lost on the little girl''s animated story while unconsciously eating whatever Charan had been filling her plate with.


    By the time she actually gave attention to her plate and the surrounding, she was already full stomach with drooping eyes on her couch. She just sat there when Akira came to her. Charan was cleaning up the table and putting away the leftovers.


    Akira struggled around slightly before climbing on Shreya''s laps.


    "Hey, baby��" Shreya said with a very small minuscule smile holding Akira on her laps.


    "Do you miss them??" Akira asked pointing at the TV screen in the front.


    That is when Shreya noticed that she had paused one of her family videoes on the TV. She was watching it sometime yesterday night when she paused and fell asleep.


    "Yes, baby," Shreya said again with the same minuscule smile.


    "She is pretty��" Akira said pointing at her mom- Sumitha.


    Shreya suddenly stretched her hands and played the video and snuggled on the couch with Akira on her arms.


    "You want to hear about what happened there?? Shreya asked pointing at the video.


    Akira bobbed her head enthusiastically while Shreya started to recount the birthday party that was currently playing on the TV.


    "We had this big balloon you know�� it was a figure of Tom I think. I was playing with it and suddenly a sharp edge of my bangle scratched on the balloon and it exploded on my face. I got so scared that I did not play with a balloon after that when I was a kid."


    Shreya talked about everything and anything while Akira listened to it eagerly and slowly dozed off. That is when Shreya bothered to look around and of course, her eyes met with Charan who stood just a few feet away from them.


    Charan took Akira to her room and came back to Shreya. Shreya was on the couch flipping over a photo album. He came and sat beside her. His hands went around her and brought her against himself out of habit and Shreya leaned in without protest.


    As she was flipping through the photos, she slowly started talking in her mellow voice.


    "You know since they were so rich and posh you would expect them to be all poised and distant or something. But my parents were just the opposite. They were always at two extremes. Either they will be all over each other to point it would be awkward for me to be around them. Or else they will be on each other''s throats fighting like cats and dogs. If you ever try to intervene, you will be caught in the crossfire and suddenly you will be fighting both of them and you won''t even know how the hell that shit happened."


    "And I am talking from experience. But trust me when I tell you, you will never win any argument in which both of them are against you!"


    "You look just like your mum," Charan said looking at her mum''s photo.


    "I know��" She said running her hands over her mum''s picture.


    "You know that stereotype of how rich family''s kids always being brought up by nannies and people in the house while the parents go off attending parties and charity gatherings�� that somehow never fit my own family."


    "They made it a point to be there for me somehow. And how my mum managed it being such a big star is beyond me. They never missed any of my birthdays. And all of my birthday celebrations were actually not business parties where I was dolled up and showed off. It was always just close family and friends. With all their faults somehow for me, they were perfect. Maybe I am biased because they are my parents�� but still." Shreya said smiling at the memory but not really completing her sentence.


    "Well, they should have done something extremely right since you ended up being someone this perfect!" Charan said pecking on her temple.


    "Well, now you are being biased! With all my faults even I know I am not perfect. Far from it!" Shreya said rolling her eyes.


    "Well, to me you are," Charan said kissing on her temples.


    Shreya did not reply. She just took his hands on hers and started playing with them.


    But then after a while, she started talking breaking the silence.


    "You know throughout the year�� I just cope somehow assuming and pretending that they are still here and around watching over me or something even if they are not around physically. I talk to walls and fool myself that they are listening�� but this one day somehow that fa?ade always crumbles."


    She paused taking a deep breath before continuing.


    "This one day�� I just never could make myself pretend and believe that they are still around and laugh my way through the day when they are actually not here. Somehow, that just always felt wrong."


    "So you wallow up one day like this every year??" Charan asked looking down at her.


    Shreya stayed quiet without replying for a while deep in thoughts. But Charan waited patiently until she talked on her own.


    A few moments passed when she talked again, "I know this is not ideal. I also know this is not something they would want me to do. But somehow, I always get afraid that I will end up forgetting them or something if I don''t wallow on this day. I couldn''t really digest the fact that I wasn''t there for them when they needed me the most!!"


    "What do you mean??"


    "I�� It''s just we have this tradition in the family or more like my dad made up a tradition in the family starting with me. After completing college before I could start with work, I was sent away for two years�� or at least that was the way dad wanted it to be. In those two years, I should fend for myself on my own�� but then it also came with generous pocket money." Shreya said smiling.

 Chapter 60 - 59

    "How generous are we talking??" Charan asked curiously.


    "Well, if I was careful with my spending, I wouldn''t have to starve. But then I still had to work for my other amenities. But finding a job was particularly difficult since I was told to not use my full name or the degree. I guess he wanted me to improve my capabilities as just Shreya and not as the heiress of Sri group. The first few months had been really really shitty. Especially since we had a deal that if I ever asked help from any of the family or friends, I would no longer be receiving my pocket money."


    "Wow, your dad knew what he was doing!!" Charan commented.


    "He actually did. For the first time in my life, I knew what I was without my family name. For the first time, I came to know the struggles of other people and started to respect them. The experience curbed my arrogance considerably. I knew what it was to be an employee and be bossed around by someone absolutely unreasonable. So I learned how not to be as a boss. I guess more than anything, I learned empathy." Shreya said but then you could also see the pride in her voice.


    "Your father should have been very proud I assume, both of you and himself," Charam said smiling at her.


    "I never got to know actually�� he never got to know me like this actually. They died just shy was my two years ballpark. I wasn''t even in the city when they passed away. This house, I bought it with whatever I earned in those two years. I was so excited to show it to them you know��" She said with a sad smile.


    "They would have been impossibly proud. Trust me��" Charan comforted her to the best of his abilities but her expression did not ease up even a bit.


    "I never got to see that happiness in their eyes when they saw me�� I was this close to coming back before it was time but then I stubbornly stuck to the stupid promise and stayed away."


    "You couldn''t have known Shreya. You beating yourself over something that couldn''t have been helped is not helping anyone��" Charan said. He shifted her and sat her on his laps facing him now.


    Shreya just hung her head low without replying.


    "DO you really think you being miserable is something they would have wanted??" Charan asked softly.


    Shreya shook her head.


    "Do you think they will be okay seeing you shutting yourself like this and wallowing??" Charan asked once again.


    Shreya shook her head all over again.


    "Then you should work on letting go of the guilt," Charan said making his voice as gentle as he possibly could.


    Shreya slowly leaned and rested her head against his neck and whispered, "I will try��"


    "It was not your fault Shreya�� Just remember that," Charan said circling his arms around her.


    Shreya did not reply. She just breathed steadily against his neck resting. After talking, she might not have eradicated all of her guilt but she somehow felt light. At least, she was not suffocating on her guilt anymore. With that thought, her eyes shut themselves.


    She kissed Charan on the neck and mumbled, "Thank you��"


    "For what??" Charan asked.


    "For being here�� for bringing Akira�� For listening�� everything��"


    "You don''t have to mention it."


    After that none of them spoke. Shreya''s breathing steadied as she fell asleep. Charan carried her to her room but and did not leave her there as he usually did. Instead, he laid there beside her and stayed awake watching over her.


    Somehow he did not feel at ease to actually sleep. He wanted to be there if she woke up in the middle.


    When Shreya woke up the next day, she was held in place by four hands. A pair of bigger ones on her left and a pair of really small ones from her right. Both of them were clinging on to her as if their life depended on it.


    She was practically sandwiched between Charan and Akira and her lips spread into a big grin.


    "Well, someone is in a better mood today!" She suddenly heard Charan talk startling her. She looked up and was met with red tired eyes and a grinning lips.


    "Well, what more could you ask for waking up??" Shreya said pointing at Akira on her side.


    "Ouch! That just pierced my small heart Shreya!" Charan said overdramatically clutching his chests.


    "I don''t see any holes there Charan!" Shreya said rolling her eyes.


    "It''s bleeding on the inside! I can feel it��" Charan said self-righteously.


    "Well, your heart ought to bleed and pump. That''s why you are alive in the first place!" Shreya said smirking.


    "Fine, you just sleep with Akira. I am going out now!" Charan said sulking getting out of the bed.


    Shreya smiled and secretly untangled herself from Akira and when Charan had his back to her, she quickly hopped on his back and wrapped her arms and legs around him.


    Charan startled and staggered lightly but then steadied himself and walked out of the bedroom without making a noise. After all, it was weekend and Akira''s had a few more hours of sleep to her name. He walked straight to the bathroom in Akira''s room.


    "What are we doing here??" Shreya asked frowning.


    "I am going to brush my teeth and you are hanging behind me like a monkey!" Charan said sarcastically.


    Shreya sulked and bit on his ears!


    "Shreya��" Charan shrilled and sat her on the counter rubbing on the place she just a bit.


    Shreya had an extremely silly face while giggling.


    Charan''s face softened, at last, seeing her being her normal self. The whole day yesterday, when she was down, that is when he understood how much light she actually brought into his life. Yesterday he understood how much her smile and silly antics made him so extremely happy. He took her face into his hands and gave her cheeks a chaste kiss.


    "If you guys are done, I need to use the bathroom!" Akira''s voice came from behind them bringing them out of their bubble.

 Chapter 61 - 60

    Shreya walked into her office building as usual. When she was walking past Akash''s office, she noticed Akash glaring at a distance fiercely as if he was trying to burn someone. Shreya frowned in confusion and followed his line of sight.


    She was met with a handsome looking young man standing at the end of the corridor leaning on the wall. He had formal pants and a black shirt on which stuck to his skin like glue but somehow he managed to look lean instead of bulky.


    "Why are you boring holes into a guy??" Shreya asked frowning and coming into his office.


    Akash immediately looked away from the guy and looked at Shreya.


    "Look who is out of her house! Who freed you??" Akash questioned her back instead of answering her.


    Shreya just rolled her eyes.


    "Don''t think I would forget how you went behind my back and asked Charan to check up on me?" She said and smirked.


    "Well, he must have done something right seeing as you are out and not passed out of starvation!!"Akash said with a smug smile.


    "Well, yes. But that doesn''t let you off your hook, now does it??" Shreya asked again smirking.


    Akash, at last, took her seriously and sat up straight on his chair. He made a sorry face and said, "I''m sorry. It won''t happen again��" He said with as much sincerity as he could muster.


    "That''s just a whole lot of bull and you know that I know it too! Your sorry face needs a little more work�� And don''t think I don''t know what you are trying to do!" Shreya said looking at him pointedly before sitting on the chair in front of his table.


    "What do you mean?? I did not do anything!!" Akash said innocently.


    "You still haven''t explained why you were trying to burn that guy over there with your eyes!!" Shreya said and looked back only to find that guy talking and chatting away with Madhu. They looked way too comfortable which kinda explained why Akash was boring holes into the guy''s head.


    "You know what, forget it. Don''t have to explain. I am going back to my office now. And you know that project report you were supposed to submit in two days. I want it today. Next time you rat out on me, you better remember what''s waiting for you!" Shreya said and got up from her place to exit the office.


    But before she could take a step, Akash moved quickly and stopped her by holding her arms. Then he gently brought her into his embrace and gave her a warm hug.


    He held on to her firmly and asked, "Are you okay??" His voice betrayed the concern he had for her.


    Shreya leaned into the warmth and breathed in the comforting smell.


    "I am getting there��" Shreya mumbled.


    They stayed like that a couple of minutes more before Shreya exited the office.


    Shreya turned towards her own office but then thought of something and approached Madhu who was still talking to the guy.


    "Oh, hey Shreya. Can I help you with something??" Madhu asked awkwardly.


    "I need these files in my office and also a brief summary of them attached along��" Shreya said and handed her a list.


    Shreya did not have an assistant since she rarely needs help with things. So Madhu pitches in whenever she did need help with something.


    "Okay�� Give me some time I will have them to your desk." Madhu said but then she caught Shreya giving the person beside her a curious stare down.


    "Sorry, Shreya. This is my cousin. He just needed my help with something. He will be out in no time. I promise."Madhu explained hurriedly.


    "Hey, chill. As long as you complete the work given to you, I will have no complaint about what else you do in your spare time within reason. I will be going now. Have a nice day." Shreya and went away with a sly smile.


    She then went straight to Anand''s room. She stood at the entrance and took a deep breath before entering.


    "Hey, uncle. Good morning." Shreya greeted with a bright smile that looked slightly too artificial.


    Anand just looked up from his desk and looked at her. He actually looked at her with keen eyes. For Anand somehow more than losing his brother, his heart ached more when he saw Shreya suffer. Seeing her force a smile for his sake just made it so much worse.


    He knew that smile on her face was for his sake so that he wouldn''t worry. He also guessed she shutting herself up whenever she wallowed up is also for the same reason. But no matter how much he tried she never opened up for him. That on itself told him how bad she was feeling.


    Seeing her like this, his own loss of losing his brother got masked and buried somewhere.


    Shreya waited for a while but Anand did not really say anything. He just kept staring at her.


    Shreya went near him and knelt in front of him. Then she looked at him in his eyes and said, "I am okay, uncle. I am fine."


    Anand looked at her. He could see that she was lying but then he couldn''t say anything either. He just kept a hand over her head and smiled at her.


    "Just know we are all here for you okay?? You are not alone." He said with a small sad smile.


    Shreya just nodded her head and went away.


    Shreya came to her office and just sat there for a minute.


    She could, of course, recognize the concern in both Akash''s and Anand''s eyes but she did not know what she was supposed to do!


    She lost both her parents and she was not okay for obvious reasons. It takes time�� a lot of time. And she had come to terms with it. But she did not know how to ease that apparent heartache the both of them are having for her sake.


    She did not know how to make them understand that she can''t be okay just like that and that her grieving was personal somehow. And that she was not keeping them away but it was just hard to let them in.


    She thought about it all night. Why was she able to open up to Charan and Akira last night?? She might not have brawled on their shoulders but she still shared which was a lot more than she could ever do with the people around her. And the answer she actually came with was that it was possible since they did not know her for that long�� they did not know the person she was when she still had her parents�� they did not know her parents. They were not grieving over the same people. When she talked about her parents, she knows she was not going to see the same raw anguish in their eyes as they were in hers. Their eyes were not going to mirror hers.


    Somehow it was like a breath of fresh air. And she clung on to it like a suffocated person.

 Chapter 62 - 61

    Charan woke up from his sleep in the middle of the night. It was a habit he had developed over time. He will check up on Akira at least once every night. He just wakes up like clockwork every day.


    And as always today to he opened his eyes and stumbled from his room and went to check up on Akira. But once he was done making sure that Akira was still sleeping soundly, he strolled to the living room only to find Shreya buried her head in a laptop without sleeping.


    He quickly checked the time and found that it was well past midnight. He walked towards her and stood in front of her. Shreya was so focused on her work that she did not even notice him.


    Shreya was sitting on one end of the couch with the laptop set up on the coffee table in the front. Charan walked to the other side and crawled towards her laps scaring the crap out of her.


    "Charan!!" She exclaimed once her heart started working again.


    Charan did not really reply. He just snuggled in and circled his arms around her making himself comfortable. Shreya just gapped at him bewildered.


    "Why are you still up??" Charan, at last, mumbled in his groggy voice.


    "I need to finish this tonight. Anand uncle needs it in the morning for the meeting." Shreya answered but when she looked down, Charan was already fast asleep. She reached for the laptop. But her hands did not reach with Charan lying on the lap. She looked down and sighed seeing him clinging to her. She did not have the heart to wake him up.


    So she just slightly wiggled here and there and took it from the table and kept in on the side. She balanced it awkwardly on the couch hand rest and started working. Her fingers flew over the keyboard with her full focus on the screen and the sound of keys tapping filled the quiet house. Charan slightly frowned at the sound but did not wake up.


    Shreya stopped on her track. Her fingers hung there mid-air. She looked around. That''s when her eyes fell on the earbuds she had been using for her conference call a while ago. She carefully reached for it and then plugged them on Charan''s ears. The noise cancellation on those was top notch. So she started her work without worry at last.


    When she finished her work, it was already almost morning. She just mailed all the needed files over and leaned back flopping her head over the couch while stretching the legs in the front. As soon as her eyes closed, she fell asleep right away in spite of not lying down. She was that exhausted.


    That was how Akira found them both the next morning when she walked out of her room. She came and shook her dad awake.


    "Hey, good morni��" but he couldn''t finish his sentence since his mouth was suddenly shut by his daughter''s small hand.


    Charan gave her a questioning look.


    "Somebody was using someone as a pillow last night!!" Akira whispered but there was a layer of icing on her voice as she pointed at Shreya still sleeping in sitting position with Charan on her lap.


    Charan sat up quietly at last remembering where he was. He then looked up at the sleeping Shreya. She looked beat. He carefully picked her up and made way to his bedroom. Just when he was laying her down, Shreya opened her eyes on high alert.


    "Hey, it''s okay. Go back to sleep��" He said softly while gently easing her back to sleep. She closed her eyes back only when she heard the familiar warm voice of Charan.


    When he carefully closed the doors and looked back, he was met with an angry lioness in the form of his daughter.


    Charan gave her a sheepish smile scratching his head. In all honesty, he did not remember how he fell asleep so fast last night. He was just thinking about giving her some company while she worked but somehow he ended up falling asleep and that too on her laps. And more than that he did not understand how he did not wake up after that. He was a light sleeper, so slightest of sound, he would end up waking up even though he would fall right back to sleep. He would still wake up.


    When he was pondering on this, Shreya''s earbuds fell on the floor with a slight clink. It had been stuck around the sleeves of his tees for all this time.


    "Well, that explained why I did not wake up!" Charan mumbled to himself but when he looked up he was met with his own daughter giving him a dirty look.


    "She. Is. Not. A. Pillow!" Akira said angrily emphasizing each word and then turned back to her own room.


    If looks could only burn, he would have already been a bag of dust. A shudder racked through him at just the thought! His daughter could be scary at times.


    But since he couldn''t really do anything about it now, he just went about the day. By the time he came back out after freshening up, he found Shreya at the kitchen counter. When he went near her, he noticed that she did not have her eyes open but was actually swaying right and left without support.


    And as soon as his fingers touched her shoulders, her eyes flew open looking fierce. Charan had a sense of Deja Vu. But before he could ponder upon it his hand got twisted on his back painfully.


    "Ow ow�� Ouch, Shreya!!" He called out in pain.


    Shreya''s eyes widened when she realized her surroundings and instantly let go of his hand.


    "I''m sorry�� I am sorry��" She started apologizing instantly with her worried guilty eyes.


    Charan looked at her concerned face. He swatted his hands several times to get rid of the pain.


    "It''s fine now��" He said in a soft voice and gave her a smile but then her guilty eyes were not lost to him. But still, he did not ask anything. He knew she will tell him when she was well and ready and he was okay with it.

 Chapter 63 - 62

    Adam was lying down on the bed and staring at the white ceiling while a constant beep echoed through the room. He could already imagine the kinda hell he will be facing once Shreya comes here. He was not even bothered much about the deep gash he is currently sporting on his arms and the broken leg that had just been patched up. He could deal with the pain but he was not so confident when it came to dealing with Shreya especially when she was scared and pissed.


    His train of thought was interrupted when there was a knock on the door. His breath immediately hitched but then he released them when he saw that it was not Shreya but was the doctor.


    "Hi, I am Dr. Preethi. I was your attending doctor. How are you feeling??" The female in the while coat talked without really even looking up at him. She was busy checking his charts.


    Adam looked at her up and down. Her hair was way too messy as were her clothes. She looked like someone who hadn''t been home from work for hours. Her face looked tired but her eyes�� her eyes were bright and alert. There was such a spark in them that all else became insignificant. He knew those eyes�� those eyes were the eyes of someone who really knew what they are doing with their life. Someone absolutely sure they are where they want to be in their life.


    It was extremely alluring for Adam. But before he could say anything, someone barged into the room. It was Shreya of course.


    She came and stood in front of his bed with both her arms rested on her h.i.p.s giving him a stern look. She looked really pissed. But then the underlying concern was not lost to Adam. So he just looked at her apologetically giving his best puppy dog face.


    "Don''t even try Adam. Do you have any idea what I felt when I got the call??" Shreya asked angrily.


    Adam could already guess what she must have gone through. John- Adam''s dad was actually overseas, so his next emergency contact was Shreya. SO she must have been the one who got that call in the middle of the night. And he knew how much she must have hated the call especially given how her own parents ended up. It must have scared her beyond reason.


    When he heard her ask, Adam''s eyes softened. "I''m sorry you had to go through it!!" He mumbled under his breath.


    Shreya finally went near him and hugged him tightly. Her heart, at last, calmed down a little bit when she felt him around her. She held on to him until she was sure she could hear his heartbeat. Adam kept his injured hand out while wrapping his good hand around her. He slowly patted on her back comfortingly.


    They, at last, pulled away when they heard someone clear their throat. Adam''s attention instantly wavered away from Shreya.


    "Sorry doctor. This is my friend Shreya. She was just worried when she got the call." Adam explained and looked up at Preethi.


    Preethi let it go of the matter and started talking about Adam''s condition and treatment thereto. But she kept eyeing Shreya. She just felt like she was missing something very obvious in this situation but she couldn''t place it.


    When she couldn''t figure it out, she concentrated on both of them in the front in the hope it might jolt something out in her memory. There was obviously no chemistry between them.


    For a normal person they might seem like a couple but trained eyes like that of Preethi''s, she could see that the bond between them was more familial rather than romantic. But the bond was actually strong. That was obvious from the distraught look Shreya was wearing just about now. She hadn''t taken her eyes off of Adam from the moment she entered the room.


    Even if one did not see all this, one couldn''t really miss the glances Adam was stealing at Preethi from the time she came in. So Preethi concluded the relationship was on the line of a fraternal bond but since they do not have any obvious resemblance with one another and since Adam introduced her as a friend, they shouldn''t be related by blood.


    Even with this conclusion, she couldn''t place what she was missing. But her brain was begging for some rest. SO she decided to ponder on it later and excused herself after giving them all the medical reports and instructions to the attending nurses about the medications and care.


    And Shreya did not really give any attention to Preethi until that time when she thanked her for taking care of Adam.


    Shreya frowned confused.


    "Don''t you think she looks familiar somehow??" She asked once Preethi walked out.


    Obviously, Adam did not hear Shreya since he was busy staring at the door behind which Dr.Preethi just disappeared.


    "Oi��" Shreya snapped her fingers in front of Adam bringing him out of his trance.


    In their group, Adam was actually the eldest bachelor. Even though Zack acts like an uncle to everyone, he was just a year older than Shreya while Akash was slightly younger than Shreya. And Harshad was the same age as Adam but he already has a family.


    That is why Shreya gave Adam a peculiar look when he finally turned towards her.


    "Wow. You like her��" She said. It wasn''t really a question but a statement of fact that Adam could never refute even though he made a futile effort to refuse.


    "What?? What are you talking about?? Don''t talk nonsense��" Adam said dismissingly.


    "I will deal with this later. Now tell me what happened?? Why did you take my bike and how did you end up here"


    SO he explained in detail what had happened. He was actually following someone when he got found while tailing. And the person was no saint, so he tripped Adam and fled. And thus Adam ended up in a hospital.


    Shreya paced for a while as always and said after a while.


    "Okay, here is the thing. You are off that assignment. I will give it to someone else. You are going to stay in the hospital for a while." She said with the same authoritative voice she always used to order everyone around her.


    But Adam protested, "Shreya�� please don''t do that. Yes, the guy knows my face so I can''t be on the field but I am still the best person for the job. SO please, don''t do this. I will be careful. I promise. I will ask for help if I need. Please, Shreya�� You know how important this is for all of us."


    Adam was currently working on getting all evidence possible against the legal companies of their enemies. They might not be able to find evidence that they run the Syndicate just yet. But they could have evidence against their legal establishments. You should just know the right people to approach. It might help in the future.


    "Okay�� fine. But anything even remote to this happens again, you are going to rot away in S crop with Akash." Shreya warned before walking out.


    Once she came out, she sent a text to Zack and went to get something to eat for herself while she waited for someone to come over to stay with Adam. She would stay herself, she just�� she hated hospitals. She was slightly phobic even. She would never be able to get any sleep in this place and on top of it, no one would ever let her stay here let alone Adam. He will probably be the first person to kick her out. So it was better to ask for others to come and accompany him on her own rather than letting herself get kicked out by someone who just had his legs injured.

 Chapter 64 - 62

    Sorry guys... there is some mix up with the chapters. This is Chapter 62 while the one previously updated in Chapter 63.


    Shreya was in her office slumped on her table. She knew she should talk to Charan about her ex. But then that would mean telling him all about her parents and all the baggage that comes along with it. She did not know if she was ready for all that just yet. It''s going to bring a whole lot of memories that she is just not ready to relive yet. Talking about the happy parts of her parents is one thing but talking about how she lost them was a whole different thing that she wasn''t sure she could handle just yet. And thankfully so Charan did not ask anything to her.


    If she thought about it, Charan never asked her anything at all from the start. He never asked why Rakesh took his daughter or why he disappeared all of a sudden or why she had it for him.


    She was really grateful for that but she also felt guilty. She wasn''t betraying or anything. She will tell him everything when she is good and ready but then that time just is not there yet and she felt guilty for it, is all. But she promised herself she will at least tell him about his ex if this happened again. She will just tell about the general background of her parents and leave out the rest. And she knew that Charan would not ask anything she wasn''t ready to tell.


    When she was dwelling on this, she heard her doors open after a soft knock.


    She looked up and found Madhu standing there biting her lips nervously.


    "Hi��Uhm�� Morning��" Madhu said. There was hesitation in her voice as if she was finding it hard to decide what to say.


    "Morning. What is it??" Shreya asked arching her brows.


    "Uhm�� I just��" Madhu started but hesitated to continue.


    "It''s okay�� go on." Shreya encouraged.


    "It''s just... Do you know what is up with Akash?? He is acting out! Like a lot." Madhu asked at last.


    "When was he ever acting in??" Shreya asked. Akash is actually known for his short temper. So him acting out is no news for her.


    "NO�� I know his temper. I have factored it. But this is different. His temper is slightly worse but his working is way out. He was never like that. And he keeps staring into walls a lot. Like a lot lot." Madhu explained.


    Shreya was immediately reminded of the time she had caught Akash boring holes into Madhu''s cousin a week back.


    "When did it start??" Shreya enquired.


    "I don''t know�� A week ago maybe. But not more than that." Madhu replied after thinking about it.


    "Okay�� I will talk to him." Shreya replied and sent her away.


    Shreya let out a sigh. She originally wanted to torture him lightly so she never told Akash that it was Madhu''s cousin and she was originally planning to keep this going for at least a month. But now it seemed she need to call it short. She had to explain to him before he ended up dragging her company down.


    Shreya got up from her seat and went straight to Akash''s office.


    Akash was on the phone talking to someone with files scattered all around his desk. He looked up slightly surprised. Shreya doesn''t usually come out of her den during office hours. She is usually either buried in piles of files or fast asleep on the couch. She might get up to deliver food for Anand max. But other than that she doesn''t leave her office much.


    So he raised her brows confused while still on the call.


    Shreya saw that but also could deduce the call is going to take long. So she looked around and wrote something on the notepad and left without a word.


    Just when she exited the room, she bumped into Anand.


    "Oh, hey Shreya��" Anand greeted her with a smile but then also saw that she did not look right. She had that mischief bubbling on her eyes but then her usual smilie face was missing kinda contradicting each other.


    Shreya forced a smile out and greeted him, "Hi uncle. What are you doing here???"


    That kinda distracted Anand away from Shreya.


    "It''s just�� I heard Akash had been weird lately. First from Bhagya and then from some of the employees." He said. When Bhagya first said it, he thought she was being paranoid or something. But then when he heard the same from some employees around gossiping he decided to check upon him.


    "oh, you don''t have to worry about it. It had been handled." Shreya said confidently with the smug smile.


    Anand frowned but let it go. Because he knew when Shreya said she handled something she would have. So once again his attention fell on Shreya herself. He took her hands and dragged her to his own office saying, "Okay. I will let you deal with him. But you�� you are coming with me!"


    "Uncle��" Shreya not understanding where he was taking her and what he wanted with her.


    But as soon as they entered his office, he faced her with his hands folded in the front and asked in a stern voice.


    "What is wrong with you?? Why do you seem down??"


    Shreya blinked several times not getting what he was talking about.


    "Does it have to do something with your new boyfriend??" He fired up once again. He did not have any negative vibes from him yet but if he made her even the slightest bit uncomfortable, he will rain Charan with hell without a second thought. And Charan won''t even know what hit him.


    Shreya, at last, caught up to Anand''s train of thoughts.


    "Technically it does. But it''s not what you think," Shreya replied calmly.


    "Then what is it??" Anand asked once again.


    Shreya let out a sigh but stayed quiet. She walked to the couch and sat down before telling him what happened that morning.


    "Did he get angry??" Anand asked.


    "Not really. He did not even ask for anything actually. He just reacted as if it was normal to be pinned down every time he wakes someone up!!" Shreya said slightly irritated at herself.


    On the other hand, Anand just grinned.


    "What are you grinning at??" Shreya asked confused.


    "I just imagined the scene. Your small frame pinning him to the floor!!"Anand said without an ounce of guilt. Anand might not have met Charan officially but he had seen him here and there and he knew how big he was especially as compared to Shreya. So it was a tad bit comical if you imagine it as vividly as he did.


    "Uncle!!" Shreya exclaimed. But then the image invaded her mind uninvited and the expression on his face got stuck to her head. An involuntary giggle bubbled at the base of her throat. If she hadn''t been mortified of what she did both the time, she would have clearly seen the humor in his shocked expression with her uncle''s help.


    But the giggle abruptly stopped and she glared at Anand.


    "Uncle, I am being serious here!! What is I hurt him seriously??" She asked exasperated.


    "Okay, okay�� I will be serious. Look, he is a big guy. He can take care of himself. And from his experience, I bet he will be really careful too whenever he wakes you up. So chill!! Take it easy." Anand tried to talk some sense into Shreya. But he knew it won''t help. He knew her and she always been stubborn with things like this no matter what anyone said. So instead he changed the subject and asked, "That aside, when are you bringing that brat to meet anyways???"


    .

 Chapter 65 - 64

    It was the dead of the night. There was an eerie silence surrounding the whole place. The only sound around was the chirping sound of crickets in the garden. A man was lying awake in such dead of the night staring at the ceiling of his jail cell in his prison jumpers. He had a sinister smile on his lips that could send cold sweat down your spines.


    He had a cunning expression as if he is waiting for the downfall of someone. His lips were smirking. All in all, he looked like an old indie movie villain in a soap opera.


    But the serenity was disrupted by the sound of shoes thudded against the floors of the silent corridor. The man in the cell did not bother looking since he assumed it should be guards doing round. The shoes came to a stand-still outside the man''s cell creating a shadow over the man''s face, at last, alerting him. But before he could even get up from his place, his mouth was muffled while his whole body was lifted high in the air.


    The guys struggled with all his might but then he was sorely outnumbered and outmuscled. So all his efforts were in vain. He was blindfolded and bundled out of the prison in no time.


    He was brought to the garden where another man stood. He commanded the other to let the prisoner go.


    The prisoner immediately staggered to his feet and pointed his fingers at the man in front of him, "Who are you?? What do you guys want with me??"


    The man in the front did not bother to acknowledge his question but instead signaled the guys around and the next second a hard punch landed on the prisoner''s jaws.


    "OWwww��" The prisoner exclaimed in pain holding his jaws. He glared at the guy but did not say anything afraid he would be beaten up again.


    "Now�� Let''s get something straight here. I will be the one asking the question here. Are we clear??" The guy asked nonchalantly. He looked lazy like he is used to doing this shit on a daily basis which just made him even more intimidating to the prisoner.


    So the prisoner nodded his head and stayed quiet.


    "SO now�� I know you have been spreading the rumor that you know who is behind what happened to Minister Rakesh. Is that correct??" The guy asked hovering over the prisoner.


    The prisoner simply nodded his head but there was a sense of arrogance crept on his eyes.


    "Who is it??" The guys asked once again.


    But the prisoner just looked at him without answering.


    "I asked who is it??" The guy repeated moving closer hovering over him with just an inch gave but the prisoner did not answer still.


    "What''s in it for me if I give you the information??" The prisoner asked instead.


    The guys around already surrounded the prisoner and held him down on his knees while the man in the front pulled out a gun and pointed it at the prisoner.


    The prisoner''s eyes at last saw fear. But still, he did not give in. Because he knew if he gives in now, he will be dead the next morning. His resolve to not to just give away the information strengthened.


    "If I wasn''t clear before. Let me make it clear now. I will be the one asking the questions here. I asked who is it??"


    "I asked what''s in it for me??" The prisoner asked defiantly.


    "You get to keep your life if you say the name," The guy said with a sinister smirk.


    "Well, I know if I give the name, I won''t be waking up tomorrow morning. So you can just shoot me now. But if you do need the name, then get me out of here legally and set up an untraceable account with 5 crores first. And when I am far away from here, I will give you the name!!" The prisoner said returning the smirk. He had to put up a brave front or else he would end up dead in hours. So he swallowed his fear with great difficulty.


    The guys in the front gritted his teeth and his fingers hovered over the trigger dangerously.


    The prisoner closed his eyes instinctively and flinched away.


    The guy pulled the gun away frustrated and let out profanities in anger.


    "How would I know you won''t just run away with the money��" He asked after calming himself down with great effort.


    "I won''t. You just have to trust me on it. And if you can''t you can always shoot me now!! But you are not getting the name before I know I am safe." The prisoner said smugly.


    The guy''s blood boiled seeing the prisoner''s expression. If only he had other ways to get the name he would have long before shot the guy without any second thought. But they have been at it for months now and still could not get a single clue as to who was behind this shit. He really needed that information.


    "How do I know you will tell me the truth??" The guy asked.


    "As I said, you just have to trust me on that!!" The prisoner said once again.


    The guy saw that he was getting nowhere with the prisoner so he gestured the other guys and they immediately took the prisoner back to his cell.


    The person stood there for a while. He took out a cigarette and lit it. He leisurely puffed out smoke as he contemplated. He cannot make the decision for himself here. The risks were too high and it might come back to bite him on his back if the information turned out to be false. He cannot afford the risks. So he took out the phone and made a call.


    "Is it done?? DO we have a name??" A male voice talked from the other end. The voice had no warmth whatsoever.


    "No, sir. The guy is demanding. He wants to be out the jail and 5 crores cash!!"


    "Bastard!! Okay, come back. We will discuss!!" The person on the phone said and cut the call.


    The guy snubbed his cigarette on the ground before walking away with the other guys hot on his trail.


    The prisoner let out a breath of relief but then a smile crept on his lips.


    He was a genius after all. He did not only make a deal to get out and live happily but also could get revenge on Shreya as a bonus. What more can he ask for??

 Chapter 66 - 65

    Shreya came back the next day armed with food on both her hands. She walked through the corridor swinging her hands. The corridor was empty since Adam was placed in the VIP ward. When she reached his room door, both sides of the door were guarded by Zack''s people. She greeted them with a bright smile and went in.


    She knew almost all of Zack''s people since she trains with them. But the people here, she did not recognize them. So a slight frown formed as she went in. And as soon as she stepping into the room, she was met with two duffers sleeping in Adam''s bed while Adam himself was sleeping on the couch.


    She kept the food aside and went near the bed. Akash was sleeping on the far side to her while Pritham was sleeping on the other. Pritham had his hands and legs hoisted over Akash. Both of them was sleeping nicely with drools coming out of their mouth.


    Shreya did not bother with manners. She straightaway pulled out the pillows from under them and blankets off of them. Both their heads crashed on the bed with a thud and both of them startled awake pissed.


    "What the hell!!!" Akash exclaimed while Pritham cursed. But both of them lost their voices when their eyes landed on Shreya along with their sleep.


    "Oh, hey Shreya. Good morning��" Akash said bravely with a timid smile.


    On the other hand, Pritham just gave her a sheepish smile sitting up.


    Of course, Adam woke up due to all the commotions and looked around groggily.


    "Had a nice sleep both of you??" She asked with a sinister smirk.


    Both of them bobbed their heads nervously while looking at Adam for help. But before Adam could even decipher their looks, Shreya beat him to it and said.


    "Well, some people are going to have a very bad morning if they are not out of bed in two minutes!!" Shreya said with a sickly sweet smile that drove Akash and Pritham to almost pee their pants.


    Pritham scrambled out of the bed clumsily and almost tripped on his own legs before standing up straight. But Akash could not get up since he was still heavily tangled in his blanket. So he did not even bother to get up. He straight away rolled out of the bed in panic and fell face-first on the floor just beside the couch Adam was currently sitting on.


    "Ouch!!" Akash wailed in pain and rubbed his nose at last properly getting up and finally standing up on his feet. Pritham let out a giggle while Adam gave him an amused smile.


    Shreya could be terrifying when she wanted to be. And since this was one such time, nobody in the room dared to even breath loudly.


    Shreya them faced Adam and said gesturing at the bed, "You, come over here and rest properly. I brought you lunch!!"


    And Adam obediently got out of the couch and limped his way to the bed. Both Akash and Pritham made themselves sparse and tried to become invisible statues on the far background.


    Shreya, of course, saw through their intentions. She pointed at the both and said, "And you two�� help him freshen up and for godsakes wipe your drools." She seemed irritated�� more than usual. And why wouldn''t she be? After all, she left them to look after Adam last night. Not to steal his bed away from him and sleep through the night disregarding him completely. But she also knows all three were thick as thieves. And they were just messing around. And that when the time comes, they always had each other''s backs. So she refrained from being too harsh on them.


    And both Akash and Pritham did not want to make it worse. So they immediately obeyed everything she said as if it was an imperial decree.


    Akash helped Adam to the restroom with Pritham hot on his trail carrying a towel and after 10 minutes, they all, at last, looked like human beings rather than roadkills.


    By then Shreya had set up the food for all of them.


    "You did not make them did you??" Pritham asked cautiously standing far away from them. He had not so pleasant experience with Shreya''s cooking. And for a picky and overbearing eater as himself, it was a total nightmare. Others were not that particular about food. But Pritham was extremely choosy. He was not ready to even try without knowing.


    "Of course not. What do you take me for?? He is already sick in the hospital. I wouldn''t take such risks. This is Ramani aunty''s food." Shreya said in a very defensive voice.


    Pritham immediately smiled and joined the others and gobbled away.


    A few minutes in, the three had almost eaten the plates along with the food and sat there sprawled with their stomach full.


    Adam looked like he could use some real sleep in an actual bed. SO Shreya let him rest while hauling Akash and Pritham out with her.


    But before going away, she looked at the guards out and said in a stern voice, "You know the rules�� no strangers in or out. And make sure to ID the staff here. I don''t want any mishaps. If anything happens you can say goodbye to your jobs and freedom too." She was a tad bit overdramatic to make sure they know how serious she was and also to scare them a bit so that they won''t be lethargic about it.


    Pritham couldn''t help but give the rookies a sympathetic look. They were trying hard to not panic and their efforts paid off somehow. They stood straight on their feet solemnly nodded their heads and bowed to Shreya as she walked off. Once they were sure that Shreya was out of sight, they let out a loud sigh of relief.


    They were rookies but they had heard their fair share of rumors about Shreya. As per their seniors, she is uptight and hard to please at first but once she warms up to you, she was pretty easy going. But they also warned them that it was not an easy task to get on her good book and that it takes time.


    Shreya and the guys reached the car park. They all got in and sat there for a while. Shreya sat behind the wheels while Akash sat on the front side passenger seat with Pritham occupying the back seats. Shreya just sat there staring at nowhere without starting the car.


    "Hey, he is going to be okay. Don''t worry��" Akash said ruffling her hair.


    "I just have a bad feeling. You guys, be careful. Watch your backs��" Shreya said and at last, started the car.

 Chapter 67 - 66

    "Can you please refrain from ogling at me and actually pay attention to what I am saying and answer the questions??" Dr. Preethi said irritatedly glaring at Adam extremely pissed. She had been on duty for already 18 straight hours. So she wasn''t really in the mood to make any idle conversation and flirt. She can''t really wait to get out of here and actually be with her son.


    There was only one thought that was actually keeping her going still and that is, she doesn''t have to come back here for 2 whole days once she was out today. She can''t wait to spend some quality time with her son at last. So she wasn''t really apologetic if she had to cross some guy flirting with her to do it.


    Adam averted his eyes immediately but then looked at her shell shocked. After all, this wasn''t their first conversation. And all the other times he had talked to her, she hadn''t shown any sign of hostility so far. So he was surprised and confused by her sudden change in behavior.


    But that besides, he could also hear two duffer friends of his snickering from behind him.


    Akash had almost spat out the water he had in her mouth when he heard Preethi while Zack laughed under his breath. Today they were in duty to babysit. Pritham had some other work so Zack had to come on behalf. But he did not think this could be this entertaining. He looked at him highly amused as Adam started answering Preethi''s questions obediently.


    Once Preethi was out of the doors, Adam flung his pillow in the direction of where Akash and Zack were sitting saying, "Go away, you duffers��" And it hit them straight on point too. Zack had quick reflexes so he hit it away while it hit Akash''s straight center of his face.


    Akash, of course, glared at Adam while Zack just said, "NO. can. do. Strict orders!!"


    "And nobody messed with Shreya''s orders. You know that!!" Akash said right after him.


    "Ugh!!" Adam groaned frustrated.


    This had been going on for weeks now. And they were not even helpful. Not one bit. Rather they entertained themselves at his expense to deal with the boredom. Adam begged Shreya to let him be and that he could handle things himself. But she wouldn''t listen and he can''t exactly rat out on his idiotic friends either. So he was stuck with them making fun of him all day and stealing bed at night.


    "You guys are not getting to sleep in the bed tonight!!" Adam said with a dead-serious expression. Well, at least that''s what he tried but of course, the two people did not see it that way.


    They just snickered and said in unison, "We will see about that."


    But before Adam could react, the doors to the room opened again and Pritham walked in.


    "Just great�� What is this?? A mall?? Don''t you guys have any other job than to be a pain in my ass??" Adam asked sulkily.


    "What did I do??" Pritham asked confused. He had just done with the work Shreya had given her and came back as told.


    While the other two just rolled their eyes.


    Zack walked up to Pritham and said putting his hands over his shoulders, "Don''t worry Pritham. He is just pissed cause he got scolded by his girlfriend."


    "What?? When did he get a girlfriend??" Pritham asked unaware as always.


    Akash looked at him dubiously. After all, they were the two who looked after Adam for most parts. SO they were almost always present whenever Preethi came to check on him.


    "I have no idea where he keeps his eyes!!" Akash muttered resigned.


    "I do not have a girlfriend!!" Adam said decisively to clear the air.


    "And you wouldn''t be having one forever if you don''t act fast. You are getting discharged in 3days. Once your stitches are removed no more pretty doctors to flirt with!!" Zack sarcastically pointed out the obvious. But it was actually news for Pritham himself.


    "What??" He asked surprised. Since he was stuck to these four walls, he lost track of days easily.


    "You will be out of here in three days buddy. Kicked out!!" Akash emphasized coming and standing beside him with his hands rested on his shoulders.


    "I don''t want to go!!" Adam suddenly said like a kid throwing a tantrum.


    "What do you think this place is?? A hotel?? Where you can just stay because you want to?? It''s a hospital!! " Zack said scorning and then rolled his eyes.


    That''s when Adam actually thought about what he wanted. So far, he was just being casual about everything. But the thought that he might not be able to see her after this made him feel weird on the inside as if he was constipating or something. He did not like the feeling.


    All he thought was he had a crush on her maybe, a physical attraction. But the thought of separation brought the kinda emotions that are alien to him.


    SO he sat there contemplating how to deal with everything while Pritham at last, understood who they were talking about since the only doctor who attended Adam so far was Dr. Preethi.


    "You mean, Dr. Preethi?? She was leaving the hospital just as I was coming in. And she is going to be on leave for the next few days�� did you not know??" He asked confused. He might not be good at observing facial expressions but he has very good ears.


    "What do you mean by leave??" Adam asked suddenly sitting up straight coming out of his thoughts.


    "I just heard her instruct the nurses to call some other doctor here to take out the stitches on her behalf since she won''t be on duty for the next few days," Pritham replied.


    Adam''s face dropped instantly. He was not expecting this heavy feeling. He did not expect to feel so disappointed with just the thought of not being able to see her again. He did not even know when he started having such deep feelings for her??


    He barely knew her. They might have talked maybe 5 times in total?? SO why was he so sad?? Why was he feeling so anxious and restless?? The answer was a big fat ''I don''t know''.

 Chapter 68 - 67

    Charan came to his mum''s late that Friday. This weekend they were planning to have a small outing with everyone since Preethi also said she was having the weekend off. He stood in front of the door and rang the bell.


    Preethi opened the doors looking exhausted.


    "Why do you look like a zombie??" Charan asked looking at her frowning.


    "Well, that''s what happens when you work for two days straight with little to no sleep." She said yawning. She looked like she would end up falling asleep right there standing at the door. So Charan carefully placed his arms around her shoulders and guided her in. He then came back to close the doors.


    When he came back to check up on her, Preethi was actually sleeping sitting on the couch.


    Charan shook her awake and asked, "Why are you sleeping here?? Go back to your room and sleep" His voice was considerably soft.


    Preethi did not move. Instead, she rubbed her eyes and willed the sleep away. She then looked at Charan and patted the space next to her. Charan sat down quietly and waited for her to start talking patiently.


    Preethi just sat there looking her hands deep in thoughts. She seemed hesitant.


    Charan extended his hands and rubbed the back of her head and asked softly, "Hey, di. What is it??"


    Preethi bit on her lips nervously and asked, "How did you know Shreya was right for you??" She might not have met her in person yet but she could clearly see the changes in Charan and Akira. When they lost Samantha, they actually coped better than one would expect. But there was also a void they did not know how to fill without Sam. They were happy most times I guess. That does not mean they had replaced Sam with Shreya. God! No. Akira still can''t sleep with her mom''s picture with her. But somehow that void had reduced in size.


    Charan pondered hard on the question. In all honesty, he himself did not have an exact answer for that.


    "I don''t know actually. Call it a gut or an impulse. When she first confessed so straightforwardly without batting an eye, I did not even know what got into me. I just did not like that thought of letting her slip away. She is just very real in ways I don''t even know how to explain."


    "But if you want a specific thing that made me sure of her�� then it''s probably how she accepted Akira. She never once told me that she will raise Akira as if she was her own or tried to be her mom. If she did, I don''t know. Maybe I wouldn''t have believed her so readily. But she did it with her actions. If you asked her to choose between me and Akira, I know for a fact that she will end up choosing Akira over me every single time. I don''t even know how I know that. Sometimes, action speaks louder than words."


    A small smile spread on his face as she thought of the time when Akira and Shreya both first met, "Without any fuss, she just crept her way into Akira''s heart with so much ease that it left me baffled. She understood Akira you know in ways even I never could. She lit up Akira like a Christmas tree just like that."


    Preethi just listened to him with a small smile but did not really reply. She just stayed quietly beside him in deep thoughts.


    Charan asked after a while, "Why are you asking this all of a sudden??"


    Preethi''s mind flashed the images of Adam involuntarily. A person has to blind if he cannot decipher his intentions towards her and she was not. But she had no idea how to go about it. She had Akil and years worth of scars. Will anyone be able to put up with all that?? Will anyone be willing?? But as Charan said, she did not want to let slip the opportunity to be with someone in the future because of something that happened in the past.


    When Charan saw that Preethi was silent, he pondered for a while. Then he put his arms over her shoulders and he started speaking again very softly.


    "I know your marriage had done a number on you. But don''t hold back because of it. He is not worth it. You deserve someone beside you. You take your time and go as slowly as you want. But don''t avoid it all together okay??"


    Preethi, at last, spoke up, "I don''t know Charan. For now, all I have is a gut feeling to go with and its scary as hell. It''s not just me who will be affected. If it was, I wouldn''t be so scared. But there is Akil�� He had been through enough already."


    "I know. Trust me, I know what you are talking about. I am not asking you to jump sh.i.p.s and runoff. Just take a small step forward and if it is right, everything else will fall into place by itself with time." Charan said gently.


    But looking at Preethi, he knew she was not convinced.


    "I know you are thinking about Akil. I know you are trying to protect him. Trust me when I say I know exactly how you feel. But kids are not that fragile. Don''t make them. Akil''s happiness lies in how happy you are. He is not going to be happy no matter how much you try to protect him if you are going to be miserable and alone." Charan said trying to drill some sense into his sister. Because of her ex, she lost confidence in her judgments as well as relationsh.i.p.s. She stayed far away from them. But if she is actually asking him about something like this, then he could already decipher how much the person had invaded her thoughts.


    "Not everyone is going to be like Shreya you know??" Preethi argued.


    "True. But what if he is and you miss the chance of knowing him. More than that, what if you miss the chance of giving Akil someone like that in his life?? And what are you afraid of?? You have your own personal knight in shining armor in the form of Akil. At the slightest sign of unhappiness from you, Akil is going to have his throats." Charan countered.


    Preethi smiled at that image. And her son was very much capable of it. But she did not have an answer so she just stayed quiet. Charan looked at her for a while before getting up and pulling her with him. He then shoved her into her room and said, " Go get some sleep now. I don''t think zombies are allowed for the outing tomorrow. SO if you want to come tomorrow, you better get some sleep now."


    Preethi followed his instructions absentmindedly and sleep engulfed her very quickly.


    If his own family was traditional or something, he wouldn''t have gone out with Shreya nor would he have advised his own sister as such. But his own family was as open-minded as they could get and so he knew nothing will happen. He was also really really grateful for his own parents for accepting Shreya.


    It was not her personality he was worried about. He knew she could sweep them off their feet without them realizing. What he was scared of was her status. Her social standing was intimidating and he was scared as to how his own parents will react when all hell is going to break. But since Shreya was down to earth, things had worked out so far. He had also long decided not to dwell on it until it was absolutely necessary.

 Chapter 69 - 68

    Shreya walked into the hospital room armed with food. But she was surprised to see Adam actually awake. At least his eyes were open but were actually staring at the ceiling with a blank expression. There was only Zack in the room so Adam actually had the bed for himself once but he was still awake. Shreya looked at Zack puzzled and asked, "What''s up with him??"


    Zack put away the newspaper he was reading and looked around to see what she was talking about. When he saw Shreya looking puzzled at Adam, he just said dismissingly, "Leave him alone. He had been like that all night. He is just reflecting on his tardiness."


    If Shreya was puzzled before, she was downright confused now. But seeing as Zack has gone back to reading his newspaper, she went straight to the source of her confusion. She went and shook on Adam''s shoulders and asked concerned and confused, "Hey buddy, you okay there??"


    Adam came out of whatever cloud he was lost in and looked around, at last, giving some attention to his surroundings.


    "Oh, hey Shreya�� What are you doing here??" Shreya had been busy the whole week. With Adam''s accident, she insisted on personally overlooking the investigation he was conducting. And on top of it, Akash and Pritham had been taking turns to look after Adam the whole time. And since Shreya would rather be covering their works in their place than stuck in hospital that always smelt like disinfectant, she stayed behind covering for their works.


    She took a break only because it was the weekend and since Charan was also busy with his family this week, she came to check up on Adam. She wanted to make sure if the idiots at least fed him right even though she couldn''t say she was confident about it.


    "Checking up whether they fed you or you had already passed out in some corner out of starvation!!" Shreya said shrugging. She then sat on the bed beside Adam facing him.


    Adam rolled his eyes, "Those idiots?? Feeding me?? I have been the one feed them!!" He said sarcastically.


    "Today I am feeding you. SO get up now. Go freshen up and come." Shreya said shooing him to the washroom and simultaneously opening all the boxes. Zack immediately crowed behind her and started serving himself before Adam could come but Shreya did not complain since she brought food enough to feed a small army thinking Akash and Pritham will be here. But since they were not, she is actually going to have some leftovers.


    As soon as the smell of food hit his nostrils, Adam''s stomach growled loudly. So he hurriedly appeased it by gobbling the sandwiches Shreya had bought. But because of all the rushing, two bites in, he hiccuped. Shreya just rolled her eyes and passed him a water bottle and said, "Nobody is here to steal your food today. SO eat slowly."


    But as soon as the words left her mouth, the hospital room door was opened and in came Akash and Pritham bickering.


    "Talk about irony!!" Zack commented and stealthily hid his own plate with the food away from their reach.


    Adam did the same while Shreya let out a giggle. But Adam was not so worried because he knew with Shreya around nobody will be able to take his food away from him.


    Once their bickering was done, Pritham''s and Akash''s eyes zeroed in on the food first. They did not even notice Shreya. They both wordlessly pushed each other away and made a beeline towards Shreya wrestling.


    Shreya simply got up from her place and stood in front of the bed with her hands folded with the food covered behind her. Her eyes were serious and stern.


    Both idiots were not expecting Shreya to stand like that. SO they almost ran into her but they screeched to a stop just a few inches in front of her. Because of stopping so suddenly, Pritham stumbled against Akash making him almost lost balance but somehow they both managed to steady themselves and stand straight in front of Shreya with a cheekily awkward smile playing on their lips.


    "Hey, Shreya��"


    "Hi, Shreya��" Pritham said followed by Akash.


    Shreya gave them a look as if they were cartoons. And to an extent, they did look like cartoons scratching the back of their head and simultaneously stealing glances at food. Adam was purposely teasing them by showing off the sandwich he was eating right that moment while also dramatically m.o.a.ning in order to express how good they were. He just snickered when they gave him a dirty look.


    But both Akash and Pritham stood there nailed to the place because of Shreya. And as you all know, nobody messes with Shreya.


    Zack let out a chuckle seeing all this. This was top notch entertainment for him. Looking at the miserable faces both idiots were making, one would think they were starved for days or something. But Shreya guarded Adam like a mother hen protecting his kid. So they had no chance even if the played the puppy dog face.


    Adam, on the other hand, was giddy with joy. He thought it served them just right for making him sleep on the couch for the whole time he was in the hospital.


    Shreya, at last, moved back when Adam had had his fill. Once again both of them wrestled their way and gobbled away all the rest of the food in two minutes straight. They ate as if they were breathing air or something.


    Shreya gave them an astonishing look.


    "If someone sees you guys, they are going to think I am starving you guys or something!!" She said in disbelief.


    Once they were done with the food, their attention shifted to Adam at last.


    "You traitor, you ate without us. That too in front of use. And that too without giving me!!" Pritham exclaimed over dramatically at Adam for which he just stuck his tongue out.


    "As if I would wait for you. Both idiots have been sleeping in my bed for a week now�� and did you forget how every time I made someone bring me food, you two always ended up eating most of it??" Adam said rolling his eyes.


    They fought like this for a whole lot of time. By the end of it, Shreya was seriously considering dumping all the three of them in a mental institution somewhere while Zack brought himself a bag of popcorn from the canteen and enjoyed the show. For him, it was more comical than any comedy he had ever seen.

 Chapter 70 - 69

    The heavy breeze filled the air and made all the trees sway to its beats. The rustling of the leaves against each other along with the sound of the wind made the whole garden feel like a symphony performance. And Adam was there in the middle of it staring at nothing in particular. He stood there and just listened to the sound all around. It gave him a sense of peace. There were few people here and there. But not much.


    But his alone time of interrupted when he felt someone put their hand on his shoulders calling him out. He turned around and was met with Shreya''s concerned eyes.


    Adam was the only other level headed person in the group other than Shreya herself. Zack was good when it came to strategies and stuff but he also had a short temper. So you can''t really call him level headed. But Shreya and Adam were different. They thought long and hard before they ever said anything. That is why somehow they were always the first people to notice anything wrong with anyone around them.


    They were observant. Guess it comes with not letting their emotions rule them.


    That is why Shreya also knew something was not right.


    "What''s up, Adam?? What is wrong??" Shreya asked him concerned.


    At last, Adam also let him guard down and leaned on Shreya''s shoulders. The downside of level-headedness was also overthinking.


    From the moment he heard Preethi won''t be in the hospital for a couple of days and realizing he won''t have the opportunity to meet her again, Adam was driving himself crazy with overthinking.


    Since he was no good with romance, he did not really know how to gauge his own emotions. He did not know why he felt so lost and sad and disappointed at thought of not being able to see her on a daily basis?? He knew where she worked, so he should be able to visit her if need be�� he knew that�� but why?? Why did he want to meet her??


    Shreya ran her hands over the back of her head comfortingly but stayed quiet. She knew he would start talking when he was well and ready.


    After a while, they were both sitting side by side on the park bench. They were in the hospital garden. As soon as the finishing eating, both idiots fell asleep snoring on his bed all over again while Zack left because of some work. Adam came out to get some quiet while Shreya just followed him out concerned.


    "Dr. Preethi is on a vacation. I don''t know if I will be able to see her before discharging!!" Adam said straight out of the bat in a very soft voice that was barely audible.


    Shreya looked at him and asked, "And??"


    "I like her Shreya. I don''t even know if she is available or if she reciprocates it or if she will ever give me a chance. I don''t even know if this is what ''like'' feels like. But the thought of not being able to ever see her or talk to her, it is not sitting well with me" Adam confessed once again without beating around the bush.


    Shreya''s brows scrunched as she listened to him. She looked at him confused and asked, "Don''t you think you are confessing to the wrong person??"


    Adam turned towards her sharply and looked at her as if she grew a horn or something and asked, "I can''t just go and say all this to HER??" He gave special emphasis to the term ''her'' to make sure Shreya understood there was only one ''her'' and it was Preethi.


    "Why not??" Shreya asked once again confused and he could see she was not being comical.


    Adam just looked at her completely dumbstruck.


    "How can I Shreya??? She doesn''t know me?? I just saw her maybe 5 times and didn''t talk two sentences straight each time?? What if she ends up thinking I am some obsessive freak or worse a pervert??" He asked blinking at her vigorously.


    Shreya, of course, looked at him as if he was the king of idiots!!


    "So you are going to just let things go??" She asked arching her brows at him.


    "No�� of course not," Adam said instantly but did not know how to continue that sentence.


    "Then what are you going to do??" Shreya asked once again.


    Adam puffed a sigh and slouched defeated.


    "I don''t know��" He mumbled after a while.


    Shreya rested her arm on his slouched back and ruffled his hands a little bit.


    "You can''t know her if you''re not going to talk to her. You are definitely not going to know what it is that you feel for her without spending time with her." She said slowly.


    Adam just nodded his head agreeing with her.


    "I am not asking you to make any promises or profuse your undying love for her. Just go talk to her. Don''t just keep eyeing her with intense stares. You should be able to do that right??" Shreya asked giving him an amused look.


    Adam smiled and nodded at last. When she actually put it like that, all his overthinking and nervousness and the lost sleep��. All of it felt like a joke in retrospect. He felt slightly stupid even but then Shreya always had that effect on people around her all the time. How it came to be, no one knew. But she just had that effect on people.


    "How did you do it??" Adam asked curiously. He never really questioned her about her boyfriend. No one really did. They were all so astonished that she had one at last that they never thought of asking all these questions nor did she come to anyone for advice.


    How she managed it was a mystery since she was as oblivious to the term romance as he was. She was someone who did not really know how to act coy or talk sweet. She was always very straight forward with her words. He knew that better than anyone. So he was suddenly curious as to how she was able to woo Charan.


    Shreya then started describing their first meeting briefly.


    "And then before getting out of the car, I just told him I like him and gave him my number." She finished with a proud smile.


    "You are telling me you just told a guy you liked him straight to face after spending two hours with him?? And that too after getting an hour''s worth of sleep in between??" Adam asked looking at her dubiously.


    "Yep��" Shreya said bobbing her head. Her smile never faltered.


    "And you dragged him to the roof right after meeting him??" He asked once again.


    Shreya nodded again. But a frown formed on her brows not understanding why he was repeating everything she just said had happened.


    "Something wrong with that??" She asked.


    "Nothing�� nothing is wrong with that except for the fact that you must have probably scared the crap out of him��" Adam said rolling his eyes.


    In western countries, this was probably not a big deal. But in a country where 90% of the marriages are arranged by the families and where sometimes the girls are not even allowed to talk to the guy before the marriage, what Shreya did was just�� Let''s just say it was disconcerting and perturbing.


    Here, a relationship starts, it had to end up in marriage. Though things are changing but not by much. But still love marriages are a luxury only a small section of families allow and even fewer give the liberty to their kids to explore and know what kind of a person they want in their lives.


    So you can see why Adam was so nervous to approach Preethi or why he was looking at Shreya so weirdly. Because here a guy approaching a girl is a shame for her and some presume that it was somehow her fault that he was provoked.


    He just silently prayed the Preethi was not from one such family.

 Chapter 71 - 70

    Charan sat there on the sand while wind and waves deafened his hearing. His eyes were trailed keenly on Akil, Akira and Preethi playing in the water. It was nice to see Preethi having fun. Usually, because of the long hours, she is almost always not home. Akil, being the mature kid he was always had been understanding and never asked for his mum. He knew his mom was out there earning for him and saving lives. But seeing them both having fun today was such a blissful change to watch.


    After an hour or so, Preethi at last came and sat next to his brother exhausted while the kids settled down to building something with the sand.


    "Sit far away Preethi�� I don''t want to get wet!!" Charan said making a stinky face.


    He did not like getting wet. He was not a fan of water in general least of all saltwater. So he scurried away from her a bit by himself when he saw that his sister was not making any attempt to move.


    Preethi just looked at his brother as if he was an idiot. He knew Charan was slightly a neat freak and that is why he wouldn''t play in the water but then she did not bother changing him. She is a doctor and had no problem, so why was he having a problem?? She never understood it.


    Their parents were actually back home. They had accompanied them all morning as they visited all sorts of temples. But since they couldn''t really do anything on the beach and also tired they let the youngsters go to the beach. Bharath would have accompanied them too but then he got called out by his friends at the last minute.


    Preethi just sat there enjoying the moment. It was such a rare thing to get free time like this for her. But that doesn''t mean she did not like her job. She actually did but it was just slightly exhausting. And every time she got the slightest chance, she spent it sleeping. So this was good for a change.


    She just gazed at the sun mesmerized. God knows how long it had been since she last saw a sunset.


    The sun was coming down slowly making breathtaking scenery. It was orange and red making the waves look as if the ocean was actually bleeding or something. Preethi''s breathing almost hitched when she saw the scene unfold in front of her.


    Right then Akira shrilled, "Dadddyyyy��"


    Charan quietly got up from his place and approached his daughter.


    "Yes, baby��" He asked as he came close to her.


    When he went near, he saw the clumsy-looking castle that both little ones had managed to make. It was small and falling down. But it did look like a castle which was the point right.


    "You did great kiddos. It looks fabulous!!" Charan praised the kids generously.


    Both Akira and Akil bloomed like flowers instantly and gave him a big smile. By then Preethi also joined them. Akil looked expectantly at his mother.


    Preethi''s brows frowned looking the lump of sand awkwardly shaped into somewhat cylinders. Guess, like beauty, art also depends on the eyes of the beholder. What looked like a castle to Charan looked like a lump of sand to Preethi.


    "What is��. Ouch!!!" Preethi started asking what it was in confusion but failed and wailed in pain when Charan suddenly stomped her on her foot giving her a glare.


    Thankfully the kids were not paying attention to Preethi when she started asking the question. All they noticed was her shouting in pain all of a sudden. Akil instantly got up from his place and stumbled towards his mom with his small legs.


    "Mumma�� Are you okay?? What happened??" He asked concerned. Preethi internally cooed at her son''s care.


    But then she did not want to rat out his own brother, so she just rubbed slightly on her foot that just got stomped by her stupid brother and looked at her son with a slight smile and said, "Nothing bud. Just mosquitoes." While simultaneously giving her brother a stinky glare discretely.


    "Oh, weren''t you going to say how excellent the CASTLE they have made is??" Charan said in between her glare with slight ice and special emphasis on the word castle. Charan was long before aware of Preethi''s inability to please children. She knew how to take care of them and treat them. Sure�� but when it came to pleasing them or charming them, she had zero talent. But since Akil was a really smart kid, he overcompensated for his mum and let things slide. But Charan did not have the heart to make him go through it today�� not when he could help it.


    That is why he was helping his own idiot doctor sister today.


    Preethi, thankfully caught what he meant and said with an exciting smile, "Yes guys. You guys did a great job. It looks fantastic�� Just like a castle."


    The children gave an excited smile that almost felt like it''s going to hurt their jaws.


    "Dada�� take a picture and send it to Shreya please��" Akira said and posed in front of the castle with a proud big smile making a ''v'' with her fingers.


    "Okay bud, you stand here and Akira will stand there. Now, look at me with your best smiles��" Charan instructed the kids and took numerous pictures with his phone.


    Once he was done sending them, Shreya instantly replied with a humongous amount of kissing with a heart emojis.


    When Akira saw this, she beamed all over again and sent kisses back to Shreya. Preethi could clearly see his phone as Akira typed the reply. Her eyes zeroed in on the media before the photos that Charan had just sent. It was photos of Shreya that his own dear daughter had sent to him to torture him from Shreya''s phone.


    Her brows frowned on the familiarity.


    "Is that Shreya??" She asked Akira pointing at the photo.


    Akira nodded absentmindedly and continued to text with Shreya.


    For Preethi, it was hard to place faces since she ran into hundreds of people literally every single day. After a while, all the names and faces just blur into one�� A patient. And a patient is remembered by his or her chart and not by name or face.


    So the familiarity kinda confused her.


    "I know her. I have seen her��" She said out loud to no one in particular.


    Even though Charan and Akira talked a lot about Shreya, they never showed them any photos of her. SO no one knew how she looked until they actually met. But since Preethi never made it that day, Charan frowned in confusion to what she was saying just now.


    "Where?? A couple of years back, her photo was actually published in newspapers. So you might remember from them" Charan said seeing as she did not know where exactly she had seen Shreya.


    "No�� not like that. I saw her somewhere like in person. And it happened recently too. I am sure. But I am just not sure where��" Preethi explained vaguely while trying to remember where she had seen that face.


    That day when she first examined Adam, she was focused on her work and he was just another patient so, she never gave any attention to her surroundings. That is why she only remembered things vaguely even though it had happened only a couple of days ago.


    After wracking her brain for a good 5 minutes, she still couldn''t place the face. So she just let it go and went and helped her son who was doing something with the sand beside the castle.


    "Hey bud, what are you doing here??" She asked sitting down beside him.


    "A castle�� A castle that you can recognize." He said with determined eyes.


    Preethi''s cheeks heated up instantly. She blushed and looked at her son with a sheepish smile.


    "I know you had no idea what that is!!" Akil once again said but then also smiles at her mum and said, "And I am making one now which you will actually recognize."


    "You know what?? Even I will help you!!" She said and joined him in his venture that had originally started because of her own stupidity somehow.

 Chapter 72 - 71

    "We don''t really talk over phone that much do we??" Shreya suddenly asked him making him wonder.


    Charan was still at his mum''s place. So he called Shreya at night before going to bed. Of course, Akira had already talked to Shreya for at least an hour before he even got the chance to say hello to her. God knows what they had talked so long for and Charan was not the one to ponder on it and give himself brain damage.


    But what Shreya asked kinda made him think. This was probably only the second time they actually had a conversation on the phone. Most days, both were so busy with their own works that they never talked during the day. Not even text. Except for informing each other of their whereabouts they never really stayed on the line. But then it was also true that they were almost always stayed the nights together except for when Charan has had to spend it at his mum''s. Even then, it was always Akira who would end up talking to Shreya for hours before sleeping.


    "I guess since we are almost always either at work or together we don''t really get the opportunity��" Charan said thoughtfully.


    "Okay to compensate all that time we lost, we are going to talk all night!!" Shreya said excitedly.


    Charan chuckled at her childish behavior and the over the top excitement over something so simple as talking over the phone but then he agreed to her very quietly.


    That is when she started talking about Adam''s accident and his new crush in great detail. But who knew, 5 minutes later all Charan could hear was her loud snoring and incoherent mumbling.


    He let out another chuckle and cut the call. But not before saying, "SO much for talking all night!! Good night sweetheart."


    He then went to his own bed and crashed for the night.


    ......��


    He was woken up early the next morning with the ringing of his phone. He felt around with his eyes still closed and searched for the phone. And when he found it, he attended the call without looking at the caller ID.


    He was not exactly awake but he still mumbled very groggily, "Hello"


    "Hey��" Shreya talked on the other end equally dazed.


    "Why are you up so early in the Sunday morning and why are you calling me??" Charan asked at last actually opening his eyes and looking up at the clock.


    "I called you yesterday to actually ask something. But then I talked with Akira and forgot all about it and ended up talking all kinds of shit instead." Shreya blabbered but then she was nowhere near actually opening her eyes anytime soon.


    "What is it??" Charan asked.


    "My uncle and aunt invited you for dinner tonight!! Are you free??" Shreya asked almost going back to sleep. It was almost like she had been fighting to keep herself awake for so long just to say this.


    "What??" Charan asked surprised. She had been telling him for a while now that he needs to officially meet up with her uncle and aunt�� you know ''the-formal-introduction-of-a-boyfriend-to-her-family'' meeting. But they never had a specific date set since they were both busy at the time. This weekend off was the first weekend he stayed completely away from work in a long time.


    That is why he was so shocked. He did not know if he was ready for that yet. Not because meeting parents and elders means commitment. But because it was just way too intimidating and he was afraid he won''t be able to calm his nervous heart down in such short notice. He was completely unprepared and caught off guard.


    But all he heard from Shreya''s end was her snoring all over again.


    "Sweetheart�� don''t do this to me." He whined softly.


    "Hmmm��." Was all she said before her breathing went back to being steady. He could almost imagine her drooling in her sleep.


    Charan called her out for a few more times but to no avail. But resigned and cut the call.


    He then got out of the room. His sleep was long gone and he started pacing around in the living room while scary thoughts bombarded him.


    That was how Gopal found his son.


    "What are you doing up so early??" Gopal asked bewildered. None of his children were early risers. Neither was he but since he had to walk every day due to health reasons, he was forced to get up.


    Charan was startled to hear his dad''s voice. He didn''t know anyone ever got up this early in his house.


    So he asked his dad the same question, "What are you doing dad?? Why are you up so early??" But then before even Gopal could reply, Charan''s eyes landed on his dad''s exercise tracks.


    "Oh, you are going for a walk��" He said before Gopal had the chance to reply. But then in his daze, he forgot to answer his dad''s question.


    One look at his son, Gopal knew something was wrong with him. So he dragged him along with him to the park. While he strolled around the park, Charan ran laps. After sweating for good 30 minutes, Charan was at last composed. He then sat on the bench beside his dad.


    They both took a breather and calmed down. Both of them just sat there quietly for a while until Gopal broke the silence.


    "Now tell me why were you not asleep??" He asked Charan putting his arms around his shoulders.


    Charan recounted Shreya''s phone call.


    "And then she fell asleep very conveniently after dropping the bomb on me!!" He finished angrily pouting.


    Gopal just let out a laughter. It was refreshing to see his son behave so childishly after so long time. After everything he had been through, he had lost pieces of himself. He did smile and laugh and tried to be happy to the best of his ability. But he lost the innocence and the childishness. Seemed like Shreya was bringing it back to him.


    "Don''t laugh at my miseries!! You are my dad, in case you have forgotten!!" He said to his dad sarcastically highly irritated.


    "Okay�� Okay�� I am not laughing but don''t you think you are being a tad bit overdramatic here. It''s just one dinner. Why are you pissing your pants over it??" Gopal asked dubiously.


    "You don''t understand. Why if they think I am after their money and take her away from me?? What if I screw up and they don''t like me?? What if I end up saying something really stupid and they get offended?? You know how stupid I can be when I am nervous." Charan himself did not realize he had so many insecurities until this very moment when he was confessing to his dad.


    "I can''t lose her dad. Ever�� I don''t know how she did it�� but she is like air to me now. And for her, her uncle and aunt are above everyone in her life. She would never disobey them. I know that. I have seen her talk about them. She literally patronizes them.." Charan said running his hands in her hairs forcefully. His voice literally shook.


    Gopal just swatted his own son on his head at his stupidity.


    "Well, you are right about one thing though. You are stupid when you are nervous! Do you ever use your brains??" Gopal asked mocking him.


    Charan blinked at his dad not understanding what he had done to earn the ridiculous look he was giving him.


    "Have you ever thought why Shreya patronizes them?? She doesn''t strike me as the girl who is going to obey and respect someone just because of their blood relation to her or because they are her elders!!" Gopal said and looked at his son.


    "She is not��" Charan confirmed his dad''s observation.


    "Then can''t you already guess the kinda people they are from the way Shreya treats them?? Trust me. You are going to be fine. They are going to be wonderful to you!!" Gopal said patting on his back.


    Charan felt as if somebody had lit a light bulb on top of his head all of a sudden. He, at last, looked at his dad gratefully. His stress eased up considerably.


    But even then he was determined to impress them and get their approval. He made the mental note to buy them some gifts before visiting.

 Chapter 73 - 72

    Charan stood there in front of the awfully intimidating mansion with sweaty palms. He was building up the courage to actually go up and ring the bell. But it was not easy.


    The mansion was huge. At least three stories building built on what he assumed are at least a few acres of land. There were trees all around and an awfully neat garden that was maintained to be prim and proper. At last, he got to know how filthy rich she actually was. Compared to this, Shreya''s own apartment looked like a freaking matchbox. And that was saying something given he felt that apartment is itself big enough.


    He stood there awkwardly in his formal shirt and jean looking so thoroughly out of place.


    He made sure he looked presentable for the nth time. He then looked at his watch to make sure he was on time and then reached out for the bell. But before he could even ring the bell, the doors flung open and Shreya dashed towards him with an extremely exciting smile dancing on her face. And before Charan could even register what was happening, she hurled herself on him and wrapped her arms and legs around him tightly. She crashed on him with such force that she almost toppled them both. Instinctually he wrapped his arm around her and steadied the both of them. She was practically hanging on to his like a monkey with her hands tightly wrapped around his neck and her face completely buried over his shoulders.


    When he came back to his senses, he gathered her in his arms and hugged her with the same intensity. He poured all his nervousness, worries and insecurities into the hug. He took deep breaths and smelled in on her scent which calmed him down considerably. They just stood there like that for what felt like hours.


    But then eventually Shreya loosened her grip on his neck and pulled away to see his face.


    "Gosh! I missed you so much��" She said dramatically while still being hoisted on his h.i.p.s.


    Charan''s lips curved into a magical smile when he heard her. He pecked her on her lips and chuckled slightly. All his worry, insecurities, and nervousness vanished into thin air the minute he had her in his arms.


    "Why are you laughing??" Shreya asked frowning.


    "Nothing�� it is just. If someone saw you, they are going to think we have been apart for years or something when in actuality it was just a couple of days." He explained tucking her hair behind her ears.


    "Let them think whatever they want. I missed you like crazy and that is all I know. And you are my boyfriend, so I can miss you as much as I want. And they have no right to question me," She said shrugging her shoulders. She then leaned in and bit on his ears harshly as she always did whenever she felt possessive over Charan making him wince in pain. Thankfully she did not bite him on his cheeks as usual. Now that would have been extremely awkward to explain to her aunt and uncle.


    When Charan looked up at her for an explanation for being eaten, she just gave him a sparkling proud smile and kissed the same spot. He just chuckled resigned.


    But then right that instance, something dawn on him suddenly and a frowned formed on his face.


    "You�� You don''t talk to me!! I am not going to talk to you!!" He suddenly said pouting and looking away from her. He sounded comically angry. However, he still had his arms securely wrapped around her holding her in his torsos safely. It was almost like, even in anger, he couldn''t bear to keep away from her.


    "What did I do??" Shreya asked confused.


    "You�� You called me so early in the morning waking me up and asked me for dinner and fell asleep!! And on top of it, you absconded for the whole day!! You have any idea how nervous I was!!??" He confessed glaring at her. But it was still comical since he actually looked more like a kid whining for candy than an actual angry a.d.u.l.t.


    Shreya''s eyes softened when she heard him and guilt crept in.


    "I''m sorry. I''m sorry. I just�� I was called in for work all of a sudden and never realized. I am really sorry��" Shreya apologized repeatedly looking worried. Her face lost all the excitement she just had a few minutes ago.


    She could easily relate to his state of mind. After all, she also went through them. But for her, he had been there with her along with her aunt and even then she was barely holding on. So she couldn''t even start to imagine how he had coped.


    Charan, on the other hand, couldn''t bear to see her fallen face. So he just kissed her on the cheeks and said, "It''s okay��"


    But before Shreya could react, they heard someone clear their throats from behind them. When Charan followed the noise, he was met with Anand and a middle-aged lady who he guesses is Shreya''s aunt- Bhagya. He immediately let go of Shreya but made sure she was standing properly before taking his hands away from her.


    He then looked at them awkwardly. A slight blush itched on his cheeks. Talk about a bad first impression. He stood there fidgeting with his hands nervously. But Shreya just grabbing his hands and dragged him towards his uncle and aunt in confident strides with a big fat grin playing on her face as if they were not just got caught doing PDA in front of elders.


    "Uncle�� aunt�� This is Charan. And Charan this is my uncle and aunt." Shreya made the introductions.


    Charan politely said, "Hello��" He could feel the daggers being thrown at him from Anand. So he just looked down avoiding his eyes after his greeting.


    No matter what, Shreya was his niece and his princess. So he was not exactly pleased having someone else''s hands all over her. Maybe it was his protective instincts speaking or maybe his ego. He just did not like it.


    "Let''s go in��" Bhagya said clearing his throats and forcefully dragged her husband with her.


    Shreya acted oblivious to her uncle''s angry stares. When she was about to drag him inside like her aunt, Charan pulled on her arm and asked in a whisper, "Are you sure your uncle is not going to murder me and dispose of the body in the property??"


    His voice was meek and completely serious.


    "Don''t worry, I know how to catch my uncle''s bullets!!" Shreya said and dragged him in.


    Charan felt defeated and let her drag him with her. But the warmth in her small hands gave some confidence.

 Chapter 74 - 73

    "Anand, stop boring imaginary holes into the poor kids head!!" Bhagya said sternly at her husband seeing as he was still glaring at Charan.


    This was probably the scariest interaction Charan had ever had in all of his life.


    The place itself looked so intimidating to him. The whole place screamed ''rich''. He was sitting in the living room but it looked more like a lobby of five-star hotels than a home.


    A very grand chandelier hung on the center with matching lamps all around made the whole place look bright and yet very cozy. From the screens on the windows to the carpets on the floor, every damn thing actually looked very stupendous and affluent. And don''t even start on the furniture. They were beyond top-notch. Because of his profession, he could almost price tag each and every interior here and that just scared him more.


    And on top of it all, Anand was sitting right in front of him and like Bhagya said he was glaring at Charan. If looks could kill, he would be 6 feet under by now. So the whole atmosphere was tense and heavy. And his wife''s words were unheeded.


    The only thing that was holding him to place was Shreya''s hands holding his. It was like an anchor making him stay in place. But even then cold sweat dripped from all over his forehead.


    Shreya squeezed his hands and then reached out to wipe away his sweat with the sleeves of her t-shirt. But while doing so, she talked in a very sweet voice.


    "Remember?? Today someone in the office completely forgot to have lunch and his tablets but then easily got away with it by giving puppy dog eyes. Don''t you think he got out of it too easy aunty??"


    Shreya made sure she had wiped away all of his sweat and looked at Charan to make sure he was okay. Charan gave her a sweet smile. Once she was sure that she had handled Charan, she turned towards her own uncle with a sweet smile. But somehow this smile seemed to elude the sense of craftiness.


    "What do you think uncle??" She asked him purposely. Both of them knew she was actually talking about Anand himself.


    Anand, at last, averted his eyes away from Charan. But he looked slightly disappointed that Shreya was going against him in order to defend Charan.


    "Oh, stop being so overdramatic Anand. It doesn''t suit you. Remember the time you climbed through the wall and fell into my room''s balcony a few days after our engagement??" Bhagya teased attempting to ease up the environment slightly.


    Anand looked at his own wife sharply surprised she would say something so embarrassing in front of everyone but a slight blush seeped onto his cheeks when he heard Shreya giggling.


    "You guys�� You are not being fair. You guys are ganging up against me that too in front of a guest!! What is he going to think of me now!!" He whined with a wronged voice at last his stern demeanor crumbling.


    Both Bhagya and Shreya just at each other and rolled their eyes. Charan, of course, saw the whole situation and was slightly confused. But then her uncle actually looked down. So he pulled on Shreya and gestured her towards Anand.


    Shreya signed and then gave Charan a squeeze before getting up from her place. She then went and sat beside Anand. She leaned over and kissed on Anand''s cheeks and said very sweetly, "Sorry uncle��"


    Anand huffed her cheeks and looked away but then he also put his arms behind Shreya on the couch as if claimed his territory. Shreya did not notice the slight look he gave Charan that said he was not off the hook just yet. Charan just gave Anand a polite smile in return to his hostility.


    Shreya obliviously just leaned on Anand and nuzzled against him.


    After a while, she suddenly started talking with a hint of sadness, "If you scare him away now, then you guys will be stuck with trouble making lazy princess all your life. What would you do then??"


    Anand just pulled her closer to him and kissed her temple and said, "You are no trouble kiddo! You are a gift. And that guy there is one lucky bastard to have you in his life as I am!! He better know that��" he gave Charan a stern look all over again.


    Charan just smiled and said, "I do know that!!" Anand could clearly see the sincerity in his words. So at last, he eased up a little bit. Not completely but then he decided to, for now, give him the benefit of doubt.


    Throughout the dinner, Anand caught Charan''s eyes unconsciously landing in Shreya several times. It was almost as if he couldn''t control himself. He could also tell that Charan knew Shreya''s food preferences to the T.He knew exactly what she liked and what she disliked. Whenever Bhagya served something she liked on his plate, he kept sneaking it to her. When on the other hand when Shreya would struggle to eat something that was served to her that she did not like, he snuck and ate. This happened throughout the dinner.


    Anand could clearly see that Charan genuinely cared for Shreya. Flowery words and pretty gifts are easy but no one could fake this level of intimacy and care. He could also see Shreya glowing with him around. Shreya was never sad before but now somehow she actually seemed happy. That is why Anand had decided to give them his support even if it was begrudgingly so. After all, no father is ever going to like his daughter''s boyfriend unconditionally. But they still want their daughters happy. That is why he told Bhagya to take Shreya with her when he had his talk with Charan.


    When Charan came to the living room after cleaning his hands, he was met with a stern-looking Anand standing all alone. Bhagya dragged Shreya away with some work.


    Charan nervously stood there in front of him. He took a deep breath and braced himself for whatever to come. He was not going to challenge anything Anand was going to say. After all, he knew what it was to be a parent and how overprotective they can be especially when it came to their little princess. SO he was ready to wait as long as it takes and do whatever it takes to get Anand''s approval. But then boy!! was he in for a surprise.


    Instead of being reprimanded or warned to keep his hands to himself, Charan was actually pulled into a really awkward hug by Anand.


    "She had lost enough in her life. So I am not going to be the person taking the happiness she had found for herself in from of you. You just take good care of her. I find her shedding tears because of you��." He said pulling away from him in a completely emotionless cold voice but left the last sentence incomplete. He then left leaving behind a shell shocked Charan in the living room.


    Of course, the underlying threat was not lost to Charan. He knew if he screws up, he is going to be in deep shit. But even then a smile spread on his face for having successfully crossing the worst of it.

 Chapter 75 - 74

    "Charan��" Shreya called out for him.


    After dinner, Shreya was dragged in by her aunt to help her with some bank issues. It was so painfully obvious that it was an excuse to let Anand uncle and Charan talk alone. After all, to Anand, everything Bhagya ever said is more than an imperial command. So he wouldn''t have said no to her if she had asked Anand to help her. But then Shreya just played dumb and helped her anyway.


    But as soon as she got back, Charan was already ready to leave. He said his goodbye as soon as she joined his aunt and uncle in the living room and was out of the house in 5 minutes. Shreya did not have any chance to talk to him. So she had asked him to wait for her at her apartment.


    She wanted to talk to him before he went back to his mum''s place. But when she entered the apartment, she was met with darkness and pin-drop silence. So she was now not sure whether he had received her message or not.


    But before she could call out for him again, she was engulfed into a pair of warm arms stark contrast to the chillness outside. Shreya nuzzled in immediately and asked in a very small voice, "Did he say something hurtful?? Please don''t take his words to heart�� he is just a tad bit overprotective. He will come around eventually��" She comforted him worried before even knowing what had happened between Anand and Charan in the living room before she came.


    Charan frowned confused. "Did you not ask your uncle what he said??"


    "No, he stubbornly refused to give me an answer when I asked him, saying this was his revenge or something for siding with you before the dinner." Shreya muttered slightly frustrated but then asked in a meek voice without giving Charan the chance to talk, "He did not say anything mean right??" Her voice was laced with concern. Even though the chances of Anand saying something mean to someone she cared about is pretty slim she was still concerned because she knew how overprotective Anand was. But even if Anand did say something mean to Charan, she knew she would never be able to go and question his uncle. She loved him way too much to do that.


    But more than that, maybe if she had her parents, she would have had the courage to do that and stand up for Charan against them, but after losing her parents, somewhere in her thirst for parental love and a family she completely lost that courage. Unknown to herself in spite of all the efforts taken by Bhagya and Anand to make her feel belonged insecurities crept in her heart


    She never had the courage to tell Bhagya her food preferences let alone question Anand about his behavior to her boyfriend. She might look all high and mighty on the outside. She might even pretend to threaten and tease her uncle, but under all those, she never got over that one fear that unknowingly latched on to her and spread through her like a virus.


    ''What if I say or do something that they don''t like and they stopped loving me?? Then I will become an orphan''


    This fear paralyzed her to the point where she stopped seeing reason. She never even stopped to think whether Anand and Bhagya were someone that petty or that callous and uncaring. For Bhagya and Anand, Shreya was as good as their own child. Anand would proudly call her his first daughter even when Adithya- (Shreya''s dad) was still around. But then Adithya would also call Akash and Bhavna ( - Anand''s youngest child) his own kids too. But after losing Adithya and Susmitha- (Shreya''s mom), Anand took it upon himself to be there for Shreya. Some times, he treated Shreya more than his own child but that never affected Bhavna and Akash since they did the same. It was almost like the whole family tried to overcompensate her for losing her parents.


    Shreya was not really oblivious to this. But even after knowing she couldn''t really control her broken paranoid heart from being afraid.


    Charan pulled away from the hug. And when his eyes landed on hers, he could see some sort of complicated and painful emotion pass through her as if someone is asking her a choose one of her hands over the other.


    "Hey�� stop overthinking okay�� He did not say anything mean. In fact, he actually hugged me and asked me to take good care of you!!" Charan said with the brightest smile.


    Shreya looked up shocked at first but then her brows frowned in suspicion. She looked at him keenly to see whether he was lying but when she found his clear eyes, all her anxiety from the past hour vanished in a second. She felt so relieved that her legs gave out. That is when she actually knew how anxious she herself had been.


    Charan caught her immediately while Shreya just tightly held on to his neck without letting go. Since they were still at the entrance of the apartment, Charan lifted her on his h.i.p.s and carried her to the living room and sat on the couch.


    Charan tried to pull her away wanting to look at her but then Shreya stubbornly refused to let go. Resigned, Charan spoke against her shoulders and asked her, "hey�� what is it??" He was confused. He did not understand what was going on.


    Shreya stayed quiet for a long time but then she pulled away at last and sat on his laps properly. She then took his hands in hers and started talking.


    "I just�� I am just so so glad he agreed. I really don''t know what I would have done if he did not approve." The vulnerability in her voice was very apparent. She looked straight into his eyes and continued without a pause. She spoke the words that literally took his breath away without really realizing what she was doing to him.


    "I love you, Charan. I do. And I love Akira more. But my aunt and uncle�� they are just so much more. I wouldn''t know how to smile without them�� I can''t lose them Charan�� for any reason!!"

 Chapter 76 - 75

    Charan stopped breathing. He just kept staring at her to make sure she was actually here and saying the words to him rather than him being in his office, daydreaming.


    But of course, Shreya did not really realize anything wrong or peculiar about anything she said. So she just continued her rambling.


    "Without my uncle and aunt, I wouldn''t�� I can''t imagine it. SO please understand okay�� even if my uncle did do anything wrong or said anything rude�� I won''t�� I can''t stand up for you. I am sorry. I am really really sorry. I know there is a lot of baggage that comes with me. But I am trying�� I am trying with my everyth��." but her mini-lecture got interrupted midway when Charan''s warm pair of lips crashed on her plush one as he kissed her senseless. He kept one hand on her cheek while the other rested on her small waists keeping her in place. He pulled her face closer to carter to his need as his lips made sparks fly all over the places.


    This was definitely not one of the slow sweet kisses they had shared; his lips were hungry, desperate and scorching hot against hers and Shreya forgot everything else. Charan''s tongue dived into her mouth hot and slippery while his teeth desperately slurped on her lower lips on their way back. All Shreya could think at that point were the pair of lips devouring her to point where she felt like her whole being was being sucked in and not just her lips.


    Charan, at last, pulled back when he felt her struggle for air but kept them close. Both of them were panting for air and their heated breaths brushed each other''s faces.


    When at last Charan leaned back and actually saw Shreya''s face, his eyes were met with extremely dazed eyes and a quivering pair of lips. He tentatively ran his thumbs over her lips and spoke in a hoarse voice, "Do you even know what you just said, sweetheart??" There was also a hidden layer of desperation in his voice.


    But Shreya did not understand what he was asking. Her dazed eyes were now filled with confusion. She looked at him with so much innocence. Her completely oblivious eyes were almost like torture for him.


    A deep throaty groan escaped his lips as he buried his face into her necks in frustration. He was desperate to hear those magical words from her sinful lips all over again. He would beg is he had to. He felt as if he would never get tired of hearing them from her no matter how many times she said it. But he wanted it to be from her own accord. Like she just confessed so naturally as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.


    On the other hand, Shreya racked her brains but still came up empty. She knew she rambled a lot just now but she did not remember saying something that could spite his anger. But then she never remembers much when she is fl.u.s.tered and anxious. So she mumbled, "I''m sorry�� I did not realize what I said. Please don''t be angry��" She begged in a small voice.


    "Oh sweetheart, you have no idea what all crazy sinful things you are making me feel right now�� but anger is just not one of them��" He whispered against her neck in his deep voice while his lips conveniently touched her milky skin as he spoke, making her shudder. Shreya lost her train of thoughts all over again.


    Charan could hear her voice confessing over and over again in his head like a broken record making his stomach flip. But along with it also came a surge of possessiveness��


    ''she loved him�� she confessed to him�� and she was his. Just his��''


    These thoughts plagued him like a disease. And just the thought of her confessing the same to someone else made his blood boil. Just imagining the possibility left a sour distaste in his tongue.


    An animalistic need rose in him to mark her as his. He wanted the world to know that the one she loved was him and HIM ALONE.


    At last, he understood Shreya''s need to mark him as hers. He wanted to do the same.


    "Mine��" He growly harshly against her neck.


    He then ran his tongue and sucked on her neck region uncontrollably. His lips and tongue played with her skin eagerly and freely making her see stars. Just when he was sure she was fully distracted in pleasure, he dug his teeth in just over the blades of her shoulders.


    Shreya winced in pain but then it died down into a m.o.a.n when Charan licked the place better and continued his magic with his mouth.


    Only when he was satisfied with his own handy work did Charan let go of her neck but by then Shreya had already turned into cloudy eyed shivering and whithering mess who had to hold on to his shoulders desperately for some support.


    Charan patiently waited for her to get back her bearing while his eyes trailed on her face without blinking. He memorized each and every small freckle to her big brown unfocused eyes.


    He wanted to know and remember exactly how she looked the first time she had confessed. He wanted to commit it to his memory and relive it. And a dandy proud smile adorned his face when his eyes landed on the impression of his teeth just over her shoulder blades. It was already turning pink.


    For Shreya, as she was getting her heart to calm down and make her lungs work properly, fatigue also came along.


    Charan''s eyes eventually met with her tired ones. He remembered she had told him she had been busy with work the whole day. And on top of it, her emotional state must have taken a toll on her.


    When all stress, at last, blew away, she felt tired�� extremely tired. So much so that her eyes started drooping on their own accords right there when she was still sitting on her laps. Her face fell and landed on his shoulders while her hands went limp around her neck. Sleep slowly drowning her in bliss.


    Charan cradled her carefully. He knew he was supposed to go back home but he did not have the heart to leave her today. He rocked her slowly and patted on her back just like one would lull a baby to sleep.


    That night he couldn''t really bear to take his eyes off her. Sleep felt like the pit of hell as compared to staring at her sleeping form. It just gave him a sense of solace and peace.


    He kept showering her with small little pecks the whole night at any place he could reach while whispering sweet nothings into her ears. Sometimes she would react with a very mumble or a slightly frustrated groan and then there were times when she would just lean and snuggled closer to him. But everything she did brought a smile to his face regardless.

 Chapter 77 - 76

    When Shreya woke up the next day, it was already well into the day. She was still very reluctant to open her eyes. So she just nuzzled in and was just about to fall back asleep when she felt something was wrong. When she felt around, her hands met with something hard and pounding against her ears instead of her soft pillows. Her eyes flew open and looked around herself carefully.


    That is when she realized she was actually sleeping with Charan. Now that was not anything to be shocked about but what was new was how she was actually sleeping on him instead of with him.


    He was still in the sitting position on her couch and was serving as her couch, bed, pillow and teddy bear all in on. She was practically sprawled all over him and his shirt had a night''s worth of drool stains on it. She tried to move away embarrassed but then she realized Charan''s had his arms around her holding her in place in an iron grip. Nothing she ever tried made him lose his grip and she did not have the heart to wake him up.


    SO she just sat there and stared at his sleeping face. She could see the dark circles around his eyes even though she did not know why he had them in the first place. She was just about to snuggle in and go back to sleep as per her original plan. But just as she was closing her eyes, a sudden memory came crashing in and she heard herself say,


    ''I love you Charan��"


    Shreya''s eyes flew open all over again. That''s when last night''s memories came to her one after the other. Last night, she must have been really really muddled if she did not even realize something so painfully obvious. She nicely chided herself in her head.


    "What kind of an idiot actually confesses and not even realize it??" She muttered to herself and an involuntary groan escaped her lips at her own stupidity but her attempt to bang some sense into her head was actually met with a hard chest of Charan instead of a wall.


    Instantly, Charan groaned in pain shifted his arms from around her to his chest but he was still having a hard time opening his eyes. After all, by the time he very reluctantly closed his eyes and went to sleep, it was almost already dawn.


    "I''m sorry�� I am sorry�� I did not mean to hurt... I was just��" Shreya apologized panicking and rubbed where she had just hit him but then her voice stopped when she noticed that he was going back to sleep.


    She just rolled her eyes but midway they brightened with a mischievous glint sparkling in her eyes. She carefully shifted closer to his ears. Just inches away from ears she whispered, "I love you�� isn''t that what you were dying to hear yesterday night??"


    Charan''s eyes flew open instantly as if someone was burning him. When he processed what he just heard and searched for the source of it, Shreya had already broken free from his clutches and was running away giggling exuberantly.


    Charan immediately followed suit and said hot on her trail, "You are not getting away from me this time��" Shreya''s puny legs were no match for Charan long ones. He quickly caught up to her and the next she knew she was being lifted up in the air by a strong pair of arms and spun around.


    Shreya let out a delighted squeal giggling. Her laughter filled the house and echoed through the walls. Charan''s face softened. He carefully sat her on the table nearby and stood in front of her. His face was just inches away from hers while his eyes darted all over her. And to his eyes, she looked like a sinful she-devil disguised as an innocent gullible little girl�� or it may be the other way round. But one thing he knew for sure is that he absolutely adored both sides of her. She had him wrapped in her pinkie fingers and he was not even complaining.


    On the other hand, Shreya still couldn''t stop giggling. Her mind kept playing the way he woke up just minutes ago. She found it hilarious how he shot up from his sleep all because of three words from her. His expression was priceless. He literally looked like a deer caught in front of a truck.


    But in some small part of her heart, it also flattered her to no end that she had that kinda control over him and that she could evoke that kinda reaction from him.


    Shreya eventually stopped her laughing fit when she saw Charan making googly eyes at her.


    "Why are you looking at me as if I am some 8th wonder of the world or something??" Shreya asked frowning since Charan just kept gapping at her without really saying anything.


    Charan came out of his trance and let out a chuckle at her reference.


    "That you are sweetheart�� that you are��" he agreed to her readily making her frown.


    "What''s with the ''sweetheart'' anyways?? You never called me any endearment before!! And what am I exactly??" She asked once again.


    "Why?? You don''t like it??" Charan asked completely ignoring the second part of her question.


    "I just�� I don''t know. It''s just so clich����" Shreya said shrugging her shoulders.


    "Shouldn''t you be having butterflies dance in your stomach hearing such endearments??" Charan asked now completely bemused.


    "Well, butterflies happen because it''s you who is calling me�� someone dear to me�� and not because you are calling in a certain way. If I am going to have butterflies only when you call me sweetheart or honey or something, then don''t you think its more because of the word themselves and the disillusion surrounding it rather than the person calling it?? That kinda defeats the whole purpose doesn''t it??" Shreya seriously answered making Charan just gap at her with his mouth open. She was a mystery he was never going to understand.


    "But wait, you call Akira ''baby'' and sometimes ''sweetheart''?? so how do you explain that??" Charan asked suddenly remembering.


    "Well�� it was not really endearment�� I meant them literally�� She is a baby and a sweetheart. So." Shreya replied in a ''duh'' voice as if he was asking her all sorts of stupid questions.


    "And you thought I did not mean it when I called you sweetheart??" CHaran asked at last somewhat understanding what she was trying to say.


    "You and me both know I am no ''sweetheart''. More like a ''devil''s heart'' if there is such a term��" Shreya said rolling her eyes.


    And that right there was the problem. But Charan knows how stubborn she could be so he did not really try to convince her otherwise. SO instead he made a thoughtful expression for a while and then said brightly, "Then I will just call you ''Apple'' since sweetheart is out of option."


    "It''s a fruit Charan!!" Shreya stated the obvious.


    "But it is not an ''endearment''. So it is not a clich����" Charan said somehow forcing logic into his stupidity.


    Shreya just blinked at him to see if he was serious. When she found that he was, she just let out an exasperated sigh and said, "You are weird!!"


    "You still love me!!" Charan said c.o.c.kily.


    That she does�� SO she did not really say anything in reply but just gave him a big goofy grin.


    That grin said it all to Charan. He scooped her off of the table and circled around excitedly. His own face had an equally sparkling grin.

 Chapter 78 - 77

    Adam''s feet wouldn''t stay on the ground as he made a beeline in search of Dr.Preethi''s office as soon as he was given a green flag to walk around without his crunches. He was getting officially released today. All his stitches were removed but sadly for him, his handling doctor got switched. Adam for a second thought it was because Preethi did not come to the hospital but then a little inquiry confirmed, she is on duty today.


    So as soon as he was released from the custody, he went straight in search of her. His legs suddenly braked and came to a standstill when he saw a glimpse of her. If he had doubts before, it all washed away when he found himself grinning like an idiot with just the sight of her. He never knew he had it in him to miss a person so much in just two days. She had been away for just a weekend and he almost felt as if he was seeing her after eons.


    His feet took him wherever she went without his permission while his eyes stayed stuck to her.


    "Are you going to come and say something to me or are you just going to keep stalking me like this for the whole day??" A female voice suddenly reached his ears startling him. And when he took a closer look, he saw Preethi''s lips actually moving and she was slowly turning towards him.


    Adam froze for one whole second. But then his fight-or-flight response kicked in and his mind did not even consider to fight. He straight up instinctively hid behind a wall and crawled on his knees. His brain was so muddled that he did not even process that she must have already seen him if she had talked to him. But then his limbs froze midway when he heard a giggling sound coming from right behind him.


    Adam stood up immediately. He looked exactly like a kid being caught with his hands into the candy jar. His cheeks blushed furiously for being caught red-handed while scratching the back of his head.


    That just made Preethi laugh harder. He just looked like a complete idiot standing there in front of her. She forgot the last time she had actually laughed this hard. She was thoroughly amused by his antics. He reminded her of some teen building up the courage to ask his crush out. That flattered her to no end. With great effort she composed herself.


    "Hello, Mr. Adam. What are you doing here??" Preeti asked but her face evidently showed her suppressed amus.e.m.e.nt.


    "Uh�� ahem�� H-Hello, Dr. Preethi." Adam stammered and gave her a very nervous smile that looked very uncomfortable.


    Preethi''s lips twitched unconsciously.


    "Well, hello. So, you are going to tell me what you are doing here now that we have taken the pleasantries out of the way!!" Preethi asked once again. There was sarcasm in her voice but then there was also an amus.e.m.e.nt that made Adam feel like a kid in front of her.


    Adam cleared his throat and braced himself the best he could and thrived to start a conversation. "Well�� How was your weekend??"


    "If you came here to chit-chat, you are going to have to follow me as before. I don''t know about you but I still have work to do!!" Preethi said and started walking back to continue with her work without really giving him an option.


    But then Adam did not mind that much. He just followed her like a lost puppy with a big fat grin. They crossed a couple of corridors before coming to an office room that read "Dr. Preethi."


    The whole way there Adam kept running his mouth. He recounted every insignificant thing that had happened to him in the two days that she was away. Preethi did not really have the heart to stop his excited banter and he also reminded her of Akil a little bit. This was exactly what Akil will do whenever she came home after finishing her shift. He would fill her with every last detail she had missed in his life.


    But Adam realized he was blabbering when Preethi stopped at her office and he quieted down at last. up.


    He was not one to run his mouth unnecessarily. In fact, Pritham always said it was like building a Pyramid to pull two sentences out of him. But today without realizing, he had actually talked so much nonsense�� he himself couldn''t believe it. He just crossed his fingers wishing he hadn''t annoyed Dr.Preethi away before ever getting a chance.


    "Answering your question from before. I had a lovely weekend. I was able to spend some time with my son and family after a long time." Preethi said after getting seated on her desk and a bright smile played on her face remembering all the fun she had in the past two days.


    Adam jerked immediately and faced her with shock. He had a baffled but also an anguished expression on his face. He stood their shell shocked for a while. Preethi went on with her work leaving him to deal with the quiet room.


    "You are married??" He eventually asked the one question that pained him greatly just to spell out.


    "Divorced!!" a cold single word reply came from Preethi unconsciously which was like a saving grace for Adam.


    His face brightened all over again.


    "Really??" He asked in disbelief. But there was a joy and a shred of hope in his voice. This would have amused Preethi if only his eyes did not look so tortured at the moment as if he was betting the whole of his life on her answer.


    "You look awfully pleased with my misfortune Adam??" Preethi stated rolling her eyes at his antics. Her voice was stern but she wasn''t being serious actually. She was just pulling his legs.


    But then to Adam, she looked awfully serious. Due to his fl.u.s.tered state, he did not even realize her lips were twitched at their corners.


    "No-no-no�� I.. I did not mean it like that. I just.. I was just��" He stammered looking terrified. He just wanted to talk to her and spend some time with her. He did not really come here to mock at her wounds. But somehow he seemed to have managed to do exactly that without putting any effort.


    He took a few deep breaths and composed himself best he could and started apologizing nervously, "I''m sorry�� I am really sorry. I did not mean it like that. I was just��"


    But his blabbering was interrupted but Preethi''s giggle. Adam''s face jerked up once again and suddenly turned dazed seeing her smiling face. He forgot himself completely when he saw her laughing so carefree. He just kept looking at her without blinking as if he was afraid she will disappear from his sight if he looked away even for a second.


    "I was just pulling your legs, Adam. God, you are so easy. And stop staring at me, will you?? I am not an art piece in a museum!!" Preethi said once she stopped giggling.


    Adam''s embarrassment reached its peak and he blushed furiously and averted his eyes away from her instantly. He was dejected. Between his stupidity and her teasing, he lost all his confidence to ask her out now. So he said a quick goodbye and turned to leave.


    But then his legs froze in place when he heard what she uttered next.


    "Weren''t you supposed to ask me out for a dinner or something before you leave??" Preethi asked very nonchalantly leaning back on her chair and looking straight at his turning figure.


    If she said she had thoroughly enjoyed his company in the last 15 minutes will be a sour understatement. She found him absolutely adorable for some reason. That is why she decided to take her brother''s words and go with the flow.

 Chapter 79 - 78

    If he felt like he was in cloud nine before, now he felt as if he was practically in heaven. Adam couldn''t stop grinning as he made his way to the exit. His whole being was glowing as he reached the exit. And in his giddy state, he ran straight into the glass doors without realizing.


    "Ouch��"


    But then he heard someone laugh their ass off right behind him and a before he could even look back to see who it was, Adam felt a hand over his shoulders and the familiar voice say, "You are a goner babe!!"


    "Shut up, Akash��" Adam flung his hand from over his shoulders and walked out of the hospital and this time he actually opening the door.


    "Oh, would you look at that, he actually knows how to open doors now all of a sudden!!" Akash teased once again flinging his arm around his shoulders and crackled.


    "I said shut up Akash!!" Adam said irritated but then also slightly blushed.


    "Oww�� Look at that!! He is also blushing!!" But this time it was a different voice teasing him.


    Adam let out a frustrated groan. He knew he was never going to live it down. Thank god they did not see him make fool of himself in front of Preethi or else he would be dead meat.


    "Not you too Shreya. And you are late!!" Adam said giving her a hug.


    Originally, Shreya was supposed to help him check out. But since she was a no show, he had to call Akash instead.


    Shreya just gave him a sheepish grin and said cheekily, "I slept in!! And then when I did woke up, I was distracted by a certain someone. So I did not really realize what time it was."


    Adam just gave her a grin and pulled her closer by her neck and swatted on her forehead playfully as a punishment.


    "Next time, that should make you remember your friends when you are with your boyfriend!!"


    "Oh really. Well, let''s see how much you remember your friend in one month''s time!!" Shreya replied sarcastically rubbing the place he had just beat.


    Adam just gave her a big goofy grin and said in an extremely smug voice, "More like in a week''s time actually. I have a date next Sunday!!" He seemed awfully proud of himself. But if only they knew, he was about to run away with tail between his legs without even asking!! And that the only reason he does have a date because Preethi found him amusing!!


    "What??? You asked her out??" Shreya exclaimed looking extremely shocked!! Given Adam''s nervousness, she had deduced it would take him at least 5 tried to bring it up. But then she did not figure in Preethi into the picture. So she was shocked would be an understatement.


    "Yup��" He said with a grin but also crossed his fingers behind his back. Well, he can''t really up and say everything that had just happened now can he?? That would be heights of embarrassment but then it wasn''t a total lie since he did have a date this Sunday!!


    "Why are you crossing your fingers??" Akash asked right beside his ears startling the shit out of him.


    Adam jumped and moved away slightly and glared at Akash.


    "Stop doing that!!"


    "Don''t change the topic��"


    This playful banter and teasing went on all the way to the office. Even when they were getting out the elevator, Akash and Shreya were at it.


    But then Akash spotted a grey hair and instantly went running towards John. He engulfed John into a hug. Akash was John''s pet. It had been like that since forever. John always sided with Akash in all their playful banter no matter who was at fault or who was lying.


    That is why, Akash made an extremely aggrieved face and pointed at Shreya and Adam and complained pitifully, "Look, uncle, these two are bullying me for being the only single dog. They were teasing me all the way from the hospital��" He even dramatically wiped away his invisible snots.


    Adam gaped at him in disbelief. Was he serious?? Who was teasing whom!!? But he knew there was no explaining to his dad. Everyone knew how much John babied Akash. So he just glared at Akash but did not really say anything back.


    John, on the other hand, put his arms around Akash and looked at both Shreya and Adam with a slight glare. Akash winked at Adam with a huge grin pissing him off. Adam was just about to use his fists when Shreya kept an arm over his shoulders and gave him a look that said I will handle it.


    You should know, Akash is a curious cat. So when you say something and leave the sentence midway, it pissed him off. So purposely Shreya went near Akash and said in teasing and extremely sarcastic tone, "Well, we have BF and GF because we go around with our eyes open. And you are still a single dog because you roam around with your eyes closed!!"


    She did not bother to explain anything more making Akash frown in confusion.


    "What do you mean Shreya?? I do see with my eyes open!!" Akash replied irritated and followed Shreya as she walked to her office forgetting everything else around him. He kept asking her endless amount of questions regarding what she said just now but Shreya never replied to a single one. And for Akash it was torture.


    Adam let out a laugh. After all, he did not expect anything less from Shreya. She was a she-devil in denim as far as he was concerned.


    John looked at his son''s happy face. He went in and brought him into a bear hug and asked, "Are you okay?? Why are you back in the office so soon??"


    Adam''s face softened at his concerned voice. He had always been close to his dad. It may be an occupational trait or it may be because their thinking just synced but he shared everything with John.


    "I am okay pops. Don''t worry. Doc gave me a clean bill of health. I even have a date with one this Sunday!!" Adam comforted him wrapping his arms around John.


    "So you do have a girlfriend??" John asked looking at his son surprised. After all, he knew how shy Adam was inside all that tough-guy exterior.


    "Well, not exactly a girlfriend. But there is someone I like right now!!"


    After that Adam told John all about Preethi without losing his grin even for a second.

 Chapter 80 - 79

    Solemn air prevailed in the room. There was pin-drop silence. Shreya sat on the head of the table as always. But her usual easy-going face was absent today. Instead today, her face seemed tense and extremely stressed. There was a palpable tension in the air that was almost suffocating.


    Everyone around just sat there giving her the time to think and digest. The whole gang was present. Akash, Harshad, Pritham, Adam, and Zeenath sat around her. Anand and John were out of the country for business. They have all said and given their own opinions and suggestions and it was now time for Shreya to decide. But there was frustration in every one of them.


    Even Pritham who always had a happy-go-lucky attitude looked very infuriated.


    They had been trying to get evidence on the heads of the syndicate for 5 months now with no luck. They had many people working for the syndicate got arrested over the period but none of them was able to give anything useful in interrogation.


    They have infiltrated at all levels but still, none of them were able to point out their leaders. The three �C Abimanyu, Naren and Abishek- so far seem to have absolute anonymity. They couldn''t trace the money trail either. There were simply way too many layers of transfers. Pritham is still working on it but it was a long shot. If Shreya hadn''t extracted the names from Minister Rakesh personally herself, she would be having doubts if they even got the right people in the first place.


    But she was sure the intel was good. It was just the levels of security was insane. No two levels of authority seem to interact within the organization for anything more than passing down orders. The chain of command and protocols are very strict and any deviation is punished with death.


    Thus they were met with the dead-ends when it came to collecting evidence. They have evidence of a crime but they just couldn''t link it to anyone significant in the system to use it as leverage.


    "Shreya, the security they put over the finances is practically insane. I had tracked it through multiple high-security offshore accounts. The money just keeps bouncing around so many times that its almost impossible to track it down. They are not keeping the money in one account for more than a day!! It''s not like they are afraid of it being tracked, it''s almost like they are paranoid." Pritham complained frustrated.


    Everyone around gave him a look and he shut up immediately. Silence prevailed all over again. All this time, Shreya did not even move a muscle. Only her eyes looked alert.


    But then the whole atmosphere was hampered when someone pushed the conference doors open and Charan walked in. But his steps faltered and stopped seeing the atmosphere. The atmosphere was just way too gloomy. He had never seen everyone gather like this and the room to actually have this kinda stillness. With just Akash and Pritham around, the room will be bustling with life. But this time around there were actually about half a dozen people around and there was a complete absence of sound.


    "Did I come in a bad time??" He asked hesitantly as his eyes landed on Shreya at last. She seemed ragged and on the edge. Her eyes�� they looked completely emotionless. She looked as cold as ice. If he thought her business face was scary, her this face was sending chills down his spines.


    Pritham was about to go up to Charan to greet him when Shreya suddenly spoke.


    "You go to my office Charan. I will be right there with you��" She said in a very aloof tone. Her voice was devoid of any emotional attachment whatsoever.


    This voice made Charan very uncomfortable on his feet. This was a Shreya he had never seen before. She was not the one he came to know over time.


    "I can go if you are busy. I just swang by since I was in the area!!" Charan said looking at her uncertainly.


    "Just wait for me in the office Charan�� Please��" When she reached the last part, at last, some semblance of emotion seeped into her voice and when he looked into her eyes, they looked desperate.


    So Charan just nodded his head and went back quietly.


    Shreya then looked around and said, "We will follow Zeenath''s suggestion. We will infiltrate from Naren''s end (One of the villains). Obviously, he is the one with way too many vulnerabilities."


    Naren was the youngest among the three. He was an impulsive, c.o.c.ky bastard who was all bark and no bite. He did not have a brain to use. And on top of it, he was a flirt. So it will give them the way in. If not for the power of his father, he would have been a useless nobody.


    "But Zeenath won''t be the one going undercover. Send someone else��" Shreya continued after a short pause.


    "What?? Why??" Zeenath instantly asked jumping from her seat. She looked pissed.


    "We have been seen together in way too many occasions Zee. One background check, one good lead�� your cover will be blown. Its just way too risky��" Shreya said sternly staring Zeenath down.


    Zeenath and Shreya were schoolmates. Zeenath was one of the scholarship kid and she was the only one who wouldn''t get bullied. She was what you call street smart. She knew exactly what, when and where to speak. That highly attracted Shreya. So she approached her and after one hour in a coffee shop, they were inseparable until college. During college, they were separated due to circ.u.mstances and never met. That was until Shreya found her and brought her under the wing.


    "I can handle it Shreya. Trust me. You know that to fool that fool, you need someone who can think quick on their feet and you know that I am the best at what I do. So let me do it. After all, that was what you had brought me in for right??" Zeenath argued without giving up.


    "You could get killed in there Zee!!" Shreya, at last, said raising her voice which just pissed Zeenath off greatly.


    "You think I don''t know that!! You think I am a kid..?? Even as a kid, I knew exactly what that felt like so don''t go all Captain America on me now. I have looked after myself all my life and I know perfectly well how to take care of myself. You don''t have to babysit each and every one of us. You are not our nanny Shreya. We are all a.d.u.l.ts and we knew what we were getting into. So just stop it okay�� I will approach Naren and I don''t need your permission!!" Zeenath said sternly and walked away without giving Shreya a chance to say anything more.


    Shreya felt like breaking something right about then. So instead she just took a bunch of files from under the drawer flung it across the table and walked away saying, "Get these to her. It will help." She then stormed out of the room.


    The room was once again filled with silence.


    The files had landed in front of Pritham. He reached out and curiously flipped through them. It was a detailed background on Naren. It was as deep as it could possibly be and personal. Even Pritham couldn''t have gathered so much.


    "How the hell did she know his drinking preferences??" Pritham wondered out loud.


    "Well, that''s the kinda things you come to know when you date an asshole!!" A voice spoke from behind him startling him.


    "Oh, Zeenath. Stop scaring me like that!! I have a delicate heart!! And what are you still doing here?? I thought you went away pissed off!!" Pritham riled up questions.


    But before Zeenath could answer any of it, Pritham''s brows frowned. He felt like he was missing something that''s when his brain decided to work again.


    "Wait�� What?? Shreya dated this asshole??" He asked shocked.


    "Teenage is a tough age for wild spirits like Shreya!!" Zeenath said and just snatched the files off of Pritham and walked out of the conference room once for all leaving behind a room full of shocked men.

 Chapter 81 - 80

    Shreya stormed into her office extremely agitated. She was never good at dealing with this part of her job. She hated it when people around her put themselves at risk for her sake. It made her anxious and emotionally unstable. Even though, deep down she knew that Zeenath was right, she just did not want to admit it. Not because she was too proud but because she was too scared to send her in harm''s way.


    She never counted on the security to be so high within the organization. With her resources, it should have been a piece of cake to get the evidence to link those people to the syndicate. But somehow they were met with a wall. Unless they had already been breached in the past, these dense layers of security did not make sense. It was not like they were threatened by the government. If they were, it would make sense. But the organization actually had the government in their pockets. So it just did not make sense to her. And that just added to her frustration at the moment.


    "Shreya��" Charan called out as gently as he possibly could and walked towards her cautiously. He saw that she had tightly fisted her hands as if she was getting ready to punch something or someone. She seemed to be making a great effort to control the urge. But that is also when he noticed the bloodied knuckles.


    Charan concluded she must have already gotten to punching someone! But then from the looks of the dried blood, he guessed it mustn''t have happened now but sometime before in the day.


    He gently took her hands in his and caressed her knuckles as softly as he could.


    "Ssss��." Shreya hissed in pain and looked up. That was when she actually realized that Charan was there with her. When their eyes met, Charan could clearly see the walls she had built around hers. It was clear she did not want Charan to know her emotional state right then.


    So Charan did not ask anything. He just pulled her to the couch and made her sit. He then went in search of the medicine box.


    "You have a medicine box here??" He asked when he had tossed out every drawer in the table.


    Shreya snapped out of it and just pointed at a far-end file cabinet. A few minutes later Charan came and tended her wounds carefully. While cleaning up, he saw that the blood was not hers but did not ask any question. He just wrapped a band around her knuckles and let go. All this while Shreya did not move an ounce. She did not even flinch. She kept staring straight ahead at nothing in particular. Charan went and returned the medicine box and came back and sat beside her.


    Shreya immediately slumped and leaned on his shoulders. She snuggled in and closed her eyes. Her brains were troubling her greatly. It kept bombarding her with all sorts of worst-case scenarios she could possibly think of and that wasn''t a pleasant sight!!


    Charan brought her closer and caressed her hairs and head trying to smooth some tension off of her shoulders.


    "You want to get out of here??" Charan asked softly after a while.


    Shreya took a moment and pulled away from his shoulders. Then she sat up with her elbows on her knees and ran both of her hands over her face quite harshly. She did not speak�� she just sat there with her palms grinding her eyes. Charan did not really understand what was going on but he could sense that she was not really in a good head space right then and he was thinking of all possible things to alleviate it. But he couldn''t do much when she wasn''t really letting him in, except to be there beside her.


    "Can you take me to the Imperial?? I still have something to do there��" Shreya, at last, said looking up at him.


    Charan just nodded and quietly drove her to the hotel. Shreya stayed absolutely silent the whole ride. As soon as they reached, she just got out and walked out saying a very quick goodbye.


    Charan hurried up after her and brought her into a hug. It just did not feel right to just sent her away like that. He held on to her tightly and said right against her ears, "You�� you take care of yourself okay?? Call me if you need anything!"


    Shreya just nodded absentmindedly taking a deep breath of his scent and walked in. No one dared to stop her as she sashed her way to the elevators without checking in with the reception. She had a permanent reservation on her name here. She used to sleep over here a lot. She did not like going back to her empty apartment. That kinda changed when she started going out with Charan but her reservation remained intact.


    Charan waited and looked at her back with worry eating him away up until the elevator doors closed. Shreya never once looked back. Resigned Charan went back to his car and drove home. Just as he was about to get out of the car, he saw Shreya''s phone sitting on the passenger seat. He let out a sigh went in to find his daughter.


    They were still at his mum''s place. They never got the chance to go back home. They were supposed to go today. But then Shreya''s gloomy face kept badgering him every few seconds. So he went straight up to Akira.


    "Hey, dada!!" Akira''s excited voice greeted him as always.


    His lips automatically spread wide and he crouched down to her level.


    "Hey, baby�� Look�� Akira�� could you stay at grans for one more night?? We will go back home tomorrow okay??" He asked her softly picking her up on his h.i.p.s.


    "Why?? I miss Shreya�� Please, can we go home today!??" Akira whined. After all, Shreya almost always came and stayed the night and slept on his couch whenever they were there but she can''t exactly do that when they were at his parents'' place. So Akira hadn''t seen Shreya in about three days now which had been weird kinda torture for her. And that was also the whole reason why Charan went to her office in the first place. He thought maybe they could have dinner at his parents'' and go home together. But then things didn''t exactly pan out the way he wanted.


    "That''s the thing baby. Shreya is not really feeling well today. I am going to take care of her okay??" Charan explained.


    "Why?? What happened to her?? Does she have a fever?? Can''t I come with you please?? I want to see her!!" Akira fired away worried.


    "No, baby. She doesn''t have a fever. But I can''t take you today. I will bring her home tomorrow. I promise. Please baby!!" Charan tried to convince her.


    After another 20 minutes, Akira at last complied after giving strict orders to bring Shreya to her tomorrow night.


    Charan sighed in relief and drove back to the hotel. He did not even know where she will be or whether they will let him in, but he wanted to try.

 Chapter 82 - 81

    Charan stopped the car and hesitantly sat there outside the hotel. It was as intimidating to enter it as it was the first time he came there. At least, the first time he actually had an invite but now he did not even have that. He did not even know where he was supposed to go. So he was more nervous this time around.


    S corp. had a vast array of business but the Imperial Hotel is Shreya''s crown jewel. This building came under her direct control and supervision and she had almost 51% ownership of the hotel personally and rest of the ownership vest with S corp. So each and every staff here knows Shreya and most of them had actually met her even. So figuratively speaking, this was her palace and she was it''s Queen.


    His nervous tapping on the steering wheel stopped when the security guard from outside the hotel approached his car and tapped on his windows. Charan was sure he was going to be kicked out even before having a chance to go in. After all, his car stood out like a sore spot in front of the extravagant fountain.


    But to his surprise, the staff bowed at him very respectfully and offered to park his car. And as soon as he handed him his keys, another person came and escorted him to the reception.


    "How may I help you, sir??" The receptionist asked very politely.


    "Uhm�� Hi, I am Charan�� I�� I don''t know if you noticed, but I was just here some time ago dropping Shreya�� Ms. Shreya Srivastav off�� I was wondering if you could take me to her or maybe call her up and say I am here. She left her phone with me��" Charan said. Even though he did not stammer, his voice still cracked here and there. Now he was sure he was going to be kicked out. If someone had told him what he had just said in that tone, even he wouldn''t be able to believe him. He neither looked the part nor talked the part. He looked like a miserable loser trying to speak himself into a hotel.


    But then weirdly enough, the staff braced her spines and somehow looked at him more politely and excused herself to make a call. He was asked to wait a couple of minutes in the lobby.


    So Charan just went and sat. Exactly 5 minutes after, a guy wearing a manager tag came and bowed to him.


    "We are very sorry sir, Madam is not picking up the calls��" The manager told him politely.


    "oh, okay. It''s okay�� I will be going then�� Can you just make sure to give this to her??" Charan said defeated. He knew no decent hotel will ever reveal personal information on customers and Shreya was not even a normal customer. SO there was no way they were going to give him the room number.


    But then he was surprised once again when the manager said, "It''s okay sir. I will take you to her if you are okay with it!!"


    Thus both of them rode the elevator with a very confused Charan. Why did he suddenly feel as if he was being treated like a royalty or something??


    "Is it really okay for you guys to take me to her??" Charan voiced his confusion without being able to hold back.


    "Yes, sir. Absolutely. Madam made explicit instruction to make sure you have everything you need whenever you visited!!" The manager said with a polite smile.


    "Oh��" That was all Charan could really manage. So he could just walk in here and order everyone around at The Imperial Hotel!!!


    Instead of exciting him, this piece of information actually made him scared and something flipped at his stomach.


    They came to a standstill outside a very extravagantly fancy-looking door. The manager buzzed the bell and waited patiently.


    But then even after 5 tries, nothing stirred. Charan sighed defeated. He was just about to walk away when the manager took out a key and handed it to him and left. He just gapped at the guys back before clicking the doors open and walking in.


    "Shreya��" He called out.


    The room was huge. It was humongous. He did not even know if he could call it a room. It was bigger than her apartment and looked sickeningly luxurious. But before he could look around, he heard a noise from somewhere on his right. He walked towards the noise and found Shreya there dangling off of a chair in the bedroom.


    She was sitting in the chair by the bed. Wait, that''s not accurate. Using the word ''Sitting'' will be over-exaggeration. She was a minute away from falling face-first on to the floors.


    When Charan went to straighten her up, that''s when he noticed the bedside table. There stood a half-empty bottle of some strong Whiskey.


    When he went near her, he could smell the booze on her. Charan shook her several times but Shreya did not even stir. So he just lifted her up and laid her on the bed as carefully as he could. And then made sure she was comfortable.


    Just when he was about to get out of the bed, Shreya wailed so loudly in her sleep that it sent a chill down his spines. She cried out like a wounded animal pleading for life. She paused for a few minutes. Charan heaved in relief thinking it was over but then her cries filled the walls all over again. Charan couldn''t take it anymore.


    But when Charan tried to wake her up, she did not wake. She just kept trashing and wailing all over the place. Cold sweat dripped all over her as she restlessly tossed and turned on her bed. Charan quickly comforted her by caressing her head and face. But that did her no good. She did not calm down.


    So he climbed up beside her and held her tightly in his arms. She struggled at first but then eventually stopped and snuggled in.

 Chapter 83 - 82

    There was pitch darkness surrounding her. She could barely even see the floor she was standing on when she looked down. When she looked around her to enquire where she was, she saw a light in a distance away from her. It was a focus light�� the kind of light they use on stages. It took her a while to actually get accustomed to light again. She slowly focused her eyes and her eyes instantly brightened.


    It was Adithya and Susmitha�� it was her mum and dad. She did not even think for a second as she called out to them excited��


    "Mum�� Daddy�� Look behind you��"


    But they never turned to look behind at her no matter how many times she called out for them. They were busy talking to themselves. Her dad had his hands over her mom''s shoulders and was flirting with her shamelessly as always.


    Shreya got frustrated when they did not respond to her calling. Next thing, she shouted to them at the top of her lungs. Still the same�� no response. She then tried to reach them. She started walking towards them�� but with each step she took, they just moved away from her. She tried to run after them but somehow the distance seemed to remain the same.


    That''s when panic set in and she dropped to her knees and started wailing and screaming for them to turn and look at her. She was desperate for them to turn and look at her. When nothing worked she, at last, realized she was seeing things. She was having a dream but she still did not want to wake up�� At least here, even if she couldn''t touch them, she could at least see them. This was so much better than facing walls and TV screens. So she just curled herself into a ball and watched them.


    They seemed so happy and so lost with each other. A few tears escaped her eyes without her realizing it. She could sleep forever if it meant she will be able to just see them like this.


    "I miss you guys�� I miss your food dad�� I miss your bedtime stories mom��" She mumbled in her sleep tired. It was almost incoherent. All Charan could make out was mom and dad. But that was enough for him to know the reason behind her restless sleep and tears.


    Charan reached out and wiped her tears away. But after a few more tears, Shreya seemed to calm down somehow. She just curled up against him and slept quietly after that.


    The next morning, Shreya woke up with a pounding headache.


    She groaned loudly. She knew too well what it was�� after all, this wasn''t the first time she got drunk. She tried to shift. She searched for the remote so that she could draw the curtains. Facing sunlight with a pounding head is really not the best of ways to wake up after all. But she found she couldn''t move. Someone was holding her in place. But she did not really have time to ponder on it since her stomach started acting up.


    She sprinted from the bed pushing Charan away as bile formed at the pit of her stomach. She made a beeline towards the bathroom and as soon as she stepped in, she barfed. Her throat burned and her empty stomach pained like hell. It felt as if someone was squeezing her stomach.


    She sat right there on the bathroom floor without being able to move. She felt like she would pass out if she tried to stand up.


    Right then the doors to the bathroom opened and Charan walked in with a bottle of water scolding her simultaneously, "You have bottles and bottles of booze but not a single bottle of water in that fancy fridge of yours�� I had to call-in room service. Here drink it��" He said and extended the bottle towards Shreya.


    Shreya reached for them gratefully and gulped down on the water hungrily.


    "Hey, hey, hey�� Slow down, will you? You are going to make yourself sick��" Charan said and took away the bottle against Shreya''s protests. But then he fed her sip by sip slowly. He then helped her up on her feet and carried her to the sink. He sat her on the counter and carefully wiped her face and mouth.


    She looked like shit will be an understatement in all contexts. Her hairs all messed up, her head felt as if someone was hammering her skull and on top of it, she reeked of booze. And she felt equally shitty too.


    Charan drew her a bath like an angel he was.


    "Wash yourself up a bit and relax. You will feel better��" He said and left her alone in the bathroom.


    After a long shower and a few aspirins, Shreya finally felt like a human being. When she walked out all dressed up, she found Charan sitting in the dining area of the room with a newspaper in hand and breakfast spread around in front of him.


    She silently came and sat in front of him. Somehow she sensed that he was pissed at her. Now that her brain seems to be working again, she noticed that from the moment he woke, he did not meet her eyes or looked at her when he talked. And even when he talked, he was precise with his words.


    As soon as she sat down, Charan quietly served her breakfast.


    Shreya immediately cringed. Just the smell of food did not sit well with the stomach. She looked at Charan with a pitiful look but he just looked at her sternly and gave her a glass of lemon water.


    "Drink this first, then have a little to eat slowly��" His stern voice ordered.


    Shreya instantly lost her will to protest. She obediently took the glass and took one big gulp still peaking at him. You know how kids do, as long as mum''s eyes are on them, they will obediently eat the veggies but as soon as she turns, the veggies will go straight into the gutter at lightning speed.


    But then Charan had experience with Akira. So he pretended to look away and instantly Shreya scrunched her face in disgust and took the glass as far away from her as possible. The sour taste still stayed on her tongue and made her cringe. And that was the sight that greeted Charan when he looked back. And by reflex, Shreya brought the glass near her and hid her face behind them without looking at Charan.


    Charan couldn''t help but chuckle at her antics.


    "You are worse than Akira��" He said and took the glass away from her and kept it back on the table.


    Shreya hung her head low. She felt guilty. She lied to him yesterday. She said she had work but instead got passed out drunk and got found out. And on top of it, he seemed like he did not get any sleep last night and she was sure she was the culprit. And of course, she also remembered the way she had sent him out of the conference room so sternly and none of them helped her cause.


    "I''m sorry��" She said without really looking up at him.


    Charan did not really say anything. He walked to her and stood right in front of her sitting figure. He smiled at her hung down head and just leaned down and gave a kiss on top of her crown.


    "You don''t have to be sorry�� you did not do anything wrong. I was just worried�� You scared me last night�� When I walked in, you were passed out on the chair��" He said softly bringing her into a hug. It may be the way he found her passed out drunk or the way she tossed and turned and wailed the night or the way he woke up to her puking- everything had made him sick in the stomach with worry. He knew she was dealing with stuff but it still made him pissed when she did not take care of herself.


    Shreya leaned in and wrapped her arms around and rested her head against his torso. Such a simple gesture but it made her feel like everything was okay with them. Everything was forgiven and forgotten just like that.

 Chapter 84 - 83

    Charan sat in his office rolling the marble paperweight around. He was slightly distracted and lost in his head.


    He hadn''t seen Shreya since that day at her hotel. It''s been one whole week. She hadn''t even come to sleep over since that day. One day in between, Shreya had come in to see Akira and left before he could ask her anything. That was the only time he saw her all week. And from that day even Akira for some reason stopped nagging him about Shreya. He tried calling, she would answer but always got monotone answers no matter what his questions were. After a while, he will get fed up and hang up on her.


    Charan could see she was avoiding him but for the love of God he couldn''t figure out why�� She spent time in his house that day up until Akira was around. But as soon as Akira retired to bed, Shreya sprinted away like a scared little rabbit before he could even extend his hands to catch.


    But the problem was more than being scared, she seemed more stressed and tired. Up close, her sloppy makeup trying to conceal the dark circles were completely very obvious. Even Akira could sense she was not right and asked Charan to look out for Shreya.


    With all the dwelling he was doing, he did not even realize the time.


    "Hey�� Aren''t you going home yet?? Did your mom not call you yet??" Ajay asked bringing him out of his head.


    That is when he saw that it was past time. Thankfully it was weekend and Akira would have been taken home by his parents or else he would have gotten an earful from his own daughter. He scrambled from his place immediately and was out of the office in no time. But as soon as he settled down in the driver seat, he did not actually start the car. Instead, he sat there contemplating for a second there. But then he decisively called his mom and told her that he wouldn''t be home tonight. Then he drove straight to Shreya''s office building. For some reason, he had a hunch that she was going to be there and not her apartment.


    His shoes echoed through the empty corridor. Thankfully the security guard let him in without much protest. He went straight to the private elevator and reached the floor Shreya''s office was located.


    As soon as he pushed the doors open, he was encountered with a sleeping Shreya and extremely loud music booming all around making the walls vibrate. Charan shut his ears instinctively and looked around. He found a remote on her table. He took and waved it around not knowing where the music was actually coming from.


    After several tries, somehow the music stopped. Charan, finally, took away his hands from his ears relieved. He then turned to look at Shreya.


    Shreya was lying down on the couch. But she was sprawled out in such a way that one small turn she would fall face-first on the floor. Charan went near and adjusted her better on the couch. That''s when he noticed the cold sweet over her forehead and the frowned brows.


    Charan ran a hand over her head in the hope of giving her some comfort. But somehow it seemed it was not working since Shreya shook her head restlessly and mumbled something under her breath. And before Charan could even move his hands to wake her up, Shreya wailed and shot out of the couch with a start. She sat straight up panting for heavily. She did not even realize Charan''s presence as she strived to get back her breathing in order. Her eyes were dark, unfocused and haunted but other than that her whole face remained expressionless and pale.


    Chara extended his hands and caressed from behind her and asked, "Hey�� are you okay??" His voice was gentle and sweet like honey but it still rang loud in that empty room, startling her.


    "Oh, Charan!! You scared me!!" Shreya said clutching her chests and turning back to look at him. Since Charan had originally sat beside her head, as she woke, his position was invariably behind her outside her line of sight. And she was not expecting him either.


    "Sorry�� Are you okay??" Charan apologized moving closer to her and asked her again wiping her sweat off of her forehead on his shirt sleeves.


    For a second in surprise and confusion of seeing him, she forgot everything else.


    "Hey�� don''t do that. That''s your office shirt!!" Shreya said instinctively moving back.


    But Charan did not heed to her. He just gave her a look and held her head in place and continued wiping away her sweat.


    "Are you okay now??" He asked stroking her hairs gently.


    Only when he asked, Shreya remembered that she had been sleeping and was actually in her office. So instead of answering him, she asked, "What are you doing here?? How did you get in??"


    Seeing as she was fine, Charan sat on the couch beside her and answered, "I came to check up on you and thanks to you, I have one of the highest security clearance within this building. The security guy was very co-operative��"


    Shreya just nodded and said a, "Ohh��"


    When Charan looked back at her, her eyes went back to being unfocused all over again. He scooped her against himself and stoke on her hair as gently as he could. He just kept her company without really prying into why she woke up so suddenly or why she was sleeping in her office.


    Shreya on the other hand just sat there for a long while without saying anything.


    "You had dinner??" Charan asked finally breaking the silence between them.


    But before Shreya could even answer, her stomach growled as if pleading her to feed it. Shreya blushed and gave him a sheepish smile.


    Charan shook his head and took out the pizza box he had bought on the way.


    Shreya''s eyes widened in excitement as she eagerly dug in to feed her crying stomach.

 Chapter 85 - 84

    An empty box of pizza and a can of soft drink laid on the table with crumbs scattered all around. There was pin-drop silence. ON the couch, Charan and Shreya were sitting in absolute silence. They were sitting side by side cuddling. Charan kept stroking her hair and dropping kisses over her forehead every now and then.


    Charan saw that Shreya did not dare close her eyes even though she looked like she could use at least a full one day''s worth of sleep. It was very apparent that she did not get any sleep in the past few days or maybe even the whole of the past week.


    Shreya snuggled in comfortably letting her thoughts run. Until this very moment, she did not even realize how much she had missed this in the past week.


    Him and everything that came along with him.


    Charan, for Shreya, was not some addiction she craved every second without reason. But for her, he was actually something joyous and wonderful. In her messed up life, he was that one thing who gave her a sense of normalcy after her parents had passed away. He and Akira had become her lifeline for staying sane in her messed up head. They gave her a place she can come back to after a hectic day.


    She had been drowning in her grand schemes and wicked plots for so long that she had lost her way�� forgotten what it meant to let go and be just Shreya�� to not be on guard all the time�� to not have to think so hard every single moment�� Somehow being with Charan and Akira made her remember that part of her. Because the hardest thing she ever had to think about around Akira is probably what to have for dinner or what movie to watch. Compared to dealing with life or death of people she cared about, thinking about dinner and movies were like her saving grace.


    Only when she thought of all this Shreya realized how suffocated she had felt all this week. Suddenly she craved to be closer to him even though there was practically no gap between them whatsoever. She shifted from her place and got up from the couch.


    Charan frowned in confusion. He thought they were good at last, but when he saw her pulling away from him, his heart dropped. Even though he still had no clue as to what was actually wrong in the first place, he had really missed her all week. But before he could even think about protesting, Shreya sat on his lap straddling him while her hands circled around his necks holding him firmly in place. She hugged him with a sense of desperation.


    She was almost smothering him but Charan did not really complain. Instead, he just circled his own hands around her and embraced her. He did not understand what was going on on her big bright brain of hers but whatever it was, he knew she would tell him if she felt like it. And he knew he had the patience to wait too.


    "I''m sorry�� I missed you��" Shreya mumbled in an extremely docile voice finally pulling away from him and sitting straight on his laps. She had her head hung down without meeting his eyes.


    Charan reached out and tucked a few stray strands behind her ears and just stared at her without really saying anything. Even after a long time, his hands lingered at the base of her ears caressing her cheeks with his thumbs. Shreya leaned into his touch unconsciously and her lips spread and curved without her permission while her eyes shut by themselves. She once again leaned in and nuzzled into his chests with her hands sandwiched between their bodies.


    Charan rested his hands behind her head and stoke them comfortingly while peppering kisses over the top of her head every now and then.


    "Get some sleep�� I will be here��" Charan said in a gentle voice eventually breaking the silence.


    Shreya stayed quiet but shook her head firmly after a minute still leaning against him.


    Charan paused and looked at her carefully. Then he asked in the softest of voice, "Are you having bad dreams??"


    Shreya nodded her head this time around. But before Charan could ask his next question, she mumbled under her breath, "I end up waking up screaming and sweating almost immediately after I fall asleep��"


    Things, at last, fell into place in Charan''s head and he was slightly disappointed as he asked, "Is that why you wouldn''t come over??"


    Shreya shook her head at first but then slowly it turned into a nod. She had seen the dark circles on Charan''s face that day in the hotel. So she did not even dare to stay the night over. And she knew if Charan saw her, he would end up reading her like an open book�� that is why she had stayed away the whole week.


    Charan stopped and thought about what she was implying just now. But the more he thought, the sadder he felt.


    "Why, Shreya?? Why did not come to me? You did not think you could depend on me even after all this time?? Am I so conceited that you thought you couldn''t come to me?? Am I not worth even that much to you??" Charan asked. Even with great effort he couldn''t keep the disappointment and hurt out of his voice.


    Charan was always aware of his shortcomings when it came to his relationship with Shreya. He also knew it was beyond his capability to share her burden. So at the very least, he thought he had the ability to give her emotional support. But when she had deprived him even of that, he was lost as to how to deal with it.


    "NO no-no�� It''s�� It''s not like that�� I just��" Shreya sat up instantly and stumbled with her words panicked. But all the excuses she had come up with in the past one week seemed sourly negligible compared to the amount of raw hurt that was visible in Charan''s eyes right that moment.


    So she did not even dare to verbalize her excuses. Her excuses seemed pathetic when she thought about it now. She just leaned on him all over again and apologized.


    "Sorry�� I''m sorry�� I am so sorry�� I did not know�� It''s just�� I''m so used to dealing with things on my own that�� I did not even realize I could have come to you. I''m really sorry Charan�� I did not mean to hurt you. It''s not that you are not worth it�� it is just I�� I don''t know how to��" She rambled on and on but she was barely coherent after a while.


    Shreya desperately wanted to make it better for him. Even though she did not mean to, just the thought that something she did or didn''t do had hurt him left a very sour taste in her stomach. She frantically wanted to make it go away. Her emotional state and lack of sleep weren''t helping her either. She couldn''t think straight.


    The composure she had held on to in spite of all insomnia and emotional stress in the past one week came crumbling into pieces at last.


    Maybe she felt safe letting herself be vulnerable in front of him or maybe she had just come to the end of her rope or maybe it''s the warmth of his hands that were still holding her so carefully in spite of his sad eyes. Shreya herself did not know what it was. A heavy lump had formed at the base of her throat that made it so hard for her to even breathe properly. She felt like crying.

 Chapter 86 - 85

    "Shhhh�� Hey�� it''s okay. I am okay��" Charan shushed her as softly as he could. He could see she was losing it. SO he gathered her gently closer to himself. He hoisted her on hip and walked around in the office with her cradled around him like a baby. It still amazed him how much power she actually wielded and how strong she was in that impossibly small frame of hers. Especially in her short denim and ''tom and jerry'' sweatshirts, she could probably pass as a school kid.


    Shreya did not have tears running down her eyes. But her agitation was very apparent on her face. She was slightly out of breath and looked pale. She kept mumbling ''sorry��''. It was apparent that wherever her head was at the moment was not really a pleasant place.


    Charan rocked her in his arms as gently as he could while whispering comforting words into her ears. After a while, whatever he was doing actually worked. Shreya calmed down considerably.


    Charan carefully sat her on the table and fed her few sips of water. He then stroke her hair and cheeks and asked softly, "Are you okay now?? Better??"


    Shreya nodded her without looking up at him.


    "Come on now. Get some shut eyes first. We can talk later. You look beat��" Charan said extending his arms to lift her back up.


    But Shreya stopped him midway and shook her head vigorously.


    "Shreya��" Charan started trying to convince her but she opened her mouth and said firmly, "I don''t want to sleep Charan��"


    "Hey�� sweetheart�� you can''t go on like this forever you know?? You need to get some sleep��" Charan said softly running his hands over her cheeks. That endearment somehow stuck to him in his head and thankfully Shreya did not complain after the first time.


    "You don''t understand, Charan. It is literally torture to keep seeing them over and over again�� sometimes they are just there talking with each other but then other times they were not really in a good situation. I see blood everywhere�� I don''t even know if it was their blood because no matter what I do�� no matter how much I will�� I just couldn''t reach them at all�� even when it''s just a dream not being able to reach them is hell�� And no matter how much I shout and wail�� they never once look back at me. I am not able to even see their faces even though they are just there a few feet away from me. I am not able to get to them even though I could see them bleeding right there in front of me��"


    Helplessness is probably the cruelest form of torture for a person like Shreya who is used to doing everything by herself. SO he could see why this was affecting her so much.


    "How much sleep did you get the whole week��??" Charan asked looking at her.


    "an hour maybe�� maximum of two�� every day��" Shreya mumbled her answer.


    "You do realize you cannot go on like this right??" Charan asked patiently.


    "Yes�� it''s just�� it''s not just the dream�� it''s the feeling that comes along with it. It''s like a warning or siren. My gut is telling me I am missing something very obvious that is staring right at me and I am not noticing it�� but for the love of God, I cannot figure out what it is�� it''s just�� I just�� I am terrified I am going to lose someone else because of this��" Shreya rambled on.


    "Hey�� you can''t really think straight when you are not sleeping�� How are you going to catch a mistake like this??" Charan asked trying to drill some sense into the thick skull of hers.


    Shreya did not have an answer for that. She was afraid to sleep.


    In spite of everything, she was most terrified of is the dream in itself. She hated the feeling that it leaves behind. She couldn''t help herself but think, even if it is only for a split second, that she had gotten them back only for it to shatter to pieces the next second. It''s like she was losing them all over again each and every day and that''s just cruel for her.


    "Did you even get out of your office and went to you''re apartment after that day at the hotel???" Charan asked. He knew she had spent days here, he just did not know how many.


    Shreya just shook her head.


    This time he did not give her an option to protest. He straight away pulled her down and walked away from the office dragging her with him.


    "I''m taking you to my home. You need a change in the environment and loads of sleep. And don''t worry about Akira. She is at my mum''s. So you won''t be waking anyone up even if you end up waking up in the middle. And as for me�� I am not leaving you alone today. So don''t even think about protesting��" Charan said sternly getting them both into the elevator.


    Seeing as she did not really have a choice, Shreya just said a silent okay and followed along. But her reluctance was very apparent on her face as she rode the elevator with her heads hung down.


    Charan moved closer and took her face in his hands and made her look up at him and said sincerely, "Look, I know that I cannot magically get rid of your dreams for you and make it all go away. But one thing I can promise is that you won''t be waking up to a desolate room jarring with some music all alone. Okay??"


    "Okay��" Shreya said at last, with some spirit and followed him to his car more willingly.


    Despite all the big talks, Shreya actually fell asleep in the car itself. Charan carried her into his room and laid her down carefully. He tucked her in. She slightly stirred but thankfully did not wake up.


    Charan did not have the heart to leave her alone. So just sat there beside her after freshening up.


    But as expected she did not really have a peaceful sleep. She was agitated and at the edge. But even then, her exhaustion did not let her wake up. On top of it, Charan stood guard the whole night even though he did not know if he was really being much of help. He kept caressing her every time she would struggle in her sleep.


    It was almost dawn when Shreya, at last, calmed down and started sleeping peacefully. Charan too laid beside her and decided to get some shut eyes seeing as she was not going to wake up anytime soon.


    CHaran could easily decipher how she had been sleeping the whole last week. It had not been pleasant the whole night. She had been agitated and restless even when her eyes were shut close. Even when he slept, one hand still rested on top of her head protectively and the other held on to her hand firmly.

 Chapter 87 - 86

    By the time Shreya woke up the next day, it was already noon. Even then she had a hard time trying to open her eyes.


    When she did open her eyes, she was met with a completely darkened room with all the curtains drawn in and windows and doors tightly shut. She lazily lifted her hand to rub over her eyes�� at least she tried to. But her hand was held in an iron grip. That is when she noticed Charan sleeping on the other side of the bed with his hands firmly imprisoning hers.


    What little motivation she had to actually get up from the bed flew away through the window seeing his sleeping figure. She moved closer to him and snuggled in his embrace. She used his arms as her pillow and closed her eyes all over again.


    Charan stirred in his sleep and his arms unconsciously wrapped themselves around her bringing them closer. A smile formed at the corners of her lips as she leaned comfortably and went back to sleep.


    Next time around, Sherya woke up to the sound of the shower running. Shreya frowned in her sleep and pulled another pillow over her head to muffle the sound out. That was how Charan found her when he walked out of the shower. A sly grin formed on his face as he went near her.


    He took away the pillow and ruffled his wet hair all over her face. Shreya''s eyes flew open as cold water dripped all over her face. Her eyes instantly flared with anger. She goes livid when someone wakes her up for some reason.


    Charan''s laughter stopped seeing her puffed-up little face.


    "You are so getting for this��" Shreya said with menace and sprang out of the bed.


    Charan''s fight or flight response kicked in and instinctively he ran back to the bathroom. But sadly wasn''t very successful in keeping Shreya out of it.


    Shreya pounced on him like a fierce little tiger and before he could make sense of what she was doing, he felt a sudden splash on his face. When he came back to his senses and looked down at himself, he realized the whole of his face and the front of his t-shirt was dripping with water.


    "Shreya��" Charan exclaimed surprised.


    Shreya giggled in delirium seeing his shocked face. But it soon turned into a joyous squealing as she ran around the house with Charan hot on her trail. Her euphoric laughter filled the walls spreading warmth.


    It was not a big deal for Charan to actually catch up to her. With her short legs, no matter how fast she ran, he could catch her in a matter of few steps. But when he looked at her determined face running away from him, he did not have the heart to catch her just yet.


    Moreover, he did not forget Shreya''s face from last night either. So he felt like she could actually use a good amount of laughter. Thus he slowly followed her around for a while before lifting her off of her feet with her h.i.p.s. But that did not hinder Shreya''s laughter.


    That was of course until Charan''s drenched t-shirt wet her own clothes. A slight shiver racked her body due to the chillness but before she could protest, Charan sat on the couch beside him with Shreya held on his lap firmly. And then she felt his wet hair tickle her neck behind her ears.


    "Charan��" Shreya protested pulling her face away and turning to look at him. But all her complaints died down in her throats when he looked at her.


    Charan''s face was not angry or aggrieved but instead, he had a blissful smile playing on his face while looking at her with clear eyes. On the outside, he looked extremely happy and content which he was actually. But on a closer look, you could also see the traces of concern and the slight redness of his eyes due to lack of sleep.


    Somehow seeing him like this, an impossible amount of warmth spread through her making her stop on her track. She forgot what she was even going to say. She just leaned over and snuggled in without caring about the wetness anymore. She buried her face on the crooks of his neck.


    After a while, seeing as Shreya had no intention of getting up, Charan picked her and deposited her in his bedroom.


    "You freshen up, I will go make you something to eat," Charan said as he took off his shirt to change while Shreya just gawked at him the whole time with a creepy smile.


    Of course, Shreya hadn''t moved an inch when he came back to check up on her after preparing the food. He found her rolling around in the bed with her phone.


    "Shreya�� come on. Get up. food is ready." Charan called out nudging her to get up. But Shreya stubbornly did not move.


    She just shook her head and bundled herself in the blanket.


    Charan let out a sigh. He did not even try to convince her. He just straight-up lifted her like a bundle of sack and made a beeline to the living room.


    Shreya yelped in surprise and her phone almost slipped from her hands. Thankfully she caught it in time but before she could glare at the person responsible, she got deposited into the kitchen counter quite unceremoniously so. And just as she tried to open her mouth to talk, she got stuffed with a sandwich before she could even get one word out.


    Shreya glared at him puffing her cheeks but couldn''t really talk with the mouth full. Once she was done swallowing, she once again opened her mouth to complain when Charan stuffed her with another bite all over again. This went on until she was completely stuffed.


    By then Shreya lost her will to complain even. She just sat there quietly as Charan wiped away the crumbs from the corner of her mouth. He then gave her an adorable smile that made her heart skip a beat.


    Shreya gestured with her hands to Charan to come closer. When Charan leaned closer, she pecked him on his cheeks and said, "Thanks for the brunch��"


    "You go out now. I will clean up here and join you." Charan said smiling at her and ruffled her hair.


    But just as he was about to move away, Shreya caught on to his hands and held him back.


    "You go have your breakfast, I will clean up here��" Shreya said with a smile.


    Charan did not say anything. Just looked at her with his brows arched upwards with his eyes full of suspicion.


    "Hey don''t look at me like that�� I can do it!!" Shreya said puffing her cheeks at his distrust.


    Charan did not reply but then moved out of her way just to humor her. He was sure she couldn''t do it. Not because he doubted her intentions or resolve but he had actually seen her try before and she actually ended up creating more mess for him to clean up after her. But even then he did not have the heart to mock her effort since it came from good intentions.


    But his skepticism soon turned into surprise as she actually did clean up this time and that too without breaking anything. She was clumsy and rough on the edge. She missed a few spots here and there but overall she actually did clean up.


    Once done, she turned around looking proud of herself and slightly gloating even.


    Usually, at her house, all her dishes get cleaned up by her maid the next day. But the few weeks or so she had made an effort to do it herself. She had to sacrifice a few plates and coffee mug but she got the hang of it eventually.


    Charan just shook his head with a smile at her antics as he munched on his own sandwich.

 Chapter 88 - 87

    In contrast to the light atmosphere on Charan''s house, Adam was standing outside a restaurant way over his head. He had not been in this situation in his life before. So he was extremely nervous and fl.u.s.tered. He kept fidgeting with his fingers as he waited for Preethi outside the restaurant. He and Dr. Preethi were supposed to be having lunch this weekend.


    Everything became so real as he stood there outside the restaurant. He was excited and nervous at the same time. He was terrified he was going to make a fool of himself and make himself look like an idiot in front of her. His overthinking got him so scared that he was on the verge of calling in sick. But sadly enough he did not really get a chance.


    Preethi just then drove in through the gates and of course, the first thing she saw was Adam. She waved at him and then went to park the car.


    When she, at last, reached him, she looked at him peculiarly. She looked at Adam head to toe deliberately making the already nervous Adam almost pee his pants.


    He started to float all sorts of ideas. He even looked down at himself to make sure he already had his pants on or if he had forgotten them home in his scared stupor. But thankfully, he found that he had all his clothes on properly.


    But when Preethi just stood there looking at him, he mustered all his courage and asked, "What is it?? Are the clothes that bad??" God knows it took him forever to actually choose these clothes. He even called Shreya a couple of times to ask for help but of course, she did not pick his call. So he settled for light blue denim pants and a black shirt. After all, you can''t go wrong with black.


    Preethi just frowned and asked in a dubious voice, "Why do you look like you are ready to bolt from the place any time??"


    Which he did look like actually. He had sweat so much that the shirt was now sticking to his skin. If someone saw him now, they are going to think he was about to be arrested by the cops or something rather than having lunch with a friend.


    And before Adam could stop himself, he ended up blabbering, "How did you know??" But just as the question slipped his lips, he swatted on his own mouth and looked at Preethi.


    Preethi could help the laughter that bubbled at the base of her throat seeing his horrified eyes. He was looking at her as if she was a dinosaur or something.


    "I am not that scary you know??" Preethi said at last calming down.


    Adam of course immediately shook his head so hard that Preethi seriously worried he is going cramp them.


    "NO�� no�� no. It''s not like that. Promise�� I just�� I was really excited and then when I came here�� it just�� it all became so real�� I started getting nervous��." Adam stumbled around his words and blabbered as he followed behind Preethi towards the restaurant.


    Seeing that Preethi did not even look behind him, he got really scared he had offended her. So he grabbed on her arms and turned her towards him. But instead of anger or disappointment, he was actually met with an extremely amused smile dancing on her lips and her eyes clear as day.


    Adam heaved in relief.


    On the other hand, Preethi was not just amused but also very happy. The notion of a man chasing after her and courting her was a weirdly very heartwarming for her. Her first marriage was actually arranged and during college, she was way too focused on her studies to have time for boys. SO this feeling was alien and joyous at the same time. And she liked it.


    Adam, on the other hand, took a minute to calm himself down and chose his words carefully. Normally, he knew even pulling two sentences out of him was a tedious task. Only Shreya ever understood him without him having to say anything and god knows how she did that. But he knew Preethi cannot do that since she did not know him yet and he did not want friction between them because he refused to open his mouth. So he swallowed his stubbornness and spoke with a serious look on his face.


    "I am sorry�� I did not mean it in any negative way. It''s just�� this the first time I ever did anything like this and I am not really good at expressing myself. So sometimes I end up blurting out absolute nonsense. I was so excited that I couldn''t sleep all night. I just freaked out for a second when I was waiting."


    Preethi''s smile spread as she heard him even though she understood that much without him having to say anything. As if his sweating palms around her arm wasn''t evidencing enough, one has to be blind to not see the unwavering glint on his eyes. His eyes were shining with joy overshadowing his nervousness.


    Preethi took away his hands from around her making Adam''s heart drop just a tiny bit before being elated as she hooked her own hands around his arms and dragging him towards the restaurant saying, "I know. Now come on, I am starving."


    Adam quietly walked with a grin.


    For most of the lunch, Adam remained an avid listener to whatever Preethi threw at him. Preethi mostly talked about her work. It ranged from whining and complaining about the long hours to her achievements. But throughout, Adam actually remained quiet.


    If not for the absolutely focused eyes, one would think he was uninterested and forced to this meeting. But Preethi actually had 100% of his attention the whole time. His eyes did not waver from her for more than a second when he had to scoop his food.


    On the other hand, Preethi just�� she did not understand why she felt so happy all of a sudden. She could not express why his attention made her grin like a fool even though he did not utter much in reply.


    For once, she experienced first hand how much a person can make you happy without really doing anything. This was not even a fancy restaurant and he did not do anything grand. He just took her to a corner table and they had their food. And the most she heard him talk was the three sentences he said to her at the parking lot. Logically speaking he should be boring. But just the way he attentively kept looking at her and serving her food�� it spread an impossible amount of warmth in her.


    She knew she was getting ahead of herself, that is why as soon as they reached their car, she stopped him. When he looked at her with a question, she hung her head down and blurted out, "You know, I am divorced and I have a kid from my previous marriage. Are you really okay with it??"

 Chapter 89 - 88

    Adam turned and looked at Preethi. That is when for the first time he saw a tinch of vulnerability in her. This is the first time he saw her ask something to him in such a meek way. In a short amount of time, he knew her, she had always been very sure of herself. So he was taken by surprise to see her like this.


    For some reason, seeing her like this, his own confidence about her�� and about them making it work�� grew. But as always he was clueless as to how to express it and make her feel at ease. So after some thought, he just took her keys from her hands and stuffed her into the passenger seat and drove through the city without really giving her any explanation. But then this was not something new either since all the words he had uttered throughout the lunch can very well be counted with fingers.


    "Where are you taking me??" Preethi, at last, asked unable to curb her curiosity. But she did not feel scared for some reason which is weird. After all, Adam was practically a stranger and he was driving her car somewhere without telling her. Her brain should have screamed bloody murder by now. But due to some reason, she did not feel an ounce of fear.


    Adam, on the other hand, did not know how to reply to her. He just had this idea to ease her questions but he was not really sure how she would react to it or take it. And also, as time went by the confidence he got in the spur of the moment seemed to be vanishing. So he just mumbled, "You will see�� we will be there soon. I just�� we will be there."


    So Preethi did not ask anything after that. But that was of course until he started driving into the outskirts of the city. After a while, even the traffic quieted down drastically. And unconsciously, without really realizing, she mumbled under her breath, "Are you sure he is not going to murder you and dump you here??"


    But in the quiet car, her voice reverberated in his ears. Adam freaked out immediately and stepped on the break without even thinking.


    "Hey, buddy�� I was just asking�� You don''t have to prove me right!!" Preethi exclaimed annoyed rubbing on her forehead. Due to the sudden jerk, she had hit her head on the dashboard.


    "Sorry sorry sorry��" Adam said as he immediately rubbed his own palm over her head to ease the pain.


    Preethi looked at him sideways. Apart from the fact that he was making a bird nest out of her hair, he looked completely freaked out as if he had killed someone or something. She found it adorable in a weird way. A grin formed on her lips without realizing it.


    When the birdnest got out of control, she frowned and said, "It''s okay now."


    Adam took back his hands and sat back after making sure Preethi was fine. But he did not start the car.


    Preethi first tamed her bird nest and then frowned realizing they were not moving.


    "Are we there already??" She asked looking around. But no matter how she looked, they were practically in the middle of nowhere.


    "NO�� A little bit further. But it''s okay if you don''t want to, I can take you back��" Adam replied looking at her earnestly.


    "Nope�� I want to go. I am curious now. What kinda place you are taking me to in the middle of nowhere��" Preethi said brightly sitting back.


    Adam quietly started the car all over again without really saying anything else. Preethi on the other hands pulled her windows and stuck her head out.


    Half an hour later, the car came to a stop in front of a mansion surrounded by woods. It looked scary rich. So much so that, Preethi was scared to even come out of the car.


    "Where is this???" Preethi asked still sitting inside the car.


    Adam, on the other hand, got down and went towards the passenger side door and said, "This is my dad''s place. Come on."


    "What?? Your father''s place??" Preethi asked shocked while her eyes rapidly darted around the mansion. She seemed like she was just a tread away from panicking.


    Adam opened her doors and extended his hands to help her down. But of course, Preethi was still preoccupied with trying not to panic just yet. And no one could blame her�� She came out for lunch and ended up in front of a palace-like house and meeting parents. She did not know how it came to it. And more so she did not know what to make out of it.


    "Can I�� can I�� I mean do I still have the option to go back?? You know the option you gave me when we were in the car??" Preethi asked. She was still very unfocused.


    "There are no vampires there. I promise." Adam said with a chuckle trying to ease her up.


    "I will�� I will take vampires. Vampires are far better. You can''t just pop up and make me meet you, dad. Look at me. I am in shorts for heavens sakes��." Preethi said, at last, looking up at him.


    "It wouldn''t matter. Trust me. I promise. It is going to be okay��" Adam consoled her pulling her out of the car.


    "Trust you. I don''t even know you. And you seem rich�� which is super scary in this situation by the way��" Preethi said while her eyes darted around every detail there as she entered the house.


    Adam actually took her hands in his before walking towards the entrance. He was afraid Preethi is going to ran away any minute�� or at least that''s how she looked.


    "Okay�� you have a point there. But since you trusted me enough to come with me until here, you might as well take a leap of faith. After all, it took us an hour to get here. And after all that, are you going to make me go back without seeing my dad??" Adam asked back.


    "Okay fine. But the first sight of a gun, I am running for my life and give me the keys��" Preethi agreed begrudgingly and snatched her car keys from him.


    Adam had no choice but to hand it over but he also warned her, "Just remember, you are my ride home. So even if you run, you run with me��" And then opened the front door- if you could even call that a door and entered what Preethi assumed is the humungous living room.

 Chapter 90 - 89

    "And this is not super-rich. You should see his boss''s house�� this is practically a cottage." Adam said just as they walked into the living room.


    The whole living room was white. A fancy sofa set spread throughout the room in the shape of half of a square that can sit at least a dozen people. In front of it was an equally fancy glass tea table that actually sparkled. So much so that, one small touch could actually crack the. There was also the LED television that hung on the wall straight across and the chandelier on the ceiling.


    "We buddy�� we have a very different definition of rich!!" Preethi said after looking around.


    Adam just chuckled at her while bringing her to the couch to sit.


    But before any of them could say anything further, they heard footsteps from behind.


    "If you have come here for food- let me tell you, you are making them yourself. I am not spoon-feeding a grown man." A very warm and very stern voice followed the footstep and a middleaged man came into view. He was also rather stylish and fit for a guy his age. He had on fit jeans and a t-shirt.


    Preethi stood up on her place as if the couch was set on fire shocking the crap out of Adam''s dad.


    "Oh�� You brought someone!!" His dad asked but his voice was slightly disconcerting. It was almost like his son bringing someone home was the most fascinating thing that ever happened.


    "Preethi, this is John- my dad. And dad, this is Preethi." Adam made the introduction.


    "Hello sir," Preethi said politely.


    But John did not reply but instead his eyes brows frowned and he asked her, "You don''t know him for long do you??"


    "Yea��" Preethi said but her voice was doubtful not knowing why he was asking her that.


    "Well, that explains why you even came here with him!!" John said as if it explains all the troubles in the world.


    "Why?? What do you mean??" Preethi asked confused.


    While Adam exclaimed, "Dad!!" In a very exasperated tone.


    OF course, John completely ignored Adam and said, " Well, you didn''t run away from him yet. Or rather, should I say he hadn''t had the chance to chase you away yet."


    "Dad�� You are�� you are one scaring her!! Don''t make me regret bringing her here." Adam said exasperated once again.


    "Oh, come on. If she is still here, I am sure she wouldn''t be here two months from now even without me." John said directly to Adam this time.


    But before Adam could say anything, Preethi''s curiosity spiked and she asked, "Well, you have so much confidence in your son! I wonder why??" her voice was dripping with sarcasm.


    "Oh come on, you can sit with him for hours and he wouldn''t bother to say two-sentence straight without having to pry it out of him," John said equally sarcastic while Adam gave his dad a stink eye.


    If Preethi was skeptical about meeting John before, it all vanished and turned into amus.e.m.e.nt very soon. Her lips curved seeing the father-son bicker. The banter went on for a while until John remembered Preethi was still there and once again ignored Adam all together.


    "Sorry, I forgot my manner. Hi, I am John." John said, at last, extending his hands towards Preethi politely.


    Preethi gave John a big fat grin and shook his hands enthusiastically. Something about the friendly banter that the father-son duo jus had without holding any reservations towards her made her heart warm. She somehow felt included. Being treated with politeness is one thing�� it is nice�� but being treated as if she belonged with them is a whole lot more.


    Half an hour later, the living room was filled with the laughter of Preethi and John while Adam sat on the side listening to them without saying anything as always.


    Right then, Preethi''s phone rang and she excused herself to attend it while Adam and John sat there in silence.


    After a while, John broke the silence and asked, " SO, you want to tell me what is going on??"


    And Adam did not avoid the question. Instead he straight-up said, "I like her��"


    "Well. I would have to be blind to not know that and thankfully I am not. But the point is, does she like you??" John asked.


    "I don''t know. I guess she is curious for now since she did come here with me��" Adam answered after giving it some thought.


    "And why did you bring her here crashing my weekend anyway?? Since you did not inform me, I am guessing it was not the original plan. So��" John asked once again. After all, he long got used to his son''s cryptic answers and of course, with time he had also developed to skill to pull the words out of his mouth.


    "She has a kid. She was afraid I was playing around with her��" Adam said simply summing everything up in one neat sentence. But John did understand what he meant. So he did not ask any more questions about Preethi and instead asked, "How is Shreya??"


    " She had successfully acc.u.mulated one week''s worth of dirt in her office. Zeenath is making the first contact today." Adam explained briefly.


    But before John could ask anything else, Preethi came in.


    "Sorry John. I have to go. It''s my son. He caught fever��." Preethi explained with concern clouding her face and bid him goodbye.


    Adam quietly stood up from his place and followed her out.


    Just as Adam was about to get in the car, John bellowed, "Don''t screw it up��"


    Adam just rolled his eyes and started the car.


    Throughout the ride, Preethi was actually comparatively quieter. Adam could sense she was preoccupied. And he could easily guess she was worried about her kid. So he let her be. He drove them to the restaurant since he left his own car there. As soon as the car stopped, Preethi switched her place.


    "Hey�� Drive carefully okay??" Adam said and bid her goodbye.


    Preethi gave him a wave and zoomed out.


    Adam did not feel reassured, so he followed her till she reached her home before going back to his own apartment.

 Chapter 91 - 90

    Shreya and Charan laid sprawled on the couch. The television was muted relaying closing credits of some movie while popcorns were littered all over the place.


    Charan was holding her against him while gently caressing the top of her head. Shreya, on the other hand, was sleeping very comfortably in his arms. So he did not even dare to move a muscle. He just kept staring at her. There was tranquility in the air that was so very pleasant and sweet.


    But such calmness was stirred as Shreya''s eyes fluttered open on their own accords. She lazily turned on her sleep almost falling off of the couch. Charan caught her just in time and held her in place.


    "Hey, we are on the couch��" Charan said gently.


    Shreya snuggled back against his chest and mumbled, "That movie was boring!!"


    So far whenever they watched movies, Shreya always chose the movie and she always chose action movies. But today she was too lazy to choose and Charan randomly chose something. Who knew she had zero tolerance for romantic comedies?? Shreya was out cold 5 minutes into the movie. And the popcorns lasted exactly 5 minutes.


    "Says the person knows dialogues of Tangled by heart!!" Charan commented sarcastically. God knows how many times he had watched the same movie with Shreya and Akira. If the pattern lasts, he is afraid, even he will end up knowing the dialogues by heart.


    Shreya slightly swatted in his chest and protested vehemently, "Tangled is fun!!"


    Charan just shook his head and did not reply. Anyways he was not going to win this one.


    But then Shreya continued after a pause, "And besides what''s the point of make-believe love stories when I have you beside me...??" Her eyes were practically sparkling when she said it while Charan''s lips spread to his ears.


    "Well, you have a point as always��" Charan surrendered instantly. But after seeing her extremely smug look, he leaned in and bit on her ears making her giggle and squeal.


    And somehow between Shreya''s goofing around and Charan''s tickling, Shreya ended up sitting on top of his torso with Charan still lying flat on the couch. Charan looked at her with a smile dancing on his face.


    And when Shreya met with his eyes, something tickled in her heart. Shreya paused on her tracks staring at him. He was looking at her with so much adoration that her heart squeezed. The look in his eyes made her feel breathless somehow. It was torturous but at the same time very pleasant. For a second there, she got lost in them. But then she crashed her lips against his the very next second.


    That feeling of knowing someone adores you beyond all bounds and reasons was addictive like a drug. It was extremely sweet but it was also extremely intoxicating for her.


    She suddenly felt so desperate that she lost all sense of reality. All she could think of at that moment were their lips against each other. In her desperation, her hands that were holding her up almost slipped out of the couch but she was the least bit bothered.


    Charan, on the other hand, was swept away by her emotions. Her lips were so very sweet but they were so desperately moving over his�� it was driving his crazy. Slowly his own emotions and need got just as desperate as hers. He bit on her lower lips and sucked so hard that Shreya whimpered in delirium.


    They, at last, pulled away struggling for air. Both their hearts were pounding against their ribs.


    Shreya''s hands felt like they will give out any minute. But before they gave out, Charan circled his arms around her waists and flipped their positions. Shreya yelped surprised and her eyes widened.


    Charan on the other hands just stayed there catching his breath and staring at her intently. She looked sinfully pure at the moment. He did not even know how that was even possible.


    Her eyes were extremely dazed as if she had little to no sense of reality while her cheeks were flushed pink. Her hair was all over the place and her lips were swollen.


    She just stared back at him with clear eyes that felt as if she was seeing through his soul.


    And under her watchful dazed eyes, the words he had been holding back for so long just slipped somehow. It was almost like he had come to the end of the road and he couldn''t hold back anymore.


    "I love you��" He whispered looking straight into her eyes. For some reason, he felt that the words themselves would weigh more to Shreya than how, when or where he said them.


    But all his confidence plummeted when he saw that Shreya did not react at all. She just stared back at him frozen for a long time. Maybe he should''ve put some more effort after all. With that thought, he started explaining a little anxiously.


    "Sorry�� I just�� I had this whole plan and everything. I even looked up hotels and stuff too. But somehow it always slipped. When I was free, you were stuck up somewhere else and when you were free, I ended up having something to do. I wanted it to be perfect for you�� but I just blurted out without even realizin��. Ouch�� sss�� Shreya��"


    But his ranting came to a standstill when Shreya leaned forward and bit on the crooks of his necks out of the blue. Charan hissed in pain. She bit so hard that Charan felt as if she was going to bite off his skin altogether. But before he could air his concern, she sucked on the same spot soothing the pain.


    Charan''s lips spread once more since he knew she always does this whenever she felt possessive over him. And if the intensity of the bite was any indicator, he knew he did not mess it up. He leaned over and whispered those three magical words straight into her ears all over again.


    "I love you��"


    It was simple and straight forward. He did not add anything to it. And he did not need to either. Shreya knew that he meant it and that was all she ever needed. Her own emotions spiraled out of control very quickly.


    When she heard those words coming from him, she felt as if she had found a family for herself at last. After such a long time, she felt as if she belonged somewhere. This was the first time she felt that way after losing her own parents.


    Yes, she did have her uncle, aunt, cousins, and friends. She also knew they will be there for her no matter what. They were her family. There was no doubt in that. But at the end of the day, she always faced an empty house.


    "Say it again.." She asked in a hoarse voice. She wanted to make sure she heard him right. The desperation in her voice baffled Charan. But he still complied. He leaned over and whispered against her ears all over again.


    "I love you, Shreya. I love you so much��"


    Shreya circled her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to herself with a desperate need to feel him against herself.


    In her emotional state, her pull was actually quite firm. So Charan lost his grip and came crashing against her while his head landed on the crooks of her neck.


    Charan tried to get up but Shreya held in place.


    "Shreya, I am crushing you��" he said softly.

 Chapter 92 - 91

    Shreya refused to let go. She just shook her head and tightened her arms around his neck.


    Charan saw that he was not going to be able to pull her away. So instead he kneeled on the couch and lifted her up with him by her hip. He staggered around a bit clumsily but then after several attempts he landed on the couch with Shreya on his laps.


    Shreya was still holding on to him as if he would end up disappearing if she let go. Charan rubbed on her back gently soothing her. He did not understand what was happening. He always thought she would beam at him or squeal when he finally confessed. But instead, she actually seemed anxious and vulnerable somehow. She was holding on to him like a kid would hold on to his toy before going to sleep. It was bittersweet.


    He was flattered but also felt helpless. If he had known him saying out loud those words are going to mean so much to her, he would have told her ages ago and he desperately wished he had.


    It was just, he had always seen her so confident that he did not realize how insecure she was about him and their relationship until right that moment.


    "Hey, you okay there??" Charan asked softly still holding on to her.


    Shreya just nodded. At that moment, all she could really think of was wanting to hold him closer. Nothing else was entering her mind.


    And only one thing kept repeating itself on her head like a broken record�� and it was his voice. She kept hearing him confess in his deep warm voice just against her ears.


    "I love you, Shreya��"


    Every time she heard it in her head, she wanted to bring him even closer.


    After a long time, Shreya pulled away and sat straight on his lap looking down at her hands. Charan just looked at her for a while cautiously. And then reached out and tucked some of the stray hair behind her ear and tidied them up a bit.


    "Thank you��" Shreya mumbled leaning over and then she gave him a sweet little kiss on his cheeks.


    This time around, Charan brought her closer and gathered her gently in his arms.


    He gave a kiss just below her ears and said, "No�� Thank you. You have no idea how grateful I am that you dragged me to that roof that day�� Just that thought of not meeting you and not having you here with me scares me. If I did not realize it before, after this last week, I know now. This week without you�� " But he did not continue after that. He did not know how to. This whole week, he wouldn''t say he was sad or depressed or anything. But he constantly felt as if he was missing something. That is when he realized how integral her presence was to him.


    "I missed you." He said and gathered her closer if that was even possible.


    "I''m sorry��" Shreya whispered softly when she remembered how she had avoided him for one whole week.


    "It''s okay," Charan replied and pulled away. He reached out and kept caressing on her left cheeks and said looking intently at her hung down face, "I just want you to know that you can come to me. You don''t need to do everything on your own. If nothing else, I can at least make you a meal and give you company. It''s far better than crashing alone in office right??"


    "I''m sorry�� I will try not to repeat this in the future��" Shreya mumbled under her breath so softly that it was barely audible.


    Charan just ruffled her hair and pecked on her brows.


    Shreya''s wandering eyes suddenly focused on her own handy work on his neck. It was not bleeding but it was very red with the distinctive marks of her teeth imprinted. Without realizing, she caressed it with her fingertips lightly.


    "You like your work??" Charan asked sarcastically and he meant the question as rhetoric.


    The gleam in Shreya''s eyes was unmistakable. She did not even need to answer to see how proud she was. Somehow seeing her like this over something like this just made Charan''s heart pound in joy. The happiness in her eyes made his heartburn in ecstasy.


    "Gosh, I am so whipped!!" Charan exasperated at himself leaning back on the couch staring at the ceiling.


    Shreya''s lips spread automatically. Charan''s eyes closed on their own while Shreya''s fingers played around.


    Shreya was at least a head short even after sitting on his laps. She couldn''t really reach his face with ease. So she stood up on her knees and leaned over in such a way that she was just a breath away from him. She looked at his closed eyes and face with wonder and fascination while her hands slid down his eyes slowly. Her touch felt like feathers rather than fingers.


    She could not really describe how she was feeling right at that moment. She was beyond happy�� but more than that there was this feeling�� it was almost as if she was floating away on the cloud or something.


    She leaned over and pecked him on his temples and then snuggled into his chests all over again.


    But then their moment was disrupted by the bell. Charan sat up straight but then couldn''t do much else with Shreya sticking to him like a sloth.


    "Shreya�� there is someone at the door." He said trying to pull her away. But Shreya just shook her head and said in an arrogant tone, "Let them be. I don''t want to let go."


    But then she heard an all too familiar voice bellowing from outside.


    "Dada�� Shreya��" Akira''s voice crept through the doors.


    The next second, Shreya scrambled from her place and was at the door at lightning speed while Charan was left gapping at her back.


    "What happened to ''I won''t let go''??" Charan thought to himself in a slightly self-deprecating way but then he got up from his place and followed behind her.

 Chapter 93 - 92

    Shreya forgot everything else as she held on to the bundle of joy and Akira reciprocated it with the same vigor. Bharath stood there gaping at them both who was completely ignored.


    Akira had pleaded, begged and brown-nosed him until he agreed to bring her here. And of course, she also had endless praises for him all the way here. But as soon as she saw Shreya, she had completely forgotten about his existence altogether.


    When he looked up, he was met with his brother having an identical expression.


    "We are also here you know��" Bharath said sarcastically standing beside his brother.


    Shreya and Akira pulled away at last and came back to their senses. That is when Akira notices her dad and she pulled away from Shreya and landed on Charan''s arms.


    While Shreya, on the other hand, smiled at Bharath and gave him a nice warm hug as always.


    But Bharath did not return the hug. He just stood there sulking.


    "What is this?? Consolation prize??" He asked sarcastically. In the two months they have known each other, somehow Shreya just crept into his life and made a space for herself. They even hung out by themselves a couple of times. But she was yet to officially meet up with Preethi. Somehow they seem to miss each other. Shreya had come over two times to their house after the first official meet and she had charmed them all with her spell very elegantly. But the most affected was Bharath and Akil.


    Bharath did not even know how taken he was with her. The age difference between him and Preethi was quite big. SO his sister had always been more of a mother figure than a sibling. She was strict and disciplined him like a responsible a.d.u.l.t she was. Same went for Charan. SO between both his siblings, he never had a partner in crime or someone to goof around with him and be irresponsible.


    So for someone like that Shreya was like a long lost buddy he had been waiting for. She did not lecture him about the consequences and responsibilities but instead, she came up with crazier ideas and did them with a sly smile.


    "You don''t have to sulk�� we are still on for Friday night... But we can always cancel if you are angry with me!!" Shreya said slyly ruffling his hairs. Bharath''s face instantly lit up and became pale when she said she was going to cancel it.


    "No�� no-no�� I am not angry at all. Only a moron will get angry at you. See I am not angry. I am even hugging you��" Bharath instantly brown-nosed her and returned the hug. In his enthusiasm, he even lifted her off of her feet.


    "I don''t need your ''consolation prize''. I have work next Friday��" Shreya sulked back.


    That was all it took, Bharath followed around her like a lost puppy for the rest of the night trying to convince her for whatever they had planned.


    Charan''s jaws dropped. That is when he completely came to know how charmed his whole family was of her and for the love of God, he did not know how she did it. But then, he himself did not know how he fell so in love with her, so he was in no place to complain about his family.


    Just as Bharath bid goodbye, Shreya pulled him away and whispered something in his ears with a mischievous smile playing in her lips.


    Charan was really scared of that look.


    "What are you two troublemakers planning on??" He asked as soon as Bharath left.


    Shreya winked and said slyly, "That''s between me and him."


    "Do whatever you guys want but I am not coming to bail you guys out that''s all!!" Charan said nonchalantly and slung his arms around her shoulders.


    "Do you really think I am so irresponsible!!?? Of course, I am going to be calling Harshad! What''s the point of calling you?? You need a lawyer to bail you out." Shreya said in a matter of fact voice.


    Charan just shook his heads exasperated. For a second there when she said she was not irresponsible, he actually thought she was going to say something along the line of not doing anything crazy enough to get arrested but then he should have known better.


    "Shreya�� Just make sure you both come back home in one piece okay??" Charan asked holding on to the last sliver of hope for his own sanity.


    "Promise," Shreya said, at last, giving him some peace of mind.


    Charan sighed in relief and went to the kitchen. Of course, Shreya followed him hot on his trails. They did not talk much once Akira and Bharath came over. Shreya was too busy with Akira and Bharath.


    Just as Charan reached for the milk he felt her arms twining around his torso while her small face rested against his back. She was unnaturally clingy today.


    "What is it?? I am just getting you some warm milk��" Charan said putting his own hands over hers.


    Shreya did not reply. She just stood there unmoving. Charan couldn''t move to warm the milk with her standing like that. So he tried to pry her hands away but she tightened them instead.


    "Shreya�� what is it??" Charan asked cluelessly.


    "I forgot to tell you something��" Shreya said in a serious voice.


    "What is it??" Charan asked back.


    "I love you too��" Shreya said in the softest voice with smiling eyes. Sadly Charan couldn''t see them. But just with her voice, his heart did a somersault. If he had seen her face, his heart probably would have done something crazier.


    Charan smiled and pulled her hands away and turned to look at her. Shreya beamed at him just like he always imagined she would when he finally confessed. She looked like the happiest person there is. And that happiness infected Charan and he beamed back at her. He then gave her a peck on her temple and wrapped her in his arms tightly.


    Finding that person who is ready to share their whole life with you is nothing short of a miracle and Shreya knew that. That is why she was not taking this for granted.


    She can literally make anything happen in this country with just one phone call. That is the kinda power she had wielded in her hands and more than anyone, she was well aware of the extent of her powers. But what she found with Charan and Akira was something that overpowered and outweighed that power. All her power and all her wealth sourly lost to the kind of happiness and peace Akira and Charan brought into her life and she was eternally grateful for that.

 Chapter 94 - 93

    The roads were deserted for most parts and the sky was pitch dark. It was a stark contrast to the atmosphere within the club.


    Ear deafening music jarred making the walls vibrate while people moved around clumsily to the beats completely intoxicated in the name of dancing. The dance floor was filled to the brim.


    Amongst all this chaos there was one person that stood out. She was probably the only sober person around. Her eyes were on high alert. She stood there in her tight shorts and off-shoulder glittering blouse somehow making her impossible to ignore. Everyone took a glance at her at least a few times. Her jet black hair and blood-red lipstick made her so much more alluring than she already was. But somehow the aura around her made people scared to actually approach her. So most people were left to just look at her longingly while staying away at a safe.


    This aura was what attracted Naren the most. The challenge was what made her perfect for his arrogant self. And he knew conquering something like this will be greatly rewarding too.


    So he approached her with all his ego stuffed into a very smug smile. He was confident about his face. He was handsome after all and wealthy too. So he was very sure nobody will be able to ignore him once he had an eye on them.


    "Hey, there gorgeous. You look like you might use some company��" He said in a very mocking sultry voice as if he is taking pity on her and bestowing her with his company.


    The girl gave him a cold look and gestured all around her. Men were glancing at her every now and then and also looked eager to know the result of Naren approaching her.


    "Do I really look like I lack company??" The girl asked back coldly ignoring Naren completely.


    His first rejection felt like a shot of drugs�� addictive.


    So he continued talking to her and each time he has met the same cold blow to his arrogant ego and with each hit, his determination grew. He became almost obsessed in a very short amount of time.


    The girl walked out of the club just short of dawn giving Naren one last ambiguous look.


    Naren sprung into action. But all his background checks came up blank. Nobody knew who the girl was. The mystery just added a layer to Naren''s attraction towards the girl. That was actually thanks to Shreya. She was not comfortable Zeenath approaching Naren until she was absolutely sure she had an airtight hold on all forms of background check on Zee. Shreya worked on it one whole week perfecting each and every loophole she could think of. She even contacted all of their former classmates as a precaution.


    Even though the club actually belonged to Naren, the security for Zee was still ironclad for her.


    Once Zee walked out of the club, at least two dozen people walked out after her ambiguously.


    Zee huffed and puffed in her car. She knew Shreya was overprotective but she did not realize how paranoid she actually was until right that moment. She actually had two cars in front and two cars behind to make sure she was safe and she was not tailed.


    But she also knew where Shreya''s paranoia comes from. She was not there when Shreya lost her parents but she had been there with her right after�� and it was really not a pretty sight. When she saw Shreya again, she couldn''t recognize her as the same girl who would do the craziest and wildest shits with her. She rarely saw Shreya smile the bright smile that was a permanent factor on her face when she was in school with her.


    Shreya meticulously planned each and every step she took. She personally executed each step. The kinda power she had built for herself in the past few years after her parents'' death was worlds apart from the power Adithya ever held. And she did all this by remaining anonymous.


    Nobody knew who she was or how she looked but everyone knew of her by reputation. She got down and dirty. What every one sees is just the surface of what she had meticulously worked on for a year and a half. Nobody really knows what she had actually done to get the power she had now.


    She was that nameless, faceless nobody that was everyone''s worst nightmare.


    Adithya was a straightforward law-abiding businessman. So he never really had any power underground. And that had been the very first step Shreya took. She built an empire for herself both under and above ground. She barely slept and always had this haunted look on her face that made people stay a step away from her.


    And Zeenath had been there when Shreya went through this. And she also knew that Shreya did not do all that just for revenge but also to prevent anything like that from ever happening under her watch. But she still was frustrated.


    Zeenath had always been a one-woman army. SO all this security suffocated her. That is why she went to Shreya''s office bright and early the very next day.


    Both of them just sat on either side of the table. They were just looking at each other without really uttering a single word with their legs crossed almost identically.


    Both were headstrong and equally egotistical. So both were not ready to give up just yet.


    At last, Shreya lost her patience and she had heaps of paperwork to go through. SO just said, "The security is going to stay. Maybe I can make them less obvious. But nothing else is changing. And that guy is staying with you all the time. We are not having any more discussion on this." Her voice was authoritative and dismissal. She then started flipping through the files while Zee turned and glared at the guy Shreya just mentioned.


    Sreenivas was standing just at the doors shifted in his place facing Zeenath''s accusing glares. He did not even know why he was feeling guilty and scared when he was just doing his job.


    "Stop boring holes into Sreenivas. He is just doing his job. He is your personal bodyguard. Get over it." Shreya reprimanded Zee once again looking up from her paperwork.


    "But Shreya he is sticking to me like a freaking glue��" Zee fired away. Sreenivas could clearly visualize Zee''s eyes burning him alive with just her eyes. An involuntary shiver racked over him as he gulped.


    "If you don''t want a personal bodyguard just make him your boyfriend. The result will be the same except you will have an easy time accepting his presence. Now both of you get out. I have heaps of work��" Shreya said gesturing them to shoo away with her hands.


    For a second there Zee actually thought by a work of miracle Shreya was actually going to retreat but that though poofed when Shreya actually completed her sentence.


    A very grumpy Zeenath stomped out of Shreya''s office with a fl.u.s.tered blushing Sreenivas hot on her trail. Sreenivas''s ears were red from embarrassment while Zeenath was like a pressure cooker emitting steam from both her ears.

 Chapter 95 - 94

    Akash and Madhu were descending the stairs outside the office. Akash turned towards Madhu and offered her a ride home.


    "I can drive you hom��." But before he could even complete the words, Madhu squealed suddenly startling Akash. And before he could make sense of anything, he saw Madhu galloping away from him with a burst of eccentric laughter and the next second she had hoisted herself over a guy who was standing leisurely leaning over his car with a big goofy smile.


    He hoisted her on his arms and swung around in glee while Madhu just laughed away.


    Something snapped inside Akash. He did not even realize that his hands were fisted tightly while his eyes blazed with anger. God knows what he would have done if not for Shreya coming over and swinging her arms around his shoulders.


    "Hey, what''s up??" Shreya asked away not realizing she had actually interrupted something.


    Akash came back to his senses but he still couldn''t focus on anything but Madhu standing a few feet away in some other guy''s arms. His eyes refused to move away from her no matter how much he willed himself to.


    Shreya looked up confused when she did not hear any reply from him. Her eyes followed his and found exactly what he was looking at and her own lips curved.


    She reached out and swatted at his head making him look down at her. Her hands barely reached his head but even then the hit was actually pretty hard.


    Akash rubbed the back of his head in pain and glared at Shreya accusingly.


    "Instead of glaring at everyone around.. you should start using your brains for once. Then you won''t be here boring imaginary holes into a guy''s head all over again��" She said in a sulky voice and walked away after giving him a pointed look.


    "What did I do??" Akash asked cluelessly to her back.


    "Its what you didn''t do��" Shreya replied sarcastically without even bothering to look back. She just raised her left hand and waved him goodbye while Akash was left to stare at her back with his jaws dropped.


    But when he actually thought about Shreya''s parting words�� something struck a cord. What he didn''t do??


    Madhu had been around him from forever. She was hired right out of college and she had been following him around from when he first came into the company. SO he was already so used to her presence that he did not even realize the subtle changes in himself.


    How his eyes always stayed just an extra second on her back or how he was being just a tiny bit more considerate towards her or how he was a little less angry every time she screws up or how he was little more responsible or how he was just a tiny bit more frustrated when she was not around��


    But when he saw Madhu with someone else�� The burst of anger was very undeniable�� It was like a tight slap on the face waking him up from a dream.


    When he was not able to deduce the changes in himself, he had no hope of ever noticing those lingering gazes from Madhu anyways.


    After gathering all his thoughts, he went straight to Shreya''s apartment. Thankfully she was actually alone.


    Shreya did not even bother asking what was up since she had a good idea of what was up. SO she asked sarcastically smirking, "Have you found enlightenment so soon!!??"


    "Shreya��" Akash whined pitifully slumping on her couch. He said there leaning back.


    Shreya did not bother with him but instead went to her kitchen to get herself a drink. Out of pity, she took a can of beer for Akash and passed it to him.


    Akash accepted it gratefully and popped it open immediately. He took one generous sip and cringed as the alcohol burned his throats.


    "Slow down there bud��" Shreya said ruffling his hairs and sat beside him.


    "Don''t call me that��" Akash said and swatted her hands away grumpily.


    While Akash was lamenting away to Shreya, Madhu couldn''t stop her smiles. It had been three years since she last saw Karthik. The tall, dark and handsome guy who picked her up from outside her office is Karthik. He and Madhu are thick as thieves. They both were friends from diapers. Growing up, they were neighbors and then classmates. But they got separated when Karthik went overseas for higher studies.


    Karthik was a few years elder to her and he was that one person who could make her do the craziest of things. Somehow he always gave her that freedom to be wild without fearing anything. He always brought out a side of her that she herself never knew she had.


    She was now in a nightclub drunk out of her mind dancing on the floor shouting on top of her voice. While Karthik stood behind her standing guard like a bodyguard.


    By the stroke of midnight, she had passed out cold.


    Karthik shook his head as he gave her a piggyback ride. He couldn''t take her to her home for obvious reasons. She still stayed with her parents. So instead he called her mum and informed that Madhu will be staying with him for the night and took her to his place.


    The next morning, she woke up with a start when someone poured cold water all over her. After wiping away when she opened her eyes, she was met with a very smug-looking Karthik with a big ass grin on her face.


    "Karthik, you ass hole��." Colorful profanities escaped from her mouth as Madhu immediately got up from her place to chase after him but her head spinning and ached just as she sat up. She forgot all about Karthik and sat there holding her head tightly. She did not know what was happening since this was the first time she had gotten drunk.


    "Shit�� My head hurts like hell!!" Madhu cursed under her breath just as Karthik extended some painkillers along with water to her.


    "That''s what you get when you end up getting drunk��" Karthik said and ruffled her head. Madhu swallowed the tablet gratefully. It took a while to work.


    "Now get up. I bought you some breakfast. Freshen up and eat. You are going to be late for work." Karthik said shrugging his shoulders and walked out.


    Thus when she reached the office, between Karthik''s early morning cold shower and her headache, she was like a grumpy little possum with frowned brows.


    While Akash, on the other hand, had to endure a night full of sarcasm and teasing from Shreya. Thus he was not really in any better mood than when he left the office yesterday.


    And because of their respective moods, both of them avoided each other like a plague the whole day.

 Chapter 96 - 95

    The conference room was filled with people dressed up formally and listening to the presenter with full concentration. This was the meeting to finalize an ongoing merger. The higher-ups of both sides were present and the person in charge from both sides was briefing the others on the highlights.


    In such a pressurized and hectic environment, there was one person who sat there in her jeans dozing off in one corner of the table. And obviously, it was Shreya.


    If it were before, all the directors from Sri corp would have given her a look of disdain and mockery but after the last meeting where she sacked three of the seasoned directors, nobody dared to look down on her anymore. But it was not the same for the other side. They were angered by her blatant disrespect but then they refrained seeing that nobody else was complaining and who would want to go head-on with The Sri corp. But they still ended up glaring at Shreya every now and then.


    Shreya, at last, woke up when her phone beeped and her lips curved at last seeing Akira''s name on the screen. She hid the phone under her table and texted back happily. It is not that she was trying to disrespect anyone here but she gets really bored in these kinda meetings. She can study spreadsheets for hours but this�� this was a different level of hell for her.


    One of the people from the client-side glared at her when the phone beeped all over again. He was a bulky guy. His eyes flared with anger. He was one of the founding directors of the client''s company. Since he had been in the business for a while now, he had a few year''s worths of acc.u.mulated ego and arrogance in his belts. So he couldn''t contain himself anymore.


    "Don''t you have manners??" He asked angrily looking at Shreya.


    That''s when Shreya actually looked up from her phone. Her eyes looked around found that all the eyes in the room are on her and she was, in fact, disturbing the meeting altogether. So she stood up with a guilty face and apologized politely and sincerely.


    "I am so sorry�� Really sorry�� I didn''t realize. Please excuse me. I have to take a call��" She said slightly bowing and stood up to leave.


    But the guy was not ready to give it a rest. He started talking nonsense at the top of his voice.


    "Who do you think you are?? All your seniors are sitting there discussing something so serious and you rookie dares to doze off and actually dared to leave the meeting in the middle to chat??"


    "I said I am sorry," Shreya said again stopping at the door to the conference room. This time around there was no politeness in her voice. After all, growing up as the heir of the biggest company in the country gave her a healthy dose of arrogance too. She had been rude and she had apologized too. So from her point of view, she had done nothing wrong. And she wouldn''t blow down to anyone when she was not wrong.


    "What''s your sorry worth?? What do you think this is?? Your house?? You can come and go as you please?? Some people here actually do work unlike you who just goes around flaunting around her body. Look at what you are wearing to a formal meeting��" His eyes racking over her tight high waisted jeans and cropped top.


    When he was done, not only Shreya but even Akash was extremely pissed. If it were up to Akash he would very happily bash the guys head on the table and he was about to. But Anand stopped him, after all, there was Shreya and she knew how to deal with people like this.


    Shreya''s patience ran off real quick. She looked around and only this guy was shouting away like a clown and she had enough of the guy.


    "CEO Shivan�� If this guy is going to be working in the company, there won''t be any merger happening here��" She said simply ice dripping from her voice and came and sat at the head of the table leisurely. Usually, when this kinda meetings happen Anand never occupies the head of the table spot. Everyone thought it was because of his respect for his late brother. But only very few knew that it was because that chair belonged to Shreya and since Shreya did not like being the center of attention, she always sat in the least conspicuous spot in the table making herself invisible.


    But she knew how to rock that chair when the circ.u.mstances demand her.


    "Who gave you the authority??" the same guy from before fired away.


    "I do own this company you know. I am the President of Sri Corp. Ms. Shreya Srivastav and if you had bothered to do any work at all, you would have known that and I was the one who finalized this deal and came up with the numbers." She said lethargically.


    The guy stopped still. He then looked at his subordinate and the puny guy beside him just nodded his head meekly. Both him and Shreya had worked several long nights finalizing the contract while the big bulky guy flaring away just gave it a glance and spoke as if he had put his heart and soul into the contract which was ironic.


    The bulky guy''s mouth opened and closed several times but no word came out.


    "This meeting is adjourned. When you come up with the decision Mr. Shivan, send a word. Hopefully, we can continue with the meeting from where we have left. And if you need a recommendation for his replacement, you should give it to Mr. Samuel there. He knows what he is doing��" Shreya said authoritatively leaving no place for negotiation.


    "You can''t do that?? You��" The bulky guy tried but nothing else came out. When he looked around, he saw that everyone was now giving him a disdained look. All his ego flew instantly and he apologized.


    "I am so sorry�� I did not know who you were. Please forgive my ignorance." He said and bowed so low that his head almost touched his own knees.


    "What''s your sorry worth??" She asked the same question he had just thrown at her just a minute ago.


    The bulky guy had no reply.


    Shreya was out of patience. So she looked around at everyone and ordered away, "Clear the room. NOW. I need to make a phone call��"


    Everyone instantly scrambled away frantically.


    Mr.Shivan approached Shreya and said apologetically, "I am sorry on behalf of my employee. You will have a satisfactory answer in a few days." After all, he had just taken up the post of CEO and he did not have the authority to sack a founding director just like that. And on top of it all, he was still young so his decisions are often looked down and needed to be justification.


    "The only reason the deal is still open is because Samuel and I had worked our asses off here. But this grace is open only for a short while." Shreya said and dismissed them.


    The bulky director stood there tranced seeing his assistant receive a personal visiting card from Shreya and exiting the room leaving him behind.


    "Do you need me to call the security??" Shreya asked irritated.


    The guy came back to reality and scrambled away too.


    Anand''s lips curved as she leaned in and pecked Shreya on her temple before leaving the room while Akash gave her a very enthusiastic hug.

 Chapter 97 - 96

    Just as the room cleared, Shreya connected her phone to the projector and video called Akira. Something was not right. It was just shy of the afternoon so Akira shouldn''t be out of school nor should Charan be home just yet. But seeing as Akira was texting her from Charan''s phone, both of it was happening for some reason.


    As soon as the call connected she was met with a pale looking Akira and Shreya''s heart churned immediately.


    "Baby, what happened?? Why do you look so pale??" Shreya asked impatiently.


    "Hi, Shreya�� I am having a fever... I had to have that bitter tablet too��" Akira complained cutely making a pitiful face.


    Shreya did not know what happened to her. Just the thought of Akira not feeling well somehow made a pit form at the base of her stomach. She instantly took her phone and walked out of the conference room in a hurry.


    "Baby�� I will meet you in a minute okay?? You stay right there��" Shreya said and hung up the phone while waiting for the elevator impatiently.


    All she could think of was to get to Akira as soon as possible. She did not even think that if she was home then Charan should be there with her to take care of her. She drove her car like crazy and reached Charan''s house in record time. She barged into the house in a hurry without bothering to knock and made a beeline to Akira''s room.


    The first thing she saw was a soundly sleeping Akira. Shreya approached Akira and felt her forehead. Only after making sure that the fever was not that severe that Shreya let out a sigh of relief. She then sat there beside her holding her small hand in hers and looked at Akira unwaveringly.


    Her gaze did not leave her even when she heard someone open the door behind her. After a few seconds Charan''s voice came in, "Akira texted you, didn''t she??"


    She did not really bother to reply to him. Instead, she asked questions of her own.


    "What happened?? Why did she get a fever so suddenly?? Did you take her to the doctors?? Will she be okay??" She did not give him time to even reply.


    "Whoa�� Slow down. She is just running a slight temperature. It is common when the climate is changing. I had her stay at home just in case. And I did take her to the doctors. He said it is nothing to worry about��" Charan said trying to calm her down.


    She sighed in relief but she couldn''t calm down fully for some reason. She kept holding Akira''s hands anxiously and kept caressing her forehead gently. The fever was so slight that she could barely feel it. But even then her eyes just refused to move away from Akira.


    Charan could clearly see her worry. He went near her and ruffled her head and said, "Don''t worry. She is going to be just fine in no time. You are not going to be able to make her sit by dinner tonight. I promise��" He consoled her and left her alone with Akira. Anyways he knew he wouldn''t be able to bring Shreya out of the room without Akira. SO he let her be and went to get some work done. He was supposed to attend a meeting today but had Ajay sit in his place since Akira fell sick. Now he had to fill in for Ajay''s work.


    By the time he was done with his work, it was late evening. Almost time for dinner. When he walked into the room, both Shreya and Akira were sleeping soundly. Akira was completely curled up against Shreya while Shreya laid cramped in Akira''s small bed.


    Charan stopped on his track and just kept staring at them. On the bedside table, Shreya''s phone blinked and it showed at least two dozen missed calls and hell of a lot more messages.


    Charan shook his head. He could already guess that Shreya probably did not inform anyone where she was or why she left. He went near her and caressed on her head lightly�� or at least he tried to. But just as he was about to touch her, Shreya somehow sensed them and swatted them away quite harshly. Charan hissed in pain just as Shreya looked up at him. Then only it dawns on her what she had done and she looked at him guiltily as always. But before either of them could say anything, Akira woke up and called out to them.


    "Dada�� Shreya�� I am hungry," She mumbled on her sleep.


    Thus both of them instantly got to work and Akira was eating something light in no time. But by the time they were done with dinner and put Akira to sleep, it was well into the night.


    Charan went and showered while Shreya sat on the couch fidgeting. Last time she promised herself that she would tell Charan about her ex if something like that happened again and she wanted to keep her promise to herself but then she was nervous to talk. She knew she will never be ready if she gave herself that choice. So she willed herself and walked towards Charan''s room determined.


    When she entered the room, she heard the shower running. So she sat on the bed and waited patiently.


    Charan came out in his track pants drying is hair. He was slightly surprised seeing Shreya there. Usually, by now she would have made her bed on the couch and would be fast asleep.


    Shreya''s looked at him intently from head to toe but then they stopped at his hands. There was a red nail mark on Charan''s thumb. It was not big�� but it was still there. But since he was just out of the shower, his skin was bright and fresh. Thus the red mark stood out. She could clearly guess it was her handy work.


    Her hands took her where her mind was. She gently took his hands in hers and ran her thumb over the red mark.


    Charan did not need to be able to read minds to know what she was thinking about. He did not say anything though. He just ruffled her head with his other hands and gave her a smile while Shreya rested her head on his hard chest and snuggled in without a word.

 Chapter 98 - 97

    "Me and Prasanna�� we�� us�� was not really a marriage per se. Ours was a business deal�� He�� he said�� or rather he claimes he had information��" Shreya stammered around her words in a low voice. She was snugging on Charan and whispering against his chests.


    Both of them had showered and were on the bed. Shreya said she wanted to talk about something and kept quiet for at least 15 minutes straight. And when she did start to talk, she stammered to just get a few words out.


    "You don''t have to tell me anything you don''t want to!! You know that right??" Charan asked when Shreya kept quiet all over again.


    "I know�� I do want to tell you. I am just clueless about where to start. There were just way too many things that had happened in my life and I am not entirely ready to share every single one of them but I still want to share some of them��" Shreya said rubbing her hands over her face harshly and sitting up straight facing Charan.


    Charan followed suit and sat up straight. Shreya took a minute to gather her thoughts in order and started talking clearly at last.


    "My first marriage was a business deal�� more than a deal, it was a fa?ade. We both had something each other wanted and since I was desperate I gave in to him and agreed to his terms. He had information on my�� my parents'' death. Until then I always thought it was an accident�� I did not even have the thought to investigate it until he approached me. And I needed to know what he knew and how he knew and his conditions were that I marry him and help him with his company��"


    Shreya recited in one go as if they were waiting at the tip of her tongue all this while. She then paused before continuing further. She would never forget the day Prasanna approached her with his smug look on his face as if she was his play toy or something.


    "He�� he had a picture of my�� my mom tied up somewhere and a screenshot of an email threatening my dad with it��"


    She paused all over again. Charan noticed how she always stammered when she talked about her own parents and how much she was struggling to keep a straight face. He wanted to reach out to her make it all go away but Shreya did not let him. She had those walls all over again and she was not letting him in. She was sharing but she was telling it as if she was narrating a movie.


    "He claimed he was going to help me catch the killer. But there was something about him�� I just couldn''t trust him. I started my own investigations. But I couldn''t find much with the power I had back then. SO I played along with Prasanna to know what he knew. So there was never really any love lost between us. I worked at his office while he would go off for weeks to god knows where claiming to run down leads on my parent''s possible killers."


    "Very soon I figured he was a lying ass. So for the time, I was living with him, I was on high alert all the time. I could never let my guard down. I had this bad feeling that he was part of the reason my parents died. So I�� I learned self-defense even before going to live with him. That is where my reflexes come from. I was not as good as I am now but I had learned enough to keep myself alive in his house."


    After that, she took a deep breath and ran her hands over her face frustrated.


    "I had to live like that for straight 6 months�� The mindset I was in back then�� the constant fear�� the hostility and mistrust�� It just messed up with everything. And then the day I feared came. On the last day of our marriage, he beat me."


    Unconsciously Charan''s jaws clenched and he fisted his hands tightly.


    But Shreya did not notice. She was in an entirely different world in her head. Her mouth was speaking while the scenes of that day played like a movie in front of her eyes.


    She was soundly sleeping after a laborious day. She had had a long day. She was out cold as soon as her head hit that pillow. But that did not last long. She heard the doors to her room open and stirred on her sleep. She and Prasanna did not share a bedroom. So the sound was peculiar. But before she could clear her head off the sleep, she felt a ghastly pain on her stomach and she was dragged out of her bed by her hair.


    By the time Shreya realized what was happening, she was lying on the living room floor. Thankfully, she still had the mind to call for help. She had a GPS on her watch customized with a panic button. SO she knew help was coming.


    After that only she looked at the person in the front.


    She could already see that he was drunk but he was reaching out for more booze leaving her be. The first mistake he did.


    Shreya took the opportunity and kicked him from behind and Prasanna crash-landed face-first on the floor. Next second, Shreya was surrounded by the servants in the house. But Prasanna waved them away flexing his hands.


    Shreya too flexed her hands. She was in no hurry to get out of here. She knew Prasanna was an opportunistic pig. So if he had attacked her- his golden goose�� then he must have a reason and a bigger price in hand for doing this. And she wanted to know what it was.


    She stood in front of him. She loosened her hands and legs and cracked her knuckles. Her eyes were on hight alert looking at Prasanna with a sinister but focused look.


    Both of them pounced at each other at the same time and the sound of knuckles crashing against skin and bones filled the air.


    All the servants stood as the audience.

 Chapter 99 - 98

    Shreya''s stomach hurt but she ignored them. Prasanna, on the other hand, did not take her seriously�� at least not until he got punched on his gut.


    That is when things got serious. Shreya was defensive while Prasanna was using brute force. He was on a mission and he had to get it done. He was just supposed to bash her around a bit. But because she seemed to return the favor, he had no other option but to fight back. But his alcohol and his big frame slowed him down while Shreya''s small frame and agile moves easily avoided his attacks while sneaking in punches of herself. Out of frustration, Prasanna reached out for the bottle of booze and broke it into half and aimed it to her gut.


    Shreya moved away at the last second avoiding any major damages but it still left a deep gash on the left side of her hip.


    Both of them pulled away and took a breath. Both glared at each other. Prasanna stood clenching his stomach. It hurt like hell. God knows how many times he was punched. Anger seethed in him.


    Shreya, on the other hand, covered her wound. It was bleeding. But before any of them could move in, the lights went out. The doors to the house came crashing down into a thud and boots sound of men rushing in filled the walls. The next second all the servants were knocked unconscious and fell down with a softer thud.


    When the lights came on again, Shreya was surrounded by two dozen men and Prasanna was held down by two other men on his knees.


    Akash rushed in with a panicked face and engulfed her with a hug. Shreya winced loudly when his hands lightly brushed over her wound.


    "Sorry�� sorry�� Where does it hurt??" Akash pulled away frantically and gave her a once over quickly. As soon as his eyes landed on her gash on the hip, he called for a doctor before Shreya could even get a word out. He then turned towards Shreya and guided her towards the couch.


    Only after making sure that she was safe did he turn towards Prasanna. You don''t have to be a psychic to know what he was about to do next.


    "I need him conscious and alive��" Shreya warned him and rested her eyes and body for a while. The house was filled with the noise of knuckles colliding against bones and muscles followed by Prasanna''s pained wails and grunts.


    Akash let him go only after thoroughly beating him up. By then the doctor has arrived. Akash approached Shreya and was about to take her out of the house when Shreya just asked the doctor to stitch her up then and there.


    "Shreya, we need to get you to a hospital��" Akash reasoned anxiously. But then stopped when Shreya gave him a look. Something in her eyes�� a coldness�� suppressed anger�� Akash did not dare to protest.


    Once all patched up, Shreya approached Prasanna. She was a ghastly sight. Her white t-shirt was covered in blood making it almost fully red while her face and hands where covered in bumps and bruises. But it was nothing compared to Prasanna who was limp on his knees. There were no visible cuts but there were several bruises while his face was completely destroyed beyond recognition.


    Shreya took a chair from the side and placed it right in front of him and sat down lazily like a cat snuggling in completely unbothered about the atmosphere around. But her eyes and face expressed something completely different. They were cold and ruthless.


    She shifted and found a comfortable position for herself.


    "Get me some water from the fridge��" Shreya said softly. But given the atmosphere, it still reverberated throughout the house.


    One of her men went and fetched her water. Shreya thanked him politely and had several gulps before actually turning to focus on Prasanna.


    "I need a name. Who asked you to beat me up today??" She asked straight away. She was really not in the mood to see his face more than she absolutely should and when she was finally done with him, he spilled his guts on everything he ever knew.


    But it was just the start of his downfall.


    Shreya, at last, shook her head and came back to reality and looked at Charan. Charan had a very complicated expression on his face which was filled with concern, anger, and helplessness.


    "He was the one who gave us Defense Minister Rakesh. Prasanna was good with computers but so was my father. SO Rakesh needed someone who wouldn''t be traced back to him. So he had Prasanna send my mother''s photo along with the email to my dad and the next day my�� my parents died in an accident. So he put both together and approached me."


    "And once again Rakesh approached Prasanna knowing he was my husband to beat me up. I was asking way too many questions back then. I was not exactly careful. So they came to know that I was asking around about my parents'' accident and wanted to send me a warning. That is when I stopped my investigation�� at least I stopped on the surface and started building my power underground."


    "And I moved away from public light completely. Even my divorce�� I made people release those photos of his infidelity before filing for it since it would have risen suspicion otherwise."


    Shreya stopped and looked at Charan and continued, "It had been three years since then. But still, something about someone touching me when I am asleep still brings up such reactions sometimes. In the beginning, it was worse�� that is why nobody around me dares to wake me up when I am asleep. That is why I live alone. I couldn''t even sleep with anyone around for a long time. I am better now. I consciously controlled myself. But there are slip-ups. And I am sorry�� I can''t even promise you that this won''t happen again��"


    When she said the last parts, her voice was so low�� almost a whisper.


    Charan did not reply. Instead, he took her hands and kissed her knuckles, and gave her a big smile.


    Shreya smiled back relieved. She knew even without any explanation Charan wouldn''t have minded anything or even asked her. But she was still relieved she could say all this to him and he did not seem to mind.


    She crawled over to him and sat on his laps hugging him.

 Chapter 100 - 99

    "Shreya, what are we doing here exactly??" Bharath''s voice resonated over the strong wind blowing around. His face was sticking outside through the windows.


    Shreya and he were standing at the foot of a highway in the middle of nowhere. The sun had risen a couple of hours ago but still, there was barely any traffic. This was one of the least used highways and they were standing on one corner of the road at the start of it.


    Shreya stood outside leaning against her Jaguar with her ears plugged and immersed on her phone. She did not even hear Bharath. The sun was shining brightly and scorching away everything to point were eyes hurt. Shreya reached inside the car for sunglasses and hoisted one on her own eyes while tossing one Bharath''s way.


    Bharath gave her a look but still wore his sunglasses. He then reached Shreya and pulled on her earphones.


    "What the hell��" Shreya exclaimed, at last, looking away from her phone and turned towards Bharath.


    "I asked, what are we doing here??" Bharath asked all over again. All he knew was, Shreya suddenly called him bright and early on a Sunday morning and asked him to come down his house. And when he did go down, Shreya practically kidnapped him and brought him here without a word. All the way here, Shreya was busy with one call or another, so he never got a chance to ask what they were doing or where they were going.


    But Shreya did not answer. She just shrugged her shoulders and said nonchalantly, "You will see��" smirking her his irritated face.


    But before Bharath could ask any other question, Shreya got a call all over again and walked away from the car. Bharath gave up on any explanation and sat back on her car and decided to take a nap. But before he could even close his eyes, he heard a vehicle come to a screeching stop right behind them and when he looked behind, he found Shreya talking to a bunch of people and just as he was going to go back to sleep, Shreya knocked on the windows calling him out.


    "What is it Shreya??? I really want to sleeee��" He swallowed the rest of the words when his eyes fell on the bike standing in front of him.


    He rubbed his eyes several times to make sure he was not seeing things and there was really a Hayabusa standing in front of him. It was his long time dream to drive one but it was a distant dream. Even he himself did not understand his obsession with this bike but he just loved it for some reason. He took cautious steps towards the bike and checked it by touch it with just his index fingers first to make sure it was real. When cold metal came in contact with his skin, he retracted his hands immediately and looked behind at Shreya.


    Shreya just had a smug look on her face and looked at him with a sly smile.


    Bharath gave her an ear-splitting smile and crushed her in a bear hug. In excitement, he lifted Shreya off of the floor and swang around joyously.


    When he finally let her go and looked back at the bike again, Shreya spoke teasingly, "Didn''t you want to sleep?? I will just drive it back then�� You can sleep."


    "No no no�� I am wide awake now. No need for sleep. Sleep is for lazy people." Bharath immediately said frantically standing in front of the bike as if someone was going to steal it away from him.


    Shreya rolled her eyes at his antics. She then threw the helmet and the keys his away and said in a stern voice, "You get to ride it but then if you go overboard with the speed, you will be stuffed in the back of my trunk the next second. You understand??"


    Bharath bobbed his head frantically and got on the bike with a big fat smile while Shreya got into her own Jaguar. Both the vehicles zoomed over like a bat in a lightning speed racing against each other. Shreya reached out and pressed a button and the next moment the roof of the car reseeded.


    A rush of wind blew her hair and the sun warmed her skin. Next up she increased her radio volume and loud beats rocked the car.


    Shreya used to love doing this. But then work just got in the way and she never got the time to do this for a long time. SO when she saw Bharath drooling over the photo of the bike, she offered to take him out on a ride and that was exactly what they were doing right then.


    Bharath, on the other hand, was in heaven- figuratively speaking at least. The adrenaline from riding so fast and the excitement of your dream coming true�� both just sent a sense of euphoria in him. He had just told her in the passing that he liked bikes and she said she would take him to a ride this week. He never thought she would actually bring a Hayabusa�� it was his one true dream.


    That is why he kept hooting and laughing throughout the way of riding the bike. But he did keep his speed at a nominal limit�� mainly because he was afraid he would mess up and scratch the bike. He knew exactly how much the bike cost and knowing it was scarier than not knowing.


    They both came to a stop at a caf�� after riding for an hour or so. Stopped for breakfast. They all had breakfast together along with all the bodyguards that were following them from the start.


    Just as everyone was walking out, Shreya excused herself and took a call and when she came back, all her smile was out.


    She came to Bharath and asked for the keys.


    "Give me the key. Sorry�� I have to bail today. I got some urgent work to do and I need this bike. Sorry�� You can ride in my car and these two men will be there with you. Don''t worry. You can go wherever you want. Just be home by evening. Bye�� Enjoy" Shreya then whispered some instructions to the bodyguards and left.


    Bharath did not even have time to comprehend what she said. She took the keys�� started the bike and was out of the caf�� in no time. Seeing her drive, Bharath felt as if he had been riding a bullock cart or something. That''s how fast she was. She was quickly followed by one of the bodyguards while the rest stayed back and drove Bharath home in Shreya''s car.

 Chapter 101 - 100

    Shreya drove quite recklessly through the traffic. The speed they were driving with just now with Bharath became measly in comparison. One small mistake, she would be flying into her own demise. But she handled the bike like a real pro. It was evident that she was no stranger to the two-wheeled monsters and she shot out like a lightning. She did not slow down even when she reached the city. She swirled and curved through the traffic with precision. Her bodyguard following her actually lost her in the traffic. They were no good before her biking skills after all.


    She came to a standstill only when she reached her office building. She parked and rushed into the office. Her boots echoed through the deserted corridors making the air eerie all around. But Shreya was not really bothered. Her face was focused and determined but more than all, her eyes were burning with anger. She stormed forward without giving attention to anything on the way.


    She pushed open the conference room door with the same stiffened jaws.


    The room already had people in it. Harshad, Anand, John, and Zeenath were present. Zeenath was briefing them about Naren and progress thereon. As soon as Shreya entered the room, everyone''s eyes invariably turned towards Shreya.


    But Shreya did not greet anyone. She just stood there and glared at Zeenath without batting eyes.


    "Hey, Shreya��" Harshad greeted. Harshad had been their legal advisor since Shreya took over the company affairs. From there, it was a long way to becoming her friend and gaining her trust. He was the last addition to the group but he was never left out in anyways. And Shreya treated him like a family and the feeling was mutual. So he knew Shreya at least enough to know she was on the edge. One step away from blowing up. SO he wanted to at least try to distract her before she did exactly that but to no avail.


    Shreya''s voice seethed as she spoke, "You met with Naren without backup�� that too inside his own house??" It was a question she already knows the answer for but it still pissed her off to ask that.


    Zeenath just nodded her head. Zeenath was one of the few people who can stand up for herself against Shreya without being afraid although Shreya almost always wins in the end. Maybe it came from knowing her as a friend before she knew Shreya as a boss.


    A few seconds of silence prevailed when Shreya took a deep breath to try to calm herself down.


    "Do you have any idea how dangerous it is??" Shreya asked gritting her teeth.


    Zee just rolled her eyes and shrugged her shoulders before saying, "I know what I am doing��"


    "God damn it, Zee�� You know the rules. You call in before you go somewhere. We don''t even know what that guy had found out about you after the first meeting and you ended up in his house a week later all alone?? He could have killed you damn it!!" Shreya burst out without a pause.


    Zeenath got irritated.


    "Get over yourself Shreya. I know you care about me but can you stop nagging for once. You are being unnecessarily paranoid!!" Zee said nonchalantly and exasperated. Her frustration seeped into her voice.


    And that was it. Whatever little calmness Shreya had�� she lost it all�� but somehow her anger always came in a calm collected voice making people shiver in terror.


    "Of course I am paranoid, Ms. Zeenath. If you don''t remember, I lost my parents to that heartless jerk and I am not looking forward to adding a friend to that list." Shreya said in an extremely low and haunting voice.


    Everyone in the room stopped breathing for a moment. They could all see the different emotions run through Shreya''s face as she tried so hard to calm herself down.


    Zee slightly paled. They were friends�� but Shreya�� in all these years since Adithya and Sumitha died�� she never brought her parents up in a conversation. Until now that is�� That''s how she knew she had said something really stupid carelessly.


    Zeenath had no family. She grew up in an orphanage. Whatever little warm she ever got, it was from Shreya and her family. And she was grateful for it. Without Shreya, she doesn''t really have anyone to worry about whether she lived or died.


    "I am sorry�� I did not��" Zeenath started to apologize but Shreya shut her up. And since she felt guilty, she sealed her lips and looked down.


    "You won''t be meeting with Naren ever again and that''s an order. No arguments. I find out you met with him behind my back, you can forget about ever working here." Shreya said in the calmest and the most authoritative voice. She rarely used them amongst her friends but when need be�� she wouldn''t shy away from showing them who the boss is at times like this.


    Whatever protest seeded at the base of Zeenath''s throats died then and there when she looked at Shreya''s cold expressionless authoritative face. That when she got to know how much she really messed up. And she also knew how rock headed Shreya can be when someone pissed her off. SO she did not even open her mouth after that.


    Shreya gave some more instructions for Harshad and others. She then walked out without looking back.


    "Shreya��." Zeenath tried but puffed her cheeks when Shreya did not look back.


    Shreya swung the doors to her office harshly and walked in frustrated. And the next second a flower vase standing on the corner came down crashing to the floor and sharp pain and blood dripped out of her hands. But she could not be bothered about the pain or the blood.


    She was not in a good place emotionally. She was pissed and frustrated.


    She was pissed that Zeenath would do something soo stupid like that and actually call her cautions as ''nagging'' even after knowing what had happened to her parents.


    She was frustrated that with the work she had been doing for so many years and she still could not have the kind of power to actually protect the people she cared about. She felt as if all her work so far was meaningless if she can''t say confidently that nobody can touch her. She felt as if she had failed in someways.


    Her thoughts weren''t rational exactly but she couldn''t control it either. She was scared out of her wits when Srinivas- Zeenath''s bodyguard called to inform that she couldn''t locate Zeenath.


    He called her back half an hour later to inform her that Zeenath was safe and sound. But only Shreya''s knows how many worst-case scenarios she had imagined in that 30 minutes. It was too many to count. Once the worry wore off, the anger set in.


    She got so angry that Zee would ignore and do something so stupid put herself in harm''s way�� of all the people.


    All the others in her group were either family or her employees from the start. Zee was the only one sole friend she has and�� Zee was the one she shared the most with. Shreya has a load of baggage she doesn''t share with anyone. But amongst that, Zee knows the most.


    That is what pissed Shreya off so much more than if it had been done by someone else.

 Chapter 102 - 101

    When she came out of her thoughts, Shreya was sitting there on her office couch with her hands stretched on either side of her and her legs popped up on the table in the front.


    The injury on her arm had bled on to the couch giving the white leather a taste of red. But the bleeding had stopped now and the blood had dried up. So she did not bother with it. She just took her phone and called herself a ride. She was not sure she could ride the bike in this state.


    When she reached the lobby, there was a car waiting for her and a man was standing beside it respectfully.


    "Hey, Vicky��" She greeted the driver and got behind. All her drivers were well trained. They were actually bodyguards in the disguise of sorts.


    Vicky was alarmed seeing her bloodied hands but was too afraid to voice his concerns.


    She leaned behind her seats and closed her eyes.


    "Where to Shreya..??" Vicky asked politely.


    "Home��" She said with her eyes still closed. Vicky silently started the car and drove out of the building. He was one of the newest members that Hank had recently hired for Shreya.


    Just as they entered the apartment building Charan called Shreya asked her to come over. Something about all the ladies in the house going away for shopping leaving him alone.


    "Vicky�� sorry�� but can you take me to Charan''s place please��" Shreya asked as soon as she hung up. Vicky quickly backed away from the apartment parking lot and said, "No problem, ma''am."


    Shreya opened her eyes only when the car came to a standstill outside Charan''s place.


    "You can go home. I will probably be staying here for a long time." She instructed before getting down.


    Shreya knocked on Charan''s doors, that''s when she realized she was going around with a bleeding hand but before she could think of a way to covering it up, the doors opened. She awkwardly hid her hand behind her back and gave him a big wide smile and greeted him.


    "Hey��"


    Charan gave her a once over suspiciously and trailed when he did not find anything. He shrugged it off and invited her in.


    He was making lunch so he went straight to the kitchen. But when he saw that Shreya did not follow him in, he went in search of her and caught her red-handed trying to wash off her bleeding hand. He still kept quiet and stood there at the entrance of the bathroom. He wanted to know how she was going to try and get away with this. But that was until she started scratching over the wounds trying to get the dried blood out.


    "Shreya�� stop�� Stop�� You are going to hurt yourself." Charan said and held on to her injured hand.


    Shreya looked up at Charan shocked and was about to ask when he came in but then, of course, the guilt crept in and she hung her head without saying anything. She just stood there biting her lips under Charan''s scrutinizing gaze.


    When Charan saw that she was not ready to talk just yet, he closed the tap and took her to his bedroom. He made her sit on his bed and went out. Shreya just sat there not really daring to move an inch from the place he had sat her down. A few minutes later Charan came back in with medicine box and some soup water. He sat there beside her and started washing the cuts. There were some shards of the vase still in her skin. He picked them out carefully and dressed her wounds. All the while he did not say a single word.


    "I''m sorry��" Shreya whispered just as he was bandaging her wounds.


    "How did it happen??" Charan asked in an extremely low voice.


    "I just�� I had a fight�� no�� I had a�� an argument with my friend." Shreya stumbled around with words not really sure of what to say.


    Charan scoffed and asked sarcastically, "And this friend threw a vase on your hand??"


    Shreya shook her head looking down. She could feel Charan''s eyes following her every move. But she was not looking forward to seeing his reaction when she is going to end up saying that she had done this to herself.


    "Then how??" Charan persisted. Just opposite of what Shreya was praying for of course.


    "I punched the vase in my office��" Shreya whispered inaudibly.


    "Speak up�� I can''t hear you." Charan said sternly.


    "I punched the vase in my office with my bare hands�� in anger. " Shreya repeated once again still whispering but just audible enough.


    "And why would you do that??" Charan asked surprised and extremely pissed. He was trying so hard not to blow up on her but she was not making it easy. The knuckles were bruised and cut badly. And on top of it, the main wound was on her forearm where at least a few inches long cuts ran. It was deep and should have bled a whole lot too. He knew she probably cut on one of the broken ends.


    But more than anything�� what pissed him off the most was that she did not get it treated right away and that she walked around until the blood had dried up. It must have been hours since she got injured.


    Shreya did not know what to say. She knew that whatever she said, it is just going to end up making the situation worse for her. SO she wisely kept her mouth shut.


    "Are you going to say to me or in front of your uncle?? He doesn''t know, does he??" Charan asked again. He knew if Anand had known about it, Shreya would have ended up in a fancy hospital right about now.


    Shreya instantly panicked at the mention of her uncle. Anand would break hell if he ever knew. So she frantically shook her head and started talking.


    "I was just so pissed and frustrated. She did something extremely stupid and put her ownself at risk. And when I asked her about it, she said I was a nag and I was being paranoid for no reason. It just�� I just lost it�� and�� and��" Shreya trailed.


    "And you showed all your frustration towards a vase��??" Charan asked, at last, softening his voice a little. Even though Shreya talked without a head or a tail, he could clearly see that she was upset and very agitated about something. And he did not want to make it worse for her by asking her more questions. Thus he decided to let it slid for now.


    Shreya, on the other hand, did not know what to say so she just nodded her head looking pitiful.


    "Are you hungry??" Charan asked changing the subject. From the looks of Shreya, he could say she was wallowing up in anger, worry, and frustration and that she needed some distraction if he wanted her to snap out of it. So he was eager to provide it.


    Shreya shook her head first on reflex but then slowly nodded after a while.


    Charan took her to the kitchen right away where the lunch was half prepared.

 Chapter 103 - 102

    Shreya sat on the counter as always and watched Charan cook. She might have learned to do some chores now but she was still no good at a kitchen. She still had the talent to burn boiling water somehow. Maybe that is why seeing Charan cook always fascinated her so much or maybe it was ''Charan'' cooking that intrigued her. She was not really sure if it was the man or the act that made her tick. She knew it was not really normal to obsess over it but her eyes still followed him like a hawk every single time without a whim to change.


    Her unbashful eyes followed him around without blinking and a small smile crept into her face without her realizing. That was what greeted Charan when he gave her a side glance and that look still took his breath away as always. He really wished he could capture the look on her face right about now. Shreya probably had no idea how her eyes were practically gleaming looking at him. And god knows she has no concept of how it felt to be at the receiving end of such a look.


    "Do you always look at guys cooking like that??" Charan asked, at last, breaking the silence bring her out of her trance. Charan really did not know how long he could have been on the receiving end of that look and still manage to get their lunch ready.


    Shreya''s previous face slipped and at its place were a pair of confused frowning brows.


    "What do you mean??" She asked touching her own face.


    "Nothing��"Charan said looking away. Even when he knew it was going to happen, he was disappointed when her eyes were averted from him.


    "Was I staring at you like a creep or something??" Shreya asked still not understanding what he meant. She can hardly see herself now can she??


    Charan did not reply right away though, much to Shreya''s displeasure. She thought Charan was not going to answer her and hung her head disappointed.


    But once Charan was done with their lunch, he switched off all the stoves and only then he turned over and looked at Shreya. She still had a confused disappointed little face.


    Charan leaned over until he was just inches away from her face and whispered, "Far from it actually. It drives me crazy when you look at me like that��"


    Shreya looked up shocked at first. But then beamed instantly when she comprehended what he meant making her cheeks plum out and her eyes gleam.


    And when Charan saw this�� What little resistance he had mustered�� everything went down the gutter and Charan captured her smiling lips for a searing kiss. Shreya did not know what hit her. All she could do was receive this sudden assault of passion from Charan with a whimper.


    By the time he actually let go of her, her lips have gone numb. Shreya''s cheeks were flushed and she felt out of breath and Charan was no better. He took deep breaths to compensate.


    "Well, creepy or not. You must really like the way I look at you!!" Shreya commented once she got her footing back on track.


    "You have no idea��" Charan replied with a mischievous smile just against her ears. Shreya let out a giggle when she felt his lips brush against her ears. "That tickles��"


    Charan just smiled away staring at her. He caressed and fiddled with her hairs for a long while deep in thoughts. His eyes trailed on her face but he was not really looking at her. He was lost in his thoughts.


    "What are you thinking about??" Shreya asked at last when she saw that he was not going to come out of it himself anytime soon.


    Charan looked at her coming out of his thoughts. He looked into her eyes and at last mustered the courage to asked the one question that had been bugging him for a long while now.


    "Why is it me?? Of all the men out there�� why did you choose me??"


    Charan knew he couldn''t offer much for her. He was an ordinary nobody and a single dad and on the other hand, Shreya was practically royalty. But more than that, she was beautiful, warm, and pretty much perfect. SO he was still puzzled�� why did she choose him in the first place and why was she looking at him as if he was the reason she could smile?? It did not make sense to him.


    Shreya, on the other hand, was taken aback by this sudden change of topic and his serious mood. But then she thought for a while. She had not thought of an answer to this question before. But then maybe subconsciously she did. Because the answer just slipped out of her tongue without her realizing.


    "Because of Akira��" Shreya replied without hesitation and a subtle smile formed on her face at the thought of Akira. She was a bundle of joy, no questions asked.


    Charan looked at her confused and surprised. He could not understand what she meant. Of all the things he had imagined her answer to be, he did not expect this. He knew Shreya loved Akira. But still, he did not understand what Akira could have to do with why she liked him. After all, she asked him out before she ever knew the existence of Akira.


    Shreya''s smile quickly left her face as she remembered something. She slowly started talking in a soft voice, "You don''t know this but I once met her before�� and saw you too�� at a mall�� a very long time before we ever met at the reception. It was when I lost my parents. That day�� It�� it felt as if my whole world had crumbled into pieces in one second. I was not coping very well. I felt so suffocated facing my empty home filled with gloom. I saw them at every corner there. It was so suffocating for me to the point where I couldn''t stay. So I aimlessly wandered around and somehow ended up in a mall. The noise and the people all around drowned the noise of my tears. Nobody bothered to notice a girl weeping her eyes out in the corner. But she did. Your daughter�� I did not even know her name. But the warmth of her small hands when she wiped my tears is something I could never forget."


    "Without even realizing what she was saying she asked me to smile and be happy for their sake rather than making them sad by crying over them." Shreya paused and looked at Charan and she had the same look she had a while back and he knew this time it was not for him but for Akira.


    "That moment�� it changed me somehow. It gave me life,", Shreya continued after a while. "I memorized that moment painstakingly so. I always felt as if the moment will become an illusion if I don''t remember it. For a second there I even thought it to be a dream manifested from my wishful thinking. After some time, I started wondering what she was doing every now and then. And I slowly start missing her without ever realizing. I started yearning for her. That is why I was so overjoyed at the reception when I first recognized you. And unconsciously I clung to you and dragged you to the roof."


    She paused and shook her head as she said, "After that, even I don''t know what it was, it was maybe the way you kept staring at me like I was an idiot to drag an absolute stranger to a secluded spot or maybe it was the way you patiently waited beside me as I took a nap or maybe the way you went along with my spoilt behaviors. For some reason, I hated the thought of never being able to see you again. But more than that, I hated the thought of never being able to see Akira ever again if I had let you go that day. Does that answer your question??"


    Charan did not reply. He thought about everything she just said. It sure surprised him but he did not know what to feel about it or think of it just yet. So he stayed quiet.


    But Shreya was not done. After a long thought, she said one thing that brought a smile to his face.


    "I am sure of one thing though. Whatever may be the reason�� it was just the start. You have had to have done something incredibly right along the way. Because Akira had nothing to do with however you say I was looking at you a while back. And from what I observed, you seemed to like the way I looked at you."


    Charan pecked her lips with a big smile, "That I do sweetheart. I like it more than you could ever imagine,"


    They then went and had their lunch merrily chatting away. Shreya told him about the early morning ride with Bharath excitedly while Charan listened.

 Chapter 104 - 103

    Shreya''s boots echoed through the corridors of the office bright and early. She was on her usual denim and a full hand t-shirt to cover up her wounds. She approached Madhu''s desk.


    "Is there anything I can do for you Shreya??" Madhu asked standing up politely.


    Shreya gestured her to sit back and said, "Call Zeenath and ask her to meet me in my office now along with Sreenivas ASAP."


    Madhu nodded her head instantly picking up her phone to make the call. But then stopped when Shreya did not move from her place.


    "Is there anything else Shreya??" Madhu asked timidly looking at Shreya.


    Shreya looked at Madhu and asked, "I saw you drive away with someone the other day. Who was he??" Her question was straight forward and unapologetic.


    Madhu was taken back for a second. She did not expect the question.


    "Why, madam??" Madhu asked back timidly.


    That is when Shreya realized she was scaring the little girl. So she instantly smiled and said in an easy-going voice, "Nothing serious. I was just being nosy and gossipy I guess. You don''t have to answer if you don''t want to."


    Madhu shook his head frantically and answer, "It was nothing Shreya. He is my best friend. He just returned after studying overseas for a while and I got over-excited that was all."


    "Hey, don''t worry. I am not reprimanding you or anything. I was just curious." Shreya said honestly and left but then stopped at the doors all over again.


    Shreya once again came back searching around in her backpack. She took out a pricy looking card and gave it to Madhu. Madhu accepted it and looked at it curiously.


    "This the invitation to the New year''s bash. You can bring your parents along. It will not be like a typical c.o.c.ktail party where people get dressed up and talk about business, I promise. It will be fun." Shreya said with a warm smile. It was a party of close family and friends that the Srivastav''s host every year. They just gather around and have fun actually.


    "Shreya�� I can''t accept this�� I am just an employee here." Madhu refused cautiously. This party had been going on for a while and she knew that it was sort of a family gathering. So she felt very intimidated just to accept the invitation�� imagine how she would be if she had to actually attend it.


    "Bullshit. Of course, you can. I am the one inviting you. You know what�� you should also bring your friend along. It will be fun I promise. Now I got to go. Bye. And tell Zee that I want to see her lazy ass in my office in 10 minutes." Shreya said and walked away like the wind without looking back.


    Madhu first made the call to Zeenath and then sat back staring at the invitation. The invite was very pretty and simple.


    ''We heartily welcome you and your family and friends to this years ''New years celebration'' at The Srivastav''s Manor''


    The message was crisp, straightforward, and was written in golden ink. The letters were in calligraphy making the whole thing look fancier than it actually was.


    Shreya went to her office and got to work. Exactly 10 minutes later, she heard a knock and before she could ask the person to come in, Zee walked in and sat on the couch nonchalantly.


    Shreya rolled her eyes. She took a file and kept it on the other side of the table and said, "This will be your next assignment. You will be reporting from today. If you have any doubts, ask me now." She was authoritative but also indifferent at the same time somehow.


    Zee instantly got out of the couch and approached the desk.


    "You can''t do this to me Shreya��" Zee exclaimed flipping over the file. It was some surveillance assignment on some guy around Abimanyu. She hated surveillance. It was the most boring aspect of this job. Shreya picked just the right job to piss her off, Zee knew it. It was her punishment for disobeying orders. But she could not accept it lying down.


    "I can and I am doing it. I gave you a chance. And I warned you not to blow it up but you blew it in just one week. Now you have to live with the consequences. You can go now and ask Sreenivas to come in next." Shreya ordered away without even bothering to look at her.


    Zee knew she was not going to get anywhere with her. Shreya was as stubborn as one could ever be. Once she decided on something, heaven forbid she would end up doing it at all cost. So she huffed and puffed but still went out of the office with her file. She decided to lay low until Shreya cooled down a bit.


    Sreenivas stood outside the door. Zee gestured him to go in. She felt slightly guilty towards him. She could clearly guess Sreenivas is going to be punished for her own foolishness. That day she actually tricked him and slipped away to meet Naren. From then on, Sreenivas did not even bother looking at her straight on her face. He had been way too polite and distant making her feel guilty and irritated. But she knew she had messed up and as Shreya said, she has to learn to live with the consequences.


    Sreenivas knocked on the door and waited for the reply. And when he heard Shreya say come in, he walked in and stood in front of her table stiffly.


    Shreya looked up from the files and gestured him to sit.


    Sreenivas refused politely but eased his posture.


    Shreya did not insist further. Sreenivas was former military and those guys liked to act a certain way. The mannerisms are engraved in their bones. So it was almost impossible to get rid of them.


    So instead she asked, "You know you screw up right??"


    "Yes, ma''am. And it won''t happen again. I guarantee it." Sreenivas replied sternly.


    "Call me Shreya. And you are right. It won''t happen again. If it did, you will be looking for a new job." Shreya said casually sitting back on her chair.


    Sreenivas nodded his head and said a single word of reply, "Understood."


    "And if she ever evades you again, I want you to call me directly," Shreya ordered away once again.


    "Understood," Sreenivas replied once again.


    Shreya''s lips slightly curved this time. She somehow found it cute. Sreenivas being so serious. She just waved her hands gesturing him to get out. But just as he reached the doors, "Hey, wait."


    Sreenivas turned around and asked, "Yes ma''am?? Anything else??"


    "Again with the ma''am. I asked you to call me Shreya so many times already. Is it so hard??" Shreya whined and complain.


    "Sorry, ma''�� I mean, sorry Shreya." Sreenivas replied uncomfortably. He was not used to calling his superiors by name. it was a hard habit to break.


    "Forget it. I will just remind you until it gets drilled into your head." Shreya replied with a slight smile. This was the whole reason why she likes him so much in the first place. He was smart and precise when it came to working but extremely clumsy and na?ve when it came to talking to people. And it amused her to no end.


    "Is that all�� Shreya??" Sreenivas asked when Shreya did not elaborate any further.


    "Oh, yes. This is the invitation to the New year''s celebration. It''s at Srivastav''s manor. Be there. No excuses." Shreya said sternly and gave him the invite. She was not trying to intimidate him or order him around. But she had known Sreenivas for a long time now and ''orders and protocols'' is the language he understands and it would do him good to mingle with people a little. He talked way too little for a guy his age and had even fewer friends.


    "Yes, ma''am��"Sreenivas replied but then corrected himself when Shreya gave him a look, "I mean�� I will be there, Shreya." He then exited the office with slight sweat forming in one corner of his forehead.


    Shreya let out a laugh shaking her head once the doors closed behind him.

 Chapter 105 - 104

    Charan walked into his office sharply on time but came to a standstill as soon as opened his doors. He blinked several times to make sure he wasn''t seeing things. There were at least a dozen stalks of files piled up on his desk.


    Charan instantly called Ajay to his cabin. Just as he sat down, Ajay came in being his usual chipper self.


    "Hey, Charan. Good to see you again in the office." Ajay said with a smile.


    Charan gave Ajay a once over. Somehow it did not seem like Ajay was being sarcastic because he hadn''t been to the office for four straight days. The first two days, he had to look after Akira, and then it was the weekend.


    "Aren''t you being a little too much a ray of sunshine this morning??" Charan enquired.


    "Aren''t you being too gloomy this morning??" Ajay asked back and definitely ridiculing Charan.


    "You will be too if you are facing this many files on a Monday morning!! I was gone for four days. NOT AN YEAR. How did you guys come up with so much work for me in such a short time!!" Charan asked slightly pissed.


    "We didn''t do anything. Ask your girlfriend what she did!! I have half the amount of what you have and I worked all four days. SO you can only imagine how much more there was." Ajay said sneering and walked out without actually explaining anything.


    Charan was confused. The mall project was almost done. SO it was impossible to have so much work on it. So he curiously opened one of the files. After reading it through, he blinked at it shell shocked for a while. It was actually a job offer to build a Private art gallery�� top of the class. He then looked around and each file was named but none of them had the name of the clients he was familiar with. But then he saw a few familiar names�� they were companies closely associated with Sri corp. Now he knew why Ajay told him to ask Shreya.


    And that was exactly what he did. He called Shreya up.


    "Hey, you missed me already??" Shreya teased on the other end.


    "Oh, you wish sweetheart. You wish!" Charan teased back.


    "Oh really. Then why are you calling me as soon as you sat in your office??" Shreya asked flipped pages in the file in front of her.


    "Why are people suddenly offering us jobs?? Like a whole lot of jobs. Many of your associates too��" Charan asked cutting to the chase.


    "How would I know?? Oh, wait. I think I know why! The company had started promotions this week for the mall." Shreya confessed.


    "And??" Charan asked away not really getting what she was saying.


    "Of course your firm''s name is on the promotional posters as designers, dumbo," Shreya replied rolling her eyes.


    "Oh!" That was all Charan could manage at the moment anyway. He hadn''t thought of it. When he first took the mall project, it was a shock in itself and the work after had been hell. SO he never really had the time or mind to think of the consequences of accepting it. And after squeezing themselves dry, they had successfully finished the project. And once that happened, all the three of them could think of was to take a break which they did. So none of them foresaw this happening.


    "You start screening the projects. It is not really practical to accept everything. Start with viability and feasibility�� then watch if the project is engaging for you guys and lastly compare the pay. Things will be simpler when you do it in that order. Okay bye for now. I need to be in a meeting in 5 minutes." She said and hung up the phone.


    Charan too got back to work. Shreya''s advice helped. If she hadn''t given them, he would have been in a great deal of trouble.


    By the time he was done with all the files, he had filtered down 3 projects that he really liked and Shreya helped with the background on the clients. He cracked his knuckles and neck and sat back leisurely at last. It was late�� almost midnight. Akira is with Shreya so he needn''t worry. But damn his back hurt.


    When he came out of the office, he saw Ajay was still in. He went in and found his napping on his desk.


    Charan patted on his head and woke him up.


    "Go home and sleep, idiot. We will deal with the rest tomorrow." Charan said and left him. Thankfully Ajay heeded and left home right behind him.


    When he entered the living room, he was met with the sight of Shreya sleeping on the couch as always. He smiled subconsciously. He leaned on the wall of the living room and just kept staring at her. There was something really comforting about this scene. The familiarity of it and the good intentions behind it�� and the fact that he can expect this every single time�� it was like an elixir giving him life. All of his exhaustion vanished in a second.


    Charan approached her sleeping figure and sat beside. Shreya''s eyes fluttered open when she felt the couch dip beside her.


    "Hey there��" She greeted him groggily.


    "Hey back��" Charan greeted back smiling. His hands kept caressing her head gently making her eyes droop all over again. But Shreya fought back and asked, "Have you had anything to eat??"


    "Why?? Are you going to go make instant noodles in a pan??" Charan teased.


    Shreya''s eyes opened wide and glared at him. "Of course not. Ramani made dinner." She said and pouted away.


    Charan chucked at her antics and pecked her glaring eyes.


    "I will eat. You go to sleep okay??" Charan spoke once her glaring calmed down.


    Shreya shook her head but her eyes dropped shut. Charan lifted her and laid her on her bedroom and tucked her in.


    After eating and freshening up, he went to check up on Akira. She was soundly sleeping amongst her innumerable number of plush toys. The bed was practically overflowing with them and Shreya was still buying those for her. No amount of lecture on common sense to either of them seemed to be working. So he let it go.


    He then checked up on Shreya. She was sleeping hugging a pillow tightly. He then went and slept on the couch.

 Chapter 106 - 105

    "Akira, baby. Come on, get up. You are going to be late for school" Charan called out opening Akira''s doors but then stopped on track seeing the scene inside. He let out a chuckled at Akira''s expense.


    Akira was awake actually but she couldn''t move even an inch because Shreya was wrapped around her like an octopus and Akira was struggling with her small hands and legs to get out without waking her up. And when she noticed Charan smiling away at the door, she sent her dad a piercing glare from her big brown eyes which only made Charan laugh a little more.


    Akira probably would have scolded her father if she was not afraid of waking Shreya up. She huffed and puffed as she worked on untangling Shreya''s arms from around her. After a lot of struggle, she was partially out. But before she could celebrate her victory, Shreya stirred in her sleep and Akira froze in her place. Shreya shifted away on her sleep but before Akira could even let out a sigh of relief, Shreya shifted back and wrapped her arms around Akira more firmly.


    Charan couldn''t take it anymore and laugh out loud to Akira''s utter annoyance. She kept giving her dad death glares while Charan completely ignored them and just watched her with amus.e.m.e.nt.


    Between the silent bantering and the glaring match of the father-daughter duo, they completely forgot about Shreya for a second and she actually woke up at the sound of Charan''s laughter and was able to witness their silliness.


    "What are you guys doing??" Shreya asked confused and groggily. She had just woke up and she was seeing Akira trying to send laser beams with her eyes directed towards Charan. She could not figure out why.


    "Hey, good morning sleepy head." Charan greeted Shreya ignoring Akira and went to sit on her bedside. And Akira, on the other hand, stopped struggling entirely and instead snuggled into Shreya more comfortably and stuck a tongue out to her dad. Shreya wrapped her hands over her head and pecked on her hair.


    "Morning��" Shreya mumbled back.


    "Now, both of you. Get up. You will be late. Ramani has already prepared breakfast." Charan said trying to make them move. But instead, both of them wrapped themselves around each other more firmly.


    "I don''t want to go to the office today. I will just stay here like this. This feels sooo good." Shreya whined immediately to Charan''s utter dismay. She had the face of a child throwing tantrums to buy balloons.


    "Yup�� absolutely amazing." Akira pitched in and wrapped her arms around Shreya''s torsos.


    Charan let out a sigh. When these two got together, he had a feeling of raising two kids rather than one.


    "Okay fine. If you guys are having a good time, even I will join." Charan said wiggling to lay down beside Shreya crowding the already filled bed.


    Just as Shreya was about to move away to give him space Akira pitched in and crashed the party.


    "NOOO�� Dada is not allowed in my bed. He was bullying me just now. He was laughing at me��" She complained at the top of her voice.


    Now, Charan had, not one but two pairs of big brown eyes glaring at him with all their might. And before he could even try to defend himself, he fell off the bed with the loudest thud, butt first. Thanks to Shreya''s infamous kick. When he looked up once out of shock, both the brats were busy laughing their asses off at his expense to point were Akira was actually having tears run down her cheeks.


    "You are soo getting for that��" Charan said with fake anger and charged towards his daughter first. He lifted her off of the bed dangled her over his shoulders. But Akira was not discouraged one bit. She still giggled away at the top of her voice.


    By the time they were actually done and exited the house, Akira was late to school. So Charan had to go meet with her class teacher to give her leeway. All the while Akira gave Charan a sheepish grin with sparkling happy eyes. No father is ever going to be able to be anger at such a sight and Charan was no exception. He just bid her goodbye with a kiss and turned back.


    When he entered his office later than usual, he saw that it was not empty. Bot Ajay and Kabir were present.


    "What are you guys doing here??" Charan asked sitting down on his own chair.


    "We are going to need more people around here��" Kabir started and thus started a long strenuous discussion on business. Just as they were wrapping up, Charan suddenly said, "I think we should buy an office for ourselves��"


    Ajay and Kabir looked at his bewildered.


    "Where did that come from??" Ajay asked confused.


    "I have been thinking about it for a while actually. Since we got the payment from Sri corp. that is. We are sitting on that cash for a while now and these offers just made the idea more feasible. Anyways that money is just rotting away in the bank. So why not get ourselves a nice office with it. How long are we going to be in these rentals and keep moving from one place to another every time our contract lapses??" Charan reasoned calmly.


    Ajay and Kabir went into deep thought. It is not that they are opposed to the idea. It is just they had not thought about it.


    When Charan saw that they were still in trance, he told them away.


    "Okay, guys. Go to your own cabins and think it through. I have work to do."


    Ajay and Kabir obliged readily while their own brains already started listing the pros and cons of Charan''s idea.


    They all had families. So they always played it safe so far and will continue to do so in the future. But this time around they are pushed to a corner they are not exactly comfortable with. Its more to do with the fact that the whole thing is so sudden than to do with their incapability. But then they had sailed troubled seas before and they were confident they can do it again.

 Chapter 107 - 106

    Adam stood there outside the hospital leaning over his car waiting. He had been there for at least an hour now but no sign of Preethi. Just when he was about to give up and go back, she walked out in all her messed up self.


    "God�� How many days have you been in there??" Adam asked scaring the crap out of Preethi in the process.


    "Crap, Adam�� You scared the shit out of me!" Preethi said clutching her chests.


    "I''m sorry�� I didn''t mean to alarm you��" Adam apologized stepping closer.


    "How did you know where to find me??" Preethi asked confused.


    Just as Adam was about to open his mouth to answer, Preethi raised her hands and shut him up.


    "You know what, don''t bother answering that. Akil probably told you��" Preethi answered for him rolling her eyes.


    Adam was worried about Akil since the day she bailed from him that day when Akil fell sick. SO Preethi thought why not just show him that Akil was fine and that would be it. And of course, she hadn''t forgotten what Charan said about how he knew the moment Shreya met Akira that she was good for her. SO if they weren''t compatible with each other, Preethi thought she could forget all about Adam and go on with her life.


    So she took Akil to the park and met with Adam there. That was all she knew�� what happened after that�� she had no clue.


    Who knew Adam- the man of few words was actually a video game geek just like her own son?? Preethi was actually left out of most of the conversations after that. But then even if they did include her, the conversation between them was practically gibberish to her. SO she stopped trying after a while.


    And for the record, Preethi did not feel any immense feeling raise in her for Adam when he met with Akil and got along. She was more annoyed than touched. She kept puffing her cheeks and pouting at Adam after that. And was doing that even now and being the sharp guy he was, Adam actually noticed it.


    "You are one of those moms who doesn''t like it when their kid gets along with someone other than you, aren''t you??" Adam asked the question that''s been on his mind for a while now. But he was more amused by Preethi than anything else for some reason. If she had done something to actually keep him away from Akil, Adam would have probably felt hurt but then all Preethi did was puff and pout and give him a glare every now and then. Which he felt were very childish and extremely amusing since she was practically behaving like a kid rather than an a.d.u.l.t.


    But Preethi refused it straight away, "Of course not. What makes you think that??" She asked away looking Adam daringly. But then her eyes flickered under his steady gaze that felt as if he was seeing right through her�� as if he could tell that she was lying through her teeth just by looking at her. She averted her gaze and bit on her lips and said, "Maybe��" in a very low voice under her breath.


    Adam ruffled her head laughing.


    "Come on�� I will drive you home now��" He said taking her bag. She was a mess. She had dark circles and her hair was a mess even before he ruffled them. And of course, she was out cold even before he could start the car. Adam reached out, fastened her seatbelts, and let her sleep as he drove them through the city. She did not stir all the way to her home.


    The car came to a soft stop just outside her home without making any noise. He switched off his headlights but kept the AC running.


    He did not have the heart to wake her up�� more like he did not want to. Because if he did, she would go in and he wouldn''t be able to be with her anymore. After that first lunch, they never really spent any time together.


    Between her job and family, she did not have any time for him. He wasn''t complaining but he couldn''t help but hope for more. But he was also conscious of her resting time. SO he wasn''t really left with many options except to stare her like a creep while she slept beside him.


    Adam reached out and tidied some of the strands falling out of her face. But then his fingers lingered without really wanting to let go.


    Preethi stirred on her sleep and swatted his hand away frowning and pouting in her sleep.


    "I am not a mosquito you know!!" Adam whispered to himself and pinched on her nose. And once again Preethi swatted it away.


    Adam chuckled softly and pulled back. Preethi''s frown softened and went back to sleeping peacefully all over again. HE just turned his face towards her and leaned back on the seat and just stared at her. He did not even realize the seconds'' tick by into minutes and minutes into an hour. And in that hour, not one second did his eyes ever stray very far away from her face.


    When it was way past midnight, Preethi blinked her eyes open at last.


    Adam reached out and caressed her eyes helping her wake. He then wiped her drools and whispered, "Hey, sleepyhead."


    Preethi came out of her daze and the first thing she was faced with was Adam staring at her as if she was the loveliest thing he had ever laid eyes on. She was taken aback for a minute. She thought for a second she was having an illusion. But then his face stayed just the same which only confused her more. He barely knew her but how could he be looking at her like that??


    "You okay there??" Adam asked when she just kept moving her eyes around while not really saying anything.


    Preethi came out of her trance and sat up. She looked around.


    "How long was I out??"


    "A little over an hour maybe???" Adam replied.


    "Why didn''t you wake me up??" Preethi asked shocked and confused.


    The street lights clearly illuminated Adam''s ears blush as he replied, "I didn''t want you to go just yet��"


    Preethi blinked several times but then smiled a sweet little smile. She leaned over and kissed him on his cheeks and bid him goodbye, "Good night, Adam."


    "Good night��" Adam waited until she was inside the house safely before driving off.


    Preethi went into her own room and freaked out quietly seeing herself in the mirror.


    "Adam needs an eye test for sure. He has to have something wrong with his eyes��" She thought to herself. She looked like a ragged ghost in her birdnest hair, dark circles, and two days old cloths and Adam was staring at her like that when she was sleeping??


    "I should take him to an eye doctor," She said to herself. He should definitely be blind.

 Chapter 108 - 107

    The same night on the other side of the city, Zack was sleeping in his apartment very peacefully.


    His apartment was on the bad side of the town but this was the place he grew up in. It might not be in this particular apartment, but he grew up in a similar place. And this was the place he was living in when Shreya came knocking on his doors. SO for him, this was home no matter how powerful and affluent he got over the years after that.


    It was actually less of an apartment and more of a bachelor''s pad�� a cheap one at that. But all the facilities were a stark contrast to it. From the toiletries to the air conditioners, everything was top notch. The kitchen looked pristine and clean.


    But his peace was disrupted when someone knocked on his doors in the middle of the night. It was not such a rare occasion as you expect. There was always some knuckleheads who are looking for trouble in this part of the town. So when he opened the doors absolutely annoyed out of his mind, he was not expecting a pencil model passed out on her own puke high out of her mind.


    Zack shut the doors at her face without bothering the first time around. But after some time, there was another bang. Zack went out and dragged her in and deposited her on his couch and went to sleep.


    And to his absolute annoyance, he was once again woken up the next morning by a shriek. When he came out of his bedroom, he was met up with the same girl from the night before screaming her stomach out with a really scared expression on her face.


    "Can you stop that??" Zack yelled back.


    "Who are you?? Where is this?? What am I doing here?? Why am I here??" She stalked questions on top of her voice pissing Zack off.


    "God woman, can you quiet down for a minute?? I can barely think straight with you screaming in my ears!!" Zack got annoyed and went into the kitchen to get himself the much-needed coffee leaving behind a still very hysterical woman in his living room.


    But once Zack was out of sight, slowly the woman actually calmed down considerably. She looked around and examined herself first that morning. She stunk of booze and puke which was nothing new anyways but then she was also fully clothed and she did not feel any discomfort other than that of being hungover.


    By then Zack had arrived with a cup of coffee for himself and took in a generous sip.


    "Look, lady. I am not interested in you or anything to do with any women and especially not a kid. You made a mess at my door last night and you were a mess. SO I let you crash in. END of story. Now that you are awake, you can leave. The doors that way��" Zack said and walked away indifferently.


    The woman glared at him even more. She had never been ignored by the opposite gender so blatantly before. She was attractive and she knew it when eyes followed her around. She was not easy but she liked the attention. So it pissed her off when someone that looked so attractive looked at her as if she was invisible, she did not like it. She especially did not like being called a kid. The guy looked mature but not old enough to call her a kid!!


    She took a stalk of cash from her wallet and flung it on the table and left the apartment stomping away slamming the doors behind her back. If she hadn''t been so hungover and if he hadn''t been so indifferent, she would have probably thanked him for letting her crash in his place but then since she was in no mood to think straight she stormed away in her high heels.


    Zack did not even bother locking the doors behind her. He just went on with his day and went to work as usual.


    He was the head of security. He is responsible for the safety and security of both the company and the family members. He recruits and trains each and every person personally.


    He sat in his office called in Andrew.


    "Yes, boss��" Andrew asked.


    "Where is Hank?? He should have been here already!!" Zack asked.


    "There were some last-minute changes. He had to drop Shreya somewhere. He is going to be here in half an hour��" Andrew said and exited the room.


    Zack just shook his head and lit a cigarette. The stench of smoke filled the air immediately. This smell always reminded him of his dad. And when he lost him, he started smoking subconsciously.


    This stench�� this smell�� it reminded him of the time when he still had a family. A mom, a dad, and a sister. A home��


    He lost the whole of his family to an accident when he was still on duty. He did not even have a chance to say goodbye.


    His thoughts came to a standstill when Hank walked into the office. Hank had been working for Shreya and her family from forever. So even though, job-wise Zack had the seniority he always consulted with Hank when it came to the security of the family.


    "Sorry, I am late." Hank apologized as he sat down.


    "It''s okay. I just want to show you the security layout for the New year''s celebration. And since you know Srivastav''s manor the best, I can really use some input."


    From then on, they discussed the intricate details on security for straight one hour. Only after double-checking everything thoroughly did Zack let Hank go.


    Just as Hank was about to leave, he turned around and said, "I think Shreya is trying to set you up with a date one of these days��"


    Zack sighed helplessly. If Shreya decides on something, he knew he can do nothing to stop her. After all, Zack never really even wanted to work here at the start.


    Zack would never forget the first time Shreya came looking for him.


    It was practically a ditch the place he was staying back then. He had been out of the army for almost a year back then and he had no place to go. He couldn''t bear to be in his own house. But then he did not want to be far away either. SO he rented an apartment nearby.

 Chapter 109 - 108

    The morning sun was up and high shining exuberantly while people were bustling with energy. The narrow street in the market was fully filled with people like ants while both sides were occupied by shop vendors. They ranged from fruits, vegetables, newspapers to fast-food joints.


    And the whole of the street was put on disarray when a Landrover tried to swim through the crowd. The red car was the attention of every single person there that morning and the crown got out of its way pretty quickly as it made its way through the market giving rise to muttering whispers all around. They tried to peek into the car but the windows were so heavily tinted that all they could see was black even with the sun scorching above them.


    But the people sitting inside were the least bit bothered about anything. The driver had a stern stature as he drove through the crowd with focused eyes while the person sitting in the back sat there with her legs crossed and goggles busy on her phones.


    The car came to a standstill outside a dandy looking apartment. The driver got down and opened the doors for the person in the back. She got down and left some instructions for the driver before proceeding into the apartment.


    Almost most of the doors to the houses in the apartment were open and everyone stared at her�� gave her a peculiar look. From her car to the cloths to the phone she carried, nothing fit in this neighborhood. And the apartment was filled with bullies and rogues and amongst such an environment, she looked especially small. She looked like a sheep walking into a den of wolves.


    But then�� there was something in her stride that just screamed ''do not mess with her''. Then she reached a somewhat secluded part of the apartment and came to a standstill in front of a closed door.


    She rang the bell and waited�� But then nobody opened the doors. She banged on the doors and rang the bell all over again. And she continued doing this very patiently until a very irritated Zack opened the door in his groggy self.


    "What???? He burst out immediately without even bothering to ask who she was or what she wanted.


    "Hi, I am Shreya�� and I am here to offer you a job." Shreya said politely enough.


    But Zack just said, "Not interested," And shut the doors to her face.


    This happened at least for a week after that. No matter how much rudely Zack behaved, she came back the next day sharply 9 ''o clock on the dock. Zack was extremely frustrated. He did not know what to do with her.


    So the next day when she came back, Zack did not close the doors on her. Instead, he opened the doors and went back in without bothering to close it.


    Shreya walked inside without a word and sat herself down on the couch without having to be told.


    Zack went to the fridge on the corner to get himself a beer.


    "Get me one too��" Shreya''s voice rang.


    Zack threw a can towards her, which she caught it with ease. She cracked opened the can with a fizz and leaned back on the couch crossing her legs and sipped on it.


    Zack''s lips twitched. Her stature and physique did not match with the arrogance and ego she had. When he gave her a once over, his eyes came to a stop at her face.


    The way she was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt and the way she behaved�� she did not look anything more than a college kid. She was a fresher at a company at best but her face�� it had no smile�� her face and eyes were actually a mirror image of his own�� he was way too familiar with those haunted eyes.


    He could not decipher how a kid her age could actually have that face.


    "DO I have something in my face??" Shreya asked confused when she saw Zack staring at her face.


    Zack averted his eyes and lit a cigarette for himself. By then he knew that she was trying to recruit him as he head of security. He did not know how she came to know about him or how she got his location but then he did not really care about the insignificant details. He was not trying to hide from the world anyway.


    So he asked the question that did matter to him.


    "Why me?? Why are you so set on hiring me??" After all, he wasn''t exactly looking for a job and he was sure a whole bunch of people will kill to get the job. So he did not understand.


    "You have nothing to lose��" Shreya said looking straight into his eyes�� those haunted eyes bore into him as if they were reading his soul like a fairytale book.


    Zack took a long puff on his cigarette and exhaled a big cloud of smoke. If she had said anything else�� anything at all�� about his career or track record in the army or about his skill set�� or his experience�� he probably would have just laughed it off and asked her to leave. But this answer�� this left him speechless.


    "I did not know that was a qualification��" Zack said taking another puff.


    "It is for me. I need someone like you�� someone who cannot be manipulated easily." She said shrugging her shoulders.


    Zack''s lips twitched once more. She captured his attention in ways he had not experienced before. There was no sense of pity for his state nor a sense of self-righteousness in her voice for offering him the job.


    If anyone looked from outside, they would think she was an idiot for following such an ungrateful guy around. He was in such a sorry state still had the nerve to turn down Ms.Shreya Srivastav.


    If she had been an arrogant or a prideful person, she would have long before lashed out on him and walked out. But she was someone who knew she was not doing him any favor by offering him the job. That respect that she showed him, humbled him.


    He could see that he was not something special to her nor was she empathetic with his state and offered him the job. He was just someone who met the criteria and she needed the person who fulfilled them. If there was someone else out there who met the same, she would have probably gone to him by now.


    SO he knew there was no one like him and that she absolutely needed him.


    It had been so long since someone needed him like this. It jolted some feelings in him after such a long time. He had been living like a ragged doll for so long that he forgot how it felt to be needed again. So before he could stop himself, he heard himself say, "Okay, I will work for you."


    "Okay then. I will send someone to clean your apartment first. I don''t want you spreading all sorts of diseases in my office. You report to me on Monday. Be there sharp at 10 am." Shreya said and got up from the place gulping down the last sip of beer.


    Zack just gapped at her.


    "That''s all ah?? You are not going to discuss the terms and conditions of the job?? What about the pay??" Zack asked surprised.


    "I know you did not agree to come to work because of the money!! As far as the terms and conditions are concerned. Its pretty simple- you come and work for me�� I will take care of everything else for you. And please�� shave and come. You look like a damn gorilla��" Shreya waved and left the building with the same indifferent arrogant strides she always had.


    Zack came to know what she meant by ''I will take care of everything else for you'' that very same day. His whole apartment was refurbished and cleaned in a couple of hours.


    That one moment in his life always warmed his heart. Shreya barged into his life unwantedly but then gave him the most beautiful thing anyone could ask for�� a family�� a place he felt belonged after such a long time. She treated him like her own family and proved it time and again every single day in these past few years. She poured life back into him.


    If not for Shreya, he probably would have drunk himself to death by now or lying in a ditch.


    How do you repay for something like that??

 Chapter 110 - 109

    Charan stood there with his mouth wide open and with no sense of reality. In all probability, even if some mosquito enters his mouth, he wouldn''t notice it.


    That was how perplexed he was seeing The Srivastav Manor. If he had thought Anand''s house was big, he knew how na?ve he was back then.


    This was practically a palace. They had to drive 30 minutes from the outer gate to just to get to the building entrance. He looked above and he was clueless where to look first. It was huge.


    The building itself was several stories tall with a terracotta roof and asymmetrical structure. While the whole building was covered from all around by trees. It did not look properly maintained. It looked more like a forest. But they were decorated with serial lights for the party making them look like a mini sky on their own. If the outer looked like this, he did not even want to go inside. He was terrified to even imagine.


    In front of the building was a large clearing of grass that was trimmed to perfection. That was now filled with people working�� Catering and all sorts of other staff working relentlessly to get the work done before people start arriving.


    His train of thoughts was interrupted by someone hopping on his back like a monkey and it was none other than Shreya.


    "HI��" She excitedly greeted him from behind his back.


    Charan''s hands instinctively went behind and held her first. Then he turned his face sideways and asked sarcastically, "Can''t you behave like a human being for once??"


    "Nope�� not doing it. I will become boring then��" Shreya answered his question seriously with a big grin and of course, to prove her point, she also bit on his ears making him hiss in pain while Shryea giggled away.


    Some of the workers stopped their work and looked at her with a warm smile. Some of them had been working in the manor for a very long time and they had seen Shreya grow up. When she was growing up, this was actually a very common scene around. She often rode on her dad''s shoulder and her delirious waves of laughter would fill the walls. The manor was such a happy place back then.


    But then when Adithya and Susmitha passed away�� Shreya could barely stand to be in the manor. Only during new year festivities, she will come. Even then, whenever she laid eyes on the manor�� you could clearly see the sense of gloominess on her face.


    But seeing her now like this after such a long time�� warmth filled them unknowingly.


    Charan jolted in his place when he felt something rub against his legs all of a sudden and was met with two huge eyes of a golden retriever. Before he could react, Shreya jumped down and the next second she and the dog were wresting on the floor with Shreya squealing away.


    "Hi, Charan. When did you come here??" Akash said joining them. He slung his hand over his shoulders and made himself comfortable.


    Charan did not mind. He just replied, "Just now��"


    "And the dog already took a bite of your ears??" Akash asked arching his brows. After all, Shreya was not shy when she bites. So it left a very red and a very eye-catching mark on Charan''s ear.


    Charan just shrugged his shoulders and said, "Something like that."


    Just as the words slipped his lips, Shreya who was busy playing with the golden retriever stopped on her track and protested vehemently, "I am not a dog!! A pup- maybe�� But definitely not a dog��"


    Akash burst out laughing while Charan just shook his head helplessly. He did not know whether to laugh or cry at that moment. He did not know how she could run such a big company so successful and still behave like a damn kindergarten student.


    "Shreya�� Puppy is also a dog�� just an FYI��" Akash said and continued his laughter.


    "No�� It is not!!" Shreya argued back pettily.


    Of course, Akash was not going to lose to anyone in pettiness. So the argument went on.


    Charan left the two brats be and went inside.


    The inside was just as he feared�� it was grand and luxurious. The living room itself stretched to the size of that of a freaking football field�� Okay maybe it was a tad bit exaggerated but that''s how it felt.


    Bhagya stood there in the middle ordering people around. Charan approached her with a smile and offered his help, "Hey, can I help out too��"


    "Oh, Charan. When did you come??" Bhagya greeted him with a pleasant smile and a warm hug.


    "Just�� I came early thinking I could help out in any way around��" Charan replied politely. He had a very pleasant impression of her. They may not be close but there was no reservedness or hostility between them. So he felt at ease to talk to her freely without any reservation.


    And of course, Bhagya did not know how to be reserved for anyone�� let alone someone who is part of her family.


    "At last someone responsible to help!!" Bhagya said joyously and freely ordered him around. He mainly had to pass on her instructions and make sure everything was happening as it was supposed to be happening.


    Originally she had called Akash to help her out but then that brat kept absconding every few minutes. It became a tedious job in itself just to track him down. So she let go of him after a while and started handling things herself. But then since Charan offered his help voluntarily, she did not shy away. It took a whole load of weight off her shoulders.


    And with his help, she was able to complete all the arrangements before time without much fuzz.


    "Okay, Charan. Thank you so much. I don''t know what I would have done without you today. You go find Shreya and get freshened up. I will go and search for my lazy ass son now." Bhagya said and went away.


    Charan stretched out for a bit and then went in search of Shreya. After running around the place for two hours straight, he was familiar with the ground floor of the manor at least. The first time around, he got so lost that he had to call Bhagya for help.


    He found Shreya talking on her phone in a secluded part of the garden. Shreya noticed him come right away gestured him to come over.


    "Hey, sweetheart��" Charan called out swinging his hand over her shoulders.


    Shreya leaned on him still talking over the phone with a serious expression.

 Chapter 111 - 110

    Shreya took his hands in hers and dragged him through the house excited. Charan had no idea where she was going but then he did not really bother to ask her. He just followed her quietly.


    Shreya came to a standstill in front of a double door. She hesitated for a minute but then pushed the doors wide open and gestured Charan to get in.


    It doesn''t take a lot to guess whose room it was. There was a big ass poster of some band hung on the wall right opposite to the doors�� so obviously it was Shreya''s room. The room itself seemed as big as his whole house.


    On one side of the room, there was a huge shelf filled with books and a few feet from it was an elegant looking table and a huge rolling chair. And the side closest to the door had a king-size bed and a very puffy looking mattress. In between space led to a door on both sides. On led to a balcony and the other to a bathroom.


    "You know�� no matter how many places of yours I see�� It still amazes me how filthy rich you are." Charan said looking around. He couldn''t mask the slight discomfort in his voice. This place intimidated him. For the first time, he was seeing how far away they were.


    For a person who actually grew up in such a space�� he did not even know how she was able to sleep on his cramped couch day after day. It almost felt like abuse to have let her sleep there.


    Shreya looked at his face and she could see something very complicated was running through his head but then she couldn''t figure out what. She just wanted to show him the places she grew up in�� her bedroom she slept in�� Showing them was like sharing a piece of herself with Charan�� sharing some of the most intimate parts of herself. But she did not know how something like that had led to Charan pulling away from her.


    Since she didn''t understand what was wrong, she asked as she always did.


    "What is it?? Why do you look sick all of a sudden?? Does it smell weird here??" She asked sincerely.


    Charan looked at her completely oblivious eyes and did not know where to start explaining his own feelings and insecurities. He left out a helpless sigh and sat down on the bed�� the bed sunk in like a sponge cake.


    "Just add another to the list��" Charan muttered to himself.


    "Add to what list??" Shreya asked once again confused.


    "Nothing�� You want to go freshen up and come??" Charan asked instead, changing the subject. It was not that his heart had suddenly calmed down. It was, in fact, quite the opposite. He was having a very hard time controlling his heart. The more he thought about saying anything the more terrified he got. He was afraid he would end up saying something completely stupid and superficial now and then end up changing things between them somehow. Their relationship was not weak�� but then he was still not confident enough to test it.


    But then to Shreya, it was a whole different story. She was confused and she doesn''t like the feeling. She is used to talking out whatever little friction she ever has in any relationship. She did not know how to hide her emotions and more than that she was not a fan of misunderstanding. She would rather ask a person something rude and know for sure what was happening than be polite and walk on ice picks.


    Shreya went and sat beside him. She took his hand in hers and started talking.


    "Charan, I do not want to pry. If it was truly something you don''t want to tell me, I won''t ask you about it and you don''t have to tell me about it. But please don''t hide things that concern us. I know something here made you uncomfortable and you are holding back on me. I hate any kinda friction in our relationship. You feel something and you don''t talk about it�� Emotions tend to pile up and one day it will blow up into a huge misunderstanding�� I hate that kinda situation. It is tiresome. I would rather you tell me everything then and there and we talk it out��"


    Silence prevailed for a while after that. Shreya stood up from her place and said walking towards the bath, "Okay then�� I will go get a shower now��"


    Charan, on the other hand, thought about what Shreya just said.


    When he thought about it now�� she had always been like this�� from the very first day they met. She had always been painstakingly open about how she felt each and every moment she spent with him. She had secrets�� yes�� but she never hid anything from him when it came to things between them. She always conveyed her expectations very precisely when it came to things she wanted from the relationship and him with zero hesitation.


    So it did not feel right to hide things from her now�� especially when it might lead to bigger problems in the future.


    Just as he sorted out his thoughts, Shreya walked out of the bath in an oversized t-shirt and some ripped jeans. And her hair was dripping wet.


    "Dry your hair��" Charan said frowning when she did not make an effort to dry them.


    "I don''t know where I kept my hairdryer here�� it will dry off on its own��" Shreya shrugged and busied herself with her phone as always.


    Charan let out a sigh and went to the bath which was, by the way, was as big as his bedroom. But he did not dwell on it for long and came back with a towel.


    Shreya was sitting on her chair behind the desk with her phone and a tablet working. Charan went ahead and just dragged her without a word and sat her on the bed.


    "Charan�� what are you doing??" Shreya asked confused looking up from her phone.


    "You do your work�� I am just going to dry your hair��" Charan answered and did exactly that standing behind her.


    "No, it''s okay�� I can do it. Just give me a minute. I need to finish something��" Shreya protested but Charan did not bother with her. He just held her in place and methodically rubbed the towel over her hair and dried them off.

 Chapter 112 - 111

    Shreya was working long after Charan had actually finished drying her hair. Charan did not disturb her. Instead, he went and looked around her room. There was a tinch of childishness in this room that her room in her apartment lacked. She had a shelf full of some toys neatly arranged in one corner and some oddly shaped pebbles were piled up in a tub for some reason. Charan figured she probably collected them when she was very young.


    And when he looked at the books�� he could see a wide array of comics at first and then some crime fiction. But all that went away after two shelves�� the rest was mostly business and management books. On the topmost shelf, there was an array of diaries and at a corner a big ass book. Charan got curious and pulled out the big book.


    When he flipped it open, he saw that it was a scrapbook of photos. It had photos from when she was a child to her graduation. Charan sat on the chair and started looking at them carefully.


    As you could expect, Shreya was adorable as a kid. There wasn''t a single picture of her actually crying anywhere in the book. The only place where he saw tears was when she was getting her ears pierced. All the rest, she had a big bright smile showing all her teeth.


    And just like Shryea said, she seemed to have had a very normal childhood in spite of who her parents were. There were pictures of them going to parks, picnic, and amus.e.m.e.nt parks. There were pictures of her dad teaching her to ride a bike and car and her mum helping her with her homework. But he could clearly see that she was a daddy''s girl through and through. Adithya probably indulged her to no end. Because he couldn''t see a single picture of them together without Shreya showing all of her teeth so very proudly.


    Charan was suddenly very envious of Adithya�� He could clearly see that Shreya adored Adithya beyond any reason or whim.


    "Done," Shreya exclaimed and kept down her tablet and phone. Only then did she look back at Charan, "What are you doing??" She couldn''t see what he was holding in his hands from her position. The desk disrupted her line of sight.


    Charan just smiled at her and gestured her to come to him. "Come here.."


    Shreya walked to him�� then only she saw the album in her hands. Her face slightly paled. She hadn''t touched them in a long long time now.


    Charan sensed the change in her and closed them instantly and apologized, "Sorry, I should have asked��"


    Shreya shook her head and came to sit on his laps. She then reached for the album herself with a slightly shaky hand. "I just�� I haven''t opened this in such a long time actually."


    Charan stayed quiet and kept caressing her head soothingly as she flipped through the album�� seeing one picture at a time very carefully. Her lips slightly twitched when she saw the pictures of her and her dad making all sorts of ugly faces. Slowly she started talking�� she told the story behind the pictures as far as she could remember.


    When she reached the last picture�� she went very quiet. She stopped talking. She just closed the album and curled up into a ball against him. But Charan could clearly guess without her having to tell him anything.


    It was probably one of the last pictures she ever took with her parents. It was a picture taken outside this very same manor. Shreya stood there in front of a bike with a backpack and both her arms were slung over the shoulders of her mum and dad standing on either side of her. It is most probably the picture she took just before leaving for her two-year-long trip.


    "You were a daddy''s girl, weren''t you??" Charan asked in the softest of voice.


    Shreya''s lips twitched all over again remembering her dad.


    "Yup�� when we were together, we drove my mum crazy��"


    "I can imagine," Charan said and smiled slightly. He could relate to her mum very clearly. When Shreya and Akira got together, they sure drove him crazy.


    After that, a long stretch of silence prevailed. Shreya snuggled in and stayed there without moving while Charan kept running his hands over her head and any place he could reach very gently comforting her.


    "I''m sorry about before��" Charan, at last, said breaking the silence.


    "About what??" Shreya asked confused.


    "It is not that I am trying to hide anything from you Shreya�� I just�� I don''t know myself what is it. When I see this room and when I see this house�� I clearly see how different we are�� we are practically worlds apart�� and that�� that scares me to no end. I am struggling to deal with it�� I keep thinking of all sorts of worst-case scenarios and how I have no means to protect myself or Akira�� and frankly, I am clueless as to how to deal with it. I am way out of my element here and it''s terrifying." Charan confessed in a serious tone and then waited for her to respond.


    Shreya listened carefully took a minute to think about it first. She started talking only after thinking about it long and hard and she wanted it to be face to face. So she pulled away and sat on the desk facing Charan.


    Charan''s heart fell slightly when she pulled away. He thought he messed up somehow. But he still kept quiet and listened.


    Shreya looked straight into his eyes as she spoke, "Charan, it is a fact that we are worlds apart. We are different people. And like you said, I AM filthy rich. I can''t do anything to change that. And frankly, this room, this house or my cars or the apartment�� they are not even 0.1% if what I have or what I can do. You can give me a photo of any random person within this country and I can track him down in a matter of an hour. One hour, I will be able to tell you where he is. That''s the kinda power I have within this country. And it did not come by just like that. I worked long and hard for it. But more than that it is my father''s legacy. I am not going to let it go to waste at any cost."

 Chapter 113 - 112

    Charan gapped at her perplexed. She was telling it as if she was promising a kid to buy them candy.


    If Charan was scared before, he did not even know what he was feeling right now when he heard Shreya. Thanked be the gods that Shreya was the one having the power. In the wrong hands, this power could have doomed the whole country. He doubted whether even the Prime Minister of the country had such a power.


    But Shreya did not really give him time to digest her revelations. She continued to talk without a pause.


    "But I never imposed or flaunted it in front of you. I never gave you a reason to be scared of it nor did my family. I know I never gave you a reason to feel insure�� especially when it regards money�� And I never will."


    "I am not money hungry nor power-hungry. I am doing this because I have no choice. Because I can''t let my parents'' death be in vain. And also, because this is the only way I can think of to keep the people around me safe. I don''t have the strength to watch someone else around me die. I know that I am paranoid�� insanely so even. But that''s the person I have become. I am someone very different from the person you see there in those photos." She paused at last. Charan was clueless as to how to react or what was the context here. So, he stayed quiet and tried his best to comprehend everything she was telling.


    "And you are not the only one who is out of your elements you know. You should have seen me when I first saw you cook or do the chores. I mean my dad used to cook but most times than never�� they were always barely edible. And you know me�� I can''t cook to save my life."


    "We both have things we are good at and bad at. That doesn''t mean you should get scared of the person being good at something you are not�� you are getting scared of me because of a thing I have no control over�� things I was born into�� it''s not fair. And�� Do you really think I will let anything come to Akira because of me??" Shreya asked at last and stopped. She looked at him expectantly for an answer.


    But Charan had no answers. Charan could not say that he understood everything she said�� but that last two lines struck home. She was right as always�� him being scared of her wealth was not fair for her. It was like saying ''I love you but I am scared because you are too tall.'' And from what he knew of Shreya, she would probably jump in front of a train before letting anything touch Akira.


    When the brain made sense of this, he felt like a fool suddenly. She was also very right about one other thing�� neither Shreya nor anyone around her ever raised an issue with regard to his financial status. It never ever came into consideration. All anyone ever considered was whether or not he was good to her.


    Charan got up from the chair and went near her. He knew he messed up but he also knew if he had bottled up his insecurities- superficial or real- would have eaten him up to point where he would have caused a whole lot of mess than it was now. So, he was also thankful for Shreya that she insisted on talking it out.


    Shreya on the other hand also thought of what she had just said more carefully when she saw that Charan was not responding. And she started second-guessing. And as always, she did not hold this back either.


    Thus, as Charan stood there hesitating on what to say, Shreya started whispered looking down, "I shouldn''t have put it that way. Sorry�� it''s not fair to ask you not to be scared�� I understand you cannot help it. And I do have a lot of baggage. But I promise you one thing. I would never ever mistreat you or Akira or anyone around you for that matter because of our difference�� and I won''t let anyone else do it either." She finished looking at him at last with a sincere eye.


    Charan''s lips spread when he looked at her. "I should have saved the universe in my previous life��" He whispered leaning over and kissed her cheeks.


    And that was all it took. Shreya smiled brightly like a kid who was given candy. But then she frowned and disagreed with him, "You should have saved at least two universes in your previous life. One for Akira and one for me!!" She then gave him a very proud smile.


    Charan chuckled at her childishness but still agreed without protest, "You are right again." Then he stayed silent for a while looking at her. He then leaned closer and rested his forehead on hers and whispered, "I am sorry. I was wrong. I know I cannot help it when I get scared but it is not your fault either. I shouldn''t have put it as if it was�� sorry�� Really sorry. Okay??"


    People say there shouldn''t be ''thank you''s and ''sorry''s between couples but Charan did not believe in it. For him, it was essential to say thank you when it''s deserving and people should compulsorily say sorry when they mess up no matter how close a relationship you have.


    "Okay��" Shreya receded immediately. She was not the one to hold a grudge�� she found them tiresome.


    Charan then took her face between his hands and said with at most sincerity, "I want to let you know one thing�� I and Akira are the luckiest bastards on the planet to have you in our lives�� don''t ever forget that okay??"


    Shreya nodded her head enthusiastically with a wide grin. Charan wrapped his arms around her and embraced her tightly.


    They stayed like that for a long time until Charan asked a question jovially, "So does that mean you will save me from your uncle and Akash using me as target practice when I screw up??"


    "Obviously not. I am scared of Anand uncle." Shreya teased back.


    "So you will let me die??" Charan asked pulling back.


    "Of course not. I will give you a helmet and bulletproof vests. Top of the class�� Don''t worry." Shreya declared very proudly.


    Charan couldn''t help but pull on her cheeks and say, "You are going to be the death of me you know��"


    Charan then went to take a shower. At first, he protested saying he did not have anything to wear. But Shreya insisted saying he stunk and that she will get him clothes.


    So when Charan walked out after his bath in just a towel and wet hairs, Shreya was nowhere in the room. He was about to go back to wear his own clothes when Shreya barged back into the room with a pair of jeans and a shirt and a clean set of boxers that looked about his size.


    "Who''s is this??" Charan asked taking the cloths.


    "Dad''s�� you don''t mind right??" Shreya asked hesitantly.


    Charan leaned over and pecked on her temple and went to change his clothes.

 Chapter 114 - 113

    Shreya walked down with Charan hot on her trails. She wore a shredded jean and an A-line kurti that had a slit up to her torso. She had actually put some effort today and pulled her hair into a ponytail and wore a hanging earring. She still kept her neck and face bare except for a bindi. Charan, on the other hand, wore jeans and a black formal shirt that Shreya gave him.


    "I am surprised you are not wearing a t-shirt!! Where did you even get that??" Bhagya asked gapping at Shreya as soon as they came to the living room.


    Shreya did not reply but instead glared at Charan standing beside her. She did not even know how he got it�� but he did and insisted she wears it today.


    "It''s a gift!!" Charan said with a bright smile. He knew Shreya would never wear anything extremely traditional like a saree or such. So, he decided to meet her halfway and decided on getting a kurti that she can wear with one of her jeans.


    "Good choice��" Bhagya said beaming.


    The living room was already filled with the whole of Shreya''s gang. Pritham was busy playing with the golden retriever while Anand and John sat on the couch and talked about god knows what. Zack and Adam were with Harshad while Bhagya went ahead to greet Lilly- Harshad''s wife and Adhira their daughter.


    "You go ahead. I will get you something to drink" Charan whispered to her and left to the kitchen.


    When he came back in, even Ajay and Kabir had come with their families. And Shreya was, as usual, teasing Ajay to no end. After two minutes, Ajay''s daughter Ekta joined the fun and Shreya forgot about Ajay all together.


    Charan laughed it off and gave Shreya a bottle of some soda and then brought Ajay and Kabir to Anand and Bhagya for introductions.


    "Hey, Anand. This is Ajay and Kabir, my partners in the firm. And this is Raji, Ajay''s wife, and Mahima, Kabir''s wife."


    "And that brat arguing with Shreya is my kid, Ekta, and the quiet kid is Abeer�� Kabir''s kid." Ajay pitched in.


    And in no time everyone gathered in the living room. Elders sat on the couches while youngsters sat where ever there was space. Some even sat down and goofed around to their heart''s content. The atmosphere was very lively. When Madhu walked in, Akash''s face visibly brightened which did not go unnoticed by Bhagya.


    "Hey, Madhu�� Where is Karthik??" Shreya asked from her place.


    "He will be here for dinner. He had some work so he got late." Madhu replied very obediently making Akash''s face deflated like a balloon pricked with a pin.


    Charan pinched Shreya from the side and scolded, "Hey, leave him alone."


    "No can do. He made Madhu cry buckets. Of course, he should pay. And on top of it�� he is clueless. This is the only way he will come to terms with his feelings on his own��" Shreya shrugged and turned towards Adam.


    But just then Charan''s family also walked in. Both Anand and Bhagya went to greet them. Shreya went ahead and gave everyone an enthusiastic hug. She even hugged Preethi whom she just met for the first time but left out Bharath deliberately. She then went away with Akira and Akil with Bharath whining hot on her trail about not being hugged.


    Once the introductions were done, Anand and Gopal went to talk while Bhagya went away with Srimathi- Charan''s mum. SO Charan took Preethi to make the introductions. But just as they came into view of everyone.


    Both Adam and Preethi pointed their fingers at each other and asked away in a chorus, "What are you doing here??"


    Before they could clear the air, John walked towards Preethi and gave her a bear hug which Preethi returned gladly. And the next you know, she ignored both Charan and Adam completely and started talking to John leaving both the boys eating flies.


    "So Preethi is the one you were so excited about??" Charan asked frowning. And then he remembered Preethi asking advice about someone she met in the hospital and how Adam got into an accident about the same time.


    But Adam''s brain hadn''t processed things just yet clearly. SO he was still in confusion when Charan explained, "That''s my sister."


    "Wait, so Preethi and Shreya have not met before??" Adam asked at last successfully kick-starting his brains to work.


    "Nope�� They are actually yet to meet!! Both got distracted pretty quickly after formal introductions." Charan explained.


    Very soon, it was dinner time and everyone gathered in the garden. A very long table was laid down in the middle and people started occupying them randomly. All the kids gathered around Abeer. Ekta, Akira, and Akil were familiar with him already while Adhira- Harshad''s kid also joined the gang. Abeer even though he was quiet for most of the time, was a mature kid and eldest of them all. So he carefully sat everyone around him and then took his own seat. So it went on without a fuss.


    Anand sat on the head of the table and somehow Shreya ended up sitting in between Charan and Preethi. Shreya kept staring at Preethi for a second before placing her as Adam''s doctor.


    "Hey, I have seen you before�� You are the doctor. So you are Adam''s girlfriend and Charan''s elder sister??" She asked shocked.


    "Very late reaction. Everyone already knows��" Bharath commented sarcastically from across Shreya while Shreya looked at Adam and Charan for conformation.


    But after that Shreya had glittering eyes as she stared relentlessly at Preethi as if she was an alien creature or something.


    Charan kicked her under the table.


    "What?? I am not eating your sister�� I am just curious how she was able to tame that blockhead is all!!" Shreya said started piling endless questions to Preethi and as well as started saying all the secrets she knew about Adam all at once.


    Of course, there was also Akash glaring holes at Madhu and Karthick talking merrily.


    The dinner table was lively and noisy and the food was delicious. The atmosphere made one forget the time. The laughter and voices of people filled the resolute house after such a long time.


    This gathering happened every year but the rest of the time the manor was empty since Adithya and Sumitha passed away. Shreya couldn''t stand to stay here alone. But she also didn''t want to abandon it. SO she gathered everyone close to her on New Year and celebrated it as they always did when her parents were around.

 Chapter 115 - 114

    Such a lively atmosphere was interrupted by a group of people walking in hasty strides into the garden and behind them, Hank and some other bodyguards followed them anxiously.


    Everyone in the table looked towards the commotion. When Shreya saw who it was, she wiped her hands and mouth with a napkin and excused herself from the table. She strode towards the crowd and stopped them on their track a good distance away from the table and stood there before them with her hands crossed.


    "What do you want??" She asked with a stern voice.


    The group consisted of 5 people. A middle-aged man led the group with a middle-aged lady a few feet behind her. They were followed by two young ladies seemingly in their early twenties and a young man about the same age. And unlike everyone already present there, these people were dressed to impress. All branded clothes and bags were visibly flaunted to give maximum impact.


    The middle-aged man''s eyes flared with anger when Hank came to stand beside Shreya protectively while Shreya rudely stopped them in their track with a displeased look on her face. On the other hand, the young man gave Shreya a big ass smile that looked very fake and seemed to hide layers of ill intentions.


    Ladies, on the other hand, looked behind at the table and the house with eyes filled with envy and jealousy. Only the youngest girl in there had a completely indifferent look on her face as if she wanted to be at any place other than here right at that moment.


    "Is this how you greet your elders?? W came here thinking you will be lonely and so came to celebrate New Year''s with you but is this how you invite us??" The middle-aged man flared. He was overbearing and rude but then Shreya was not bothered. She found it a waste of time and energy to deal with this kind of drama. That is why she always kept away from this family.


    That middle-aged man is her uncle, Ram. He is a cousin to her dad and elder to Anand. He was greedy, lazy, arrogant and overbearing. He was the first one to cause her trouble as soon as she took over the company. He acted entitled. He felt that the company was righteously his since he was the eldest in the family now.


    But Shreya was what people called a business prodigy. So even though she was only 23 years back then, Anand and everyone else agreed on her taking over the company completely except for Ram. Adithya left 45% shares for Shreya and 15% each for Anand and Ram since he treated him like family. But Ram obtained shares from outside and started making noise within the company. Spouting nonsense like how she was young, na?ve and incompetent.


    But he was no match for Shreya and lost all of his shares to Shreya. That is how Shreya became the undisputed owner of Sri corp. She might not be the face of the company after her divorce 6 months later but she still had a controlling interest in the company which was public knowledge.


    Even then since he was family, Shreya was never really too harsh on them so he kept finding trouble one way or another. Both his son, Mithun, and eldest daughter, Sushmitha worked in the company and both were up to no good. His youngest daughter, Meera just returned from abroad so Shreya never had much contact with them. But regardless Shreya avoided everyone like a plague because she hated drama.


    Even now, if not for the guests present she wouldn''t have bothered coming over. Coming and talking to them is itself giving them a face. But Charan''s parents were here and she did not want to create too a scene in front of them and wanted to send these clowns away as soon as possible. But her tongue was still sharp.


    "When you behave like one, I will give you the respect deserving of an elder!! But you are far from it now. And of course, I do not remember inviting you guys here. So can you guys scram. We are in the middle of something here��" Shreya said shrugging her shoulders. She gave him no face whatsoever.


    Her aunt, Akila flared up at such blatant disrespect towards her husband. She defended her husband like a good wife she was.


    "Don''t you even have basic manners?? I know that you don''t have parents to discipline you but that doesn''t mean that you can behave barbarically. We raised you. Don''t think that no one would ask you anything just because you own some shares. Money is not everything in the world. You can lose it at any moment!!" She said playing the perfect elder.


    "Isn''t it like the pot calling the kettle black!! One greedy person calling others names. Isn''t it the joke of the year��" Shreya mocked away. Akila was angered so much that she became short of breath.


    By then everyone in the table stopped talking and listened to the drama attentively.


    Shreya looked at them as if asking them to say whatever they had to say all at once and scram. She was tired of having to shift her face from one person to another just to hear them talk nonsense. This time it was her cousin''s turn to talk. Shreya took a deep breath and mustered some patience into herself.


    Susmitha supported her mother like a good daughter she was and talked on top of her voice, "It was no wonder your parents sent you away as soon as you finished college. Who would want to keep around such an arrogant self-absorbed ungrateful girl like you��!! And you haven''t gotten your act together even after becoming an orphan!!"


    Susmitha poured all her misplaced envy and jealousy into her words and stabbed Shreya where it hurt the most. After all, she also resented Shreya for having the position of her ultimate boss despite being her younger sister. So she did not mind if her words were cruel.


    Shreya''s previously indifferent face paled all of a sudden. All blood drained from her face. Anand got up from his place with Bhagya hot on his trail. If eyes could shoot fire, the whole family would have become ashes by now.


    Ram still had enough sense in him to realize his daughter had gone overboard this time and tried to stop her even if it was just lip service, "Susmitha�� shut up. You can''t talk to her like that��"


    Anand stayed out of it for all this time because he did not want to give them that much face and he knew Shreya would shoo them away. But who knew they would cross all limits. Anand never went head-on with Ram because he was an elder and family. And whenever they met outside, they would even exchange some pleasantries. Even though it pained him, he understood his resentment with Shreya was because of his ego complex. Ram hated taking orders from someone younger to him. And it turned to anger when Shreya beat him at his own game without breaking a sweat. But this time around Ram touched his bottom line and Shreya was his bottom line. Always had been. So now he was not going to give him any face at all, elder brother or not.


    Thus when he came and stood in front of Shreya, his veins were popping and eyes shooting fire. Susmitha went and hid behind her dad. Ram looked at Anand uncomfortably but even then his arrogance did not let him accept his mistake.


    Bhagya and Akash reached them by then. Even Charan was itching to come here�� but since it seemed to be a family matter, he hesitated and stood at his place in the table.


    Bhagya did not bother about Ram or his family. She first went to Shreya. Shreya was standing there completely frozen and out of it. When Bhagya put her arms around her shoulders, Shreya''s eyes, at last, flickered to reality. She looked around her once and completely walked out of the garden with the same haunted face whispering, "Sorry�� excuse me��" She walked away so fast that nobody even had the chance to stop her.


    "Zack��" Anand barked watching Shreya''s back fade away into the dark.


    Anand knew it was no use talking to any of the people in front of him seeing as they had not yet bothered to apologize even now. This was not some slip of the tongue or a mistake. This was said with every intention of hurting Shreya and he was not going to let that happen again.


    When Zack reached them, Anand commanded with red eyes, "Hank�� Zack�� You both let any of these clowns anywhere near Shreya ever again, don''t bother coming to work from the next day. Now get them out of my sight. I don''t want to see them."


    Both Zack and Hank got to work immediately. Just when he was stuffing people in their cars, Zack frowned at the girl at the very end of the group. She was completely unbothered by anything that happened and was hearing to some music. And after a second of thought, he placed the girl as the one who crashed at his place completely drunk. The world was a very small place after all�� he thought to himself and went back after completing the task at hand.

 Chapter 116 - 115

    Anand and Bhagya got worried and wanted to search for Shreya right away. But when they went back to the dinner table, they saw that Charan was nowhere in sight. They guessed he must have gone behind Shreya and signed in relief.


    Then they apologized to everyone present�� especially Charan''s family for the whole fiasco. Thankfully they seemed to not have taken it to heart. The whole festive atmosphere was disrupted just like that. Nobody really had the stomach to continue the dinner. So they wrapped things up and went back in. Even the kids seemed to have sensed the change in atmosphere and remained relatively quiet.


    Bhagya prepared a glass of warm milk for the kids just in case. Slowly people started dispersing after that. Even Anand and Bhagya left. They had a function to attend early the next morning and the venue was on the other side of the city. It was a very long drive from here. So they did not have any choice but to leave. But they gave clear instructions to maid there to take care when Shreya and Charan returned. They also informed Charan of the details. Akira also left with her grandparents quite reluctantly.


    Charan, on the other hand, followed the vague dark shadow through the dense trees. He really hoped Shreya knew where she was going or else they both were really screwed.


    But Shreya was completely out of it. She was not really conscious but her feet knew exactly where she was going. After all, she had been through this path at least a million times before. In her stupor, she did not even realize she was being followed. She just went wherever her feet took her and they came to a standstill only when she reached the all so familiar clearing. There was a lake amidst all the forestry surrounding the manor. Adithya was very particular to keep the forest and the lake intact. He cleared only that portion of the plot that was absolutely necessary for the building.


    Shreya sat down on the edge of the pond where there was a wooden platform present. She bunched her knees in front of her and hugged them tightly and tears tumbled down her eyes without her accord.


    Charan, on the other hand, lost track of Shreya and wandered searching for her. The darkness of the night wasn''t helping either. Thankfully he wasn''t so far out�� he clearly heard her weeping sound through the woods and followed the noise back to the source. And when he reached the clearing, his heart clenched painfully.


    The full moon reflected perfectly into the lake. Shreya was sitting there at the edge of it like a ragged doll crying her eyes out in a heartwrenching way. Her agony is clear from the way she clutched on to her chest so tightly and kept saying, "Sorry�� I''m so sorry��" in a desperate voice to people who weren''t even there.


    Charan was not really a violent person but when he saw Shreya like this, he really wished to drill a few hundred holes into the stupid woman''s brains for saying something so freaking stupid and mean. He knew not being there for her parents was her biggest scar and he hated the fact that someone poked into them so carelessly.


    In all the time he had known Shreya, she had never cried before. Not once. And especially not like this. So he was clueless about how to handle her. After letting out a sigh, he approached her with heavy steps. Smaller branches cracked under his feet and sound echoed through the dense forest quite clearly.


    When Shreya heard rustling sound around her, she quickly wiped away her tears and looked around and her eyes landing on Charan''s worried eyes. She composed herself best she could and stood up and asked, "What are you doing here??" Her voice was extremely raspy from crying. And her eyes red and puffed up.


    Charan did not say anything. He knew he can''t really say anything that could make things right. So he just went near her and brought her into his embrace. He did not even know if he was doing this for her or for himself. But at her moment he felt this intense need to be near her. He buried her head into his chests and held on to her tightly.


    Shreya just stood there like a statue for a minute. But then when she felt his warmth and his scent wash over her, the little compose she had mustered with the sudden intrusion went back down into the gutter. She circled her own arms around his torso as tears started spiling all over again. But it was quieter. She did not wail like before but it was no less anguished.


    Charan bent down slightly and whispered sweet nothings into her ears in hope of comforting her a bit. But all that came out of Shreya''s mouth were endless apologies in between her whimpers. She kept saying, "Sorry�� I am sorry... I am so sorry��"


    It completely shattered his heart to hear her and see her like this. But no matter what he said, she neither heard him and nor stopped. She just held onto him as if her life depended on it and drowned him in her tears. After a while, she had a hard time standing straight. Charan hoisted her on his h.i.p.s and then sat down at the platform.


    Now Shreya soaked his necks instead of his shirt. That was the only this that changed. Charan patiently patted on her back and let her be. He felt it was better if she let everything out this time around. He knew she had been bottling up all the guilt and pain behind that composed businesswoman face for years now. And now that the dam had broken, there was no stopping until she lets everything out.


    After what felt like absolute forever, Shreya calmed down and the water work also stopped. But with that, exhaustion came and her eyes dropped shut on their own accords no matter how much she tried to fight them.

 Chapter 117 - 116

    Charan stayed still for a while but then he could not take the eerie stillness of the forest. He was a city boy surrounded by motor sounds and horns even in the dead of the night. So this emptiness gave him creeps.


    The sound of the wind and the rustling of the leaves surrounded him from all directions. But other than that, there was no noise of anything living and breathing for as long as he could see or hear. Just when he was struggling to get her on his back, he heard a rustling sound and Hank came into view. Charan let out a sigh of relief.


    "This is where she will always come whenever she fought with her dad," Hank explained and helped him secured her on his back. He then led the way much to Charan''s relief. If he hadn''t come, Charan was sure to be in a lot of trouble.


    Charan followed him without a word. His strides were much slower since he had Shreya at his back. He even stumbled in a few places.


    "I can carry her��" Hank offered after a while.


    But Charan refused politely. What took Charan 15 minutes to reach the first time took twice as long to return. When they reached the garden, two or three maids came out rushing.


    They led him to Shreya''s room. Charan thanked Hank and followed the maids. Once they reached her room, he requested one of them to change Shreya into more comfortable clothes and asked a pair of sleeping clothes for himself from Adithya''s room. Since Shreya herself gave him the clothes he was wearing, he figured it should be okay.


    When he came back after changing and freshening up in the guest room, Shreya was already changed into a big t-shirt and tucked in. Just then somebody knocked on the doors very softly.


    When he opened the doors, an elderly maid stood there with a glass of milk and a jug full of water.


    Charan took them from her and thanked her. But she did not make a move to leave.


    "Is there anything else??" Charan asked.


    The maid hesitated for a second and said, "Bhagya madam requested that you stay Shreya tonight�� Shreya hadn''t stayed over here in a very long time so she was worried she might not have a good sleep tonight."


    "Don''t worry about it. I will be here��" Charan replied with a smile.


    The maid bowed and left. Charan drank the milk and kept the water in the bedside table. He then called Anand exiting the room. He did not want to risk waking her up.


    "Hey, how is she??" Anand asked straight away worried.


    "About what you would expect. She is asleep now though. I just wanted to inform you guys�� I know you would be worried." Charan replied.


    "We are. We would have stayed back but Shreya�� she�� Just take care of her for us." Anand said with a heavy heart. Anand and Bhagya very much wanted to stay back. But if Shreya saw them worried about her, she would start putting up a brave front for their sake. That would defeat the whole purpose. They did not want to add to her stress. But Charan being there was a big relief all in all for which he was really grateful for.


    Charan hung up on Anand after bidding good night and went back in. He saw Shreya was curled up into fetal position and tears streamed down all over again. The only plus side was she was not awake. Charan sighed and went and sat beside her. He brushed the tears away and whispered scolding her, "I don''t know where do you even have tears to still shed in that small body of yours??"


    Just as he wiped them away, Shreya filled them all over again. Charan couldn''t take it. So scooped her and sat her on his laps in hopes of what?? he did not know. But he didn''t like seeing her cry. And since she was not crying when he carried her here, he thought this would maybe work. At least, he hoped it would.


    Shreya subconsciously leaned towards his warmth. She curled up against his chests and snuggled in comfortably.


    Charan thought things worked out but then he felt his t-shirt wet all over again.


    "Can you stop with the water work already??" Charan scolded her in a whisper exasperated. Just then the maid from before knocked and peeked in to check on them. She knew it was inappropriate but she was worried about Shreya. But when she saw Charan''s predicament, an idea struck her.


    She gestured Charan to follow her. Charan frowned in confusion but then since she was elderly and seemed like she knew what she was doing, he scooped Shreya in his arms and followed her quietly.


    She came to a standstill outside a door two-room over from Shreya. She went and showed Charan to a rocking chair.


    Charan got what she was trying to do, so he gestured a thank you and sat on the chair with Shreya in his laps. Shreya stirred and found a comfortable position for herself and rested her head against his chests. Charan slowly rocked the chair holding her in place and softly patted on her back. He held her securely in his embrace.


    The maid left and came back with a blanket and a bottle of water. And at last, exited the room after tucking the blanket over them both and adjusting the airconditioning temperature. And for some reason, the rocking seemed to help. Shreya stopped with her waterworks and slept peacefully snuggling in.


    Charan''s hands lingered over her head protectively while he peppered kissed over her temple and whispered sweet nothings into her ears every now and then. Only when he saw that Shreya had quieted down, his own eyes closed on their own accords. He had had a long day after all. Thus he fell asleep in the rocking chair with Shreya wrapped safely in his arms.

 Chapter 118 - 117

    Shreya blinked her eyes open the next morning when she felt her throat completely dry up�� or at least she tried to blink. Her eyes were extremely heavy and ached�� thanks to the excellent water show that happened yesterday night.


    She put some effort and tried to sit up but she found that she was not in her bed.


    "Look who''s up!!" Charan said helping her sit up. He was sure both of his legs should have turned into rocks by now. So he just used his hands to rub on her eyes a bit and tided her hairs.


    Shreya opened her eyes at last and gestured for some water.


    Charan reached out for the bottle of water that the maid had kept for them in the table beside him and fed her a few sips. Shreya gulped it down gratefully. Her hands must have gone numb when she slept with them sandwiched between the two bodies. She started flinging her hand around vigorously trying to get some blood flow back into her arms.


    Charan rolled her eyes and took her hands into his and massaged them gently.


    "Why am I here??" Shreya asked. Her voice was still raspy from sleep.


    "You kept crying in your sleep. When I didn''t know what to do, one of your maids suggested to bring you here�� And it worked for some reason. You stopped crying�� something about here calmed you down��" Charan replied softly running his hands over her head.


    "This is my dad''s study. I used to spend most of my time here�� reading. This is my chair. I rarely went to my own room. My dad will work from there and I used to sit here and read. It was just something about this place and the way it smelt�� It was comforting�� And most of the time I will end up falling asleep here itself. My dad will bring me to my room." Shreya said with a slight smile.


    Charan looked around. It smelt of books and old furniture here. There were huge shelves filled completely with books on all sides of the room. In the middle, there was a huge table and a chair. And the rocking chair was set up a few feet away in a corner. And a sofa set was placed in the center of the room.


    Shreya shifted from her place and got up from on top of Charan. But then she stumbled when she realized that even her legs had gone numb.


    "Careful there��" Charan said holding on to her hands and steadying her.


    Shreya kept her hands with Charan and twitched and stretched her legs for a few minutes before standing on her own two feet.


    Once making sure she was not going to fall back down, Charan started stretching his own legs. It took a good 5 minutes to move his legs and stand straight. And when he stood up, he saw Shreya staring at the desk lost in her head. He went near her and put his arms around her shoulders and asked, "Are you okay now??"


    Shreya stayed quiet but then she leaned into his embrace. She wrapped her arms around him and rested her head against his chests and nodded her head. Charan couldn''t resist but hug her back tightly.


    "You scared me yesterday�� you know..?? You had me worried shit." He whispered against her ears. His concern and relief seeped in his voice making it shake a little.


    "I''m sorry��" Shreya mumbled. Now that was something Charan did not want to hear from her again. He had heard the term so many times from her last night that it was enough to last a lifetime.


    When Charan pulled away from the hug, Shreya hung her head down and refused to see him in the eyes.


    Charan pecked on her temples and hugged her all over again, "You don''t have to be sorry about anything. I was just worried."


    Shreya did not really reply. She kept quiet. After a while, Charan pulled away and led her back to her room. Shreya went ahead and sat on the bed fiddling with her fingers.


    Charan looked at her for a second and then sat down in front of her on his knees and took her hands in his and asked, "You do know that everything that woman said yesterday was not true right?? She was just trying to get under your skin��"


    Shreya did not reply. She stayed absolutely silent. But that silence spoke volumes.


    "Your parents loved you right?? Do you believe that your parents loved you??" Charan asked again.


    Shreya nodded her head this time around. But her lips were still sealed shut.


    "Then trust me when I say this�� you doing this to yourself�� blaming yourself�� it''s not helping anyone. Especially not your parents. So if not for us, at least do it for them. They loved you�� and you are hurting them by being like this�� Is that what you want??" Charan asked softly.


    Shreya stayed quiet but a lone tear stumbled out of her eyes and tumbled down her cheeks. She then shook her head quite desperately.


    Charan wiped her tears and made her look at him and said, "Hey, you can miss them all you want but you have to stop beating yourself about their death. It''s not healthy. It''s eating you up�� Okay??"


    Shreya nodded her head solemnly.


    "Now come on�� let''s get you cleaned up. You look like a zombie��" Charan said and led her to the bath.


    Shreya went and sat on the counter beside the basin and smiled at Charan.


    Charan just shook his head but then went and washed her brush and filled it paste before handing it over to her. He then gave her a cup of water. He then got a brush for himself and brushed his own teeth.


    Once she finished brushing her teeth, he brought a wet towel and cleaned up her face, and tided her hair as best as he could. And all the while, Shreya had a smug smile on his face. But Charan did not mind�� not one single bit.


    Compared to last night''s weeping, he would take a smug smile any day�� even if it meant he had to baby her every single day for the rest of his life�� he would take it happily.


    "Now come one�� let''s get you something to eat." Charan said extending his hands for her to take.


    Shreya did not take his hands. She shook her head and whined, "I want a piggyback ride."


    Charan complied once again. Just as they reached the living room, the golden retriever from yesterday surrounded his legs. And like yesterday, Shreya hopped down and started playing with it.


    When Charan looked up, Akash came by and said, "That''s Lucy�� Supposed to be my dog but she always takes Shreya''s side. So��"


    Charan nodded and greeted him with a hug.


    "How is she??" Akash asked.


    "She is better now�� She is getting there at least." Charan answered looking at her wrestle with a dog so happily.


    "Hey, enough already. You need to eat��" Charan called out after a while. Shreya reluctantly let go of Lucy and got up sulking.


    Charan left to get her food while Akash pulled her into a hug. He ruffled the back of her head and said, "You got us worried brat!!!"


    "I know�� I''m sorry. But I am okay now. So, stop worrying��" Shreya said returning the hug.


    And just as the aroma of food hit her nostrils, Shreya''s stomach growled. And she instantly set on the mission to appease her stomach quite gladly.

 Chapter 119 - 118

    "Can you leave me alone for just one second??" Zeenath growled but Sreenivas did not budge. He just gave her the polite business smile that he always gave.


    Zeenath frustratedly kicked the furniture near her and stomped away. Of course, Sreenivas followed her as always.


    She went straight to Shreya''s office to complain. After all, if this continued�� she was going to end up strangling Sreenivas one or another day. She did not bother knocking. She straight away opened the doors and walked in.


    Shreya was sitting there going over some files. When she saw who it was. "Well, you can come in by all means!! Thanks for knocking��" She said sarcastically without taking her eyes off of the files in front of her.


    Zeenath did not acknowledge or appreciate Shreya''s sarcasm. She just came and sat down on the chair puffing her cheeks dramatically.


    "Why didn''t you come to the new year''s party??" Shreya asked remembering.


    "Well, somebody gave me a surveillance assignment for punishment and conveniently forgot about it!!" Zeenath seethed sarcastically. She spent the whole new year''s night watching over everyone dance and party from the back of a god damn truck.


    "So we are here to complain about my choice of assignment now are we??" Shreya asked teasingly.


    "Nope�� not exactly��" Zeenath said and started to list her grievances but was interrupted by someone knocking on the door. And a few seconds later Sreenivas walked into the office and stood there by the door like a door guard.


    "You�� You do something about him will you!!" Zeenath complained in an accusatory tone and her fingers pointed at Sreenivas as soon as her eyes landed on him. You can tell from just her tone of voice how irritated and frustrated she was with him.


    Shreya acknowledged Sreenivas with a nod and asked Zeenath, "What did he do??"


    "He keeps following me like a damn stalker�� He won''t leave me alone even for a minute��" Zeenath complained annoyed.


    "Well, he is supposed to be doing that. I pay him for that��" Shreya replied indifferently annoying Zeenath more than she already was.


    "If this goes on�� one of these days I am going to strangle him or maybe smother him when he is asleep!!" Zeenath said frustrated.


    "Well, he is a big boy. He can handle himself. Right, Sreenivas??" Shreya said signing on some doc.u.ments and eyeing Sreenivas at the same time.


    And before Zeenath could elaborate on her complaint, Sreenivas''s affirming voice rang through the office.


    "Yes, ma''am." He replied very obediently.


    "Well, now he is answering questions like an obedient boy��" Zeenath said sarcastically. Because for the past few days, no matter what she asked him�� he never answered even once. And even when he did answer, it was never with a ''yes, ma''am'' like that anyways.


    "I pay him, Zee. SO of course, he listens to me??" Shreya reasoned.


    "But he won''t listen to me even when I offered him money�� he won''t even accept them. I tried�� Trust me�� I tried even that!!" Zee said exasperated.


    "Well, I would be worried if he did accept. You were trying to bribe him�� But I, on the other hand, pays him a salary�� There is a difference." Shreya said in a ''duh'' tone and twitched lips. It was amusing to watch Zee like this. She looked like a cornered kitty blaring its teeth in the hope of getting out of a hopeless situation.


    "Okay, enough of this punishment Shreya. I learned my lesson okay?? I won''t go anywhere without telling you hereafter. I promise. I will even give you live commentary if you want. But please�� please ease up a little bit. It''s driving me crazy��" Zee, at last, admitted defeat and resorted to begging. She used all the cute sides she ever possessed and gave her a puppy dog eyes.


    Shreya let her beg for a while. But after a while, she took pity on her and at last, looked up from her files and looked at Zee''s face. Shreya''s face softened seeing her put up a pitiful expression.


    Shreya did not say anything. But she gave Sreenivas a look and he nodded back understanding. When Zee saw this exchange, she knew Shreya cracked.


    Just as Sreenivas noded Zeenath flew from her seat and gave Shreya an overbearing hug and a smacking kiss and said, "Thank you so much. I won''t let you down. You are my best friend after all."


    "One more mistake like that�� you will be stuck to surveillance assignment for the rest of your life��" Shreya warned her before dismissing them both.


    Zeenath turned and bounced out of the office satisfied. But then suddenly she thought of something and turned towards Sreenivas and she stuck her tongue out and made a funny face booing him like a kid and said, "See�� I won. Now you can''t bully me with that sticking smile of yours��" Her cheeks were puffed up with pride.


    Sreenivas''s lips twitched at her antics ever so slightly and his eyes gleamed but he did not say anything back. He just went ahead and pressed the elevator button.


    Zeenath stopped in her tracks and looked at him fascinated and asked, "Did you just smile?? An actual smile!!!"


    Sreenivas composed himself very quickly and cleared his throat and said, "I did not��" in a stern voice.


    "Of course you did. I saw it with my own eyes. Don''t deny it. And it was not that sickening business smile either�� It was genuine. I know what I saw��" Zeenath argued back.


    "I did not smile!!" Sreenivas defended himself with the same old expressionless face.


    "Did too�� But I am happy. At least now I know you are not some super robot Shreya dumped on me�� I now know you are human!!" Zeenath said as if she made a wonderful discovery.


    "Hey, you don''t have to sound so surprised. I have always been human!!" Sreenivas replied sarcastically rolling his eyes.


    "Maybe so. But I had my doubts�� What kinda human would stay so stuffed up in a night club. You ruined all my fun just by standing there like a god damn brick wall!!" Zeenath reasoned.


    Sreenivas was passive throughout the conversation as always but Zee was used to this. More than that, with Shreya''s permission it seemed even Sreenivas himself had forgiven her maybe a little. All this week, she could physically feel him distancing himself from her even when he was stuck to her like glue. She did not feel it now. Which made her very happy. Thus she happily went back to work with Sreenivas hot on her trails.

 Chapter 120 - 119

    It was Sunday and Preethi was home. So she thought she would take Akil to the park nearby and spend some time with him. Akira wanted to come along so invariably Charan followed. But then somehow, Charan got a call from Shreya and she wanted to join but when she did come, she had Adam with her.


    So she did not really know how her plan to spend some quality time with her son had turned into a two-family picnic in a matter of 10 minutes.


    But now there she was standing there watching Adam and Akil slide on after the other while Shreya was arguing how she came first in the line.


    Charan came and stood beside her giving her a bottle of water.


    "Do you ever have a feeling like�� if this continues, you are now going to have not one but two kids at home??" Preethi asked. Because seeing Adam and Akil now, she was feeling exactly that.


    "Trust me. I know exactly how you are feeling. As much mature as she seems on other things, she is extremely childish when you add Akira to the mix. I sometimes even think she might actually have a split personality or something��" Charan said shaking his head at the ridiculousness of his own thoughts.


    "Well, I guess birds of the same feather do flock together after all!!" Preethi agreed thoughtfully. Because Adam was the same. Whenever he was with her, he was all stuck up and mature and quiet. But when you add Akil to the mix, he takes a complete 180` change. And when Shreya is added to the same mix- he is going 360` change actually.


    "He is a good guy��" Charan said with a small smile. He might not know him personally but he knows Shreya and so he could already decipher to kinda person Adam is. She was not someone to keep bad-people around her.


    "How do you say??" Preethi asked. From what she saw, Shreya seemed close to Adam but Charan did not.


    "He has to be if he was Shreya''s friend," Charan said as if it was the most obvious answer.


    "You have it that bad ah??" Preethi asked sitting down nearby.


    Charan rubbed his hands over his eyes. Then he shook his head and said in an exasperated tone, "You have no idea!!"


    "I''m happy for you!!" Preethi said with a smile. She could clearly see he was happy and she couldn''t ask for more.


    They were now playing catch. Adam and Akil were in one team while Shreya and Akira were in another. They all had a serious expression on their faces as if they were playing world cup finals or something. Preethi did not know whether to laugh or cry when she saw this. Charan joined her and sat beside her and just watched them play.


    "You know�� After Samantha�� I never thought you would ever move on you know!!" Preethi said leaning back on a tree.


    And she was not trying to criticize or be callous. But it was a fact. Charan and Samantha�� things developed slowly but when the sparks started flying�� he was madly in love with her. There were no two ways about it. For the time, she was all that mattered to him. That slowly changed only when he got Akira. And when he lost Sam, Akira was all he saw and she was all that mattered. So it was no wonder Preethi was surprised to see him like this�� But this time around with Shreya�� there was something more mature about it.


    With Samantha, it was almost like an addiction. He could not bear to be apart from her. But with Shreya�� she could sense it was different. Between Shreya and Charan, there was no ''blinding love''�� the relationship seemed deeper and comfortable somehow.


    Charan agreed with her statement readily and said, "Even I never thought I could. But things got way out of control before I ever had the chance to think about it you know!! She just knocked my breath right out of my lungs and I never really had a chance��"


    "You know with Samantha�� it was different. She was so pure, na?ve, and innocent�� and I wanted to protect her and cherish her with all my might. I wanted to be with her all the time. And I craved the lightness that came with her. I was blind and madly in love with her. But with Shreya�� I don''t even know where to start. She just crept in and made a place for herself�� And frankly, I don''t think I could have done anything to stop it." Charan finished and subconsciously his eyes landed on Shreya.


    Preethi reached out and ruffled his hair with a smile.


    "How is she anyway?? She didn''t seem like she took that day''s incident lightly!!" Preethi asked remembering the New Year party.


    Charan ran his hands through his hair roughly and replied frustrated, "She did not. But she was okay when she woke up the next day. But I really don''t know if she is okay or if she is pretending to be okay!!"


    Charan did not really want to talk about that day. So he changed the subject and asked, "How are things between you and Adam??"


    Preethi thought about it for a minute and said in an unsure tone, "I don''t know actually. Akil is pretty taken with him though."


    "What about you?? Are you taken with him????? Charan asked again.


    Preethi gave it a thought. Is she taken with him?? The answer was ''yes''. Definitely. Or else she wouldn''t have let things go this far. But will this work?? She wasn''t sure.


    "I don''t know�� I don''t think I am up for a relationship just yet. Between my work and Akil�� I don''t think I can do it��" Preethi replied resigned.


    But then Charan saw right through her. After all, they did not grow up together for nothing. They are siblings and siblings know when the other person is lying or hiding something.


    "Adam is serious about you, isn''t he?? And that''s scaring you, isn''t it??" Charan asked looking at her.


    Preethi signed. If there was one person who can see right through her, it was Charan. She did not know how he came about this uncanny ability but he does. So she confessed, "Yes�� You should have seen him Charan. He keeps looking at me as if I am flying in the air or something. It feels good to be looked at like that. But it''s scary. And you know me�� I tend to screw things up one way or another. And I don''t want to go through that�� and I don''t want to put him through that��"


    "Let me tell you one thing, sis. Your ex was an A-hole. There was nothing you could have done to save that marriage. But don''t ruin things with Adam because of your misplaced sense of self-deprecation. He is expecting a life with you. He is seeing a whole future with you�� I can see the way he looks at you. And if you think you are not ready, be straight with him. Cut him loose now itself if you are not going to give the guy a fair chance. That is the least you should do for him." Charan said and patted on her shoulders.


    Before Preethi could reply, Akira and Akil beckoned for them to join the fun and the day slipped by just like that.

 Chapter 121 - 220

    The night was still young and the roads were jammed. Horns were blaring all over the place. But inside the car�� there was absolute silence. Except for the noise of the air conditioners, there was pin-drop silence.


    Adam had a focused expression on his face as he drove through the busy roads while Preethi sat beside him in the passenger seat quietly deep in thoughts. What Charan said this afternoon kept repeating on her head. But she was nowhere near finding her answers in her head. She knows that she is going to have to talk to Adam about it but then she did not know where to start or what to say.


    "Something on your mind??" Adam asked, at last, breaking the silence.


    Preethi did not reply. She did not even acknowledge the question. She just stayed quiet and pursed her lips.


    "You okay there??" Adam asked again when she didn''t answer.


    Preethi nodded this time and said, "Yes�� everything is fine��"


    And Adam did not pry thereafter. He just focused on driving and got them to her hospital. The car came to a smooth stop outside the hospital. The seat belts made a clicking sound and the doors opened. Preethi got down and waved a bye and left without a word.


    Adam looked at her receding figure with a complicated expression. He could feel her pulling back from him. But he couldn''t figure out why. He can do something only if she can tell him what was wrong�� but with her keeping, her mouths sealed�� he can''t really do much.


    Just as he was pulling out of the lot, Preethi came back running. Adam stopped on his tracks and lowered the windows. He stuck his head out and asked, "You forgot something??"


    She did not answer and neither stopped. She just went right to him and pecked him on his lips and went back the same way before he could even comprehend. By the time he made sense of it, Preethi was standing a few feet away waving at him biting her lower lips to suppress her grin.


    Adam''s face softened and he gestured with his hands and beckoned her closer.


    But Preethi just shook her head and said, "Pick me up here. Tomorrow morning. Sharp at 8." She then proceeded to walk backward still waving at him.


    "Maybe I will just wait for you here till tomorrow!!" Adam hollered back.


    "Get your handsome arse home now. And be here at 8 sharp��" Preethi hollered back grinning from one ear to another.


    "Yes, ma''am��" Adam said and made a mock salute. And at last, pulled away from the lot with a big ass grin.


    ��.


    The next morning, Adam stood there outside the hospital bright and early as requested in jeans, a crisp shirt, and a wide grin in place. That grin did not falter even for a second until he saw Preethi walk out of the hospital and then his grin widened.


    Preethi was tired out of her bones but still, her lips spread seeing Adam wait for her all dressed up grinning like an idiot. Just as she neared him, she was swept away, lifted high up on air swung around for a swirl. Once the surprise faded, a giggle bubbled in at the base of her throat and her hands circled around his neck.


    And when her feet touched the ground, before she could even catch a breath, a pair of lips came crashing on to hers and gave her a smothering kiss that took her breath away. His lips were soft and gentle against her. He was in no hurry but he still managed to take her breath away.


    When he pulled away, she was dazed and panting for air.


    "You ran off before I could do that yesterday!!" Adam said running his palms over the side of her head taking deep breaths.


    Preethi leaned into his touch and smiled.


    He then took her hands and led her to his car saying, "Now come on. Let''s get you home. You look tired��"


    "You would too�� if you come out after working a 12-hour shift in the emergency room." Preethi said rolling her eyes.


    "But I didn''t say you didn''t look beautiful!!" Adam curry-flavored shamelessly.


    Preethi just shook her head. She did not have the energy to even bicker with him. But then she thought about something else and asked, "Hey, are you free next weekend?? I have a night shift all this week. So I would have a long weekend."


    Adam answered, "I guess. If nothing else comes up between now and then�� I will be free. Why?? You want to go somewhere??"


    Preethi nodded and said, "Yes�� And I want to talk to you about somethings��"


    Adam''s hands clenched at the steering wheels unconsciously and lips pursed. He did not like the sound of that. It looked so serious. But still, he did not say anything. He just smiled and said, "Okay��"


    Of course, Preethi saw the change in his posture. She extended her hands and pulled on his cheeks.


    Adam looked at her with a questioning look.


    "It''s not serious. SO you don''t have to look like that. I just want to talk about somethings and spend some time with you." She lectured in the same tone she would use to lecture her own son, Akil.


    Adam frowned but then nodded. Only then Preethi let of his cheeks. Adam silently rubbed his cheeks. He was not delicate but then he was not used to being pulled by the cheeks. So it hurt slightly.


    Of course, Preethi noticed this too. She leaned over and pecked his cheeks and made a cheeky face.


    Adam''s lips slightly twitched but he still maintained a stern expression and said, "Not enough��"


    Preethi lips twitched but she still complied and pecked once more and asked, "Enough??"


    Adam shook his head with the same fake stern face.


    Preethi narrowed her eyes but still leaned over. But this time around instead of her soft lips, her sharp teeth met with his cheeks making Adam hiss and sharply turn around to look at her.


    "What?? Still not enough??" Preethi asked teasingly.


    Adam''s lips twitched as he said looking straight at her, "Not even close��"


    "Hey, eyes on the road." Preethi scolded.


    With all the bickering, Preethi did not even know how she got home until the car came to a standstill outside of her gates.


    "Thanks for the ride��" Preethi said and got down. But to her surprise, Adam followed suit. Preethi looked at him confused.


    Adam just pulled her into a warm hug and held her for a minute longer and pecked on her temple before driving away.

 Chapter 122 - 121

    "God damn it guys. You had one freaking job! You had to tail the damn jerk�� How tough is that!!" Shreya''s voice bellowed and echoed through the walls.


    They were several floors under Sri corp. building. This was the interrogation hall. So there was nothing around except for a chair that was screwed attached to the floor with chains. Shreya was sitting on it leaned back and legs crossed and in front of her were two men standing with their heads hung down.


    "Out��" Shreya commanded and then took a deep breath. The men scramble out in a hurry not wanting to give her the chance to change her mind and bury them alive.


    There was a person she had inside the jail to monitor Prasanna. He turned up dead the previous week. When she got the news, she sent people to investigate. But they came up empty and everyone inside was scared shit to actually talk to anyone. And the next thing she knew, Prasanna was being released from prison scot-free which was not possible given he was nose deep in trouble when she was done with him. So she knew something was fishy and sent people to follow him but these bunch of clowns actually lost him.


    She got to work without delay. She first tapped on her phones hurriedly and then called up Pritham immediately and passed her instructions in a very stern voice, "Prasanna. My ex-. Distribute the picture within our network. I want him found. ASAP. I just sent you his last sighting place. And remember he might have changed his appearance" Her voice rang into the phone even before he could greet. But her mood was very apparent from her voice. So Pritham just said, "Understood."


    Shreya hung up the phone once again without greeting. Pritham puffed his cheeks on the other end but then got to work instantly.


    Shreya let out a sigh and hunched back in the chair stretching her backs and legs. This chair is usually used for making the person sitting in there uncomfortable so she faced the same predicament. The metal dug into her skin and made her muscles ache. But she was the least bit bothered.


    Her mind reeled with everything about Prasanna to think of who would have the power to get him out like this and at the end of every road, she came up with the same three names. But she couldn''t think of a way Prasanna could have actually contacted them. As far as she knew, Prasanna only knew Rakesh. So how did they find him or how did he find them??


    But even if somehow it is the syndicate''s job�� it still did not explain what Prasanna could have possibly had that could actually help them. Because back when she was living with him�� her powers were considerably very less. She had zero underworld connections. So as far as Prasanna was concerned, she was just a businesswoman with the ability to hire a bunch of bodyguards. So he shouldn''t be able to guess Shreya as the person behind Rakesh''s downfall. But even if he had guessed that she was the person behind�� he wouldn''t have any way to prove it. But then syndicate wouldn''t really need evidence.


    So when she knew of his release, she thought she would use him as the bait to catch someone significant on the other side. That was the whole reason why she let Prasanna out and had people follow. But these idiots just had to screw it up.


    An hour and a half passed. She did not move from her place. The bodyguards around stood there like statues in the shadows in high vigilance. After all, it was not every day they see Shreya this agitated. She always had a very laid back personality. She always greeted everyone with a big smile and talked as if she was their friend. And many of them there considered her family rather than their boss. That is why the guilt of messing things up was so much more now.


    She, at last, looked up when her phone dinged. Pritham had shared her a location. She got up from her place and walked towards the exit. A half a dozen people followed her without a word. The men who were scolded before also joined the entourage.


    Their cars were waiting when she exited the building. She and two other bodyguards got into one car while the others followed her in another car. She showed her driver the address and the cars pulled out of the building in a hurry.


    They zigzagged through the city without much effort and finally came to a standstill outside an abandoned structure.


    "Secure the perimeter including the cameras." Her orders rang once more. Except for the driver, everybody else scrambled around quietly and efficiently and made sure that there were no traps.


    After exactly 7 minutes, one of the bodyguards came back and escorted her out. As soon as she entered the building, the strong stench of blood hit her hard and the next she saw Prasanna lifeless on the ground lying on a pool of his own blood.


    Shreya''s eyes went eyes cold.


    "Move out." She commanded and walked out without giving a second glance. The whole entourage walked surrounding her. And they were out of the place within minutes without leaving any trace of them ever being there.


    They were back in the same hall in half an hour''s time.


    Shreya sat on the same chair. The only difference this time was�� all the bodyguards stood in front of her in attention instead of hiding in shadows. The two men from before stood in the very front of the pile.


    She sat up with her legs crossed and said in a stern voice, "Ayush and Nakul. You know what you guys did wrong today??"


    "Yes ma''am, we missed his disguise," Ayush answered.


    "Make sure it doesn''t happen again. You all�� You will be following me around hereafter. Inconspicuously. You see this face�� this is the bait now. You screw up this time, it will be me whom you will be seeing drowning in a pool of blood next time. So keep your eyes peeled." Shreya''s voice rang. Everyone''s eyes widened in shock but still kept quiet.


    "You guys will separate into two groups. Each headed up Ayush and Nakul. 12-hour shifts. You report directly to me and me only. This doesn''t go beyond these walls. Understand??" Shreya asked looking at them with a piercing gaze that gave no room for choice whatsoever.


    "Understood��" chorus voice rang.


    "People are going to be coming for me. I don''t know when or from where or who. But I need a face to face with those people. So when they take me�� you don''t intervene. You follow and call for Zack. Only after I am taken you will call for Zack. Nobody breaths about this to anyone before that. And you will be sticking to me like a glue except for when I am in this building. And I will text you when I am leaving the building. Clear??" Shreya asked once more with the same piercing gaze. After all, this building was as safe as it can be. She made sure of it when she took over.


    "Cristal," Ayush answered.


    "Don''t mess it up this time. Now go on. I am going to be here for a while." Shreya said and sat back in that same chair as before.


    She knew if she were to tell this to Zack or anyone�� they wouldn''t let her out of their sight even for one second. And she would have to fight cats and dogs with them. It was a tiring and tedious job. That is why she decided to keep them in the dark. But she was not arrogant enough to think she could handle it on her own. That''s why she brought in these guys with her. She just wished this doesn''t come back and bite her on her arse.

 Chapter 123

    The next day when Shreya woke up, it was already well into noon. But wait, she did not wake up on her own. Somebody was actually calling her name out.


    As she blinked her eyes open, she was greeted with the sight of Charan''s smiling face.


    Charan approached her and caressed her head as he said, "Hey, there sleepy head."


    Once she was sure that Charan was actually there and that she was not seeing things in her sleep, she gestured him to sit on the bed. And when he did, she scooted over and laid on his laps snuggling in without bothering to reply.


    Charan''s lips twitched. He kept stroking over her gently but did not speak.


    After a long while, Shreya mumbled in an extremely groggy voice, "Why are you here?? Weren''t you guys supposed to be at your parents'' place this weekend??" She was barely coherent.


    "Preethi ditched. And my parents had a last-minute function to attend to. And Bharath kept throwing a tantrum that he wants to see your apartment. So I brought the kids and him back here." Charan replied softly.


    Shreya only heard about half of it. She was in and out. When he looked down after a while seeing as he was not getting any reply from her, Shreya was once again snoring away drooling all over his pants. She had even sn.a.k.e.d her arms around his torsos keeping him in place and snuggled most comfortably.


    Just then, the door clicked open and Bharath peeked in with his mouth wide open to say something. But he shut them when Charan sternly gestured him to keep quiet and go out. Bharath puffed his cheeks but complied.


    Charan knew she had been very busy the past couple of weeks. Just as she came back after the New Year holidays, work had been hectic. For both of them actually. But Shreya more than him. She barely had time to reply to his texts. And amongst all that he would never know where did she get the time to actually compile a list of viable and potential office spaces for their expansion and run a background check on their potential hires. Things she does for the people she cares about are extraordinary.


    And moreover, she was still sporting panada eyes even after sleeping through the day. So he could only imagine. So he did not have the heart to wake her up. So he just sat there without moving a muscle after kissing on her temple.


    It took another hour before she blinked open her eyes again.


    "Hey," her hoarse voice came with much difficulty.


    "Hey, back. You up at last??" Charan asked looking down from his phone.


    Shreya nodded her head at first but then shook them after a while.


    Charan chuckled and said softly, "You get some more sleep. I will have to go check on the kids now. I am afraid they would trash the place if they haven''t already."


    Shreya did not reply but just tightened her arms around him clearly not willing to let go.


    Charan smiles and strokes her head as he tried to convince her, "You sleep here. Nobody will disturb you. But I have to go check on them now. You know Bharath is not exactly reliable."


    Shreya stubbornly shook her head making Charan helpless. But before he could get a chance to convince her, the door clicked open and three heads peeked in. One big and two smaller ones. Of course, it was Bharath, Akil, and Akira. When Akira saw that Shreya was actually awake, she sprinted from her place and was beside Shreya in seconds followed shortly by Akil.


    Next thing you know, the room is filled with the sound of giggling and squealing of kids and Shreya alike. The kids had Shreya pinned and vigorously tickled her to point where Shreya''s eyes started tearing up from laughing. But then after a while, Shreya returned the favor. But she was, of course, outnumbered two to one. So when she got one under control the other would escape.


    But after a lot of struggle, she got both the kids pinned under her but before she could even give them a smug look, she felt her self floating in the air and swung around. When she came back to her senses, she found herself dangling off of Bharath''s shoulders, and on the other hand, Akira and Akil were happily laughing at her expense while hopping on the bed cheering for him.


    "Bharath, you idiot!! Let me down now." Shreya exclaimed pissed.


    But Bharath did not bother to heed. He just had a very smug look on his face as he replied arrogantly, "This is for not greeting me when at the New Year''s celebration. You ignored me throughout the evening deliberately. But as soon as I turn my back, you were happily giggling away. You think I did not see that!!" He said puffing his cheeks.


    Shreya loved to tease him and the banters between them were more idiotic than the banters between Akira and Akil. When these two got together, somehow even Akil''s and Akira''s behaviors looked mature�� they were that childish.


    It took at least an hour to pull them apart for the rest of them. Even then, Shreya walked around with a smug smile while Bharath kept puffing his cheeks.


    "Okay, enough you two. Eat with your eyes on the plate! Akira and Akil are behaving more like a.d.u.l.ts than you two," Charan scolded exasperated.


    Akil and Akil giggled quietly with their hands covering their mouths.


    Thankfully for Charan, that was the worst of it. After lunch, everyone had settled down in the living room and made plans for the day. The rest of the day flew by with movies and video games. The house was filled with laughter the whole day. By the end of the day, different packs of snacks and cans of soft drinks were left lying around in the living room. There was also a pack of cards scattered around. And of course, the empty pizza boxes.

 Chapter 124

    On the completely different part of the city, Adam and Preethi were sitting side by side on a beach. It was one of the remote beaches just outside the city. So there were not many people around. Both were quiet as they listened to the sound of waves crashing. It was already late evening.


    Between shopping, lunch, and bickering the day flew by. SO they decided to come here to get some quiet. And of course, Preethi seemed like she wanted to say something the whole day. But she kept swallowing the words whenever Adam tried to bring it up. But as soon as the reached the beach, Adam became completely quiet as if he was giving her the time to sort her mind out. He just sat there beside her without making any noise.


    "Sridhar��" Preethi, at last, said breaking the silence between them.


    "Uh??" Adam looked up confused.


    Preethi looked at him and explained, "That''s my ex-husband. Akil''s dad. He is�� or rather he was my professor at the university."


    Adam looked at her shocked but then, in the end, remained quiet and let her continue.


    "Me and him�� it was a love marriage. I was this na?ve little student and he was a dashing young professor. Things got way out of control in my head very fast. I was irreversibly infatuated with him. Even before I realized what was happening, I was giving him goggling eyes and shooting hearts. And the fact that it was wrong was like forbidden nectar to a rebellious girl." A short sad smile played on her face as she remembered herself all those years ago. She was exactly what you would expect of a na?ve barely 20 years old girl.


    "I followed him around like a bee seeking a flower. I do not know if it was love or just an�� You should know�� every single girl in our university pined over him. So it was like a high when he agreed, at last, when I was in my final year. And once I graduated, we got married. Both our parents were not really what you would call orthodox. So there was not a really big fuss."


    "And then, of course, my training started and I had to put really long hours of work. And slowly my priorities changed. We started spending less time together and for a time it was okay. It did not bother either one of us. Maybe I should have known then and there that things were not really right. I mean the kinda look I got from you after not meeting for two weeks was something I never got from him in our 7 years of marriage." Her voice was slightly self-deprecating. But she did not dwell on the subject for long. She did not even notice Adam''s hands stroking over her head.


    "You should understand�� I always wanted to be a doctor. And as callous as it might sound, I did not have any noble reason behind it. It was not about saving lives or doing service. I have saved lives mind you. But then the reason why I became a doctor was not that. It was a seer ambition. The ambition of a teen. Nothing more. So for a person like me, the job was first. But then something happened that I had never planed for. I had Akil��" And this time around, there came a happy little smile on her face.


    "He was a bundle of joy and he changed my life�� He flipped my life over. The amount of joy I felt was immeasurable. Suddenly my world stood still and I started seeing everything differently. Being a doctor suddenly started being a lot more than just an ambition. And my priorities changed once again."


    "But then�� I don''t know how it started or why it started. We started fighting�� at first, they were small�� or more like I couldn''t be bothered. But after a while, it got out of control. He started complaining about everything and anything and I started losing it." She paused and took a deep breath.


    She then looked and Adam and continued, "I tried you know�� I tried really hard to keep it together. But between my job and Akil and his tantrum�� when Sridhar kept complaining�� I lost it. The fights got bigger and bigger�� we fought over everything�� From delayed laundry to staying late at work. After a while, it did not even matter who was right or who was wrong. He just wanted to complain and I just wanted to vent."


    She paused and rubbed her hands over her face roughly.


    "And at last, I drew the line when he said I wasn''t being a proper mom to Akil. When he said that one line�� I just didn''t want to fight anymore�� not with him nor for him. If he couldn''t even understand what Akil meant to me after spending years with me�� it just didn''t really feel worth it anymore. I mean�� I might have not been with Akil all the time�� but every single thing I did was for him. Even Akil understood that but he�� he never did." Preethi stopped after that.


    Adam swatted over and put his arms around her wordlessly. There was no visible change in his expression whatsoever after hearing her. Whether he was pretending to be indifferent or if it really did not matter to him whatever she just said- Preethi did not know. But the arms around her shoulders were warm and she leaned on it.


    Silence ensued between them but then there was no awkwardness in the air.


    "Where is he now??" Adam asked, at last, breaking the silence eventually.


    "Abroad. He got a better job and he shifted without a thought." Preethi said. There was an indistinguishable coldness in her voice.


    Adam pulled her towards himself gently and placed a kiss on her temple and simply said one single sentence that summed up his opinion on everything she just said.


    "He is an idiot!!"


    Preethi blinked at him for while thinking he might add something to it. But then, Adam, being the man of few words, he did not really have anything additional to it. But then she couldn''t really control the giggle that bubbled at the base of her throat. She leaned over and muffled her laughter against his chests. All her anxiety for the past week or from the moment she had met him�� everything suddenly seemed so baseless when she heard him.

 Chapter 125 - 122

    Shreya walked out of her office. It was late when she was done with her work that day. Since Charan and Akira were her Charan''s parents'' place for this weekend, she thought she would complete her work and go. She dragged her exhausted body through the deserted office. But to her surprise, Akash was still in office. She barged in without bothering to knock as always.


    "What are you still doing here?? Don''t you have a boyfriend who feeds you??" Akash asked sarcastically looking up from his work.


    Shreya did not bother to answer him. She just went ahead and sat on the couch as usual. She slouched back and rested her eyes. Work had been brutal these few days. Her brains felt like they were deep-fried. She opened her eyes only when she felt something cold and wet rest on her forehead.


    When she blinked her eyes open, she was met with Akash extended a can of cold beer. Shreya accepted it gratefully and popped them open and took a sip. A sour taste filled her mouth as the beer burnt down her throats.


    She gave a satisfied grin. Akash''s lips twitched. He then extended a bag of ice and said, "Keep them on your eyes. They are red. How much sleep did you get in the past few days??"


    Shreya just shrugged her shoulders and replied, "About three or four hours." But she still complied and rested the ice over her eyes. Her eyes were burning after all.


    Akash''s heart ached but he still did not say anything. He knew no matter what he said she was not going to change anything here. And it was not from lack of trying mind you. Both him and Anand tried to let her share some of her work but she stubbornly refused every single time. So they stopped trying after a while. She just has to go through every single paper for her to be at ease within this company. She might not attend meetings or see the employees. But she actually oversaw every last detail in the paper within the company.


    "Why don''t you go home and get some rest now?? Why did you come here??" Akash asked sitting beside her.


    Shreya''s mouth opened wide and she let out a yawn before answering. "I sent my driver away. I have to drive�� and for that, I need to be awake. So��" In the end, her mumbling got so soft that he could barely hear even though he was right beside her. But just as he was going to reply, he felt her head sump over his shoulders.


    Corner of his lips twitched. He shifted and took the beer and the ice pack off of her. Then he slouched his shoulders down in such a way that she would be more comfortable.


    Then he scrambled and took out his phone and called Hank.


    "Hey, Hank. Where are you??" Akash asked in a whisper.


    "I just dropped your dad off, sir." He replied.


    "Okay, can you come back to the office. Shreya fell asleep and I still got some work here. SO I need someone to take her back home." Akash asked.


    "I will be there, sir," Hank said and hanged up on him.


    Just as Akash was about to keep his phone back, Shreya sat up awake and looked around slightly out of it.


    "Sorry�� I will get going now��" Shreya said getting up but then Akash pulled her back to sit back.


    "Don''t even think about it sissy. You are not driving after drinking. I called Hank. He is on his way. You just stay there. It will take him at least half an hour to get here. You can rest��" Akash said and got up from beside her.


    But Shreya did not lie down. She just sat there lost in thoughts while Akash''s got back to his work.


    "Did you ask Madhu out yet??" Shreya asked straight off the bat all of a sudden.


    If he had water on his mouth, he would have definitely sprayed them all out right about now.


    "What??" Akash asked shocked.


    "So, I take it you haven''t yet. No wonder you still have no girlfriend at 28��" Shreya said and sat back indifferently as if she had just talked about what he had for breakfast.


    "She is my secretary Shreya for god''s sake," Akash exclaimed dismissing her.


    "Oh please, I am not blind like you. You were trying to drill holes into your so-called ''secretary''s best friend'' all through the New year''s dinner." Shreya rebutted him rolling her eyes while air quoting ''secretary'' with her hands.


    Akash''s ears blushed. But then something struck him.


    "What do you mean ''best friend''??" He asked looking at Shreya with a frown.


    "God guys. Don''t you use your mouth for anything other than eating??" Shreya scolded exasperated. She was someone who would just straight up go and ask away if she wanted to know anything and she was also someone who would straight up go and confess if she felt something. That is why the situation between Madhu and Akash was so frustrating for her. It was very clear both of them were pining on each other on their back but neither of them had to guts to go up and admit it to the other.


    "What do you mean??" Akash asked confused.


    "What?? It''s very apparent that you like her but then you don''t say anything about it. And it is even more apparent that you are jealous but you don''t have the guts to go up and ask her about Karthik. Obviously, you are not using your brains or mouth!!" Shreya lectured away all her frustration.


    Akash blush intensified as he mumbled, "What if it were her boyfriend??"


    "Well, you won''t know until you go and ask, do you?? And as if you both are in any better place now keeping quiet about everything!!" Shreya said sarcastically.


    Thankfully Hank called just in time. Or else god knows Akash would have heard an earful from Shreya.


    But then when he was alone in office he actually thought about what Shreya had told him.


    He did like Madhu. If he did not know that by now, he himself would end up kicking his own butt if it were only physically possible. Thankfully he did not need it.


    Its also true that he was miserable even when he was hiding his feelings. So he decided to confess after a long thought.

 Chapter 126 - 125

    "He is an idiot."


    Preethi did not know what was it exactly. But something about the way he said that sentence�� with a sense of mockery and disdain towards Sridhar�� it just warmed her heart. And he said it so arrogantly as if Sridhar was so beneath him. As if it would stain his name to even be compared to him�� it made her laugh. And of course, she also noticed that small tinch of jealousy in there. But one thing that wasn''t there was pity�� there was no pity or sympathy in his voice. He did not render it as if he was faulting him as part of trying to comfort her�� but his rendering was that of a person saying a hard fact.


    That moment she understood what Charan told her about the gut. Her gut told her she was doing something extremely right by being with him.


    "Did I say something funny??" Adam''s confused voice invaded her train of thought. That is when she realized she had completely buried her face into his embrace giggling.


    Preethi pulled away awkwardly and shook her head.


    Her cheeks blushed but then she started talking again thinking of something, "You know I always felt that this whole marriage thing was an impulsive mistake of a na?ve little infatuated girl. But then it was Akil who had paid the price of that mistake. I do not regret it. But still�� That is why I am so wary of everything and everyone. I am not just wary�� I am actually terrified even. That is why I am not going to be very good at this�� relationsh.i.p.s I mean. And I am not going to be very trusting either. I would probably end up blowing up like a bomb at the smallest of things�� Are you sure you are up for this??" She asked looking up at him.


    Adam did not reply straight away. He instead gave her a smirk and started talking about himself instead, "I am the stubbornest person you will ever see. I had my doubts when I started things with you. I was hesitant and lost even. But now I know�� I know that I want you in my life. I know that I want Akil in my life. And once you guys walk into mine�� I am never ever letting you guys walk out of it. You can break all hell and explode all you want�� but I am not an idiot like your ex. You will have no choice whatsoever. Are you sure you are up for something like that???" He threw the same question back at her but there was an innate sincerity in his voice. His voice did not waver even the slightest bit. It was an almost polar opposite to the way he stammered around back at the hospital when he first asked her out.


    Preethi stared at him dazed. The intensity in his voice told her that he was not fooling around here. And that he meant every single word of it. And that he will see through to it. Normally she should be scared�� she should have felt suffocated even. But instead, a sweetness spread through her heart. Even she did not know why. It was as if he had suppressed all of her insecurities with a brute force.


    But in the end, neither of them answered. Maybe there was no need to. Preethi just leaned her head on his shoulders all over again without a word. Adam sat there leisurely leaning back on his hands. He pecked the top of her head with a smiling face.


    After a while, he thought of something and said in the softest voice, "It''s not a mistake you know. Even if it was, it was probably one of your luckiest mistakes�� because you got Akil out of it."


    Preethi did not reply and her lips spread. She scooted over and wrapped her arms around him and snuggled in. Adam''s arms came around and rested over her head very naturally.


    "So does that mean I have successfully eased all the worry you had about me??" Adam asked against her ears.


    "You have a long way to go for that!!" Preethi said rolling her eyes. After all single mothers are not exactly the most trusting people out there. But then she was ready to take a step out now which was really itself a big-feet for her.


    ��


    Later that night as they were driving back, Preethi kept talking about everything and anything she could possibly think of until her mouth went dry. But of course, Adam did not reciprocate the gesture. He kept his mouth sealed and ears open.


    But halfway through the ride, he noticed that her voice was getting low and low and little incoherent and when he looked sideways he saw that she was actually sleeptalking. Adam chuckled lightly but then he leaned over and pushed her seat back more comfortably and tucked her in with his jacket before driving away once again.


    Even he did not clearly understand what was happening to himself. He barely knew Preethi but then the way he talked to her a little while ago�� it baffled him. But he also knew he meant every single word of it. He was just not really sure where that sudden sprout of confidence came from.


    And he liked this feeling. His heart jumped out of his ribs every now and then. It was new but it made him happy. And he wanted to hold on to it. And unlike Preethi herself, he did not have much trauma with relationsh.i.p.s so it was considerably easier for him to accept it for himself and as well as others.


    And also he was in no rush�� and also he was a patient guy. So he would wait as long as it took Preethi to come to him.


    Finally, the car came to a stop outside her house. And just like the last time, Adam waited for Preethi to wake up but then he himself somehow dozed off.

 Chapter 127 - 126

    When Adam woke back up, it was to the sound of Preethi''s frustrated groan. He rubbed his eyes awake and asked confused, "What happened??"


    Preethi had her head buried in her bag with a very exasperated expression. She kept fiddling around searching for something in each and every compartment in her bag. In the commotion, she did not even realize that Adam had woken up and had actually asked her a question. In her state, she seemed like she was just about ready to tear the whole bag apart.


    That''s when Adam intervened and pulled on her hands and asked once again, "What happened?? What are you searching for??"


    "My keys�� I think I did not bring them!!" Preethi at last relented and answered.


    "So, ring the bell then��" Adam answered confused.


    "Well, nobody is at home. Charan took the kids over to Shreya''s and my mum and dad won''t be home until morning!!" Preethi answered gloomily.


    Adam did not say anything for a while but then asked with a straight face, "You want to stay at my place. It''s only about 10 minutes from here."


    Preethi gave him a wary look narrowing her eyes suspiciously.


    "You don''t have to look so suspicious. It was just a gentleman-offer. If you want, I can drop you at a hotel or at some friend''s place too��" Adam replied knocking on her forehead with his fingers.


    Preethi rubbed the place and pouted puffing her cheek.


    "I will go to your house. I don''t have any friends��" She admitted in the lowest of voices begrudgingly.


    Adam could help but reach out to ruffle her head before driving off towards his own house. And as he said, it took them barely 10 minutes to reach.


    Preethi was surprised to see a cozy little house surrounded by gardens and trees. It was actually a tiny terracotta house with a sense of age to it.


    "You look surprised��" He asked as he parked the car in the portico. There was a parking space just enough for his car. The left of that space was the garden and in the front were the doors to the house. The house actually looked old.


    "Well, I always thought of you as a penthouse apartment kinda guy having people to all your whims," Preethi replied looking around curiously.


    "I am not some spoilt tycoon you know. I work for a tycoon. That is all!!" Adam said rolling his eyes.


    "Well, that tycoon looked like she saw some ghost when she came to the hospital after getting the call of your accident. So you can''t tell me she is stringy with your salary��" Preethi resorted back.


    And Adam cannot defend himself there because Shreya was many things but she was not stringy at all. Especially with her pay. So Adam just stayed quiet and opened the doors. The house may be old but the security system was top notch as was instructed by Shreya.


    Preethi peeked into the doors even before Adam could actually open them properly. Adam just chuckled and held the doors for her to walk in first.


    And inside did not disappoint her after all. The whole place gave a very comforting and cozy feeling. The couch in the living room was brown and bouncy but it also looked worn out. Not to point that it looked old but it was not flashy either. And wooden spiraling stairs led the way to upstairs while the television was hung right under them. Attached to the living room was an open kitchen to its left.


    "I will get you some water. Make yourself at home��" Adam said tossing his car keys at the small table in front of the couch and leisurely uncuffed his shirt as he walked towards the kitchen.


    A few minutes later, Adam came back and offered her a bottle of water and sat on the couch. Preethi still ran her eyes around the house eagerly. Adam reached out and dragged her to sit beside him and leaned his head over shoulders resting his eyes.


    Preethi slightly jerked surprised at first. He never acted spoilt with her before but then looked at his face. He looked tired actually.


    "You look beat��" She commented running her fingers under his eyes.


    "I pulled an all-nighter yesterday��" Adam replied letting out a yawn.


    "Then, go on. Get some sleep now. I will be fine here. I will just sleep on this couch��" Preethi replied concerned.


    Adam just shook his head and got up from his place extended his hand towards her. Preethi took it and he dragged her to the stairs.


    The stairs came to a small hall and two doors on each side. Adam wordlessly dragged her to the door in the left and pulled her in. From the looks of it, it should be his bedroom. There was king size bed the dead center and a huge row of shelves on both sides. One was books while the other Preethi guessed to be his closet. He made her sit on the bed and went to the closet and came with two sets of clothes.


    "You sleep here. The bathroom is through that door and I only have my clothes here. So you have to adjust. They are clean." Adam said handing her a t-shirt and track pants.


    "Its okay, Adam. You sleep here. I can sleep on the couch��" Preethi protested but still accepted the clothes. Sleeping in jeans is not exactly a pleasant experience. So she did not mind the tracks.


    "You sleep here. Anyways I still have some work to do. So I won''t be sleeping just yet. Sleep tight��" Adam said and walked out of the doors without really giving her an option.


    Resigned Preethi just changed her clothes and went to bed. Of course, after the nap she had on the car, she had a hard time falling asleep. On top of it, it was an unfamiliar bed. So she kept turning and tossing for a long time to point her throats became dry. She got up from the bed and went down to get some water. But then she noticed that Adam was nowhere to be seen and light was visible from the other room door creeks. She tried the handle and it opened to what she assumed was his study.


    There was a table in the center with Adam sitting behind it. But then he was actually lying down on the table fast asleep with his laptop still open and running in front of him. His face for once actually looked relaxed. Not the usual meticulous face she was used to. She reached out and closed the laptop softly and leaned over and pecked on his head before switching off the lights and exiting the room.

 Chapter 128 - 127

    Charan laid on the bed staring at the ceiling with his legs dangling off of the bed. His couch had been confiscated by Bharath. So he had no other option but the crash with Shreya. The kids were already fast asleep in the guest room. And Shreya was in the bathroom for a quick shower. Except for the noise of the shower running, the whole room was deadly quiet. Outside Bharath was still watching something but the noise did not reach inside the bedroom.


    After a while, the shower sound stopped. And a few minutes later, Shreya''s footsteps were heard with a rustling sound of her towel.


    Charan did not look at her�� he was deep in thoughts when he suddenly felt a spray of water over her face. When he looked up, he was met with Shreya ruffling her very wet hair over him in her oversized t-shirt that almost fully covered her shorts under it. When she realized Charan''s eyes on her, she stuck her tongue out with a mischievous grin.


    But before Charan could get up from the place, she ran to the other side of the room laughing it off.


    "Serves you right!! This is what you call tit-for-tat!!" Shreya said with a very smug look. For some reason, she always holds a grudge on people who ends up waking her up in an unruly way. And Pritham knows the pain of her revenge better than anyone else since he ends up waking her up on all sorts of occasions mainly due to his loud mouth.


    "You are so getting for this��" Charan said wiping his face up and chasing after her. But because of the limited space, he couldn''t really gain any real speed on her and she kept slipping away from his grasp slyly laughing it off.


    But then when he did catch her, she shrieked loudly making Charan lose his grip startled and she once again slipped away. This time around she mounted on her study table�� to serve what purpose he did not know. Because even on top of it, she did not really gain much on his height but the table itself was long enough to move around.


    "Shreya, you are going to wake up the kids. Keep quiet��" Charan hushed walking towards her. He could have been rest-assured if the table was empty but then it was not the case. There were clip stands filled with needles, table lamps, and stuff that she can easily trip over or get hurt stepping on.


    "They won''t hear us. Rooms are soundproofed!!" Shreya answered pouting and taking a step away from him on the table.


    "Shreya, stop playing around��" Charan ordered trying to get to her side of the table. But she kept walking around on the table like a little kid from one corner to another.


    "First tell me you won''t wake me up like that tomorrow. You did this to me once and I did it back. So we are even. No blowbacks after this. I hate being wakened up like that��" Shreya complained pointing fingers. But for once since Charan stayed put, so even she did not move around on the table.


    "Well, you hate being waken-up period. No matter how it is done!!" Charan stated while rolling his eyes.


    "Yes?? but being sprayed with cold water is the worse��" Shreya argued back. But in her vigor, she actually took a step towards Charan without even looking down as to where she was stepping on and almost stepped on a paperweight.


    "Shreya��" Charan exclaimed concerned and rushed to her side of the table and relented with her, "Okay�� I won''t wake you up like that. Now can you please get down from there before you end up falling face-first on the floor��." He said scolding her. He did not even know how she got up there so quickly or why. But the way she moved around over it so carelessly gave him mini shockwaves and he was losing his patience.


    That is when Shreya realized she was actually standing on the study table moving around like a monkey on a tree. But before she could jump down, Charan took the opportunity of her momentary distraction and lifted in off of the table.


    Shreya yelped in surprise and circled her arms around him.


    "Charan, you scared me��" Shreya exclaimed.


    Charan rolled his eyes and lightly slapped her on her back and said, "Serves you right for being so careless and walking on a damn table��"


    Shreya pouted and said sulking, "Let me down now." But when he did not relent, she bent down and bit his ears.


    "Shreya��" Charan exclaimed and flung her on the bed as softly as possible. But before she could escape once again, he hovered over her trapping her with his body.


    When Shreya looked up at him and met his eyes, even though they did not seem angry�� They still seemed slightly irritated or something.


    Charan had long gotten used to her antics. But even then he felt like an only a.d.u.l.t in the relationship and he felt that it was his responsibility to keep her restrained so that she won''t go too much over the board and get into serious trouble. So he often put up a front.


    But Shreya did not know that. So she thought she had seriously irritated him. SO she kept quiet and looked at him with her big brown eyes as innocently as she could.


    Charan slightly softened his stance seeing this but then next second Shreya''s eyes changed to mischief all over again and she leaned forwards and licked on the place she just bit with one clean sweep of her tongue.


    Charan''s eyes widened and darkened simultaneously while Shreya let out a giggle at his frozen face. A full minute passed but once he came back to his senses, Charan leaned over and captured her laughing lips with his own for a deep punishing kiss. His lips were just a tad bit more harsh than usual and just a whole lot more intense. His lips were fierce as they sucked on her. When it did not satisfy him, his two fingers pulled on her chins and his tongue plunged into her tasting her whole.


    An uncontrollable whimper escaped from Shreya as she desperately clung to him. Gone were the easy-going atmosphere�� in its place, an intense atmosphere filled the air filled with groans and whimpers as both of them tried their best to pull each other closer to themselves. When Charan, at last, let go of her lips, she took deep breaths while Charan''s lips buried themselves behind her ears doing magic. Shreya shifted her head giving him better access while her own hands started to explore under his shirts.


    Her hands against his bare skin were like a catalyst to his already burning body. He buried his face in the crooks of her neck as a harsh grunt escaped his lips, "Shreya��." He groaned as his own hands itched desperately to touch her.


    Shreya''s hands, on the other hand, got bolder and started unbuttoning his disheveled shirt while her lips found his for another round of breathless kiss.


    When they pulled away from the kiss, her eyes were met with his bare chest with his shirt hanging open on both sides. Shreya''s eyes instantly gleamed as she let her hands and lips feast on him like a dessert.


    Charan jaws stiffened and he bit on his tongues to do his best to restrain himself from losing his mind but Shreya was not really making it easy. His panting just got worse when he felt her teeth and tongue just above his n.i.p.p.l.es.


    He groaned and pulled her head to face him. And he was met with extremely dazed eyes, swollen lips, and pink cheeks, and none of them eased anything in him. He dipped and once again kissed her already swollen lips and his own hands slipped under her t-shirt. And when Shreya felt his warm hands against her skin, a m.o.a.n escaped her lips and her body arched voluntarily into his touch.


    But just as his hands moved a little bit higher, Shreya''s eyes suddenly became sharp while her whole body stiffened and her hands swiftly caught his hand and kept them from moving around.


    Charan pulled away and looked at her confused but Shreya was in no state to reply. She was busy panting for air while her eyes were agitated.


    "Charan�� It''s not�� It''s just��" Shreya tried to speak in between her heavy breathing and retracted her hands nervously.


    Charan leaned over and pecked on her temple and rested his forehead trying to calm her, "Shh�� It''s okay, sweetheart. First breath�� It''s okay��" He whispered but he did not dare to move his hand even an inch even though she had retracted hers. But then he also noticed something slightly rough under his thumbs just below her rib bones. It was very faint�� if Shreya hadn''t reacted the way she did, he probably wouldn''t have noticed it. But then when he thought about it, it almost felt like a scar. So he slightly understood what was happening and so did not ask her anything.

 Chapter 129 - 128

    It took a long time for Shreya to actually get back her breathing in order. By then Charan had already pulled them both to the edge of the bed with her sitting over his laps and holding her close. Somehow the whole atmosphere completely changed in a matter of minutes. But Charan did not make things difficult for her. He just tidied her t-shirt properly and sat back leaning back on his hands.


    Shreya looked at him but immediately averted her eyes and then curled herself against his chests. His shirt was still open and hanging so she could feel his warmth seep throughout her body as she snuggled in. She was almost scared to look at him. She did not know how to answer his questions or justify her behavior because she did not understand them entirely herself.


    "Hey, are you okay??" Charan asked softly caressing the back of her head.


    Shreya just nodded her head. She could hear his steady heartbeat against her ears which calmed her significantly.


    Charan responded by just pecking on her temple and stayed quiet. But when he looked down, he saw that her hair was still wet. So he grabbed the towel from the bed and started drying them. He was clueless as to what was happening on her head but suddenly she shifted and wrapped her arms around his bare torso burying herself completely on his embrace.


    "You know�� you are making it really really hard for me to keep my hands to myself��" Charan whispered over her head in a slightly raspy voice. He knew she just needed comfort and normally it wouldn''t have bothered him either. But after what just happened and then you have something so soft wrap themselves around you like that... it''s just harder to cool down.


    When she realized what he was referring to, Shreya immediately pulled and sat up straight with her head hung down and lips pursed. She would have even gotten down from his laps but Charan had her hands on death grip and held her in place.


    "It''s a scar isn''t it??" Charan asked softly.


    Shreya nodded her head.


    "From when your ex beat you?" Charan asked again. This time around his voice was slightly rigid with anger.


    Shreya paused but then nodded once again. It was not like she was ashamed or she was beauty conscious or anything. She does not think of herself as ugly or anything because of it either. It''s just�� that scar�� it''s a reminder of a time in her life she would very much like to erase and forget. If not for the scar, she probably would have completely forgotten about her previous so-called-marriage. But then she has to face the scar every single day and somehow it makes it impossible to forget. She had seen it so many times that she knows exactly where it is.


    "You don''t want me to see??" Charan asked gently caressing on her loose strands falling on her forehead.


    Shreya cleared her throat and talked at last, "It''s not like that�� not exactly. I just�� nobody had seen it before�� and then�� I just��" She struggled with words. But then again who wouldn''t want to retain a perfect image in front of their lovers. Who would want to show their weakness and vulnerability in front of their lover?


    "What if I said I wanted to see?? Will you let me??" He asked looking at her with sincere eyes.


    Shreya looked up startled slightly. She did not expect this question from him. Charan had always been very laid back with her. He never really asked for anything from her ever before. Whatever he knows about her, she had volunteered the information on her own volition. And even now, he was not demanding but was asking permission.


    She did not know how to respond for a second. The earnesty in his eyes baffled her.


    Seeing her lost expression, Charan immediately retracted, "I am sorry. I shouldn''t have asked you that�� it is just��" Charan did not like the unease he was seeing in her eyes. He did not ask her this because of some idle curiosity or to make her feel uncomfortable.


    But before he could even finish his sentence, Shreya pulled her t-shirt over her head in one go and discarded it on the floor.


    Charan''s eyes widely shocked at first but then he looked at her face intently. His eyes did not deter from her face as he tried to decipher her thoughts.


    She was biting her lips nervously looking down without meeting his eyes.


    Charan did not say anything�� he just gathered her closer and hugged her tightly and said, "Shreya�� you don''t have to��" He knew every scar leaves behind a hell of a lot of pain behind�� both physical and mental. Physical pain fades easily but mental scars�� they take a toll on you.


    "It''s not that I don''t want to. I just�� it''s just not something I have gone around flaunting. SO I just don''t know how to feel or react. It''s not exactly a pleasant sight��" Shreya replied in a clear voice.


    Charan pulled away and first looked at her eyes to make sure she was okay and then slowly his eyes shifted down. Even though she had warned him, he was still slightly taken aback.


    When she first told him about that day, she had downplayed the extent of the wound. A dark jagged line ran from just below her ribs all the way to her back almost parallel to the lower slings of her sports bra�� there were marks of at least two dozen stitches. His hands lightly brushed over them feather-light almost as if he was afraid it would still hurt or something.


    Once he saw them clearly, his eyes instantly sought her''s filled with concern.


    "Don''t worry. It is not as bad as it looks. It did not even hurt that much��" Shreya said with a smile.


    Charan knew she was lying through her teeth. He also knew she probably did not even have the time to notice the pain. It had been the same with her parents'' death. Between the company and finding out that they had been murdered, she never really had the time to mend herself or to grieve the loss of her parents��


    When he thought of this, he felt suffocated in his heart. He pulled her back into his arms and hugged her tightly burying his face over her neck. His hands were desperate as he held on to her. Her small stature was almost fully engulfed her.


    Shreya did not understand his sudden change in frame of mind.


    "What is it??" Shreya asked confused.


    "Nothing�� I just want to hold you like this for a minute��" Charan replied still in her embrace.


    "You don''t have to feel so much you know�� You should have seen Prasanna. When I was done with him, his face looked like a battered potato." Shreya said proudly trying the light him up.


    Charan actually chuckled when he heard her. He pulled away and ruffled her hair as he praised her, "Atta girl!"


    Shreya gave him a big grin but then let out a big ass yawn.


    "Go on. Get to bed. I will just have a quick shower and join you��" Charan said, at last, lifting her off of his laps and placing her on her own two feet. He then reached out and pulled her t-shirt over her head and tucked her in bed. After which only he went to have his shower and joined her in bed a few minutes later.


    Shreya instantly snuggled closer to him before going to sleep.

 Chapter 130 - 129

    Preethi''s eyes batted a few times before actually opening fully but then the thing that fell into her eyes was the image of Adam comfortably sleep beside her on the same bed. They both were sleeping on their respective corners so they were quite of bit of space between them. But still, Preethi on impulse lifted her legs to send him flying off the bed. But then her legs stopped at the last moment seeing his state.


    Preethi reached with her hands and poked on his cheeks and whispered annoyed, "Good thing you look like a half-dead person�� or else you would have ended up tasting the floor right about now��" And he did actually look like a half-dead person. Even though he was asleep, you can see his exhaustion and fatigue in just one glance and Preethi was way too familiar with his look. So she just let him be.


    She then got up and stretched her arms and legs yawning. She then quietly slipped out of the room.


    Just as she stepped out, she noticed that the study room she found Adam in yesterday night was actually tidied up now. All the files and papers were stalked into two neat piles on either side of the table while the laptop was running over some data.


    Preethi figured Adam must have woke up in the middle of the night and completed his work and came to bed so exhausted that he did not even notice that a person was already sleeping on the bed. God knows she had done that. At the hospital, she would end up taking naps in all sorts of places without really thinking about it.


    She then strolled over to the living room. The noise of the downpour of rain instantly reached her ears as soon as she stepped down. But Preethi did not bother with it and stayed in the living room and looked around. Unlike what people generally presume of a bachelor''s pad, this place was actually maintained properly. Every single thing was kept in their respective places and she can''t find a single speck of dust anywhere around which was more than she could ever say about her own room or her house for that matter.


    She washed up and went to the kitchen in search of something to eat. And not so surprisingly, the fridge was packed with all the staples and essentials and the kitchen looked like it''s been used regularly. But then her own skills in the kitchen are less than satisfactory so she just took out a loaf of bread and put it on toaster while making herself some coffee on the side.


    But to her surprise just as she was finishing up her breakfast, the bedroom doors clicked and Adam walked out of it like a damn zombie with both his hands extended in his fronts and eyes closed. And Preethi could actually guess what was happening.


    Akil does this almost every Sunday. Whenever he had to pee, he would walk around with his eyes closed so that he doesn''t fully wake up and then he can go back to sleep. But watching a grown man do it�� let''s just say she was having a hard time holding her laughter.


    Adam had successfully navigated to the kitchen without any hitch which was not really surprising seeing as this was his house but then the problem was, Preethi was sitting there on the counter just below the cupboard.


    So when he cracked his eyes so slightly to search for a glass he was met with a girl sitting on his kitchen counter muffling her laughter.


    "What the hell!!" Adam startled widening his eyes and jerked backward almost falling down on his butt. Thankfully he caught himself at the last minute.


    "pffft��." Preethi broke out into a laughing fit at last not being able to suppress them any longer. She laughed till her stomach actually started to ache but she still could stop herself since Adam''s face from when he walked out of his room to when he looked at her as if she was a house ghost or something�� they just kept playing on repeat in her head.


    Adam stood there in front of a very hysterical Preethi extremely annoyed with his hands folded in the front. He patiently waited for her to stop her fit but she just kept pointing her fingers at his face and kept on laughing. And his patience was draining. So he just strode to her and lifted her off of the counter in one clean sweep.


    Preethi instantly stopped her laughter and yelped surprised.


    "Adam�� Idiot." She scolded him immediately circling her arms around him.


    Adam crashed them both on the couch and hovered over her with a smirk and asked smugly, "Not laughing anymore ah??"


    Preethi could have actually come up with a witty come back if only they were not so damn close. Adam''s whole body was practically plastered against hers and she could feel her heart pounding against her ribs as she stared at his eyes dumbly. Her lips quivered when she felt his warm breath against them.


    She did not know how her breakfast suddenly ended up with her being pinned under him.


    Adam, on the other hand, was finding it hard to pierce his eyes away from hers. All of his sleepiness somehow flew out the window in an instance. He was not exactly planning on things ending up like this. He just wanted to stop her and maybe tease her a bit. But the way she was staring at him�� his brain went blank for a second. He had never been this close to a woman before.


    Minutes ticked by�� neither of them moved a muscle. Even the air felt like it stood still for a second there.


    It was Adam who came out of the trance first. He gave her a soft kiss on her lips and pulled back. He then helped her stand on her feet.


    It was not that he did not want to do anything more. God knows he wanted to. But then he had already crossed a line when he shared a bed with her without even realizing it. So he was already expecting some backlashed for it. So he did not want to push his luck just yet and ruin anything. Especially when their relationship still lacked any sort of strong emotion or trust. And he was the one who invited her over to his house, so he did not want to act irresponsibly on an impulse and make her regret coming here. So he made her stand and then retracted back to the room to freshen up.


    Preethi on the other hand just stood there deep in thought. She could not understand the disappointment she was feeling right at that moment. She did not know what she was hoping for. But this sudden prang of disappointment left her confused.


    ''What did you want him to do you exactly?'' asked herself. But the question just left her feeling more complicated.

 Chapter 131 - 130

    Adam came back after a quick shower. He walked out of the bedroom drying his hair with a towel. And his eyes instantly sought for Preethi and found her staring at something on his cupboard.


    When he got closer, he saw that she was actually staring at the photos in his cupboard. Amongst them, there was one picture of the whole of his family.


    Preethi jerked when she felt Adam stand right behind her all of a sudden. She had been so engrossed in looking around that she did not realize Adam joining her. But before she could say anything, he leaned over her shoulders pointed at the photos she was just staring at. His wet hair tickled against her ears making her itch. But she ignored it the best she could and concentrated on what he was actually pointing at. There was an actually different array of pictures in the cupboard and most of them were family and friends pictures. He pointed at one photo of four people smiling gleefully at the camera surrounded by forest. Adam and John were standing on both corners while two females- one older and only younger- stood in plaid pants and shirts in the between them.


    "That''s my mum- Anna and that my younger sister- Emily��" He said pointing at them.


    "Oh��" Preethi hummed but then she was slightly confused. In all the time she had known John and Adam, they never once mentioned both of these characters to her before. And she hadn''t seen them when she visited John either. Which she felt was weird. She thought it may be something bad so she did not dare to ask questions carelessly.


    But when Adam looked at her confused and slightly uneasy face, he just ruffled her head and said with a smile, "It''s nothing bad. They are what you would call a wandering spirit. My mum is a wildlife photographer and my younger sister followed her footsteps very enthusiastically. They are somewhere abroad in some forest last I spoke��" Adam finished shrugging his shoulders.


    "oh��" Preethi said but then suddenly all the other pictures on the next shelf made sense actually. There were two sections of photos in his living room. One of family and friends and another of animals exclusively which felt weird at first but then made sense now. They were probably his mum''s and sis''s photos.


    "Tell me more about them," She asked curiously looking at the animal photos now.


    Adam sat on the couch drying his hairs and he started talking, "Well, my dad met my mum in a gallery exhibit actually. And my mum was not one to be bashful. So when she laid eyes on my dad, she pursued him with determination. And the rest was history. Or at least that''s how we are told."


    "So yea�� if you want to know about mum�� she will actually love you but other than that she is straight opposite to me. I am more like my dad while my sister is like my mum. They are practically the same breed. Emily couldn''t wait to get out of here. The school was practically torture for her. Once she finished, she left home the same night with a backpack. We couldn''t keep her in one place after that."


    Adam''s eyes actually smiled with just the thought of Emily.


    Anna was a wild spirit and she was not someone to be tied to a home. John always knew it. But that was also the part that attracted her to him in the first place. But she was actually more responsible than he could have imagined.


    At least when it came to her kids, she acted responsibly and stayed home and took care of them for more than a decade which was actually hell for a person like Anna. But she did it still. So she had been part of Adam''s life up till he knew how to take care of himself. But it was not so for Emily. Anna stayed up to about Emily reached 12 years and Adam was 18. So it was Adam who raised Emily throughout her teen years. Even though he did not understand everything about her they were still very close.


    "Both of them couldn''t wait to get out of here you know. They did not even look back once�� I practically raised that kid you know�� Once my mum left??? But when the time came, she couldn''t even be bothered to say goodbye. Just like mum��" Adam whispered sadly. There was also a slight tinch of resentment there. Or it may be a whole lot more than a tinch but he was helpless against them. After all, he loved them to pieces.


    "You know the house where you met my dad first�� that''s our home.. at least it was at one point in time. That''s where I grew up. Now my dad goes there on weekends only. We both have our own places in the city. Dad''s is closer to Sri corp. His''s is actually a penthouse apartment. So I guess your assumption about me was not so far fetched" Adam said smiling.


    Preethi could see that he was trying to mask his emotions and she wanted to help�� maybe even comfort him. But then she did not really know how to do it. While she was trying to decide what to do, Adam talked again pointing at the photo.


    "That was when we were at some godforsaken desert. It''s a year after Emily left the first time. It was her idea actually. A family outing�� my graduation celebration when I finished my post-graduation degree." Adam stayed quiet lost in thoughts after than.


    Preethi came and sat beside him and said in a soft voice, "You do realize that they did not leave because they love you any less but because that''s who they are."


    But sadly it did not have the effect Preethi had hoped for. In fact, it had the straight opposite effect. Adam looked at her sharply fiercely and said, "It''s not who they are�� its what they do�� it''s their work. A job. That''s it," For once Adam actually raised his voice.


    Preethi looked at him shocked not being able to reply. She froze. He might not have yelled at her but still, he seemed angry and she was clueless how to handle it.


    But Adam''s eyes softened seeing her shocked eyes. He realized he was showing his anger at a person who did not deserve it. He leaned over and pecked on her temples and apologized, "I am sorry. I did not mean to be rude�� I know you were just trying to help."


    Preethi gave him a small smile. She understood what his problem was though. He is not able to digest the fact that they chose their jobs over their own family and him. But then she thought of something and said in a soft voice once again, "You know�� if you blame them then you should be also blaming me. I am not there for Akil most of the time because of my job too. At least your mum was there with you until you were ready to be on your own. So doesn''t that make me worse than your mom??"


    Adam did not get angry this time around thankfully. He just replied in a gentle voice, "Its not the same Preethi. You are trying your best to be there for him. He is your priority even if your job is important to you. But for me�� If I am lucky I get to see them twice a year. That too after having them around all the time for so long and then suddenly one day they just disappear on you as if you do not matter anymore..?? How do you cope with something like that??" Adam asked with the same deprived look.


    "How do you know you do not matter to them? How do you know they are not trying their best in their own ways too??" Preethi replied and gently pecked on his forehead before getting up from the couch.


    "Go, freshen up, and come. I will get you something to eat.." She said and left Adam alone in the living room.


    Adam sat there for a while deep in thoughts but then he got up and followed Preethi''s instructions.

 Chapter 132 - 131

    Charan woke up when he heard a delighted squeal followed by rushed footsteps. When he opened his eyes to see what was going on, he found Shreya opening the sliding doors leading to her balcony eagerly.


    Before he could ask her what was happening, he saw the downpour of rain. The doors to the balcony are glass so he could clearly see the rain from the bed and a few minutes later, the smell of wet sand filled the room and Shreya dashed out into the rain enthusiastically.


    Charan got up from his bed and followed her.


    "Shreya, get back in here�� you are going to catch a cold��" Charan yelled over the noise of the rain.


    Then only Shreya noticed that Charan was also awake. She darted towards him and pulled him out with her. She was completely drenched in rain already.


    "Shreya��" Charan exclaimed when he felt rain shower over him.


    "Oh, come one Charan. Don''t tell me you don''t like rain��" Shreya said spinning around in rain. The water splashed all around her from her wet hair and clothes.


    "I like rain when I am under a solid roof��" Charan said keeping a hand over his face trying to block the rain.


    Shreya stopped her spinning and looked at him with a stinky eye as if he had done something terrible.


    "Hey, come on. Not everyone likes to shower fully clothed you know??" He said as his eyes gave a once over at her. But seeing her fully drenched translucent t-shirt and shorts sticking to her skin like glue, he added, "But now suddenly I actually see the merit in them. Maybe it''s not so bad��" He said staring at her curves.


    Shreya''s eyes flared but before she could scold him, her eyes landed on two little buns running towards them from behind Charan.


    "Hey, Akira�� Hey, Akil�� Come on. Come play with me��" She beckoned them eagerly.


    And that was all it took, the two kids dashed past Charan excited without bothering about the rain. And a few minutes later, high pitched squeals and giggles overshadowed the pitter-patter of the rain. Shreya and the kids danced and played around in rain joyously. Even Bharath was not spared. He was dragged in and splashed with water when he came into the room in search of the kids. He puffed his cheeks and joined the fun with vengeance.


    The happy atmosphere was almost intoxicating. "Maybe rain isn''t such a bad thing after all��" He muttered to himself.


    It took him almost one whole hour to actually haul them all out of the rain. He first went to settle the kids. He gave them a warm bath and changed them into dry clothes. He then instructed Bharath to make them some warm milk. By then even Bharath had changed out of his wet clothes.


    After that only he went to check on Shreya. He found her sitting on the balcony floor. The rain had slowed down to a soft drizzle and Shreya sat there in one corner with her eyes closed and face titled towards the sky.


    Charan shook his head and approached her. He did not even give her a chance to decide. He straight up went and heaved her into his arms and walked inside. He tried to set her down but Shreya stubbornly held on to his necks and gave him a smug look.


    "Shreya��" He called exasperated and sat her down on the bathroom counter. Shreya was still holding on to his neck pretty tightly making him lean into her. But then when he stared into her smiling face, all his exasperations and complaints poofed into thin air.


    Charan noticed that she kept throwing childish tantrums these days. It was almost as if she was doing it purposely�� as if she was checking his limits. As if testing how long he could put up with her.


    So instead of complaining, he leaned over her shoulders and showered her neck with open mouth kisses while his hands slipped under her wet t-shirt and pinched her waists.


    Shreya winced lightly but still did not complain. But instead, she actually leaned closer into his touch resting her head against his shoulders while her lips teasing his skin around his neck and drinking away the residual water.


    "Don''t you think you are being too much naughty these days??" Charan asked against her ears making her slightly shiver.


    But when he felt her lips against his neck, he lost control. What started as a punishment for her became a test of control for himself. And when he lost it, he pulled away and crashed his lips against hers for a hungry kiss. As minutes went by, his craving just got worse. While his lips satisfied his thirst by sucking in hers, his hands explored her soft supple skin. His hands slowly moved upwards from her ribs and when they reached their destination, he gave them a gentle squeeze earning a m.o.a.n from Shreya.


    When they both pulled back to catch some air, Shreya''s unruly hands automatically went to his buttons. She swiftly undid his buttons and pushed the shirt over his shoulders.


    Charan leaned on her shoulders with his eyes closed trying to calm himself down but as always Shreya was not making it easy on him nor were his hands that were leaving a burning path on her skin. With some effort, he pulled off his hands but her soft lips were running errantly over his skin drove him absolutely crazy.


    Shreya practically plastered herself against his skin but still felt slightly unsatisfied. But when her hands went for her t-shirts, Charan''s hands held on to her both wrists in iron grip without letting them go astray while his lips claimed hers once more for a kiss. He poured all his desire into the kiss making her whimper in pleasure. She started struggling to free her wrists but his hands were just so stronger. She desperately arched her body trying to fill the gap between their bodies.


    "Shreya��" Charan let out a groan when he felt her softness brush against his bare chest. He pulled back holding her hands behind her backs firmly restricting her movement. He then leaned over resting his forehead against hers gently�� both of them were gasping for air taking deep breaths. When both of them got back their footing, Charan disentangled himself from Shreya with great effort giving her a tender kiss over her temple. If things went beyond this, he was afraid of the consequences.

 Chapter 133 - 132

    But just as Charan was about to turn around, Shreya reached out and caught his hands and held him back.


    "Shreya��" Charan whined helplessly turning back to look at her but what he saw confused him. She was not dazed nor sly�� she looked kinda scared actually.


    But before he could react, she looked up at him with those same scared eyes and asked, "Don''t go just yet, please," Her gentle voice pleaded, making him feel helpless. She was still panting for air slightly but he could see that her mind was not quiet.


    Charan extended his hands and caressed on her cheeks with concern and asked softly, "Hey what is it??"


    In reality, Shreya herself did not know what was it. It''s just when he pulled away she suddenly felt cold and scared. And she did not like that feeling. It made her feel vulnerable and exposed. But that was only a small part of it. Mostly she felt confused.


    In her university days, she was infamous throughout the campus for being a heartless brat dumping everyone in a whim. But such a girl was actually was someone with no knowledge of intimacy. Everything she knew was theoretical and she had zero practical knowledge.


    So when she felt this craving to be close to Charan, she did not know how to go about it. And when Charan pulled away, her emotions got twisted. She knew rationally that they had to stop but then there was this irrational part of her that felt empty suddenly. She yearned with everything in her being for something more�� a craving that was for both physical and emotional closeness. This yearning overwhelmed her senses and emotions. So much so that she could barely think straight.


    "Can you hold me please��" She requested softly with those pleading eyes. For a second there Charan thought she was being mischievous again. But before he could voice his concerns, as if reading his mind, she continued, "I won''t do anything�� Just�� just for 5 minutes�� no�� just 2 is enough��"


    Seeing her desperate plea, Charan of course complied and went closer to the place she was sitting on and hugged her as gently as possible. Shreya eagerly circled her arms around his and nuzzled into his chest. His steady heartbeat against her ears calmed her down considerably. She stopped her train of thoughts and concentrated on the warmth his hug was giving her instead and closed her eyes.


    Charan, on the other hand, when he thought of her scared eyes, he thought maybe things got a little too much for her and that he might have pushed her too much. So he consoled her gently patting on her back and said, "Hey, it''s okay. I am sorry if I pushed you too much�� I just�� I lost control for a minute there��"


    Little did he know that Shreya was actually scared of something straight opposite to what he was thinking.


    Shreya pulled away putting some distance between them and shook her vehemently as she tried to explain the situation, "No, Charan�� It''s just�� it''s not that�� It''s not something you did�� I''m not??" And thus her attempt to explain failed miserably.


    Charan did not know what was happening but he did not want to agitate her more than she already was. So he did not say anything but just stroke her head softly and gave her a smile, "It''s okay. You don''t have to explain��"


    Shreya thought of something she had to probably tell Charan. But with just the thought to telling it, her cheeks blushed in embarrassment. She leaned into Charan hiding her face as best as she could and confessed, "I''ve�� I have never done this�� before��" vaguely. But her voice was so low and muffled that Charan actually did not hear anything comprehensive.


    "Uhh??" Charan asked confused looking down at her. Her ears were actually pink by then making him even more confused. In all the time he knew Shreya, she was never shy.


    Shreya pulled away resigned but still did not really look up at him as she mumbled in a slightly louder voice than before, "I have never been�� intimate before��" She wasn''t ashamed or anything. It was just, she felt awkward verbalizing it, that too after how she practically jumped him just now.


    Charan looked at her surprised but not in any negative way. It''s just�� he knew that she said her previous marriage was actually fake. But he always thought she should have had someone before that. So he was slightly caught off guard by her confession.


    "I''m sorry��" He said kissing her temples softly bring her back into his embrace. Even though he hadn''t been forceful or anything�� he still felt guilty for scaring her.


    "Charan, it''s not��" Shreya tried to explain but she was cut off pretty quickly and Charan said, "It''s okay. Don''t worry. We will take it slowly okay�� you don''t have to be scared. It won''t happen again,"


    And before Shreya could come up with a reply, he pulled her down from the counter and said, "You first shower and change into dry clothes�� I will go make some lunch��" He then once again pecked her temple and left the bathroom.


    Shreya let out a helpless sigh puffing her cheeks as he walked out. But she had no idea how to rationally explain herself or her emotions at the moment. She was clueless about her own emotions so how will she know how to explain to another person??


    So she just let him go for now and went to take a shower as told.


    Charan actually did the same and came to the living room only to find Preethi and Adam slacking off on the couch while Bharath and the kids were playing video games.


    "When did you guys come??" Charan asked drying off his hair.


    "Just��" Preethi answered looking at the video games in the front.


    When he looked over and he saw that Adam was actually dozing off.


    "He''s been working all night��" Preethi replied to his unvoiced question.


    And of course, a few minutes later Shreya''s bounced off of her room and instantly crashed on Adam startling him awake.


    "Shreya��" He whined helplessly.


    "Go and sleep inside. You are not getting any sleep here��" Shreya replied giving Akira and Akil a hug.


    She then shooed Adam away and gave her full attention to Preethi. For some reason, Shreya was deadly curious about Preethi. As soon as she saw her at the party, Shreya stuck to her like glue the whole night. And even though Preethi found it weird at first, she slowly got used to it at the party. But she did not think the pattern was going to continue at every encounter. But then she also felt slightly amused seeing Akira give her stinky eyes.


    And by dinner time, her house was fully filled with people chattering away and laughing around. She invited Pritham and Zack along and ordered take away.

 Chapter 134 - 133

    Zack parked his car late that night after coming from Shreya''s place. Even though his apartment was located in a bad neighborhood, it still had a parking lot. Originally the apartment was the first of the kind in the area with a view to actually construct more. But the people in the area never budged so this apartment stood like a sour spot in the center, surrounded by small houses and slum.


    IN the deserted parking lot, Zack locking his car with a click which actually echoed through the wall making someone actually jump. Zack frowned and went to check when he heard a soft yelp but did not see anyone coming out.


    When he neared them quietly, he saw a girl crouching on the floor holding on to the rear of a car facing away from him. She was anxiously looking at the aisle adjacent to the on he was standing him. And when he saw closely, he observed the light shacking of her legs in spite of her sitting on them and the light tear on her clothes just over her shoulders. And of course, one couldn''t possibly miss the smell of heavy booze and vomit coming from her.


    "Hey, you okay there??" Zack asked.


    The girl jumped startled all over again and turned around with her eyes. Her eyes wide with fear but then slightly settled down seeing that it was not those guys. Her vision was blurred due to high alcohol content on her system but she could tell from the general outlook that they were not the same people. She hurriedly kept a finger over her lips and pleaded with her eyes to keep quiet. When she tried to get up, she staggered dizzily.


    But good for her, Zack was not drunk and he instantly recognized the girl with just one glance. She was, of course, Meera- Shreya''s cousin and the person who crashed in his place before.


    "What are you doing here again??" Zack asked without bothering to heed to her request.


    Meera''s eyes widened and darted around scared her adrenaline pumping. She tried to get away but her legs kept twisting and turning making her actually walk in zigzag rather than a straight line.


    But before Zack could say anything else, he heard rushed footsteps of several people before they came into view and stood surrounding Meera.


    There were at least 6 guys and every single one of them looked extremely rogue and filthy. One of them had the uniform for a cab driver.


    Zack pulled out a cigarette and lit it. He puffed out smoke and looked at the whole thing happening like entertainment and even the guys there did not bother with him. They did not consider Zack a threat.


    The cab driver guy let out an ugly evil laugh and said, "Well, you escaped from me last time around. But then this time�� how dumb were you to actually pull over my cab all over again and actually mount it? Last time you ran before I could park the car and come�� but this time�� you are just a fish in a bowl�� So better not make it difficult for us... it will only make things worse��" He then approached Meera with his arms extended making her fall back in floor staggered. She crawled backward without minding the rough surface that scarped her palms making them bleed.


    But before the cab driver could take another step forward, Zack took out the cigarette and held it in one hand and snapped his fingers with his other hand.


    The sound echoed and reverberated through the parking lot.


    The cab driver stopped in track and barked turning to look at Zack, "What?? Are you going to play a hero?? Or do you want a piece?? Get lost."


    Zack took another puff of smoke and walked towards him leisurely and stood in front of Meera and asked, "Do you know who this girl is??"


    "Why does it matter who she is?? We are just looking for some fun�� are you her boyfriend??" one of the persons in the group asked irritated.


    "You should care you know�� Your reckless fun time could get you killed!!" Zack said crushing his cigarette with his shoes.


    "Who is she??" The cab driver asked cautiously. He picked her up in an affluent neighborhood club. But she did not have a car or a chauffeur, so he figured she was trying to hook up someone rich. But hearing him, he was slightly scared.


    "Well, she is Meera��" Zack said cryptically.


    "Meera what??" Another person asked impatiently.


    "Meera Srivastav!!" Zack said with a smirk.


    The guys there immediately looked at each other. Who doesn''t know the Srivastav''s? They were practically royalty in the country. And they do not even have the guts to look at their direction, let alone mess with them. And then the cab driver looked at Zack to see if he was bluffing. But when he saw that arrogant expression, he signaled everyone to pull back.


    "Not so fast guys��" Zack said and snapped his fingers one more time and the next minute, they were surrounded by guys looking stern and extremely well trained and bulky.


    Zack did not bother with the rogues anymore. He went on his knees and talked to Meera. All his arrogance was gone as he asked, "Hey. You okay there???? His tone was actually gentle in contrast to how he dealt with the guys. The reason being, one- he had manners. His parents will be very disappointed in him if he mistreated a girl. That was the whole reason why he let a ''nobody'' to actually crash in his place the last time. And secondly, no matter the internal feud between Shreya and Ram, they were her family. Shreya never compromises with people messing with her family. She might talk arrogantly or even mock them to spite them but at the end of the day, she actually cared for them. So, she will have his heads if she knew he had mistreated someone from her family.


    Meera looked around confused, still scared.


    "Hey, it''s okay. I am not going to hurt you. Remember you slept in my place a couple of weeks back and we also met at New Year''s��" Zack explained patiently.


    Meera tried to focus her eyes and she felt his face to be familiar. So she lightly relaxed.


    "Come on now. Let''s get you cleaned up." Zack said gesturing her to get up.


    "I can''t�� I can''t stand. My legs��" Meera mumbled biting on her lips awkwardly.


    That is when Zack noticed the swelling on her ankles. She was running drunk, so it was inevitable for her to fall down.


    Zack went near her slowly not wanting to startle her and scooped her into his arms. Meera leaning in and closed her eyes tired.


    "You guys finish up here and inform Shreya. She will decide what to do with them��" He instructed and walked towards the stairs.

 Chapter 135 - 134

    Inside his apartment, Zack sat Meera down on the couch. And then he went inside leaving her alone in the living room. Meera couldn''t really keep her head straight. With her adrenaline draining, the alcohol was taking a toll. She lazily laid on the couch resting her head on the couch.


    A few minutes later, Zack came back in with a set of his clothes and swung them into her hands.


    Meera frowned confused at first, but then she looked at herself. She was a mess and her clothes were actually torn at places. When she looked up at Zack again, he pointed his fingers towards a door. Meera limped her way to the room and opened the doors.


    "Hot water is to the left��" Zack said before going back into his room again.


    Meera closed the doors behind her and opened the latch to her left and lukewarm water came in through the shower. She quickly let the water wash her and came back out wearing Zack''s clothes.


    His clothes looked like a robe on her rather than a t-shirt. But she did not complain. She just folded the sleeves of both the t-shirt and tracks. The shower had sobered her up considerably. She wasn''t as drunk as she was the last time anyways. The previous time, she had a complete blackout after pulling over the cab. And when she saw herself in a weird neighborhood, she thought she might have messed up with the directions because of her drunken state. But today, when she noticed that the cab was driving in a different direction in spite of her giving the proper address she panicked and tried to get away but then the driver knocked her out and when she woke up, he was already parking the car. She swung her purse hard on his head and ran away.


    She came back and sat on the couch thinking about everything that had happened today but slowly drifted off to sleep.


    A few minutes later Zack came back with a medicine kit. He unbuttoned his cuffs and folded his sleeves to his elbows and sat down on the floor in front of her. He saw that Meera had already fallen asleep so he did not wake her up. Instead, he took her swollen foot and spared the medicine for sprain and wrapped a band around.


    "Hss��" Meera woke up hissing in pain. But then she did not complain or comment. Neither did Zack.


    Once he was down with her foot, he took her palms in his and first disinfected the wound before spreading ointment and wrapped the wound too.


    "Thank you��" Meera said sincerely. After all, she could not even consider what would have happened if Zack hadn''t shown up today. But more than that, she wasn''t sure what would have happened the previous time if Zack hadn''t let her in and she did not even thank him but instead actually accused him.


    "For both times�� And sorry about last time." She said looking into his eyes. An involuntary shiver ran through her body as she remembered everything.


    Zack looked at her surprised. There was none of the arrogance that he saw the last time. He thought since she was Ram''s daughter, she will be like him. He had encountered the first two kids at the office and they were exactly what you would expect of being Ram''s children. They were extremely arrogant and bossy as if just because they are Srivastav''s, they have the right to order everyone around. And if it were them in this situation, they would have flung a bunch of banknotes at his face and went away. But seeing Meera utter thanks and sorry�� he was slightly taken aback.


    "Seems you are different from the rest of the family��" He commented with a smile.


    "Well, they would have had be around me to be able to turn out like them��" Meera said rolling her eyes. A sudden coldness crossed her eyes. She was someone who grew up all by herself in that big house of theirs. When Adithya uncle was still around, her mum in order to keep up appearance would take care of her elder sister and brother personally. But Meera had been way too young back then. But then her uncle passed away when she was still young�� from then on her mum stopped even the pretense. And her own sister and brother were quite elder to her. So they couldn''t be bothered to teach her anything while they were busy being pleased and being kissed up to them by other rich kids in school. So she grew up on her own�� all alone.


    "You are not missing out on anything good. Trust me. You are lucky��" Zack said ruffling her hair comfortingly.


    Meera looked up at him surprised.


    "Come on. Now get some rest. You had a long day��" Zack said giving her a pillow and blanket.


    "Being a gentleman are you not going to offer the bed??" Meera asked with a teasing smile. But she had already taken the pillow and blanket from him.


    "Well, I would offer the bed if only I had one�� It''s either the couch or the floor. And I would very gladly offer you the floor if you want��" Zack deadpanned rolling his eyes. But his lips still twitched when he saw Meera panic and occupy the couch as if he was going to snatch it away or something if she wasn''t fast enough.


    Zack let out a chuckled and ruffled her head one more time before bidding good night.


    "Good night��" Meera mumbled back with a smile. For some reason, her heart skipped a beat with the smallest of warmth from his touch.


    It may be because he had just saved her that her emotions were drawn to him. She never had someone save her or protect her as Zack did. So it was inevitable for her to be slightly attracted to him.


    After a while, she brushed the thought aside and closed her eyes drifting off to sleep.

 Chapter 136 - 135

    Akash paced around Shreya''s office biting his fingers anxiously. He had been doing it for a better part of the morning. But Shreya was actually late today. After everybody left, it took a long time to settle down then kids and sleep. Of course, she also had to deal with the mess Meera left. So she slept in today. Anyways she did not have much too since she had stayed late and completed everything before leaving for the weekend. And on top of it, she had sour throat in the morning. But who knew, as soon as she entered the corridor, she would be dragged into her office by a very distraught looking Akash.


    "Hey, what happened?? Why are you sweating so much?? And why didn''t you come over yesterday??" Shreya asked confused. She had actually called him over yesterday but he was a no show.


    He did not reply until he brought them both to her office and closed the doors carefully behind him. He then asked, "I want to ask Madhu out?? Can you think of something nice?? I have been wreaking my brains who two days and somehow nothing seems good enough!!" He confessed nervously.


    "What do you mean by how?? You go to her and you say you like her and ask her out?? What''s there to think in that??" Shreya asked confused.


    "Well, not every girl is as weird as you. They don''t go around confessing in a car after knowing a person for just a few hours�� and let''s face it you find doing anything romantic tiresome��" Akash said rolling his eyes.


    "Hey, what''s wrong with telling a person you like them when you like them. I am not going to go around shooting invisible daggers on people around them without even tell them that I like them��" Shreya stabbed back but then after a pause, she relented and said, "But you do have a point. I do find doing romantic stuff as tiresome. So I don''t go there��"


    Akash rolled his eyes but still stayed quiet. After all, he still needed her help in figuring it out. She might be too lazy to do it herself but Shreya still had to have had theoretical knowledge. SO he still had faith in her.


    And thankfully she actually did help out. Shreya thought about it for a while. And then said, "Okay, so we all think better with a full stomach. So take her out for a dinner�� take her to the Imperial. Tell the manager I sent you�� he will know what to do. And tell him not to do anything over the top extravagant and all. Madhu does not seem to be someone who will like something like that. Instead, you might actually annoy her. So simple dinner with simple decorations around should do��"


    Akash leaned over and smacked a kiss over her head and said, "Thank you so much��" And then he left the office excited.


    Shreya continued with her work for the say shaking her head. And a few minutes later, she coughed�� lightly at first and got severe as time passed.


    "Damn��" She cursed under her breath.


    ��.


    The same day evening, Madhu suddenly got a text from Akash to meet her at the Imperial for dinner. She flipped her schedule to check and saw that he did not have any dinner appointments tonight. So she was slightly confused. She texted him back to ask if she had to bring anything with her, someone knocked on her doors and one of Akash''s drivers walked in.


    "What is it??" Madhu asked him.


    "Sir, asked me to drive you to the Imperial." He replied politely.


    "Okay, give me a second I will be there in a second��" Madhu said tiding her place. By then her phone dinged.


    Akash ''You just have to bring yourself��"


    Madhu frowned confused but still followed the driver out. This whole thing felt somewhat weird to her and on top of it, Akash had been absent for a couple of hours today without any explanation which never happened before. He always informs her clearly where he was going so that she can answer the clients properly. But today all he said was he was going out and that he will be gone for a couple of hours.


    And as soon as she alights the car, someone was actually there waiting for her and escorted her inside the hotel. She had been to the hotel before for several meetings before. Since it was the group hotel, most of their functions were held here. So she was quite familiar with the place and was not intimidated.


    She just followed the person around quietly. She was led to a mini-hall. When she walked in, she found that the whole place was actually decorated with flowers all around and the lighting was kept low. And in the middle of the hall, a table was set for two with candle lights.


    Madhu gulped down her nervousness and walked in. Akash came forward too. He looked slightly dressed up but nothing too extra. He was wearing a suit as always but this one looked kinda porch somehow. But he looked as handsome as always. But then he looked handsome all the time to her.


    "What is this boss?? What are we doing here??" Madhu asked looking around.


    "I will tell you. Lets first have our dinner. We will take after eating��" Akash said with a smile that looked slightly constipated because of his anxiety.


    Akash pulled the chairs for her like a gentleman. Madhu sat down and muttered thanks.


    Food was served, and both of them just ate quietly. Akash was too nervous to actually start up a conversation now and Madhu looked very out of sorts. So he started second-guessing. Maybe he did something wrong after all. Maybe this was too much for her�� but for him, this was pretty simple in comparison to what he had in mind at first.


    But seeing her so tensed up, Akash called one of the staff and asked them to play something soft in the background thinking music might actually ease her mind a bit.


    But Madhu did not even realize the change. She was busy shifting the food from one corner of the plate to another corner.


    "You don''t like the food??" Akash asked looking up at her.


    Madhu came out of her head and shook her head and said, "No, it''s fine." She then only started eating. Even though she was slightly preoccupied, she still ate.

 Chapter 137 - 136

    Once all the plates were cleared, Akash gave some signal to the staff there and then cleared his throats before speaking.


    "Madhu�� I��" Akash started but before he could even get out one proper sentence, Madhu lifted her hands and stopped him on track.


    "Look Akash�� I can''t do this anymore. Please�� I really can''t. Don''t ask for a reason. If you want someone to practice�� I will find you someone else�� I just can''t. I will go now. Thanks for the dinner��" Madhu said with a distraught face and left the hall with a jiffy.


    Akash blinked for a few seconds not understanding what was happening but when he realized she was actually gone, he quickly thanked the staff there and followed her.


    "Thank you, gentlemen. I think that will be all for today." He said and left the hall and chased after Madhu. But by the time he actually found her she had already exited the hotel.


    "Madhu��" He called out from behind.


    Madhu turned behind surprised.


    "Hey, why are you crying??" Akash asked alarmed.


    Madhu wiped them away quickly embarrassed and asked, "Why are you here??"


    "You, you come with me�� I need to talk to you��" Akash said. Even though he made it as a request, he did not really give her a chance to refuse. He just straight up grabbed her hands dragged her back into the hotel.


    "Akash, it''s getting late�� I need to go. Please let me go��" Madhu came up with excuses. But Akash did not really let her go.


    Normally, Akash would have actually let her go and let her sort things out. But then when he saw her crying, he knew there has got to be some misunderstanding in her head and he remembered what Shryea said about them both being idiots and not talking anything clearly to each other. He suddenly felt that maybe they were being idiots about this. SO he wanted to clear the air once and for all.


    They were back in the same room all over again. The staff was still there making arrangements according to his previous instruction. But then Akash did not think they were needed anymore.


    "Clear the room�� It''s okay. Just leave them there as is��" He instructed the staff. And everyone was out fo the room in a matter of minutes closing the doors behind them.


    Then only he turned towards Madhu. She still had no idea what was going on. So she just stayed quiet. Akash guided her and sat her on the chair. He then crouched in front of her on his knees and asked looking up at her, "Why were you crying just now??"


    Madhu did not really answer but just shook her head.


    "Come on, baby. Please talk to me. I won''t know until you say what is wrong here. I really want to know why you were crying and why you left like that in the middle??" Akash pleaded softly.


    Madhu couldn''t resist his plea. So she whispered under her breath looking at her fidgeting hands, "I just�� It was really painful when I thought of you doing all this for someone else�� and without realizing I started tearing up�� But it''s not your fault. It''s my own fault. So you don''t have to feel guilty��"


    "Why did you think I was going to do all this for someone else??" Akash asked confused. After all, he was did all this exclusively for her after wrecking his brains for so long but in the end, why did she end up thinking of something so improbable??


    "Don''t you have someone you like and you wanted to first practice with me right??" Madhu mumbled awkwardly.


    Akash blinked at her several times to make sure he heard her right and she wasn''t kidding. But when he saw her dejected face as she uttered this, he couldn''t help but let out a burst of laughter at the absurdity of her thoughts and their situation. He laughed so hard that he actually landed on the floor. But when he looked up, he saw that Madhu was still having a distraught face. He extended his hands and harshly pulled her off of the chair.


    Madhu landed on top of him with a jerk.


    "Akash, what are you doing??" She asked shocked trying to get up. But Akash circled his arms around her waist and held her on place firmly.


    "Boss��" Madhu said once again struggling. But her struggle was feeble. Akash could clearly hear her pounding heart against his and of course, who couldn''t really miss the pink blush on her cheeks.


    An amused smile played on his face as he said, "I do have someone I like�� and she is extremely pretty and cute and��"


    "I don''t want to know�� I don''t care who you like or how she is!!" Madhu said sharply interrupting him. But there was no denying the pain in her eyes.


    "Okay�� I won''t tell�� But why did you think I will call you for practice??" Akash asked.


    "Because I am your secretary right?? So��" Madhu said going back to mumbling.


    "Oh, so even that comes under the secretary''s job description ah?? I didn''t know. Maybe I can give it a try next time. I think it will be fun��" Akash said with his eyes practically gleaming. In his excited state, he sat up straight and pulled her on his laps.


    "Akash please stop teasing me and let me go�� please�� I beg you��" She pleaded sitting up straight but then suddenly her eyes focused and looked at Akash shocked and asked, "What do you mean ''maybe I can try it next time?'' So what the hell was all this?? What were you trying to do here today??"


    Akash leaned over and pecked on her lips with a smile and asked slyly against her ears, "What do you think I was trying to do??" His voice was especially teasing and s.e.xy this time around making her shudder slightly.


    But then when she came back to her senses, she covered her lips with her hands and looked at him shocked and hiccuped. She had completely lost her ability to think straight.

 Chapter 138 - 137

    As cliched as it might sound, for some reason Madhu''s eyes always followed Akash from the first time they met. She was fresh out of college.. so she messed up a lot when she first started the job. But unlike the rumors, he wasn''t as strict as people said he was. He told her straight when she made a mistake and likewise he would also praise her when she did something right. But he was never rude. And even when he will lose control and shout at her, he will come back and apologize without fail.


    And he always protected her when she faced anything awkward due to her clumsiness. So by the time she actually realized her own wandering heart, it was already too late. But they were worlds apart. She knew that even though the Srivastav''s treated everyone with respect�� she couldn''t erase the fact that he was her boss and she was his employee. So she never kept any sort of expectations at all. And she even did her best to hide her feelings as best as she could.


    SO this situation shocked her will be an understatement.


    Seeing her giving him a dumb look, Akash started explaining, "I had everything planned you know. I hired a bunch of people to play your favorite song and I bought a bouquet and everything. I even prepared a speech�� but everything went down the drain since you ran away before I could reveal you my masterpiece��" He stalked complaints one after another with a pout.


    Madhu did not really come out of her shock just yet. But when she heard him whining with a pout, she actually looked around for once. When they were having dinner, the whole place was significantly dark so she couldn''t see clearly. But now, she saw in one corner, stalks of violins were kept in a row and behind them on the screen, a big heart-shaped serial light was lit. And in the table, they just had their dinner�� there was a huge bouquet of wildflowers she liked. At last, something stuck her head like lighting and she looked at him with wide eyes, "You�� You did all of this�� for me??" She asked in disbelief pointing at herself doubtfully.


    "Do you see anyone else here other than you and me??" Akash asked rolling his eyes.


    "The�� the person you like is�� is me??" She asked once again doubtfully. She was just way too scared to believe it herself.


    "Did you hit your head somewhere when you ran out??" Akash asked slightly annoyed at her unbelieving eyes. Did she think he would really play such a cruel prank�� that too after seeing her cry??


    Madhu instantly hung her head down and kept quiet when she heard his irritation. Even though she knew she was dumb sometimes�� it really scared her when he used that tone. He only used that when she really messed up bad.


    "I''m sorry��"He apologized immediately as he always did and ran his hands over her head comfortingly, "I did not mean to scare you�� sorry�� I just�� I want you to know I am not playing any games or playing a prank here okay?? I am really serious�� understand????" He asked softening his voice.


    Madhu nodded her head obediently.


    "And Madhu�� I really like you... Just you�� no one else. And I want you to believe me on that�� I don''t like it when you question it��" Akash muttered leaning closer to her.


    "I am not questioning it Akash��" Madhu said frantically shaking her head. "I mean�� it is not like that�� I just�� I am just a secretary�� and you are�� well, you are a Srivastav�� I just�� I just never really thought I would hear those words from you or my feelings will be reciprocated for that matter�� I was not prepared��" She explained slightly panicked he might misunderstand her.


    " ''Did not expect my feelings to be reciprocated''?? So that means you are admitting that you like me. It is pretty bold confessing to your boss��" Akash asked leaning even more closer. His voice was husky and full of mischief.


    Madhu''s cheeks blushed beet red instantly with her eyes wide in panic...


    "No�� no�� no�� I did not mean it like that�� I just�� I was just��" She tried to explain but nothing coherent came out.


    "You mean, you don''t like me??" Akash asked once again playfully pretending to be disappointed.


    "Nooo�� No.. It is not like that��" Madhu tried even more panicked than before seeing his disappointed face but then became quiet seeing his sly smirk.


    "Akash, please stop teasing me�� I am already at my limits here��" Madhu pleaded with her big black eyes staring at him tiredly. She had had a long day and on top of it, her emotions had been tossed left and right in a matter of an hour. Throughout the dinner, it took every last ounce of her energy to restrain to not cry right there�� and when she left the table, she was preparing for a long battle of mending her broken heart. And everything became upside down when Akash confessed to her in a matter of a few minutes. And now she did not even have the energy to process it and Akash was actually teasing her.


    Akash''s eyes softened instantly seeing her exhaustion, "Sorry�� I won''t tease anymore. Sorry��" he said softly caressing over her head and cheeks tenderly.


    Madhu unconsciously leaned towards his touch smiling.


    "At last, you smiled ah??" Akash asked beaming relieved.


    "What do you mean??" Madhu asked frowning.


    "It was just�� you did not really look happy when I confessed. So I thought maybe you weren''t happy with me or something. But now this smile�� It actually looked happy��" Akash explained with a smile while his thumbs lightly brushed her smiling cheeks.


    Madhu''s blush intensified making her cheeks darker while she hung her head down without daring to look at him shyly.


    "Your cheeks are beet red�� very pretty��" Akash said mesmerized which just made things so much more worse for Madhu. She felt as if her cheeks would burst from warmth if he were to say anything more.


    Akash leaned over and pecked at both her cheeks.


    His warm lips electrified her skin making her mind go blank all over again. When he first kissed her, her head was in a muddle and she was really out of it to feel or remember them. But this time around, the feel of his soft lips imprinted in her brains making her giddy with joy. Her lips spread into a sparkling smile but she was still too shy to look up at him. But again, because of their proximity, Akash could clearly see her lips spread.


    "Now, come on. I am tired of being your furniture for now. I will be your driver for a while now��" Akash said after a while.


    That is when Madhu realized she was actually sitting on his laps all this time. She frantically got up and stood still biting her lips nervously.


    Akash chuckled and got up after her. He then went ahead and engulfed her in a hug and whispered, "Gosh�� You are so adorable and that I want to eat you up��"


    His voice was so tender that it felt like they were actually tickling her heart and her cheeks bloomed like a red rose.


    Akash pulled away and dragged her to the parking lot in spite of her protest and dropped her at her place. And on the drive back, he lost all his calm and composure as he grinned like an idiot.

 Chapter 139 - 138

    Shreya sat in her home pouting away. Her nose was red and her head ached. And her whole body felt miserable. She nicely chided Charan in her head for jinxing it. She was someone who never handled sickness very well. She always behaved like a spoilt kid whenever she got sick. And she wouldn''t even lift a finger. She just curled up into a ball and laid down on the couch.


    That was exactly how Charan found her when he came back after work that day. Shreya was supposed to pick Akira but then called the last minute to let his mum pick her up saying she got stuck at work. So Akira was staying the night at his parents'' place while Charan came here to keep Shreya company. He knew she did not like staying alone at night.


    But to his surprise, the whole house was dark when he closed the doors behind him and when he flipped on the switch, he found a bundle wrapped in a blanket on the couch.


    "Hey, isn''t it too early for you to be sleeping??" Charan asked leaving his footwear at the doors steps and walking towards her.


    But the blanket did not stir. So when he went and pried her face out, he was shocked to see her pale face. He sat beside her on the couch and shook her awake.


    Shreya tiredly opened her eyes and looked at Charan.


    "Hey, what happened?? You okay??" Charan asked trying to get a better look at her face. But Shreya held the blanket in iron grip without letting it go.


    "NO�� I am not okay�� I have a fever and running nose and headache and body pain and my whole body feels miserable and its all your fault��" She lined up the complaints and pointed out the accused in a whinny pitiful voice making Charan speechless.


    "How is this my fault??" Charan asked baffled.


    "You only told yesterday right that I will get cold?? And I got cold!! See��" Shreya reasoned diligently. If only her voice wasn''t so childish, Charan felt like even he would have believed her no matter how absurd the accusation was.


    "Well, who was the one who stayed out in rain�� dancing and playing away for straight one and a half hours yesterday??" He asked rolling his eyes.


    "I don''t know all that�� since I got cold after you said I would�� this is your fault. That is all��" Shreya argued stubbornly.


    Charan knew it was pointless to argue with her. SO he did not bother with it. So instead he asked, "Okay�� Now answer this. How long have you been here like this?? Did you take any medicine?? Did you eat anything??"


    Shreya rubbed on her nose and answered obediently much to Charan''s relief even though it was bound to be short-lived.


    "I came back from the office after lunch when I felt that I am running temperature. I came home and slept�� And now you woke me up. That is all��" She said proudly.


    Charan glared at her helplessly. He knew he shouldn''t have expected anything more from her but it still pissed him off that she wouldn''t take care of herself.


    "Why are you so careless?? Why Shreya? You know that you are sick and still, you skipped your meals and did not take any medicine but you still have the energy to complain about others??" Charan scolded her frustrated.


    Shreya looked down pouting giving him an aggrieved look as if he was bullying her.


    "Don''t act cute now!! Its no use. Even if you couldn''t take care of yourself, you could have called someone to come here?? You could have called me to come!! SO you are not getting off the hook so easily. Now come on. Let''s get you to a proper bed first." Charan said with a stern serious face and gestured her to get up.


    "You are so mean! You are scolding a sick person. You are a baddie. I will not go anywhere with you��" She accused once again and laid back on the couch covering her face once again.


    Charan let out a puff of frustrated breath but then calmed himself down with great effort. He then got to work. He did not ask her anything anymore. He straight uplifted her up on his arms along with the blanket and walked towards her bedroom.


    Shreya struggled childishly still pouting. She trashed her legs with the little energy she had even though it was feeble.


    Charan knew that being angry is not going to help. So took a deep breath and deliberately softened his voice and coaxed her, "Shreya, be good. I am just taking you to your bed. It will be more comfortable there�� now stay still please��"


    When Shreya heard his warm voice, she stopped struggling and leaned on his embrace comfortably. When Charan laid her on the bed, she did not let go of his neck and softly pleaded, "Stay�� don''t go�� please��"


    Charan caressed the back of her head softly and said once again in a softly, "Shreya?? I am not going anywhere. I am staying here only okay?? Now be a good girl and wait here. I will just go get something for you to eat and some medicines and come okay??"


    Shreya reluctantly let go of his neck but then whined, "I will also come with you. I won''t get in the way�� I promise. I will just sit on the counter quietly." She then looked at him hopefully.


    "Shreya, be good. You have a cold. It won''t be good for you to be near smoke. And you are having a fever�� You will get cold outside. And on top of it, you don''t really look like you have the energy to sit now��" Charan said softly.


    Shreya pouted but stayed quiet reluctantly. But she still looked away from him showing her dissatisfaction.


    Charan pecked on her forehead tenderly and said, "Be good okay?? I will be back��"

 Chapter 140 - 139

    Charan unbuttoned his cuffs and folded his sleeves to his elbows and entered the kitchen. He opened the shelf and took out the rice. He wanted to make some rice porridge. Since she was sick, it was not good for her to have anything spicy or oily. But then it was not going to be anything short of waging a war feeding her this. But then he thought he will cross that hurdle when the time comes.


    For now, he just made the porridge and put the stove on simmer and went back to the bedroom. When he entered, he found her sleeping all over again. But this time around, she was sleeping straight with her head out of the blanket. He took the remote and slightly increased the air conditioner temperature.


    He then felt her forehead against his palms. He found that she was running quite a bit of temperature. So he went to the bathroom and brought a bowl of cold water with a towel. He kept the water on the bedside table and dipped the towel in them and wiped Shreya''s face with them first.


    Shreya''s stirred on her sleep and opened her eyes. When she saw Charan beside her, all her previous resentments poofed into thin air and she crawled on to his laps and snuggled in instantly.


    Charan''s lips twitched as he caressed her forehead gently. "Now come on. Get up. Let''s get you cleaned up a little bit and then I will bring you something to eat��"


    But of course, Shreya refused to move from her place. And Charan did not waste much effort in trying to coax her. He just picked her up and went straight to the bath and sat her on the counter. He then helped a very begrudged Shreya wash her mouth and face. And then brought her back the same fashion. Even though she was sulking for being manhandled, she still seemed reluctant to let him go this time around.


    "I will be back okay�� I am just going to bring you something to eat��" Charan said pecking her forehead and left the room. But as promised, he came back a few minutes later with a bowl of porridge, and Shreya''s face instantly became sour.


    "I am not hungry��" She said determined and laid back in bed facing away from Charan.


    Charan let out a deep sigh and mentally prepared himself. But even after a lot of coaxing and sweet talking, she only had about 4 spoons worth of porridge. And at last, out of desperation, he resorted to threats, "Shreya, are you going to eat this now or should I leave??" he asked sternly.


    Shreya instantly sat up with panicked eyes that made his heart twist.


    "I will eat�� I will eat�� please just��" But she did not have the chance to complete that sentence since Charan spooned the porridge and delivered it straight to her mouth.


    And thankfully she ate everything very obediently from thereon without a single voice of complaint. Once she was done eating, Charan went and brought her the tablet.


    Shreya''s gave it a look as if she was facing an ancestral enemy.


    Charan chuckled but then gave her a stern look and said, "Shreya�� Be good."


    She looked at his with pitiful eyes begging but then still opened her mouth very obediently. Charan then tucked her in and gave a peck on her temple and said softly, "You get some sleep now okay?? I will just be outside. You need something, just holler okay??"


    Shreya''s eyes widened as she grabbed his hands sitting up and whined again, "You said you will stay if I ate everything obediently right?? Then why are you leaving now??"


    Charan kept a hand over her head and explained, "I am not going anywhere Shreya. I am just going to be in the living room okay?? I still have some work to finish. If I stay here and do, you won''t be able to rest properly. So, be good and sleep okay?? I will come once I am done with my work okay??"


    Shreya made an aggrieved face and hugged his torso and said frantically, "You just work here�� I won''t disturb you. I will stay quiet. I will be obedient. Promise."


    Charan relented without really having the heart to protest.


    "Okay, I will go freshen up and get my things and come okay?? You lie down now��"


    Shreya reluctantly let go and laid down. But she did not really close her eyes. Her eyes followed his every move carefully.


    By the time Charan cleared up all the dishes and freshened up and came back to the room, it took more time than anticipated. He thought Shreya would be asleep by now but to his surprise, she was still wide awake.


    "Why are you not sleeping yet??" Charan asked sitting on the other side of the bed with his laptop powered on.


    Shreya did not answer, instead asked, "Did you eat??"


    "Yea�� I had dinner before coming over with the guys back at office��" He replied typing away on his computer.


    Shreya stayed quiet after that but she did not close her eyes. She kept her eyes trailed of him as if afraid he would disappear or something.


    Charan saw this and did not know whether to laugh or cry at her behavior. He did not have this much trouble even with Akira when she got sick. Akira always tried to be sensible and never bothered him even when she was sick. She will be very obedient and eat whatever he gave her and will also swallow the medicines without much fuzz. But he did not have the heart to scold her so he just said, "Come here"


    Shreya scooted over smiling away happily. He rested her head over his laps and said softly, "GO to sleep now."


    He then patted on her back until she fell asleep. He then slowly shifted her back to her original position before going back to work.


    Thankfully when she woke up the next morning, she felt much better but then when she looked around, Charan was nowhere to be seen. When she strolled out, she found a flask and medicine in the dinner counter with a sticky note that read, "You better eat them obediently or else I won''t bring Akira over for a week!!"


    "As if you can stop your daughter," Shreya thought, rolling her eyes. But she still ate everything as instructed.


    And by the time Charan brought Akira over that evening, Shreya was already kicking and working away on her laptop.

 Chapter 141 - 140

    Zack walked through his apartment corridor and surprisingly or not so surprisingly, he found Meera sitting there on the floor with her knees bunched in front of her and head rested over them.


    "You got to be kidding me!!" Zack grumbled and opened his doors without bothering with her.


    Meera shot up from her place with a big wide grin and followed him behind eagerly. She looked like a kindergartner going after candy.


    Zack chuckled but did not complain. He just let her in and closed the doors behind her went on to freshen up. And when he came back, Meera was lying down on the couch and watching television as if it were her own home.


    "I am going to start asking you for rent if this goes on��" He said sarcastically going into the kitchen to get himself a beer.


    "No problem. I will pay for it." Meera said nonchalantly.


    "SO you are saying I won''t be able to get rid of you??" Zack asked wearily sipping on his beer.


    Meera did not bother to answer but instead, she thought of something and asked him, "Why were you late today??" at last looking away from the television.


    "Had a meeting with Shreya��" he said straight away.


    "No wonder you look so tired. What does she think of herself, sucking up a person dry and not even paying enough!!" She grumbled. She assumed since Zack is living this part of the neighborhood then he shouldn''t have been paid well but still made to work to point of tiredness. After all, growing up at her family doesn''t really give raise to many chances of developing a good opinion on Shreya. And on top of it, she despised Shreya for everything she has�� especially for having had her parents and now for having Anand uncle and the whole of his family.


    But before she could continue on her rambling, her ears got twisted painfully.


    "Owww�� ouch�� that hurts��" She wailed.


    "Don''t talk ill of people on their backs�� especially about Shreya�� that too in front of me�� Or else you will be sleeping in the corridor!!" Zack scolded and went away. But he wasn''t really angry. He knew the environment she grew up in and compared to the other two kids, she was much more sensible and na?ve. In all probability, he knew she never really had anyone to teach her all her life as to what''s right or wrong�� so she ended up being like this. So he just reprimanded her. And she reminded him of his younger sister growing up. So he couldn''t really bring himself to be too hard on her.


    "How did I forget?? She is always the perfect princess in front of everyone, isn''t she?? So obviously, that would make me the evil sister in everyone''s eyes��" Meera said sarcastically rubbing over her ears.


    Zack once again knocked on her head and said sarcastically, "Aren''t you giving yourself too much credit?? You don''t look like an evil sister from any angle��"


    Meera''s eyes brightened instantly and asked interrupting him, "Really?? I don''t look like an evil sister??"


    ???More like an idiot sister��" Zack said rolling his eyes and lighting a cigarette for himself.


    Meera''s face fell instantly. She pouted with her arms crossed in front of her and looked away from him pettily.


    Zack did not really bother with her. But when he went to the kitchen to get his take away bags, he asked Meera, "Are you hungry..??"


    All her previous anger went away in a blink and her face lit up like a Christmas tree as she beamed at him and said, "Starving��"


    Zack chuckled and handed over the burgers he bought for her. Meera happily munched on it as Zack sat beside her sipping his beer and puffing out smoke. By the time she was done eating, she made a mess all around her as well as all around her mouth.


    Zack couldn''t help but laugh at her crushing his cigarette on the ashtray.


    Meera gave him a questioning look.


    "Your face looks like a monkey��" He said grinning.


    Meera stomped away to the bathroom glaring at him.


    Zack did not bother with her. He just said, "You are cleaning the mess you made and the plate before going to sleep." And then he retired to his own room. Meera glared at him but still obediently followed what he said and clumsily cleaned up the plates and the mess she made on the dinner table.


    She then went to and flopped on the couch and was asleep in a matter of minutes.


    When Zack came and checked up on her, she was sleeping on her front with her arms and legs stretched all over the place. Zack swung a blanket over her and went to sleep.


    Zack knew this relationship was strange and risky. For him, Meera was a shadow of a little girl he once saw grow up in front of him and eventually lost. But then he also knew she was not his sister.


    And for Meera, he was like a superhero or an idol. A person she looks up to.


    And the age difference between them was awkward. He couldn''t be a friend or an uncle or a brother to her. Even though everything was strictly plutonic, it won''t look like it for everyone outside. And if things blew up, he will be the one receiving the heat and the burn and he would too quite gladly if it meant he would be able to protect her.


    But in spite of knowing everything, he still couldn''t turn her down. Not only because she is similar to his baby sister but she was also similar to himself when he had left the service and came here first.


    He could clearly see the loneliness and the depravity in her. Her recklessness and the lack of care for anyone or anything�� she reflected him like a mirror. And as Shreya said, she was someone who had nothing to lose too. And she needs someone to care for�� someone she could look after. Someone who could accept her for who she was.


    And if possible he wanted to be that person who could put some life into her. Give her the warmth he had received from Shreya all those years ago.


    That is why somehow, it seemed to be worth the risks.

 Chapter 142 - 141

    Shreya sat in her office brooding. She was frustrated and really wanted to break something right about then.


    Months went by since Prasanna died and nobody came for her yet. Not from lack of trying mind you. She deliberately went everywhere alone in these past months. And of course, she absolutely stopped going out with Charan or Akira or anyone that wasn''t part of her past life fearing something like the kidnapping episode would repeat itself. She lied straight through her teeth to Charan and convinced him either she was busy or that she was lazy. And she stopped going over to his place. Whenever she missed Akira, she would somehow convince Charan to have a sleepover at her place. Not that it took a lot of convincing. And security in her apartment was top notch so nobody can really come in or out without her knowledge. And of course, she also tightened the security around Akira and Charan just in case, since she was seen around them a lot.


    But then there was no move from their end till then. She was starting to second guess herself. She kept thinking maybe they were no going to go directly against her but plan for something else.


    But no matter how much she thought of it, taking her out is the most logical thing they would end up doing. For one, Naren was like a bulldog who doesn''t have the patience to plot and prob around and she was sure he would convince the others that his method is the most effective. But most of all, only with her gone, this issue will come to close. So her head was the fastest way for resolution. And logically speaking, they wouldn''t assassinate her straight away since they would want to know what she actually knows and who else knows about it to avoid future conflicts.


    Logics were strong on her end, she knows that. But the reality was making her question them. And since she, being a bait, was not something she could really go up and discuss with others�� she was left to brood on her own.


    It was affecting her mood everywhere. At the gym, except for Zack, nobody else is daring to spare with her because she was being brutal because of her mood swings. And the lack of Akira was not helping either. But she had to restrain on that front because it pertains to Akira''s safety.


    And adding to her frustration was actually Charan. That big fluffy idiot had been acting as if she was some porcelain doll of something from the time she had told him that she was a v.i.r.g.i.n.


    Not that they had much action before that night. But then after that day, something changed in her. It was almost like somebody flipped a switch in her body. She craved intimacy with him with the whole of her heart and soul. The distance felt cold and lonely somehow. She did not even know how to explain this unsettling feeling she was feeling.


    She was not really ready to go all the way yet. But Charan was behaving as if she was some touch-me-not tree or something.


    Shreya pulled her hands from her head and called Charan with a determined look.


    "Hey, Shreya, what''s up??" Charan''s voice filled her ears.


    "You�� You come here right now!!" She demanded right off the bat without even telling him where she was.


    Charan let out a chuckle. He had long gotten used to her sudden tantrums.


    Shreya bit on her lips suddenly realizing her mistake and asked in a low voice, "Where are you?? Are you free??"


    "I just got out of my office�� where are you??" Charan asked amused.


    "Office�� What about Akira?? Is she at daycare??" Shreya asked worriedly.


    "No�� during exams she mostly stayed over at my parent''s place. My dad helps with the prep��" Charan replied starting his car. "I will see you in a bit��"


    Charan reached her office a little later than he had expected. He got a call right after Shreya had hung up. After that, he had to call Akira and let her know he was going to be late or maybe staying over with Shreya. And of course, because of an accident on the way, he got caught in traffic.


    So by the time he actually got to her office, Shreya was sitting on her table cross-legged and staring at the entrance as if they had committed a grave sin.


    Charan couldn''t help but chuckle amused seeing her like that. She looked as if someone stole her favorite plush toy or something. He deposited his bags on the couch and asked, "Hey, there. Mind enlightening me as to why you called me here??"


    Shreya pouted away and turned her face away from him defiantly but did not say anything.


    Charan did not yet bother with her. He went straight to the restroom and first washed his face. The traffic had left a layer of dust over his face. And once refreshing, he then went to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water and gulped down on it greedily.


    All this while, Shreya did not even move an inch from her place. But her eyes kept following him extremely annoyed. She did not like the way he was ignoring her. It pissed her off that he did not even give her a kiss while greeting.


    "If you have done making yourself comfortable�� come here!" She demanded quite rudely glaring at him. She was not really good at waiting�� at least not when she was in a crappy mood which she was in right about now. And Charan on top of making her wait for almost an hour, he did not even acknowledge her or make an excuse. Maybe if she had been rational and calm, she might have found her anger childish but not now. Not when he was still standing beside the fridge smirking at her.


    "Charan!!" Shreya said once again in a tone that clearly showed the world of patience she was trying to hold on to before she burst up.

 Chapter 143 - 142

    Charan walked slowly towards her with a grin on his face.


    He wasn''t purposely trying to rile her up or something. Okay, maybe a small part of him was trying. But more than that�� He was always used to seeing Shreya so calm and composed. She rarely saw her lose her cool. Especially with him. So he was amused and fascinated to see her like this. Her pouty lips and glaring eyes�� And the world of restraint hidden beneath them that felt as if one wrong word from his, she would pounce on him like a tigress. Everything amused him to no end.


    But he did not want to test those waters just yet. So, he went and stood in front of her obediently as demanded but he couldn''t really do anything about the smug smile on his face.


    That smile was like adding fuel to the fire. Shreya leaned forwards with her teeth blaring and bit on his lower lips and as always she did not hold back.


    Charan did not even let out a hiss as he tasted his own rusty blood but then Shreya softened considerably after that. She nibbled on his lips almost apologetically. Charan''s lips twitched as he reciprocated the kiss. His lips were gentle against hers in spite of how she had just bit him to point of bleeding.


    Her soft wet lips made it almost impossible for him to be harsh on her. He savored them slowly and very gently to point Shreya felt like she was sitting on a fluffy cloud or something.


    Charan nibbled on her lips asked for entrance and Shreya granted them very eagerly. Minutes ticked by, both of them pulled away slightly due to lack of oxygen, and Charan eyes met with her hazy ones�� And the temperament of the kiss changed in a matter of seconds.


    His lips dipped back in but this time around they were hungry and intense. He sucked on them desperately arousing a whimper from Shreya.


    Shreya''s hand circled around his neck and pulled him closer while her other hand slipped under his shirt and explored his skin.


    A throaty groan escaped his lips when he felt her tiny little hands burn a path on his back. He pulled away from her lips panting and buried his face at the crooks of her neck taking deep breaths.


    "Sorry I was late�� got stuck in traffic��" he apologized in a husky voice against her neck making her skin tingle and shudder. Both her hands buried inside his shirt tightened unconsciously.


    As his lips crashed back into hers, her hands impatiently went for his buttons and pulled them apart in a hurry. She frustratedly huffed as she struggled taking out his cufflinks.


    Charan pulled away chuckling at her impatience. He stood there stared at her gazing into her impatient eyes and removed his cufflinks unhurriedly as if he was giving her a show. Her eyes were eager as they gapped at his slightest nudge and desire filled them to brim watching him.


    When Charan met her eyes, the yearning in her eyes made him freeze on his feet. She looked like she wanted to swallow him whole.


    "Why did you call me here??" Charan asked, at last, gaining some clarity with his shirt hanging loose on his body with all the buttons and cufflinks removed.


    Shreya''s patience ran out pretty quickly as she yanked on his shirt and pulled him closer.


    "I called you to relieve stress." She muttered in her raspy voice before crashing her lips against his all over again. And this time around, without any hindrance, her hands explored his skin to her heart''s content.


    The little clarity he gained flew out the window as his shirt slid down his shoulders and bunched at his feet. He chewed on her lips as his hands pulled her sweatshirt off her shoulders. The zipper on the front split with a screech revealing her pale white flushed skin.


    Charan pulled away from her knowing he was on the verge of losing his senses but Shreya wrapped her arms and legs around him keeping them close. He lifted her off the table and brought them both to the couch. He sat down with her in his laps and his face buried over her shoulders panting.


    Shreya''s breathing was just as haywire as her teeth dug into his skin just over his shoulders.


    "Shhh��" Charan patted on her back trying to calm her down and as well as himself. But along with pain, pleasure also built in him when he felt her bite on his bare skin.


    "That''s for all the suffering you put me through in the past few months��" Shreya said in a hoarse voice in between panting as she ran her tongue over the bite mark on his shoulders trying to soothe his pain.


    "What did I do??" Charan asked against her ears bewildered and wronged.


    Shreya pulled away and looked at him with blazing eyes and puffed cheeks as she replied, "You didn''t touch me!!" Her voice was very confident and self-righteous as she accused him.


    Charan looked at her slightly taken aback. But then when she saw her, all his defense shattered. Her eyes were looking at him as if he had wronged her or bullied her. More than anger, her demeanor showed disappointment and hurt. He gathered her in his arms and hugged her close and whispered over her neck, "I''m sorry�� I just�� I thought��"


    But before he could get a sentence out, she started struggling in his arms pulling away from him trashing her arms around as she carped further, "You�� you don''t touch me now. You were treating me like a touch-me-not right?? So you just go ahead and act the same��"


    Her complaint went on forever with a pout while her hands hit him several times. Not that it hurt�� but still, Charan applied some force and crashed her flat on the couch and hovered over her holding her hands imprisoned in his above her head.


    Her eyes were blazing fire glaring at him but then he could also sense a layer of hurt beneath them that made him really uncomfortable.

 Chapter 144 - 143

    Shreya knew that whatever Charan did was actually keeping her in mind. She knew he kept his distance because he did not want to scare her or push her to her limits.


    But then there was also this teeny tiny vulnerable part of her that kept nagging her that she had done something wrong and that is why he did not come for more�� Maybe she seemed too desperate�� maybe she did something to put him off�� maybe he did not like her being too forward.


    These ''maybe''s were endless and was driving her crazy very slowly.


    But at that moment when she was struggling to breathe after their intense make-out session, all her emotions just came crashing down making her extremely grumpy and livid. And as always she did not hold back anything.


    Once Charan made sure she couldn''t move anymore, he just kept staring at her waiting for her to calm down which she did after a while.


    When Shreya met with his gaze, she could see that slight regret in them. And she hated seeing them in his eyes. She was not going to let him regret something he had did for her sake. So she just leaned forward and pecked on his cheeks. She then pulled back and gave him a smile that said everything was perfectly fine with them.


    Charan let out a sigh of relief. He sat back up with her on his lap and hugged her close.


    "I''m sorry�� I did not mean to hurt you. I just thought you would�� I just did not want you to be uncomfortable�� Sorry��" He apologized, just the same.


    Shreya pulled away and looked at him and spoke, "Charan, if I am uncomfortable with something�� I will tell you. As you know, I am not really good at retraining myself when it came to things like that. But at the same time�� I do not want to impose on you either�� I just�� I was just trying to�� I just didn''t want you to��"


    She paused and let out a slightly frustrated groan not knowing how to continue from there. But then her ranting started. Her mouth just flew at its will without any consent from the brain as she blabbered away.


    "Argh�� you just drive me crazy. I�� I always know what I want from a person and I never shy away from asking for it from them. But with you, I don''t know why I end up second-guessing every damn shit and drive myself crazy�� I go around with this constant fear that I will end up messing up something�� or say something stupid or do something reckless. And after that starts these stupid idiotic questions that keep popping up in my head�� What if he thinks I am desperate?? Maybe I am pushing him?? What if he did not want to do anything?? I am not desperate�� let me tell you�� �� Okay, that''s a lie�� Maybe I am a little bit desperate. But that''s not the point�� the point is, I don''t know how to deal with all these questions and doubts�� So can you just be yourself and stop walking on ice picks around me�� I just end up overthinking everything when it comes to you unnecessarily�� And I know it''s not your fault�� I just��"


    Before she could finish her sentence, a pair of familiar lips crashed against hers and shut her mindless blabbering. This time around the kiss was apologetic and painstakingly gentle.


    "God, you talk too much sometimes��" Charan groaned pulling away breathlessly.


    Shreya rested her head over his shoulders and mumbled, "Sorry�� I end up talking shit sometimes��"


    "Don''t be�� I like it when you talk unrestrained��" Charan mumbled against her skin making her shiver as his lips nibbled on her neck finding her sweet spot while his hands pulled down on the zipper on her sweatshirt at a torturously slow pace.


    After half an hour of the intense make-out session, Shreya laid cuddled up against his bare chest. Her lips were swollen and red while her neck sported a wide array of hickeys. Her chests heaved up and down as she took deep breaths to calm her racing heart. A thin layer of her camisole separated their skins.


    Charan peppered her with small pecks all over her head and temples every few seconds while his hand stroke on her arms gently calming her down.


    Once she got her breathing under control, Shreya talked once again breaking the silence between them.


    "I wanted to talk to you about something for a while now�� I just didn''t know how to bring it up��"


    "What is it??" Charan asked slightly curious.


    "I just�� I know we never talked about the future�� but I just wanted to discuss somethings," She paused biting on her lips. Charan did not interrupt.


    But then Shreya looked up at him and asked, "Do you see a future with me?? Do you want a future with me??"


    "Yes��" Charan answered bluntly and asked back, "Do you??"


    Shreya gave him a bright smile and said, "Hell yes. And I want it all�� Marriage, kids, hearts, and flowers�� the whole nine. I want it all�� with you. Just with you��"


    Her whispers resonated against his ears in that empty room making his heart do a flip. He pecked on her temple and said, "good��" His voice was raspy with emotions.


    "But Charan�� I can''t do anything of them for a while now. I don''t even know how long it would take. I have some unfinished business and it might even take years to settle. And before I settle them, I can''t do anything even if I wanted to. That is why I stirred clear of anyone all these years�� but then when you happened to me�� I couldn''t resist. But I don''t want to tie you down to me and put you or Akira at risk. So this�� whatever we have is going to be at a stalemate till then��" Shreya said seriously.


    "Does this have anything to do with why Akira was kidnapped back then??" Charan asked, at last, the question that''s always been at the back of his head all these while.


    Shreya nodded her head solemnly.

 Chapter 145 - 144

    "Can you tell me the reason??" Charan asked cautiously.


    Shreya''s lips twitched as she said, "I thought you would never ask!!"


    "I wouldn''t have if you hadn''t brought it up�� You brought back Akira safe and sound and the person responsible is rotting in some Intelligence cell spilling his guts out�� I couldn''t ask for more. The reason doesn''t matter. I do not want to ask you about things I have no right to just to fulfill my idle curiosity." Charan replied with a sad smile.


    "It is not that you do not have the right to know�� In fact, I should have told you a long while ago�� But I was just in this dilemma of whether telling you will bring you some harm. But then I figured the harm from not telling you might outweigh the harms of telling you. And I am also scared you will leave me at the end of it all. But then I figured I would never know unless I tell you. So here goes. " Shreya said with slight nervousness shrugging her shoulders but then let out a shiver when she felt the cold breeze from the air conditioner brush over her bareback.


    Charan, of course, noticed it. He reached for her sweatshirt but Shreya slipped away from his grip and went straight to his shirt and came back wearing it looking like a little girl trying her dad''s clothes.


    "What do I wear??" Charan whine for which Shreya just shrugged and threw her sweatshirt his way. Charan looked at the baby pink sweatshirt weirdly for a second but then he relented to his fate and pulled it over his head. Since Shreya always wore her t-shirts way too baggy for her size, so the sweatshirt actually fit him perfectly. He zipped them and looked up. Shreya was wearing his shirt like a jacket than a shirt leaving all his buttons open and his sleeves ran well beyond her hands making them invisible.


    "Come here," Charan called her with a smile, and Shreya instantly came back to the couch and snuggled into his laps comfortably.


    Charan folded his shirt sleeves as Shreya started talking again.


    "When I lost my parents�� I was very lost for a period of time. At that time, the only thing that kept me going was work. I worked like a damn machine. I barely went home�� I barely slept. I expanded the business like a maniac�� I took higher risks but then they always paid off. I was ruthless�� I�� I even stomped over my eldest uncle without a second thought�� I always thought maybe if I had been a little bit patient back then, maybe things wouldn''t have been so sour between out families you know��" She said sadly.


    Charan rubbed on her back soothingly.


    Shreya recovered quickly, "Well, yeah that happened. But then after that, I met with Prasanna�� And you know what happened there�� Him informing me about my mother''s kidnapping and all that shit happened��" She paused remembering things.


    Unconsciously, Charan''s hands also slipped under her and traced over her scar�� he did not know if he was comforting himself or her. But he knew one thing for sure. He had never had such strong negative feelings for anyone before in his life�� but her ex was one person he hated with all his gut.


    "Anyways�� After that, I started poking around in places I was not supposed to be and ended up being bashed by my ex. But Prasanna did not really know anything worthwhile. He just knew my dad was being blackmailed by Rakesh. He did not know why!! And even the mail was very generic. All it said was ''you know what we want�� bring to the said place, you can have your wife back. No foul plays. Or your wife is dead.''" She recited from memory.


    "Since I couldn''t investigate any further that way�� I was pushed to a corner and came to a stalemate. But then right on time, the chief of police approached me. He is the spouse of one of the trusted directors in Sri corp."


    Back then it had been a month after her divorce. And she was pushed to a corner without any way to escape. That''s when the Chief of police came knocking at her doors.


    She was staying at one of her vacation homes to keep away from the media spectacles. They were at the backyard sitting facing each other. Shreya served him tea and sipped on her own coffee.


    "How can I help you, sir??" She asked politely. She had seen him around in all their company events. So she was slightly familiar with him and she knew her dad trusted both him and his wife. So she was especially respectful.


    "I am actually here to help you, though I don''t really know how helpful I am going to be. And please call be Advay��" He said with a warm smile.


    Shreya stayed quiet and waited for him to continue.


    "I guess you know the late Prime Minister??" Advay asked.


    Shreya nodded and answered, "Of course I knew Girish uncle. My dad and he were thick as thieves��"


    "A few months before your parents'' accident, your dad called and asked me to reinvestigate Mr. Girish Takur''s murder case. He wanted to see the case files�� And your dad was very specific about keeping the whole thing a secret�� As if he knew something��" Advay said and paused.


    Shreya''s eyes slightly widened but then she still stayed calm and waited for him to continue.


    "And exactly a week before his accident, he directly called the case officer and asked him to reopen the case saying he had some evidence��" Advay continued.


    "But isn''t the guy already caught and prosecuted right after the murder?? What is the use of new evidence?? I remember the guy confessed to the whole thing��" Shreya asked confused.


    "Your dad believed we had the wrong guy and that he had evidence on the actual killer��" Advay explained. "But then he died in the accident just before he could produce any of them to the court. And a week later the guy we caught was stabbed to death in a prison riot!!" Advay said.


    "That''s odd!!" Shreya did not believe in coincidences.


    "I know�� that is why I came here. I know there is something fishy and your dad treated us like a family. That is why I couldn''t keep quiet. But be careful Shreya�� these people are not afraid of anything if they could kill the leader of a nation and get away with it!!" He advised and left her to her own thoughts.

 Chapter 146 - 145

    "After that, I searched for the evidence everywhere but couldn''t find it. So I figured, it was with him at the time of the accident and the evidence was the reason my mother was kidnapped." Shreya said pursing her lips.


    Charan stayed quiet as he listened. He did not know how to react to any of it. This all felt like it was out of some action movie or something.


    "First things first, I strengthened our powers. My dad was just a businessman. He did not have any network or an army for himself. SO I had to build one for myself from scratch. I placed my own people in every nook and cranny of the country and made an information system for myself. It took me a better part of 2 years just to set everything up. I knew I couldn''t be sloppy or else I would end up like my dad. So I made sure we had very strong forces to back us up before I made the move."


    "And of course, Prasanna gave away Rakesh''s name. So I first thought that Rakesh was behind this but when we ran a background on him, something just did not feel right. But even then I knew he was involved. So I made my moves in the dark. I knew his roots are deep. So, after another 6 months, we cornered him and you know what happened."


    "But as I anticipated, he said he was just a broker and gave us three more names. Abimanyu Bharathwaj, Abishek Mehta, and Naren Gupta��" She paused.


    Of course, Charan recognized those names. Everyone in the country would. These people were only second to the Srivastav''s. But then combined, they could easily take Adithya Srivastav down. Especially given Adithya was straight off businessman without hidden forces.


    "According to Rakesh, even though they have a legit business on the surface, their main power is drawn from the syndicate they run. A mercenary group exclusively under their control. And for the right price they did everything and anything. They were using our own country''s army people to do their bidding. And the Defence Minister was a liaison. And the Prime Minister was getting close."


    "So they framed someone for his murder in exchange for taking care of his wife to steer suspicion. After all, if the murder case of the leader of a nation is left unsolved it would lead to too much noise and they had the government under their pockets. SO they could make anyone the murderer. But of course, the trouble started when the wife died of cancer a year after his conviction and he sent a testimonial to my dad. And my dad started investigating his friend''s death and like a domino effect, everything came crashing down in a matter of 6 months and I lost my parents��"


    "So you need to figure out a way to take these three people down now??" Charan asked.


    Shreya shrugged nonchalantly and spoke indifferently, "Taking them down individually will not take long�� with my resources now, it''s easy as a pie. That too if I can be open and strike heads on, they won''t have a chance. The problem is with the network�� I want to annihilate the network so that no one else could use it again and strip them of what they have earned so far through illegal means. And its proving to be difficult. There is no way in�� And since almost most of the corporate world has used them at one point or another, we do not have any allies." Shreya said with a sigh.


    Charan could not help but gap at her. In the whole of the country, it''s probably only Shreya who could say so nonchalantly that taking down three of the most powerful men in the country was ''easy as pie''.


    "I know its all scary and surreal. But please trust me. If I was not confident with myself, I wouldn''t have started anything. I know what I am doing�� there are some setbacks�� but the situation is still within my control." Shreya tried to convince him frantically. Her nervousness had multiplied leaps and bounds by the time she had finished. She suddenly realized how scary this should all to for him.


    But she did not want to hide things from him�� that is why she had been painfully honest with him. And she did not curry flavor anything. But then again, she was afraid the whole thing would scare him shitless make him run for hills. But still, she was not one to believe in the term ''ignorance is bliss''.


    She had struggled long and hard about the whole thing. Her indecision was why she had kept him dark in so long. She knew this had nothing to do with him. But still, it had the potential to hurt him or his family. So she finally came to the conclusion that he had the right to know and to make the decision for himself. Even if it meant she wouldn''t have him in her life.


    Silence ensued in the room as Shreya pulled away and sat facing him biting on her lips nervously. The weight of the situation suddenly hit her hard. She thought she would be able to keep calm and let him go since it was regarding his safety if he decides to do so�� but now, she was not sure. As it is, she was not prepared to blurt everything out like this. Even though she had decided to tell him everything a while back, she thought she would have time to prepare herself to face the consequences. But then when he asked her, words just flowed out of her mouth. And she also felt, if she let this go, she wouldn''t have the gut to tell him any other day.


    So she gritted on her teeth and told him everything. But now, she was scared�� terrified of the consequences. Suddenly she wasn''t very sure how she was going to cope up with her life if Charan left. But more than that what made her feel absolutely gutted about that scenario was that if Charan was no longer in her life, then Akira won''t be in her life and that scenario made her feel something akin to how she felt when she had lost her parents.

 Chapter 147 - 146

    Charan, on the other hand, was in awe with her. While his heart ached for her simultaneously. He knew when she lost her parents, she was barely 25 years�� the fact that she had to deal with all this along with the agony of losing both her parents. He did not even have the proper words to describe how strong she should have been or how strong she was right at that moment.


    Charan brought her back into his arms and confessed, "I love you. I don''t know what good deed I did in my past but I am really grateful for them if they brought you to me. I am so proud of you��" he said emotionally.


    "You�� you are�� you are not going to leave me then??" Shreya asked timidly.


    Charan pulled away and looked at her with a frown and asked, "Why would you think I would leave you??"


    "I just�� I know all this is scary�� especially since Akira has gotten taken like that. I just thought��" Her voice trailed painfully as she muttered with her head hung down.


    "I am not some college kid Shreya�� who is going to run away when going gets scary��" Charan said gently caressing her face.


    "I know Charan�� but then you are not alone. You should also think of Akira and your family�� so I just�� I know things are not exactly ideal. I should have probably told you everything before I started�� but I was just�� I just couldn''t bring myself to�� I was scared��" Shreya confessed as if she was confessing some sin.


    "You want to break up with me??" Charan asked.


    Shreya looked up at him panicked and shook her head frantically.


    "No�� no�� no�� of course not. It''s just�� I just thought you would want to once you heard this. But this is not all�� the kinda things I had done�� This version of me you see every day�� this person who throws tantrum and goof around�� that is not all that there is to me. There is a part inside me that had did unspeakable things to get to the place I am in now. Malicious?? ruthless things�� I have never taken a life�� but that''s probably the only saving grace I have to defend myself. Rest and all, I did everything knowing full well what I am doing with full consciousness. And I am not going to sit here and make excuses that I had no choice�� I did have a choice�� So, I just don''t want to keep you in the blinds and deceive you more��"


    Charan put his fingers below her chin and lifted her face to look at him, "Hey�� I am not some delusional teenager who thinks the person they are crushing on is an angel. I am not blind. I know how the world works. And I knew you should have gotten your hands dirty to get to where you are�� but that doesn''t change a damn shit. That sure as hell doesn''t change the way I feel about you. You should know me better than that to think about me��" He said resting his forehead over hers.


    Shreya felt as if a big weight had been lifted off his shoulders. She buried her face at the crooks of his necks and mumbled, "Sorry�� I did not mean to sound as if I am doubting you�� it''s just��"


    "Shhh�� You talk too much sometimes��" Charam murmured against her forehead annoyed and pulled away facing her.


    "Sorry�� I will shut up now��" Shreya said and pursed her lips shut firmly to prove herself.


    "Now, come on. Let''s go home." He said dragging her by her hands.


    Shreya followed happily until she reached the entrance of the office and suddenly she remembered something.


    "No�� no�� no. You�� you go home now. I�� I�� I have�� I have work still��" Shreya said stopping on her feet.


    Charan frowned at first unconvinced. "You still have work?? Are you sure??" He asked unsurely.


    "Yes�� of course. I have piles and piles of files rotting away in my table. I have to go through them before Monday. You go home. You have to teach Akira for her exams, right?? So you go and get some rest now!!" Shreya lied through her teeth and ushered him out of the office.


    Charan peeped at her empty table collecting dust but still did not comment on it. He just pecked on her and bit her a goodbye.


    "Andrew will drive you. Don''t worry�� he will have a ride home��" Shreya said texting Andrew from her phone.


    And once again, Charan did not protest. As soon as Charan was out of her doors, she flopped straight in her office bed and said groaning, "God�� it''s so hard to stay away. Abstinence is hell!!"


    But then a slight smile adorns her face when she smelt his scent from his shirt. She wrapped herself in it and went to sleep too lazy to go to her empty apartment.


    On the other hand, Charan entered his house as quietly as possible but to his surprise, Akira was actually still awake.


    "Dada�� You know I will get a 100 in maths today��" She said excitedly after climbing on his laps.


    "That''s my girl!!" Charan encouraged her beaming.


    "Dada�� what happened to your shirt?? Why are you wearing Shreya''s clothes?? Did you see her?? Is she good??" Akira suddenly piled up questions while staring at his pink sweatshirt with a frown.


    That is when Charan actually realized that they did not change back to their own clothes.


    "No wonder Andrew kept staring at me peculiarly! Argh!!" he groaned murmuring to himself embarrassed. When your girl wears your clothes, it was kinda s.e.xy and extremely attractive. But he wasn''t so sure it would have had the same effect if the opposite happens. But his embarrassment did not really last long as he started talking to his daughter. But then again, it all came back when Akira spilled it very innocently in front of his family the next day. But that was for tomorrow to deal.


    He picked up the sleeping Akira and put her in her bed. She had slept midway mumbling something about her friends at school. He then changed out of his clothes and went to bed.


    But sleep was a long way from him. He thought of everything he had heard from Shreya today. He might have played it lightly in front of Shreya�� But then again, everything she said�� he knew they were not light matters. So it took the whole night to just understand the full extent of things and understand them.


    And it was scary�� but he still did not want to put distance between them. It was not really rational. But something felt right about it.

 Chapter 148 - 147 Distraction

    Shreya walked through the familiar worn down corridor of Zack''s apartment. No matter how much she told him, he wouldn''t agree to get out of this place. She even bought him a place in secret. All he did was give it away to one of his army buddies. And she stopped after that.


    If she really wanted to force his hand, no one can really stop her. But then she did not really want to force him in this since it was his choice. And of course, she also kinda understood the sentimental values of the place. So she let it go.


    She knocked on the doors and waited.


    She was seriously running out of excuses with Charan. And she was getting bored and of course, if she was by herself, she ends up thinking of all sorts of shits. So she came here for distraction.


    She would have usually gone to Akash or Adam since she was actually closer to them both. But they both were too busy dating which only reminded her of her sorry state. So her next best option was Zack. Even though there is this small disadvantage of her whole plan flopping because of this�� she still decided to come before she drives herself insane.


    After all, if those duffers actually picked this time to take her, they won''t be able to get even a piece of her hair with Zack around. And if it really happened, then all she can say is she and them both won a medal for bad luck.


    "Click��" the doors opened but then instead of Zack, she was actually met with not so pleased Meera, her cousin.


    "Uh???" Shreya stood there confused for a second.


    And Meera was ready to actually close the doors to her face when Zack came and stood behind her. Zack simply opened the doors wider for her and walked in without really bothering to explain anything.


    Shreya walked into the apartment after a little struggle with Meera. She sat on the couch looking around peculiarly while Meera kept drilling holes into Shreya. It was so awkward that Shreya thought of going back.


    Shreya had run-ins with her other two cousins but Meera�� she barely knew her. But thankfully Zack came back and recused her.


    He handed her a beer and asked, "What are you doing here??"


    "Killing time actually!! But I didn''t realize you had a guest��" Shreya said looking at Meera.


    "Sorry�� we weren''t expecting a GUEST either!!" Meera said icily before Zack could even get a word out. It was clear that she did not like being called a guest. But more than that, she did not like Shreya not being called a guest in Zack''s house. As if Shreya was a family rather than an outsider.


    "Whoa there tiger�� stop blaring your teeth!!" Zack held back Meera while lighting a cigarette for himself.


    But then before he could actually light it, Shreya reached out and took it out and gave him a look.


    Zack sighed and kept the lighter and his cigarette pack down on the table and took a swing on the beer instead. He knew she hated the smell of cigarettes. So he tried his best to not smoke in front of her.


    But throughout the exchange neither of them actually said anything. They just sat back and sipped on their beers silently.


    This only pissed Meera off more. She did not like the tranquility between them as if they had done it countless time and they did not really need words.


    Which was partially true since Shreya does come here often enough. At least till Charan came into her life.


    Meera came and sat beside Zack forcefully pushing Shreya aside childishly.


    Zack just shook his head amused while Shreya''s lips twitched. She did not really complain. She just got up from her place and sat down on the floor with her legs stretched out in the front and back leaned beside Zack''s legs. Given it was a three-seater couch but Meera being stubborn actually deliberately occupied more space than necessary.


    "Hey, baby girl. What happened to Charan??" Zack asked ruffling Shreya''s hairs.


    "Abstaining. But god! it''s hard!!" Shreya let out frustrated.


    "Why are you abstaining exactly???? Zack asked. And from what he knew of both of them, Charan wouldn''t avoid her for any reason. And of course, who could stop Shreya if she decides to be with him anyway.


    "I will let you know when the time comes," Shreya said vaguely keeping the empty beer bottle aside and resting her head on her couch. Of course, a few minutes later, Shreya''s stomach growled. She did not bother with it but Zack swatted on her head lightly and went to the kitchen and brought her some pizza he had ordered without a word. And Shreya munched it away with a happy grin.


    Meera got really pissed by then. She did not like being ignored so blatantly and so arrogantly. She did not like the biased treatment of Zack towards her just because Shreya was here. But if she thought about it carefully, she would have realized that Zack was not really treating her any differently. He had always been like that around her. But because he talked to Shreya today, she felt as if he was being prejudiced with her. She stormed off the house closing the door behind her with the loudest bang possible.


    Shreya jumped in surprise. But once she calmed down, she asked with a frown, "What''s her deal anyway??"


    "I don''t know actually. After that day she just keeps popping up here every few days. I feed her and let her crash on the couch." Zack said shrugging his shoulders.


    Shreya did not really poke for more information. After, everyone needs privacy. If there was something to say to the other, they would say it straight. If there isn''t, they will simply leave each other alone. But the fact that Shreya was not looking at him suspiciously or asking him whether he was interested in Meera that way�� it kinda defined a lot of things. And more than anything, it depicted the understanding she had of Zack.


    Zack was extremely fond of Shreya and even more protective. And Shreya was the same.


    Shreya burped after stuffing her stomach.


    "I am going to go to sleep now. See you tomorrow." She said unbothered and just took a pillow and laid down in his room on the floor. She did not really want to go to her empty house or her empty office.


    A few minutes later, Zack came in and covered her with a blanket before lying down on the floor himself on the other corner of the room.

 Chapter 149 - 148 A long forgotten bet won at last

    Shreya at last officially ran out of excuses. And she was getting wary of herself. So she went out with Charan actually a couple of times in her car. And now it was the Grand opening of an Art Gallery of one of Charan''s clients. And he asked her to accompany her and she agreed after a long tug-of-war between them.


    Charan just wouldn''t listen when she said she was artistically handicapped. So she agreed to go out grumpily and just as a precaution, she asked Hank to accompany them. And of course, they wouldn''t need much of a cover since not only Charan, even she was invited since the other party is a client of their company and of course, she is the President. So�� She decided on everything carefully and started getting ready.


    If it were just her, she wouldn''t have bothered to really put on any effort. She would just go in jeans and sweats. But then she was accompanying Charan this time around and she did not want to lose him face in front of his clients. So she actually put an effort and bought a designer top but she can''t really do anything more. Dresses irk her.


    Thus she pulled on a decent looking white torn jeans under her mauve top. The top had laces and some roses designed over her shoulders and the full hand sleeves, while the body of the top flared in all directions like a frock. And then set her hair on a messy high bun and applied some very light makeup and made her way to the living room where Charan was actually waiting for her.


    Charan wore a formal shirt and pants as usual tucked in properly. His hair was made properly making his look dashing. They both gapped at each other for a while without really saying anything.


    "Look who is all dolled up now??" Charan said looking up at her breaking the silence.


    "Do I look weird or something??" She asked cautiously. She had never worn a top like this before and she did not know if it was proper to wear it with a jean or not. Or if it looks awkward. So she was not exactly 100% confident even though she put the effort.


    "Nope, you look perfect. So perfect that I might actually take up on your offer and spend this fine Friday evening here cuddled up with you!!" Charan said slipping a hand around her waist and the other tucked away her lose strands.


    Shreya''s eyes brightened�� and of course, it was not for the compliment but for the later part. "Really?? Can we stay??" She asked excited with her big brown hopeful eyes.


    Charan just shook his head exasperated and said faking a slight disdain, "You know�� on the second thought!! You don''t really look that good. Let''s go��"


    Shreya''s frozen face was priceless. But when she came back to her senses, her eyes slowly turned red seeing him sniggering so badly holding on to his belly to point he actually had tears run down his eyes.


    "Gosh! You are so easy��" Charan said wiping away his tears.


    "You are so getting for this!!" Shreya uttered irritated and stomped away but was of course caught by Charan. Shreya jerked his hands making him lose his footing due to the sudden unanticipated push. And between Shreya trying to catch him with her small hands and him holding on to her hands, they both ended up falling on the couch.


    "Now, that was so cliched!!" Shreya grumbled for herself and tried to get up. But Charan circled his hands around her waist and kept her in place.


    "Sorry�� Sorry�� you look breathtaking actually!!" Charan said resting his nose and brows against the side of her face. His warm breath brushed against her skin.


    "I won''t believe you!!" Shreya said stubbornly pouting away.


    "But you know what this means right??" Charan asked gleaming.


    "What??" Shreya asked confused not understanding what he was referring to.


    "I won the bet!!" Charan said beaming.


    "What bet??" Shreya frowned. But then suddenly she remembered the bet she made at the amus.e.m.e.nt park the very first time they ever went out. She just gaped at her and asked astonished, "You still remember that one!!!??"


    "Of course. You said the winner gets a wish, remember?? How can I forget something like that??" Charan asked in a duh tone.


    "You have a wish??" Shreya asked surprised. He did not really have to win a bet to make her do something for him, she thought he knew that.


    "Yup�� one I know you would never do unless I win the bet!!" Charan replied running his hand over her hair.


    "What is it??" Shreya asked confused.


    "I want to see you in a saree!!" Charan said looking straight at her. His eyes darkened just with the thought of her wearing a saree... god knows how he would react if he actually saw her wear one. But he knew her way too well to know that this one wish was one he is going to have to fight for if he wanted it to be fulfilled.


    Shreya got up from him and straight-up refused, "Nope. Not happening��"


    Charan got up from his place and dragged them out as he asked, "Are you going back on your promise??"


    "Of course not. Make some other wish!! I will do it!!" Shreya said following him unconsciously.


    "I don''t want anything else from you. I want to see you wear a saree�� I have no other wish!!" He argued back stubbornly.


    This went on till they reached their car. Charan and Shreya got on the back after greeting Hank.


    "What''s up with her??" Hank asked Charan after seeing a distraught expression on Shreya.


    "Well, she lost a bet and now she is going to have to wear saree!!" Charan replied beaming.


    Shreya sent him a glare but kept quiet otherwise while Charan winked at her.


    Hank just shook his head and drove out of the apartment. The bickering of the youngsters continues as he drove.


    After a long while, the car pulled into a parking lot and Shreya took a deep breath before getting out. She made sure everything was in place and got down the car taking Charan''s hands.

 Chapter 150 - 149 Bad timing

    Shreya stood there in front of a painting that looked like a car drove on it with paint on it tired. She was bored. The only positive point is probably wine. She was not saying the paintings were bad. It is just she did not know how to appreciate it and everyone else there was talking about paintings one way or another. SO that ruled out talking to others.


    Charan was pulled out by the clients to settle some accounts. Shreya moved to the next painting and stared at it with the same blank look before downing the wine in her hands and reaching for another. Thankfully Charan arrived a little while later.


    Charan mingled around for a while before leaving.


    "See that wasn''t so bad now was it??" He asked. Since the gallery was actually one city over, they had their dinner before going back. Thus by the time they hit the road, it was pretty late at night.


    "For you maybe. I was bored out of my mind!" Shreya grumbled.


    But all the bickering came to a standstill when suddenly the car behind then accelerated with its headlights blazing a tad too fastly for it to be an accident.


    "Brace!!" Hank yelled from the front when he noticed the car as he simultaneously tried to maneuver the car away from the impact.


    Shreya was the fastest to react and by instinct, her hands pulled Charan back against the seat, and just then the car got hit with a bang.


    The whole car jerked on impact but the impact was not enough for the airbags. Even with Hank''s maneuvering, the car swerved uncontrollably and went overboard the road.


    Shreya''s ears buzzed and blood dripped from her head. When her head stopped spinning, she was met with a very worried Charan hovering over her. Hank was already out of the doors and a few minutes later, he came back holstering his gun back into his waist.


    First Shreya''s got out of the car, followed by Charan. Once she got her footing back, she looked around. It was dead of the night and there were no other vehicles on the road.


    ???God damn it!! Of all the godforsaken hours, they choose now!!" She grumbled taking out two phones from her pockets. First was her usual phone and the other Charan hadn''t seen before.


    Just then a car rushing through the road came into view with their headlights flashing and horns blaring.


    "We need to move��They might not be friendly��" Hank said leading them away from the scene into the farms. Sugar cane farms covered both sides of the road thickly giving them cover.


    Once they were a good distance away from the road, Shreya stopped them.


    "Shreya, we can''t stop. We are not safe. There might be more people than we can handle in there. We need to find a cover until back-up arrives." Hank said anxiously while Charan looked carefully at her injuries concerned. He covered the wound with his handkerchief.


    "I know, Hank. And it okay, Charan. This is nothing. It doesn''t hurt." She answered both of them calmly while simultaneously tapping away on her phones rapidly. She did not really seem anxious about the whole situation one bit.


    "Hank, I sent you a location. It''s my contact near this area. You can trust him. I sent both of your photos and ID''s over to him. So he will let you in and help. I want you guys to go there and stay�� It''s about a half an hour walk south of here��" Shreya burst away orders while simultaneously crashing her other phone into the ground and stomped with her boot heels. The glass cracked instantly.


    If it had been only her, she would have stayed in the crash site itself. But since Charan and Hank were here, she had to revise her plan accordingly to keep them out of it.


    Of course, by then both the guys, at last, came back to their senses and comprehended what she had just said.


    Both frowned simultaneously and said in chorus, "I am NOT leaving you here alone!!"


    If only the situation was not so tense and diabolic, Shreya would have probably laughed out loud. But ironically she neither had the patience to see the humor in it nor the time to explain.


    "Can you guys just keep your machismo under wrap for one god damn second and do as I say without arguing. I do not have the time to explain. I know what I am doing!! Once you reach the place, call Zack, from the phone the guy will give you!! And hide here for 15 minutes before you start moving! I don''t want you guys caught while fleeing�� it would defeat the whole purpose!!" Shreya said then turned to Hank extending her hands.


    She specifically asked him to call from that guy''s phone was not really because there was something special about that phone but because she was stalling for time. She needed at least an hour before Zack could come and rescue her. But because of the tense atmosphere, Hank did not catch her slyness.


    Hank sighed but then unhooked his gun and handed it over to her with two magazines.


    "Nope�� these are too loud!! I need your knife!!" Shreya said handing back the gun. But more than them being loud, she did not like the prospect of them both being unarmed and without backup. Anyways her backup was two minutes out. She had both Ayush and Nakul follow her today since she had to step out of the city and had Charan with her. So she was not in any real danger.


    Hank hesitated but then seeing her stern look he took back the gun and place two knives on her hand. Both were combat knives made of black metal. One had a wooden handle while the other did not have a handle which made it easy to conceal.


    Shreya took them both and started walking north of their position. Charan''s hands caught her''s involuntarily and pulled her into a hug as he literally begged her, "Please Shreya�� Please don''t do this�� Just�� Please��" He was terrified for her but he felt helpless looking at those cold calm eyes as if she had long anticipated it and as if she had encountered this type of thing every day. He did not like both scenarios. And he did not want to leave her alone now. And it had nothing do to with his ego as a man�� maybe if it did, he could have let go of her easily.


    But more than that he was terrified that something bad would happen to her and he wouldn''t even get the chance to try to stop it.

 Chapter 151 - 150 Teeny tiny petty shop

    Shreya rubbed her hands behind his back trying to calm him down. After a few minutes, she pulled away and told him solemnly, "Charan, I know you are scared for me. But please trust me. I know what I am doing. Nothing will happen to me. I promise." She then looked at Hank and said, "Keep him safe!"


    Shreya slipped out of his grips before he could have the chance to stop her again. Both the men were left to stare at her retreating figure feeling helpless.


    Hank then guided Charan further into the field away from the road and Shreya. If they can''t hide now, all the effort Shreya put in will be waste in the end. So for now, Hank decided to follow her orders.


    Anyways with Shreya''s skills, she will be able to hold them off for quite some time but if Charan was put into harm''s way, she will lose her rational and that could be dangerous.


    They laid low and waited. Seconds ticked by in the eerie silence. All you could hear were the wind blowing making the plants around dance to their rhythms.


    Under different circ.u.mstances, Charan could have probably enjoyed this pureness and calmness. But now, it just increased his anxiety. His heart couldn''t stay still no matter how much he tried to convince himself. It kept racing to Shreya.


    After waiting for half an hour painstakingly, then both Hank and Charan went back to the road.


    There was no sight of anything breathing or moving. Their car was in the same ditch they left it. But there was no trace of the car that hit them. The only trace left behind was the broken glasses from its windshield and blood dripped from when Hank had knocked out the people from the car before.


    "Don''t worry. The blood if from when I knocked them out!!" Hank clarified seeing Charan''s widened eyes.


    Then he guided him to the location Shreya had sent him. Even though she said it would take them half an hour to reach, because of their state of mind, their steps were swift while their eyes and ears were peeled. SO they reached the location in half the time Shreya had predicted.


    It was actually a very small petty shop at the side of the road. Just as Hank kept staring at the shop confused as to whether or not they were at the right place, puny guy rushed out of the shop stumbling through some provisions kept on the floor.


    He greeted them respectfully and led them behind the shop. It was a small worn-down dingy-looking place but a middle-aged woman who looked as puny as the guy at the shop greeted them with a warm smile.


    "I need to make a call!!" Hank said getting straight to point.


    The guy went to the shelf and pulled out a phone from under the piled up clothes and handed it to Hank.


    Hank''s hands flew over the phone and call connected to Zack. He kept it simple and brief as he said, "Shreya is in trouble. She still has the tracker on her. Sent me the location��"


    He then looked at the guy and asked, "You have a vehicle??"


    The guy did not answer but gestured them to follow him back. Hank followed with Charan hot on his trail.


    The back of the house opened to a barn that looked like it is going to fall out at any moment. And at its center, there was a car covered fully by a beige cloth.


    Hank thought as long as it would start, it was okay. But to his surprise when the guy pulled out the cloth a pristine looking Chevy was revealed. The guy then went to a shelf nearby and opened it to reveal a mini armory. It was filled with guns, ammunition, and knives.


    "Thank you��" Hank said to the guys and the guy left them to it.


    "You stay here�� Back up is 30 minutes out. I have to go buy her some time till then��" Hank said holstering the guns of his choice.


    "I am coming with you. I am not going to stay here and wait for a damn phone call when my girlfriend is held captive by some assholes." Charan replied sternly.


    "I can''t protect you there��" Hank said exasperated.


    "You don''t have to. I might not know my way around a gun but I do have training in hand to hand combat. I can handle myself. Four pairs of hands are better than two��" Charan argued.


    Hank turned around and gave him a look. He did not say anything but suddenly his hands flew towards Charan balled up into a fist. Charan dodged it with ease. This went on for straight two minutes and Charan was punched only once in the gut. He successfully dodged every other blow from Hank.


    "Okay fine. Keep it. This is safety. Pull the trigger only when absolutely necessary. The accuracy rate is high on this one. SO as long as you aim at a bigger target, you should be able to hit it!!" Hank said and got into the car.


    Charan holstered the gun and followed suit.


    "The car is fast��" The shop guy told them before bidding them goodbye.


    Both of them reached the nearest point that could be reached by road and got down. She wasn''t taken that far out. They were on the outskirts of the city covered by forest.


    "How accurate is the location exactly???? Charan asked looking at the thick cover of trees. It''s late and it is going to be tough moving let alone searching in this.


    "One-mile radius!!" Hank replied. But he could see why he would ask. It would be impossible for two guys to cover that much ground in the forest and find her in time.


    Charan stayed calm though.


    "You have a plan!!" Hank asked.


    "Maybe�� how about I act as bait. If I am too obvious, they will probably bring me to wherever Shreya is held. You can just follow me out!!" Charan asked still looking for an easy way of doing it. But there was none.


    "I can''t. Shreya will have my head!! There are too many variables��" Hank refused after giving it a thought.


    "There is no other way. There is still a lot of time for the back up to come here and it''s been too long since they got Shreya. The longer she is in there, the more risk she is in. The odds won''t be in her favor no matter how skilled she is!!" Charan said moving forward without giving Hank any chance to argue.

 Chapter 152 - 151 Ex- husband or should I say Late Ex- Husband

    Shreya walked forward simultaneously texting away on her phone to Ayush.


    Shreya: Stay sharp. No mistakes this time. Nobody makes a move until I give you the signal.


    The other phone had the details of all her networks. She couldn''t really risk people getting their hands on it. Her network was actually very simple. It was not some underworld gang or something even though she did have connections there too. But her primary information network was actually a chain of petty shops. No matter where you go, you will always have one or two petty shops in the vicinity no matter how remote the location is. She hired each and every such shop to be her informant.


    The reward is money or anything that they want within reason. And to ensure loyalty, she sponsored their kids through school and college and then employed them in one of her companies itself. Which in turn benefited her since not only they were loyal to her but also hard working. It took a lot of work but was efficient and effective since such shops had bigger ears than police itself most of the time and the return they expected was actually less than that of gangs.


    Shreya walked beyond the field and hid behind a tree. She wanted them to find her but if she was too obvious about it, it would arise suspicion. She securely hid the smalled knife in her boot heels while kept the bigger one very conspicuously.


    Minutes ticked by�� she heard steps flooding all around her. She moved around the tree carefully. Her top scarped against the tree bark tearing it.


    She looked at the top pitiful. She really liked the top.


    Just then, she felt hard metal being pointed at her temple. She froze and acted scared and panicked very skillfully. First, they frisked her and her phone was thrown out, and the bigger knife was confiscated. Next minute a black bag was flung over her head and she was dragged along through the field blinded. When she felt a hard road under her foot, a car came to a standstill in front of her with a screeching sound.


    She was then stuffed into a trunk after being tied up and gagged. Her eyes turned impossibly cold and her face expressionless. She remained calm and patient all the way. After a short drive, the car came to a stop and someone opened the trunk.


    She was once again dragged out to walk. This time around the path was rougher making it harder to walk with the blindfolds. She stumbled over and scrapped herself several times before pulled to a stop.


    The rolling sound of a shutter door was heard and she was pulled towards it. After walking for a dozen steps, she was pushed down to the floor.


    Just from the fact that none of them spoke a single word from when they took her gave away the fact that none of them here was the boss but the group was extremely disciplined. And right on time, a phone rang, a guy''s voice rang through the room. Because of the absolute silence around both sides of the conversation can be heard if only one would concentrate and listened. "Did you get her??"


    "Yes, sir!!" The guy from here answered.


    "Casualties??"


    "None�� Her bodyguards ran away leaving her alone." The guy from here answered.


    "I am two minutes away��" The guy said on the line before hanging up.


    "Secure the place��" The guy commanded which was followed up a whole bunch of footsteps.


    Shreya stayed down. And exactly two minutes later, a bunch of footsteps was heard and she was hauled to sit on a chair and the bag over her head was removed along with her gag. It took a minute to focus with a sudden flash of light but when she did, she was met with a cold pair of eyes. A few seconds later she was hit with the pungent smell of cigarettes and the smoke making her cough badly.


    The guy in front of her had a mean look dressed completely in black, balanced a cigarette between his teeth, and looked at her unwaveringly. He sat there in front of her leisurely with an expressionless face reading her like a book with interest.


    "Take that out of my face�� I don''t really like the smell!!" Shreya said arrogantly gesturing at his cigarette once she calmed down from her coughing fit. Her eyes had no fear whatsoever.


    The guy couldn''t really help the small sinister smile creep into his face. He still put the cigarette down and stubbed it.


    "Your husband never knew what hit him, did he??" The guy asked in his amused rough voice.


    "Ex- husband�� or should I say Late- ex-husband!!" Shreya corrected him with a sweet smile that could make any normal guy fall to his knees.


    "So you know about that too!!" The guy asked. His amus.e.m.e.nt with her grew with every time she spoke in that unhurried arrogant tone in spite of being where she was and how she was.


    Prasanna never had a chance. He was a fool to have jumped ship with Rakesh. He probably could have lived better if he had begged her rather than going against her. It was almost embarrassing to extract information from that whining idiot. It only took one hour.


    But looking at Shreya�� somehow he felt is going to be fun.


    "Please, it was not really that much of a challenge!!" Shreya said shrugging her shoulders.


    "And yet here you are!!" The guy said mockingly.


    "You seriously think you could have caught me that easily if I didn''t want to be caught??" Shreya smirked back.


    "So we are surrounded by your people!! Interesting!!" The guy said but his eyes, at last, had a spark of passion. He looked almost happy to have found a challenging adversary, at last.


    But the bulky guy standing behind him got agitated. He signaled his men to go take a look. After 10 minutes, they came back empty.


    All this while Shreya and the guy in the chair had a staring match neither of them ready to quit anytime soon.


    The bulky guy stormed towards Shreya and pulled her up by her collars and demanded, "Call them, now��"


    Shreya just smirked back.


    That smirk was so mocking that it pissed the bulky guy off to no end. A few heavy punches landed on her face and gut�� Shreya still did not back down nor did she even let out a groan. She just looked at him daringly spitting out a mouth full of blood as if she was spitting out a gum after chewing.


    The bulky guy pulled out his gun and aimed at her point-blank to her temple.


    "Call them off, or you''re dead!!" He threatened.


    Shreya did not even blink�� her expression did not twitch even an ounce. She had the same steady arrogant stare daring him to continue.

 Chapter 153 - 152 Hank, you had one freaking job

    The guy sitting on the chair let out a laugh�� in that silent dark forest, his voice was like devil''s beckoning.


    "You are no match for her Vicky. Put your gun down!!" He commanded.


    The bulky guy slowly drew the gun down and took a step back.


    Shreya forwarded her bound hands and asked, "You mind!! This thing will leave a bruise and I have a date tomorrow!!"


    The bulky guy''s eyes flared.


    "What?? you are afraid of an unarmed little girl now??" Shreya asked mockingly.


    But before he could say anything a voice rang, "Untie her��" the guy in the chair commanded smirking.


    The bulky guy did as said very reluctantly sulking away.


    Shreya flexed her hands before sitting back on the chair crossing her legs and leaning her elbows on the chair.


    "So, what is it that earned me the honor of meeting The Ms. Shreya Srivastav!!" The guy asked. He really liked the little girl in front of him. He hadn''t met anyone remotely this interesting in a very long time. So he was actually savoring this moment.


    "Well, I don''t know your name but you are Naren''s lackey. I have seen you around him and you must have been the one who got Prasanna out. And most likely Prasanna pointed fingers at me for Rakesh''s sorry state. I am actually here for dirt on your boss and his partners. Do you want to help?? I am a very generous person and I appreciate talent." Shreya said leisurely as if she was having a conversation over a cup of coffee. Her posture showed such arrogance that it was hard to guess who was the hostage and who was the kidnapper between the two.


    "Do you really think you can bribe me??" The guy asked smirking.


    "No�� it won''t work on you. I would need leverage with you. Tiresome. But the little guy behind you�� what did you call him?? Vicky right?? He would take it if I were just a tad bit persuasive!!" Shreya said provocatively. She was purposely riling him up so that he will slip up some information in anger.


    Vicky stepped forward all over again and this time around he had a knife on hand. Her knife to be precise that they had confiscated before. The blades quickly dug into her palm and blood flooded out. Shreya waggled her hands in pain and looked pissed at last, "Shit, there goes my date!!" She grumbled irritated as blood kept dripping down.


    "I am Dharsh, by the way!! Vicky, give her your kerchief!! I want her conscious��" The guy in the chair commanded. He did not even bat an eye seeing all the blood oozing out of her hands.


    Shreya accepted the kerchief after giving Vicky an ugly glare.


    "Nice to meet you Dharsh. I actually like your name. I would even shake hands�� but then my hand is a mess since you don''t know how to keep your lackey under check. So we will skip that part��" Shreya said icily wrapping the kerchief over the wound stopping the bleeding.


    Vicky''s vein''s bulged all over again but this time around Dharsh gave him a very stern look and he stopped on his track and stood behind him quietly.


    Once she was done wrapping her hands, she looked back up and asked, "So, you want to tell me why I am here??"


    Shreya had not really planned on playing this game for this long. She could already guess Ayush sweating buckets waiting for her signal anxiously. But then she also knew Ayush wouldn''t take things into his own hands�� especially after the previous screw up.


    The minute she laid eyes on Dharsh, she knew she wouldn''t be able to get much information out of him even if she was to torture him to death. Unless she finds leverage which was tiresome and tedious. And he seemed to be the only guy with any valuable information in this room. So she decided to get as much information as she can when he still had the upper hand. As long as he thinks that he could pull a trigger to her head any moment he wanted, there is a chance he would actually give some information.


    Dharsh eyes twitched as he said slyly without giving away much, "I thought you said I fell into your trap??"


    "I mean, you guys put a lot of effort to bring me here�� so I thought you guys might actually need something from me. And since I like you and I am feeling really generous, if you ask me- I might actually give it to you!!" Shreya said with a sweet smile.


    "Well, aren''t I a lucky guy��" Dharsh smiled back.


    This push and pull game went on for a while. Vicky got really impatient. The more time passed, the risks were getting higher. He was getting scared. He was not ready to die just because Dharsh suddenly found his captive interesting and want to flirt with her.


    Vicky stormed back to Shreya and pulled her by collars all over again and asked irritated, "Stop shitting around and tell us where you hid the evidence!?? If you give the location, maybe I will let you walk out of here. That too only if you beg nicely!!" He threatened, hovering over her, breathing out angry air at her face.


    Shreya did not flinch but her lips twitched with a victorious smile and she turned and looked at Dharsh and said mockingly, "You brought a pig teammate, buddy�� Such a pity��"


    Dharsh, at last, lost his cool and pulled Vicky and shoved him against the wall.


    "What the f.u.c.k do you think you are doing Vicky?? I am talking, aren''t I??" He asked irritated.


    "More like flirting!! Orders were to get the evidence, put a bullet to her head�� not to make her comfortable and chat!!" Vicky flared back.


    Dharsh really wished he could drill some sense into him. But even though he was an idiot, he was Naren''s cousin�� so he can''t touch him no matter how much he screws up.


    Dharsh drew his hand ready to punch his frustration but stopped just inches away from his face.


    "You played right into her hand and you do not even realize it�� braindead bastard!!" Dharsh said before throwing Vicky to the floor harshly.


    "You are the one who is braindead!! Don''t act like a boss here. You are just my cousin''s dog!!" Vicky flared back standing up.


    But before any of them could react, one of the guys came inside pushing a slightly bruised Charan to the floor and reported, "I found him poking around the woods.


    Shreya''s eyes widened at last. For once, her arrogance was replaced by panic, fear, and irritation.


    "Hank, you had one freaking job!!" Shreya exclaimed exasperated in her head.

 Chapter 154 - 153 Leave him alone

    Dharsh''s eyes moved between Shreya and Charan.


    Charan''s eyes were filled with concern as they fell in Shreya. And they turned to anguish when he saw her hand. Her hand was wrapped with kerchief but by now the white kerchief had turned completely red with her blood.


    Shreya took a minute to compose herself before bringing the same indifferent arrogant expression back on her face.


    But Dharsh saw right through her. He let Vicky rot on the floor before approaching Charan.


    "Interesting�� At last, something that could break the composure of The Shreya Srivastav�� Very interesting��" he said looking at Charan.


    "Leave him alone!!" Shreya commanded coldly.


    Dharsh let out a laugh before drawing his gun out. With a loud click that echoed through the silent barn, he loaded the magazine. "Only when someone tells me not to do something�� I have this urge to do it more�� You should understand that better than anyone right?? Since you are the same!!" he said leisurely pointing the gun to Charan''s head.


    "What do you want??" Shreya asked. She wiggled discretely and took the knife from inside her sleeves. She had taken it out of her boots at the car itself.


    Dharsh''s lips twitched into a sinister smile and drew the gun point-blank to Charan''s head and asked, " The evidence�� where is it??"


    Shreya shifted her hands towards the windows and signaled. She counted down�� 3�� 2�� 1. And at one, the power to the barn was cut while her knife flew out of her hands and pierced on Dharsh''s hands making him drop the gun to the floor and let out a grunt. It all happened so fast that one would have missed it if they had so much had even blinked an eye.


    But Dharsh did not really have much time to dwell on his pain as Charan grabbed the gun and pointed then to his stomach and commanded, "Don''t move��" Since it was aimed point-blank and of course, he had personally loaded it�� Dharsh did not move�� He hated gunshot wounds.


    In the darkness, noises of grunts and wails filled the air. Exactly 30 seconds passed�� the light came back on and Shreya was surrounded by Zack and Hank and all of Dharsh''s men were knocked out except for two. Vicky was groaning with blood dripping out of his palm. But even he passed out after two minutes. And Ayush stood beside him wiping away the blood from his knife. While Nakul stood beside Dharsh pointing his gun at him.


    Shreya looked around and took in everything. She did not bother with anyone. She went straight to Charan and took out the gun from his hands with her uninjured left hands.


    Charan got up from the floor and engulfed her in a tight hug sighing in relief. "Thank god, you are okay!!" He said against her hair without letting her go. It felt as if his heart had, at last, came back to him and started beating when he felt her wrapped in his arms.


    But Shreya''s body stayed stiff. For the first time ever, she did not hug him back. Her hands stayed down limply on both sides. She emitted a coldness he had never seen before. She did not speak a single word to him as she pulled away from his arms without even looking at him properly and went back to Hank.


    She stood in front of Hank gritting her teeth and glared at him coldly. Hank could see she was really really pissed.


    "You had one job, Hank!! One f.u.c.k.i.n.g job. All you had to do was take him to a f.u.c.k.i.n.g shop and keep him there�� How difficult was it to do?? Huh�� Just because I give leeway and talk politely to everyone doesn''t give you the f.u.c.k.i.n.g right to disobey my orders!!!" Shreya spat out angrily swatting harshly with the back of her free hand on his chests with her eyes flared up. Her voice echoed through the barn walls loud and clear.


    Shreya had never established her authority with him�� Not once. Since Hank was someone her father picked for her protection and since he had practically watched her grow up through puberty, she was always especially polite to him. She saw him more like an uncle than someone she employed. To make someone like that behave like this, Hank knew he had messed up big time. He suddenly regretted bringing Charan along and putting him in harm''s way. After all, Charan had a family and a daughter.


    Even though he did it mainly because he was worried about Shreya�� he still felt no matter the reasons, he shouldn''t have let his emotions cloud his judgments.


    Thus a guy twice her age actually stood before her with his head hung down as he apologized, "Sorry, Shreya. I was wrong. It won''t happen again." He did not make unnecessary excuses.


    Charan felt bad seeing the scene. After all, it was he who had asked to be brought along. "Shreya, it wasn''t his fault. It was I who��" He started but then lost his voice when she turned around and gave him a cold glare.


    She turned back and extended her hands and asked, "Phone!"


    Hank handed his phone out quietly.


    She took that phone in her injured hand and took it to Dharsh and shot a photo of him. Then she dialed a number.


    As soon as the call connected, Shreya spoke, "Adam, this is Shreya."


    "Oh, thank god. Are you okay?? You scared us all!!" Adam said anxiously.


    "Don''t worry, I am fine. Don''t tell Anand uncle just yet. I will come and explain it to him." At last, some semblance of softness came into her voice when he talked about Anand. But then it went away as quickly as it came as she continued, "I sent you a picture. I need everything on him in one hour��"


    "Shreya, it''s freaking 2 o''clock in the morning!!" Adam complained.


    "I don''t care what god freaking time it is. I need that information, Adam. On-time. Wake as many people as you need to. I don''t care��" Shreya ordered sternly.


    Her frustration and anger seeped into her voice making Adam have cold sweat form on his forehead. He could not even think about the state of the people right in front of her at the moment.


    Gosh! Shreya was really scary sometimes�� he thought to himself and did not dare to argue anymore.


    "Okay�� I will have them��" Adam agreed obediently.


    "Concentrate on family�� I want everything you can get on his family." Shreya continued and could see Dharsh slightly stiffening.


    "Okay�� got it. Anything else??" Adam asked cautiously.


    "Yes�� Take Andrew with you and stay at Charan''s parent''s place today. Stay outside for now but I want you guys inside at dawn. I don''t really care what lie you have to come up with�� I want you to stay over until we get there. And I want our people taking Akira to school and back. The same goes for Preethi and Bharath if they want to go out��" Shreya instructed.


    "Okay�� I will handle it. Nothing with happen to them." Adam said and hung up.


    The fact that she was worried about his family even at a time like this�� Charan really did not know how she did it.

 Chapter 155 - 154 Dont test me, Dharsh. You wont even have the time to regret it.

    Only a few minutes could have passed since Zack had breached the barn but because of the tense atmosphere, it almost felt as if hours had gone by.


    Shreya sat on the chair and gestured Nakul to bring Dharsh to the chair in front of her. Nakul took handcuffs to secure Dharsh''s hands.


    "Don''t bother. He knows he can''t escape. He is smart. He won''t make trouble�� And give him a kerchief to wrap his hands." Shreya interrupted. Nakul kept back the handcuffs and Dharsh came and sat back on the chair by himself. When Nakul handed him a kerchief, he carefully wrapped them around his wounds. Shreya had killer aim but the cut was not deep. If the knife was a little bigger or had a handle, the weight would have helped the throw. But without them, the knife just scrapped him but it was enough to drop his gun.


    "Except for Nakul, Ayush, and Zack�� rest of you�� clear the room. Take everyone with you and secure them in the forest. Hank, take Charan back��" Shreya rained orders in succession.


    "I am not leaving you again!!" Charan said stubbornly.


    Everyone in the room paused for a second and looked at Shreya nervously. Shreya was emitting such dark aura that none of them even dared to breathe loudly. So they were slightly scared for Charan.


    But Shreya did not bother to argue this time. She just said, "Suit yourself," in the same cold voice.


    "Ayush, ask someone to take that idiot to a hospital before he bleeds to death!!" Shreya said nonchalantly and rested her eyes and ears tuning everything out.


    Everyone got to work as quietly as they could but they were really swift out of fear.


    Charan let out a sigh seeing her own bleeding hands. He then approached one of the bodyguards and asked them to bring a first aid kit. A few minutes later, the guy came back with it and handed it to Charan.


    Charan went and sat kneeling on the floor in front of Shreya. He took the phone out of her hands. The white casing of the phone was now red with her blood.


    Shreya slightly jerked her hands but not even a hiss escaped her lips. Charan carefully unwrapped the kerchief off of her wound. The cut was deep and was now covered with dried blood.


    "You need to go to a hospital Shreya��" Charan said as softly as he possibly could. But Shreya did not even bother to open her eyes and look at him. But she did not take her hands out of his either.


    Resigned, Charan cleaning up her wound with disinfectants and put some ointment and wrapped it up with a bandage. The bleeding hadn''t stopped yet. So the bandage turned red slowly. But since he wrapped it so tightly, he knew the bleeding will stop in no time. Advantages of having a doctor as your elder sister.


    The tense atmosphere continued to point it felt suffocating. Nakul stood guard beside Dharsh while Ayush and Zack stood beside Shreya. Charan stood away from them leaning in the wall.


    A phone rang, at last, breaking the insufferable silence of the room.


    Shreya picked up the bloodied phone and kept it at her ears. It was Pritham.


    "Shreya, other information might take time. But I found something interesting in my search. There is an adoption record for his sister��"


    Dharsh did not hear everything but he did hear the word ''sister'' and he immediately got tensed and looked at Shreya with wide eyes. Suddenly looking at her, he felt scared�� something he hadn''t felt in a very long time.


    "Dig deeper. And track the parents and send someone over�� You have 15 minutes��" Shreya replied and hung up.


    "What are you trying to do??" Dharsh asked agitated.


    "You will see in a while��" Shreya said to him and went back to resting her eyes.


    Another 20 minutes of agonizing silence after, Pritham called back.


    "You''re late!!" Shreya said making Pritham shed pitiful tears. After all, this was the middle of the freaking night and he was pulled out of sleep to work and yet he was still scolded for being 5 minutes late. But then he couldn''t voice the injustice with the way Shreya was. So he apologized very obediently and started reporting.


    "She has a medical condition. I sent you the reports and also the link for a live feed from our guy inside the house. He is in this line too. So you can talk to him straight."


    "Come in Zack''s line��" She said instead and hung up the phone.


    Zack quietly passed her his Bluetooth. She plugged in but stayed quiet going through the report.


    "Hey, Dharsh�� Guess who hit the jackpot this time!!" Shreya asked with a smile that looked sweet but still gave out an evil aura making Dharsh anxious. Even he couldn''t find the location of his sister after years of searching so he was confident Shreya won''t be able to find her�� that too in an hour. But still looking into her eyes, he could help but feel uneasy.


    But Pritham was smart enough to not look for her but for her parents since it was very unlikely she would have come out with her conditions.


    After an agonizingly long pause, she started reading it out to Dharsh, "Ishika Aggarwal, now Ishika Patel�� Age: 16. Suffers from Asperger''s syndrome. A prodigy in piano�� Do you want me to continue??"


    "Don''t touch her, Shreya. I am warning you!!" Dharsh seethed venomously.


    "What was it that you just said to me a while ago�� When someone tells me not to do something�� I end up wanting to do it more�� And as you said�� we are the same breed��" Shreya replied casually faking a thinking face to spite him.


    Dharsh tried to calm himself down but it was hard. Then he thought of how she sent Vicky to the hospital. He gained slight confidence as he said, "You wouldn''t hurt her. You wouldn''t hurt a fly. Let alone someone completely na?ve and innocent as her��"


    "Yea?? The goody-two-shoes you described was until you pressed a gun to the head of the person I love in front of my own eyes�� Now I would go to any damn extent to protect my own. So don''t test me Dharsh. You won''t even have the time to regret it��" Shreya said looking straight at him. Her body and eyes emitted so much darkness that Dharsh couldn''t be sure if she was being serious or if she was bluffing.


    Just when he was hesitating, Shreya opened and showed him the live feed and casually said as if she was narrating a drama, "You want to see how an Asperger''s patient reacts when a stranger barges into her bedroom and wakes her up out of routine??" And the person on the live feed moved closer to his sister slowly.


    Dharsh did not care anymore. It did not matter if she was bluffing or being serious. He surrenders, "I will talk�� I promise. I will tell you anything... Please, Shreya�� I will co-operate. Leave her alone. You can ask me anything��"

 Chapter 156 - 155 Get creative with your story.

    "Retreat��" Shreya commanded over the phone and hung up.


    Dharsh and Shreya stared at each other for one extended minute before he reverted his eyes looking down.


    "What do you want to know??" He asked.


    "Everything they know about me��" Shreya said resting her head on her knuckles sitting lethargically.


    Dharsh sighed. He knows to accept when he was defeated. And Shreya was that one adversary you just can''t hate. She defeats you so absolutely that you can''t help yourself from admiring her a bit.


    "Well, you already guessed most of it. Your ex- sent a word through the jail warden saying he knew who was behind Rakesh''s downfall. But when we went in, he wanted to get out and huge pay�� Killing him in jail would have been easy but extracting information was not really convenient and we hit a lot of deadends in our investigation on Rakesh''s case. SO we got him out and he was very forthcoming when he talked about you. At first, they were skeptical saying you were just a little girl and was depressed after the broken marriage, and Prasanna was using them to take revenge on you and get out."


    "But still they sent people to tail you�� but none of them came back with anything fruitful. Even the people in the company said you just come over every day to play and goof around. That you would even sleep through most of the meetings. And that your title was a namesake given in honor for your dad.


    As far as your personal life was concerned, all we got was you moved from media eyes after divorce and got depressed. Once they found a guy who took pictures of you with an older guy but then it turned out to be your personal bodyguard.


    Then again you were Adithya''s daughter. So they were scared about the evidence for The Prime Minister''s murder. If you made it public, everything will get really painful to handle. So they wanted to be sure and Naren said the most efficient way was to take you out directly.


    And we knew within the city, you had people all around you and we cannot touch you. Thus the minute you stepped out, Naren asked their people to take you out and sent me to extract information. He staged an accident on both sides of you making it impossible for any cars to reach you for about half an hour." He said the whole thing like he was reading them out of a book without any pause.


    Shreya stared at him for a long time after he finished talking. Her gut told her he was being honest. Moreover, with Naren�� He always behaved like such a prick that the people under him always despised him a bit�� With him, integrity and loyalty came from fear rather than respect. So she could see that there was not really much love lost between him and Dharsh.


    "You can go��" Shreya said waving her hand. "And remember, you don''t know where your sister is but I do. So you better not say anything unnecessary about what you saw here." She said pointedly giving a look towards Charan.


    Of course, Dharsh understood. But then he frowned and asked, "What do you mean, go??" He thought he would end up dead after confessing. That is why the words flowed like a river.


    "I mean get out!!" Shreya said once again.


    "Am I going to be shot on the back once I walk out of the door??" He asked suspiciously.


    Shreya just gave him a look.


    "Right�� You won''t do something that troublesome�� You will just put a bullet to my head now��" Dharsh answered for her. "But I can''t go out like this�� if I go like this�� I am a dead man�� You might as well shoot me now."


    Shreya pursed her lips for a second before lifting the gun in her left hand and said, "As you wish��" bang�� the bullet pierced his shoulders. Her hands did not shake nor did her eyes flinch as if she does this every day.


    "Argh�� God damn it!! I hate bullet wounds��" Dharsh grumbled covering his wound.


    "Get creative with your story��" Shreya said and got up from her place but she did not leave just yet. She approached him and took his right hand in hers. Dharsh looked at her confused but then meeting her haunted dark eyes, he knew he was not going to like what''s coming his way.


    Shreya pointed her gun at his palms callously and said solemnly, "That one is for your safety. But this one is for pointing a gun at my boyfriend!!" And she shot him right through his palm making him wail.


    She then left him crouching on the floor in pain.


    "And yea, you will find your best friend Vicky at the hospital south of here. He probably has a long list of complaints." Shreya said and walked out completely with Zack, Charan, Ayush, and Nakul hot on her trail.


    Dharsh cursed under his breath. He couldn''t digest why Vicky got away so easily after slicing her but then he got shot twice after doing absolutely nothing to her. But he couldn''t do anything more than grumble as he got out.


    It took them half an hour to reach their cars. Four cars were parked in succession.


    Shreya got in last but she deliberately avoided sitting beside Charan. Thus Ayush drove as Charan sat on the driver side passenger seat while Shreya got on the back with Zack. The car zoomed through the highway at high speed. And the inside of the car was absolute silence. Charan rested leaned behind and rested his eyes for a while. Zack was in his phone dealing with things while Shreya stared blankly outside.


    By the time they actually reached the city, they were caught in rush hour traffic.


    When they neared their area, Ayush asked doubtfully, "Where to??"


    "Akira''s school��"


    "Hospital!!"


    Shreya and Charan gave different answers simultaneously. But given the mood, Ayush drove straight to Akira''s school without a word.


    When they reached the school, the entrance was filled with parents dropping kids. A while later, Andrew pulled his car, and Akira jumped down waving a bye at him. But he stopped her on her track and brought her to Shreya''s car.


    Shreya would have gone down, but she did not want to risk things. But even then she couldn''t help but want to see her.


    Akira''s eyes brightened instantaneously seeing Shreya. She struggled impatiently to get in the car. Shreya chuckled and lifted her off her feet into her laps. She embraced her tightly. Relief swept in like a storm. She calmed down at last. Somehow, breathing on her scent she felt a peace of mind that no one else could give her. She did not know how she ended up depending on Akira so much.


    All the way here, all she could think of was that today, this little bundle of joy would have lost her father too because of her. Just the thought was so terrifying to her that it actually hurt physically. But now seeing her smiling face, she was really thankful for all gods in the universe that Charan was okay.


    "Baby, are you ready for your exam today??" Shreya asked still holding on to her.


    Akira nodded her head over her shoulders and said proudly, "Of course. I will get a hundred in science even without studying��"


    "That''s my girl!!" Shreya said ruffling her head. That''s when Akira noticed her wounded hand.


    "What happened Shreya??" She asked in a slightly high pitched concerned voice taking Shreya''s hand in her small ones. Her eyes widened seeing the blood.


    "Nothing baby. I just fell down. Now go on and do your exams well." Shreya said taking back her hands and pecking on her forehead.


    "Don''t worry, baby. I will take her to the hospital. Now you go to school and ace your exams okay??" Charan said softly picking her up from Shreya''s laps and walked towards the school gates.


    By the time Charan came back to the car, Shreya had lost all her energy and fell unconscious. She had been running around on sheer grit for so long. But when she met Akira, all her anxiety flew away making her faint.


    They rushed her to the hospital.

 Chapter 157 - 156 As if blinking can magically make the person disappear

    Shreya woke up to a white ceiling and a strong scent of antiseptic hit her instantly making her groan in exasperation. She knew that smell too well. She was in a hospital.


    An unconscious groan escaped her lips.


    She sat up on the bed. Her throat felt dry and parched. She looked around for water, that''s when her eyes landed on Charan dozing off on the couch. The events of the day flashed by in a second making her cold all over again. She got up from the bed and went near him hurriedly. She extended her hands towards him but then pulled back just before she could touch him as if she was afraid he would disappear the minute she touched him.


    She felt really scared all of a sudden when images of Charan kneeling on his knees with Dharsh aiming it point-blank at his head filled her head. She quickly went back to the bed and laid down curled up into a ball. But her eyes kept staring at Charan without even daring to blink.


    She was so out of it that she did not even realize Preethi entering the room and staring at her.


    "I don''t know what happened but Charan kinda had the same look on his face when he brought you in passed out of exhaustion�� he was also looking at you as if blinking is going to magically make you disappear or something��" Preethi said amused.


    Shreya sat up startled and looked at Preethi wide-eyed.


    "And of course, there is also Adam who had been sticking to our house like a freaking glue for 12 hours straight now�� And yea, you have been sleeping for 12 hours now!!" She continued taking her hands to feel her pulse.


    "Adam�� that''s on me. Just bear with it for a few days�� He will be out of your hair!!" Shreya mumbled sitting up properly in a really hoarse voice.


    Preethi quietly went and fetched her a glass of water and stuffed it to her hands. Shreya did not protest and sipped on it gratefully as she listened to her reply.


    "Hey, I am not complaining. Akil likes having him around and so does my mom!" Preethi said shrugging her shoulders.


    "Things are going good between you two then??" Shreya asked looking up at her.


    "You can say that��" Preethi gave her the classic noncommittal answer. After all, she is not someone who goes around talking about her private life, and more than that Shreya and Preethi were not that close yet. So she was not comfortable opening up her heart and soul just yet. Even though there is no animosity between them.


    Shreya maybe comfortable around Preethi to point where she ends up blabbering anything and everything. But it takes time for Preethi to get that comfortable around people. Especially with the same gender. Maybe because she grew up having two brothers and a dad, she kinda got better with guys than girls. Moreover, they hadn''t had that many interactions yet.


    "I''m glad. Adam�� I mean I know he might not say much but he�� he��" Shreya tried to describe but did not have the right words.


    "He warms your heart without saying a word��" Preethi completed it for her with a smile.


    "Yup�� Exactly," Shreya replied smiled back.


    By then Charan woke up with a yawn but he rushed to Shreya seeing her awake.


    "Don''t worry. She is okay�� She mostly fainted from exhaustion and excessive bleeding. She should be okay now��" Preethi said to his brother and walked away.


    Charan rushed forward and hugged her relieved. "Thank god you woke up at last!! You had me worried!"


    Shreya leaned into the hug. There was just that one second of bliss when she felt his heartbeat against her ears. But once again the peace was shattered by the image of when she almost lost him. Suddenly all her fear came back. And with fear, all sorts of worst-case scenarios started going around in her head like a damn television series.


    "We should stop seeing each other for a while!!" Shreya uttered even before she could think through it. But somehow it also felt right. It felt safe somehow. And with that came a sense of calm.


    "What?? What do you mean??" Charan pulled away and asked looking into her eyes. The calmness in her made him uneasy in a way he couldn''t really explain.


    "Exactly what I said. We should stop meeting or seeing each other for a while!!" Shreya said with the same tranquility.


    Charan did not understand what was going on. His mind stopped working for a while. Nothing came to his mind for a very long time.


    "It''s too dangerous for you and Akira to be around me Charan. So we should stop seei��." Shreya explained but was suddenly interrupted by Charan, "I don''t want to�� I don''t care why�� I don''t want to stop seeing you." He said hugging her all over again.


    "Charan��" Shreya started. But Charan just shook his head. "I don''t want to hear anything. You just rest now. I will go get something for you to eat, okay??" he said and left the room without really giving her a chance to reply.


    Shreya stayed quiet when he came back. Charan diligently served her the food he got. Shreya sighed but still lifted her injured hand and picked up the spoon shakily.


    "Don''t bother. I will feed you��" Charan said and took the spoon from her hand and scooped a spoon full of rice and extended it to her lips. Shreya stayed still for one extended minute but then she opened her mouth and ate silently without protest. After scooping several spoons full of rice, Charan fed her some water.


    This went on until Shreya couldn''t eat anymore. Charan cleared the plate and went out to dispose of the trash. Shreya could clearly see that he was avoiding her deliberately so that she doesn''t get a chance to continue their talk. She waited patiently for him to come back.


    When he came back, he straight away tucked her into bed and said, "You should rest some more. You bled a lot. Thank god the wound did not get infected. Or else you would have been in a whole lot of trouble." He fuzzed and nagged for no reason.

 Chapter 158 - 157 Stop being over dramatic for Gods sake.

    "Charan��" Shreya called out holding him back and sitting up on her bed. She looked up at him and gestured him to sit on the bed beside her.


    Charan shook his head and said, "If you are going to continue with the previous conversation, I don''t want to." He childishly went to stand on the farthest end of the room.


    Shreya let out an exasperated and said in a raised her voice impatiently, "Charan stop being childish and listen to me for once for gods sakes��"


    Charan sulked but he came and sat on the bed still pouting.


    Shreya took a breath and calmed herself down before talking again. "Charan�� please�� stop being emotional and think rationally for a second will you. Think about Akira if not about yourself. It''s just too dangerous Charan. Or else I wouldn''t have suggested it. It''s just for a while. Let''s stay away from each other okay!!" She explained as calmly as she could given the circ.u.mstances.


    Charan stayed quiet. There was an uneasiness he couldn''t explain clearly. His gut was screaming at him to not agree for some reason. So he shook his head stubbornly.


    "Shreya�� Please. I will be good okay?? I promise. I won''t defy anything you say ever again. So don''t do this�� Don''t do this to us!! I promise. I will listen to everything you say and I won''t even ask why or what!! Except for this!!" Charan practically begged.


    "Charan�� You think I would do this because you didn''t listen to me�� Do you really think I am that petty�� Why are you not understanding that I am doing this for your own good�� It''s just for a while. We can be together after everything is wrapped up from my end and you know all too well why I can''t walk away from this!" Shreya said assertively.


    Charan really hated this rational side of hers. He absolutely hated the fact that she was making it seem so easy and so simple. It hurt like hell to look at her and know she means everything and that she would end up doing it one way or another, whether he agrees or not.


    "You have already decided to stay away anyways�� so why are you even asking me now!!" Charan accused sarcastically in a resigned tone that seemed to be masking absolute agony and anger. He looked at her one last time and just got up from the bed and started walking out.


    Shreya lost it. Her composure crumbled in a matter of seconds. She did not like his accusing eyes nor the slightly stink in his tone directed towards her. She stormed after him and harshly pushed him on the back making him almost plant his face to the floor.


    "Shreya��" Charan exclaimed angrily turning back to her.


    But her anger had not subsided yet and was more than his. She pushed him all over again without even bothering that the wound in her palm might split and bleed all over again.


    "DO you seriously think this is easy for me??" She asked angrily.


    "You sure doesn''t seem heartbroken��" Charan replied sarcastically. He knew rationally she was just putting up a front. But even then some irrational part of him wanted to hurt her for putting them through this�� for putting him through this and making it sound so easy.


    "What do you take me for?? Some sort of robot without any feeling?? Is that what you think of me after being with me for so long??" Shreya asked pushing on his shoulders all over again as angry tears tumbled down her eyes.


    "Then why on hell are you doing this now?? Why are you doing this to us?? You said you loved me!!" Charan fired back.


    "Charan, stop being overdramatic for God''s sakes will you?? Yes, I love you�� So what?? Do you expect something along the line of ''Oh I love you so much that I can''t live without you''? Please! don''t tell me you are that na?ve!!?? Dialogues like that may sound good in books and movies but not in real life."


    "I know you love me and I do too�� But what''s the point if you end up dead because of it??" Shreya asked angrily after a short pause. She was practically yelling at him but she did not care at the moment.


    "But you protected me�� And you can keep on doing it right??" Charan asked in a softer voice.


    "Like hell, I can�� I believed that too until a guy put a gun to your head and I couldn''t do any damn shit to stop it. What do you think would have happened if Zack hadn''t come right at that time?? Do you have any f.u.c.k.i.n.g idea how it felt to see you like that and to know I could lose you any moment?? What would I have told Akira?? That because of my carelessness I got her dad killed too??" Shreya asked and by then she had no control over what she was saying whatsoever.


    Charan was in no better state of rational. So he fired back, "Then what do you think I felt like when you walked right into those guys without giving me any f.u.c.k.i.n.g choice?? How do you think I felt when you walked right into danger while I just stood there like a f.u.c.k.i.n.g idiot?? Did you ever consider that??" He yelled back.


    "It''s are not the same Charan!!" Shreya said dismissingly.


    "How?? How the f.u.c.k is it not the same??" Charan asked back irritated.


    "Because I am an orphan!! And you are not!! You have a family damn it." Words came out of her mouth without her even realizing it. Her deepest fear came to surface and escaped from her mouth without any conscious thought from her.


    Charan froze for a second. His heart painfully twisted when he heard her answer. A small part of him wanted to hold her and make her pain disappear. But a bigger part of him felt as if she had just stabbed him in the heart and twisted the blade.


    "Then what does that make me Shreya?? If you are an orphan�� then what am I to you Shreya?? A passing affair?? Pass time??" Charan asked after taking a deep breath, his voice barely a whisper masking a world of pain behind them.


    Shreya stared back at him blankly not knowing what to say while he looked at her with heartbroken eyes.


    "You know what!! I will leave you alone as you asked me�� I can''t be here anymore!!" He said and stormed out of the room. He felt as if he would suffocate if he stayed there any longer.

 Chapter 159 - 158 ... it felt as if I found my way back home.

    Just as Charan stormed out, Anand walked into the room. And he was met with a distraught looking Shreya standing in the middle of the room dazed. Anand did not ask her anything. He just went and gave her a warm hug. He guided her back to the bed and made her sit. He then got her a glass of water and Shreya calmed down considerably.


    "You want to tell me what just happened?? Why did Charan walk out of here looking as if someone had just stabbed him??" He asked once Shreya calmed down.


    Shreya shook her head.


    "Shreya��" Anand called her name sternly. Shreya knew that tone all too well. It was the tone he used when she tested his patience.


    "I said something mean to him!!" Shreya carefully avoided what she had actually said. If her words had hurt Charan so much who she had known only for a little less than a year, she did not even want to comprehend how Anand would feel if she told him. She did not want to go around hurting people around her because of her stupid insecurities.


    "And why did you do that??" Anand asked without bothering to know what she actually said much to Shreya''s relief.


    "I suggested we stay away from each other until I settle things from my end and he wouldn''t agree��" Shreya said in a small voice.


    "So you hurt him to keep him away??" Anand asked.


    "No�� at least not consciously. I just dumped all my piled up emotions on him and he just happened to be the only one around when I lost it, I guess!!" Shreya mumbled.


    Anand went and sat beside her and made her lean against him and asked, "You want to talk about it!!"


    Shreya shook her head very diligently making Anand smirk as he said, "That was a rhetoric question, princess!!"


    Shreya did not talk right away. But after a long stretch of silence, she started talking, " I just lost it when I saw him like that�� pointed a gun to his head and I couldn''t do anything but watch him being put through it. And all that''s been going on in my head from when we came out of there was that even if one thing hadn''t gone exactly the way it had�� I would have lost him and Akira would have lost her parents�� ��. ��. just like I did�� Even if one person had done something even remotely differently��"


    "Hey, Shreya. Don''t torture yourself like this.. nothing happened!! He is fine. He is safe��" Anand said running her hands soothingly over her arms.


    "But what if something similar happens again and everything did not go as it should??" Shreya asked back.


    "But Shreya�� if you start thinking about all the worst-case scenarios, there is no end to it. He could have a car accident tomorrow and it would have nothing to do with you and you could still lose him!!" Anand tried to reason with him.


    "I know that but you can''t deny that the odds are significantly higher around me and he has a daughter, uncle. An absolute bundle of joy with a whole life ahead of her�� I don''t want to go and tell her that she is going to have to grow up without her father too because I was too selfish to let him go!!" Shreya said with a hopeless expression on her face.


    "Shreya��" Anand started but then gave a helpless sigh.


    "You know when he first told me he loved me�� it felt as if somehow I found my way back home. It almost felt like I could be as happy as I was growing up. Just for a split second, I forgot everything else�� I want a shot at that happiness�� I desperately need a shot at that happiness for all my life�� And I am terrified that I won''t get it if I stay with him now�� I don''t know what I would even do if anything even remotely similar to this happened again." A small shuddered racked through her body with just the thought of it. So god forbid if anything actually did happen.


    Shreya might look okay on the surface but she was one of those people who did not deal with the loss of her loved ones that well. She might not have turned to a bottle of whiskey and ruined her life but she did not move on either. It was almost like the time stops for her then and there when she lost her parents and she did not move even an inch forward from there until Charan came along. But this thing that happened�� it was almost like she was dragged back in time all over again.


    "I almost lost it at the barn. I almost lost my rational and did something stupid. It took every last fiber in my being to stand there and think of the odds rather than just to pounce and rip the gun off his head. I almost did it too�� If that had happened, things would have turned out so much worse�� so f.u.c.k.i.n.g worse than it did."


    "I love them way too much�� so much that it hurts. I just can''t afford to let any harm come to them. I would rather not see them for life if it meant they would be safe�� I can''t lose them�� not like my parents�� not again��" Shreya said leaning on his shoulder while her eyes kept staring at empty space.


    Anand leaned over and pecked on top of her head and tried his best to console her. "You won''t lose them Shreya. Please have some faith!!"


    "I am trying�� but its not easy��" Shreya mumbled back.


    "I am sorry I couldn''t save your parents'', kid!!" Anand said regret filling the whole of his being.


    Shreya shook her head and said softly, "They weren''t your''s to save and I am really glad you are here��" She leaned in and pecked on his cheeks.


    Anand kept her company for a while but she stubbornly refused to let him stay the night. So resigned he tucked her in for the night.


    "You�� You should close your eyes and sleep okay?? I kept some water at the bedside table�� drink it if you need water in the middle of the night. And press that button if you need someone''s help. The hospital is secure�� but still, be careful�� Aunt said she will visit you in the morning. She would have come now itself, but I convinced her she should make you breakfast and bring it in the morning!!" Anand nagged and fuzzed over her endlessly.


    "I am not a child uncle!!" Shreya said with a smile and shooed him away.

 Chapter 160 - 159 I am never going to forgive you if you break that promise.

    "Oh, yea�� wait for your punishment too�� You are not getting away this easily after hiding something so major from everyone by the way!! Everyone is really pissed!! Especially Akash and Zack!! Me too�� I am just letting it go for now because you seemed like a battered puppy��" Anand dropped the bomb before exiting the room.


    Shreya fell back into the bed with a thud exasperated and tired. She did not know how she could feel tired after sleeping almost for the better part of her day!


    Anand exited the room only to find Charan sitting there on the floor in the deserted corridor just beside the door. He was sitting there with his knees bunched in the front and a helpless face. Anand carefully closed the door fully and asked Charan, "Did you hear everything??"


    Charan walked out of the room really out of it. But after storming through two corridors, he realized there was no one else to look after her. So he walked back to the room only to hear her talking to Anand. Because the door was not fully closed, he could clearly hear each and every word she uttered.


    He was completely clueless as to how to deal with her. He felt absolutely helpless. He felt as if the only way for him to help her would be to actually leave her as she requested no matter how much it tore him to do it.


    "I heard enough!!" Charan replied running both his hands over his face.


    "Go, talk to her. I know she wouldn''t be sleeping any time soon tonight!!" Anand said ruffling his head.


    "What''s the point of talking?? Do you think I have much of a choice after hearing everything she just said??" Charan asked with a frown.


    "But walking away now without talking might do more damage than good!!" Anand said and left after giving him a sad smile.


    Charan sat there for a second gathering his thoughts before getting up from the floor. He quietly opened the doors and peeked in. Shreya was lying on the bed staring at the ceiling. her eyes averted to the doors as soon as she heard the door click. And slowly sat up when she found Charan walk in. She looked at him with her eyes wide and teary. She looked broken to pieces somehow.


    Charan couldn''t stay mad after seeing her like this especially after listening to her talk to Anand. He approached her while she automatically wrapped her arms around him. Her hot tears drenched his neck and she apologized, "I''m sorry�� I shouldn''t have said that. You are not a passing affair Charan. I promise�� I just�� Hic�� I was just�� hic��"


    She had hiccups while crying making it hard to talk.


    "Shhh��" Charan shushed her lifting her off the bed and cradling her in his arms. Shreya wrapped her arms and legs around him tightly as she kept saying, "I�� hic�� didn''t mean�� hic�� to�� hurt you�� sorry�� hic��" She knew too well what she said was not fair to anybody around her but she couldn''t dictate the way she felt or the way bad thoughts consumed her sometimes.


    "Shh, sweetheart. It''s okay. Stop talking now okay?? Shh��" Charan tried to calm her down while simultaneously patting on her back trying to get her hiccups under control. He sat on the bed with her in his laps and wiped away her tears as they fell.


    But Shreya did not calm down no matter what he said. Tears just kept on piling while her mouth kept mumbling apologies between hiccups and wiping away tears.


    Charan couldn''t take it anymore. He crashed his lips against hers, at last, making her shut up. He could clearly taste her salty tears as he gently kissed her. His lips were so soft against hers as if he was coaxing her. And Shreya slowly drowned in his lips effortlessly.


    He let go of her lips only when he felt her calm down in his arms. He pulled away to see her swollen and blotched eyes and slightly red lips.


    Charan knew better than anyone how serious she was with this relationship. There was never a single second where she had been half-assed with him or Akira???. From the very first moment, she met them she gave them her everything without holding back. She never once fumbled with her words when she expressed her feelings for him. She never hid anything from him. She showed him everything about herself�� her innocence and her darkness�� so bravely. That too without him ever asking her anything. And he knew a person having a passing affair never does that.


    But the reality was just being cruel at the moment for them�� He did not want to stay away from her.


    She was like a sea of elixir and he drowned in her so effortlessly�� and even when it suffocated him�� he did not have the heart to struggle. That''s how much absolute was his feelings for her. But he couldn''t deny her either. Not when she looked at him with those eyes pleading without words begging him to understand.


    Shreya leaned over and wiped her tears and nose in his shirt.


    "Go ahead and help yourself�� It''s not like there is a box of tissue just beside you��" Charan murmured sarcastically.


    Shreya looked back at the table beside the bed and found a box of tissue lying around but then answered very innocently, "It''s okay. I don''t need it. I am done!!"


    At last, a small smile crept into Charan''s face uncontrollably. He raises his own sleeves and wiped away some of the spots she had missed and asked softly, "You okay now??"


    Shreya bobbed her head still sniffling slightly. Charan gave her some water which she gulped down quietly.


    Both of them stayed quiet after that. Shreya leaned over and nuzzled into his chest. She knows she was going to miss both of them so terribly that it''s going to feel as if someone had punched all the air out of her lungs but she made up her mind. So she would do it whatever comes.


    "I just need some time Charan. It''s just going to be for a short while. I promise. I would stop everything if I could. But I am in too deep already. Leaving it as is going to become more complicated. Once I am done, I will come back to you, I promise��" Shreya said softly breaking the silence.


    "You will keep yourself safe??" Charan asked doubtfully. Nothing else mattered. What she does or how she does�� he did not care as long as she could come back to him safe and sound.


    "Nothing will happen to me. I promise!!" She said solemnly.


    "I am never going to forgive you if you break that promise!!" Charan said embracing her all over again. "I am going to miss you��" He said nuzzling against her neck.


    "Me too�� You don''t tell anything to Akira. I will talk to her�� I will explain it to her��" Shreya replied.


    "Okay��" Charan agreed readily. After all, he was clueless about how to explain this situation to his parents and Bharath let alone Akira. Akira will eat him alive before he could even finish his explanation.


    "I am sorry to put you guys through this!!"


    "It''s okay�� When we get back together it won''t matter��" Charan replied with a sad smile.


    "Come on. I will let someone drop you home!!" Shreya said pulling away.


    "What?? You are kicking me out now!!??" Charan complained.


    "Charan��" Shreya called out exasperated.


    "Just 5 minutes�� please�� just 5 minutes more��" Charan begged, hugging her closer desperately like a little kid throwing a tantrum to avoid going to school.


    After another 10 minutes, Charan, at last, pulled away from her even though everything in him was begging him to stay with her. He gave her one last lingering kiss before walking out of the doors.


    Shreya''s eyes teared up all over again as she curled herself into a ball in the hospital bed!!


    Shreya discharged herself overnight from the hospital once she calmed down slightly and reached her apartment. She did not like being in hospital�� especially alone. But then her apartment was not any more inviting to her right at that moment.


    She deposited two phones on the night side table and curled up into the bed. A slight warmth washed over her as she smelt his familiar scent on her bed. A lone tear escaped and fell on the bed as she fell asleep at last exhausted.

 Chapter 161 - 160 Did you guys fight?

    Charan came back to his parents'' place in the weekend as usual. The work had been torturous. With the expansion and new projects pilling up, he barely had time to breathe. He was partially grateful for them because otherwise passing the days would have gotten so much tougher.


    It''s been two weeks since he last saw Shreya. And it had been hell.


    Shreya met with Akira on the last day of her exams.


    "Shreya��" Akira called out excitedly as she hugged her.


    "Hey, baby�� How did you do your exams??" Shreya asked hugging her back. Andrew dropped Akira off at her office and waited outside.


    Akira started talking about her social science exams animatedly while Shreya listened to her with a complicated feeling.


    "Shreya, are you okay??" Akira asked looking up at her.


    "Yes, baby. DO you want to get some ice cream?? My treat for completing your exams??" Shreya asked smiling at her.


    Akira nodded excitedly.


    Shreya took her to the staff canteen in the office and got them both ice cream. Their staff canteen was actually top-notch. You can get almost anything there thanks to Anand and Akash. It was their proposal to revamp the canteen saying staff should be able to eat properly to work properly.


    Shreya bought Akira a bowl of mango ice cream and got herself a strawberry. Akira immediately dug in with a wide grin. When she saw that Shreya was not eating anything but was just staring at her, she extended her ice cream to her thinking maybe Shreya wanted that flavor. When Shreya saw this, she accepted it without protest.


    Once both of them finished off the ice creams, Shreya looked at her started talking, "Akira, baby�� I won''t be coming to your house or meeting with you and dada for a while�� I don''t know how long though��"


    "Why?? Did you guys fight again??" Akira asked scrunching her brows.


    "No baby. It''s just I have something to do. And I will be really really busy okay. But it is only for some time. I promise. I won''t disappear on you forever okay!!" Shreya talked softly.


    Akira made a displeased face but still nodded her head reluctantly. Akira had always been especially docile towards Shreya. So she did not ask or protest and quietly listened.


    "In the time when I am not around, I want you to be a good girl to dada and look after him for me�� Can you do it for me??" Shreya asked picking her up and sitting her on her own laps.


    Akira nodded her head once again.


    "I am sorry baby. But I will come back and play with you okay?? I promise. But till then you don''t have to ask about me to dada okay??" Shreya asked.


    Shreya talked some more before hugging her and kissing her all over her face.


    "I am going to miss you terribly baby��" Shreya said holding on to her tightly and then gave her one last kiss on her temple and at last, let her go. She instructed Andrew to drop her off at Charan''s parents'' place.


    After that day, Akira did not ask about Shreya even once. Charan did not know whether to feel happy or sad about it. He just went on with their routine as usual and Akira once again turned into her obedient self. She did not throw tantrum to sleep some more or make a fuzz to take her to have ice creams.


    Charan came and sat at the dinner table. It was as lively as ever with Akil, Akira, and Preethi goofing around. Charan joined in the fun. But Bharath�� he was the one most affected by this whole thing actually. Shreya did talk to him but he kept his brooding face on till now. He was that one person who did not even put in the effort to look normal.


    Charan explained to his parents and Preethi as much as he could and told them about what had happened. But what he could say without scaring them off wasn''t much actually. He knew his dad will see right through his lie but he had no choice. They did not need to know everything at this age anyway. So as per them, Shreya and he had separated for a while and it was a mutual decision.


    Charan pulled him to the living room and made him sit beside him and said, "She wouldn''t have done this if she had any other choice Bharath."


    "I know, brother. Shreya told me. She did not go into details but she told me how you and she were kidnapped and she hadn''t found the person responsible. But that doesn''t make it suck any less!!" Bharath grumbled.


    "It sure doesn''t!!" Charan agreed readily. Even after knowing every last detail, he couldn''t accept it. He knew the risks and her feeling better than anyone. So he was not surprised Bharath was not taking it the right way.


    "But don''t be grumpy all day okay?? Mum is getting worried!!" Charan said and left him alone in the living room.


    "It will be over in no time Charan. She is going to catch them soon and it will be as if nothing ever happened okay??" Bharath called out behind Charan. He knew Charan was probably the one who is most affected by this separation. So he wants to give him what little comfort he would provide.


    "Good night kid," CHaran called out and closed the doors behind his back.


    Charan let out a long sigh before going to his closet to get his night clothes. Just as he was sorting through them, his eyes fell on a pink sweatshirt that had been washed and cleaned. His hands ran through them unconsciously as he kept staring at it for a while until Akira knocked on the door. He quickly changed and let Akira in.


    She stumbled over and laid on the bed. Usually, she slept with Akil in his room whenever she stayed over. But this time around she insisted on sleeping with him. Charan knew it was her way of looking out for him and he was really grateful too.


    Charan locked to doors behind her and read her bedtime story until she fell asleep. He then switched off the light and laid down in bed beside her even though he knew sleep was far from him.

 Chapter 162 - 161 Back with her old habits.

    Shreya sat in her office staring at nothing in particular. She was back with her old habits all over again. She stayed up late and worked more than necessary and lounged at her office the whole day except on weekends. And even on weekends she almost always ended up at her hotel rather than her apartment.


    She started taking up more responsibility in the office. Since she no longer needed to hide behind the farce of being depressed, she started showing off her true power. She was not exactly excessive about it but she did not deliberately hide it anymore like she had been doing so far. But then again her long time reputation of lazy bum within the company is yet to be rectified. She did not like the limelight and being in the center of the stage. So till that time that she is going to be forced to take up that stage, she did not want to let go of being the person behind the scenes just yet.


    And the part that gave her the most headache is the evidence. Now she knew the evidence is with them. But Adithya had hidden it so well that not only the enemies but even she couldn''t find it no matter where she looked.


    But above all, she knew her frustration came from not seeing Charan and Akira. She missed them way more than she could even describe. The yearning was almost to point of giving her physical pain rather than just being emotional. Every last nerve ending in her was screaming for her to go and see them. And she was fighting her own self with every last ounce of energy she possessed.


    But she knew she can''t really do anything about it. SO she did everything and anything to distract herself�� sometimes it worked�� sometimes it didn''t like right about now. It was almost impossible to distract herself when her own mind was playing out every last memory with Charan and Akira like a damn movie in a home theatre.


    But before she could fully drown in it completely to point of suffocation, her phone pinged and Pritham had sent a message to meet her at a club.


    Initially, she did not really want to go. She did not really like the noise and sweaty dance floors. But then the alternative was so much bleaker. The prospect of curling up into a bed all alone was not really enticing at the moment.


    Since she did not really have anything better to do, she dragged herself out of the office reluctantly mounted the car. Since she was not in the mood to drive, she had called for Hank and he stopped in front of the club 15 minutes later. She lazily strolled through the corridors leading to the club.


    The club was actually Adam''s and everyone around knows Shreya. So nobody dared to stop her. She approached the manager to enquire where Pritham was. He had been a permanent resident here for as long as she could think of... even if he was not a resident here, he is a regular visitor.


    "Hey, Eli. You know where Pritham is??" She asked.


    Eli''s lips widened at the sight of Shreya. She was not an excessive drinker but she once used to be a frequent visitor too here. But not as regular as Pritham though. The sound and the deafening sound was how she used to relieve her loneliness and stress. So they were both familiar with each other. You can even say that Eli had a small crush on her but then he never really actively pursued her since Shreya always looked somehow way out of his league.


    Eli leaned over and gave her a bear hug excited and greeted her, "Hey, Shreya. Its been a long time. How have you been?? Come on, I will take you to Pritham. He booked a private room." His face was stretched into a gleeful smile showing a boyish dimple that made him look younger than he was.


    "I have been good. What about you?? You got a girlfriend yet??" Shreya asked following him through the crowd. She had shredded her bodyguards outside the club since every staff is practically her own people, she was not really worried about someone jumping on her.


    "I am good!! As far as girlfriends go, I am open to suggestions��" Eli replied with a slight chuckle. But by then they had reached the room Pritham was in. So he bid her a goodbye politely and went back to her work while Shreya opened the doors to the room lazily.


    But just as she took one step into the room, before she could even look around and make sense of her surroundings, a little girl flew from her seat excitedly... ran and crashed against Shreya ecstatic before Shreya could even comprehend what was happening. All she felt was all so familiar soft flesh crash against her and Shreya''s hands voluntarily wrapped around her without any thought.


    "I missed you soooooooo much!!!" The girl in her arms exclaimed tightly holding. She even wiped some of the tears off on Shreya''s shoulders.


    "I did not even get a smile out of that brat and she flies into Shreya''s arms as if they are long lost lovers or something!! Don''t you think this difference of treatment is a little too cruel to your brother!!" Akash sneered sarcastically from behind!!


    Bhavna pulled away from Shreya and simply stuck her tongue out and talked back with equal sass, "You don''t even bother sending me pocket money�� Why should I miss you??"


    "As if you will be short of cash after what Shreya sends you every month!!" Akash said rolling his eyes. As if he needs to spoil his baby sister more. Shreya practically mothers her to no end.


    Bhavna pouted and was fully prepared to get back at him but suddenly her ears got twisted, "Ouch ouch ouch!! Shreya��." She forgot her come back and complained and whined instead!!


    "Is that how you talk to your brother!!!" Shreya scolded while Akash gave Bhavna an accomplished look.


    "And you�� you don''t gloat!! You don''t even remember to send your sister money! You know she is studying with no other support!! What is she had an emergency!!" Shreya scolded Akash next.


    As if that could even happen with all the people Shreya kept around Bhavna. But Akash did not dare to say it out loud.


    Shreya was the definition of overprotective when it came to Bhavna. Just because Bhavna said she was going to join a university in T country, she rapidly expanded a business there in a matter of 6 months. She is partners with all the major players in the country and her power in T country was no less than that of her powers here.


    All because Bhavna was studying in T country.


    SO Akash just rolled his eyes at Shreya''s question but still wisely kept his mouth shut know he was no use when those two got together.


    "What are you doing here?? When did you get back home!!??" Shreya asked Bhavna sitting on the couch.


    Bhavna rushed and sat beside Shreya with a wide grin. She practically snuggled against her as she replied, "I was bored out of my wits and lonely and I missed everyone here. And I had excess attendance this semester. SO I took a leave for two weeks and came here!!!"


    Which was actually a lie. It was Bhagya who called her over. Bhagya knew Shreya was down because of not being able to see Charan and Akira. And one person who can make Shreya happy was Bhavna.


    She knew Shreya adored her daughter to no end. When Shreya first moved out of the country, Shreya acted as is she had lost a daughter or something. So she thought maybe having her back might distract her temporarily. And Bhavna was noisy. SO when you are around her, you will rarely have any time to think.


    Which was exactly what was happening now. Bhavna sat beside Shreya and talked her ears out. Then when the booze started to take its toll, her words became slurry and loud. And when she got downright drunk, her words were almost impossible to decipher. That was when singing and dancing started.


    By the time they got out of the club, Shreya was exhausted out of her mind, while Bhavna leaned on her comfortably and went to sleep. With all the dancing and shouting she did, Shreya was not surprised. A soft smile spread over her lips as she caressed Bhavna''s head and let her sleep comfortably.


    Akash just rolled his eyes and said, "You spoil her way too much!!"


    Shreya did not reply. Because she knew she is probably spoiling her rotten too. But she did not want to change anything.


    After all, she was her baby sister she had grown up with and if possible she wanted to protect and cherish her innocence as long as she lived.

 Chapter 163 - 162 Little angels forced vacation.

    The next day Shreya was sitting in her office going through files when someone barged into her office. When she looked up, she found Bhavna leisurely strolling into her office in her yellow frock and flipflops.


    She sat on the couch quite unceremoniously as she removed her sunglasses.


    "What are you doing here??" Shreya asked flipped a page. She did not bother with politeness or greeting. They never really bothered about them between the two of them.


    "I am bored!!" Bhavna whined like a child she was.


    "I will ask Hank to take you shopping!!" Shreya said flatly. She did not even look up from the files in front of her.


    Bhavna let out an exasperated sigh. Her main mission was actually to distract Shreya away from her work for a time period. But Shreya being her was not being co-operative. So, resigned and Bhavna decided to take matters into her own hands.


    She took her phone out and typed away and formed a group. After half an hour of typing away, the plan was in place, at last. If it hadn''t been for Zack to interrupt and stop Akash and Pritham''s childish banters, the plan wouldn''t have been in place even from a week from now. But thankfully, Zack saved her day. She took confident steps towards Shreya and took the files out of her hands and placed them on the table.


    "What are you doing??" Shreya asked frowning catching air with her hands since the file was suddenly pulled out of her gasps.


    "We are going on a vacation tomorrow to the private island that you bought a few months back. So now we are going shopping for that."Bhavna said decisively. She then walked around the table and dragged Shreya out of her chairs forcefully by her hands.


    Bhavna knew Shreya would never get mad at her no matter how willful she was. So she just dragged her along to her wishes. She then deposited Shreya in the car and closed the doors behind her before walking to the other side to board.


    "But Bhavna, I still have work. I can''t take a vacation now!!" Shreya complained as soon as Bhavna came in to sit beside her. She did not even have the chance to get her purse but then Bhavna had actually directed to go to one of the malls she owned. So she did not bother. But not like Bhavna really needed her to pay anyways. Her accounts are almost always stuffed to brim�� thanks to herself, actually.


    "Don''t worry about the company. Dad said he will handle everything here. And John uncle agreed to pitch in additional hours. And don''t even think about brainwashing me. If you disagree, not only me but the whole gang will give you a stinky look!!" Bhavna said walking into a clothing store.


    "Why??" Shreya asked confused while her eyes followed Bhavna looking at a frock with a dread.


    "Because the whole gang had agreed to go. So if you cancel it now, the whole gang will miss out on the vacation. You don''t want to spoil their fun too, do you??" Bhavna asked shoving a skirt into Shreya''s hands.


    Shreya did not even know how they planned everything so quickly. But then she was not going to do anything knowing the details now anyways. So, she let out a sigh resigned to her fate but she still looked at the skirt in her hands quite fearfully.


    "Don''t worry�� that is not for you. That one is for me!! I will get you your usual. Sweats and shorts!!" Bhavna said rolling her eyes.


    Shreya had always given too much leeway for Bhavna from the beginning. Bhavna was that one person who could actually boss around Shreya without having any repercussions whatsoever. And of course, Bhavna had taken full advantage of it whenever necessary�� like the vacation plan this time. But only when it came to Shreya''s choice of clothes, she was not able to change a damn shit no matter how much she glared, whined or threw tantrums. Shreya just wouldn''t change the way she dressed. Not for anything�� Not for board meetings�� not for functions. Regardless of it being a formal occasion or an informal occasion, she never changed the way she dressed. And of course, who could really question Shreya? SO after a while, she stopped wasting her energy.


    "Who are all coming??" Shreya asked following her around without really giving attention to where they were going. For now, her responsibility was only limited to carrying whatever cloths Bhavna flungs her way.


    "Everyone except for Adam. Adam''s girlfriend cannot get a vacation. So he is staying behind. Akash is going to bring his girlfriend and Zack also said he was going to bring a plus one. But Zack did not tell who it was." She replied taking all the clothes she had randomly picked to the trail room.


    After a few minutes, she came back wearing a black dress. The dress complimented her figure perfectly. Unlike Shreya, Bhavna actually gave attention to what she wore and how she looked. She looked like a black rose ready to bloom�� elegant and classy but with just that touch of innocent with the say she was smiling.


    Bhavna was fair with a very slender figure. She was just about an inch taller than Shreya but her personality often gave the impression that she was little girl somehow.


    "You should take it. You took fantastic in this!!" Shreya said not being stingy with her compliment.


    "Okay. I will take it." Bhavna beamed with a big grin and went back into the trail room.


    This went on for straight two hours. And by the end of it, both their hands were filled to brim with bags. But then that was only about half of what she had actually bought. The rest, Shreya requested the shop to deliver it to her car.


    "You could have just bought the whole shop you know??" Shreya said sarcastically looking at the amount of bags stuffed into the car as she started the car.


    "You already own the shop�� why would I bother buying the shop all over again??" Bhavna sassed back and sat beside her on the passenger side with her legs hoisted on the dashboards.


    Shreya ruffled her head and started the car. Soon the sports car zoomed out of the parking lot following the black SUV for their next venture.


    By the time they reached Anand''s place, Bhagya was waiting for them at the couch with stern scorn on her face.


    "MOOOM!! Look what we bought for you��" Bhavna exclaimed excitedly trying to curry flavor. But Bhagya''s face did not change one bit!!


    "Do you guys even know what time it is now??" Bhagya asked glaring at Bhavna. Because she knew it should have been her doing.


    Bhavna instantly went ahead and hid behind Shreya and gave her Bhagya a pitiful look.


    "Aunty�� It''s not her fault. I just had something to do and she was waiting up for me!!" Shreya covered for Bhavna like she always does very co-operatively.


    Bhavna instantly gave her mom a very cheeky victorious smile.


    Bhagya let out a sigh. She should have known this would happen.


    "Shreya�� you spoil her way too much!!"


    Bhavna just peeked out from behind Shreya and stuck out a tongue to her mom and said, "You are just jealous that Shreya likes me more than she likes you!!"


    "Bhavna!! You just wait�� After Shreya goes to her apartment, let''s see who protects you!!" Bhagya scolded and went away.


    Bhavna did not really bother with her mother anymore. She straight away dragged Shreya to her room.


    "Come with me�� I bought you some gifts!!! I can''t wait to give them to you!!" Bhavna said as she dragged a huge suitcase from one corner of her room.


    Shreya just sat on the bed and waited for her patiently.


    When she flipped open the suitcase, it was filled with all sorts of things. Including a wide array of jewelry to perfumes to everything in between. But then Shreya caught sight of a male watch.


    "Whose is this for??" Shreya asked peculiarly.


    "That''s for your boyfriend of course. And this is for his daughter!!" Bhavna said with a wide grin showing a baby pick princess frock.


    "Will she like it??" Bhavna asked unsurely.


    "She will love it!!" Shreya said with a smile filled with melancholy.


    Bhavna saw this. She came and sat beside Shreya and said brightly, "Don''t be sad. Once you punch the bad guys shitless, you can get back with them in no time!! I know you can do it!"


    "Of course, I can!!" Shreya said returning her smile and leaned over slugging her arms around Bhavna''s shoulders and pecked her on her head.


    That night they both chatted away until their mouths became numb before dozing off.


    Bhavna was resting her head on Shreya''s laps while still mumbling away incoherently while Shreya''s hands caressed over her head lulling her to sleep.

 Chapter 164 - 163. Hey munchkin...

    The next noon, the sun was scorching on top of their head as they stood in the runway. Bhavna was sitting over one of her suitcases while Shreya was tapping away on her phones as always.


    Bhavna was wearing a sleeveless floral dress that flared up waist down. And Shreya was wearing jean short and a skimpy t-shirt and big blue sunglasses. Sweat was dripping down her forehead but she was least bothered while Bhavna kept complaining how hot it was here every two minutes.


    But her complaints went in one ear and came out of the other ears of Shreya.


    After a while, seeing as her complaints are being unheard, Bhavna huffed and puffed and shut her mouth. But that only lasted for anything two minutes, before she started talking again.


    "Wear your hat! You bought it the other day!" Shreya reminded her in the passing when her complaints started to become irritating.


    Bhavna''s eyes instantly brightened as she opened her suitcase and started rummaging through it right there on the high way and found the hat. She wore the had and showed off proudly, "See"


    "Looks good," Shreya said without even looking up from her phone.


    Just when Bhavna was preparing to complain all over again, few cars came to a standstill a few feet away from them


    Akash, Madhu, Pritham, Zeenath, Ayush, Nakul, and Srinivas came out of them one after the other. She asked Hank to stay behind and look after Anand and John and so instead, she had Ayush and Nakul accompany them.


    Bhavna instantly flew out of her place and went to chat with everyone. She was almost driven crazy with Shreya''s silence. She did not even know how she had endured it for so long.


    Bhavna was a social butterfly. So it was not easy for her to shut up. And she was especially interested in Madhu for obvious reasons of course. She also made friends of Ayush, Nakul, and Srinivas pretty much instantly. Everyone else, she needn''t worry about since she had known them from forever. And since she was the youngest and also since Shreya was soft on her, everyone treated her as a younger sister. But even without that, her personality was way too bright for anyone to not like.


    The only person who hadn''t said much in the group was actually Srinivas�� but that is to be expected of him.


    And a few minutes later, another car came and pulled over. When Bhavna saw Zack, her eyes lit up instantly. She abandoned everyone else and sprinted towards Zack. And she straight up flew into his arms will a big ass grin almost toppling him.


    He did not even know what hit him and it took everything in him to just stay on his feet. But when he felt the all so familiar scent, his lips switched automatically.


    After joining with Shreya, his very first assignment was actually Bhavna. She was still at school back then. The last 6 months of school to be exact. And with her personality, it did not take long before he was wrapped completely around her little fingers. But then, once the school was over, she went abroad for college. But they still kept in touch and pretty close. Zack was the one to whom Bhavna would enquire about Shreya''s well being all these while. So whatever Zack knew, Bhavna knew.


    "Hey, munchkin. How have you been??" Zack asked wrapping his arms around her.


    "Don''t call me that. Look I am taller now. And more mature too��" Bhavna complained but childishly stood on her toes and making herself look taller which just made both her statements redundant in itself without Zack ever having to defend himself. And her puffing cheeks and pouting lips just made it so much worse.


    "God! I missed your antics," Zack said with a goofy grin ruffling her head completely destroying her perfectly made hair.


    If Shreya pounding on his doors and giving him a job had given him a chance in life, this little girl in front of him�� she lit up his whole world like a damn Christmas tree without really putting much effort into it. She sparkled like a sun in the middle of the night in his dark life.


    "ZACK!!" Bhavna complained loudly trying to put back her hair in order. But just as she finished doing her hairs, Zack extended his big palms and ruffled in all over again.


    But before Bhavna could complain again, Shreya came from behind her and asked, "Where is your plus one??"


    "Okay, it was not a plus one per se. But anyway, she didn''t make it." Zack answered shrugging his shoulders. When Bhavna first proposed a vacation, he thought he would bring Meera along. He thought maybe she will get to know Shreya and Bhavna and maybe she will patch up with them or something. After all, they are still family. But he failed to realize that not only Meera''s family but even she holds a grudge against Shreya.


    "It''s a she??? Do you have a girlfriend??" Bhavna asked excited completely missing the point.


    Zack extended his hand and twisted on her ears lightly. It was actually only for namesake, it wouldn''t hurt. But Bhavna being the overdramatic person she was, she wailed, ???Ouch ouch�� Zack it hurts. It hurts. It hurts." But as soon as Zack left ears, she gave him a cheeky smile and asked, "If it''s not a girlfriend�� then is it possible you got yourself a wife??"


    Zack let out an exasperated sigh and slightly swatted behind her head and said, "Pull your mind out of the gutter. She is just a�� okay, I don''t know what the hell she is. But I just thought you guys can make friends with her if I brought her here. But then it didn''t happen."


    "Who is it??" Bhavna asked curiously.


    "It''s your cousin�� Meera��" Zack said straight off the bat surprising Bhavna.


    Bhavna blinked for a whole minute not understanding whom he was referring to. But then when she realized who he was talking about, her face turned ugly instantly.


    As one can guess, Bhavna is just as much overprotective of Shreya as Shreya was with Bhavna. SO her resentment and animosity with Ram and his whole family are quite excessive. More so than that of Shreya herself. Whenever she saw any of the members, she will flare up like a lioness protecting its cub immediately. Even though, Bhavna had not met up with Meera on many occasions before nor had she blared at fangs at Meera just yet�� just the fact that she was Ram''s daughter discredited Meera in her own books.


    And of course, Meera had never seen her fierceness since Meera was studying abroad all this while.


    "Good thing you did not bring her. I would have probably left her with bruises�� Nobody from that family is going to be welcome in my vacations. After all, the apple doesn''t fall far from the tree. The nerve fo that family!! They wanted to swallow Shreya''s company. How did you even get to know someone like that??" Bhavna sneered gritting her teeth. Barring her teeth�� she looked exactly like a wild cat.


    "Don''t talk ill on others back and you haven''t even met her. Don''t you think you are being narrow-minded and petty by judging a person from who her parents are��?? And moreover, she grew up far away from them��" Zack said swatting on her head.


    Bhavna did not soften her stance. She did not talk back either but still rolled her eyes and said skeptically, "As if!!!"


    "Okay, guys. You can talk later. Now board the plane." Shreya bellowed.


    Bhavna instantly forgot about everything else and boarded the plane. It was one of the private jets owned by the company. Normally, Shreya rarely uses it. It was one of the things her dad had bought. But Shreya being the way she was, she did not like the atmosphere. For her, it screamed loneliness.


    Even now, she would have taken passenger flight and dragged every single person with her but then since the place they were going to was a private island�� there were no commercial flights there for obvious reasons. SO she decided to take the private jet. And moreover, Bhavna actually adored this jet.


    It was one of her favorites. And because of it, Adithya had taken Bhavna in it for several of his business trips. She will shamelessly curry flavor Adithya and tag alone bunking her schools. And so for Bhavna�� it is not only her favorite flight now, but this jet also represents a lot of memories too.


    Shreya as always found a corner for herself. And since she couldn''t exactly work here, she put on an eye mask and fell fast asleep. While Bhavna on the other hand, gather everyone around her and talked animatedly about her time abroad. Her voice filled every last corner of the flight and resonated.


    Time flew by with laughter and glee.

 Chapter 165 - 164 I treat you like a kid because you act like one.

    By the time the plane landed, it was almost sundown. They all had their lunch in the flight itself. So, nobody bothered to stay behind except for Shreya of course. She knew she wouldn''t be able to sleep anytime soon.


    Thus everyone else had gone to the mansion to sleep off the jet lag except for Shreya while Shreya strolled out in her shorts and t-shirt right after depositing all her bags in her room. As soon as she reached the beach, she hunched down and took off her boots and sunk her foot into the sand as she strolled towards the waves.


    The sand was really soft and warm against her barefoot bringing a smile to her face. She liked beaches�� it calmed her down instantly.


    It is a small island off the coast of the Bahamas. Originally, the island came into Shreya''s attention as a part of a project to the company. One of the directors proposed to build a private luxury resort here. But Shreya liked the island just the way it was�� It was isolated and was fully covered with mountains, forests, and wildlife. And she did not wish to disrupt its peace and beauty by building a resort and bring people in. So she instead bought it by herself in a whim in her own name. She just did not like the idea of commercializing something so pure.


    If Bhavna hadn''t brought it up, she probably would have forgotten all about it. After all, she was someone who was too lazy for vacations in a spot that''s going to take so much effort just to reach. For her, vacations involve bed and a lot of sleep and snacks. That was all.


    The whole island was spread over a surface of 700 acres with a mansion in the northeastern corner of the island. The mansion faced a beautiful blue sea and white sand. And the whole beach was covered with palm trees that ran almost all around the island.


    When the sunset, blood orange seeped through the waves and made the whole view breathtaking.


    Shreya sat down on the beach bunching her knees in front of her just shy of the waves. Water touched her toes every now and then when the tide was stronger. She just stared at the setting sun with a sense of wonder and smile. The sunset looked picture perfect.


    She was so lost in her thoughts that she did not even hear the footsteps approaching her from behind.


    Bhavna came and sat right in front of her face and gave her a bright smile bringing Shreya out of her trance.


    "What happened to Madhu??" Shreya asked. Her lips twitched slightly. Bhavna had been sticking to Madhu like glue from the moment they met making it impossible for Akash to approach her. Shreya and Akash both knew the brat was doing it on purpose but still couldn''t do much about it. Strictly speaking, Shreya could have pulled Bhavna away from Madhu�� but she was too lazy to meddle with them but more than that, she also enjoyed the kinda torture Bhavna puts Akash through. It was her sole entertainment for her through the flight. After all, Bhavna confiscated all her tablets and phones in there.


    "Akash picked me up like a damn sack and deposited me out of the building!!" Bhavna said pouting and sitting down beside Shreya.


    Shreya chuckled ruffling her hair.


    But they were interrupted by a ping. Bhavna reached out to her pant pockets and handed Shreya''s tablet over.


    "Why did you bring that here??" Shreya asked excited seeing her tablet at last. Her hands had been itching to check on them but she was afraid she would not hear the end of it, if she did, from Bhavna.


    "It kept ringing. So Akash threw it out along with me!!" Bhavna said rolling her eyes.


    Shreya''s lips twitched as she fondled with the key chain attached to her table. It is a tiny teddy that she had bought as a pair with Akira. She then went ahead and checked her mail. And once she started that, everything around her disappeared as she drowned herself in work.


    Bhavna went ahead and started playing in the waves by herself. But as time passed by, Bhavna got pissed seeing Shreya working. SO she came and took the tablet from her hands forcefully and dragged Shreya with her back into the water.


    "Bhavna!!" Shreya screeched as her feet came into contact with cold water.


    "We are here on vacation!! If I wanted you to work, I wouldn''t have dragged you this far!! So no work whatsoever until we are here!!" Bhavna replied sternly with a mischievous smile.


    Shreya decided to take a cautious step back seeing her smile but it was already too late as she felt water splash all over her face. And since she had her mouth open, her mouth went salty in seconds and her face cringed in disgust.


    "You are so getting for this!!" Shreya said glaring at Bhavna and splashed back.


    By the time they got out, both of them were drenched head to toe. As the wind blew, a slight shiver ran over Shreya. But she did not move from the place. The chillness gave her a sense of comfort somehow. It gave her a sense of being alive.


    Shreya, when she first bought this place, she did not really put much thought into it. But now�� seeing the clear sky and being here�� The lack of horns and flashing street lights. It felt good.


    "Aunt would have loved this place!!" Bhavna suddenly said breaking the silence between them.


    Sumitha- Shreya''s mom was an actress. So she was always surrounded by one or other people. And she hated noisy places. So this place would have been like heaven to her. If she had been here till now, she would have probably lounged here for as long as she possibly could�� maybe even try to live here all together with her dad.


    "Dad too," Shreya whispered with a melancholic smile.


    "I miss them!!" Bhavna muttered softly while her eyes unconsciously became slightly wet without steading down.


    When Shreya was away in her ''exile'' as Adithya called it, it was Bhavna who kept Adithya and Susmitha company. In those two years when Shreya was not around, Bhavna had gotten so much more closer to Adithya and Susmitha.


    So when they died, Bhavna was as broken as Shreya was. But the effect was more so in Bhavna since she was younger than Shreya. She was barely holding up. That was the whole reason why she fled abroad to study in the first place. She just wanted to get away quite desperately. And for the same reason, she had never been to the manor either. At least, Shreya visits during New year''s celebration, Bhavna couldn''t bring herself to do even that.


    Shreya put her arms around Bhavna''s shoulders and rubbed her arms soothingly. Bhavna shivered against her cold hands.


    "Come on. Let''s go in now. Or else your whole vacation will be spent in bed if you fall sick." Shreya said getting up.


    Bhavna got up but then she caught Shreya''s hands and held her back.


    Shreya looked at her questioning, "What happened??"


    Bhavna hung her head and said softly, "I am sorry I wasn''t here with you these past years. I just�� I just didn''t know how to fill that space they both left behind�� and it was suffocating to be at a place that held so much memory knowing I won''t be having them again."


    Next to her dad, Shreya had always been closest to Bhavna. Even though they were 5 years apart in age, they got along like best friends. And she had just up and left when Shreya''s needed her the most.


    Bhavna always felt guilty about this. She knew Shreya''s agony was greater than hers�� but she still left her alone to fend for herself.


    Shreya just gave a smile and ruffled her hair.


    "Don''t be too harsh on yourself. You were just a kid back then. I always felt guilty that I couldn''t look after you��" Shreya replied softly.


    Bhavna was just about an a.d.u.l.t when her parents died. But because of her own grief, she could not really think of anyone else at that time. And by the time she realized it, Bhavna had already made the decision to go abroad. So all she could do was protect her from afar.


    "I was not a kid back then and I am not a kid now. But you treat me like a kid��" just as Adithya always did. Bhavna said pouting but she did not say the last part out loud.


    "Well, I treat you like a kid because you act like one!!" Shreya sassed.


    Between bantering and teasing, they had reached the mansion.


    "You go take a shower. I will send someone to get you a hot chocolate!!" Shreya said and sent her to her room while she went into hers.

 Chapter 166 - 165. Whats wrong with talking to ghosts?

    The mansion was a two-story building with a dozen rooms. It was spacious and fully furnished. It was kept in pristine condition, fully staffed. So they did not need to do much here.


    Zeenath woke up after her nap when she heard her phone ring. Blinking her eyes, she rubbed her hands over her eyes and took the phone in the other. But the ringing stopped before she could actually attend the call. She did not bother to call back and just threw the phone on the bedside table.


    She blinked her eyes and looked around. When she first came in, she was too tired to even look around. Her room was on the ground floor as she was one of the first people to actually enter behind Zack.


    Her king-size bed had a white cover and plush pillows. And straight in front of the bed was a huge sliding door made of glass which actually led to the backyard garden. She first came and stood in front of the door for a minute and looked out.


    It was well after sundown�� but the garden was actually lit with yellow lamps making them glow. It looked pretty. And in a corner, she also saw a lounge chair. Her own room had a couch and attached bath which she guesses was probably present in all the rooms. The furniture was antique-style furniture which gave a sense of elegance and comfort rather than a luxury. It was a standard in all of Shreya''s buildings. Shreya never liked the kind of style that made people not want to go near or intimidated.


    After a minute of inspection, she strolled out leaving her phone in the room. The living room was noisy with Pritham, Ayush, and Nakul playing video games. They were busy arguing about Pritham cheating or something.


    "What''s the point of coming all the way here if you are going to end up playing video games??" Zee asked stopping their argument.


    Pritham glared at her and said sneering, "What does what we are doing has to do with you anyways?? If you want to play, you can play. But if you don''t want to play, just go away!" He puffed her cheeks when he said the last part. After all, he was always too lazy to go out and play. But he knew coming here he wouldn''t be able to avoid it. But today since everyone else was tired, he got a chance to stay and play�� how can he miss it?


    "I can play??" Zee asked twitching her brows questioningly. Nobody can really miss the mocking arrogance in her voice.


    "You think you can beat me??" Pritham scoffed arrogantly mocking her back.


    Zee did not reply. She simply extended her hands towards Ayush and he very obediently handed over his controls to Zee.


    Zee might not be as proficient as Pritham but she was not a stranger to video games. After all, she was in the same class as Shreya and was best friends with her. So whenever she came over to Shreya''s, she would invariably end up playing video games with Akash and Adam. Shreya never really got the hang of it�� at least not enough to beat anyone. But Zee had been pretty good. And since Adithya particularly favored her, he would even give her tips secretly to beat the boys.


    SO by the time she was done with him, Pritham was beaten to a pulp. Strictly speaking, skill-wise, Pritham actually had an upper hand and was more agile. But what he lacked in was people skills. Since it was a combat game they were playing, more than anything, it was essential to be able to read the mind of the opponent to win this one. And Zee is an expert in reading people''s minds. Especially a person like Pritham who are open book. So she was able to predict each and every move of his with ease.


    SO in the end, it was almost like she was bullying a kindergartener.


    Pritham shooed her away aggrieved. Zee just smirked and went away. She did not have anything else to do, so she decided the look around and in the process of looking around the mansion, she actually reached the terrace. It was a vast cement floor with potted plants all around. But in there she found a silhouette of a person sitting on the floor in the smack center of the terrace.


    When she approached, she realized it was Srinivas. He was simply sitting with his legs stretched out and leaning back on his hands, staring at nothing in particular.


    "You know, Shreya brought you here to mingle with people�� not ghosts." Zee said sarcastically.


    Srinivas looked up at her startled not expecting someone to find him here but then his lips twitched at her comment just a minuscule as he commented, "What''s wrong with talking to ghosts.??"


    Zee simply rolled her eyes not bothering to comment. After all, arguing with unreasonable people will just end up reducing your own IQ.


    Srinivas looked at her standing and gestured her to sit down beside him.


    Zee gave him a reluctant look at first, but then eventually sat down.


    "I thought you got along with Ayusha and Nakul??" Zee asked enquiring.


    "I do. But then I have seen way too many real battles to find guns and killing entertaining��" Srinivas said with a smile. But that smile actually looked more painful than anything she had ever seen.


    Zee did not know how to reply so she just smiled back and kept quiet.


    And Srinivas being the person he was, did not speak either. Silence ensued. It was peaceful.


    But Zee was a person who is always surrounded by people and noise. So after a while, "What are we doing here exactly??" She asked impatiently. After all, it was he who asked her to accompany him and now he was not talking at all.


    "Shh�� Listen��" Srinivas said putting a finger on his lips.


    "What?? I can''t hear anything!!" Zee said frowning her brows and opening her ears to the maximum. For a second, she even thought she developed some hearing disability before hearing him answer.


    "Exactly�� You can''t hear anything here. No loud horns, no bright streetlights. All you can hear are the wind and waves. And all you can see are the sky and the vast expense of the ocean all around." Srinivas explained with peaceful eyes and a tranquil smile.


    Zee looked around still frowning. She found that he was actually right. She can''t hear much more than the trees rustling to the wind and the waves crashing on the shore. And since the island is isolated, except for the lights in and around the mansion, everything else was practically dark making the whole sky full of stars light up like a Christmas tree.


    But this silence and darkness was something that made Zee uncomfortable. She did not like either of them particularly. It made her feel alone�� She was someone who is used loud DJs and sweaty dance floors in clubs.


    "And you find this fascinating, why??" Zee asked slightly annoyed.


    "You are after all a city girl, aren''t you??" Srinivas asked chuckled.


    He was someone who had lived through raining bullets and people''s screams for help. For him, this silence and stillness�� it was almost as if it was lulling his mind to sleep.


    But it was the straight opposite for her�� She was someone who numbed her mind with deafening music. For her, this silence was almost like torture. It brought forward every last unpleasant memory to surface��


    Srinivas quietly pulled his headphones from his pockets and plugged it into her ears. He then went straight to the playlist she likes and increased the volume to the maximum.


    "Better??" He asked.


    Zee replied with a soft smile.


    He laid back and Zee followed course. But 10 minutes in, Srinivas could hear her soft snoring. His lips twitched involuntarily.


    He was someone who had lost his parents in very early stages of his life. Army, in many ways, had been his saving grace. But it also showed him the most pathetic and ugliest face of humanity. He had seen the depths of depravity and hopeless struggle for survival. People desperately holding on to every last ounce of their energy to survive at the harshest of conditions.


    And Shreya�� she had a knack of finding people like him somehow. Once he was out of the army, he was lost. He was not self-destructive like Zack but he became an emotionless robot.


    But then this girl, peacefully sleeping beside him�� she made his smile after such a long time. She also made him panic and get frustrated and angry and all those other emotions he had long forgotten.


    His hands subconsciously reached for her hair and caressed on them.


    But this atmosphere came to a quick end when they were called down for dinner.


    Srinivas shook Zee awake and dragged her down.

 Chapter 167 - 166. I can buy it for her...

    The dinner table was lively as ever. After a nap, Bhavna was on a high spirit. She was taking on Akash and Pritham, both at once. She behaved almost as if she was on a sugar rush or something.


    "I heard you made Madhu cry buckets?? And I heard Zee knocked you unconscious in video game??" Bhavna''s high pitch voice rang through the table.


    The guys face paled instantly while Shreya and Madhu had an amused smile dancing on their faces.


    You should know, Bhavna is the Queen of gossip. She cannot contain her curiosity. And more so, she cannot keep her mouth shut. So if she gets to know something, it was similar to broadcasting in the flash news.


    "Don''t worry about it. He begged afterward!" Madhu pitched in with a smirk.


    Of course, Bhavna already knew it. After all, she had faked tears countless times with Akash to get things done her way.


    "I will let you in on a secret. You want anything at all, all you have to ever do is, bring one tear at the corner of your eyes�� and he will get it for you the very next day. I never knew how but he will literally freak out whenever he saw anyone cry." Bhavna leaned over and whispered to Madhu.


    Madhu looked at her surprised. Madhu has never been a cry baby. So even when Akash would scold, she wouldn''t cry that easily. She had only cried one time in front of him�� that too had not been because he was being harsh on her but because of her own helplessness over her incompetence�� and he freaked out. She always thought it was because of Shreya''s presence that day that he got scared and begged her. But listening to Bhavna, she asked surprised, "He is scared of tears?? Seriously??"


    But before Bhavna could respond, Akash gave Bhavna a sharp look and said flatly, "I will get you the car you asked for, if you shut up!!" He was actually making a huge sacrifice�� it was a luxury car mind you. But at the moment, except for bribing her gossipy sister, he really had no other way to shut her up. And she did not shut up, his image will be completely destroyed in front of Madhu. He was not looking forward to Madhu and Bhavna playing tag team against him�� at least not yet.


    Bhavna stopped on her track and narrowed her eyes at her brother to see if he was serious. When she found that he was, her brows arched as she asked, "Top of the class. Rusty silver color��" She said as if she was ordering food in a restaurant.


    But before Akash could sigh in relief, Shreya pitched in and said crashing his party, "I can buy it for her��"


    "Shreya��" Akash whined giving her a pitiful look.


    Madhu let out a giggle looking at how utterly hopeless he looked in front of Shreya and his sister. Whenever Akash had been with her so far, he always maintained a domineering imagine. He always knew what he was doing and he always knew what to say.


    He always had a slight arrogance but not any overbearing tendencies. But now�� he did not have any of it. He seemed nervous and fluttered and completely defeated in front of Bhavna. She found it rather cute and amusing.


    But the bullying came to an end when Zack pitched in and said sternly, "Hey munchkin, leave your brother alone. He looks pitiful."


    Akash did not really care about the blow to his ego. All he cared right now is for Bhavna to find another target and leave him alone. After all, being his sister, she knows way too many things about him and she did not have the concept of keeping secrets.


    "I am not small anymore!!" Bhavna instantly flared up forgetting everything about Akash. She always had a slight complex of being too small in height compared to that of Zack. For a female, her height was not small like Shreya�� but she still had a grudge whenever Zack teased her for it.


    Akash let out a sigh of relief and at last, started concentrating on the food in front of him.


    Shreya looked around and found everyone happily chatting with someone or other. A content smile spread through her face as she sat leaning behind and absorbed the moment.


    "What are you looking at??" Zee asked from her other side breaking her trance.


    "I just think it''s a nice change for everyone�� Everyone seems happy��" Shreya said smiling. All the people in the table with the exception of Bhavna and Madhu had been really tense from the day of the kidnapping. Things had been really hectic for everyone. So this relaxing vacation looks like a welcome change for everyone.


    "What about you?? Are you happy??" Zee asked. But her eyes had a defeated look as if she already knew the answer to that question.


    "I will be there eventually. It is just not possible right now��" Shreya said smiling. But then Zee could clearly see through her guard.


    Shreya was not sad or depressed or anything like that. But without Charan and Akira�� she just did not know how to feel happy�� she felt as if she was missing some vital parts of her�� she did not know how to be whole anymore without those two people in her life.


    But since she had resolved to stay away from them, she will not deter from it. Hail or rain, she would see through the stumbles in front of her before going back to them.


    "Hey, don''t give me those pitiful lonely eyes�� I am not going to comfort you lending my shoulders so that you can lament on how you miss your boyfriend!" Zee said making a repelled face. Zee can do many things�� but she was never a person to be emotional. Maybe she had experienced way too much way too early�� she did not know how to deal with vulnerability- both of herself and others. She was especially handicapped when it came to supporting a couple-problems.


    "Don''t worry�� I won''t cry in front of you�� I know you will end up bashing my head into the walls��" Shreya said smirking at Zee.


    "I wouldn''t be that cruel�� I might just knock you unconscious�� and since you are my friend, I would definitely not make it bloody��" Zee replied back with a proud smile.


    "What an honor!!" Shreya said sarcastically rolling her eyes at her.


    "Of course, it is an honor. Good that you know." Zee said completely ignoring Shreya''s sarcasm.


    Even though it might look as if Zee did not care on the surface, Shreya knew Zee. She always looked emotionless no matter place or time. You can be crying in front of her and all you would ever hear from her would be, "Crying doesn''t benefit you one bit, so stop it." That too in her overbearing cold voice. But Zee was good at hiding her warmth beneath everything else. Given a situation, Zee would stand between her and every danger coming her way. Shreya knew that.


    But even Shreya had never been able to actually let her open up to her after all these years. And since she was not the one to pry�� she never asked Zee about anything that she was not ready to tell her voluntarily.


    Shreya never felt her distancing as unfair since she was the same. She hid a lot of emotional crap in her too. Maybe the saying, the birds of the same feather flock together is after all true.


    But since Zee had way more baggage than Shreya�� her resistance to letting people into her life was actually the top of the class.


    "Hey, how are things between you and Srinivas?? Did you make him your boyfriend??" Shreya suddenly asked catching her off guard.


    Thankfully Srinivas was actually sitting on the far corner from them�� so he did not hear it. But once Zee recovered from her shock, she gave an ugly look to Shreya and said, "Stop joking around."


    "Hey, I am not joking. What is wrong with him??" Shreya asked puzzled. She wouldn''t be so nosy with Zee�� but Zee had terrible taste in men so far. All her past relationsh.i.p.s had been way too casual that hardly lasted a few months together. And of course, she also saw slight changes in Srinivas. So she thought maybe they would end up together.


    "He is not my type!!" Zee said bluntly.


    "Your type is casual!! Nothing else matters to you" Shreya said rolling her eyes.


    "Exactly�� And Srinivas is anything but casual." Zee said pointedly.


    "Isn''t it good. Anyways none of your past relationsh.i.p.s with your type of men ever worked. They were either trash that cheated or they ran away from you scared." Shreya asked puzzled.


    "I am not looking for a long term relationship Shreya��They get messy and I don''t deal with messy. And Srinivas is exactly the type to squeeze his way into your life without you even noticing. And that type is not good for my health" Zee answered seriously.


    Shreya did not pry but then again she had a hunch�� maybe Srinivas is exactly as Zee described. Maybe he will creep his way into her life without her even noticing it.

 Chapter 168 - 167. Im not scared of you.

    Akash strolled down from his room with his eyes half-closed to get some water. But to his surprise, there was someone already there. Whoever it was, was stumbling through the darkness making a whole lot of noise.


    Akash entered the kitchen frowning. All the staff has quarters outside�� so technically no one should be here now. Even if they were, it did not make sense to him why someone would loiter around in the middle of the night without bothering to switch on the light. He reached for the light switches and flipped it. And what came into view was Madhu sneaking into one of the cupboards.


    Madhu was so startled by the sudden flash of light that she actually dropped the spoon in her hands and yelped turning around.


    "What are you doing??" Akash asked confused seeing her here.


    Madhu blushed without answering. She was not exactly used to western cuisine. So she barely had anything to eat at dinner. And she couldn''t sleep with an empty stomach. SO she thought she could, at least, have some water and sugar which usually gets the job done. But of course, she got caught in the process and was now biting her lips with her head hung down.


    Akash''s eyes narrowed down on the spoon and he filled in the blanks by himself.


    "You are hungry??" Akash asked but then he already guessed the answer to his question. And then he also remembered how Madhu barely had anything at the dinner table. She had served herself some pasta and was sitting with it till the end of the night.


    Akash let out a sigh and decided to remind the kitchen people to do some Indian cuisine from the next day. For now, he approached Madhu and said, "You go to your room. I will get you something to eat��" He ruffled her hair slightly with a warm smile.


    But Madhu never looked up to actually see it. Since she felt so embarrassed about being caught, she was really grateful for the chance to escape. So she made a beeline out of the kitchen and did not stop until she reached her room.


    Akash looked at her retreating figure amused. But then he got to work. Since it was the dead of the night, he just got her some bread and made a peanut butter sandwich. He took it along with some milk and knocked on her doors and went in.


    Madhu was sitting at the edge of her bed in her pink pajamas. There was a big teddy bear drawn on its front.


    Akash smiled at her but did not comment. He went and kept the plate and the milk on the table and sat on the couch in the room.


    "Come on. Have this and go to bed. It''s getting late." He said softly.


    Madhu got up from the bed and sat beside him silently. She then very obediently took the bread and started munching on it. She very consciously took smaller bites and swallowed slowly. She was not looking forward to making another mess and embarrassing herself all over again. But in spite of her caution, two bites in�� she hiccuped.


    Akash smiled and gave her the glass of milk. She reached for the milk anxiously and gulped down one big mouth full making a balloon out of her mouth. Akash couldn''t help but let out a chuckle. But he did not tease her on it. He just reached out and brushed away the few drops of milk spilled out of the corner of her mouth.


    She almost spat out the milk surprised at his touch. But she consciously calmed down and gulped it down. She then looked at Akash and said in the smallest voice, "Thank you��"


    Madhu had a long hair that is usually bunched into a tight bun whenever she came to the office. Even when she came out with him, she usually braided it one way or another. But tonight, it was open. Akash liked it. So unconsciously his hands reached for her head and softly caressed on them as Madhu ate her sandwich like a squirrel. She looked especially small sitting beside him. Their bodies did not touch but there was barely an inch gap between them.


    "You know�� I will be here with you as much as you want me to. You don''t have to purposefully take such small bites to keep me here longer��" Akash teased seeing her eat.


    Madhu''s hands froze and looked at his shocked. Her cheeks went red as soon as she saw his twitched lips. She quickly averted her eyes and unconsciously stuffed her mouth with a bite that was actually way too big for her mouth and chocked coughing.


    Akash hurriedly fed her a gulp of milk all over again and stopped teasing her, "Okay.. okay. I won''t tease anymore. You eat slowly okay.." He said softly patting on her back to ease her coughing.


    "You go back to bed. I will eat by myself��" Madhu said quite timidly keeping the bread back in the plate.


    "What?? Are you kicking me out after making use of me?? Is this how you treat a person who made you food at midnight?" Akash asked making a pitiful face dramatically.


    "No�� NO�� no. I am not kicking you out and all�� I just thought�� I just didn''t want to keep you from your sleep�� You can stay as long as you want��" Madhu instantly recanted her words panicked with wide eyes.


    Akash''s eyes gleamed with interest at her last sentence�� He leaned over ambiguously making Madhu nervous. Since they were sitting so close, the smallest of the movement made Madhu''s heart race. She could feel his breath beside her cheeks.


    "Are you sure I can stay as long as I want??" Akash whispered against her ears.


    As soon as the words registered, the underlying meaning behind his words struck her like a lightning. Madhu looked up at him startled and nervous as her mind went blank and heart started drumming frantically against her ribs. Her eyes were very vulnerable and scared. But then there was also beautiful red blush on her cheeks.


    Looking into her eyes, Akash knew instantly that she actually took his teasing seriously. His heart and eyes softened instantly.


    "Okay. Sorry. I will stop teasing. For real this time. You just eat. I won''t open my mouth��" He said handing her the plate making a gesture of zipping his lips very seriously.


    The room went quiet instantly. The only sound was that of Madhu chewing and gulping down the milk. And as promised, Akash did not speak after that. He just sat beside her with his arm laying behind her on the couch but his eyes did not leave her face.


    It took everything in her to not dumb everything in her mouth in one go so that she can be done with it quickly. Madhu felt extremely conscious and nervous under his steady gaze. And with her anxiety, her appetite anyways flew out of the window. But then again, since Akash made it for her�� she did not have the heart to let it go to waste. SO she tried so damn hard to calm herself down and slowly ate one bite at a time. But after two sandwiches, she really couldn''t eat anymore. There was still one sandwich left on the plate.


    She lifted her head and looked at him helplessly.


    "It''s okay. Leave it if you are full." Akash said smiling.


    Madhu instantly kept the plate back at the table and stayed quiet pursing her lips.


    Akash let out a sigh as he said helplessly, "You don''t have to be so scared of me, you know. I am not going to eat you��" He had been observing her for a while now�� Initially, he himself did not notice it. But from the time they had become a couple, Madhu had become unnaturally quiet, unlike her usual blabbering self he knew. It happened on more than one occasion.


    Before they got together, she would end up talking to point of not knowing where or what she was really talking about with those gleaming eyes. But now�� even though her eyes still gleamed, she had been silent all the time�� especially around him. He thought maybe he was overthinking it. But today, he saw the difference. Madhu had been her usual self with Bhavna�� but as soon as he came near her, she had gone quiet. It was driving him crazy. He did not know what he was doing wrong.


    But if only he would use his common sense a bit more, he would have known that Madhu was conscious of him�� she was shy. Especially with his teasing�� she could barely remember to breathe let alone talk.


    Akash did not say anything more. He just took the plates and stood up ready to leave. But before he could get up, Madhu reached out and held his hands stopping him on his tracks.


    "I am�� I''m not scared of you��" Madhu squeaked out in the smallest voice.

 Chapter 169 - 168. I didnt know I could ask for more.

    Akash stopped on his track and looked at her intently. Madhu still did not look up at him.


    "Then what is it??" He asked softly in a defeated tone.


    "I just�� I find it hard to think straight when you are around!" Madhu mumbled bashfully in an almost inaudible whisper.


    But in the quiet room, her voice was like a cello kindling his heart. His eyes darkened instantly.


    "What did you just say??" Akash asked in a disbelieving whisper. But his voice was deep and husky making a shiver run through her skin just by listening.


    Madhu did not dare reply this time around. She just sat there and shook her head biting on her lower lips tentatively. She fidgeted with her already sweaty palms. The whole atmosphere suddenly felt hot and suffocating for her making her cheeks burn.


    It was hard for her to keep her breathing under control as it was. But on top of it, Akash took a small step towards her making the gap between them completely disappear. Her knees brushed against his legs.


    Akash got down and sat down on his knees in front of her in such a way that his face was at the same level as hers. Looking at her shy blushing cheeks, he suddenly felt really really stupid. How many times had he seen it, but he was still not able to understand what was happening.


    His hands unconsciously extended towards her face but then stopped just shy of touching them and fell back to his sides. She looked so beautiful and so innocent that he was afraid his smallest touch is going to end up staining her.


    Madhu heaved up all her courage and lifted her eyes by just a minuscule to see what he was doing. But when their eyes met�� she couldn''t look away. His eyes were filled with so much adoration that she felt as if she was drowning in them.


    The time came to a standstill. Madhu could hear her heart galloping all around the place.


    Akash''s hands irresistibly went to her cheeks. As he held her warm cheeks, he leaned over and pecked on her temple. He rested his forehead against hers and said in a ragged voice, "You drive me absolutely crazy Madhu."


    Madhu''s eyes widened hearing his hoarse voice. His had always been gentle and soft unless of course, he was angry. But she couldn''t really figure out what made him angry now. And since there were only two of them around, it was impossible for it to be someone other than her. But even after racking her brains with all her might, she couldn''t figure out what it was. So she decided to apologize first.


    "I''m sorry�� I didn''t mean to�� I didn''t know I was doing that." Madhu whispered nervously snuggling into his touch. His touch was like a straw giving her the courage.


    Akash first gaped at her not understanding why she was apologizing. But seeing her nervously biting her lips, his own lips twitched gleefully as he peppered small little kisses all over her face. His sweet little tortures made Madhu''s face turn red like a tomato and her eyes opened wide in surprise. The places he touched felt as if they had caught on fire.


    With each touch, her chests heaved up and down due to short of breath. At one point in time, she really couldn''t take it anymore. She forcefully pushed his away preventing him from his sweet torture. But then she leaned over and buried her face against his chests forcefully hiding her face from his onslaught and teasing.


    Akash let out a chuckle.


    "Madhu�� Look at me," He called softly when he failed to pry her face out of his chest.


    Madhu stubbornly refused to face him or pull her face away.


    "I want to tell you something�� it''s really important��" Akash said gently trying to coax her.


    "I won''t trust you. You will just tease me again��" Madhu mumbled like an aggrieved little kid complaining to her parent.


    "I won''t tease you. Promise��" Akash swore very solemnly.


    Minutes ticked by�� Madhu slowly leaned backward revealing her face.


    "There you are��" Akash said delighted arranging her disheveled hair.


    "What did you want to say??" Madhu asked timidly.


    "I think I am going to end up marrying you one day�� And you are going to be the most beautiful and happiest bride ever." Akash whispered with a happy smile on his face. His voice was firm as if he was making a promise rather than a statement. He did not know what it was himself but just now when he looked at her blushed face with her black eyes looking at him with so much innocence, a sudden image of the same face wearing a bridal lehenga and a bright smile just popped into his head like a damn slide show�� And his gut told him that it would feel like he was dying if he were to ever see her like that to become someone else''s bride and he would feel sorry for the rest of his life if he ever let her go.


    Madhu''s eyes widened to its maximum extent shocked. Her heartfelt as if it''s going to leap out of her ribs any second.


    They had only been dating for about a few months and he was talking about marriage�� Madhu''s face paled scared.


    "I now know how you look when you are scared after all��" Akash said softly caressing on her pale cheeks. He knew it was sudden. Frankly even he hadn''t thought things that far yet. But when he sees her face and when he is around her�� He knew nothing is ever going to feel quite like it. So he did not want to let it slide.


    Maybe typically people do get scared in such a situation�� but for him�� he felt elated somehow as if finding a treasure or something. He felt as if he couldn''t wait for that day.


    But things needn''t be the same for everyone. He knew�� but still looking at her pale face�� his heart fell an inch.


    Marriage might not have been something they had talked about between them but he also told her that he was serious about her. So, even if it was sooner than he thought, they would have eventually gotten there. But looking at Madhu, he knew she did not have the slightest idea or thought about marriage between them. That just meant that he never gave her the sense of security in their relationship all this time and he felt suffocated by it. He did not know what he did to let her feel so insure.


    "What are you thinking about?" Akash asked out loud resting his hands against her cheeks seeing as she was not speaking.


    Madhu forcefully shook her head to clear her muddled mind. Her head was in a deep shock.


    "Ma�� marriage??" Madhu mumbled in such a small voice that it was almost like she was scared to even spell it out.


    "Why? You don''t want to?" Akash asked softly. Somewhere seeing her shocked face and scared eyes, he had calmed himself down. So he did not show any of his feelings. He hid his own pain and agitation. He just looked at her and observed every last change in her eyes and expression to know what she wanted and what she felt. He wanted to know so that he can prepare himself.


    Maybe he could make a plan as to how to convince her. He could work harder on making her feel comfortable and secure in their relationship.


    But to Akash''s relief, before he could run his own mind wild, Madhu shook her head panicked as she explained anxiously, "No�� no�� no�� It''s not like that�� I just�� I just never thought about it�� I never knew I could think about those things��"


    Akash frowned. "What do you mean??"


    She had never thought about it�� it was understandable because even he never thought about it seriously before this moment. But the last line��


    I never knew I could think about things�� He wanted to know what she meant by this. He had never given her the impression that he was having a passing affair with her. But the fact that she had told him this meant that somewhere without him knowing�� he had made her feel like that. He did not know what to make of it or how to correct it. But talking it out should be the fastest way to correct it. So he waited for her answer patiently.


    "I just never thought things could go that far between us!" Madhu answered slightly absentmindedly after a long pause.


    "You thought I was playing with you??" Akash asked once again but this time he couldn''t keep his voice as calm. In spite of all his efforts anger still seeped into his voice making it slightly rugged. Knowing she might have thought that way and hearing her say that she had thought that way about him were two different things.


    But Madhu neither notice his anger nor the change in his voice. She just looked straight ahead and answered in the same absentminded flat tone, "I didn''t know I could ask for more��"

 Chapter 170 - 169. Expectations hurt.

    Akash blinked at her blankly for a second. He thought it would be because she did not trust him enough or maybe because she had commitment issues�� that maybe he never gave her a sense of security in their relationship�� but not for a second he thought it would be because of a lack of self-esteem.


    Since she always carried herself with a bright smile and rarely cried, he always thought it was because she was confident in herself. But he never thought she was someone who did not have a sense of worth. When he first confessed also, she did something similar. She didn''t think he could like him at all�� and even ran away from the place. And now this��


    "Why? Why did you not think you could ask for more??" Akash asked once he was out of shock. His voice became unnaturally soft without him knowing. It was so comforting to hear.


    "I don''t know�� I just��I didn''t want to ask for something that I am not allowed to and then get hurt later. That one hurts like a bitch. Expectations hurt." Madhu said blankly.


    This was the first conversation she was having with Akash in such a long time in which she was not squeaking but sadly it was not as joyous as Akash would have expected.


    But he was glad this was happening. For once, he felt as if she was actually opening up to him. She was letting him in. All their conversations before surrounded generic things. But this was one conversation where she was telling him about herself and her own feelings. For the first time, he was getting an answer as to how she thought about their relationship.


    "SO, your parents wouldn''t scold you for having a casual relationship??" Akash asked next.


    Madhu''s face froze suddenly realizing something�� her face lost all her blood instantly and went pale like a white sheet. He did not think she could go paler than before but the reality was right in front of him. She did not look this pale even when he first proposed to her. He did not know how it was even possible for her to go paler but she did somehow. Akash felt as if she might actually pass out on him.


    "I''m�� I''m adopted�� I don''t know who my biological parents are." She said not daring to look at Akash. Her voice was so meek out of nervousness. She did not mean to hide but then she always thought this was only some passing relationship for him�� so she never thought she would have to say this before.


    Akash remained frozen and shell shocked for one whole minute and that whole time, Madhu felt as if she was standing at the edge of a cliff preparing to be pushed down any minute. Just when she wanted to pull away on her own�� saving herself some semblance of dignity and heartache, Akash�� instead of pushing her away as she thought he would�� he actually brought her closer.


    He did not really say anything. He just brought her into an embrace running his hands soothingly over her back.


    "I''m sorry I did not tell you before��" Madhu mumbled against his neck. She let out the breath she did not even realize she was holding on to. A sense of relief spread through her when she realized Akash did not push her away.


    "It doesn''t matter��" Akash said softly stroking her back.


    Neither spoke for a long time after that. Akash''s knees started hurting, so he pulled away giving rise to a protesting groan from Madhu.


    "Where are you going??" Madhu asked before she could stop herself.


    Akash just let out a chuckle and sat beside her on the couch as he said, "I am not going anywhere. My knees hurt��"


    Madhu''s cheeks burned instantly which embarrassed. But it further intensified when Akash pulled her by her waist and hoisted her over his laps.


    "Akash!!" She exclaimed surprised trying to get up from his laps.


    So far, all their dates had been in public places. So they never had this level of physical intimacy before. She felt awkward and uncomfortable.


    But Akash did not budge. He held her by her waist in an iron grip and whispered into her ears, "Stop moving around. It might be dangerous��"


    Madhu''s eyes flew wide as her whole being froze in place. But then next second her eyes flared up in anger when she heard Akash laugh out loud.


    "Gosh, you are so cute!!" Akash cooed her pinching on her flared up cheeks.


    Madhu calmed down and settled herself comfortably in his embrace given she was not going to be able to get out of his grip anytime soon anyways. Time ticked by quietly. Akash did not speak as he kept caressing over her hair gently.


    "They�� they adopted me because�� because they couldn''t have a child of their own�� and�� and an astrologer told them that they would have a child if they were to raise an orphan child. And as it happens, right after I was adopted, mother got pregnant. So, they just raised me." Madhu said. But unlike her usual cheerful self, she looked emotionless now. Almost as if she was recanting a ghost story rather than her own life experiences. There was no joy what so ever in her voice when she said she was adopted or when she called a person ''Mother''.


    "You don''t have to tell me anything Madhu�� not unless you want to��" Akash said calmly. But at his heart, there was this uneasiness. He did not like seeing her like this�� like a doll. He wanted her cheerful self. Someone who could rant for straight 3 hours without break.


    Even though she was talking now, it was not the same.


    Madhu went quiet after that but then said, "You are not really missing on much anyways. It''s inconsequential."


    Akash let out a sigh and pinched on her waist playfully.


    "What did I do now??" Madhu asked frowning.


    Akash looked at her eyes and said in a sober tone, "Will you tell me if I said I want to know??"


    "What do you want to know?" Madhu asked after a slight hesitation.


    "Were they good to you??" Was the first thing that Akash asked. Nothing else really mattered or held any significance to him as long as they had treated her well.


    Madhu looked at him surprised. She thought he would ask for details along the line of how she came to be their daughter or where she had been before or maybe even about her birth parents. But the first thing he asked was actually about her�� just her. As if all else did not hold any significance to him.


    She blinked several times thoughtfully before answering, "I guess. They never mistreated me or starved me. They were reasonable. They looked after everything I needed and even sent me to college. So I can''t really complain��"


    But one thing she never received from them was family. She had a roof on top of her head and pretty clothes to wear but she never got the one thing she wanted the most from them�� a home. Growing up, it did not make sense. The difference between how she was treated and how her brother was treated�� the difference was not something that was visible on the surface. She struggled to understand what was different for a long time as a kid. But as she grew up, she realized the difference was ''love''. They did not love her.


    She took her time accepting it. But given she had always known that she was adopted from the start�� she did not feel wronged or unfair. She always felt it was a natural thing and they were not to blame.


    "Do they love you??" Akash asked next as if he was reading her mind.


    Madhu hung her head down instantly and slowly shook her head. She looked like an abandoned puppy.


    Akash''s hands and jaws clenched unconsciously seeing her like this. He silently pulled her and buried her face into his chests and wrapped both his arms engulfing her completely.


    She was like a little bird wrapped in a cocoon from all sides. Protected from sun, wind, and cold.


    "What happened?" Madhu asked confused.


    "I love you��" Akash declared in a steady voice. Neither his voice nor his eyes wavered as he said those words.


    Hearing his declaration, Madhu paused for a second. But then her racing heart unnaturally calmed down. She felt warm and comfortable. Her heartbeat steadily as she snuggled into him and closed her eyes in peace.


    She did not really understand what it was she was feeling at the moment. But somehow she did not feel the need to fill the silence. The only way she could think of describing how she felt hearing him was�� she felt peaceful. There was no awkwardness, excitement, or shyness she always had�� she felt at home.


    So this is what home felt like ah??


    She thought as she drifted to sleep.


    Akash''s eyes softened as he saw her snore away and decided to take her to see his parents as soon as they reached back home.


    "They are going to love you so much that you are going to feel like you are going to explode. I promise��" Akash whispered kissing her on her temple and watched her sleeping form intently.

 Chapter 171 - 170. This is daytime robbery.

    The next day morning, Akash woke up to the soft giggling sound. When he blinked his eyes open, he was met with the figure of his sister giggling away mischievously. He looked around and only then he realized, he had slept in Madhu''s room and Madhu was actually buried into his chests fast asleep. His eyes softened but when his eyes shifted slightly, he saw the phone on Bhavna''s hands. He had a really bad premonition.


    "You guys look so adorable!!" Bhavna whisper squealed excited showing off the picture she had just taken of them both. The photo was in fact adorable. Akash was fast asleep with his head leaning over Madhu''s head while Madhu was curled up in his laps completely wrapped in his arms. Madhu''s face was not visible fully. One half was buried against his skin while the other half was partly covered by her hair. The only thing visible was one of her shut eyes with her long lashes.


    He got to say Bhavna''s photography skills were top-notch. Just when he was about to praise her, a thought struck him as he looked at his sister and asked, "Who did you send it to?"


    After all, they were siblings, and Bhavna would never leave an opportunity like this to let past her. She was the laziest person there is and she wouldn''t do anything free of cost. Especially when it comes to black material on him. She wouldn''t be satisfied unless he was tortured dry.


    "Mum, of course!!" Bhavna said brightly with a gloating smile.


    "Bhavna�� Seriously??" Akash asked defeated. If his mum knows, it would be a miracle if this did not come as flash news in a few hours. After all, Bhavna got her gossipy genes from Bhagya.


    But before he could scold her for being nosy, Madhu stirred in her sleep. Akash shut up freezing on his place. He then gestured Bhavna to leave quietly. He did not want Madhu''s sleep to be disturbed�� and even if it was and Madhu woke up, he so did not want it to be with Bhavna looking at them like a freaking air piece in the museum. It would freak her out for sure.


    Bhavna scrambled away with a big smile. After all, she had already gotten what she had come for. Who asked them to sleep so adorably with their room unlocked. She had originally just wanted to drag Madhu to the swimming pool. But instead what she got made her so much more excited. She did not have to worry about her pocket money this month.


    Just as the doors clicked behind her, Madhu woke up blinking her eyelids.


    Akash kept his hands behind her head and caressed gently as he greeted her, "Hey there sleepyhead�� good morning..."


    Madhu mumbled something back incoherently against his chest that almost sounded like a greeting. But she did not really bother waking up though. She just slightly shifted in such a way that now the whole of her face was buried against him.


    Akash smiled. He never thought being used as a piece of furniture or a plush toy could be such a joyous thing. He wanted so to go back to sleep just like this. But knowing Bhavna?? he reluctantly dismissed the idea.


    He then carefully lifted her in his arms and brought her to bed. But just as he was about to lay her on the bed, Madhu tightened her grip around his t-shirt making it impossible for him to pull away. He gently coaxed her hands away and stuffed a pillow into them. He leaned down to leave a feather-light peck on her forehead and exited the room.


    Just as he stepped out, he was met with Bhavna. She had one of her hands folded under her while her other hand was extended in front of her.


    Akash knew his sister way too well. That is why he scoffed as he said, "Why should I pay you? Anyways you already spread it around to mum��"


    "I lied. But I can send it now if you are so eager. And I might as well ask her to spread it across��" Bhavna gloated showing off Shreya''s phone.


    Akash saw the problem at last. Bhagya might not listen to Anand or anyone else, but she always listens to Shreya. And of course, Bhavna was spoilt rotten by Shreya. So Shreya would do anything Bhavna asks. Especially if it was to torture him.


    He begrudgingly took out his phone and logged into his bank account. His hands fumbled around for a while. He then showed her a figure.


    "Add a zero to the end��" Bhavna bossed with her lips twitched. This was playful banter between the siblings that had been happening forever. But it was mostly Akash who would be paying up. From bunking classes to helping him sneak back into the house late at night- Bhavna would happily extort money from him for every damn thing. But since she was the youngest in the family and was spoilt rotten�� he could only swallow all his complaints and pay up. But with her age, her extortion skill and the money involved had improved leaps and bounds.


    "5 Crores?? Seriously?? This is day time robbery!!" Akash whined.


    "You can either take it now or I can let mom pass it around. Anyways she is eager to brag that you had at last gotten yourself a decent girlfriend." Bhavna said shrugging her shoulders.


    Akash could only transfer the money helplessly. He could only guess what would happen if the photo was distributed around. Especially given how shy Madhu was. He did not want to take chances.


    Bhavna confirmed that the cash had come into her account before sending the photo to Akash and promptly also deleted the photo from her phones.


    All the while, Akash kept looking at her like a hawk making sure she was not doing anything sneaky with him and come to extort more money form him later. It had happened, mind you. Plenty times that too.


    But Bhavna was very honest this time around. Not because she developed a sudden conscience. But mainly because it involved Madhu. If it had been just Akash, she would have messed around with him to her heart''s content and not have felt guilty about it at all. But since Madhu was involved and since she took her as her friend, Bhavna did not wish to put her in a position. Madhu was way too innocent and cute and adorable�� she did not want to scare her away from this idiot brother of hers. She did not even want to send her mum the pictures. She was just messing around with Akash.


    Once confirming the payment receipt, Bhavna walked away contently making a mental list of things she was going to buy with the newfound pocket money.


    Akash smiled at her back helplessly.


    As crazy as she was, he had really missed her madness in the few years when she was abroad. She always drove him absolutely crazy and at the end of everything, she would make a pitiful face and he would melt away just like that.


    NOT for a second did he think that he would miss her craziness when she left. But there was an unexplainable emptiness spread in the whole family when she did leave. The impact was so much worse since it was right after Shreya''s parent''s death. But since everybody knew why she was going, nobody had the heart to stop her.


    Akash followed his sister and swung his arms around her shoulder as they walked to the living room.


    "Hey, kid. What do you think about staying home this time permanently??" Akash asked seriously.


    Bhavna looked at his brother surprised. But then mischief filled her eyes within seconds as she asked, "Why?? Do you have too much money now that you are manging S corp. full time??"


    Akash just chuckled helplessly pinching on her cheeks but then answered her question in a gentle voice, "We miss you here, kid. It would really help Shreya to have you around this time�� I know you feel bad that you weren''t around the previous time."


    Bhavna stopped on her track. She bit on her lips thoughtfully. She did miss home too. And her term in college was also coming to an end. Originally, she thought she could apply for a post-grad in the same university�� but hearing Akash�� she was really tempted to coming back home.


    She had run away once because it was too much to face her pain�� but this time around�� she felt as if she had the energy to face it. Especially when she thought about Shreya. She did not want to run away from her this time around and regret it later.


    "I will ask Shreya first before deciding." She replied after giving it a thought. After all, it was Shreya who arranged everything for her. From her accommodation to admission�� everything was carried out by Shreya. And when she said she wanted to come back a while ago, Shreya straight out refused. So she did not want to decide rashly without consulting her.


    Akash pecked on top of her forehead before going into one of the restrooms to freshen up while Bhavna went in search of some food.

 Chapter 172 - 171. ... you do know my name after all.

    Shreya stopped on her track when she heard steady track behind her. After all, she was running in a forest and this island is private and isolated. SO it had got to be one of her own people and when she left, she was sure nobody else was awake.


    She couldn''t sleep in today since she had knocked out earlier than her usual time. SO she thought she might run around a bit. SO she took the narrow path into the forest and kept at it. But half an hour in, she heard steady footsteps from behind her.


    She stopped and found Srinivas in his tracks and t-shirt jogging steadily with sweat dripping from his forehead.


    "Morning, Madam." He greeting stopping beside Shreya.


    "Morning��" Shreya greeted him back and started sprinting all over again without bothering to say anything else. And Srinivas quietly kept with her pace. With Shreya''s small legs, her pace was actually pretty slow�� compared with him, it was almost comparable to that of a tortoise. But it was better to have a company in this desolate forest.


    Except for chirping of birds and rustling of leaves�� the only other sound was the sound of their sneakers thudding against the ground. But after a while, the pathway actually split into two directions leading deeper into the forest.


    Shreya took one of the paths and kept at it.


    "Madam, are you sure you know the way around here?? We do not have any cell service here??" Srinivas asked doubtfully but still, he kept running beside her without stopping.


    "Trust me. It will only take a few minutes��" Shreya said and kept at it. But the path actually came to a dead-end. Shreya stopped and actually walked into the trees leaving out the path. The ground was inclined downwards quite steeply.


    Srinivas got scared and stepped in front of her and lead her by her hands.


    "I am not a kid you know��" Shreya said smiling but did not complain.


    "Just in case�� Where are we going anyway??" Srinivas asked.


    "Shh�� listen��" Shreya said shushing him.


    That is when he notices the rushing sound of water somewhere nearby. Following the sound, they came to a waterfall.


    It was not huge. Water fell from several feet about them and formed a small pond at its base. But the pond was not large�� since the ground was shallow and was inclined downwards, the water was falling back down into the forest. The whole place was covered by thick trees making the whole scene invisible from the outside.


    "How did you know this place??" Srinivas asked.


    Shreya took in a content breath staring at the scene in front of her. It was unlike anything she had ever seen before. It was peaceful here. Nature at its best. Just being there felt blissful.


    "One of the maids showed me the directions when I asked for a place I could jog��" Shreya said and went ahead and sat in one of the huge rocks around. She stretched her legs in the front and leaned behind her arms and smiled seeing the falls. She would love to go in but it was very inconvenient to reach. Huge rocks blocked the path and since the water was shallow, she can''t really dive in either if she wanted to keep her head intact.


    Srinivas still could not believe what he was seeing. He hadn''t seen anything this beautiful before. The water was green reflecting the trees around perfectly. That''s how pure the water was.


    Shreya looked around and then suddenly got up from her place and started hopping from one rock to another. Because of the water, they were quite slippery.


    "Shreya��" Srinivas exclaimed panicked and followed her hurriedly.


    "Wow�� you do know my name after all��" Shreya mocked but still did not stop her endeavor. By the time Srinivas caught up to her, she actually came to stop at the rock very closest to the water and sat down.


    She then gestured Srinivas to sit beside her. Srinivas let out a sigh but still sat down and answered, "I just panicked. I thought you might dive in. The water is too shallow here��"


    "I know�� I just wanted to feel the water. Here�� you want some??" Shreya asked taking out a water bottle from her backpack.


    Srinivas took a gulp without a word and handed her the bottle.


    The rock they were sitting on was close to the water. So whenever the tide was just a tad bit hard, it flowed under them drenching them. Shreya took a gulp of water herself and leaned back on the rock behind them. Srinivas just sat there��


    Neither of them felt the need to fill the silence as the listened and stared at the scene in front of them.


    After a long while, surprisingly it was Srinivas who broke the silence, "Thank you for bringing me here�� For the vacation that is��"


    "It''s your job," Shreya said shrugging.


    "You and I both know that is not true. This island is practically invisible from all directions. And no matter who wants to, nobody will be able to reach here. So you don''t need me here whatsoever�� not for you.. not for Zee��" Srinivas said smiling.


    Shreya just smiled neither accepting nor denying his conjuncture.


    "You are still not talking to your sister??" Shreya asked after a while.


    Shreya knew everything about everyone''s family around her. She always did a very thorough background check on people she employed. Especially on people who are responsible for protecting her family and friends. She probably knew more about their families than they themselves do. And Srinivas was no exception.


    His parents had long passed away while he was still in military services due to natural causes. The only family he had is his younger sister who also happened to be Shreya''s classmate in college. Shreya came to hire Srinivas because of her, in the first place.


    But the relationship between the siblings was strained.


    When Shreya was going through potential hires, she saw his sister''s name and instantly recognized her from college. And when she called her back to get a reference, his sister requested Shreya to hire him without fail. She had practically begged Shreya. So Shreya agreed without much thought. After all, he had the skill she needed.


    The only problem was�� Srinivas�� the time period he had served in the army had taken a toll on him. Zack was in the normal army whose work was usually restricted to training and giving orders. And his rank hadn''t been low either.


    But for Srinivas it was different�� he was special forces. Even Shreya couldn''t get her hands on half of his mission statements. Only very few people in the army had clearance to those statements�� they were that top-secret mission. So he had seen too much stuff hands-on. And so when he discharged, he had suffered from PTSD which resulted in him pushing away the only family he has.


    Srinivas himself did not remember half the things he had did to actually drive his own sister and brother-in-law away from him. He did not even know that he got the job because of his sister till now.


    "I am not sure she would let me anywhere near her house�� After all, last time we met, her husband was bleeding from his nose��" Srinivas said awkwardly.


    His mood swings back then had been awful. When Shreya first hired him, he had to go through therapy for 6 months straight, and only when his psychiatrist gave him a clean bill of heath did Shreya assign him to Zeenath.


    "Well, if he was holding a grudge�� you can just ask him to return the favor this time around. After all, your pay package has excellent medical coverage. You wouldn''t have to spare a penny��" Shreya said with an amused smile.


    Srinivas just let out a chuckle and agreed, "Maybe I should give it go��"


    He knew his sister was not really angry at him and that she wouldn''t exactly close the doors to his face. He was just reeling over his guilt.


    After all, what angered his sister the most back then was not even his mood swings but his stubbornness to refute any help that she had provided him with. And he had, at last, acknowledged that he actually needed help only when he saw his sister walk out of his life. Till then, he had stubbornly held a stance that he was okay. But when he had realized his mistake, it was already too late.


    When he was deliberating on how to get his life back on track, Shreya popped into his life like an angel and showed him a direction for which he was so grateful that he couldn''t even express in words.


    "Don''t overthink things�� You don''t have to... You are not supposed to when it comes to family. Worse comes worse, you are going to get punched in the face�� And in this line of work, it won''t be the first time that happens nor the last��" Shreya said without any trace of teasing she had before.

 Chapter 173 - 172. ... see even you are treating me like a kid.

    Family�� Nobody knows its importance more than Shreya. Because she was someone who had lost a family and then later found another. So she knew what it''s worth and what it brings to life.


    Her family�� Anand uncle, Bhagya, Bhavna, Akash, Adam, John�� and every single person she cares about and who cares about her�� She cherished them with utmost care.


    They were what gave her direction�� they were what gave her the will to fight�� Their safety and security are for what she was fighting for. Having them was what gives meaning to everything she does.


    Sometimes, even when they are gone�� they end up helping you. That''s the power of family. Without her parents or their love�� she wouldn''t have the urge to fight so hard. If only this company wasn''t her fathers�� if it hadn''t been Adithya''s legacy�� she wouldn''t have worked so hard to run it.


    And as far as Charan and Akira were concerned�� ''happiness'' as a concept and feeling is lost to her without those two people in her life. She did not know how to smile without them now. She wanted to be with them so desperately that she would end up doing anything and everything in her power to make it happen.


    "Family is important�� more important than your fear��" Shreya whispered. Because a part of her understood his fear. It was almost similar to her own fear of ruining Charan''s life just by being with him�� putting him in danger by being in his life.


    She also knew his fear was not the same as her. After all, what he was most afraid of was not his sister''s safety but her rejection. What he was afraid of was ruining her mental peace�� disrupting her peaceful life. But she knew none of it would ever matter to his sister as long as he could be with her�� that he could break all hell and nothing would ever change between them.


    "I know��" Srinivas simply agreed and stayed quiet. He sat there hugging his knees lost in his thoughts.


    Shreya pulled back and laid down on the rock comfortably discarding her backpack on the side. Anyways it was waterproof�� and of course, she did not really have anything other than the water bottle. So she did not bother with it.


    Coldwater brushed under her every now and then teasing her skin whenever the tide was stronger. Her back became completely drenched very quickly. Shreya closed her eyes and enjoyed the stillness. They just kept each other company quietly without saying a single word.


    "You are going to catch cold like this��" Srinivas said slightly concerned after a long time. She was practically soaked as time passed.


    Shreya just shrugged disinterestedly not even bothering to open her eyes.


    "Shreya��" Srinivas sighed.


    Shreya''s eyes opened at last when he called her by her name with an amused smile, "At last I trained you right��" There was a triumphant smile as she said it.


    "What do you mean??" Srinivas asked frowning.


    "You did not call me ma''am or Madam for once��" Shreya replied closing her eyes all over again.


    Srinivas was slightly taken aback. Then he scratched the back of his head embarrassed.


    Before whenever they met, it was always due to work and mostly at her office. Invariably the atmosphere always reminded him to be very formal and disciplined. But here, in this casual environment and with how easy going Shreya was�� he unconsciously got comfortable and did not even realize he called her by her name.


    And Shreya had this uncanny ability to make the people around her feel at ease. It was almost like a mirror effect�� because she acts so at ease�� you end up being at ease.


    "It''s just�� unconsciously�� without realizing��" Srinivas mumbled.


    Shreya just shrugged off chuckling as she said, "Don''t worry�� When I am done with training, you will be calling me by my name every time��"


    Her expression was clearly telling him that she was making fun of him. It''s been long since he had faced such a situation. But there was also a strange sense of warmth that spread through him.


    It felt as if he had gotten himself a very bratty mischievous little sister for himself. He just shook his heads smiling.


    "Okay, enough of teasing. Now get up. It''s getting late�� let''s go back before Zack gathers a search party��" He said getting up.


    Shreya looked up but still reluctantly got up and hoisted her backpack. It was very small and only had water in it. But as soon as her eyes landed in the front, she frowned.


    Jumping down from a higher rock to a lower one was easy�� so she hopped around like a rabbit and got here. But the reverse is going to give her a headache. Especially given how short she was.


    Srinivas on the other hand easily got up and extended his hands to help Shreya.


    Shreya frowned at him irritated this time around. She made a grumpy pout and took his hands reluctantly. She was looking at him as if he had committed a grave crime making him speechless.


    "What did I do now??" Srinivas asked bewildered. He was just trying to help after all.


    Shreya humped and grumbled all the way of climbing one rock as she said, "Tall guys like you would never know the pain of short people like us��" She stood up straight and got even more irritating seeing as she barely reached his shoulders.


    Srinivas did not know whether he should laugh or be offended by her glares. But he couldn''t really control his lips from twitching as he suddenly had this urge to pinch her puffing cheeks while Shreya was still whining. A minute passed and he actually gave in to his urges and pinched her cheeks before he could stop himself. But as soon as he realized what he was doing, he took back his hands hurriedly and looked at her nervously. Even though Shreya was easy going, she was still his employer and there is some basic etiquette that had to be followed in such a relationship.


    But Shreya did not flinch nor did she look offended, instead she complained all over again, "See�� even you are treating me like a child because of my height!!" She huffed and puffed innocently.


    God knows, more than her height it was the way she behaved that made people treat her like a kid. But Shreya would never believe it even if he said that. So he just let her be.


    Srinivas''s eyes warmed and his hands extended and ruffled her hairs more confidently this time. It really felt like having a little brat around�� which just made him miss his own sister so much more than normal. Maybe he could actually go and see his sister as soon as he went back home.


    "You be careful and follow me okay�� Careful not to slip��" He nagged as he led her out of the rocks one at a time.


    It took them at least half an hour just to get out. The rocks had pebbled due to constant flow of water which made this extremely slippery and so much more harder to climb out of.


    "What would you have done if I hadn''t come today??" Srinivas asked handing her some water once getting out of the rocky terrain.


    Shreya was slightly out of breath as she gulped down the water. Once she brought her breathing to normal, she answered unhurried, "I would have just waited for Zack to find me��"


    Because there was no way she could have climbed those rocks without Srinivas here. She would have been stranded here for god knows how long. But then she was not exactly bothered or afraid about that perspective.


    "That is why you should think before you act!" Srinivas scolded her and led the way out.


    Shreya just stuck her tongue out at his back without replying but just as he turned back to give her his hands, Shreya closed her mouth and looked at him innocently.


    "I saw that��" Srinivas said rolling his eyes.


    He had long wondered, why Zack and everyone else treated her like a little kid sometimes when she was so good at giving orders and bossing everyone around. But now he knew why�� There was no way he is going to be able to treat her seriously after seeing this side of hers.


    As his boss, he always had immense respect for Shreya. The things she had achieved at the age she was�� it was commendable. He admired the way she carried herself and went ahead with business. But the warmth she had sowed in the softest part of his heart in these two hours they spent together�� he could feel it blooming leaps and bound rapidly with each passing minute.


    This was Shreya�� she moved people''s hearts with utmost sincerity. She never used brute force to gain loyalty. She moved them with her earnestly.

 Chapter 174 - 173. Part time job

    "Where did you guys go??" Zeenath asked as soon as Shreya and Srinivas entered the house completely soaked in sweat and dirt.


    "I went out for a run and coincidentally ran into Shryea on the way��" Srinivas answered.


    Shreya, on the other hand, did not bother to answer and just went to her room for a shower. She was soaked both in water and sweat which resulted in dirt sticking to her skin like glue. She felt sticky. She wouldn''t feel normal until she can wash everything out. She was not a cleanliness freak and all�� but she did give attention to hygiene.


    Srinivas, on the other hand, went straight to the kitchen. He was famished. He went out for the run as soon as he woke up. Originally, he was just planning for a half an hour lap around the mansion forest but then she had met with Shreya and somehow two hours had gone by just like that. And now his stomach was begging him for something to eat.


    He found some sandwiches and dung straight into them. But just as his hands reached for them, Zee came and flickered his hands away took the plate away from his reach in one swift sweep.


    Srinivas looked up at her bewildered.


    "Shower first. You stink like a pig and god knows what''s on your hands��" She said frowning.


    Srinivas first frowned. It did not bother him since, in his line of work, he had eaten in worse conditions. Most times, having proper food was itself a luxury�� But after a short while, he still stood up and went to his room. After all, in all probability the time taken for him to take a shower is going to be far less than that of the time he would spend on arguing with Zee.


    Shreya entered her room only to find Bhavna already there rolling around on her bed. This room was at the far corner of the house farthest away from the living room. There was a roof to ceiling glass window facing the bed. The window opened up to the beach on the other side giving a breathtaking view.


    "What are you doing here?" Shreya asked searching the cupboards for some towels and casual clothes.


    "I am here to rest��" Bhavna said proudly. She even rolled around on her bed to prove her point.


    "What did you do exactly that needs rest��??" Shreya said frowning. Bhavna might not be a bum and she has an exceptional IQ but she is also the laziest person you will ever see. Except for things she was interested in like shopping and partying, she couldn''t be bothered to even lift a plate. So, her actually working is an alien concept for everyone in the family.


    "Part time job!" Bhavna said holding her chins high and continued, "And I earned a lot too��"


    "You extorted your brother didn''t you??" Shreya asked rolling her eyes at her. Even though she had coined it as a question, Shreya already knew the answer to it before Bhavna could ever answer. After all, she had witnessed it first hand how much Bhavna could dupe her brother. And Akash being the oblivious person he was, will always only realize his mistake after falling down headfirst into the pit Bhavna had dug out especially for him. But after falling down, all he could do was grieve over his loss.


    Bhavna looked at her startled at first and then faked an offended look as she complained, "How can you Shreya? How can you think about me so viciously? It hurts here��" She even dramatically pointed to her heart making a pained face.


    Shreya rolled her eyes and flung a pillow at her face, "Drama queen�� Where is my phone??" Shreya asked searching for her phones when Bhavna reached for her pockets and gave it to her scratching the back of her head.


    Shreya looked at her suspiciously. This was her personal phone�� she uses it only for taking with her family and stuff. It had no sensitive information whatsoever. Not even contact information. Due to her excellent memory, she always dials the numbers to all her family rather than saving them on her list. So she does not really have any lock on them.


    When she opened the screen, she saw the confirmation screen for the successful transfer of money to Bhavna''s account.


    "You really blackmailed your brother??" Shreya asked in disbelief.


    "Of course not�� It was a legitimate business deal. He needed something I had and he was willing to pay the price I asked for��" Bhavna said so self righteously that if any normal person who did not know of Bhavna had heard it, they might actually end up believing it.


    But Shreya was not anybody�� so she did not believe her one bit. She just rolled her eyes at Bhavna and did not bother with her anymore and went to shower.


    "Hey, don''t give me that look�� I did not do anything shady okay? He just happens to be an idiot�� it''s not my fault!" Bhavna yelled at Shreya looking at her giving her a suspicious look. But Shreya did not bother to even look back at her.


    Bhavna puffed her cheeks wronged and went out stomping her legs.


    Zack also just happened to stroll out of his own room yawning when he saw Bhavna walking out of Shreya''s room.


    "Hey munchkin, what happened??" He asked frowning but then again there was no real concern in them. After all, with the people on this island, it was more likely for her to bully someone than someone else to bully her�� especially given she had walked out of Shreya''s room.


    But before Bhavna could complain, Akash came from behind Zack and answered on her behalf, "Oh, don''t worry, Zack. Your dear little brat had already extorted money from me�� so she was probably making a shopping list��"


    When she heard the same words Shreya had just used on her, Bhavna got irritated.


    "That was not extortion�� It was a fair legitimate deal that you willingly agreed on�� I did not force you to pay me. You could have just let go of the pictures�� but you wanted it and paid for it. How is that extortion?" She argued puffing her cheeks in her all so familiar self-righteous voice.


    "Yea�� if that was so, then you know also believe Zack is Superman��" Akash said sarcastically rolling his eyes.


    "Zack, of course, is Superman. I know that even if you didn''t tell me that!" Bhavna said cheekily smiling at Zack unashamed of her blatant fawning.


    Just as Akash was going to argue back at her shamelessness, Zack intervened and pulled Bhavna away and said with a stern voice as if scolding her, "Okay, okay. Now, stop messing around. You had already had your fun this morning with your brother. Let him earn some more, before letting him go dry�� Only when he earns more would he be able to pay up. Otherwise, you would have to dig more holes which is tiring. And anyway, you should also need time to spend it. Otherwise, earning more is of no use."


    "Hey, Zack��" Akash complained without words.


    "I am being scolded because of you, but you are still complaining??" Bhavna pitched in giving her brother stinky eyes.


    "Are you sure he was scolding you?? For me, it felt more like a compliment�� And he is also teaching you how to extort more efficiently from me. As if you need any more expertise in that area," Akash said rolling his eyes.


    Before the argument could truly burst out of control, Zack stuffed a toast into Bhavna''s mouth and shut her up.


    "Now both of you shut up and eat. My ears are buzzing with you both bickering like cats and dogs right in the morning��" Zack said sternly going for his own breakfast.


    "He started it��"


    "She started it��"


    The siblings complained all over again feeling extremely wronged for being compared to cats and dogs.


    Zack had had enough. So he turned a blind eye to them both and dug into his own food tuning them out.


    And as he predicted, within a few minutes, Akash had run out of patience arguing with Bhavna and straight-up resorted to using his hands rather than his brains. He pinched Bhavna on her waists and ran away with Bhavna hot on his trails.


    They even bumped into Shreya on the way. But Shreya did not bother with them in spite of Bhavna asking her for help. She just bypassed them and took up her own breakfast and started munching.


    Anyways, she knew how it was going to end. Bhavna would chase Akash to her fullest but since her physical stamina was far less than that of Akash, she would have to fake some tears at last and Akash would end up bring her some ice cream which both of them will end up eating together at the end.


    "Don''t worry, there is ice cream in the fridge�� I checked." Zack said without words for which Shreya just nodded back.


    "Oddly enough, I missed them together��" Shreya mumbled thoughtfully.


    "It is not just you who missed it," Zack replied.

 Chapter 175 - 174. President... You mean Shreya?

    On the completely different part of the world, things were not so smooth.


    Anand felt a headache coming as he looked through the papers on his table and the girl in front of him.


    She looked extremely timid and scared out of her mind. She looked as if she was going to be hugging the ground any moment now. As if her knees would give away if he had as much as even breathed her way.


    "Why didn''t you say this before??" Anand asked. In spite of himself, his voice still showed his irritation.


    "Sir, I�� I just�� Madam��" The little girl stammered around without being able to get any coherent words out.


    Anand let out a sigh and just signaled her to go. After all, he knew he couldn''t get much out of the girl while the papers in front of him already told him everything without anyone having to tell anything. So there was no use in scaring the girl more than she already was.


    The little girl scrambled out of the office in a hurry stumbling around a few times. Then he took the phone and called through the intercom to his secretary.


    "Call up the planning department. I want to see Director Susmitha as soon as she clocks in��"


    But to his utter annoyance, Sushmitha did not come to his office until almost noon.


    "Hello, uncle. I am sorry I was caught up with some work and could only come now!!" She entered the office as if she owned the place and talked leisurely.


    Anand looked at her with blazing eyes. But his lips remained sealed as he asked in an ice-cold voice, "What were you so busy with that you ignored the direct orders of the CEO??"


    Susumitha stiffened immediately seeing his stance.


    "Sorry uncle��"


    Actually, she was out shopping with her friends and came to the office late. It was a regular thing too but she kept getting away with it since her surname was a Srivastav.


    Even though Shreya had a reputation of a brat in the office, she was almost always on time and she never bothered anyone. She always came and stayed at her office most of the time and went out. And since her office is in the restricted floor, nobody really knew what she was up to. So, people looked at her with envy and mockery but never hated her. But it was not the same with Susmitha�� she acted arrogantly and bossed everyone around in her department.


    Shreya knew about her acting out�� but she gave her a levy since she was family. If Susmitha did something excessive to anyone of her staff, Shreya simply moved them to another department away from Sushmitha''s reach. And any losses suffered by the company due to her cousin''s carelessness would be directly reimbursed by Shreya personally. And when Shreya wasn''t around, she would ask Akash to cover for them. That was the whole reason why Susmitha''s and Mithun''s life in the company had been so smooth sailing so long.


    But now since both of them weren''t at the office, this came to Anand''s attention and he was not one to tolerate such behavior in office no matter who it was. And of course, even though Shreya had turned a blind eye towards her cousins, she had detailed paper works and evidence to their mischiefs just so she can use it at times of need.


    But this time around things was a bit more complicated. This time around, the complaint was that she has stolen the design plans of interns in her department.


    And when Anand enquired about it, it did not seem to be a solitary incident either.


    Seeing her stunned look, Anand just shrugged and said, "It doesn''t matter now. Go and write a resignation letter and submit it. And clear your desk before leaving." He said in a stern authoritative tone.


    "WHAT? Why? What did I do? Is it that bitch Shreya? Did she say something to you? Uncle, do not believe her�� she is probably taking revenge for what I said to her during the new years." Susmitha defended herself anxiously.


    "Shut up!" Anand grudged when he heard her swearing Shreya.


    "Believe me, uncle. I did not do anything. She is framing me now because of what is said to her in anger at the party." Sushmitha persisted.


    Anand sneered, "You think she is so idle like you who comes to office at noon�� you think she has to make an effort to frame you when she has years worth of evidence to sack you?" And then he flunked the file with all the evidence towards Sushmitha.


    Susmitha scrambled over the file with a blank expression. In it was every last piece of evidence against everything she ever did in the company. From embezzlement of company funds to bribery she had accepted against approval of project�� there was evidence for everything.


    "This�� this is fake�� forged! If she already had all this evidence, how could I have worked here for so long?" Susmitha dragged on desperately.


    "Okay, let''s say this evidence is fake. Then answer this�� the plan you have submitted yesterday under your name�� explain it in detail right now. Then I will agree that the evidence is fake." Anand replied and looked at her sarcastically.


    "I�� I�� I don''t remember�� I will get back to you this evening��" Susmitha stammered going pale.


    "Don''t even try, Susumitha. No matter how much you try, you are no match for her. Now go and prepare your resignation and submit it to me before today ends. Or else I will have to send in a notice for sacking you tomorrow morning. I hope it doesn''t come down to it�� Now get out." Anand said sternly going back to his work without really bothering with Susmitha.


    Susmitha walked out of the doors. Her face was pale drained of any traces of blood. As soon as she reached her own department, she called in the intern.


    The same puny girl walked in scared out of her wits.


    "It wasn''t me�� it wasn''t me�� I did not report it, Director. I did not�� please believe me�� I don''t dare��" The little girl confessed trembling. Her whole body was shaking uncontrollably. But before she could even finish saying anything��


    Smack��


    She fell to ground clenching her cheeks.


    Susmitha directed all her anger and humiliation on to the little girl. But before she could lift her legs to kick her, one of her employees had barged into her office without permission.


    "Get out��" Susmitha barked without even taking her eyes off of the little girl trembling in the ground.


    But the employee did not walk out. Instead, she walked inside and stood between Susmitha and the intern.


    "Did you not hear me�� I said get out!!" Susmitha yelled with blazing eyes pointing at the doors.


    "Sorry�� I cannot do that. I just got the promotion notice. This is my office from today and this is a person under me. I cannot let you bully her��" The person said firmly and calmly.


    Susmitha blanked for a second. But when she comprehended what was happening, her anger reached another level. With one clean sweep, all the contents of her desk came down crashing.


    "Who sent you the notice?" Susmitha asked suspiciously. After all, she just left Anand''s office. There was no way he had already sent the notice. He had given her until the end of today to hand in the resignation. So it did not make sense for him to send the promotion notice before that.


    "I always had standing orders from the President from last time you had beaten an intern to a pulp. If something similar starts again, I was explicitly instructed to intervene��" The person replied calmly.


    "President�� Do you mean Shreya?" Susmitha blurted out pissed.


    The other person calmly nodded her head and stood her ground. If it really came down to it, she really has nothing to be afraid of Susmitha. Her own skill in combat was far superior, and Shreya explicitly instructed that her primary goal is the protect the person and herself�� the rest Shreya will be personally liable.


    Susmitha suddenly remembered the last time she had beaten someone. Shreya had called her to her office and said one single sentence.


    "You raise your hands on anyone ever again, you can forget about working here."


    "Get out, both of you." Susmitha barked out. The more she thought, the more pissed she got. But she was powerless.


    Both of them had the same surname�� but the difference between them was insurmountable. This made her angry and extremely jealous. She had never hated Shreya more than this very moment. Shreya even took away the one thing she could vent her anger on��


    For her, the intern was a nameless faceless person�� nobody will care about or question her if she broke a few bones. But Shreya took even that chance away from her. She found it hard to digest the resentment and hate at the moment.

 Chapter 176 - 175. She is family...

    "I thought you said she was just a figurehead used as bait by someone above? And that she was an arrogant bitch with no real brain to back it up??" Naren flared by seeing the headline news in the papers.


    It had been a month since they had kidnapped Shreya. And back then, Dharsh came back injured and told everyone how they were ambushed by someone above Shreya and how they had used Shreya as a bait to get to them and how he had escaped barely bringing Vicky with him.


    And Shreya had actually sent all the other guys with them to a completely different corner of the country and Vicky was unconscious for the whole of the second half of the conversation between Shreya and himself that day�� And on top of it, Vicky being the c.o.c.ky jerk he was, actually looked down on Shreya. So it had been easy to convince Naren that Shreya was just a paper tiger being used by someone else to deal with them. But all that story became highly suspicious when a story broke out in the papers today morning.


    But Dharsh was not fazed by it. He was neither bothered by the news nor by being interrogated by Naren. He just stood in front of him unhurriedly and replied with a straight face, "It is true. She is not all that brainy. Trust me��"


    "Then how do you explain this?" Naren asked angrily throwing the newspaper at Dharsh''s face.


    The headlines in it read in clear black bold letter��


    ''THE REAL BRAINS BEHIND SRI CORP. REVEALED TO BE MS. SHREYA SRIVASTAV WHO IS SUPPOSEDLY IN DEEP DEPRESSION DUE TO DIVORCE.''


    Dharsh''s eyes swept over the paper but they did not even twitch as he said, "She is just a scapegoat. Someone is just pushing her into our eyes and lying behind to deal with her to buy themselves some time. And we should be chasing him and not Shreya." His face did not show even the slightest of distress or nervousness as he lied through his teeth.


    Since Naren did not have any evidence to refute it, he just stormed out of the living room to closed the doors to his study quite harshly leaving Dharsh alone in the room.


    Dharsh''s eyes darkened behind his back. He took his phone and typed away.


    ''Watch your back- D''


    He encrypted it and sent it to Shreya. He knew she was smart enough to understand and went back to his own work.


    ''Somebody is worried�� don''t worry. He is not my match'' Reply came right away.


    Dharsh''s lips twitched uncontrollably before going out of the house. Naren really was not her match. Shreya could probably eat him for breakfast with the slightest effort if only she was not morally bound.


    ......��..


    Anand was sitting at his office and he looked at the papers with gloom. After being gloomy for a long time, he called up Shreya straight up.


    "Hi, uncle�� Are you missing me already?" Shreya''s perky voice came through the phone.


    Anand''s lips twitched warmly, "How are you kiddo? Are you having fun?"


    "How can I have fun without you?" Shreya reply making a dramatic aggrieved pout acting extremely cute.


    Anand laughed out loud at her antics.


    After the light bantering between uncle and niece, Anand asked seriously, "You saw the news?"


    There was a pause before she answered.


    "Yup, Pritham showed me��" Shreya said shrugging her shoulders.


    "I think it is Susmitha�� I fired her yesterday��" Anand said solemnly.


    "I know�� You don''t have to worry about it. Even I would have done the same if I were there. I will handle everything." Shreya said once again unsurprised. She had already gotten the information about Susmitha causing a ruckus in her department. And one could only guess so much when the news pops up the very next day.


    "What are you going to do?" Anand asked resigned. After all this time, it still surprised him how well informed Shreya was.


    "Nothing. I am not going to do anything. Just let things go as is. It''s not a big deal." Shreya said shrugging her shoulders as if it was not a big deal.


    But Anand had been with Shreya for so long. He had seen her grow up. SO he needn''t even have to be in front of her to know what she was thinking.


    If the same had happened to someone else, she would have flipped the whole damn country before she was satisfied. But since this was something that put herself in harm''s way, she did not care much.


    Even if it had been done by someone else other than Susmitha, Shreya would have taken some action. But then Susmitha was family�� so all she can do is calmly let it go.


    "You do not need to be so sympathetic for someone so unsympathetic towards you, Shreya. With a few careless actions, she had pushed you straight into the eye of the storm��" Anand said irritated. If possible he really wanted to protect Shreya with all his might�� but how she grew up and spread her wings and flew up beyond his reach�� he never knew. And now, the little girl he had watched grow up was protecting him and everyone under her wings like an angel. Anand couldn''t help but feel pained by this knowledge. He even felt slightly ashamed�� after all, Adithya had given him the responsibility of protecting his little girl and somehow that little girl was the one protecting him in a matter of few years.


    Shreya, on the other hand, stayed quiet for the longest moment before whispering, "She is family�� I don''t know how to be cruel to her. Don''t follow up on Susmitha. Anyways she is out of the company now."


    Anand let out a resigned grunt.


    "You don''t have to worry. I can manage�� I promise. I will be fine��" Shreya reassured for a long time before cutting the call.


    Just as she turned back, she met with Bhavna''s blazing eyes.


    "What did that bitch do?" she roared without giving Shreya any chance to say anything.


    "Bhavna!!" Shreya said sternly. Her tone was strict and overbearing�� something she rarely used on Bhavna.


    "They do not treat you like family, Shreya�� so why do you have to do it? Why do you put up with their shit!?" Bhavna exclaimed without backing down. She was really pissed, so she did not even notice Shreya''s change in tone.


    Shreya''s eyes softened. She knew Bhavna was so pissed mainly because Susmitha had plotted against Shreya. If it had been someone else, Bhavna wouldn''t flare up so much.


    "Bhavna, I can handle myself okay? Don''t worry�� Now tell me, why did you come looking for me?" Shreya asked changing the subject tactfully.


    And Bhavna being the fickled person she was, was quickly got distracted and a gleaming smile adore her face as she started to talk excitedly but then stopped for a second and looked at Shreya and asked, "You�� I will tell you. But you first promise me one thing. You should not interfere with this?? Then only I will tell you��"


    Shreya gave her an amused smile. Because Bhavna was studying abroad�� away from all the vengeance, her security is not that stringent. So there are things she did not know about Bhavna.


    "Okay, fine. I won''t interfere. Now tell me what is it?" Shreya asked.


    "I got scouted by an agency. I am officially a model!!!" Bhavna said proudly.


    Shreya''s brows frowned slightly as she asked, "Which company?"


    "You�� you don''t go around buying the company again? You promised just now remember. It''s embarrassing enough in the university. I do not want the same happening at work. I want to do it on my own!" Bhavna said sternly looking at Shreya.


    Shreya just shrugged and gave her an innocent look.


    "Don''t give me that innocent look. I might not know how much�� but I know you spend a lot of money at my university. Do you even know how embarrassing it is when your principal finds you before each semester exam and wishes you good luck so politely as if he was greeting a Queen?" Bhavna complained venting.


    "He is the principal�� why is it embarrassing to wish his student good luck?" Shreya asked once again keeping the same innocent face.


    "Yea�� he does that with a 90` bow!" Bhavan rolled her eyes.


    The whole university treats her as if she was some Empress or something because of it.


    Shreya did not comment but still reassured her, "Okay. This time I won''t interfere too much��"


    "Define ''not too much first''" Bhavna asked suspiciously.


    "I won''t buy the company or anything�� I will just check on things around you okay? The rest is up to you�� I won''t interfere with the jobs you get or how you deal with it." Shreya said.


    Bhavna compromised reluctantly. After all�� she knew Shreya used her maximum restraint to promise her this much. And Shreya always does what she promised. She was too lazy a person to go behind someone back and do something sneakily.


    "And don''t swear!" Shreya reminded before Bhavna closed the doors behind her leaving Shreya alone in her room.

 Chapter 177 - 176. He is not my buddy...

    Shreya woke up with a start all over again and wiped away the cold sweat dripping over her forehead. It had been happening for a while now. She could barely sleep for more than a couple of hours at a time unless of course she was dead tired. The nightmare was similar to that of last time with her parents�� the only difference was that this time around, Charan and Akira were part of the dream. And of course, there was also the problem where this time around there was no Charan to lull her back to sleep which he did diligently for a whole week mind you before she could sleep normally.


    Since there as no such luck this time around, she got out of bed and went straight to the bar. She poured herself a really strong bourbon and went and settled herself on the couch and switched on the T.V. She just switched to some random channel and let her mind go blank while sipping on her whiskey.


    The aim was to get your mind so drowsy and numbed that you wouldn''t have the energy to even think about anything and let yourself sleep. It was almost similar to counting numbers to let yourself sleep. This method was just stronger and more unhealthy.


    That was how Zee found her when she came to get herself a glass of water. But seeing Shreya, she did not bother asking�� she just took a big sip from her glass.


    "Hey, you want to drink�� you go make it for yourself��" Shreya protested yanking back her glass.


    "Gosh, Shreya�� that shit is strong!" Zee exclaimed when a shudder racked through her body as the alcohol slide through her throat burning all the way to her stomach leaving a sour taste on her tongue.


    "Serves you right!" Shreya said with a smirk.


    "Are you trying to get knocked out??" Zee asked sitting beside her after getting herself a beer. She was too much of a control freak to actually get drunk regardless of the situation. So, she never really preferred strong alcohol. For her, alcohol is just a way in for a conversation in a club or a polite snack for the company.


    "Something like that!" Shreya answered without care. She lounged back on the couch staring mindlessly at the television.


    "It''s already pathetic enough that I am sharing a drink with YOU in the middle of the night�� why do you have to torture me with this shit on top of it??" Zee asked after a while pointing out at the television which was playing National Geography in which a guy was actually explaining the physics behind a dolphins dive.


    "If you feel aggrieved to waste a night at my company�� you can always knock on Srinivas''s doors�� I am sure he will be very happy to give you company!" Shreya smirked. After all, nobody can come up with better comebacks than Shreya.


    Zee scowled at Shreya but did not say anything.


    "Your buddy, Dharsh might get in trouble because of today''s news��" Zee said after a long while. After all, her visit to Naren''s house hadn''t been a total bust. She had bugs installed all over the place. Even though she did not get any useful intel from them for so long, she still knows the general things around Naren.


    "He is not my buddy��" Shreya said shrugging her shoulders.


    "Yea�� for someone who is not your buddy, you actually went out of your way to get admission to his estranged sister to get into one of the best music schools," Zee said sarcastically.


    "I liked the kid�� it had nothing to do with Dharsh��" Shreya said rolling her eyes. But then again it was a lie�� part of the reason was Dharsh after all. If she can find a sister and blackmail him�� Naren can too. That is why she had moved them abroad away from all the chaos and even covered their tracks. She did not like surprises and Dharsh was an important chess piece. He might not have agreed to be her spy explicitly but from his message today, she knows for sure that his integrity with Naren had been broken and that he was rooting for her in his own way. So if and when he knows about what she did for his sister, Shreya is hoping to get some favor in return.


    But more than any of it, Shreya would have done this anyways since the kid was innocent�� and she would never have the heart to hurt an innocent bystander anyways.


    "Anyways�� I am not going to understand your way of working ever. But tell me if you are going to help him. He had built your image as an ignorant arrogant brat with Naren�� and when Naren finds out you aren''t that�� Dharsh is going to be dead. Anyways we failed on infiltration from our end�� why don''t you help him this time and let him be our eyes and ears in the inside�� It will save us a lot of effort." Zee suggested.


    Shreya frowned and thought about it for a while and said, "Okay. I will arrange for it." Using Dharsh, she had already thought of it�� but the part of her actually acting up to Naren as described by Dharsh�� she did not like that�� but if it can gain her something in return�� she would do it.


    And with his sister being where she is now�� Shreya knew it was not going to take much to convince Dharsh anyway.


    Silence ensued after that while Shreya poured herself another drink and gulped down.


    "Why don''t you go out with Srinivas?? He is exactly your type. I am amazed you haven''t pounced on him yet." Shreya asked suddenly breaking the silence between the two.


    "He is eye candy, I agree but he is too serious for my taste!" Zee shrugged.


    "You cannot run away from emotional commitment forever you know. Its high time you get serious with your relationship. You can''t keep changing boyfriends every 2 months." Shreya said in an exasperated tone.


    "Why can''t I?" Zee asked back frowning.


    "How long are you planning to be like this then?" Shreya asked back.


    "Forever! I have you right? It''s enough for this life!" Zee answered with a proud smile slinging her hands over Shreya''s shoulders and clinked her beer against her glass.


    Shreya just rolled her eyes and gave a look as if Zee was the biggest idiot she had ever encountered. She just took her glass and went and sat on the far end of the couch.


    "That hurt babe. That''s such a cruel rejection��" Zee whined dramatically clutching her chest as if it was paining.


    Between playing and bantering they fell asleep right there on the couch.


    Zack strolled towards them the next morning armed with lemon juice on both hands and knocked on their head.


    Shreya groaned away while Zee put the couch pillow over her head and snuggled back into sleep.


    "Ouch!" Shreya exclaimed holding her head.


    "Well, that''s what happens when you drink half a bottle of bourbon straight��" Zack said handing her the glass.


    Shreya did not really hear anything but when she saw the glass, she accepted it gratefully and gulped it down to relieve her parched throat.


    "What the hell? You guys had a drinking party and did not bother to invite me!! Backstabbing traitors!" Pritham exclaimed aggrieved coming from behind Zack.


    Shreya''s brows frowning from the noise but she was too out of it to mind it. But Zee, on the other hand, seethed in irritation, "I promise you Pritham. You open your mouth one more time, I am going to stitch them when I wake up." And the next second a beer bottle cap flew his way aimed straight at his forehead.


    Thankfully Pritham''s instincts worked in time and he dodged it in time.


    Pritham got annoyed. He stealthily walked towards Zee and shouted particularly loudly against her ears, "Ahhhhhh." And made a beeline to his room.


    Zee''s eyes flew open and she, of course, chased on Pritham completely pissed. But just as she was about to break his doors open, Srinivas walked her way and asked, "What are you doing? But more than that, what did you do yesterday?" He asked giving her a once over.


    "Good timing. Now come on�� break into these doors for me�� Pritham needs a beating��" Zee said pulling him towards the doors ignoring all his questions.


    Srinivas let out a puff of air and pulled her towards her own room instead while scolding her as if she was kid throwing tantrum.


    "Don''t make trouble now�� come on. Get freshened up first."


    Back in the living room, Shreya leaning on Zack''s shoulders tiredly and closed her eyes.


    "Can''t sleep?" Zack asked softly rubbing behind her head.


    Shreya just nodded her head against his shoulders. Zack stayed quiet without asking or saying anything more.


    Thus went another morning blissfully with some petty fights and laughter and noises and comfort.

 Chapter 178 - 177. What is she busy with?

    Charan could not concentrate on things properly these days. Even though he missed Shreya, he was coping with it knowing that the separation was just temporary. And knowing the reason and cause and effect of the reason actually helped. He did not know what he would have done if she had blindly pushed him away without explaining anything to him. It would have probably killed him. But the craving wouldn''t have been any less.


    But these past few days have been particularly hellish. After reading the article on the paper, he could really calm down his anxiety. Because he knew too well why it was so important to keep Shreya''s identity and her real status in Sri corp. a secret. He knew about the dangers that will linger around her if and when her abilities and powers get exposed.


    Of course, he also knew what happened the last time when Shreya exposed herself and her powers. And he could only imagine what would happen now especially after the kidnapping episode. He was sure it would a lot worse than a cut on the palm or a scratch on the waist that her ex-husband gave her.


    He knew her powers too�� he knew nobody can do anything to her as long as she doesn''t allow it. After all, it was she who willingly went ahead and married Prasanna�� and it was also she who willingly went ahead and got herself kidnapped. And that was the most worrying part for Charan�� that she would willingly go into the lion''s den by herself to get to the lion without caring for her own safety.


    "You promised, Shreya. You promised to keep yourself safe�� And I am never going to forgive you if you break that promise��" Charan mumbled under his breath looking at Shreya''s contact information. But in the end, he did not dial the number after all. And he had been doing the same retinue for a couple of times now in the past few days.


    A soft pair of legs walked out into his line of sight breaking his stupor.


    "Hey, baby. What is it?" Charan asked looking at his daughter while simultaneously scooting her into his laps.


    Akira did not really say anything at first. Her eyes silently fell on the phone still lite on the table in the front with Shreya''s name on it and her eyes involuntarily lingered for a minute longer before the phone powered down locking itself.


    Then she asked in a small voice after hesitating for a long time, "Dada�� is Shreya angry with us?"


    It had been almost a month and a half now from seeing Shreya for the last time. After that, Shreya neither called nor visited. And as she promised Shreya, Akira never asked Charan about it. But in spite of herself, she couldn''t control her own doubts and grievances. And she can only air them to Charan after all. So, at last, she asked Charan without being able to control herself.


    Charan was slightly surprised by the question at first. But then he looked at her daughter seriously before answering her, "No, baby. She is not mad at us."


    "Then, why isn''t she calling or coming over?" Akira asked.


    "What did Shreya tell you?" Charan asked instead of answering her. After all, he did not really know what Shreya had actually told Akira in the first place.


    Akira thought back and said thoughtfully after a while, "She said she is going to be busy for a while and that she will not be able to meet us. And that I have to listen to you and not trouble you�� and that I shouldn''t ask you about her��" She said everything honestly as she remembered.


    Charan''s lips twitched. This was Shreya after all. She had actually covered all grounds here.


    "Exactly baby. Shreya is just going to be busy for a while�� that is why she is not calling or coming to meet." Charan said softly.


    "What is she busy with?" Akira asked frowning. There was a slight irritation in her voice as she said this. As if she was asking, what can be more important than she herself.


    Charan''s lips twitched at his daughter''s brazenness but then he also knew his daughter actually had a point�� for Shreya�� there was probably nothing more important than Akira�� and he also knew that Akira was also the sole reason why Shreya came to such a drastic decision in the first place. If it had been only him, Shreya probably would have just tightened the security around him and been careful. But him having Akira and how much she means to Shreya was what toppled her confidence�� for once Shreya knew what fear was because of Akira�� and what she meant to Shreya.


    "She is fighting some really bad guys baby and she is afraid that the bad guys will hurt you if Shreya was with us now. That is why she is staying away from us, baby." Charan explained patiently.


    "What did they do?" Akira asked once again frowning.


    Charan paused for a while. He had never lied about anything to Akira so far and he was not about to start now. But then he still wanted to tell her the information in the most humane way he possibly could. So he coined his words very carefully, "Akira have dada, right? And mama before she was sick�� Shreya had mama and dada just like you. But some people took them away from her. Now Shreya is going to find them and punish them for it��"


    Akira took a while to actually understand what Charan was saying. He did not even know what she actually understood but she stopped asking questions after that to Charan''s relief. All she did was turn around and circle her tiny hands around his neck and mumbled in a small voice, "I miss her��"


    "I know, baby. I miss her too. But we have to be patient and wait for her okay? What she is doing is really important�� And she will be back once she is done with it. Till then we should be good by ourselves okay?" Charan comforted her the best he could gently rubbing on her back.


    Akira did not reply for a long time before mumbling a reluctant, "Okay��"


    Charan then took her to her room and put her to sleep. It had been tough putting her to sleep�� one day he even found her wide away when he came in to check up on her in the middle of the night. But somehow, she actually fell asleep very easily.


    Just as he closed the doors behind him, his phone rang. It was Preethi.


    "Hey, what''s up?" He asked on the phone.


    "Mom asked you to come early home this Friday. She needs your help with something at home��" Preethi said straight off the bat without really bothering to greet him but then he would never expect anything more from his sister when she sounded that tired anyway. He knew she was probably just off her duty and also probably only remembered Srimathi''s instructions out of fluke. His mum should have told her this way early when she was about to go to work.


    "Okay�� I will try and get there quicker��" Charan said with a smile.


    All he heard for a reply was a big ass yawn and engine starting.


    "Okay�� bye��" Preethi mumbled.


    But just as she was going to cut the call, Charan called out for her, "Hey, wait�� one more thing��"


    "What is it?" Preethi asked impatiently. After all, Charan was keeping her from her sleep.


    "Is Adam with you?" Charan asked.


    "Yes�� here��" Preethi said and simply handed over the phone to Adam beside her without really bothering with the why''s and the what''s.


    Adam just looked at her bewildered for a second before talking into the phone.


    "Hey, Charan. What is it?" Adam asked after a while. It may be because Shreya is his friend, but surprisingly so, he actually got along well with both of Preethi''s brothers. After all, you can even convince your girlfriend''s father but it was almost impossible to win the favor of your girlfriend''s brothers.


    "Hey�� It is just�� I saw the news on the paper�� And it''s just�� is she okay?" Charan asked slightly fumbling around with words. He did not even know what he was supposed to be asking anyway.


    Adam got what was biting him. So he answered back with a resolute firm voice, "Charan�� you don''t have to worry. Shreya is fine. She is not even in the country. They can''t touch her. I promise. You don''t need to worry��"


    Charan''s lips smirked as he thought to himself�� Well, that is something he really can''t do�� But all he said on the phone was, "Okay. Thanks, man. Take care��" And cut the call.


    Something, at last, eased in his chests. But nothing could completely rid of him of his worries. After all, he actually knew what Shreya would have to do now that her identity is exposed. So it was almost impossible for him not to worry. But at least, for today, he knew she was safe.

 Chapter 179 - We will keep her safe...

    A stark contrast to the peaceful and quiet atmosphere in Charan''s home, the island was actually booming at the same time.


    Bhavna had planned a campfire party that night in order to commemorate the weekend. She had been busy almost the whole afternoon arranging everything meticulously. From decorations to food, it had been hand-picked by Bhavna.


    With booze and Dj blaring, the whole beach had lost its serenity until late that night. Instead, laughter and smiles of people lit the whole place like a festive season.


    Everyone spent the evening laughing dancing and bantering with each other in merry. It was well past midnight when all the excitement subsided at last. Slowly one by one started calling it a night but some still stayed back. Even though the music was stopped and all the staff was dismissed, some of them still sat scattered around the beach and enjoyed the tranquility of the night on the beach. Even some staff members stayed behind.


    Amongst the loitering people, there was also Shreya.


    As always, Srinivas and Zack called it a day and went to bed after having their fill. Akash, on the other hand, took Madhu for a walk along the beach. Zee and Pritam got a call in the middle of the party itself and were yet to come back.


    That left with Shreya, Bhavna, Ayush, and Nakul staying behind at the beach.


    Shreya just laid back lazily on the sand and looked around with a blank expression. Normally, she would have gone to sleep herself, but because of her insomnia in recent times, she did not dare to crash for the night until she was dead beat tired. But more than that, the main reason for her to actually staying behind on the beach was, of course, to keep an eye on Bhavna.


    Throughout the past week, she noticed that Ayush had been giving a little too much attention to Bhavna. His intentions were pretty obvious to almost everyone in there except for the oblivious self of Bhavna herself. Akash even gave him a warning a few days back.


    Not that she was objecting or suspecting that he might have some malicious intentions towards Bhavna. She knew Ayush''s personality and she trusted them both or else she wouldn''t have brought Ayush and Nakul here in the first place and expose them to her family...


    But then no matter how good a guy is�� nobody is ever going to be good enough for Bhavna in Shreya''s overprotective eyes.


    Her eyes inadvertently became cold seeing Ayush guarding Bhavna''s drunken stumble and Nakul who was sitting diagonal to Shreya, of course, caught her eyes. Her dissatisfied frown was almost impossible to not notice. But then she did not do anything else. Her eyes stayed on them until they were almost out of her sight.


    Nakul let out a chuckle and commented amused, "If only looks could kill, I am guessing Ayush is going to be 6 feet under by now��"


    That is when Shreya noticed that there was someone else in there. She quickly averted her eyes from the two people walking away and gave her attention to Nakul instead. But she neither defended herself nor agreed with his comment.


    "He is a good guy you know!" Nakul said staring back at Shreya seeing as she was not going to say anything.


    Nakul and Ayush were together from diapers. Both were practically siblings. In fact, they were better than siblings. So, Nakul knew about Ayush more than anyone else.


    Ayush''s family used to live in Nakul''s house as tenants. And Ayush being a year younger than Nakul stuck to him like a super glue from when they were kids. And it had not changed one bit till this date. It was almost impossible to see one without the other throughout their childhood.


    Ayush even followed Nakul into the army in spite of his own family''s vehement objection. But Nakul being a single child family also treated Ayush as his own family. He had protected and guarded Ayush almost throughout his life.


    They both would have still been in the army if not for Ayush''s dad falling ill all of a sudden. He was terminally ill with nobody to look after. That is when Ayush, at last, took the decision to quit the army. And for once, this time Nakul actually followed him out in spite of Ayush''s objection.


    But once they were out, they were jobless with a stalk of medical bills piling up. When they were most helpless, Shreya showed up and gave them both a job and also took care of Ayush''s dad''s medical expenses without a word. The rest of it was self-explanatory.


    Shreya somehow seems to have the knack of finding and saving lonely, desperate people. Most probably, it was because she could easily relate to such people and their emotions.


    Shreya after a long stretch of silence, let out a sigh and said, "I know. It''s just�� if you had a sister, you will know�� nobody is ever going to seem good enough�� and it would have nothing to do with the other person whatsoever."


    Nakul, of course, understood what she was talking about but this was not something any of them could do anything about anyways. And since Shreya was not really doing anything about it, Ayush would just have to suck it up.


    Ayush on the other side of the beach was having a hard time reasoning with Bhavna actually.


    Even when she was normal, Bhavna was one of the stubbornest people he had ever met. Add to it a couple of bottles of beer, you got yourself a whole lot of mess in your hands.


    "Come on, Bhavna�� you are drunk. You are not even walking straight. Let''s get you back to bed�� okay?" Ayush tried to convince her nth time now.


    Bhavna shook her head very sternly and kept walking�� or more like wobbling towards the water. It was not like she was going to be much of an obstacle if he wanted to stop her physically but he was also scared to manhandle her. After all, technically speaking, she is her boss even though he seemed to be infatuated with her.


    Just as they reached the waves, Bhavna sat down in a squat and reached for the water with her hands. As soon as the cold water brushed against her palms, her brows frowned and she took back her hands in a hurry and winced.


    Ayush sat beside her and asked seeing her pouting face, "What happened?"


    "It''s cold!" Bhavna said giving an accusing glare towards the water.


    Even otherwise she almost always behaved like a kid�� it was more apparent when she was drunk. But Ayush did not seem to mind.


    "I know�� that''s why I stopped you from coming here. Now come on. Get up. Let''s get back okay?" He asked holding on to her arms coaxing her to stand up.


    But Bhavna still stubbornly shook her hands and pointing at the vast expense of sea and whined, "I want to go there��"


    "Into the water?" Ayush asked confused. After all, she just complained the water was cold just a few minutes back.


    But Bhavna nodded her head very diligently.


    "But you will get wet��" Ayush replied. He really felt like he was talking to a kindergartner rather than a grown a.d.u.l.t.


    Bhavna actually gave him a depressed look��. She looked as if the whole world had abandoned her or something. But then suddenly in a minute of soberness, she got an idea and her face brightened instantly as she said excitedly, "Then you go in�� I will hop on your back. That way, I can walk in the water without getting wet."


    Ayush gapped at her for a while dumbstruck.


    If she was just going to hop on his back, how does that count as ''her'' walking in the water exactly?


    Seeing as he was not replying, Bhavna''s face fell all over again as she gave him a pitiful look and asked, "You don''t want to help me?"


    Ayush resigned to his fate and squatted down in front of her and said, "Hop on��"


    Bhavna brightened all over again and circled her arms around him excitedly as he walked into the chilling water. He walked just enough to keep her feet out of the water. His height played to his advantage.


    Between her goofing around and puppy dog eyes, he actually got soaked fully while Bhavna sat down on the sand far away from water giggling away at his expense.


    Shreya, who came in the check up on them, walked away seeing as they Bhavna was the one doing the bullying. Not that she had expected anything less from her.


    "What? Didn''t want to be a light bulb?" Nakul asked sarcastically seeing Shreya walking back.


    Shreya did not bother to answer to his teasing. But instead, she swatted down and took her belongings calling it a night. But before walking away, she looked at Nakul and said, "You guys will the following Bhavna this time around. I will arrange for your accommodations near hers. Things are getting really tense here. I need trusted eyes on her��"


    "Okay�� no problem. We will keep her safe��" Nakul said solemnly and watched her walked away.

 Chapter 180 - It was fun...

    Madhu did not understand how the feeling can be so polar opposite.


    She and Akash were in a secluded beach far away from the mansion. He had dragged her half asleep and drove them there to watch the sunrise without really giving her much of a choice. She had been asleep for most of the ride and Akash woke her up only when the sun was up. It was a blissful and happy occasion of course. She had never seen a more beautiful scene in her life before. She had never been happier.


    But then between her silence and Akash''s drive to play in the beach to shoo away his boredom- she was completely drenched. When she was just sitting there and watching the waves�� Akash caught her off guard and hoisted her in her arms princess style and straight away deposited her into the water in spite of all her protests.


    And when she finally got out of the water, her clothes were clinging to her like glue, and the air between then suddenly changed without her even realizing it. With the way Akash was staring at her, she even forgot to actually get angry at him for manhandling her and getting her soaked.


    Akash was standing beside her still knee-deep in the water and was watching her without blinking with burning eyes as she tried to dry herself as best as she could in the sun and wind. And only blind would fail to see that his stares were not innocent.


    Madhu was not alien to such stares. She was someone who depended primarily on public transportation for commute and she had been on the receiving end of such stares more than once from rogues. They always left her a feeling of disgust as if bugs are crawling on her skin.


    But the feeling was so different when it came to Akash for some reason. He was staring at her as if he wanted to peel her clothes off of her which made her want to hide herself in the deepest hole she could ever dig out of shyness. But at the same time, she also felt as if someone if tickling her heart making her skin shudder nervously. She felt extremely fl.u.s.tered and excited at the same time. These extremely contradicting feelings made her feel confused and out of breath.


    Madhu did not dare to even look in his direction. She turned the other way and pretended as if she did not even notice the change in atmosphere or his stare. For now, playing dumb seemed to be the only way of getting out of this situation given they were the only two people around.


    Once she was done tidying up, she picked up the car keys and juggled them as she asked, "Can we leave now??" playing completely dumb.


    Akash came out of his trance instantly and quietly took the car keys and walked to the car. He was afraid he would lose his control and do something unscrupulous. He did not want to scare her and on top of it, it was completely deserted here�� it was hard to feel any sense of security in such a place. Especially given how shy Madhu was.


    But just as he was about to start the car, Madhu actually leaned towards him, and the next second he felt a feather-light touch on his cheeks and he was met with a red-cheeked Madhu when he turned around.


    "Thank you�� I had fun today��" She whispered like a mouse.


    Warm spread as the atmosphere changed all over again. Akash reached out and ruffled her hair and pecked on the corner of her temple smiling.


    Madhu''s face instantly went several shades deeper but her lips also spread widely. Akash reached out and held her hands as he drove them back to the mansion. Thus Madhu''s heart did not have the chance to calm down at all. She almost felt as if she was going to suffer from a heart attack from how fast it was beating. She looked at the silhouette of the mansion as if it was her saving grace.


    But her relief was very short-lived. Because by the time she had reached her room doors with her short legs, Akash had already parked his car and was only a few steps behind her and he very naturally entered her room as if it was his own.


    In the quiet room, she could feel her own heart beating against her ribs. It was so loud that she was afraid that even Akash could hear it. She did not know why she was so nervous suddenly. Maybe it was the slight darkness in his eyes or maybe it was her own expectations�� But suddenly she felt him with every last fiber of her being. And being confined in one room was not helping her cause.


    A slight shiver racked over her body as the doors clicked shut behind Akash.


    Akash found Madhu standing at the center of the room with slightly shivering hands and red cheeks without meeting his eyes. Her hair was still slightly wet clinging to her clothes.


    Akash silently went to her cupboards took a towel and a bunch of clothes and handed it to her and said softly, "Go on and shower first. You are soaked�� I am afraid you might catch cold being like this."


    Madhu did not protest. She took the clothes and very obediently went to take a shower. Generally, the air here was muddy in itself but being on the beach made it so much worse. So she took a long shower before coming out.


    By the time she came out, Akash was already sitting on the couch. He had already freshened up and was now wearing track pants and a casual t-shirt. His hair was all messy and dripping wet which he had carelessly fiddled with.


    Just as Madhu walked out, Akash gestured her to come near. He then quietly sat her down on the floor in front of him and took the towel from her hands and started drying her hair.


    "I can do it, Akash��" Madhu protested trying her turn her head. But Akash held her in place. After that, the room went quiet except for the rustling sound of the towel rubbing against her head. Madhu swallowed her protests seeing as he was not going to listen to her�� so she might as well enjoy the service.


    "Enjoying ourselves are we?" Akash asked teasingly looking at Madhu smiling at herself.


    "Yea�� This is quite enjoyable. I never knew getting your hair dried by someone else can be this pleasant." Madhu said smiling brightly. After all, she never had anyone to actually do this for her. She never really even knew that people actually did this to others outside of books.


    But her comment left a sour feeling for Akash because he actually understood the inherent meaning behind her statement even when she herself did not realize it. But he did not want to dampen her mood. So, he instead teased her, "I can do it every time if you come and live with me you know��"


    Madhu''s eyes widened instantly but did not really know how to reply to his sentence.


    Akash, seeing her chaotic eyes and nervous fidgeting of her hands did not have the heart to tease her anymore. He just leaned over and pecked on top of her head and softly said, "I was just teasing�� don''t be so scared. But think about it okay�� I am really am serious about his Madhu. Please, trust me okay?"


    Madhu at last, relaxed and gave him a smile.


    Silence ensued after that while Akash kept drying her hair for another 10 minutes before he was done.


    Madhu jumped from her place and took the towel from his hands and said brightly smiling at him, "My turn now��" She then gestured him to sit down on the floor in front of the couch as she just did.


    Akash did not refuse her offer but refused to budge from his place. Just when Madhu was going to how she was supposed to dry his hair being like this, he took her hands and pulled her closer and positioned in such a way that she was kneeling on the couch leaning against him while her hands just reached his hair. Madhu froze when she felt his breath tickle her neck. For a second she lost her train of thoughts and just sat there staring at Akash.


    "I thought you offered to dry my hair?" Akash asked teasingly as his hands encircled her waists.


    "I�� I�� just. You let me go first��" Madhu stammered barely being able to form a coherent sentence. She had never been in such close proximity before. The warmth of his hands and his unwavering gaze did something to her sanity. She could barely remember to breath let alone where she was or what she was doing. Let alone remember that she had offered him to dry his hair.

 Chapter 181 - He really felt like an asshole...

    Akash''s lips twitched into an amused smile as he asked, "Why? Why should I let you go? You don''t like this? You don''t like me touching you?" His big palm slowly moved against her waists over her clothes.


    Madhu shook her head completely dazed without even knowing what he was asking. Her mind was completely fried when she felt his warm hands against her body. She had never been in such a situation before, so she was completely clueless as to how to react.


    Her dazed eyes mesmerized him. He lost all sense of what he wanted to do as his heart sped against his ribs. He held her cheeks by his big palms and buried his head over her shoulders into her hair. While his other hand brought her flush against himself.


    Madhu lost the hold on the towel and held on his shoulders to keep herself straight while her own heart started drumming against her ribs.


    She knew he was her boyfriend and that they both were a.d.u.l.ts and also that this was normal between couples. And she was not scared�� at least, she was not scared of him�� she was just brought up in an extremely conservative family and was new to everything and was scared out of her wit''s end by the act itself rather than Akash. She tried hard to calm herself down�� but it was not easy.


    Akash peppered kisses at the crooks of her neck while his hands molded her against his hard chests. And with each kiss, she felt as if the place was electrified making them burn. Her heart and soul steered out of control. And then Akash''s hands lifted her t-shirt and slipped his hands over her h.i.p.s�� She couldn''t really do anything about the shiver that ran through her body.


    Madhu''s face flushed instantly as her mind became a chaotic mess. She shuddered and her hands clenched on his shirt unconsciously as she called out his name nervously, "Akash��" She was scared suddenly�� she was not ready and she could feel herself going pale all over.


    It was a mess inside her head�� A part of her wanted to bury herself so tightly into him that she could feel safe at last�� so that all her fear could disappear into thin air. But there was also another part of her who wanted to run away from this place�� Bottomline was�� being where she was right that moment did not feel safe��


    Akash, on the other hand, looked up when she heard her call him. The way her lips dragged his name or the way her skin felt against his palms or the way her body reacted to his simple touch�� Everything was driving him absolutely crazy. But when he pulled back and met her eyes... She seemed extremely confused and scared. She looked terrified even to point of going pale. After all, he now knew the difference between her shy expression and scared face.


    He sobered up instantly and pulled out his hands and wrapped her into a warm embrace. He could feel his own heart and her''s thudding against each other in a loud disharmony. Somehow, after seeing her face�� to Akash, even her heart racing seemed like it was out of fear rather than excitement like his''s. Her whole body shivered in his arms before calming down.


    "Sorry�� I wasn''t thinking straight�� It won''t happen again�� I''m sorry��"


    Madhu came back to her senses only when she heard his apology. She pulled away from his embrace gently and sat up straight on his laps.


    Just when Akash was about to explain more, Madhu who was just sitting there started talking in a whisper biting on her lips nervously. Her voice was small but firm and while her eyes staring at his overflowed with sincerity, "You did not scare me�� You don''t have to apologize. I am just new to all of this�� not just intimacy�� but for the relationship itself. So, I am kinda clumsy and nervous and all over the place. You just give me time to learn okay? I know I am slow at learning stuff like this�� but can you just be a little patient with me? Please?" Her eyes looked at his desperately as if pleading him without words to understand her.


    And that look�� and those eyes were like a stab on his heart which left him in pain. Her sincere plea baring her soul�� at that moment, somehow he felt as if he was undeserving of something so pure. On the other hand, he also felt his mind going into a chaotic mess.


    He knew she did not have much foundation when it came to love or relationship of any kind�� so her self confidence in their relationship was actually as low as one can get and he can''t really blame her for it. He knew he can''t blame himself either but still, watching her beg like this�� he really felt like an asshole.


    Madhu, of course, took his silence as a default rejection�� which made her anxious and a sense of crisis spread in her heart. Her voice was meek as she said, "But�� but if you want�� we�� we can�� I will be good��" It was at the tip of her tongue to tell him that she would go with whatever he wanted but she was still too scared to even utter it�� so god knows how she would be able to accept it if he really wanted something more from her. She suddenly felt very ashamed of her cowardice and hung her head down. After all, Akash had done so much for her and she couldn''t even do this much for him�� she felt a wave of utter despair hit her at that thought.


    Akash really couldn''t take any more of her bullshit but he knew she was fragile at the moment. So, he calmed himself and pulled her face up to meet his eyes with his fingers and said as softly as he possibly could, "You did nothing wrong, honey. And between the two of us, you would never have to do anything you are not sure about�� I would never ask you to do anything you are not comfortable with. This time, it is my fault okay�� It is not your fault. You are pretty damn perfect just the way you are Madhu. You don''t have to change a single hair and you damn sure needn''t learn anything��"

 Chapter 182 - You promise?

    Madhu''s eyes widened subconsciously. She was baffled from his reply. After all, she was actually preparing herself for the worse. But most of all, it was the vigor in his voice as he said the last few lines�� it was almost as if he was angry that she even entertained such thoughts while he would obliterate all hell if she failed to believe in them now.


    So, she did not dare to argue. She just agreed to him like a very obedient little kid and said, "Okay��" She then quietly took the towel from beside them where she had dropped and started drying his hair.


    Akash''s lips spread all the way from one ear to another while his eyes gleamed staring at her.


    That was all it took for Madhu''s cheeks to heat up again. Not that she had much of a time to cool it down in the first place. But his eyes just inches away from her face�� staring as if she was the most beautiful thing he had ever laid eyes not��


    Her heart could hardly take it lying down. Especially after the confession he just made�� She hadn''t even comprehended everything he just said but whatever she understood so far made her feel a sense of warmth she had never ever experienced before. When it got too much for her, she reached out and closed his eyes with her small palm and mumbled, "You�� you stop staring at me like that! I can''t breathe��"


    Akash did not bother to pull her hands away but his lips spread into an impossibly warm grin.


    But their moment was disrupted by a ringing phone. Madhu finally got up from him completely and laid on the bed. She was pulled out of her bed way too early for her liking in the morning. While Akash, on the other hand, answered his mum''s call with a grin. He is one of those people who tells everything and anything to his mum. She was his closest person. So he never held back anything when it came to his mum and Bhagya too never let him down or made him feel the need to hide anything.


    As he was speaking about their morning adventure, he could feel a pair of eyes following him. When he turning around to the source, he was met with a very complicated pair of eyes staring at him filled with something akin to melancholy. She did not look sad per se�� but still�� there was something not exactly right with her eyes.


    Akash stopped on his track and his voice stopping speaking abruptly.


    "Mom, something came up. I will call you again��" He said on the phone and cut the call.


    Madhu was still deep in her thoughts�� so deep that she did not even realize that Akash had actually cut the call and came and sat beside her on the bed. Her eyes averted only when she felt Akash caress her cheeks looking down at her.


    "What is it??" He asked softly.


    Madhu just shook her head biting her lips and asked instead, "Done talking to your mom?"


    Only then did he notice the slight longing in her voice. And with that, his own heart twisted painfully. He did not answer her but instead, he scooped her and sat her on his laps wrapping her with his own warmth.


    "Akash, what are you doing?" She asked startled with red cheeks. Even though this had already happened more than once, she was still not used to it. Being near him was warm and comfortable but it also made her extremely shy.


    "My parents will love you as their own�� I promise. Me and Bhavna already love you�� And my dad and mom will too�� My mum is dying to meet you. You will have a family that''s going to adore you beyond any reason��" Akash swore solemnly holding her impossibly closer to himself.


    Madhu''s eyes widen in shock as to how he was able to guess her thoughts at first. But then when the meaning of his words sunk in, a lump formed on her throat making it impossible to utter a single word.


    "They will love you�� I promise," Akash swore once again with the same solemnness and buried her head against his chest securely.


    Madhu''s hands clung to him unconsciously clenching on his shirts quite desperately to point where her knuckles turned pale. Her heart was a mess all over again.


    She was someone who never expected anything from anyone. And when he first confessed to her, she felt it was enough to have him�� one person who could love her unconditionally. For her, that felt like the biggest gift God had bestowed on her.


    But the way Akash just swore... she couldn''t help her heart from hoping that it was true. And that hope was fighting a bloody battle with her own fears and insecurities. She did not want to believe in something that might not happen and get hurt but then there was this part of her that hoped beyond all hopes for it to be true.


    Since she never had anyone, she never really thought about anything. She was grateful for the kinda life she had now which was far better than how she was at the orphanage or if she had been left on the streets.


    But hearing Akash, she suddenly realized how desperate she was to feel that warmth he had just promised. A family�� it felt so wonderful and alien at the same time.


    ??You promise?" Madhu asked after a long time looking at his eyes. Her voice was desperate clinging on to a last thread of hope while her eyes looked terrified. Water gathered at her eye sockets without falling down making the whole face more fragile.


    "I promise��" Akash swore without any hesitation tucking a loose strand behind her ears.


    Madhu leaned over and buried her face at the crocks of his neck and silent tears tumbled down soaking his neck.


    Akash helplessly patted on her back trying to comfort her the best he could.

 Chapter 183 - Out of good faith.

    Zeenath did not know for the love of God how she had gotten herself into her current predicament. Even though it was her own doing, it still ticked the hell out of her. She was irritated with herself and was also extremely fl.u.s.tered at the same time staring back at the pitch-black pair of eyes just a short distance away from her own brown ones.


    All she knew was�� one second she was stumbling down the stairs to get some water in the middle of the night half asleep and next second she was caught red-handed staring into Srinavas''s sleeping figure just inches away from his face. She was so embarrassed and shocked that she could not even think to retreat.


    When she was coming down the stairs, she heard television running in the living and so she went to check out who it was�� and to her surprise she found Srinivas sleeping on the couch with the T.V. playing some sports channel in the background. After all, Srinivas was one of the most disciplined people she had ever met. He was barely out of bed after hours.


    And she, out of good faith went ahead and switched off the T.V. and got him a blanket seeing as he did not bother to cover himself from the cold. But just as she was going to walk out, her attention was caught by his frowning brows. Something in her gut told her that he wasn''t exactly having a peaceful night. So without realizing her hands sought out towards his face. But who knew just inches away from trying to soothe his frowned brows, a pair of black eyes flew open and stared back at her.


    Srinivas was someone who was trained to be on high alert even when he was asleep. SO it was no wonder that he would wake up when he felt the presence of someone near him. But for the life of him, he never expected to see Zee''s unblinking eyes just inches away from his face as soon as he opened his eyes. He stared back at him for a whole minute dumbly without moving a muscle. But then he came back to his senses and asked her, "Zeenath, what are you doing?"


    Zee instantly pulled her hands away when she heard him coming back to her senses and mumbled under her breath in a whisper, "Uhm��Ah.. sorry I woke you. I�� I just.. came to get some water�� yea water��" She stumbled around with her words looking around to make her escape as quickly as possible before she embarrasses herself more than she already had.


    But she was still one step slower than Srinivas. Her reflexes were quick but they were no competition to that of Srinivas. Before she could even take a step away, her wrists were wrapped around by a hand engulfing her in warmth.


    Zee''s pulse fled instantly. It took everything in her to look back at him and ask pretending to be oblivious, "You need something?" Pretending to be innocent na?ve. But this was particularly a difficult task for one- she had never been na?ve in her life. And secondly- Srinivas was not just anybody. So he saw right through her.


    Srinivas just stared at her for one extended minute before asking, "How long are you going to keep running away?"


    Dread filled Zeenath. This confrontation was not something she was ready for yet�� more like this was one confrontation she knew she would never be ready for.


    "What? What�� I don''t understand what you are talking about?" Zee muttered nervously still trying to play dumb. Anything to get out of this situation she had put herself in. Anything to get out the hole she had dug for herself.


    "How long before you stop playing this cat and mouse game between the both of us?" He asked again with his steady voice. He did not seem emotional or irritated with her deliberation to play dumb.


    Both of them had high observation skills. SO it was almost impossible for them not to notice each other''s sneaking a peek at each other every now and then.


    Srinivas did not even know when it had started. But slowly but steadily Zee occupied his eyes and crawled her way into his mind. And of course, he also realized her eyes lingering in on him every time she thought he wasn''t looking at her. It was not obvious to normal eyes. After all, it only lingered on his back. But Srinivas still felt it.


    But both of them had this unspoken tacit agreement to not acknowledge it. At least it was the case until this night.


    It may be the silence of the night or it may be finding her so close to him as soon as he opened his eyes from his nightmarish sleep or the warmth of her eyes�� or it may be something Shreya said to him about how a family is worth everything�� he did not know what it was but he did not really want to play dumb anymore.


    Zee couldn''t even bother to hide her raising her panic anymore. She quickly pulled away from his grips forcefully and made a beeline to the kitchen as she said urgently, "I�� I don''t know what you are talking about? I''m�� I''m thirsty. I will go get some water��"


    Srinivas could clearly see her panic�� But he still following her with his ever so steady steps as the banket she had flunked on him fell to the ground behind him.


    When he reached the kitchen, he found Zee standing there holding on to the counter in the dark completely out of it. She was lost in her head that she did not even notice the light coming on.


    Srinivas went and got a bottle of water and then pulled her by her hands and dragged her to his own room. He was not ready to let go of this opportunity she had given him just yet.


    Zee only managed to come out of her head when she was stepping into his room when it was already too late to struggle.

 Chapter 184 - A commitment...

    "Here, drink this first��" Srinivas said handing her the water bottle sitting her on the couch.


    All the rooms in the mansion were similar. All had a king-size bed, closet, attached bath, a couch, and some miscellaneous furniture.


    Zee just drank the water greedily while her mind raced to find anything at all to get her out of her predicament. But all she heard were the click sound of the doors as Srinivas closed behind them.


    After that silence ensued between them while Zee tried to drag the time as much as possible by drinking water as long as she possibly could.


    Srinivas did not really talk anything. After all, he had already asked the question and was waiting for her to answer them honestly. And of course, he was a very patient man. So he just sat at the bed facing straight at her. And the door was behind him�� so, if she wanted to make a run for it, she would have to get past him which was not a small task.


    Zee, on the other hand, went into a trance all over again as her mind raced a million miles per hour without her consent. She did not even know what she was thinking about in the first place. Pictures of her life just kept popping up on her head


    The one thing that she feared above all was commitment�� She never got too attached to anybody... or any place or thing. She was a nomad. The very thing that was supposed to spread warmth to a person actually scared her shitless�� Family. She had long made peace with being alone. Now she did not know how to get away from it.


    Zee was an orphan. She grew up in an orphanage from the time she could remember. But since she was smart and very good with studies, she had a better education than anybody else in her state. And she earned a full scholarship almost throughout the course of her studies. And she had to fight each and every day just to survive.


    So by the time she had met Shreya, she had already long forgone any semblance of hope.


    Maybe when she was really really young�� there might have been a time she wanted someone to be with her�� to look out for her�� Maybe there was a time when she earnestly wanted a family for herself. But that hope had far died and buried by the time she had gone to university and met Shreya.


    That is why to this day, she could never reciprocate the absolute trust and commitment Shreya had towards her. She cares about Shreya very deeply. More than she ever cared about anyone else ever in her life. But she still never trusted in the relationship as such. In fact, she did not know how to.


    A long time passed without Zee ever uttering a single word. Srinivas let out a sigh resigned.


    He walked up to her and ruffled her head and said gently, "Go on. Get some sleep." One can''t possibly miss the disappointment in his face.


    Seeing him hurt�� knowing it was because of her�� her heart throbbed uncomfortably.


    These months she had spent with him�� there was hardly any time she was alone. If it had been anyone else, she would have been irritated with them and thrown them out by now. After all, she was the lone wolf of the gang. But Srinivas�� she did not even know his presence around her but the second she needs him for anything at all, he would just show up in front of her making himself know. He had been watching over her and guarding her like a Guardian Angel. Wherever she went�� whomever she met�� whatever she said�� he would just stand there two feet behind her silently protecting, comforting, and listening. And she knew for a fact if there was ever to come a time�� he would take a bullet for her without blinking an eye.


    She was yet to realize how much she got used to his presence in her daily life.


    But since he had already brought it up, she did not want to leave him hanging. So she started talking in a clear unwavering voice.


    "We are very different Srinivas. Our expectations are different. I don''t want to commit�� I don''t know how to. And you are not someone to settle for a causal relationship. You don''t know how to play around. Maybe with time�� we can match other things. But these two things would never change�� So we would invariably end up being on odds with each other sooner or later. I would rather not start anything�� at least not with a person I value." Zee whispered. Her voice was very low but was firm without any leeway for negotiation.


    Srinivas did not reply. He just looked at her with a complicated gaze.


    "You are going to end up wanting things I could never give�� a commitment�� a family�� Marriage�� Children�� PROMISES�� I cannot give you any of those and I know for a fact you would want them�� each and every single one of them. SO it is better to not start things that are sure to end up in a disaster. I don''t want to lose a friend like you in my life�� I already have so few people as it is who really cares about me. I don''t want to lose one on an impulse.


    This will go away�� I promise. It is just an infatuation. We spend so much time together that it is almost inevitable to not have one. We can just ride it out as we had so far."


    Zee then looked straight into his eyes as she continued, "I might be many things, Srinivas. But I do not want to be that bitch who carelessly tramples over a sincere heart. I do not want to trample over yours especially. We can compromise on anything�� but we can''t possibly compromise on what we need from a relationship��"

 Chapter 185 - Are you afraid?

    Srinivas did not react. His face did not change throughout her speech. He just stared at her intently and listened to her as calmly as ever. His face did not give away anything. Neither his emotions nor his thoughts. If he had been hurt by what Zee had told him or disappointed, he did not show it on his face.


    A while passed in silence. But then Srinivas asked breaking the silence, "Have you ever thought about it? Why? Why do you not want to have any commitment? Is it that you did not want to or is it that you are afraid to make one? Are you sure that you cannot commit? Or are you just scared that people are going to fail you invariably once you commit?" His voice and eyes were steady as they trailed at Zeenath.


    The nervousness Zeenath had shooed away with so much effort came back the minute she heard his question. Because he had nailed it where it hurt the most.


    Who wouldn''t want warmth? She was human after all. But that warmth is something she only dared to look from afar.


    God knows how much earning her eyes had held whenever she had watched Madhu and Akash in these few days. And it did not escape Srinivas''s eyes.


    But when the same kind of warmth comes near her�� she wouldn''t even blink an eye before running to hills. She was not scared of commitment itself. But she was terrified of the betrayal that follows it.


    Relationsh.i.p.s for her was like a star�� sparkling and twinkling when seen from afar inciting envy. But the closer you get�� you end up getting burned. So she always steered clear of them. She already has enough burn marks on her heart to last a lifetime, she was not really looking forward to adding to them now.


    Madhu and Zee were similar in some ways but so different in others. For both, life hadn''t dealt them with the best of cards but when a good card did appear�� Madhu was the one to pounce without worrying but Zee was the one to be suspicious and let it slip. After all, what you do not know is not going to hurt you.


    "I am�� I am going to go now." Zee said fl.u.s.tered getting up from her place. But just as she walked past the bed, an iron grip held her in place.


    With a quick tug, Srinivas pulled her to stand in front of him. He looked at her with his ever so calm eyes and asked once again, "Are you afraid?"


    Zee''s nervousness quickly changed into irritation and it further developed into downright pissed seeing his calm eyes. It was almost like he was an all known mentor and her- his na?ve irritable discipline.


    She did not like the picture��


    "Yes. I am afraid�� In fact, using the word ''afraid'' will be the biggest understatement of the year. Now, are you happy? I admitted�� now let me go." Zee yelled glaring at him trying to pull her hands out of his grip.


    Srinivas just stared at her blazing eyes and answered calmly yet again, "You think you are the only one who is afraid?"


    "Well, let''s just say that I am a coward! And I have no interest in being brave either. Not when it comes to relationsh.i.p.s at least. Now let go before I end up breaking your nose��" Zee said blaring her teeth.


    How do you convince a person covered fully in burn scars that fire not only burns you but sometimes it can also provide you warmth in cold nights?


    Srinivas did not let go of her hands but his grip softened considerably. And his calm stoic face cracked. He wore a tired exhausted face all of sudden seeming pitiful.


    Seeing him like that, Zee couldn''t bring herself to be angry�� she couldn''t bring herself to storm out of the room flinging his hands. All she could do was stare back at him with a complicated look.


    "Zee, can you give yourself a chance one last time? Please." His voice was precariously begging and his eyes�� they were filled with such earnestly that Zee felt as if she was going to drown in them.


    "My life is a swirling void of a black hole, Srinivas. Don''t come near it�� You will end up getting sucked in without a way of ever getting out??" Zee whispered taking her hands out of his at last.


    He was someone who had seen the darkest sides of human and lived in it. He was someone who had witnessed how callous, devious, and evil humans can get in desperate situations. The kinda darkness he had seen is absolute and horrific. But he still believed that there had got to somewhere�� someplace in some corner of the world where there is a teeny tiny light glowing with all its might fighting the darkness.


    He might not have seen that light but he still believed in it with absolute conviction. But until he can make her believe in the same, he knew it was useless to talk to her.


    So he just got up from his place and wrapped his arms around her bring her into his embrace. His hand rested at the back of her head securely.


    Zee instantly stiffened but was still too surprised to actually push him away.


    And before she could do exactly that, Srinivas pulled away and whispered, "Good night�� Go on. Get some sleep. It''s getting late��"


    He then let her go completely.


    The warmth of his touch lingered until she reached her own room.


    All the men she had ever dated so far�� she always met them at a club or someplace similar. They were always smitten with her face and beauty. So nobody ever approached for anything more than that. But Srinivas''s sincere eyes�� it haunted her. She herself did not understand what it was she was going through. But one thing she was sure was that when he did not defend her when she asked him not to get near her�� it filled her with an inexplicable sense of disappointment and it scared her shitless.

 Chapter 186 - I asked her out.

    "What is going on between you and Zee?" Shreya asked coming to sit beside Srinivas with a beer on his hands.


    It was the last day of their vacation. Flight leaves the next morning. SO everyone had gathered in the back yard for a barbeque party for the night. After stuffing themselves to the brim and getting wasted, everyone had scattered away now.


    Time flew away just like that but they all did get to relax which was the whole reason everyone came here in the first place. Between all the bantering, playing games, and loitering around on the beach, the two weeks felt like a blink of an eye.


    Everyone else had knocked for the day. It was only Shreya and Srinivas here. Shreya was sipping on her drink while Srinivas just sat there enjoying the tranquility of the night until of course, Shreya broke the silence between them.


    If it had been before, Srinivas would have probably dismissed her saying it was personal. But these past weeks, something changed between them. So he just let out a sigh and said lightly, "I asked her out!"


    Shreya''s eyes widened in shock instantly as she questioned, "You asked her out? Really?"


    "Well, sorta actually. She ran away before I could get to the part of actually asking��" Srinivas said with a grave face.


    "Wow!" Shreya said not even bothering to make an attempt to conceal her amus.e.m.e.nt with the whole situation.


    Srinivas rolled his eyes as he said sarcastically, "That is so you�� Mocking the beaten�� You are so heartless sometimes," His lips pouted unconsciously.


    "I am not heartless�� I just love seeing the live drama. It''s entertaining��" Shreya shrugged without batting an eye.


    Srinivas just smirked but did not reply.


    "Wait. But how do you know that there is something going on between me and Zee?" Srinivas asked breaking the silence.


    "Zee told me. Okay, she did not tell me per se. She asked me to change you�� she asked me to switch her personal detail��" Shreya replied getting herself another bottle of beer and handing one to Srinivas.


    Srinivas''s eyes widened in surprise but then the same turned into a self-deprecating smile. He should have after all expected this from Zee after all this time. He did not really comment, after all, he did not know how to reply.


    "You want me to help you get her?" Shreya asked arching her eyebrows at him.


    Srinivas took a minute but he shook his head and answered, "No�� Just reassign me. It''s okay. This may be for the better actually."


    "You are giving up already?" Shreya asked frowning.


    Srinivas gave her a sly smirk and asked back, "What do you think?"


    "NO�� You are just going to let her rot for a while and let her come to you on her own, aren''t you?" Shreya said looking at his sly smile.


    "What can I say? You read minds!" Srinivas said slyly smirking back at her.


    "Okay, then you just report to me as soon as we get back. Ayush and Nakul are going to be following Bhavna and Hank wouldn''t be able to handle my detail and uncle at the same time. And as frustrating as it is to accept it, I do need people around me here on now that the cat is out of the bag. Report to me as soon as we get back. And I am out of here�� Good night!" She said getting up from the lounge chair and walked back to her room.


    Srinivas gave her a small nod and stood up too. But just as he was going to go back to his room, he decisively turned halfway and went to knock on Zee''s doors.


    When there was no answer after a while, he tried the knob and it opened without a hinge. And when he walked in he saw Zee snuggling into the bed completely hammered. She did not even bother to take off her shoes.


    Srinivas sighed and got to work. He first took off her shoes and got a wet towel to clean up her face. Then he shifted her properly in the bed and pulled her blanket to her chins.


    When he looked at her face, this was about the first time he had ever seen her so peaceful. All the time she was awake�� for some reason�� no matter the mood, there was always a sense of gloominess surrounding her. But when he saw her now, for some reason, it did not seem to be the case.


    He couldn''t help his hands from stretching out and caressing on her head and tidying up her hair a bit. His hands lingered for one extended minute before retreating from the room.


    The whole mansion had quieted down except for of course Bhavna. Ayush was having a hell of a time trying to put an extremely drunk Bhavna to sleep.


    As he was eager to spend some time with her- when the question came as to whom to send Bhavna to her room, Ayush obviously volunteered. After all, she was barely taking two steps without the risk of face planting into the floor.


    But the trouble started when Bhavna refused to go to bed and dragged Ayush to the balcony in her room.


    Her room balcony was very spacious as was her room. Since she was the youngest in the group, she obviously got the first dibs when it came to room allotment. She dragged Ayush out with her in her wobbly legs and tried to open the sliding door. When it did not budge seeing as she was sliding on the wrong end of the door, he helped very diligently. Ayush was scared if he did not, she was going to find something to actually break the door.


    Once outside she looked around and took a deep breath in pure bliss. Then as cliched as it was, she somehow successfully tripping on her own feet and dragged Ayush down with her very conveniently. But since Ayush had been distracted looking around the balcony, he failed to brace himself for the impact and actually fell down on his back. Thankfully there was a swing chair behind them and Ayush made a safe landing on his back with Bhavna secured in his arms.


    "Hey, you okay?" He asked once he had steadied himself.


    But Bhavna did not reply. Instead, she shifted around in his arms and found a comfortable place for herself and went to sleep.


    "You got to be kidding me!"Ayush muttered to himself in disbelief. God knows how much he had tried to convince her to go to sleep but got dragged outside the balcony. And now that she was out, she actually went to sleep?


    After a lot of struggle, he successfully got her back into the room and on the bed. But the did not have the heart to go out just yet. So he sat on the bed beside her and let her even breathing calm him down.


    He did not actually understand himself�� Typically, he liked girls who are quiet, mature, and gentle. At least that''s what he thought was his taste. But Bhavna was none of those�� it was painfully apparent. But still, he really found it hard to stay away from her.


    She was loud, spoilt, and bratty. But then he came to realize that none of this seems to matter to him. He just liked her and it had nothing to do with her personality or how she was�� it was just her. And before he could even have a conscious thought of liking her�� he was already following her around like a lost puppy. And everybody around had caught him�� not that he was doing a very good job of hiding it�� but still the only one person who did not notice was actually Bhavna herself.


    Ayush rested his palms on her cheek and leaned forward to slightly peck on her forehead and wished her, "Good night��" It was just a whisper. He quietly exited the room switching off the lights behind him.

 Chapter 187 - Chase...

    Adam drove through the almost deserted streets at a steady pace with Preethi sleeping peacefully beside him in the passenger seat. Since it was after hours, the traffic was very light except for a few cars here and there.


    The windows were drawn all the way up. SO, in the quiet car, all you can hear are Preethi''s soft and steady breathing while Adam drove the car calmly while still keeping an eye on Preethi. But maybe because she was used to sleeping in worse situations, he had never seen her actually sway on her seat while sleeping in all the time he had driven her. She always slept without even moving a muscle.


    She had had a long shift this week. SO he offered to drive her home instead of letting her drowsy-self drive. Everything was going fine until he noticed something peculiar in his rear view mirror. Thus, just two streets away from her house, he took a detour instead of going to her house.


    He then checked the rear mirror once again deliberately slowing down. A minute passed before he found the car turn to the street he was in. This went on for a few more turn before he confirmed his suspicion. Since they had reached the residential parts of the city, it was particularly very obvious. There were only two cars on the street. So, he knew for sure that the car behind was deliberately following him. Since he was trained to be on high alert, he knew the car had been on his rear from the hospital. He just ignored it so far thinking it was just a coincidence. But now he knew the car was actually following them.


    He did not want to take the chance and confront the tail without backup in this part of the city especially with Preethi beside him. He decisively took his phone and called Hank. He was in charge of security when Zack is away.


    "I shared my location. Send me some guys. I have a tail and I have Preethi with me��" He then cut the call without really waiting for the reply.


    He then calculated the odds and felt that it was safer to go towards one of his penthouse apartment which was about 20 minutes away from Preethi''s home and the security was also very good there. Even though he could only see one car now, he was not sure how many people might be around. So he wanted to get Preethi safe as soon as possible. At the same time, if the party was hostile, he did not want to lead them straight to her parent''s place. If that happened, he wouldn''t be able to hear to end it from Shreya.


    He concentrated on driving steadily not wanting to spook the person behind him. He did not want him to know that Adam had spotted him and do something reckless.


    But suddenly he saw the guy come and stand right beside him on a signal. The guy from the car turned and looked at Adam straight in the eye. Adam knew he was made. After all, he turned directions so abruptly, any person with the least bit was intelligence will be able to guess it.


    So he turned towards Preethi and fastened her seat belts first securing her. Since she was sleeping, Preethi did not wear her seat belts initially. After making sure she was secure, his legs hovered over the accelerator impatiently.


    Adam could not get away from this guy. He was not ready to take any risks. At last, Adam knew why Shreya had kept Charan far away from her. It had only been about 10 minutes from when he had first spotted the tail and he was already sweating buckets.


    If only the situations were different and he was alone in the car, the guy behind would already be eating dirt in the side of the road without having the energy to even breathe. But the whole situation got so tensed just because of the pretty little thing still sleeping peacefully behind him.


    Just as the signal went green, the car shot through the road with a jerk. Instinctively, Adam''s hands braced Preethi with his arms while simultaneously manipulating the car. His only goal now is the lose the guy. Originally he wanted to keep him in the tail so as to identify him. But now he did not care�� He can find him again.


    But just as he was about to retract his hands, Preethi blinked his eyes open and looked around and asked, "Where are we? We are not there yet?"


    "Not yet, babe. I got something to do�� a small detour. You go back to sleep. I will wake you up when we reach��" He replied making his voice calm and gentle all over again ruffling her hairs soothingly. He did not want to scare her unnecessarily. After all, back up was on its way and he can handle the situation.


    Preethi let out a yawn and went back to sleep without bothering him any more.


    A few minutes later, three cars joined the chase. They flickered the headlights at Adam indicating they were friendlies.


    The three coordinated without words and cornered the tail to the corner of the road. Adam parked the car as gently as possible but still, Preethi woke up when the car came to a standstill.


    Adam leaned over and pecked on her forehead and said gently, "I got something to do, babe. Give me 5 minutes. Okay?"


    "What is it? We are still in the street." Preethi asked looking around.


    "Nothing serious�� You go to sleep��" He said and alight the car.


    Preethi did not go down but she was still curious, so she lowered the window and peeked out. She could see a guy standing guard just outside her door making absolutely sure nobody is going to be able to get to her. This just kindled her curiosity to another level.


    But she was not really afraid of Adam being in any sort of disadvantage. So, it was just a matter of entertainment for her not something to be anxious over.

 Chapter 188 - Oh, he is the idiot?

    Adam got down from the car and signaled the guys wordlessly. Even though the road was deserted and the guy seems to be alone seeing as nobody came to his rescue when they cornered him, he still did not want to take unnecessary risks. So, two people stood guard on the perimeter to make sure nobody comes to interrupt while two others dragged the guy in the car out. Of course, one stood guard beside Preethi''s door.


    Adam gave the guy a once over but did not recognize him from anywhere. And they had already done extensive research on their enemies and they already knew almost all of their associates by now. And this was not someone he recognized from any of that list.


    The guy himself seemed well dressed and well-groomed. He was dress casually with a jean and formal shirt. Even if he was dressed as such in order to blend in, he was still unarmed. So Adam frowned in confusion. Something did not add up but he did not devel on it long.


    "Who are you?" Adam asked coldly. His aura changed in seconds. He had a domineering air like a boss that made people listen to him unconsciously.


    "Dr. Sridar�� Who are you? And what right do you have to detain me like this?" The guy asked arrogantly.


    Something ticked in the back of his head when he heard his name but then nothing stuck. But hearing that he was a doctor, a lot of his tension eased. He had been afraid maybe someone was planning to deal with him through Preethi. But seeing that it was not the case, he was relieved. But he still had to be sure, so he ignored his doubts for now and signaled the guys to take him away.


    Sridar instantly started struggling and started talking loudly drawing attention to himself. Adam did not even bother to hear it. He just pulled away and whispered something to the guys standing behind him. He relayed some further instructions.


    The whole drama was actually out of Preethi''s line of sight from inside the car seeing as big bulky guys were standing surrounding between the car and Adam, but when she heard the all so familiar voice, she instantly got out of the car but was stopped by the guy in the front protectively. But then they were just a few feet away from each other, so Adam saw her getting out.


    "Preethi�� what are you doing outside��? Didn''t I tell you to not come out��? Get back in now��" Adam commanded instantly coming to her.


    Preethi just rolled her eyes at his overreaction and said sarcastically, "That''s my Ex��"


    Adam took a minute to actually process what she was saying. His mind went blank and his eyes widened instantly in surprise. But then realization dawn and he looked at Preethi, "Oh, he is the Idiot?" He asked dubiously.


    Preethi just stared at him for a second before her lips twitched at the title he had given her ex. But before she could reply, Sridhar started wailing at top of his voice, "Preethi�� you b****. Just because you found yourself a rich boy toy doesn''t mean that you can ask him to beat me up for no reason�� I am still Akil''s father. You better remember that�� you think of the consequences. I can take him back from you just like that."


    That is when Adam actually gave attention to what Sridhar was yelling all this time. It seems like he had mentioned Preethi even before this. But when he comprehended what he was telling, his hands clenched into a fist. If only he was not Akil''s father, Adam did not even know what he would have done.


    Preethi''s jaws stiffened and she stared at him coldly and asked, "Father? What kind of a father leaves a 5-year-old kid to get a job and disappears completely from his life for 5 years? You do not have the right to call yourself Akil''s father!" Her voice seethed in seer disgust. And then, a warmth spread uncontrollably when she saw Adam inch near her and pull her behind him seeing as Sridhar had lost his shit completely.


    "What kinda mother are you then? Leaving a 10-year-old kid all alone and whoring around the city in the middle of the night?" He no could no longer have control over his own words. They just flowed out exposing all his jealousy and greed.


    When he went abroad, he was so proud and maintained that it was the right decision to leave Preethi and Akil behind. He was so sure that they won''t be able to do without him and that they will be miserable without him. And that Preethi would regret not holding on to him.


    But only when he reached abroad that he found that the opposite was true. He was miserable without them. He was lonely without Preethi even though they barely spent any time with each other even when they were still married.


    But he still maintained his ego and stayed back until he was finally fired from his job.


    At last, today he came to confront Preethi and graciously accept her back when she would apologize miserably for making an immature decision of leaving him. After all, their marriage failed because Preethi was not a responsible mother or a wife.


    He was high on such dreams when he reached Preethi''s hospital. But all that dream cracked when he saw Preethi walk out of the hospital with a big smile and instantly crashed into the arms of another guy. A guy younger and so much more handsome than him. But when he saw the guy drag her to a luxury car�� he lost it all. In his jealous frustration, he started following the car.


    But when he saw that the guy actually drove away from Preethi''s house, Sridhar was sure the guy was having some ill intentions towards Preethi when she was weak and vulnerable and he was preparing himself to be her valiant knight in shining armor and become her hero.


    But all his plans once again went into the drain when he found himself surrounded by a dozen bulky guys taking orders from the guy driving Preethi. And Preethi did not seem scared of him at all but instead, she seems to rely on him, and in turn, he seemed to indulge her to no end.

 Chapter 189 - This boy toy?

    So Sridhar completely lost his cool and diverted all his frustration towards Preethi. But just as he swore at her, an iron fist came crashing against his face and broke his nose. He did not even have the time to blink.


    He groaned in pain and looked up only to meet with Adam hovering over him looking dangerous. If his punch was any indicator, Sridhar knew he wouldn''t able to take Adam down even without any of the goons all around them. He was no match for Adam.


    "You say one more word, you are going to be licking the dirt off the road all night. I promise you that��" Adam seethed. The stiff jaws and red eyes showed how pissed he really was.


    "Who are you to tell me that? That''s my wife�� It is between us��" Sridhar said pissing Adam off way more than he already was. He was already restraining himself to the best he could until he started swearing on Preethi.


    Just as he was about to fling another fist at him, Preethi who was shocked at first came back to her senses and held on to Adam''s hands and stopped him on track.


    Adam turned around glaring at her, "You are still protecting him after what he just said?" He asked eyes blazing with anger


    Preethi just rubbed on his arms gently and said with a calm voice, "I am not protecting him. I am just saying that he is not worth the effort. That is all."


    Adam did not ask anything anymore but he was still biting his teeth showing that he was still doing his best to suppress the surge of anger.


    Preethi then turned towards Sridhar and said with an ice-cold voice, "I am not your wife�� Not anymore�� you are just my Ex- husband. There is nothing between us anymore."


    Sridhar spat out a sneer and asked her tauntingly, "Yea. Who was the one begging me to stay when I got the job? Was I not your ex-husband back then. So, doesn''t that mean that you don''t recognize me anymore because you got yourself a rich young boyfriend now? I have never seen a more shameless person�� I can only imagine what Akil had gone through in these years��"


    He would have already had his jaws displaced if not for Preethi standing in front of Adam and blocking his hands by her soft grip.


    Preethi''s eyes turned colder by each second as she listened to Sridhar''s bullshit. She was really very tempted to let go of Adam''s hands and let him beat Sridhar up. The image was extremely satisfying in her imagination. But she still held on to that last bit of rational and replied to Sridhar, "Well, if we had a competition for shamelessness, don''t you think you would be winning the gold medal between the two of us? I begged�� yes�� but did you stay? Did you call Akil in these 5 years? Did you even think about us in these 5 years? SO don''t give me that self- righteous speech when you had thrown your own son like trash for a f.u.c.k.i.n.g job!"


    "If I don''t have the right to question you? Then who does? This boy toy? Akil is not even his son? Do you have the confidence to say that he wouldn''t treat Akil badly in the future even if he was being good to him now to covet you?" Sridhar still argued back without any thought of backing out.


    When he saw Preethi looking at him with those cold eyes even standing in front of another man protectively, he lost all sense. This was the girl who had always had a dreamy look on her face whenever he came into the class�� this was the girl who had followed him relentlessly for 5 years of her youth. He couldn''t accept that all that can be forgotten just like that.


    Preethi, on the other hand, felt disgusted with him suddenly. She did not feel this even when he had insulted her but when she heard him insult Adam, unknownst to her.. anger rose and gave Sridhar a quick slap.


    "He had spent more time with Akil in 6 months than you ever did in the 6 years of our marriage. And yes�� I have the confidence to say that he would treat Akil exceptionally well even if we are not together in the future. But the fact that I can''t say the same about you should show what you are and what he is. So, don''t compare yourself to him."


    She couldn''t bother herself with him anymore. So straight up pulled Adam by his hands and dragged him back to the car. Adam signaled the guys to let Sridhar go.


    "Thanks, guys. You can leave��" He called out behind him and followed Preethi obediently. The fact that she had defended him had put him in a very good mood.


    Sridhar stood in the side of the road staring at the car driving off. Her lack of trust in him when it came to his own child was like a final blow. His mind became a chaotic mess all of a sudden. He was originally a man with a lot of pride. And his view had always been slightly feudal. For him, it was the duty of the man to go out and earn while it was the duty of the woman to look after the kids and home. That is why he rarely gave any mind to look after Akil. For him, his responsibility was over as long as he was well fed and groomed and provided for.


    That was the whole reason why he always accused Preethi of being irresponsible. And later, when Preethi started doing her work seriously, she started having a reputation in the field that surpassed his own. This ticked him off in all the wrong places. That was the whole reason why he had stubbornly changed work and went abroad. To gain something she would never have and come and show off as to how fruitless it was for her to work so much instead of accepting his grace.


    But what was waiting for him was far different from his imagination. How did the moment he was waiting to gloat have became the moment he had lost everything in his life, he did not know.

 Chapter 190 - I have the keys...

    Adam''s lips could not be narrowed even if he tried. He drove tapping away on the steering wheel happily sporting a grin.


    Preethi looked at him sideways and asked in disdain and sarcasm, "Is me being embarrassed by a pathetic excuse of an Ex is such an exciting thing for you that you can stop smiling?" Even though she meant it as a joke, there was also this vulnerable part of her that felt ashamed.


    All she can do was blame herself for being an ignorant and na?ve little girl�� but that did not really excuse her of her responsibilities for Akil growing up the way he is. It was a mistake�� a regret�� a painful experience. She had come to accept it. But the same being put on a show with your lover having the front row seat to it is not really a pleasant feeling no matter how you think about it.


    She knew Adam is not someone to mock at her shortcomings. But the smile on his face really ticked her off right about now. Maybe it had got more to do with her own insecurities than to do with Adam.


    Adam, on the other hand, came out of his own bubble and asked alarmed, "What? Of course not�� why would you even think that! And the only person who should be embarrassed is him,"


    Adam swore in a voice that said he would cross his own heart if it were ever to become a lie.


    "Then, why were you smiling so much?" Preethi asked in a small voice suspiciously.


    "I was so pissed when you stopped me from punching his lose mouth�� But then you went ahead and slapped him for me�� Of course, I am happy��" Adam replied going back to his happy mood with a grin as if what he said was the most obvious thing.


    Preethi just gapped at him without knowing how to reply. Is it such a happy thing? She was not sure. Sure, she felt elated and extremely secure when Adam punched Sridhar for swearing at her. But the way Adam was reacting�� he was practically glowing with brightness. He was reacting as if she had waged a bloody war to win his heart or something.


    But little did she know�� Even though Adam was always mature and stable with very few words�� he had always felt an unconscious pinch whenever he thought about Preethi''s ex. After all, he had been her first love and the kinda admiration she had towards him did not seem shallow. After all, it led to them getting married and actually having a kid.


    So, he had always been worried about the time when Sridhar would come back. He was afraid that Preethi would accept him back for the sake of Akil. And he knew what Akil meant to her.


    But before she could muster a reply, Adam stopped the car in the middle of the road and looked out with a complicated gaze.


    Preethi peeked out but could not see anything peculiar warranting his gaze. SO she asked confused, "What is it?"


    "Do you really have to go home now? It is so late and I haven''t seen you in weeks�� your parents should be asleep by now�� Do you really have the heart to wake them up now in their old age?" Adam asked pretending to be pitiful and righteous.


    He just did not want to let her go yet�� not today at least. He did not even know what it was. Normally, even when they did not have enough time for each other, he had endured it well. Because he knew she was doing her best and that Akil needed her more than he did. But today, for some reason�� he wanted to voice that suppressed emotions and hold her back�� at least he wanted to try. But when he heard her reply, he couldn''t really do anything about the disappointment that spread through him.


    "I have the key��" Preethi replied not bothering with him. But she was just teasing him. She was curious to see what he would do to make her agree. She wanted to see as to what extent he would go.


    But to her surprise, Adam did not argue anymore. He simply put the car back on gear and drove towards her home. His lips were still pouting with aggrieved eyes.


    Preethi couldn''t help but let out a giggle and she pinched on his cheeks and said lightly shrugging her shoulders, "We can go to your place. Nobody is waiting up on me at home anyways. I told them I had an emergency and that I was not sure as to when I will be home."


    But Adam looked at her solemnly and said, "It''s okay. I will send you home today. We can meet again tomorrow. I know you are dying to see Akil�� and after the kind of day you had, I can''t really complain��"


    His emotions apart, he still had some rational side that reasoned. So, though reluctant still decided to take her home. There is always tomorrow after all. And if worse comes worse, he could just shamelessly barge into her home for breakfast tomorrow morning. It was not the first time he did it and surely not going to be the last. Thankfully so, his parent did not seem to mind it that much. And, at least on the surface, they seem to actually like having him around.


    Preethi, on the other hand, just blinked for a second. If Adam hadn''t said it out loud, maybe Preethi would have never realized that she was in fact kinda desperate to be with Akil.


    Happiness or sadness�� she always shares it with Akil first. Just being in his company gives her the peace no one else could. And she could use that right about now.


    Preethi was distracted at the moment�� but when she would be lying down on the bed and closing her eyes, she knew she was going to have shit pouring out of her mind. Past and present�� it is going to haunt her dreams and the only cure is her son.


    Akil had been her anchor in one of the toughest times of her life. And he still was without doubt.

 Chapter 191 - Then, it is settled...

    While Preethi was still immersed in her own head, the car came to a standstill in front of her house.


    Adam switched off the engine and waited but Preethi did not get down nor did she say anything. The street light flickered above then.


    "Hey�� It''s okay. Go on��" Adam said ruffling her hair bringing her out of her train of thoughts. He gave her a soothing smile saying without words everything was okay.


    Preethi blinked at him for a second before leaning over to give the softest kiss on his cheeks before alight the car with a bright smile. She then turned around and waved at Adam and waited for him to drive off.


    But Adam just stared at her without moving. Minutes ticked by but he did not move a muscle. He just kept staring back at her. And Preethi''s brows frowned in confusion. But before she could ask her question, Adam got out of the car and walked towards her with steady decisive strides. He looked like a guy with a mission.


    "What? Already regretting your decision about dropping me off!?" Preethi asked with a sly smile. After all, she did offer to accompany him but it was he who refused her. So, she wouldn''t really let such a nice opportunity slip by her fingers to tease him.


    Adam just stood there in front of her. He did not bother to react to her teasing. He stared at her solemnly and called out, "Preethi��"


    Preethi frowned and said, "I am not going back with you today�� you missed your chance��" She said playfully shrugging her shoulders even though she knew she was just bluffing. If it came down to it�� if Adam asked for it�� she knew she wouldn''t really mind going back with him. Especially given how serious he looked.


    But once again Adam did not respond to her teasing. Instead, he took both of her hands into his and stared right into her eyes pulling her towards him. They were practically toe-to-toe and he asked looking at her seriously, "Let''s get married, uh?" The question mark at the end seemed like an afterthought��. Added purely for the sake of politeness. While his eyes showed sincerity and slight nervousness�� there was also this stubborn determination that said he was not going to take ''no'' for an answer.


    Even though his voice was not particularly loud, the content itself seemed to have the power to echo through the deserted road.


    Preethi''s mind went blank and her jaws dropped as she tried to decipher where did the thought suddenly pop up from. More than that she wanted to make sure she had actually heard him right. She wanted to rub her eyes or pinch herself to make sure she wasn''t daydreaming. But then her hands were tied up in his firm warm drip.


    "What? What did you just say?" She asked bewildered. She really felt that maybe she was hearing things because of fatigue.


    "Marry me��" Adam said simply confirming her suspicion and doubt. This time around though it was a clear statement without really giving the other party much of a choice. The afterthought question mark seemed like a privilege given only for the first time�� This time, he did not even bother with it. He did not bother being polite. He simply stated it arrogantly.


    Preethi couldn''t do much except gap at him with her mouth wide open without caring as to whether she would end up catching mosquitoes.


    Adam''s face at last cracked seeing her reaction. The serious expression went away as he looked at her amused and used his fingers to close her mouth. Then his eyes gleamed as he asked with a sly smile, "You don''t want to?" His thumbs caressed her cheeks spreading warmth and something more electric making her shiver. The smirk in his face served as evidence as to how confident he was with himself and his proposal. Or it had got more to do with his overbearing nature.


    Either way, Preethi shook her head frantically this time as she tried to explain fl.u.s.tered, "No�� no�� no�� It is not like that�� I just��"


    "Then, it is settled��" Adam said flatly as if her not refusing invariably means her acceptance and something he anticipated and obvious.


    He then leaned over and pecked on her forehead and said, "I will ask my dad to come to talk to your parents then�� And remember you yourself agreed." He did not wait for a reply after that. He just turned around and walked towards his car.


    Preethi came down from her stupor only when she heard the click sound of his car being unlocked. Her legs found a brain of their own as she approached him in a hurry. Her hands grabbed on to his before he could open his car doors.


    "Why? Why do you want to marry me all of a sudden?" Preethi asked confused. It took her a lot of courage just to get into a relationship with him. And even though she had confidence in Adam''s character, she also had a tiny vulnerable part of her fearing that he would leave her one day when he will come to know the real weight of all the baggage that comes along with her.


    But not in a million years had she ever thought that, the day Adam comes in contact with her primary source of baggage�� her ex-husband�� Adam would actually end up proposing to her.


    Wasn''t he supposed to pull back from her to avoid trouble? Wasn''t he suppose to get disgusted with her after knowing about her pathetic past? Wasn''t he supposed to mock at her pitiful self? Why was he not following the script?


    And in all this, she even forgot that Adam did not even ask her in the first place�� and that he did not really give her much of a choice and that he just arrogantly thought that as long as he asked, she would agree. But then it was also a fact that she was not really thinking of denying him in the first place. She was just so surprised that nothing coherent came to her mind at that moment�� just a rush of emotions good and bad simultaneously crashed over her overwhelming all her other senses.

 Chapter 192 - Will you let me be that person?

    Adam stopped on his tracks and turned around facing her. But when he saw her terrified eyes�� all his thoughts of brushing her question off and teasing her further flew off his mind. When he looked into her nervous eyes�� he couldn''t help but reach out to stroke her cheeks comfortingly.


    He then looked straight into her eyes as he replied sincerely, "Because I do not like the role I am playing right now�� It is not enough. I do not like being the person who drops you off to your house. I do not like being the person who asks permission to spend the weekend with Akil. I want to be that person who Akil and you come home to. I do not like being an outsider in your guy''s life�� I don''t like the feeling of watching you guys from afar. And most of all, I don''t like being questioned who am I to you guys and not be able to say that I am your family�� I want to be that one person closest to you and Akil. I want to be that person who can stand up for you and with you�� Will you let me be that person?"


    His eyes did not waver even for one second as he stared back into her watery eyes waiting for her reply.


    He did not ask her before not because he was too arrogant to think that Preethi wouldn''t refuse him. But mainly because he was scared and he could not even bear the thought of her refusing�� so he did not even want to give her the choice in the first place.


    But the thought that his overbearing declaration might have scared her�� it left a sour after taste. He did not like it even more. So he swallowed his own fear and humbled himself as he gave her the choice. It almost felt like he was presenting her with his heart straight to her chopping board as he waited for her to decide whether to save him or break him.


    He knew that even if she refused him now, he would always wait until she did agree. Even then, it was not a pleasant feeling waiting for someone to decide your fate.


    Preethi, on the other hand, choked. Tears spilled down her cheeks on their own accord. Her heart was a mess. Something pressed at the base of her throat painfully preventing her from talking.


    His words warmed the softest parts of her heart. His reason�� they were not extravagant or overbearing. But it was so humble that it was almost impossible for her not to cry. And knowing that he meant every last word of it�� it made her whole being into a chaotic mess. She couldn''t be bothered to even breathe properly let alone comprehend a reply. So she just stared back at him with her teary eyes.


    Seeing that Preethi was not answering, Adam extended his hands and wiped away her tears gently as he asked in a soft voice, "Can you let me be that person, Preethi? Can you trust me enough to let me be part of your family?" His voice was so soft that it felt precariously close to begging.


    Preethi did not know what to say or think anymore. She just straight up plunged into his arms and wrapped her arms around him desperately almost toppling him over.


    Adam steadied himself by leaning on the car at first. But then when he was firm on his two feet, his arms subconsciously wrapped around her waists holding her close. One of his hands rested behind her head protectively.


    Preethi had no control over her tears whatsoever anymore. She did not even know why she was crying. All sorts of emotions poured out of her making her overwhelmed and breathless. Being in such a chaotic mess, all she could do was let the tears spill down her cheeks.


    After what felt like absolute forever, Preethi pulled back and said one single word, "Yes��" She did not elaborate or attach anything to it. But to Adam, it was the one word that brought him an immense amount of joy.


    Adam''s face lite up like a Christmas tree as he bends down and picked her up off of her feet and swung around joyously laughing out loud.


    Seeing him so giddy with joy, Preethi''s lips also curved voluntarily.


    Once inside the house, she went straight to Akil''s room. Not surprisingly�� he was actually still awake. It was usual on weekends. He was still very much immersed in his game.


    Preethi went and pulled off his headphone.


    "Hey, mom��" Akil exclaimed accusingly complaining without words for being interrupted.


    "I am going to take off your phones if you are not going to stop doing that��" Preethi said sternly confiscating his phone.


    Akil gave her his best puppy dog eyes but kept quiet.


    Preethi securely kept the phones on the shelf and said, "Now, get to bed��" But her voice and face were significantly softer. So Akil listened to her obediently and got to bed.


    Once tucking him in, Preethi did not leave but instead sat beside him. Her hands caressed on his face as she started talking gently, "baby�� Your�� your dad is back in the country. He came to meet me today��"


    Preethi never really hid anything from him. That was how her parents have raised her. And that was how Charan and Preethi raised Akira and Akil. No matter how bitter the truth was, they told their kids honestly but also as softly as they could.


    So, Akil might not know the details but he knew that the relationship between his mum and dad was not that great and that dad had left them. But from when he had matured, he never had any contact with Sridar personally. Whatever he knew was what Preethi told him.


    He did not know his own father, so he did not have any attachment to this sentence. So, he remained quiet.


    "Do you want to see him, baby? Do you want to meet him? I can take you to him!" Preethi said next.


    Akil bit on his lips and thought about it for a second and quietly shook his head.


    "You do not have to think about me, Akil. I am okay. If you want to see him, I will take you to him��" Preethi said fearing that Akil might be avoiding Sridhar for her sake. After all, in spite of everything else�� Sridhar was still Akil''s father. She would not be able to deny that fact ever.


    "I do not want to see him, mom. He left us first��" Akil said decisively with just a slight tinch of sadness that made Preethi''s heartache.


    But she did not dwell on it. But instead, changed the subject and asked instead, "How much do you like Adam? Would you like it if we all became one family? Me, you and Adam?"


    Akil''s eyes widened in surprise at first but then his lips spread as he nodded enthusiastically.


    Preethi smiled back and kissed on his cheeks and said, "Thank you, baby��"


    "He asked me before itself��" Akil said beaming.


    "What did he ask?" Preethi asked confused.


    "The same. He asked me if it would be okay if we all became one family�� and I said yes. And he also thanked me just like you did now." Akil said.


    Preethi looked at Akil startled at first, but then knowing Adam�� she felt this was not really that much of a surprise in the first place.


    "He is good to me mom�� and you��" Akil said smiling.


    "I know baby. That is why I said ''yes''" Preethi replied tidying his blankets. "Now get some sleep. Good night!"


    "Good night mom," Akil called out seeing Preethi exit his room.

 Chapter 193 - It grows on you...

    Shreya actually went straight to the office as soon as the flight landed in spite of all the protests. And as expected piles and piles of files were waiting for her at her table as soon as she came in. She deposited her luggage in one corner and went to work. The office was absolutely silent except for the sound of her flipping pages every now and then or the sound of her tapping the keyboards on her system. Her eyes never deterred outside of her work even for one second. She was completely absorbed in her word.


    She was so preoccupied with work that, she did not even know how the time flew by and Anand came knocking on her office doors well into the afternoon armed with her very late lunch.


    "Somebody forgot her lunch!!" Anand said sarcastically keeping her lunch on the table and taking the files in her hands forcefully without permission.


    Shreya looked up at him and instantly whined protesting, "Uncle, I am not done with them yet��"


    But then Anand gave her a stern look�� the same kinda look she would end up giving him whenever he forgot her lunch. And now that the tables were turned, Anand couldn''t do much about the smug smile dancing on his face.


    Shreya rolled her eyes at his childishness as she gave him a hug and then took the lunch from his hands and walked to the couch without any more protest.


    "How was your vacation?" Anand asked sitting beside her.


    "Long��" She said in a flat tone. It was not that she did not enjoy the vacation. She was able to relax and chill out after god knows how long and it was a welcome change but still, she was just not vacation kinda girl�� at least not when it was going to go on for 2 weeks in the middle of nowhere. Even though she was the one who bought the island which was in the middle of nowhere.


    "You went on a vacation, kiddo. Why do you have to make it sound as if you went through torture or something?" He asked exasperatedly at her hearing her reply.


    "The island was nice�� You and aunt should go and relax for some time there��" She said nonchalantly munching on her food.


    "What are we two going to do on an island all by ourselves?" Anand asked bemused.


    "Take Bhavna and Akash with you�� for entertainment. They are hilarious together. They still fight like cats and dogs. By the way, Bhavna asked if she could come back home this time around once her semesters are over?" Shreya mentioned. After all, Anand was Bhavna''s dad and he should have a say in what Bhavna does even if she had already given Bhavna an answer. But then again, Shreya did not mean any disrespect by it. She was just confident that Anand will actually agree with her decision as will Bhagya.


    Anand completely ignored the first part and asked about the later, "And what did you tell her?"


    "I agreed actually. Anyways its easier to be on the lookout here than on some other country far away. And she has an agent now! Did you know?" Shreya asked back.


    "I know. Don''t interfere too much with her work�� She needs to learn�� How long are you going to protect her at the palm of your hands?" Anand said. Everyone in the family knows how much Shreya pampers Bhavna. Even as a father, he never did anything that excessive as Shreya.


    "She is fine just the way she is��" Shreya shrugged off.


    Anand looked at her dubiously and asked, "She is not�� She is too na?ve for her own good Shreya. You can''t be there cocooning her all her life. She has to learn�� She is too spoilt by you. She has to learn to actually work hard to get something."


    Neither Anand nor Bhagya ever interfered with anything Shreya ever did for both of their children. Because they always knew Shreya never meant any harm to either of them. But somewhere on the line, Shreya had become so protective of them�� especially Bhavna that they are now afraid Bhavna will grow out to be spoilt.


    Shreya thought about it for a while and at last agreed reluctantly, "Okay. Fine. I won''t interfere too much in her work. But she is going to have two bodyguards with her all the time."


    This way they chatted for a while. Once everything was shared�� both of them went quiet and kept each other company as Shreya finished her lunch.


    When Shreya looked up once finishing her lunch, she found Anand looking at the painting behind her table with a sense of melancholy. She knew he was thinking about Adithya. So she just kept quiet. After all, nothing she ever says is going to change any damn thing here. They are gone whether she likes to accept it or not. So a few words of verbal comfort now might actually do more harm than good.


    "It is such an ugly thing but your dad was so stubborn to buy it and put it in his office�� He said the colors mesmerized him�� But I never got around to understanding it! I mean�� look at that�� it literally looked like some kid had spilled colors into a canvas accidentally. There were so many pleasant-looking paintings out there and it was not like Adithya lacked the money to buy it. But he was dead set on this one." Anand mumbled with a smile with his eyes still stuck at the painting on the wall.


    Shreya looked at it and said with a smile, "It grows on you�� with time��" There was a nostalgic taste in her expression.


    After all, the first time you see it�� it was almost impossible not to be weirded out by the ghastly look of the painting. But with time, you might not fall in love with it�� but you end up getting used to it. Seeing it will become almost comforting.


    "That it does," Anand replied thoughtfully and got up from his place while Shreya cleared the plates.


    "Go home today, Shreya. Or else I am going to ask Bhavna to haunt you for another full month��" Anand warned before leaving her alone in the office.


    "I am planning to go to the Imperial tonight. Its been long since I visited. I will have an early morning meeting there." Shreya called out behind him.


    Anand just sighed without verbalizing his protest and waved his hands without really turning back. After all, he was completely helpless when it came to his niece.

 Chapter 194 - Unless...

    Shreya sat back on her own chair and went back to work after that. But for some reason, she couldn''t really concentrate. Something was irritating her at the back of her head. It was almost like the itching sensation that you some times get at the center of your palm. The sensation wouldn''t go away easily even when you scratch�� rather the itching increases the more you scratch.


    Shreya was having a similar situation�� the more she tried to distract herself�� the more it bothered her. The annoying part was that she did not even know what it was that was bothering her. All she know was that her intuitions were screaming at her to look out with her eyes wide open�� that the answer is staring in front of her.


    Finally, she got frustrated left all her files as is and went to make herself a drink. Just when she opened the refrigerator, her eyes landed on the painting all over again. Then Anand''s voice rang in her ears all of a sudden��


    ''It is such an ugly thing but your dad was so stubborn to buy it and put it in his office��''


    And then there was also her own voice telling Charan�� a long time ago. Even though it felt as if eons had gone by, he remembered once a few months back Charan asked her who had bought this painting and she replied it was her father but then added as such right here in this same office.


    ''We, all the people in our family are what you call artistic- handicaps.''


    When she put this both sentences together�� somehow both seem to contradict each other.


    Her family�� they were people who appreciated numbers in spreadsheets and the zeroes and ones in a code. They did not understand the paints and canvas. They were absolute handicaps when it came to art.


    Even if her own mother was an actress, still none of them knew anything about paints and brushes. Any paintings they ever own in purely for investment purposes. Even that, none of them would personally go since it wouldn''t matter either way. So, they had a trusted agent make the purchase for them which will be appraised by a professional.


    At the same time, it was also a fact that her father had bought this painting�� personally that too. And as Anand said, he had also been very particular about it. But this painting did not seem to hold any significance what so ever for her dad to put so much effort into it. And the same had also ended up in his own office�� it did not make sense. More like, her dad''s behavior was odd�� something did not add upright. Adithya wouldn''t do something like that in a whim.


    She abruptly got up from the chair and called a number, "Akash, I need you and whoever is available ASAP in my office. Drag Pritham with you." She then cut the call without even bothering to hear for his reply.


    Her mind was working several hundred miles an hour as she tried to put all the scattered puzzle pieces together. But it was not easy�� she did not even know what she was hunting for at the moment. All she had now were scattered fragments of sentences that did not make sense together but were also absolute facts on itself.


    She kept staring at the painting�� as if they could magically give her the answers she was looking for.


    Then another sentence Anand just said struck a chord.


    ''But he was dead set on this one.''


    This leads to the most obvious question��


    So, the question was�� why would a person who knew nothing about art, who had zero interest in paintings buy a painting�� why would he buy a painting and hang it in his office?


    Why? Why did her dad buy it when he did not know how to appreciate art to the slightest? Why all of a sudden? And why this one? What''s so special about this one? Since the artist was not famous enough�� it did not even have any monetary value attached to it? SO it did not make sense for him to actually buy it in the first place!


    Unless.


    Unless�� he had other motives to buy it.


    Unless�� he was not buying the art but something else entirely in disguise!


    Just as she figured this out, Akash, Adam, and Pritham walked into her office without bothering to knock while Akash complained unceremoniously.


    "Shreya�� did you even see what time it is now? We just came from a vacation�� and just because you are on a high spirit to work doesn''t mean that you should end up torturing us with you!!"


    Shreya did not bother to reply to his childish whining. But before she could open her mouth to explain why she had called them, there was a knock on the door.


    "Come in��" Shreya called out and to her surprise, it was actually Srinivas who walked in.


    Shreya frowned in confusion. She did not remember calling him.


    "Are you not done with your work yet?" Srinivas asked looking around at Adam, Akash and Pritham scattered around in her office.


    That is when it struck her that she had transferred Srinivas''s job and he was her detail. And unless explicitly said, the respective details should make sure the person they are protecting had gotten home safely before they could knock off.


    So, she looked at the clock that read it was 1 a.m. and gave Srinivas an awkward look.


    Just when she was going to ask him to leave home, Srinivas beat her to it and said, "I will wait outside. You can finish up here and then I will drop you off��"


    "Wait��" Shreya called out and gestured him towards the couch and asserted, "Just be here�� You don''t have to go out��"


    Not only Srinivas, but even the other three guys also gave her a surprised look that looked as if they were trying to ask her whether she had gone crazy.

 Chapter 195 - I am not being polite.

    One should know that Shreya only let 8 people to be directly involved in things that pertain to her parent''s case. And these were people she absolutely trusted and that trust was built through years of involvement. Initially, it was only she Akash and Adam who were involved in the actual investigation. She brought in others slowly after knowing them for years. And Srinivas had been with her for only a matter of months.


    Everyone knew that Shreya trusted him. There were dozen other people like that including Andrew, Vicky, Ayush, Nakul�� she entrusted these people to protect her family and friends. But even them�� they primarily only follow orders. They know nothing about what was actually happening. Even though they could have probably guessed for most parts of what was happening from the bits and pieces they hear. But still, it will be limited to knowing that Shreya was investigating into her parent''s death nothing more.


    But then, bringing Srinivas into this discussion would mean full disclosure.


    So, it was not really that much of an odd thing that they would be surprised by her action. After all, she had called them suddenly in the middle of the night�� the only thing that can make Shreya on edge like this was her parent''s case. So, the reason they were here should obviously involve the case. Or else they wouldn''t have rushed here so quickly either.


    Srinivas came out of his stupor and looked around. When he saw the guys and their doubtful and suspicious gaze, he just simply shook his heads at Shreya and said calmly, "It''s okay, Shreya. I will wait outside. You do what you need to do��" He was not really offended anyways. What little bond he has is only with Shreya�� and that too was only built over these past two weeks. And because of his quiet nature, none of the others here ever had any real contact with him. So, it was obvious that they wouldn''t trust him.


    "I am not being polite. You and I both know I have no patience for things like that. I just would like an opinion is all. So just sit��" She said and walked towards the guys.


    Everyone scattered around her office and waited for Shreya to say for whatever reason she had called them here in the middle of the night.


    "I need the logbooks and transaction doc.u.ments on that painting��" Shreya said straight away and then gestured at Pritham and continued, "You can use my system,"


    Everyone looked at her confused while Pritham got to work without question. For him, he did not need a reason. For him what Shreya asks for�� he does it first and foremost. Only after doing it will he even have the mind to question�� but most of the time, the answer will present itself when he will be done with Shreya''s requirements.


    After a lot of hesitation and glances at Srinivas, Akash still couldn''t hold back and asked, "Why? Is there something wrong with this painting?" He was still unsure whether or not he can ask this question in front of Srinivas or was he going to end up making things awkward for Shreya.


    But his worry was uncredited. Because for Shreya�� there was never any grey area for her. Either she trusted people or she did not. And if she decided she was going to trust someone, she would never end up questioning her own decision afterward. She will give her absolute trust to that person.


    "The problem is not the painting itself. The problem I have is why my dad bought it in the first place�� after all, it has no investment value whatsoever and we Srivastav''s can''t appreciate art to save our lives�� It would make more sense if he went ahead and bought a freaking hot air balloon than it does for him to actually buy a painting." Shreya replied but did not seem as calm as she usually does. It may be because she did not have a definitive answer for anything at all right now which made her feel on edge and agitated.


    "So? He bought something stupid. Big deal." Adam said rolling his eyes at Shreya.


    "Well, do my dad strike you as the guy who is so free and jobless that he would end up buying things out in random and put it in his office?" Shreya asked back sarcastically.


    Everyone shut up after that. Pritham was furiously typing away on his computer.


    "Damn Shreya. Your dad was practically a whiz!!" Pritham complained as he stumbled around to find out who the hell Adithya actually made the payment to. Even though he was just fishing in their own records, it still seems almost impossible to find.


    Shreya went and stood behind him and said, "First show me the purchase receipt and then pull up the relevant month''s bank statement��" And as soon as he showed the bank statement, Shreya''s eyes trailed around the numbers rapidly.


    "Slowly scroll it down��"


    It took full 15 minutes just to scroll down to the end of the statement. Pritham''s brains were fried by the end of it. All the numbers blurred into one single digit for him in his brain. Analyzing finances wasn''t exactly his strongest suit actually. SO he usually brings the statements to Shreya and she will help him make sense of it.


    In the end, Shreya actually gave a very quick scroll and pointed a bunch of transactions. All of them were odd numbers ranging from two-digit payments to 5 digit payments.


    "Add them up, it should come to the amount mentioned in the receipt. Now track only those transactions back to its source." Shreya said lightly. As if she did not just remember and calculated endless numbers mentally.


    Pritham seriously questioned his own IQ whenever he was around Shreya. Before meeting her, he always thought of himself as a whiz kid�� a genius when it came to computers and smart when it came to other things since he was good with socializing too in spite of spending too much time behind keyboards. But Shreya always somehow ends up crushing that confidence to pieces.

 Chapter 196 - Family?

    "The artist''s name is Ramya Trivedi. She is a small-time artist in B town. She is very normal in fact. And the only piece that she had ever sold for any value is this one that she sold to your dad. All else were sold to negligible amounts after and before that�� But except for the anomaly of her having sold this painting to your dad, I really can''t find anything suspicious��" Pritham said shoving the information he had just found to Shreya in a tablet.


    Shreya skimmed through it quickly and then asked, "Family?"


    "Everything is normal there too actually. Nothing pops up. It is going to take some time to run a deep background on everyone around her. But as far as I can see�� they are just normal people with normal life." Pritham answered.


    Shreya nodded absentmindedly. But then after a while, she mumbled, "Trivedi!" She felt the name to be slightly familiar. Something about that surname- she knew she read it somewhere before. She surfed through her memory to find out where she had seen that name before�� But then suddenly her eyes lit up as she looked at Pritham and said, "Pull up the case file of Prime Minister''s murder. There was a key witness in that case that led to the conviction of the accused eventually. They did not really have a case without him. The witness name was�� if I am not wrong�� it should be Abi Trivedi��" She recounted thoughtfully.


    Shreya always had an excellent memory and on top of it, god knows how many times she had been through the old case files�� she had spent hours and hours going through them over and over again to see what she might have missed that Adithya saw and what kind of evidence he could have gotten.


    Pritham once again went back to focus on his screens. They had long before digitalized that file.


    There was a solemn silence in the room which was broken by Srinivas as he asked, "What does Prime Minister''s murder case have to do with your dad?"


    He vaguely knew that Shreya''s parents'' death was not an accident and that Shreya was looking into the people who are responsible. But then, now they were talking about the PM''s murder case�� a case to his memory was shut down a long while ago. And the murderer was caught and convicted. Since it was such a high profile case, there is probably nobody in the whole country who did not know about it.


    But he couldn''t figure out what that has got to do with Shreya or her parents.


    The guys looked at each other while Shreya just answered absentmindedly without taking her eyes off of the information she was skimming, "Girish- The Prime Minister, was my dad''s friend. They were extremely close and my parents were killed because my dad was investigating his murder case�� and he even got some key evidence back then. After the kidnapping last time, we know that the evidence was hidden by my dad before he died. Now we are searching for it."


    Srinivas did not give away any surprised expression. He just nodded and went back to his calm self. Minutes ticked by before Pritham once again spoke, "Abi and Ramya are distant cousins. Both of them were close through university�� But I have a death certificate in Abi''s name right after Ramya received the money from your dad��"


    Shreya once again walked to him and peered into his screens. Pritham was flushing Abi''s social media pages��


    "That''s odd. That final post by his parents�� it looks fake�� something is not right�� There is no emotional context to it. It''s almost like a copy-paste of someone else''s eulogy. And no parent will ever copy something like this��" She said as her eyes darted to other information.


    A minute passed�� Her mind raced with all kinds of possibilities. Why would someone with a normal family fake his own death certificate? After all, in order to do it, they would have needed resources that were beyond Abi Trivedi''s means. And then things dawn on her.


    "It''s dad''s handy work. He probably helped Abi disappear in exchange for whatever information he had�� And the money is for the family he had to leave behind��"


    "But that doesn''t help us with anything. He is in the wind by now and with your dad''s skill�� we won''t be able to find him any time soon�� and he won''t be coming back any time soon�� not after knowing what happened to your dad��" Adam pitched in.


    After all�� Adithya was meticulous in anything he does. And since it involved life or death of a person�� he should have put in his utmost�� which would be a huge mountain to cross. With just the payment, Adithay had actually split it to smaller bits and routed through different accounts. If it was not for Shreya�� they would have been surfing through the statements for weeks.


    And to track down the ''disappearance'' would be a whole lot harder since they did not even have a starting point at this stage. Abi could be in any corner of the world�� for all they knew, Adithya could have shifted him to Antarctica��


    Shreya''s expression fell instantly. After all, she thought, at last, she had gotten a break but it leads to a dead-end all over again�� that too to a dead-end put in by her own father.


    If she wanted, she could always dig Abi out of the grave and bring him back to earth�� She knew all of Adithya''s tricks after all. She had learned all her tricks from Adithya. But she did not want to. Not when she knew bringing Abi back might get him killed just like that.


    It did not seem worth it. Especially when it was a person her dad had tried to protect with all his might. Sacrificing a life to avenge a dead one�� it was not something she could live with.


    She can sacrifice a life to protect one�� but the former was not something she agreed on.


    "Okay, then�� you guys can go back if that is the case," Shreya said resigned.

 Chapter 197 - I will be damned.

    But before any of them can move from their places, Srinivas interrupted, "I think you are asking all the wrong questions while the answer had been staring at you all this time��"


    Shreya who was about to exit the office stopped in her tracks. She turned around to find an awfully comfortable sitting Srinivas staring at the painting with a thoughtful look on his face.


    "What do you mean?" she asked frowning not understanding what he was getting at. After all, she had cracked her brains to her maximum extent for the past hour thinking of any possible leads.


    "Don''t you think you should be asking, why did he place this painting here in the first place? After all, he could have just as well hung it at his study at home or not hung it at all if the primary purpose for the painting was to give away money. I mean look at that�� it is not one of the paintings that are going to elicit pride by showing off your ownership nor does it scream elegance or beauty�� No matter how handicapped he might be, he should still be able to know that this painting is not exactly what you would call display-worthy�� at least not in the office of the President of Sri corp�� he still hung it and it was at a place he spent almost all of his time at and this building is as secure as it can get. So, don''t you think there might be another reason altogether as to why he was so particular about hanging this painting here?" Srinivas said in his all too calm voice all over again staring at the painting peculiarly. His gaze unwavering and piercing.


    "Shit!!" Pritham swore loudly as he scrambled from his place and turned to look at the painting.


    Shreya remained shell shocked for a second before scooting towards the painting too.


    "I will be damned!" Akash said under his breath seeing the painting in awe.


    Within minutes, 5 people stood there facing the painting eyeing it as if it was some Budha statue.


    Akash and Srinivas were the tallest two people in the group. So they volunteered to bring down the painting using her table as a ladder while Shreya stood there in a distance biting on her lips. She never felt so anxious before. But at that moment, she really prayed to all gods that this one pan out. Or else she was running out of ideas actually. And also the will to fight was depleting day by day. She was getting tired�� mostly because of her distance from Charan and Akira�� She so wanted to just say ''f.u.c.k it'' to all of this and run away from this place as far away as she could and start over.


    They lifted the painting and stared at the wall�� after clear inspection�� they wore a disappointed face. There was nothing behind the painting on the wall�� no safe�� nothing. Not even a scratch.


    That is when Shreya''s voice echoed through the office, "Flip it. He did not believe in safes. He believed in hiding things at plain sight�� He has the habit of putting things in the most inconspicuous of places."


    As soon as her sentence left her mouth, Akash rested the painting on the table facing down. The canvas was actually stretched over wood rather than being framed. There was something small taped to one corner of the canvas.


    Akash pulled it out with shaky hands and revealed a pen drive. It was actually big compared to the ones available nowadays but then this type was top of the class when Adithya died a few years back. One of his own innovations actually.


    "Is this what I think it is?" He asked unsurely. He did not want to jinx it but at the same time, he wanted it to be the evidence so badly. If this did not work, they would have officially run out of places to look and then they would have to come up with an entirely new plan to deal with Naren and party.


    "Only one way to find out!" Pritham replied taking away the pen drive from his grasps and looked at Shreya.


    Shreya starred back not believing her eyes for a second before she walked straight towards the rows of shelves on her office.


    Under the curious gaze of Srinivas, she actually pulled out one specific book and the whole shelf slid away revealing an iron door inside with heavy digital locks attached to it.


    First, she entered her thumbprint followed by Akash and Adam. Then Shreya entered a series of numbers in the lock�� it ran to about 30 numbers. But she entered it without blinking an eye in rapid succession.


    "I would never get used to seeing this shit ever. Especially given she changed the password every week and wouldn''t bother to even write it down��" Pritham grumbled from behind.


    This was the server room that Adithya had set up when he was still alive. But when Shreya took over, she had upgraded the security system in it.


    For safety purposes, the door actually needed at least 3 biometrics out of the 8 which was programmed. And on top of it, it needs a 30 digit PIN code which only Shreya knows. Without that PIN, the only way to open the door was to punch in the biometrics of all the other 7 people.


    The security was so high on this mainly because it housed the company offline server. It was completely off the network of the company. And it had all their and all the associated people''s personal information including the information on her network and connections she had ever built over the years. And since it was offline, there was no way of accessing it from outside. And any unauthorized breach will result in triggering the self-destructive software and the whole room will end up catching fire in a matter of minutes.


    Just as the door opened, Pritham eagerly went in with the pen drive and plugged it in right away. The rest of them hovered behind him anxiously.

 Chapter 198 - She is my boss, Meera.

    In a completely different part of the city, Zack was starting to get a headache.


    He did not know how but when he actually reached home from the airport, he actually found Meera sitting in the corridor beside his doors. And as soon as he came into view, Meera gave him the usual smile and followed him into his house like a lost puppy.


    Zack just let her be since he had neither the heart nor the energy to actually kick her out. And the day went by as usual. Zack predominantly slept off his jetlag while Meera just stayed in the living room watching T.V. Everything was just as they always were. Because Zack was sleeping, the whole apartment was deadly quiet except for the television Meera was watching.


    The problem started when he got Akash''s call. Zack knew if Shreya had called them out at this hour, it must be something important. If it was company she wanted, Shreya would have come over here rather than calling them over. And she had a very strict rule of not discussing any part of their investigation with anybody outside or at any place outside the Sri. Corp. But just as he was about to go out, Meera suddenly decided to throw a tantrum.


    "Where are you going?" She asked hurriedly sitting up from her couch and following him to the door.


    He was surprised at first. He did not think she was still up but then once he was out of his surprise, "Office��" Zack replied as he searched for his car keys and his wallet.


    "It''s in the middle of the freaking night Zack," Meera flared up angrily. More than it being in the middle of the night, what pissed her off was really that he was going back to Shreya discarding her as a piece of trash without a second thought. But Zack could not follow her line of thoughts, so he just looked at her confused for a second before answering her question without much further thought.


    "It''s a call from Shreya. It had got to be important. I need to go��" Zack said taking out the keys from his shelf and then he turned to Meera and beckoned to her and said, "Come on. I will drop you off in the way. It is not safe for you to stay here��"


    Meera, of course, did not budge. Her whole face went still and her eyes flared up with anger. After all, knowing and hearing him admit to the same were very different. It was like a slap on her face. Suddenly she felt that Zack was being cruel towards her. After all, she had spent every sparse moment with Zack in the last couple of months she had come to know him. But that was not enough to complete with on single text message from Shreya. Of course, she very conveniently forgot that Shreya was Zack''s boss�� well even if she did not forget, she decided to ignore it at that very moment. An overwhelming sense of self-deprecation and envy clouded all her senses.


    "I am not going anywhere. Neither are you�� you can just say you slept off. Anyways, you look beat. So why bother��" Meera said in an icy voice trying to pull him back into the house and towards his room by holding on his sleeves.


    "You have no right to order me around, Meera�� You are just a friend�� that too only partially. Know where you stand��" Zack said mercilessly stabbing her exactly in all the right places with just words. But he was not doing anything purposefully. He was just stating facts.


    "Then with what right did Shreya call you now?" Meera fired back losing what little rational she had. She was like a wounded cornered prey flaring up, at last, losing all its patience.


    "She is my boss, Meera��" Zack said exasperated. He was quickly losing his own patience by then. He was so tempted to just storm out of here without bothering about her. But there was still this small gentleman part of him inside that was telling him to answer her.


    After all, even though Shreya had called him ASAP, Zack knew Akash and Adam would have reached her already while he can''t really leave Meera here alone. Even though the security in his apartment was good, he can''t be rest-assured in this neighborhood. After all, she had met with a bunch of bastards right at this apartment not long before.


    Meera on the other hand just flared up with his answers, "Exactly, she is just your boss. You are her employee�� not her dog she can order around regardless of where you are or who you are with or what time it is. She doesn''t own you, Zack."


    "I do not have time for this Meera. I have to go�� are you going or not?" Zack asked, at last, losing what was his last ounce of patience he had.


    "That is my point, Zack. You do not need to be anywhere. What you need to be doing is sleep. It is freaking at 1 o''clock in the morning�� If Shreya gets angry, just quit your job. I will get you a better job with better pay�� you don''t have to work for someone who does not even know the meaning of giving personal space," Meera said and reasoned with Zack with all her might.


    Zack''s shoulders stiffened as he listened to her. After all, he did not really care about what Meera thought of him whatsoever. But Shreya�� Shreya was someone he had his at most respect to and adored and admired beyond any reason or bound.


    That is why he couldn''t really stand the thought that someone he had let into his house and fed could actually think and say such atrocious things about Shreya that too right in front of him�� he couldn''t forgive himself if he did not defend Shreya at this moment.


    So he went back inside and put the wallet and keys on the couch table and looked at Meera.

 Chapter 199 - Why cant anybody see me?

    Meera was overjoyed when she saw this. She thought that she had actually gotten through to Zack and that he got tempted by her offer.


    After all, she always thought that he had been putting up so far with Shreya solely because of the job. And that he was always nice to Shreya because of the position she holds as her employer and as the heir to Sri corp. And now that she had offered him another job far from her, she thought he should be feeling like she had broken him out of the prison or something.


    So she continued joyously without even noticing that iciness in his face.


    "You don''t have to worry. I promise, you will have a much better job�� you wouldn''t have to work like a dog. And the pay will be much better�� I will call my dad tomorrow morning itself and we can even talk about provide better accommodation. It will definitely not be in this part of the town." She looked around the apartment with some disgust. This apartment was her safe haven and also hell all in one. She wanted to be with Zack and so she could endure anything but then this apartment was also a reminder of Shreya��


    He of course, also noticed her look. But then he was not really surprised or offended. He was not an immature poor guy with an inferiority complex to get offended by something like that. He knew for something who grew up as Meera Srivastav, this house should be practically a ding in the side of the road. But above all this, he could afford a better place but he chose to stay here and he knew Meera did not know that.


    "What do you think is my pay now?" Zack asked incredulously trying to gain some knowledge on her train of thoughts.


    "What do you get? 6 lakhs a year? After all, who doesn''t know how money-hungry Shreya is�� even when she had 40% stakes in the company�� she was not satisfied and she had to trick my dad into selling his stakes to her too. Such a person cannot be bothered to pay her employees well enough. But now I see that she had to work them dry too. But you don''t have to worry. My dad''s company is not like that. Even though it is not as big as Sri Corp., my dad knows how to respect its employees and appreciates their work." Meera said proudly.


    Zack couldn''t help but gap at her. He had never seen anyone more delusional than her. After all, not only does Shreya pay him well, she even gave him 2.5% stakes in Sri corp. as a bonus a few years back. Right before she brought him into her parents'' case. It might not look much, but just .5% stakes in Sri corp can guarantee a leisure life�� you can live off of dividends the whole damn year without having to work a single day. And he had 2.5% which can actually make him a mini- rich guy.


    So, when he realized how so far away Meera was from the truth�� and how stubbornly she seemed to think she knew everything�� he could not be bothered to explain. He figured no amount of explanation is going to cut it out for her.


    "You know what�� you can think whatever the shit you want. But right now I need to go somewhere. I have a job to do and I need you to get out�� of my apartment. I will have someone drive you home." Zack said losing his patience picking back his car keys and wallet.


    Meera took a minute to comprehend what Zack was saying�� coming down from her joyous prideful moment. She almost felt as if her brain had short-circuited for a second there before she regained her senses��


    "Why, Zack? I am telling you�� You do not have to put up with that bitch anymore. I will get you a better job. I promise�� Trust me.." Meera thought Zack was still scared for his job.


    Zack looked at her sharply when she called Shreya a bitch.


    "You know what, you should just get out and never come back here�� Ever," Zack said flatly getting up from his place.


    That is when Meera realized he was never tempted with her offer and that he was just playing with her. That he was never planning on leaving Shreya. That he was never going to come with her. No matter how much benefits she was going to offer him, it was never going to be good enough for a single word for Shreya.


    She was not really wrong thinking in that way. After all, with Zack, it was absolutely true. No amount of temptation is ever going to make him want to betray his integrity and loyalty to Shreya. It was just, Meera took it in all the wrong ways.


    Just as he was about to open the door, Meera pulled him back and yelled, "Why? Why is that bitch so precious to you? You can accept and be with her even when she treats you like a dog and not be with me?"


    Zack flinched at her swearing all over again. This time he couldn''t control himself and said gritting her teeth, "Let''s get on thing straight. She is not a bitch�� She does not treat anybody like a dog. I am going now because I am willing to go�� And I want to go. It''s my choice, not her compulsion."


    Meera gapped at him. No matter what she told and called him�� he did not reply as if he couldn''t really be bothered to. But as soon as she called Shreya a bitch�� he was flaring up like a damn cracker.


    She couldn''t take it anymore. She harshly pushed on Zack and yelled, "Why? Why can''t I call her a bitch. You have any idea what she did to me and my family�� My family became a laughing stock because of that selfish money hungry mongrel. Why can''t I call her a bitch��? And why do you have to defend such an ungrateful person? Why? Why can''t you see me�� Why can''t anybody seem to see me?"

 Chapter 200 - Trust me, a family is not made from blood.

    Zack''s eyes, at last, blazed with anger. He had been controlling himself given Meera was young and na?ve�� but still, he couldn''t control the surge of anger in him when she accused Shreya of things she never did.


    Unknownst to herself, Meera''s cheeks were covered with tears rolling down them but Zack could not really be bothered by it at that moment. He was seeing all red and nothing else.


    "I am looking at you, Meera. I have been. But you have been so warped in your self-made hell of envy and jealousy and hatred that you do not realize it. And don''t even start on what Shreya did to your so-called family. She had actually given you a lot more than your self- conceited selves have ever given her. And that is despite what your family did to Shreya��" Zack uttered in an ice-cold voice suppressing all of his anger by a thin thread.


    Meera looked at Zack dumbfounded. She was so surprised by his voice and tone he was using against her that even the tears stopped. It was the same tone of voice he had used on the goons that had tried to assault her in this very apartment. But more than anything she was shocked by the content of speech. "We did not do anything to Shreya�� She is the one who robbed us of everything�� everything her father had given us. And we did not get it for free�� my dad worked his ass off and Adithya uncle gave us the reward. But Shreya couldn''t take it�� so she robbed us of even that��"


    Zack gave her a deprecating smile as he said, "You guys never did anything to Shreya? That''s the joke of the year�� And she robbed your father! Sorry to say this but you are wrong on both accounts. And for your information�� Your family is the reason Shreya is without her parents now. SO, please come out of your self-righteous bubble��"


    Zack did not bother with her anymore. He just walked past her closing the doors behind him. He could really bother any more to even drive her out of his apartment. He can always come back and deal with it.


    Meera stood there frozen for a second facing the empty apartment. But then when the meaning of what he had just said came to her, she followed him out to the elevators yelling on top of her voice, "That lying bitch! Is she going around telling everyone that my family caused her parents'' death? Shameless liar�� I have never seen someone more despicable. Zack, listen to me�� our family has no hand whatsoever in Adithya uncle and Susmitha aunt''s death. I swear�� She is just lying to gain sympathy. She just wants to frame our family to cover up her selfishness�� it is just something she must have fished out reason justify her robbing my dad. That is all."


    "You can wake up a sleeping person Meera. But you can never wake up a person who is pretending to be sleeping�� You are the second category Meera. So I am done with you. I thought maybe you will be different from the rest of your family since you have grown up without them. But I should have known better. You are all cut from the same fabric after all. You self-centered self-conceited people�� you never find faults in yourselves but will be the first when it comes to accusing others. Somehow the same thing is done by you�� it suddenly becomes forgivable."


    "You are so warped in your self-righteous envy and jealousy that you have turned too blind to even see yourself clearly. I cannot put up with a person like you Meera. Get out and don''t ever come back. You are no longer welcome in my house�� The house, that your cousin whom you just called as selfish and self-conceited, had paid for," Zack said and closed the car doors to her face.


    Meera just stood there shell shocked. In all the time she had known Zack, he had never reacted like this before with her. He had never gotten angry no matter how willful she had acted. That is why she had thought she had a place in his life. But looking at his cold eyes starting the car, she did not know what to think anymore.


    Zack, on the other hand, tried to calm his nerves and reminded himself several times that she was just a little kid... not mature enough. Looking at her face looking like an abandoned puppy, he, at last, softened his voice a bit and reminded her in good intention, "You are not a kid any more Meera. You need to grow up. You can''t judge anyone just like that based only on your own presumptions or on the say-so of your family. You can love your family�� but that doesn''t mean you should agree and accept with everything right and wrong they do��"


    He then got down from the car and stared at her blank eyes as he continued, "Trust me, kid. Shreya never harmed you or your family. In fact, she is the one protecting you guys... from some very bad people. And remember the guys that misbehaved with you... they are rotting in a hellish jail because of what they did to you..."


    "Do you really think someone like that is selfish and self-conceited?"


    Meera couldn''t help but shake her head subconsciously even when she hadn''t really comprehended what he was saying completely.


    "Stop wearing your jealousy and bitterness as a cover to hide your loneliness, Meera. It might look like that now... but you are not alone, kid. Trust me, a family is not made with blood. Not everybody is what you think them to be... some might surprise you... stop trying to please your family... your family failed you doesn''t necessarily mean everyone is going to fail you..."


    He then ruffled her head and drove off.


    A few minutes later, another car came and stopped in front of a really dazed Meera. She did not know how, but she reached home safely.

 Chapter 201 - It was as easy as breathing.

    Meera was soo deep in thought that she did not really give attention to where she was or what was going on around until the person driving her knocked on her windows after reaching her home.


    The whole way, Meera couldn''t eradicate the restlessness in her mind. She was highly confused and agitated with what Zack said to her at last.


    ''Trust me, kid. Shreya never harmed you or your family. In fact, she is the one protecting you guys... from some very bad people.''


    For her, Shreya was an existence she absolutely hates. She knew the major part of it was the fact that Shreya had the things she craved from every last fiber of her being�� people�� the love and care of people. People who could actually know her, understand her and accept her the way she was. She was most jealous of that. It had been there from when she was a little kid.


    The way Akash and Adam would crowd around Shreya�� or the way Bhavna would practically tail her where ever she went�� she wanted that too�� from as long as she remembered. They never singled her out and excluded her per se�� but none of them ever made an effort to actually include her. And she had always been too shy to join�� there was, of course, her own sister and brother cursing the whole bunch for being arrogant and brat, that made it impossible for Meera to approach any of them by herself. So, she always grew up feeling lonely, bitter, and envious.


    And of course, there was also Shreya''s parents. Whenever she saw Adithya and Susmitha pamper her to no end�� make her food and groom her even when she was so much older than herself�� She could only look at her with envy while her own mom discarded her to caregivers- one after the other.


    Her own brother and sister were superficial in this regard. As long as both of them were given toys they want or the dresses they picked- they would be content. And when they grew up�� they were greedy for making connections and showing off their own wealth with pride.


    But Meera was the one odd person in the family�� what she craved for simpler things�� a family dinner�� a pat on her back�� a mother''s touch�� a father''s care and protection�� And she always saw Shreya have every single one of them.


    But this had not been enough to make her hate her so absolutely. What really made her hate Shreya was the fact that she had hurt her family�� She had watched her father succ.u.mb with shame for a better part of 6 months when he lost his position in Sri corp. All that time, all she ever heard from any people in her family was how ungrateful and vicious Shreya was�� and it slowly engraved in her own heart.


    Her family might be superficial�� but she still loved them with all their dysfunctions. And she craved for their affection and approval with everything she had. After all, they were all she had. So, she always aligned her own thoughts with them with all of her bitter heart. So, hatred for Shreya came naturally to her. It did not take much effort. It was as easy as breathing. So she never thought beyond it.


    But today�� for the first time, she questioned that hatred.


    If it had been anyone else who had told her this�� she would have broken all hell and defended herself and her family with all her might�� but the person who said was Zack��


    Zack was that one person in her life who had given her the care and attention she always craved. The kind of care and attention she wished her own family had given her.


    And that gave him a very special place in her heart.


    If she had met Zack at the new year''s party for the first time, she might have questioned his intentions. She would have thought he was being nice to her just because of her surname. But the night she had spent in his house�� completely drunk out of her might. The next morning when she woke up, she knew Zack had no idea who she was or what her name was�� and he still let her stay the night��


    Nobody had done that for her before�� cared for her for just who she was and not for who her family was.


    Meera also knew that�� if it had been any other person instead of her�� Zack would have still saved her�� he would have still let her sleep the night�� And that it was not something exclusive or special for her.


    Even when the thought left a sour taste in her throat�� it also made her admire him more�� it made him so much more special in her eyes.


    And if such kind of a person holds so much respect and admiration for Shreya�� it was so hard not to believe.


    But more than anything�� somethings he said hit a very vulnerable part of her heart��


    Trust me, a family is not made with blood.


    Stop trying to please your family... your family failed you doesn''t necessarily mean everyone is going to fail you...


    You can love your family�� but that doesn''t mean you should agree and accept with every right and wrong they do��


    She had never stopped to actually think about these things before. She never knew she could.


    All she ever knew was her family�� her mom, dad, brother, and sister�� and as far as they were concerned�� Shreya was their enemy who had robbed them of the thing they valued the most�� the power and status they had.


    But then�� thinking about it now�� Meera realized that the power and statues that her family had always talked about had never been theirs in the first place. It was not something they had earned but it had been something that had been given to them by Adithya�� something that was rightfully Shreya''s in the first place.

 Chapter 202 - Being a good kid never does...

    Zack was the first person who had given her the feeling that she mattered for something in her life. He had protected her when she needed him the most.


    And he let her be willful and spoilt and bratty which were all so foreign feelings for her but all the more pleasant than she ever imagined. He never once complained as to how she must be well behaved and not bring shame to them for the association. She needn''t be well mannered�� she needn''t follow a set of rules�� she can just be herself around him.


    While all her own mother had ever cared about was how not to lose her face in front of her viper like friends because of her. After all, that was the whole reason why she was shipped off to some godforsaken place when she did not even have the slightest idea of what it meant to survive alone in a country she barely knew. All because her grades were pathetic and her mom can''t show her face to others.


    For someone who grew up like that, Zack was practically like a savior or something. He was that one sole person who let her experience the feeling of being spoilt.


    No matter what she asked for�� Zack would get it for her. Nobody really spoilt her like that without question. Back home, whatever she needed�� it had to be justified. From the clothes she wore to the college she went to�� it had all been to maintain their status and what the surname ''Srivastav'' should stand for. It never mattered what she wanted and what she wished for. Well, they should actually talk to her and listen to her in the first place for her to actually tell them what she wanted and wished for. Her parents and siblings never had time for those in the first place�� they were always busy either with work or attending parties and meeting acquaintances.


    The parties she had desperately tried to fit in and failed miserably. After one time when she had embarrassed her mom by arguing with one of her acquaintance''s daughters, she stopped taking her. She never even bothered to ask her why she argued or what she said to her. Her mum just straight away convicted her guilty. After all, she did not learn how to curry flavor everyone as her sister did.


    Meera had always been a little shy but straight forward person with a straight conscience. But it did not matter to her own mother�� being a good kid never does, does it?


    That is when she started hitting clubs instead to shoo away her loneliness. She would get drunk out of her mind and go home every single day.


    A small part of her wished her mom would actually scold her�� but all she ever got were hangover tablets from her maid when she woke up.


    But Zack listened to her�� no matter how much rubbish she talked about�� he would listen and even advise her. If she pointed at something on television and told him that she likes it�� he would actually get it for her�� from her favorite food to her aspirations�� the only person to ever know these were Zack.


    So she had absolute trust in him�� So she decided to take a step back and actually observe her family instead of following them blindly.


    Deciding thus, she got out of the car�� and mindlessly walked to her house.


    She was surprised to hear people talking in the living room in the middle of the night.


    Listening closely, she knew it was her sister and mother��


    "That bitch is seriously daring. Even after I had exposed her identity, she had still not come here begging for my forgiveness." Her sister''s voice rang through the quietness of the night��


    Meera knew, the bitch they were talking about is Shreya�� and the thing they were talking about it probably the news article exposing that Shryea is the mastermind behind Sri corp. success over the years. But she did not get how exposing this was harmful to Shreya in the first place. But she needn''t ponder on it as her own mother''s voice came clearly right then.


    "Don''t worry. She will come and beg you to stop and take you back. After all, she is afraid of someone. She has an enemy she is hiding from. If not, she wouldn''t have remained hidden for so long and let Anand and Akash bask all the glory. That selfish bitch does not have such a heart�� So the other party must be really powerful. The more you expose Shreya�� the more danger she is going to be in. It is almost like sending her to a chopping board."


    "But why is she not here yet? Does she think the rumors will die down in itself and nobody will believe it? She is even back from her vacation��" Susmitha grumbled.


    Normally, when she would hear something like this before, Meera would have just disregarded the whole thing and just thought Shreya deserved it.


    But today�� she actually saw how vicious her family was being.


    Knowing too well that Shreya has an enemy and knowing the person is powerful�� and full well knowing that exposing Shreya to such a person is going to put her life in danger�� they still dared to expose Shreya.


    Isn''t it saying that they wanted to kill Shreya��? And for what? Because she got fired from the job! A job she got because of her surname?


    And Shreya, on the other hand, had sent a bunch of thugs straight to hell�� all because of the way she had behaved with her�� all because she was family�� even knowing so well that she had hated her.


    She also remembered the cruel words Susmitha had told Shreya at the new year''s party.


    This was one single enlightening moment in Meera''s life.


    She was suddenly disgusted by her own family�� she was ashamed of her own family.


    Had she been so blind for so long?

 Chapter 203 - Look, whos growing up at last!

    Meera quietly walked past her sister and mother without really drawing attention to herself. Not that they would be much bothered even if they did see her�� but still�� she still did not have the mood to face them after what she had heard and what she had thought of. And there was also a slight guilty conscious of having eavesdropped on their conversation just now. So, she carefully sneaked back to her.


    As soon as she went in, she sat on her bed for a while biting on her lips nervously. A full minute passed before she decisively took out her phone and dialed Zack''s number.


    As the phone rang, her own nervousness grew. She was not worried that Zack would still be angry with her. But she was actually more ashamed of herself. If possible she would not really want to meet up Zack today�� especially after she reacted the way she did. All because he got a work call in the middle of the night�� So with what face can she expect him to actually attend her call now?


    When the call did not connect after 5 or 6 rings, Meera was getting dejected and anxious. But just when she was about to lose all hope and hang up, the call connected. But in spite of it, Meera did not talk�� her heart was pounding on her ears as she bit on her lips out of nervousness.


    But to her utter dismay, even Zack remained silent without talking to her.


    As time ticked by, Meera mustered up some courage and opened her mouth to talk. Her voice was barely louder than the buzz of a mosquito, "Zack�� I�� I just��"


    Zack let out a sigh and asked interrupting her, "Have you reached home safely?" His voice was soft as ever.


    "Yes��" Meera mumbled and stayed quiet. But then she thought of something and asked, "You reached office? Are you busy?"


    Zack''s lips twitched but then he answered, "Yea. I just reached. I am at parking. I was just about to go up when you called."


    "Oh!", Was all Meera mustered to say as a reply.


    Seeing as she was not speaking, Zack himself asked instead, "Why did you call?"


    "I�� I�� I just wanted to apologize for before�� and then�� uhm�� there was something I wanted to warn you about��" Meera said hesitantly. She did not know how to start telling him about what she had just heard between her own sister and mother�� she did not know where to start or what to tell. Especially after how she had roasted Shreya in front of Zack not even an hour ago for being self-centered and self-conceited.


    She was embarrassed beyond to even talk to Zack�� let alone talk about her family purposely sabotaging and plotting against Shreya right after she told him that Shreya had ruined her family.


    And of course, there was this other part which felt guilty for tattle tailing on her own family. She felt like a rat. As if she were betraying her trust or something. Not that they had much in her but still.


    But deep down she was just a little girl who was craving some warmth and with a straight conscience. So, involuntarily her integrity was with Zack more than her own family even if she hated it. But then it had more to do with the fact that her own family had done something wrong than to the fact that Zack had been good to her.


    This battle inside her head came to a stop when Zack''s voice buzzed through the phone, "What is it Meera? You are alright there kiddo?" Zack asked in a gentle voice after waiting for a while.


    "It was�� it was actually Susmitha who leaked the scoop on headlines last week on Shreya��" Meera split it out in one breath as if she couldn''t wait to get it out of her mouth fast enough.


    Zack was stumped for a second. He was not really expecting that�� for obvious reasons of course. But when he did think about it, Meera was exactly the kinda person to do that. After all, just because he had saved her in the passing, she had been following him around like a glue for the past few months. But still, he had his doubts since Meera seemed to have a deeper grudge on Shreya for almost the whole of her life. But either way, he was surprised and happy.


    "Look who is growing up, at last!" Zack made a joke light-heartedly chuckling away.


    Meera blushed embarrassed but still, she continued, "Susmitha is planning to release more information�� I don''t know what kinda information though. But I heard her telling mom that she has more valuable information�� and she was going to keep exposing them until Shreya comes and begs to take her back into the company�� And that�� that Shreya had enemies in high places she was afraid of and that it will be dangerous to expose such things��" She remembered every last detail she could think of and told Zack fearing leaving out anything could eventually lead to an even more dangerous situation for Shreya.


    "Hey, don''t worry. Shreya already knows that is was Susmitha�� And nothing will happen to her��" Zack interrupted her rambling.


    "Oh��" That was all Meera managed as a reply.


    "You don''t have to worry. Shreya knows what she is doing�� she had known something like this might happen when she fired your sister��" Zack explained further.


    Meera let out a sigh of relief�� Then she bit on her lips as she hesitantly asked, "Why�� why did she fire my sister? What did she do?"


    "She beat one of the interns in her department�� Last time she let it slide because she is uncle''s daughter even though the employee was in ICU for two weeks�� this time she couldn''t��" Zack said. He felt that it was integral for Meera to wake up from her dreamland about her own family. So, he told her things straightforwardly and brutally.


    Meera remained shell shocked for a minute before she could even think about a reply. But she did not really know what kinda reply will be appropriate for something like this. So, she just said goodbye and cut the phone in a hurry.


    She did not want to believe but a part of her already believed in it. This fight within her was confusing for her. She felt lost and agitated.


    So she decided to call it a night and fall asleep before she drives herself crazy.

 Chapter 204 - Youre late.

    Zack walked through the deserted corridor as soon as he hung up on Meera. But then he was met with an empty fully lit up office room with all their car keys bunched in the tea table in front of the couch.


    Zack called out a few times, before checking the conference room. But when he found that the conference room was empty, he came back into Shreya''s room and picked the book Shreya had picked before making the shelf slide all over again. But since he couldn''t go in by himself, he called Akash.


    The room and the shelf automatically close behind them as a safety precaution. But to his surprise, it was actually Srinivas who opened to door.


    "Your late!" Shreya''s voice rang from inside.


    The room had four stacks of servers lined parallel to the walls with a system in the front which was hoisted in an elevated platform almost the size of Shreya''s office covered on all sides with bulletproof glass walls.


    Pritham was operating the system while Akash and Adam were bunching behind him. Shreya stood leaning on the frame of the glass door blocking the entrance�� or to be more precise- with her size, she was only blocking half the entrance.


    Zack just gave Shreya a smile as he approached her. Srinivas went inside the glass room leaving Zack and Shreya at the entrance.


    "Sorry, I was caught up with something��" Zack replied pecking on her temple. "I take you haven''t been to your apartment yet? What have you got here��?" He asked walking them inside following behind Srinivas.


    "We don''t know yet�� Pritam is decrypting the drive we found. It was something hid by my dad�� so I am hoping it is the evidence we have been looking for��" Shreya said and sat down on the floor on one corner bunching her knees in front of her and resting her back on the glass wall. She leaned back her head and closed her eyes.


    She was tired after all. She had come straight to the office as soon as she got down from her flight and had been working for almost 14 hours straight. She wouldn''t be human if she was not tired.


    The room was absolutely quiet all over again just like it was before Zack interrupted them. Except for Pritham typing away on the system and his occasional grumbling when he hit a wall, nobody else uttered to singe word. After all, Adithya was very proficient when it came to computers and he was very paranoid too. So it was not going to be easy to get inside.


    First, they thought they had crossed the hurdle when Shreya first cracked the password Adithya had set in 3 attempts. But then, Pritham found that on top of the password the files itself were hidden under some family photos and were also encrypted. His fingers flew over the keyboard as fast as humanly possible as he tried to decrypt them.


    But the more he typed, the more he admired Adithya. After all, he had set this drive almost a decade back. And the technology had evolved so much from then. But Adithya was still able to baffle him. After all, Pritham joined Sri corp. to work was because of his admiration for Adithya in the first place.


    He had joined in as an intern and slowly grew. But everything changed when Shreya took over and she accidentally saw him hack into one of the department servers to adjust his attendance.


    He thought he was done for�� and that he was going to be fired on spot. But then, we are talking about Shreya who had the uncanny ability to catch you off guard which she did.


    Instead of firing him, she actually offered a job for him to build a security system he himself cannot beat for a handsome pay.


    And when Pritham did exactly that, Shreya gave him a promotion. And as years passed by, she slowly started trusting him and the rest was history.


    Everyone within the company thought Shreya was going crazy when she first promoted Pritham as the head of their software development team. After all, he had just been an intern and he was barely 20 when it happened. But Shreya was adamant back then and in all these years, Pritham did not let her down. He excelled beyond her expectations slapping the faces of all the people who ever questioned her judgment.


    Pritham had actually developed one of the most commercially successful software of Sri corp. within 2 months of taking over his job as the head of the software development team shutting everyone up without words.


    It was also when the company was facing a crisis after losing Adithya.


    Administration wise, Anand and Shreya pitched in and handled it. Even though they did not trust Shreya back then, they had trusted Anand. So, no real crisis arose until Ram started making trouble.


    But the main crisis was the IT department.


    That department was overseen by Adithya directly. And his innovations when it came to technology was practically genius. And they were trying to find someone experienced to fill in his place when Shreya appointed Pritham to that place.


    So, you could only imagine the kinda oppositions and doubts Shreya had faced. But she was stubborn and Anand supported her absolutely without hesitation. So, all everyone could do was suck it up and watch in silence.


    Many people actually sold their stakes in the Sri corp. at that time.


    Sri corp., even though, now it has ventured into almost every single industry one could possibly think of�� back then, their major source of income was from Information technology.


    But Shreya being the sly fox she was actually bought it herself. That was the main reason why she now holds a whooping percentage of stakes in Sri corp. She made it so that, nobody could ever question her decision ever. Nobody has the power or the means to question her within the company.


    Originally, she almost had 80% stakes. But over the years, she had distributed them to people she trusted. Like Zack, everyone in her inner circle has stakes in the company.


    And thus, it adds a financial layer to their relationship. IN a way, Shreya was making sure nobody could ever betray her over interests because nobody could give them more than she could.


    Shreya would never forgive herself if someone around her stabbed her on the back because of money�� which would just mean that she was not good at taking care of them in the first place��

 Chapter 205 - Was she always this stubborn?

    Zack came and sat beside Shreya after a while. There was nothing for him to do here as of now anyway.


    "Tired?" He asked putting his arms around her shoulders while Shreya comfortably snuggled in. She would always act spoilt when she was down�� at least when she was down physically. Like now�� she seems exhausted.


    "More like dead-beat!" Shreya replied and yawned profusely. She could barely keep her eyes open. Her biggest concern of finding the evidence had been completed which was a big relief in itself. Even though they hadn''t confirmed it, she had a feeling that it was what they had always been looking for. That knowledge gave a feeling as if some huge weight was lifted off of her shoulders.


    "Why don''t you go home then�� Anyways it doesn''t look like Pritham is going to be done with it anytime soon. We all had rested for the day. We will stay here�� you go�� Get some sleep. You have been working all day right?" Zack said resting his hands over her head and rubbed it gently.


    Shreya, of course, did not budge from the place. Even though she had a gut feeling, she still wouldn''t be fully relieved until she actually saw it with her own eyes. Until then, she won''t be able to leave this place. But since she was too exhausted, she did not complain about the pillow service Zack was providing. After a couple of minutes, the stead sound of her even breathing filled the room.


    Consciously or unconsciously, she actually trusted Zack more than anyone else. It was not that she doubted that the others would betray her�� if she had that doubt, she would never have brought any of them into this room and let them guard it. But her concern was their skill�� and maturity.


    And again, it was not that others were immature or less skill�� it was just�� with other Shreya always assumed the role of the one protecting them. But with Zack, it may be the aura that comes along or it may be because he had been her mentor for the better part of 6 months she had learned combat and other skill�� whatever maybe the reason, Zack was one person he trusted to actually protect her instead of the other way around. He was that person she did not oversee every last step he ever took.


    "Was she this stubborn always?"Srinivas asked coming and standing in front of them both. He himself had a taste of how stubborn Shreya can be in the two weeks he had spent with her on the island. She never once took ''no'' for an answer for anything. If she wanted something to happen, come what may, she would make sure it happens.


    Zack looked up at him chuckled as he replied, "Oh�� you have no idea�� You should have seen her when she hired me. This little thing walked through the worst part of the city for a full one week�� daily until I accepted her job offer. God knows how long she would have come if I haven''t budged."


    "Well, that sounds exactly like Shreya��" Srinivas said smiling. He could easily see Shreya doing that.


    "She told you about her parents??? Zack asked even though it was pretty obvious just by seeing him in this room. He wanted to confirm.


    "You could say that I guess�� I mean she summed everything up in three sentences. So, I am not sure whether it counts as telling or not��" Srinivas replied. He was still confused about that part since she did not explicitly tell him anything about her parents. Whatever he knew, most of it was actually what he had observed and assumed and not something she had personally told him. But knowing Shreya, if he came to know of something, it meant she had let it happen. And if she really wanted to keep him in the dark, then in all probability he wouldn''t have known anything at all in the first place.


    You have to understand, Shreya never talks about her parents to anyone. Not directly at least. Especially their death. Whatever she had said to everyone around her�� it had always been the same�� just a statement of brutal facts. Always in the abstract. No emotions or explanations will be attached to it. The only person she ever explained in detail was Charan��


    Charan was the only person she had ever confided in emotionally. He was the one person to whom she had trusted herself to be emotionally vulnerable.


    So no matter how much she trusted the people around her, she never trusted her heart with anybody else. And she was clueless why she trusted them with Charan, but she did.


    "It had always been like that when it came to her parents. She can talk all sorts of crap for days if you let her. But when it came to this�� it will be almost impossible to pull two sentences out of her. You got three which is probably a record in itself. All she ever said to me was, ''My parents were murdered. You want to help me with the investigation?''" Zack replied gloomily. It had happened after a year of him coming to work for Shreya.


    Out of the blue, Shreya called Zack to her office. She made a prior appointment and all which had never happened before that. She needed something from him, she would just call him up or show up in front of him. But that time, he called him up to meet her in her office the day before. Zack was wondering whether he had messed up something. He might not have been soo keen on the job at first but then he liked it here eventually. He felt belonged here. So, he was not really looking forward to losing it just yet�� so he was going to as for mercy from Shreya. To let him work here for a while longer�� maybe forever.

 Chapter 206 - She is trusting you with her safety.

    But before Zack could even get two words out of his mouth, Shreya asked him that question. Just two sentences�� straight forward�� Without any hesitation�� It was so Shreya. All he could do was a gap at her dumbfounded for a second. But once he saw that, that was all he was going to get from her and that she was dead serious and that she needed an answer from her, Zack agreed readily and came out.


    At first, he thought�� it may be because she did not trust him completely�� so she was being so stingy with words. But then as time passed by�� he realized that was all he was ever going to get out of her.


    Zack''s eyes unconsciously fell on the sleeping figure. His eyes were instantly tender.


    He knew Shreya had hired him because he had nothing to lose�� he also knew that was the whole reason why trusting him had been so easy for her. But not in a million years had he thought that one day he would be afraid of losing Shreya. She had become to the very thing she once said he did not have�� weakness. That''s got to be the most ironic thing in his life.


    "That makes me feel a lot better��" Srinivas replied with a slight smile. He then sat down on the floor joining them. After all, he had been roaming around for a while and Pritham did not seem like he is going to be done with everything any time soon. He rested his head leaning back with his legs extended in the front.


    "It''s hard for her to talk about her parents�� It is probably too painful for her��" Zack explained. He knew Srinivas will not take it to heart. But he still wanted him not to misunderstand Shreya.


    "I figured as much by myself. And frankly, I can''t blame her��" Srinivas said shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly.


    By now, he had a little understanding of Shreya. She was like a half baked cookie�� hard on the outside and soft and gooey on the inside. And she doesn''t show her soft side to anyone�� those around her get''s a glimpse of it every now and then�� that was all.


    Silence ensued between them after that.


    Shreya stirred in her sleep while her head fell from Zack''s shoulders. He just shifted her and rested her head on his laps and smiled helplessly. But thankfully so, she did not wake up. It was probably because of jet lag and full days'' work. Or else�� if she was normal, she would have woken up by now. And also, she was more relaxed because she was surrounded by people she absolutely trusts.


    "She trusts you, Srinivas�� She is trusting you with her safety. I don''t know why she trusts you and that too this soon, but she does. So I am not going to question it. But you be damn sure not to betray her. Or else your days ahead wouldn''t be this nice��" Zack said out of the blue breaking the silence between them. His tone was very grave and hostile.


    Srinivas was surprised at first. Zack had never shown any hostility towards him so far�� they had actually gotten along pretty well. Since they both had served in the army at one point or another, they actually had mutual respect for one another. That is why he was surprised at first by this sudden change of atmosphere around them.


    But even when he understood that he was being protective of Shreya, he still did not appreciate the accusation on his tone.


    After all, he was not the one who had asked to be here and it was Shreya who had let him in here�� So, if anything, he should be asking Shreya why she let him in if he had doubts rather than coming here to accuse him of betrayal without him ever doing anything.


    "I would never betray her trust Zack�� and this is not because I am afraid of you or her�� It is because I care about her too�� I might not have known her long but I still care about her and I would never take the trust she had given me for granted. Ever��" Srinivas said. His jaws went stiff without realizing.


    "Look�� I don''t mean to accuse you of anything�� It is just a warning. As you can see, things are getting dicey here and I need to know you are going to have her back no matter what�� that is all! Because she can''t really afford to have it any other way. Or else she is going to end up being dead�� and I cannot afford to let something like that to happen." Zack clarified seeing that Srinivas was getting angry.


    "And you should understand, Shreya had never let anyone get this close to her this fast�� which just means she is healing from her parents'' death�� and I don''t want her to go back into that wormhole because she let someone close to her carelessly and later regretted. And if you really care about her, you should know where I am coming from and why I am being the way I am��" Zack continued after a pause.


    Srinivas did not really reply to him right away.


    "Zack, no harm will ever come to her because of me. I promise you that��" He had a solemn expression on his face when he said that showing how serious he was. Showing how much he means each and every word of it.


    "Good," Zack said satisfied.


    "But just an FYI, between you and Shreya�� I am more afraid of Shreya. As far as I know, what she might do is a lot more intimidating than what you might do." Srinivas said sarcastically before closing his eyes to get some rest.


    "Well, as reluctant as I am, I would actually agree with you. This little thing knows how to get back at people��" Zack said caressing on Shreya''s sleeping figure. His eyes softened even though he was talking about a darker side of her.


    Srinivas''s lips twitched�� but he did not reply.

 Chapter 207 - Your dad was one smart man, Shreya.

    When Shreya opened her eyes, she was lying down using Zack''s legs as her pillow. She sat up groggily and looked around only to find all the guys napping leaning on the glass wall in one or other corner of the glass room with Pritham sleeping with his head rested on the computer table and the system in front of him was still running some program or something he must have designed to most probably decrypt the drive.


    Shreya got up from her place and just as she was about to approach the system, the system dinged and everyone in the room sat up with a start except for Pritham. Everyone looked around dazed and out of it. Only two alert people were Zack and Srinivas. Most probably came from being trained to be on toes all the time.


    Zack''s eyes sought beside him in search of Shreya as soon as he opened his eyes only to find them empty. He then looked around and found her standing behind Pritham.


    "Wake up guys. We have work to do��" Shreya said with a chuckle. She was amused by everyone''s reaction to a small ding on the computer. Showed how much importance they gave to the whole affair even when they were asleep.


    Akash and Adam took a minute to actually come out of their sleep. The only person who was still sleeping was Pritham.


    Shreya then went ahead and swatted on Pritham''s head waking him up. Within seconds, everyone came approached the desk and gathered around looking at the screen like hawks.


    There was pin-drop silence except for Pritham clicking away from one doc.u.ment to another�� to one picture to another. It took them almost 10 minutes to just brush through them. Once that was done, there was absolute silence.


    "Damn!" Pritham exclaimed after a while.


    "No wonder Naren is pissing his pants just with the thought of us having this��" Adam continued.


    Adithya was too smart actually. He did not acquire evidence that Naren, Abimanyu, and Abishek had been responsible for The Prime Minister''s demise. He should have known that they should have covered their tracks pretty thoroughly when it came to the murder of the leader of the country. They wouldn''t have done a sloppy job when it came to it. It should have been well planned and premeditated.


    So instead, Adithya actually got the evidence that these three people were responsible for framing Karthick- who was originally convicted of the crime. Adhitya found evidence for each and every step as to how they had gotten around to framing him.


    From how they brided the police, forensic labs to how they had paid Karthick off- Adithya had evidence for every last thing. The whole damn thing read like a freaking mystery novel. And since the syndicate''s greatest threat within the country- the Prime Minister Girish had been taken out of the equation- they had become brazen and failed to cover their tracks properly when it came to the framing which made Adithya''s job a lot easier than normal.


    They never even found out about Adithya having all these until he actually approached the police to reopen the case.


    There was a written and video testimonial from Adi Trivedi who was the main witness in the case. He had stalked it along with Adi Trivedi''s original testimonial which actually contradicted with each other in almost every manner possible. The only difference was that Adithya had found additional evidence to support Adi''s secondary testimonial.


    Adi contended that he was threatened to give false testimony and he even had the recording of the conversations. It was his insurance policy to keep himself and his family safe. And he had given it to Adithya and Adithya had traced the phones back to Naren''s second-hand man.


    And of course, there was also a television clipping of Adi fleeing the scene of the murder sight proving that Adi had not been anywhere near the murder to have actually witnessed it.


    The main reason why they picked Adi Trivedi as their scapegoat was because he was quite close to Girish himself when he was alive. And in order not to raise any suspicion, the syndicate had cornered him to give such a testimonial. If the testimonial was to come from someone close to Girish, then people will be inclined to believe it more easily than not.


    But it also played in Adithya''s favor since Adi actually cared about Girish at some level. The main reason he had given such testimony was that he was scared for his family and he had nobody else to go to. SO, when Adithya approached him, he was only too pleased to co-operate as long as Adithya could keep him and his family safe. And Adithya did exactly that by making Adi disappear altogether.


    "Your dad was one smart man, Shreya��" Zack said rubbing on her shoulders. From finding this to hiding the drive in such an inconspicuous place�� Adithya had played them well. If not, Shreya couldn''t have it now. It would have been long taken away by the syndicate never to be seen again.


    "Take me back to the bank statements. I think I saw something there��" Shreya said without really commenting on anything anybody said around her. She did not even listen. Her mind was working�� analyzing and plotting as to how to use it to her best advantage.


    Pritham pulled up the bank statements Shreya had asked for.


    Her eyes ran through them in quick succession.


    The main problem they had when they were trying to track down the syndicate''s finances were that they did not have a starting point.


    Usually, when people have income earned from illegal means, they always tend to keep them under the radar. Off the books. Away from your legal income so as to not have any negative effect.


    But syndicate on the other hand actually did the opposite. After Shreya''s parents'' death and the initial breach, they had actually centralized the finances. That way it was almost impossible to separate one from the other.


    The people she sent in as clients were made to make payments directly into the corporate''s sales account while the people who sent uncover as workers were paid from the corporate''s employee salary account. So, to isolate the illegal part of it was impossible.


    "The opening payment�� it''s a wire transfer. You should be able to trace it. There is your starting point Pritham��" Shreya instructed.


    But now they knew Kathick''s payments should have come from illegal accounts as they were made before centralization and the transaction cannot be traced back to the corporation. So, that gave them a starting point. Even if they can''t find the current accounts, they could still trace back the money they would have made at that time. And the same money should have gone somewhere�� thus like a domino the current account will fall into place.


    She then pulled Pritham out of the chair and started thoroughly looking through all the other photos and doc.u.ments. It took her about half an hour by which the guys went out and freshened up.


    "Are you done yet, Shreya?" Adam asked as soon as he came back into the server room. Pritham was the only one missing since he was taking a quick nap. After all, he did not get much sleep the whole night. Not that anybody else did�� Shreya is probably the one with the least amount of sleep seeing as she was the only one working the whole day yesterday.


    "Done!" Shreya said as her eyes simultaneously ran through the last doc.u.ment.


    Everybody gathered around her just as she started giving away instructions.


    "Okay, guys. I need a background. On each and every person in this drive. From the cops, they had bribed, to the jailors around Karthick. One of them got to be Naren''s guys. Or else they wouldn''t have known that Karthick was talking to my dad. Adam and Akash start making calls."


    She then turned towards Zack and Srinivas and continued, "Zack and Srinivas, reach out to your contacts�� I need the personnel files on Operation Red tape. Do it under the radar. I do not want to spook anyone just yet."


    "And when Pritham wakes up�� ask him to make me an encrypted copy of the drive and to start on tracing the payments�� Also, remind him to encrypt this drive and put it back in the painting. I do not want the fact that we have evidence leaving this room." She then got up from the chair and walked out.


    Just as she reached the exit, she turned back and left one last instruction, "Oh, yes�� I almost forgot. We will debrief in the evening at 6 pm today. Call everyone up. And mail me everything you find�� Now I have a meeting at the Imperial. I should probably be back by lunch��" She then walked out without really looking back.


    "Shreya�� get some sleep��" Zack called from behind but Shreya never heard it as the doors closed behind her. He just let out a sigh and went back to work.

 Chapter 208 - I can drive...

    Just as Shreya walked out of her office, she heard footsteps following her.


    "I can drive myself, Srinivas��" Shreya muttered without turning back. His footsteps were familiar to her by now. She could distinguish them from other very easily.


    Zack''s were always quick and fleeting as if he was barely touching the floor. Srinivas''s, on the other hand, were actually lazy. As if he was talking a leisure stroll in the corridor no matter where he was walking.


    But Srinivas did not stop even after hearing her. He did not even bother to acknowledge that he had heard her. He just pushed the elevator buttons and waited, standing beside her.


    "I can drive��" Shreya said all over again once she entered the elevator.


    Srinivas did not budge but this time around, he actually bothered to answer, "I know, Shreya�� I have seen you drive." He said pressing the elevator to the parking garage.


    "Argh" Shreya let out a frustrated sigh. "I now know why Zeenath was so frustrated��"


    "I am just doing my job Shreya�� a job you assigned." Srinivas said with his lips twitching in its corners, "And I know why Zee and you got along so well!"


    "Well, you might have just convinced me to actually change your assignment��" Shreya said sarcastically.


    "You can do that�� you''re the boss!" Srinivas said with a chuckle.


    "Don''t tempt me," Shreya said walking out the front door of the building where Vicky was waiting for her with a car. Both Shreya and Srinivas got in the back and the car zoomed into the city.


    It took them 15 minutes to reach the Imperial. Vicky parked the car in front of the lobby and Shreya got out.


    "Park the car in the lot and wait�� it might take a while," Srinivas instructed and alight the car following Shreya.


    "Are you planning to annoy me the whole day?" Shreya asked while simultaneously walking towards the elevators. All the employees around greeted Shreya with a nod and a smile which Shreya reciprocated dutifully. But nobody approached her outright though. They just gave way for her as she strode through as if she owned the place, which she did.


    "By ''annoy''- you mean am I going to follow you around the whole day? Then ''yes''�� you are going to be very annoyed." Srinivas said smirking.


    "Argh," Shreya grunted.


    "It''s my job Shreya. Anywhere outside of Sri corp�� I am supposed to follow you to ensure your safety��" Srinivas replied patiently as the elevator ascended up to the floor with the presidential suite.


    "I am amazed by how Zee had not yet bitten your head off!!" Shreya exclaimed half sarcastic and half-amused.


    Srinivas let out a chuckle as he replied, "Oh, she tried. Trust me�� she tried her best." His little wild cat had tried several times only to be defeated each and every time. He could always see through Zeenath''s sly tricks which were her primary strength.


    "Don''t gloat. If I decide to bite your head off, you wouldn''t have the head. Trust me��" Shreya said rolling her eyes at him. Even if she can''t defeat him with her strength, Shreya was confident she could find someone who could. She was a very resourceful person after all.


    "Bring it on��" Srinivas humbly accepted the challenge. After all, he had seen Shreya train�� and she was not an easy opponent.


    "What about the work I had just given?" Shreya asked. She changed the subject knowing that she couldn''t get rid of Srinivas no matter how much she argued and Shreya never wasted energy on useless things anyway.


    "Zack can handle it. After all, he had more connections and a higher ranking than me. Even otherwise�� while you have your meeting, I will make the calls." Srinivas clarified.


    After all, Zack had reached the highest point at the administrative level when he retired and had invariably made connections in high places within the army. While Srinivas, on the other hand, had been a field agent whole of his career. He had seen way too many combats but not too many doc.u.ments.


    "How are you planning to tame her anyways?" Shreya asked after a pause. Shreya was really curious as to how Srinivas was planning on getting to Zeenath. After all, even after knowing Zee for so many years�� even she couldn''t break her shells�� but then Shreya did not really put in too much effort into it. She did not like being nosy�� it takes too much effort.


    "I''m not planning on taming anyone," Srinivas answered shrugging his shoulders.


    "Then you should have the patience of a saint. She is like a tortoise�� smallest sight of a predator- which would be you in this case�� that is just an FYI. Oh! What was I saying�� yes, the smallest sight of you, she is going to go inside her shell and never come back��" Shreya explained while moving her hands around to add a dramatic effect to her story.


    Srinivas chuckled but he cannot deny her. After all, Shreya had nailed it on the head when it came to Zee�� the smallest sign of his, she goes into hiding just like she is doing now.


    "But you forgot something Shreya. I am a patient man." Srinivas said smiling warmly.


    "More like a saint." Shreya''s voice dripped with sarcasm as she rolled her eyes.


    "You can help me poke her shell every now and then��" Srinivas suggested slyly. Even though he did not want to force Zee into doing anything she did not want to�� he still felt Zee was a mountain he was not going to be able to climb in a straight forward way. He needed to be sly with her if he ever wanted to get to her. He was grasping on straws as it was.


    "What am I going to get in return?" Shreya asked arching her brows.


    "What do you need?" Srinivas asked back.


    Shreya thought for a while�� jokingly at first. But then her face became serious as she said, "I want you to go talk to your sister��"


    Srinivas was shocked at first but then paled. But after a while he just nodded.


    They did not talk after that. Shreya strolled in the corridor leading to her room. She needed a shower before she could go to work. She had called in all the department heads for a meeting today.


    But just as she approached her room doors, someone came out from inside. A little girl who looked like a rabbit wearing a maids uniform.


    Shreya was early after all. So, it was not really that much of an odd occurrence. But what was odd was that the little girl stopped Shreya on her track.


    The girl was short and petite. She was pushing the cleaning cart out of the room. She was pretty and looked barely 20 years old. Her innocent pair of eyes stared back at Shreya looking intimidated.


    "Uhm�� Mam, sorry. Maybe the front desk had made a mistake�� But you can''t go in there��" The little girl said guarding the door with her small body. Her palms were sweating with nervousness. She was new to the job here�� and her manager specifically instructed the nobody except the President can go inside this suite and that this whole floor is reserved for her and her family exclusively.


    But then again, she did not know how to be rude to people in general which was the main reason why she was selected instead of the person before her.


    Shreya looked amused at her hesitant but firm self. Just by the sudden sparkle in her eyes, Srinivas could tell she was going to tease the little girl in front of her to no end.


    "And why is that little butterfly��?" Shreya asked giving the little girl a smile that would have looked flirtatious if only Shreya was a man. But then again Shreya does forget that she was young and a woman most of the time anyway.


    The little girl was startled for a second. She was getting ready to be met with angry glares and insults. After all, she was just a maid�� for today at least. And even though the female in front of her was not dressed properly enough, the man behind her was dressed prim and proper which said they were not ordinary people.


    "Sorry�� I did not mean to be rude�� it is just�� this room is exclusively booked for the President. This whole floor is just for him and his family�� I can escort you to your room once you can confirm the room number with the front desk�� They probably messed up with the numbers somewhere." The little girl blabbered away.


    Shreya frowned for a moment before turning to Srinivas and asked pointing at herself with her index finger, "Do I look like a ''he'' to you?"


    "No�� but you behave like one��" Srinivas rebutted smirking leaving Shreya utterly speechless.


    So, she turned away from Srinivas and instead turned to the little girl and asked, "Do I not look like the President??" Shreya had a mischievous smile on her face. She herself did not know but she was enjoying teasing the little girl who looked like an innocent little rabbit.


    The little girl visibly paled�� she just stared back at Shreya and she looked scared out of her wits.

 Chapter 209 - Stop flirting with her, Shreya.

    Anne''s brain felt as if they were electrocuted. She felt as if she was going crazy.


    This was the first time working anywhere for her and she really needed the job quite desperately. Even though she has a degree in English lit, she did not get any job related to her field. At least not one that paid as much as it did at the Imperial.


    Between searching for a job and family, she barely had time to eat�� let alone keep up with current affairs. So, she never saw the headlines a couple of days ago. But she did research on who was her boss�� but all the internet had was that the Imperial was partially owned by Sri Corp and the other majority half was owned an un-named promotor who likes to be anonymous. There was speculation that it might to Akash Srivastav�� the son of Anand Srivastav. She did not know anything more about anything here.


    Because of her fluency with the language, they had promised her shift in reception but that would follow after her two months of training. And in these two weeks, she will be shuffled between every possible job within the Imperial so that she can know the nook and cranny of the operation here.


    But staring back at Shreya, she was doubting whether she will be able to walk out of here in one piece let alone keep her job.


    "You�� You�� You are the President??" Anne asked hesitantly. Everyone here always addressed Shreya only as ''the President'' in order to keep her position here a secret. It was a strict rule within the Imperial. Since Anne wasn''t the one to ask questions, nobody clarified who the President was. And she just naturally assumed that the President of the Imperial will be a man even if it was not Akash Srivastav. And even if it was not, she never would have guessed the President will look like a college girl going through rebellion.


    But because of her good-natured self, she did not even consider that maybe Shreya was actually lying to her and that maybe Shreya was actually pretending to be the President�� but then that can''t really happen since the elevators will need a master key which Anne has now- for employees or a PIN that only Shreya knows, in order to get into this particular floor. Without these two things, the elevator would never stop on this floor. It was designed to ensure the absolute privacy of Shreya.


    "Why? I do not look like one?" Shreya asked back still keeping her relaxed teasing face.


    "No�� no�� no�� I mean�� I did not mean it like that. It''s just�� you and your�� your dress��" Anne started without really knowing how to continue while her eyes subconsciously grazed over Shreya from head to toe scared.


    "What''s wrong with my dress??" Shreya asked shocked looking at herself. She was still in the dress she had worn when she had flown out of the Bahamas. She was in a jean that was ripped and distressed in quite many places, and she wore a grey t-shirt that was way too big and falling out of her shoulders.


    But before Anne could even try to deny and defend herself, Srinivas pitched in to help. "You are dressed more like a bum than a President of a luxury hotel�� You are wearing torn clothes�� literally." as he gave Shreya a once over. He was completely ruthless.


    "Hey!! This is fashion." Shreya protested in her defense while pinching Srinivas on his arms, "and I was not talking to you��"


    If passer-by saw this scene, they will have confusion as to who was the boss here and who was the employee. Shreya and Srinivas could easily pass as siblings than that of an employee and boss. But then Srinivas was not an exception here�� Shreya behaved like that with almost everyone. For a boss who ruled the business world of the whole country, she rarely got offended. And even a more peculiar sight was her being serious with her employees. She really hated treating her employees as someone below her until of course, they do not take advantage of her treatment.


    "I''m sorry, Mr�� No�� no�� I''m sorry, Ms. President�� I am really sorry I did not recognize you. I am really sorry�� I will leave you to your room." Anne pitched in taking advantage of the small gap she got between their banters and gathered her thoughts and apologized. She was just about to bail from the place before Shreya could remember and fire, but to her agony, Shreya was faster than her as she called out.


    "Hey, what''s your name butterfly?" Shreya really liked this little girl in front of her. Her red embarrassed face made Shreya want to pinch the living shit out of her cheeks. But Anne did not see it that way. She thought Shreya wanted to know her name so that she can contact someone about the issue.


    Anne froze on her tracks. She can already see her next few months of attending one interview after the other all over again. She was way too innocent and na?ve for office. So, interviews and job hunting had been particularly hellish. But before she could open her mouth, Srinivas pitched in and said, "Stop flirting with her Shreya. NO wonder she thought you were a guy! Look at her. She had paled all over again."


    "No, no no�� It is not like that. I know she is a woman. It is just�� can you not fire me, please. I really need this job! Today was my fault�� but I promise it won''t happen again�� Please��" Anne begged with her eyes glistening. But no tear tumbled down. She held back her fear with her sheer will power.


    "Woah�� When did I fire you?" Shreya asked bewildered. She just wanted to know her name.


    "You just asked for my name right? Wasn''t that because you wanted to raise a complaint?" Anne asked looking back into her eyes hesitantly.


    "Well, of course not! I am not such a cruel person." Shreya exclaimed defensively. "I just like you�� so I asked for your name! That is all��"


    "Stop flirting with her Shreya��" Srinivas reprimanded all over again. If possible he really wanted to swat on the back of her head but Srinivas refrained himself seeing as they were in public and he still had some sense that Shreya was his boss�� even though he was not sure how long it was going to last if he keeps spending so much time with her like that day in and day out.


    Shreya was just about to argue back when Anne interrupted and introduced herself hesitantly, "I''m�� I''m Anne�� ma''am"


    Shreya was instantly distracted and cringed. She turned to Anne and extended his hands to introduce himself nad greet, "Oh, don''t call me ma''am. It makes me look old. I''m Shreya. I am very pleased to meet you, Anne."


    Anne''s sweaty hands met with Shreya''s and she shook them nervously saying, "Pleased to meet you too, ma''am."


    "Hey, look at that. I found your apprentice." Shreya said looking at Srinivas. After all, it took her better part of the months they knew each other to make him call her by her name. And it paid off only now. That too barely so.


    Anne then scrambled from her place and opened the suite doors and held it open for Shreya.


    Shreya let Srinivas go in first before taking her phone to make a call.


    Anne hesitated for a second before closing the doors and pushed her cart out leaving Shreya in the corridor alone.


    But when she heard Shreya talking to her manager, her foot stopped on track unconsciously as she looked back at Shreya nervously.


    Shreya, of course, noticed it. She closed the mouth of the phone and talked to Anne instead, "Don''t worry. You are not getting fired. You are getting promoted."


    That stopped Anne on her track all over again.


    "Yes, Ed. Anne��" Shreya answered into the phone.


    Anne could not hear what the other party said but after a second, Shreya looked at Anne and asked, "Your full name is Anne D''cruz?"


    Anne did not know why she was asking but her head unconsciously nodded.


    "Yes, Ed. That''s the one. Transfer her personnel files to my office and mail me a copy now. Find someone else in her place for the Imperial." Shreya said and cut the call.


    She then turned to Anne and asked, "You want to work for me?"


    Anne''s brows frowned as she answered, "I am working for you��"


    "I mean at Sri corp.?" Shreya clarified.


    Anne blanked for a second before process the information and answering Shreya, "I would love to but I don''t think I have the necessary qualification, ma''am"


    She did not want to miss the opportunity but then she really could not afford it either.


    "You know how to read and write?" Shreya asked.


    "Yes, ma''am" Anne answered diligently.


    "Well, I will take care of the rest. Here is the address. You can take the rest of the day off from here. And report to this address sharp at 9 a.m. tomorrow��" Shreya said.


    Anne absentmindedly wondered, "What will I be doing exactly?"


    "You will be my personal assistant��" Shreya said and entered her room leaving behind a shell shocked Anne behind.


    This was Shreya after all. Impulsive and quirky.

 Chapter 210 - This proof was two-fold.

    "As far as I can tell�� there was never any mission by the name of Operation Redtape. Nothing that actually involved combat at least. If there ever was such a mission, it had to have come from the highest ranks and kept completely off records. But 4 people were dishonorably discharged from the army because of it including Karthick. The list is here��" Zack said handing over a bunch of papers having the information on those 4 people. The information was brief but it still covered all the basics like schooling, family, and work history.


    One of the evidence in the drive also contained what Karthick had sent to Adithya as proof.


    This proof was two-fold.


    The first part was, of course, the money trail. The money he got for confessing and accept the conviction. It is not that much of a stretch to guess that Karthick was coerced. After all, he was in the police custody while his wife was left out in the open�� vulnerable.


    And the second and most important part is�� Karthick had an unredacted report statement of his mission as an undercover agent inside the syndicate. And his mission statement was personally signed by Girish.


    This was what sold the idea to Adithya that he was being framed in the first place. After all, he knew Girish''s signature.


    "If there was no mission, then why was Karthick discharged in the first place��?" Shreya asked confused.


    "If I were to guess, Operation Redtape is most probably the mission Girish created to bring down the syndicate. And all these 4 people went undercover�� and all of them are dead now. I have attached the death certificates along with it. But since they were all discharged by the army and Girish never gotten around to re-instating them, they all had civilian burials. And except for Karthick, all the other 3 people had accidental deaths, and no autopsy was conducted. But what really stood out was that all three accidents happened within 2 weeks of Karthick''s death." Zack substantiated.


    Shreya flipped through the information�� as far as she can tell, all four people had clean records until they were discharged after Operation Redtape.


    "Karthick probably came to the sight of Prime Minister that day to protect him after hearing something about their plan and Naren should have known about him being undercover and Prime Minister�� and sent someone to kill the Prime Minister and framed it on Karthick. Killing two birds in one stone��" Zack continued.


    Shreya skimmed up to the last and closed it before turning around to Adam and Akash.


    "What do you guys find?" She asked looking at Adam.


    Adam handed over a bunch of files and started talking, "Well, Adithya found out that the gun found with Karthick was later exchanged with another. There was a discrepancy between the initial written report taken at the scene and the report which was finally submitted to the court. This guy is probably responsible for it��"


    This went on for another 30 minutes before everyone stopped and Shreya started thinking.


    "So, the syndicate tied up loose ends after killing my parents?" Shreya muttered out loud.


    "As far as we can see, the only person ever survived is the witness�� and that too thanks to your dad. Karthick was stabbed in his own cell and nobody noticed anything�� I couldn''t figure out how this could happen. And he was trained��" Akash said.


    "That leaves us with money trail�� Where are you with that Pritham?" Shreya asked.


    "Working on it Shreya. I know where they kept their money before�� God, they made a lot of money. I am just not sure where they are keeping it now��" Pritham said handing her the statements for the year when her parents were killed.


    "Forget about tracing it to the current accounts. Abimanyu is not stupid�� he would have first transferred the old accounts to his legitimate company before taking them out. We can''t possibly figure it out without inside help. For now, I want you to track down the clients and make a list. Track who and all made payments to that particular account. Also, track down the other accounts in other banks with the same aliases. Make a list of clients and the date in which the payments are made." Shreya interrupted him.


    "For what purpose Shreya?" Adam asked not understanding why she wanted a list of bad guys a decade ago.


    "We can match those to the crimes committed by the syndicate. After all, every client on that list got to be a prominent figure if they can pay the money demanded by the syndicate and any mishap happened to such families are always reported in the newspaper. If we can backtrack the money to the source�� then we will have leverage�� And leverage on such families is an asset." Shreya said.


    "But all the actual evidence would be dead or destroyed by now�� at best, we can speculate because of the money. What if they come up with a legitimate reason for the money transfer�� we will have nothing on them��" Akash speculated in doubt.


    "Yes??? you are right�� we can''t do much to corner them individually. But collectively�� we can rule them. They can''t all have an excuse�� even if they do, it will be just too much of a coincidence that it will be hard to make the public believe." Shreya explained with a sly smile.


    Everyone''s eyes brightened instantly. Pritham couldn''t contain his excitement. He couldn''t wait to start working on the list. His eyes were practically worshiping Shreya.


    Shreya went on with the other things�� she spread out everything else she had in the table in the conference room and started walking in circles as she always does.


    "This evidence we have on Girish''s murder case is too old Shreya. And everything is circ.u.mstantial. We can''t really do much with it. Even if we make it public, with their powers and connections, we will be the ones to be sued for slander." Zeenath pitched in. She was out and getting drunk last night. So, she couldn''t show up last night when she got the call from Adam�� she did not even pick it. She heard the voice mail only in the morning and came straight here.


    Shreya did not bother replying though. Because she had considered it already.


    Finding this evidence was never about taking them down�� never has been. This evidence is just leverage�� something that could help them get into the doors.


    But she wanted to know whether this will be enough. She did not want to carelessly leave any loopholes they could climb out of.


    She did not want to miss something that was so very obvious in the first place as she did with the painting.


    Another half-hour passed in silence�� Everyone in the room stayed silent. From yesterday�� the only person added was Zeenath. She did not invite Anand, John, and Harshad for this�� at least not yet.


    After a while, Shreya sat back on her chairs and started giving away orders, "Here is what I want from you guys��"


    "Zack. Srinivas�� run deep background on the other guys in Operation Redtape. I need confirmation that they are all dead. And, if I am not mistaken�� one of them had actually turned a double agent. Find the person and motive. Without that tip-off, there was no way the syndicate could have found out about the operation in the first place. Girish is not stupid enough to talk about this to anyone."


    "He could not have trusted anyone in the government. Karthick should have figured the same�� That''s why he had reached out to my father instead of government officials. I need their personnel files�� unredacted."


    After all, if Karthick had shown his mission reports before that, it would have disappeared from the face of the earth a long time ago.


    Karthick did not have any family outside of his wife. So, he had originally accepted to his fate fearing what would happen to his wife�� but once she had died�� there was nothing chaining him down anymore.


    Even when he knew that he did not have the power to take them down, he still fought back with all his might. And he had been smart enough to reach out to Adithya... a complete stranger to him.


    Adithya was someone clean and outside the government who would not gain any benefit from covering it up. But more than anything�� Adithya was someone who had truly cared about Girish and his family�� their relationship was not based on interests.


    Sending the evidence over to Adithya was his last stand as a man and a soldier. The minute he had sent it out, he would have known he wouldn''t be alive much longer. But then, by that time�� he did not have any reason to keep himself alive. They never had kids�� so, all that waited for him on the outside was an endless amount of despair and loneliness.

 Chapter 211 - No way...

    "Akash, Adam�� Check if any of their family members had been receiving money from somewhere�� It must be for the money. And I want each and every sentence is this drive vetted. I want you guys to re-check everything my dad found. I want to make sure they are true." Shreya continued.


    "Why, Shreya?" Zack asked. After all, Adithya was not a sloppy person. He wouldn''t have put anything here that he had not confirmed several times with absolute certainty.


    "Just making sure that I am not missing anything��" Shreya shrugged away the question. But the main reason was to check whether there were any hidden clues in there.


    But more than that�� her father had been absolutely paranoid back then�� So, he must have had a hidden key in this. Or at the very least, Adithya should have flooded the drive with both good and bad intel to mask it. That was something she would have done. But not finding anything like that is bothering her.


    The only possible explanation for that was that he must not have had time to do it�� if that was the case, then this pen drive was something he hid just before he went to rescue her mother.


    She then turned to Pritham and reminded him of his task once again, "You need to follow the money. Ask help from our banks if you need help. I will make the arrangements."


    After all, with access to the bank''s servers, his job would be made easier.


    After taking over Sri corp., Shreya had made it a point to venture into every possible field there was�� including banking. But she did not bother opening a new bank but instead took over existing banks. She took over one that was spread throughout the country and then bought smaller banks and consolidated. So, she controls about one-quarter of the banking system in the country which for all practical purposes means that she had absolute control over the fate of the country''s economy.


    Shreya deligated some more things before winding up the meeting.


    "Hey, Naren''s birthday banquet is next week. You want to attend?" Zeenath asked suddenly changing the topic.


    Shreya blinked for a second and thought about it. She also remembered what Zee told about helping Dharsh and recruiting him. Even though she hated this kind of event, she still decided to go.


    She wanted to turn Dharsh into her side�� it will make things very convenient for her. But more than that�� she felt she had reached the point where she wanted to confront her enemies face to face. Especially Naren�� because she knew he was the one who should have planned for the whole thing that finally led to her parents passing.


    As regretful as it was, Shreya actually knew how devious his mind is�� so she knew as surely as she knew her hand that Naren had planned her parents'' murder and she wanted to look him in the eye and see how he would face her�� especially now when they know that Shreya was the one behind everything and that she already knew what they had done to her parents. They might not know it surely?? but they would be suspecting at least. Even if they think that she has no power to take them down, they should still know that she knows about their deeds.


    "I will go. Srinivas will go with me��" Shreya agreed simply.


    "NO way��"


    "NO way��"


    Both Akash and Adam protested in a chorus.


    Shreya''s eyes brows raised as she looked at them and asked, "Why?"


    "It''s too dangerous. We don''t even know what they know! Isn''t it like going into the lion''s den and poking at its nose?" Akash voiced his concerns.


    "Like I said�� I will be taking Srinivas with me. With him, nobody will be able to hurt me, right?" She asked looking at Srinivas.


    "Absolutely��" Srinivas confirmed.


    "And, I am going to go through the front doors�� not sneaking around. So, don''t worry. They won''t be able to do anything. I am just going there to pretend to be ''paper tiger'' so that they will leave me alone till I am ready for them." Shreya said shrugging her shoulders.


    When she is done with them, they will not even know what hit them�� that''s for sure.


    "You will have to dress up for it though!" Zeenath said with a smirk.


    "Don''t�� don''t remind me. If not for the benefits of your idea�� I wouldn''t even bother�� now all of you can get back to work�� Only Pritham needs to stay behind." Shreya said dismissing the meeting.


    Everyone dispersed after giving Shreya a hug and a kiss while Srinivas waited at the door very diligently.


    Zeenath gave him a look as she walked out. She was the last one to walk out.


    "What are you still doing here?" Zee asked.


    "Oh, we are still talking then? Weren''t you trying to stay far away from me and even asked Shreya to transfer me because you did not like seeing me?" Srinivas teased instead of answering her question.


    Zee puffed her cheeks frustrated. Already, she was on edge.


    She did not know how addictive his presence had been in her life. He had been her detail for only a few months�� but somehow he was able to seep himself into her life to the point where it has almost become integral for her functioning.


    She hadn''t seen him for only one full day and she had already almost called him at least 10 times�� when she can''t find her keys or when she wanted someone to give her a ride home at night or when she wanted to get rid of a guy in the club- the first person she looked for was Srinivas.


    She stomped away without another word. Srinivas''s lips twitched but he did not stop her�� he did not even call out for her.


    Zeenath stomped up to the elevator but then came back frustrated. She did not like running away. And even when she herself knew she was doing exactly that�� she had too much pride to admit it to Srinivas.


    "You�� Don''t gloat. Wipe that smile off of your lips before I disfigure them for you!" She seethed angrily. Her frustration and restlessness throughout the day came back to her at that time with a vengeance and she shoved all that into Srinivas at that moment. Anyways, he was the root cause of her pain.


    But her warning did not wane Srinivas amus.e.m.e.nt one bit. But he did ask, "Why did you come back? Need something? You have something to say?"


    "You did not answer my question!" Zee asked looking at Srinivas defiantly.


    Srinivas chuckled but then answered her question patiently, "I am waiting for Shreya. I have strict orders to take her to her apartment once she is done with her work here��"


    Zeenath vaguely nodded and went away while her emotions took a turn from gloomy to worse.


    She did not like herself at that moment. More than that, she did not like that way she was feeling at that moment.


    This same situation�� she had seen it and lived it countless times in the past months. Srinivas waiting for her patiently at the doors. No matter how long it took, he would just stay out and wait so very patiently.


    It used to frustrate her to no end. She even found the sight of his distasteful at times.


    If he had complained or even gotten angry at her at least once�� she would not have been so frustrated with the situation. But that never happened. He never once complained which drove her crazy. She felt like she owed him something�� she did not like owing anybody anything in her life�� so she did not like that feeling very much.


    But seeing him do the same for someone else�� something churned in her stomach uncomfortably.


    But she still pretended to be fine and went inside that elevator.


    Just as her elevator doors were going to close, she stole a glance at Srinivas. But he was already looking at her and their eyes met�� his eyes made her so much more uncomfortable.


    It seemed as if he could see right through her emotions. As if with just looking at her eyes, he was able to read her mind or something.


    She quickly averted her eyes away and pushed the buttons to the ground floor impatiently closing the doors to the elevator.


    Srinivas just smiled slightly but did not comment.


    He might look quiet and lazy but he was as sly as it can get. And he knows it. He is not innocent. But he enjoyed teasing her��


    Zeenath was as closed off as it can get. She rarely showed any real emotions on the surface. The only time her true self ever peaks out is when she would get angry�� just like now. Even though he knew it was petty, he still prefers her like this than her cold closed-off self.

 Chapter 212 - To chat...

    Back in the conference room, Shreya went over the bank data for one last time before turning towards Pritham.


    "Where is the copy I asked you to make?" Shreya asked extending her palms out.


    Pritham handed over a pen drive that was similar to the one her father had hidden behind the painting.


    "But Shreya, be careful with that. Even though I had encrypted it�� with the right person and right equipment, it will be a piece of cake to get into them and even though this will get out eventually�� getting it out now will be very disadvantageous for us��" Pritham warned before placing the drive on her palms.


    Shreya nodded and said, "Relax, Pritham. I know what I am doing. I have already thought of a way to use it to our advantage. I am not going to go around - flaunting it carelessly."


    "You need anything else?" Pritham asked seeing as Shreya did not ask him to leave just yet.


    "Yes�� You know that time you told me Malini reached out to you�� After you hacked into Abimanyu''s company?" Shreya asked.


    "Yes��" Pritham answered with a confused frown not understanding where Shreya was going with this.


    "I need that mail id��" Shreya said bluntly.


    "Why?" Pritham asked while his hands had already reached for his phones to retrieve it. "It is Malini''s��"


    "I know�� That is why I need it. I need to meet with her as soon as possible��" Shreya replied. She typed down the mail at the same time.


    "Why?" Pritham asked startled, "Do you have a death wish or something? First, you want to meet with Naren and now you want to meet with Malini. Did you forget who her father is?"


    "I know who her father is Pritham�� but more than that I know who she is too�� so you don''t have to worry. Now go on. That is all I need from you��" Shreya dismissed.


    Shreya did not mean to actually hide her plan from anyone. But there were risks in this plan�� risks she was not sure others would agree with. And even if they do end up agreeing, she was not she would be able to actually succeed in it. And until she did succeed, she did not see the point in getting everyone riled up over it and stressing them out.


    Just as Pritham left, her system dinged.


    It was a reply from Malini. She had started a chat instead of mail.


    Malini: Hey, Shreya. What''s up?


    Shreya: I need to meet you. Face to face�� As soon as possible.


    Malini: When and where?


    Shreya: You are free now? I can be at the caf�� near our university in half an hour!


    Malini: See you then.


    Shreya got up from her place with the pen drive securely stuffed into her jean pockets. She was not that surprised that Malini had agreed so readily�� Shreya had already expected as much.


    Both of them knew each other enough to know that Shreya wouldn''t have asked her out if it was not of absolute importance.


    "Come on. Let''s go�� I have a meeting��" Shreya called out to Srinivas as soon as she walked past the doors of her office. And even this did not surprise Shreya�� Srinivas waiting-up on her. And she had a feeling she had to get used to it by force or voluntarily�� and she would rather voluntarily get used to it.


    Srinivas quietly followed taking out the car keys.


    "You talked to Zee?" Shreya asked pushing the button to the car park.


    "Yup�� managed to piss her off without saying anything actually," Srinivas replied twitching his lips slightly.


    "Your talented I see�� So, your plan to make her come to you�� is it working?" Shreya asked curiously.


    "So far. I didn''t pull her to talk��" Srinivas answered. But you can see the slight gloating in his tone.


    "Best of luck��" Shreya said smiling. She really wished things could work between the two. Zeenath had no other family other than her�� so, when it came to Zeenath, Shreya really wished she could find someone special to accompany her for life. And Srinivas was perfect.


    They both got into the car and Srinivas switched on the engine.


    "Where to?" He asked driving out of the Imperial.


    "There is a caf���� two blocks from my university. I am meeting someone there in half-hour." Shreya replied and closed her eyes to give them some rest. She did not have much of it in the past two days straight. And her head was starting to ache.


    "Who are you meeting?" Srinivas asked next. Normally, he wouldn''t have asked. But after the past two weeks, he had a better understanding of Shreya, and also since, her safety is his responsibility, he felt he needed to know.


    "Malini�� Abimanyu''s daughter." Shreya replied without dodging the question. She was not really trying to hide it in the first place.


    "For what?" Srinivas asked surprised. At lunch, Zack had given him a crash course on what was going on with her parents'' investigation. So, he knew who Abimanyu was and what he had done to Shreya. So he was confused why Shreya was meeting up with his daughter�� that too right after getting a breakthrough in putting Malini''s father behind bars.


    "To chat��"


    Srinivas thought for a moment before something struck him. He suddenly remembered Shreya asking Pritham to make a copy of the evidence they had. Shreya wouldn''t need them for her personal use since she can access them at her office whenever she needed to look them over. But Srinivas doubted she would be needing even that�� as far as he saw Shreya, she seemed to have extraordinary memory whenever it suited her. So, he was pretty sure she probably had everything in there memorized by now. So that meant that the copy was for someone else''s eyes and she was going to see Malini in such a hurry�� So he asked out of the hunch, "You are going to give the copy of the evidence to her, aren''t you?"


    "Not bad. You guessed it right at the first go�� Yes, I asked Pritham to make a copy because I wanted to give it to Malini." Shreya praised generously agreed to his assertion without batting an eye.


    Even though he had a hunch, he did not expect himself to be right. So, Srinivas was actually taken aback for a moment there.


    "Why? For what purpose?" Srinivas asked. Despite himself, his voice was actually slightly raised out of concern. It was not that he was doubting Shreya''s ability or judgment but given the circ.u.mstances, it was really hard not to doubt.


    "I know Malini. We studied together for 5 years. She is not her father Srinivas. They are not the same people just because they are related. They are two different people��" Shreya explained without really giving him a direct answer. It was not because she did not want to share. It was just that Shreya did not know how much of her plan will work out.


    Even though it was a calculated decision she had made after analyzing all the facts�� there were still some uncertainties and risks involved. And Shreya did not like to speculate things until they actually work out.


    And on top of it, she did know how to explain her relationship with Malini.


    "As long as you know what you are doing��" Srinivas at last relented. This was the Shreya he had always know. Decisive and confident to a fault.


    He had always admired this side of hers. Even though she was so young, the maturity she had was mind-blowing on so many levels. And he had absolute faith in her strategy and decisions. He had seen them work on more than one occasion to the point where it almost seems like a miracle.


    "I do know what I am doing Srinivas�� At least I hope so." Shreya replied.


    Neither of them spoke after that. The traffic was hell this time of the day. Normally, they could have reached the caf�� in 10 minutes from Sri corp. But because of traffic, it took them almost triple that time. The car came to a smooth stop in front of the caf��.


    Srinivas got down from his seat and opened the doors for Shreya while his eyes roamed around cautiously as always.


    "You wait here�� I will go by myself. Make sure she is not followed by anyone when she enters the caf��." Shreya said and got out of the car.


    Srinivas nodded and waited. A few minutes later, a Bently pulled over, and a young woman alights the car and followed Shreya into the caf��.


    Srinivas''s eyes stayed on the road behind him. He made a round around the road before coming to a stop at the caf�� all over again. Since he was not rest-assured, he actually went and sat at the table right the entrance of the caf�� from where he could see every nook and cranny of the caf��.

 Chapter 213 - Why should I believe you?

    The caf�� was bustling with people all around as it always has been. It was flooded with college students�� some bunking classes and hanging out leisurely while some others came with their pairs to get some alone time. They were cozied up in one or another corner whispering sweet nothings into each other''s ears.


    This caf�� brought back a lot of memories for Shreya. This is where she had spent her better parts of her university days. She rarely had the patience to actually sit in a classroom in one place quietly and listen to lectures. And because of her status, nobody really questioned her. But even otherwise, the professors preferred it that she did not sit for their classes. Because whenever she did, Shreya would end up asking all sorts of difficult questions that drove them crazy.


    So, she would usually sit in this caf�� to pass time. And since she was a topper in her batch, nobody ever raised any complaints.


    Shreya went ahead and sat on one of the secluded tables in the corner of the caf��. She ordered herself a cup of coffee and sipped on it leisurely. This place felt so familiar in someways and so alien in others. They had actually redecorated the interiors. When she used to come here, there were lesser people compared to now and the place only had old furniture back then. An old man used to own this place. And he would hold a place especially for her each and every day. But looking at it now, she could already guess that the old man must have sold his shop out.


    Now, it had waiters and counter personnel. It lost its cozy elegance and was now a commercial institution that was all. She cannot really say that she like this place anymore.


    She leaned back on the chair and crossed her legs as her eyes wandered around the caf�� astutely. She was checking out whether the caf�� was rigged. But as far as she knew Malini, she was too lazy for stuff like that�� just like she herself.


    Malini walked into the caf�� and her eyes wandered around in search of Shreya.


    Shreya saw her figure the instant Malini walked through the entrance. But Shreya did not bother beckoning her. Shreya just let her search and find her which did not take long.


    Malini was what you would call elegant and famine. Whenever she went out, not a single hair will be out of place, unlike Shreya who couldn''t be bothered to even brush her hair.


    She was wearing a knee-length skirt and a beige blouse that complemented her features perfectly. She was what you would expect from an heiress of a conglomerate. someone who is raised to look proper and carry the weight of the status she was born into. It was almost impossible to find faults in her.


    Malini''s long hair fluttered in the wind as she sat in front of Shreya and took off her shades. She kept her hand back on the chair beside her and leaned back on her chair crossing her legs.


    Shreya nodded her head at Malini acknowledging her for which Malini reciprocated.


    Both of them stared at each other after that without blinking for a few minutes. Both of them did not talk for what seemed like a long time.


    They assessed each other.


    Malini called over the waiter and ordered herself a cup of coffee after which she went back to the staring match with Shreya.


    Their posture was almost identical�� at least physiologically speaking. But they looked so different from each other�� the aura surrounding each other was different. Both had an arrogance about their stare but still so different. Shreya had laziness to her arrogance while Malini had pride in hers.


    Malini''s coffee was served. She sipped on it looking prim and proper as always. Her every move was elegant to point of mesmerizing.


    "You want to tell me why you called me here?" Malini asked seeing as Shreya was not going to start. Her voice was soft and melodic and it made you want to drown in them.


    "Do you know about the syndicate?" Shreya asked out of the blue. She first wants to make sure Malini was not a part of it. Even though she was pretty confident in her assessment of Malini and Abimanyu�� she still wanted to confirm.


    And only if she asked direct questions like this will she be able to assess whether or not Malini was lying. Shreya needed to catch her off guard in order to provoke an honest reaction from Malini.


    Malini blinked not understanding. And Shreya had expected as much.


    Her eyes were filled with confusion. There was no recognition in them when she mentioned the syndicate. Malini looked at Shreya was if she was talking French or something.


    After confirming her doubts, Shreya started filling Malini in on whatever she knew so far. Only when Shreya can honestly say everything will Malini be able to trust her.


    "It''s an illegal crime syndicate run by your dad and his army buddies�� For the right price, they will do just about anything�� And they are responsible for the death of the late Prime Minister Girish and my parents. At least." Shreya said everything in one breath without even taking a pause. She then took out the pen drive and slide it across the table and continued, "You will find the evidence there�� they are circ.u.mstantial but then with your expertise�� if you dig, you will be able to confirm it."


    Naren''s dad, Abimanyu, and Abishek used to serve in the army for a period of time and they were thick as thieves in there. Shreya guessed that was where they had learned the necessary craft and connections to start something like syndicate.


    Malini was dumbstruck for a long time. It took her time to process everything Shreya had just said and Shreya wasn''t the one to ease into a subject after all. But once she actually understood what Shreya was claiming, she looked up at her and asked, "Why should I believe you?"


    Which was a valid point given the circ.u.mstances�� After all, Girish''s killer was convicted while her parents'' was an accident. And both were public knowledge while the accused was also her own father.


    Especially, the Prime minister''s murder case?? it was so high profile when it happened that the court sessions were actually broadcasted and the witness had publicly confessed to what he saw.


    But then Adi Trivedi had confessed to Adithya about what he saw�� which was nothing. Adi Trivedi never saw anything�� he did not lie about what he saw but he was made to lie that he actually saw something when in reality he never saw anything. He was one of the first persons to leave the podium where Girish was shot and he was actually recorded by one of the news crews while he was leaving. Nobody bothered to check that was all since he was at the far end of the screen.


    With this one finding, Adithya would have been able to throw the whole case off�� after all, all the physical evidence was very circ.u.mstantial. The conviction greatly hinged on Adi Trivedi''s testimony.


    "You don''t have to believe me. You can do your own research. I am just giving you a starting point�� with your skills, it should be a piece of cake." Shreya replied pushing the pen drive towards Malini.


    Malini looked at it suspiciously for a minute before taking it. She did not say a word more.


    "You know me�� I am too lazy to lie. And I do not speculate�� But I would advise you not to speak about our meeting today with your father�� Because unlike your belief he is not by the books." Shreya warned.


    After all, they both knew each other pretty well. Shreya knew how much of a goody-two-shoes Malini was. She was ruthless and smart as hell�� but she also has a very high moral compass. That was the main reason why Shreya had confidently handed her over the evidence. If she was even 1% not sure, she wouldn''t have brought it here.


    In all the years they have studied together, both had a pretty good understanding of each other.


    Business studies came naturally for Shreya�� she would understand just about everything related to finance with just one glance while Meera would struggle through it.


    But Meera was very proficient in computers. She was a genius. But because of her father, she actually took business studies as her major. And Shreya wanted to learn computers��


    Which invariably lead to both of them having almost all the same subjects. They would be neck to neck each and every semester. But Malini never cheated�� Shreya was too lazy to cheat�� she rarely took her marks into account. But Malini was different�� she had this drive to beat Shreya but never could. In spite of her desperation, she never cheated. With her skill, getting the question papers or sneaking in the answers would not have taken much of an effort. But she still never did.

 Chapter 214 - She had been too lazy to care about her childishness.

    Even during university days, Shreya and Malini were never enemies. They were not friends�� but they were never rivals either. They just for some odd reason stayed out of each other''s way. They were just two people who did not bother putting effort into knowing each other closely.


    Shreya personally respected Malini for her skills and perseverance. Malini was someone who was disciplined and focused. She worked hard to get anything. For a loafer like Shreya who got everything easily�� who could learn anything with just a glance and who did not bother learning things that are hard to learn�� Malini''s characteristics were admirable.


    Her own parents never really been strict or demanding of her�� so she pretty much did everything and anything she pleased. She was just lucky that her IQ was high�� or else she was sure she would have ended up being good for nothing by the time she reached the off age. She would have ended up being a spoilt little brat who was born with a silver spoon.


    Between the two of them, if only Shreya''s parents were still around and if only Malini had not been Abhimanyu''s daughter- their achievements would have been reversed. Malini would have achieved things Shreya could only imagine about. But having Abimanyu control every move of hers�� questioning and having to justify each and every decision she makes for the company had curbed her talent by half. And losing her parents had given Shreya the drive she never had before�� the drive to be better. The drive to be stronger�� the best so that she can protect everyone around her. Something she never knew she had until she actually lost the two people who had protected her all their lives.


    Malini looked at the pen drive suspiciously all over again.


    "Why are you telling me this now and why are you giving me the evidence?" This question is bugging her.


    If what Shreya said was true, then shouldn''t Malini be the last person she approaches. So, of all the people, why would she give it to her if she did not want something from her in return.


    "I am telling you everything because I need your help!" Shreya said straight away once again not beating around the bush.


    "You mean�� you need my help bringing my dad down," Malini asked her face going cold.


    "Yes��" Shreya said simply.


    "And why would I help you with something like that?" Malini asked back.


    "Because you know I am right�� and I am trying to do this the right way. I am looking for justice and not revenge. And you wouldn''t want me looking for revenge. Trust me. It wouldn''t end well for you or your family," Shreya said nonchalantly as if she was talking about the weather. But her arrogance came from power and not ego. So, oddly enough it actually looked attractive and not repulsive.


    Malini''s brows frowned all over again as she said smirking, "You sure have a nice way of asking help��"


    "Don''t get me wrong Malini�� but that wasn''t a threat or a warning. It is a promise. You should choose wisely�� which is going to be better for your family and which side you are in. Once you find the extent of damage your father had done, I don''t think you will have any doubt about helping me. So, go do your homework�� And mail me once you are done. I will be waiting for your reply. You have a week," Shreya said and got up from the place.


    After all, she had already said everything she came here to tell and she had already given Malini what she came here to give.


    But before walking away, she looked at Malini one last time and warned her, "Don''t do something stupid like showing this to your dad. I know you are loyal to your family and all�� but your dad is going to end up doing something stupid and don''t come to me and complain if I end up retaliating. It wouldn''t take me long to do the same thing your dad had did to my parents. And you know me enough to know that I would do exactly as I say I would. And that I would never give empty threats." Shreya then walked out of the caf�� without turning back.


    Malini looked at Shreya''s back with a complicated look. She had kept her mind and emotions in check so far but her restraint was wearing thin. If not for her extraordinary self-control she had practiced from when she was young, she was not sure she could have actually sat through the conversation so calmly for so long. She was not used to showing her emotions to anyone and it came in handy in front of Shreya. Except for the initial shock, no other emotions seeped through her face till now.


    Once Shreya was out of sight, she sat back on her chairs and contemplated the whole situation seriously.


    Shreya had never had any hostility against her, ever. Even when she herself had shown dissatisfaction towards Shreya because of her achievement. She had been jealous and envious and na?ve back then. But Shreya never even bothered about it. She had been too lazy to care about her childishness.


    And Malini also knew Shreya wouldn''t have made such an accusation lightly. And that if she said she could do something, then she could. There was no doubt in that.


    So, she was more inclined to believe in her words. But it was not just because of Shreya.


    Malini had been working in the company for a long time now and if she hadn''t found any discrepancies by now, she wouldn''t be much of a genius now would she?


    And she knew her father��


    Now that she thought about it, she had noticed that they would have a sudden spike in cash flow in the company without any reason and her dad will just brush it off by saying he had borrowed from a friend or something but then would never end up paying it back.


    If it had been one or two times, she wouldn''t have noticed it. But over the years, this had happened so many times and it had become a habit�� something she does not even enquire about. But what Shreya just said�� it would explain everything.


    And she always had the feeling that her father was hiding something. He had always been just way too cautious around her and her mom. She even thought once that maybe he had a family outside. But she could never find it. And she never had the courage to actually confront him.


    But now, after Shreya�� it was like all the pieces of the puzzle had fallen into place on itself.


    But it was also worse than she had ever imagined�� Only after doing her research will she know how worse it actually was�� it had been so much worse than she could have ever imagined. She was not able to believe that the person who did all that could be her father.


    But, as Shreya had predicted�� if her father had really done what Shreya had claimed�� Malini would actually support Shreya�� it did not really matter if it was because Shreya would do much worse or because she could not stand the thought of her father being a bad person.


    But no matter how much it pained her�� she would not do anything against her consciousness. If her father had been responsible for the death of 3 people, then as far as she was concerned�� he must pay the price that comes with it.


    Malini could also see that Shreya was being dead serious when she said it wouldn''t be good for her own family if Shreya ended up having her revenge. She did not know if Shreya would actually go through with it�� but Malini could never take that chance. Not with Shreya. She would never let her family pay the price of her father''s mistakes.


    Malini stayed there for a long time composing herself and trying to put the pieces together. Once she was sure that she got her bearing back, she got out of the caf�� and walked out.


    She got into her Bently and drove off in a whiff.


    Even though she was inclined to actually believe Shreya, she did need more information. And that information would not present itself just like that with her staying there in that caf��. She first called the office to tell them that she wouldn''t be coming back after that. And she also confirmed that Abimanyu was in the office.


    Malini drove straight home after that. Her mother was out at some party. So the house was empty. She went straight to her father''s study and opened his laptop. From young till now, she was never allowed to enter this room�� she had never questioned it before. But she did now. If Abimanyu had anything to hide, it should be in here.

 Chapter 215 - You work for me, Srinivas.

    When Shreya walked out of the caf��, she found Srinivas waiting at the door sipping a coffee of his own leaning against the wall. She knew he had been in the caf�� keeping an eye on things.


    Shreya came and stood beside him leaning on the walls just like he was. She could feel her mind going numb. It was almost like her brain was lulling to sleep or something. She could not even remember what she was planning on doing next.


    Srinivas asked, "Are you done..?" once he was done with his coffee.


    Shreya just nodded her head without opening her mouth absentmindedly.


    Srinivas kept his palm on top of her head tousled her head and asked softly, "Are you okay?" She did not seem her normal self. And he was not talking about the dark circles either. After all, Shreya had those more often than not. But there was something else different about her now.


    She looked out of focus somehow. As if she was here but not exactly here.


    "I am fine�� I need to get back to the company��" Shreya said to Srinivas as she looked around for the car.


    Srinivas did not answer her immediately. He instead kept a hand on her back and guided her to the car first. He felt as if she was going to stumble and fall face-first onto the street if he did not hold her.


    "Nope�� not happening. I have strict orders from Anand to take you to your apartment. He asked me to carry you on the shoulders and deposit you there if that is what it takes��" Srinivas said opening the doors for Shreya when they finally reached the car.


    Shreya''s muddled self took a minute to comprehend that he was actually replying for the thing she had said a while back. But when she did comprehend, she gave him a glare and said angrily, "You work for me, Srinivas��"


    Even though she was being serious and angry, it did not really bother Srinivas. At least not with those unfocused eyes she had right now.


    "I know. But you need the rest Shreya. You look like you are going to pass out. I am not looking forward to taking you to the hospital later. I would rather take you home now.You have done your part�� You gave everyone clear instructions as to what they were supposed to do. And as far as the company is concerned, Anand can handle it. You do not have to babysit. Just let them do their jobs��" Srinivas said calmly ignoring her glares. Normally, he wouldn''t disregard her wishes this brazenly but she really looked beat. And he cared about her now�� more than his job. So, it did not matter what his job is��


    Shreya puffed and stomped like a kid while getting in the car but did not do anything more. If it was someone else she could have beaten them�� Nakul or Ayush would have been a piece of cake for her. But Srinivas was not�� Shreya was good but she was not that good. She would never be able to beat Srinivas in a fight. Especially not with the way she was feeling right now.


    Srinivas''s combat ability was brilliant. That was the whole reason why she kept him around her. It was either him or Zack and Zack had to manage the security of the building and everyone else in her family. Zack is responsible for delegation. If she was to ask him to follow her in addition to managing everything�� he wouldn''t be able to get much sleep anytime soon.


    Amongst everyone around, she knew she was the one in the most danger. Not acknowledging that would be foolish and she was no fool. And she needed to walk out of this one alive�� she was not planning on dying in their hands. So, she would take the necessary precautions and she wouldn''t take it lightly either.


    Normally, she was pretty good at protecting herself. She was a big girl and can take care of herself. But things were not normal and she needs a hand in keeping her safe. She knew she was not a superwoman. Acknowledging that she needed help was the first step and she had crossed it.


    She realized that when she was in that warehouse with Charan bound in front of her. If only she had asked for help, things wouldn''t have gotten so dicey. If only she had told Zack or anyone about her plan, things wouldn''t have gotten so dangerous. That was a mistake on her part and she had acknowledged it. And she was not planning on doing the same mistake twice.


    But she had also forgotten how annoying it was to have a bodyguard following her around 24/7. She had never had to face such a situation from when she had graduated from college. And now facing the same situation she had faced during her puberty with Hank so many years after�� it was nostalgic and so much more annoying.


    "I''m really regretting choosing you to be my bodyguard��" Shreya mumbled under her breath.


    Srinivas chuckled and ruffled her hair but did not comment on it. He just switched on the engine and drove off.


    As soon as she reached her apartment, Shreya slumped on her couch. It had been way too long she had been here last. But Ramani had come in every few days to clean up. So, thankfully, it did not smell like a pigsty.


    Srinivas banged on the doors after another 10 minutes.


    Shreya lazily walked over and opened the doors. Srinivas was armed with food.


    "Ask Zack to enter your bio metrics to the security system here�� he will know what to do��" She said walking back to the couch.


    Srinivas just nodded and took the food to the kitchen. When he came back, he had a plate filled with food and it came to a stop right in front of Shreya''s face.


    Shreya''s face lit up instantly as she took the plate. She did not even realize how long it had been since she last ate or how hungry she had gotten. The last time she ate was when Anand had brought her late lunch which was almost 20 hours before. After that, all she had was a cup of coffee she had in the caf��. Her stomach grumbled unconsciously as she reached out to the plate eagerly.


    "Thank you��" She mumbled before taking a huge bite.


    Srinivas went back to the kitchen and came back with a glass of water, "Hey, eat slowly. Nobody is trying to steal your food here��" He scolded seeing her stuff food into her mouth in quick successions.


    Shreya did not acknowledge him but then she also consciously slowed her eating speed. But the damage had already been done�� she chocked on her food without being able to swallow.


    "You behave like a kid sometimes," Srinivas said handing her over the water which Shreya accepted gratefully. But this time, she did not make the same mistake and actually took smaller sips rather than gulping it down.


    Shreya finished her food in a blink.


    "You want some more..?" Srinivas asked handing her over a napkin.


    Shreya shook her head while wiping away the crumbles around her mouth.


    Srinivas took the napkin from her hands and cleaned them up for her seeing as she had missed a spot.


    "You can go back now�� I won''t leave the apartment. I promise. If I have to go out, I will call you��" Shreya said seeing as he was still sitting on her couch when she came out after a shower.


    Srinivas gave her a suspicious look.


    Shreya rolled her eyes as she reasoned with him, "I am not reckless like Zee. Nor an idiot. I know what is at stake. I do not plan on taking my own safety for granted. If I was, I wouldn''t have assigned you this job. You think I don''t have the power to transfer you or have the means to escape from you if I wanted to?" She asked him with her brows arched.


    Srinivas thought about it. After all, if Shreya wanted to, she could transfer him to another job in a whim and nobody can question her let alone him. And with how sly she was, she could have easily escaped from his grip. So, after contemplating he shook his head and got up from his couch.


    "Lock the doors properly behind me. Don''t go back to work as soon as I leave. And get some sleep, will you? I am not looking forward to seeing a panda every morning." Srinivas said taking out the keys to her car and leaving it on her desk.


    But Shreya took it back and handed it back to Srinivas and said, "Take it�� Anyways I am not going anywhere. And I will get some sleep. Don''t worry��" She then walked him to the door and closed it behind him.

 Chapter 216 - This was Mr.Grumpy… or more precisely Mr.Gwampy as Akira put it.

    Shreya came back to the couch and sat there dazed for a second. The cushion made a noise as they dipped under her weight. She leaned back and laid down closing her eyes.


    This empty apartment where her own voice would echo back to her�� she hated it with all her heart. It felt as suffocating as she always remembered it to be. This was the main reason why she never came back here in all these days after she separated from Charan. This house reminded her with every passing second what is missing in her life��


    Now, not only did she miss her parents when she was here�� but she also missed Charan and Akira. The memories she had shared with them in this very apartment were numerous and one after the other, came back to her playing like a movie in front of her eyes. She could see Charan and Akira in each and every corner of her apartment�� The visions were so real to the point where she couldn''t tell if she was dreaming or awake. It almost felt as if she could touch them if only she would reach out.


    She closed her eyes to distract herself. She did not want to succ.u.mb to her impulses and do something stupid like going back to see them. That would render everything she had ever done so far meaningless. But more than that, things were getting really sticky now. It was best to not involve them at all from now on.


    She could see the ending�� she had placed every person in just the place she needed them to be. She might not have drawn out any specific plan but she had a vague idea as to how to end all this.


    Malini was a crucial part of her plan and from what she saw today�� even though Malini gave her a stone face�� Shreya knew her. She was going to help her.


    Shreya did not know how Malini turned out the way she was in spite of having Abimanyu as her father. She should give Abimanyu credit for it�� in spite of being a conceited and greedy bastard, he had actually raised Malini right. At least, he knew how to do one thing right in spite of having a crocked mind. Or maybe Malini turned out the way she did because he taught her how not to be.


    Malini had always been uptight and aloof. But she was also a very straight forward person. Some people felt as if she was being too arrogant because of who her father is. But Shreya found it endearing from her university days. She had always liked her unwavering and stubborn morality of speaking the truth and doing the right things.


    Shreya would never forget the time when Malini came straight to her face right after the first semester and told her she would beat her fair and square. It ticked Shreya off like hell�� she found her amusing and had observed her from that time. Shreya couldn''t resist but smile at her every time she would glare at her. That had been her entertainment for as long as she had to suffer through a lecture in college. But Malini did put in her best after that challenge. Shreya beat her by a few marks only. That too mainly because of her proficiency with finances.


    Shreya had respected her for it. Malini would surpass each and every obstacle on her way with brut force and seer strength. She was too lazy for games. But her punches had always been brutal. Shreya was happy to find that she hadn''t changed since then.


    The next step of her plan would be Dharsh�� he will be sorted out in one week''s time when she will attend Naren''s birthday banquet.


    Shreya shook her head trying to stop her wandering mind. She would go crazy if she was to think about this any more than she already had. So, leaned back and started mumbling instead, "Hey, dad. I, at last, found what you had left me�� sorry it took so long. Mom, Bhavna is going to come back home in a few months�� She grew up so much in such a short time you know. In spite of my best effort�� she still matured�� She started working. She has an agent now. She became a model. You guys would have been loved seeing her walk on the ramp. She is so confident and beyond gorgeous."


    "I really wish I could just keep her in a box you know�� away from everything cruel and evil out there. I wish I could protect her from everything you know�� I wish she could just stay the way she is. I don''t know how you guys managed to send me out those two years. If I ever had to do something like that with Bhavna, I think I will go crazy in 10 days."


    Shreya continued for a while like that�� she talked about everything�� from Akira to the vacation she had just had. Talking like this always calmed her down. Some part of her wanted to believe that they could actually hear her and that they were still there with her even if she can''t see them physically. She needed to believe it�� She needed this connection even if it was her own illusion�� especially on days like this when she felt so damn lonely.


    "You guys would have loved the island. Mom, you wouldn''t have returned from there once you saw the place�� It was so quiet and the air was so pure. And best of all, the island is private�� so no annoying reporters around to bagger you with questions every few seconds. I made a new friend�� his name is Srinivas. He is kinda quiet and distant but I am fixing him now. He will come around. I am good here�� I hope you guys are okay there."


    Once she was done talking about everything�� she paused and in the softest voice she continued, "I miss you guys��" Her voice uncontrollably chocked at the end. But no tears came. At least, she stubbornly restrained from crying.


    The main reason was that somewhere unconsciously she always remembered what Akira told her and followed it with at most sincerity.


    ''My mummy said whenever I missed her, I shouldn''t cry. But give her a big smile so that she can watch me smile from heaven.''


    She looked up and gave a smile and mumbled, "Good night guys��" and got up from the place and went to her bedroom.


    She took a long shower first. Even though she did wash up in the Imperial this morning, it was very quick. She came out in an oversized t-shirt and wet hair dripping down.


    She did not bother with them but then she remembered how Charan would always scold her for leaving it wet every single time�� she reluctantly reached for a new towel and started drying her hair methodically.


    This was the main reason she had kept herself busy all these days. When she was alone and jobless like now, she ends up thinking about everything and anything to point of driving herself crazy.


    While she was drying her hair, she suddenly remembered something. She got up from her bed and went towards her bookshelf and pulled out a torn teddy bear from behind her books.


    Unconsciously a smile formed on her lips.


    This was Mr.Grumpy�� or more precisely Mr.Gwampy as Akira put it.


    Shreya took the bear and put it beside her on the bed and curled up beside it.


    She did not really remember playing with dolls as a little girl. From her mother''s accounts, she had always been tomboyish from when she was a child. playing with cars. So, this teddy bear that Akira had given her when they first met at the mall was the first and the only stuffed she ever possessed.


    When she first got it�� she was in a very bad shape. Even when she knew that it was extremely childish and na?ve, she still in some small corner of her heart believed in Akira and kept this teddy bear with her whenever she fell asleep�� she had hoped and believed that this torn up stuffed toy was going to fight all the bad dreams.


    Even though she did have nightmares�� at least that belief let her fall asleep without fear.


    Thus Mr.Grumpy had been the symbol of solace for her in some of the darkest and loneliest days of her life. Or more than Mr.Grumpy, Akira had been the one who gave her that comfort.


    Whatever it was, it was long before she could actually fall asleep without this teddy bear��


    And somehow history had repeated itself. Facing the empty apartment, Shreya was back to that place and time in her life all over again. She needed the comfort it provides her now more than ever.


    And it worked too as it always had. Shreya actually fell asleep within a few minutes.

 Chapter 217 - You are just being paranoid, Srinivas.

    Srinivas was driving while Shreya sat on the passenger seat munching on her breakfast that he had very diligently brought. He knew she wouldn''t bother with things like food when she was alone.


    "Who made this? This is delicious!" Shreya commented. The last time she had homemade food was when Charan had cooked for her�� which felt like longer than a long time before.


    She or her family�� they did not have any talent for cooking whatsoever. And in the islands, even though they were prepared at home�� since the people there were actually professional chefs�� it still tasted like take-outs.


    Before knowing Charan, she was so very used to take-outs and eating out that it did not bother her much�� but after being with Charan and after having at least one delicious and warm meal a day, she couldn''t stand the take-outs as much. He had absolutely spoilt her tongue. Now, take-outs tastes like trash no matter where she orders them from.


    There was just something about a homemade meal that carries a warmth that makes even tasteless food taste good�� and Charan''s cooking is mindblowing in itself. So, it was no wonder Shreya got addicted to it.


    "I made it�� I can make it every day if you want��" Srinivas said with a smile. He gave her a side look and handed her a napkin.


    She really had no elegance when it came to eating.


    Shreya did not really bother about it. Anyways, when one has food in front of them, who cares about looking good.


    "Zeenath is lucky��" She mumbled between bites.


    "You are no less lucky, madam. I heard Charan''s skill in the kitchen is outstanding��" Srinivas said smirking.


    After his own sister had walked out on him completely fed up, he was forced to learn. If he can learn so much in just a few months, he could already guess how proficient Charan should be by now.


    Shreya nodded her head with her mouth fully stuffed. Once she had swallowed, she agreed very obediently, "Yup�� Charan''s cooking is top-notch. No competition. Sorry��"


    "I doubt anybody''s cooking is ever going to be as good as Charan''s for you��" Srinivas said smirking. After all, nobody can match Charan''s position in Shreya''s heart�� ever.


    "You are right once again��" Shreya said and gave her attention back to the food while Srinivas went back to giving his attention to driving them both to the office.


    After a while, just as he was about to reach the office, his eyebrows frowned. He kept checking the rear mirror but he could not find anything odd.


    "What happened?" Shreya asked checking outside the windows.


    "Nothing�� It''s just I keep feeling as if someone is watching us�� but when I check, I cannot find anybody. And this is not the first time either. I had the same feeling yesterday in the caf�� too. I even made a round around the neighborhood but never found anything or anybody." Srinivas said frowning at his rear mirrors.


    When he parked his car in the caf�� yesterday, he had the same feeling�� as if he was being watched. But after dropping off Shreya, he checked�� but he couldn''t find anyone. And now suddenly, he had the same feeling all over again.


    Shreya rarely had someone follow her all this time. She hated bodyguards�� it made her feel claustrophobic somehow. She felt creeped out to be watched over every part of your like. And when on rare occasions, when she did use them�� those people she took with her, they did not have Srinivas''s skillset nor alertness. Shreya was good�� but she was not that good either.


    So, it can be said that even if the person had been following Shreya for a long time now, he wouldn''t have been discovered. Not with the level of skill he has.


    Srinivas was one of the best people ever trained by the army. So, if he cannot spot the person�� it meant either he was better than Srinivas or at least in par with him when it came to skills. Srinivas did not like either of the options.


    Shreya checked again to see whether she could find a familiar car or a person. Somethings that she might have seen regularly around her. But she couldn''t find anything like it. She had a good memory and observation skill�� even if she cannot be stealthy like Srinivas, she had good eyes and a great memory. If there was the same car or person she kept seeing around her�� no matter how remotely, she was sure she would have noticed. Unless of course, the person never showed up in front of her at all.


    "You are just being paranoid, Srinivas." Shreya shrugged off nonchalantly and sat back on her seat.


    "Either that or the person is very good. And for god''s sakes, Shreya�� don''t go out anywhere without me�� no matter how urgent a matter, call me. If I am not reachable, call one of the guys at least. You understand?" Srinivas warned before entering the office. He would love to check his suspicion now by driving around but he did not like his odds. Not with Shreya being right beside him.


    But Shreya did not take his words to heart. Not because she was na?ve but because she absolutely trusted and believed in Srinivas. And anyway she was not planning on going anywhere alone�� not until she wraps everything up at least. So, instead of answering his question, she leaned over and pecked him on his cheek and said with a goofy smile, "Thanks for the breakfast. It was truly delicious. I might not transfer you after all." She smirked as she said the last part and winked.


    "It was my pleasure, Shreya. Now go on�� And don''t forget to call me or Zack if you want to go out." Srinivas said pointedly smiling back at her as the car came to a standstill in front of the office building.


    Shreya pouted at his nagging but she did not complain since she knew he was doing it for her own well being. She just alights the car and waved him goodbye before entering the building.


    After dropping her off, Srinivas did not go to the parking but instead took a stroll around the company building but in his gut, he knew he was not being watched�� at least not anymore.


    Which meant that the person being followed was Shreya�� And that in spite of the tinted windows and keen eyes, they knew Shreya was not in this car anymore. More than that, the person was able to avoid detection even when Srinivas was particularly in the lookout for them�� which was not good. That would mean, the person is a master in evasion.


    He took out his phones and called Zack.


    "Hello��" Zack greeted from the other end.


    "Hey, this is Srinivas. I need you to send two more guys with me to Naren''s banquet this weekend��" Srinivas got straight to point. He thought he would be enough as long as Shreya was by his side without making mischief. After all, Shreya did seem to understand the importance�� even if it was not for own self, she seems to take it seriously enough. He knew she wouldn''t try to escape or be careless and wander off without him.


    But this situation had made him hesitate. He had a feeling that he wouldn''t be able to handle this guy if he were to confront him alone. Even if he could, he did not want to take that chance with Shreya. She had trusted him to protect her and he would do it��


    It was better to be cautious now than to be sorry in the future.


    Zack was surprised at first. But then he inquired, "What happened?"


    "Nothing happened for now�� At least nothing definite had happened yet, but I am not sure. I just have a gut feeling that Shreya is being followed. Just sent Vicky and Andrew with me that day�� It''s better to be safe than sorry�� The banquet is in a big place and too many people. I wouldn''t be able to cover the whole ground on my own. I would be less tense with those two around�� I could use their help." Srinivas answered driving himself back to the office.


    "Okay�� They will be there�� You be careful. If anything even remotely similar to this happens again, I need you to tell me first." Zack said.


    "Sure thing. And if I can''t be reached for some reason, make sure you are the one accompanying Shreya. I just don''t like this feeling�� This guy.. if he is real. That would mean he is really good at what he does�� And I do not like our odds in that case��" Srinivas answered back.


    "Okay. I will see to it��" Zack answered without hesitation.


    "I am out��" Srinivas said and cut the call without waiting for a reply. He would feel more secure if it were him or Zack who was beside Shreya.

 Chapter 218 - We met in the Imperial...

    Shreya walked through the portico and oddly enough, passers-by were actually staring at her differently. She did not understand what was going on for a while�� not because everyone was staring at her.


    People always stared at her when she came to the office. And today she was wearing an outrageously red sweatshirt with her jean shirt. So, she knew she would be turning head.


    But unlike the normal�� their eyes were filled with fear rather than disdain. Every one respectfully bowed and greeted her before walking past her.


    Her face frowned in confusion for a few minutes before she remembered the newspaper article.


    Even though she had already come to the office in the past two days�� she had been late. The first day, her flight was late and yesterday, she had an early morning meeting in the Imperial.


    Speaking of Imperial, she should remember to go back and order the manager there to ease some of the rules there about the secrecy of her identity.


    The Imperial was her baby. She had been the core of it from the development to now. So, she did not want to hide her identity and her capacity at least within those walls.


    So, each and every staff member knows exactly who she was and what she was capable of. But there was a rule above all else�� and that was that her identity should never be discussed outside those walls if anyone ever wanted to work there. And even within those walls, everyone will know who she was but no one would acknowledge it in front of the public. And she would be addressed to as only The President�� her designation�� not her name.


    These rules are what kept her identity safe for so long�� but now it did not matter.


    Shreya''s lips were especially wide when she crossed the front desk. That receptionist had always been especially unpleasant whenever she came in�� she would always have a slightly disgusted look on her face whenever Shreya crossed. So, Shreya was very much delighted to see her fallen face.


    Shreya even stuck her tongue out when their eyes met. The receptionist paled instantly while Shreya chuckled and went towards the elevator. The receptionist''s cheeks blushed behind her. She really wished she could find a hole and bury herself right about now. And she wouldn''t be the only one with that feeling in this whole building.


    Time flew by as she drowned in paper works. But her focus was disrupted by a phone call.


    She attended the call absentmindedly, "Hello��"


    "Uhm�� ah!" the other end stayed quiet.


    "Who is this? Can you speak up?" Shreya said once again into the phone.


    "Ma''am��" A meek voice called out from the other end.


    "Yes, who is this?" Shreya asked impatiently. After all, she had way too much work and not enough time to complete them.


    "I''m Anne�� You know�� we met in the Imperial��" Anne replied very nervously.


    Anne was sweating buckets on the other end of the phone. This building was more intimidating than the Imperial. At least in the Imperial, she had a uniform to blend in. The only decent thing she had in her closet was a plain navy blue jean and a formal shirt which she was wearing right now. But everyone around her was in formal office attire.


    On top of it, she did not know whether Shreya had been serious yesterday or just said it in the passing. Because no matter how much she said, the receptionist wouldn''t let her in saying she was not informed of her presence�� and that she should have an appointment. Thankfully, nobody kicked her out�� yet.


    She did not have any means to contact Shreya�� so she had to call Ed�� her manager in the Imperial. Thankfully, he did pass her Shreya''s personal number.


    After hesitating for half an hour, Anne picked up the courage to actually dial the number with her shaky fingers. Her heart drummed felt as if it''s going to fall out of her ribs when it rang.


    Shreya paused for a second before placing the little girl she saw in the Imperial to be the owner of the voice. Then she also remembered Anne to actually report to her today.


    "I have come in the morning�� but at the reception, people won''t let me in saying I do not have an appointment. I did not know how to contact you, so I had to ask Ed for this number�� I did not know if you were serious about the job here�� I just assumed you were and came here. If you are not, I can go��" Anne blabbered nervously. In her panicked state, she was barely conscious of what she was saying.


    Shreya came back to her senses and sprinted from the desk, "Sorry, Anne. I am so sorry. I was so busy that I forgot all about asking you to come here�� I forgot to inform them that you will be coming. Just give me 5 minutes okay�� I will be down. Just stay near the reception�� I will be there.." Shreya said hurriedly and jumped into the elevators and pushed the buttons to the lobby impatiently. She chided herself for forgetting something so important. She could only imagine how scared Anne must have been.


    As soon as the elevator stopped with a ding, Shreya sprinted so fast that she actually skidded a few feet before she could stop.


    "Sorry. I have been so busy from the morning that I completely forgot about you coming over today. Now come on. Let''s get you settled in��" Shreya said without really giving Anne any time to talk. Shreya just grasped on Anne''s hands and dragged them towards the elevator.


    Anne just followed her in a daze. She felt as if she had been in a train wreck or something. There she was wondering whether she would still have a job or not for brazenly getting Shreya''s number without her permission and here she was apologizing to her�� an absolute nobody. A complete stranger who she knew for only one day.


    Anne could not figure out whether she was an unusual one or Shreya. After all, Shreya was the President of the Sri corp.


    After her initial mistake at the Imperial, she went back and read everything that was available on Shreya. She did not want to commit the same kind of mistake again. After seeing the picture of Shreya on the front page just a few days ago, she really felt like smacking herself to oblivion because of her ignorance and carelessness.


    Anne did not recover until she actually reached Shreya''s office. Anne looked around curiously despite herself. It may be because of the confidence Shreya had given her by personally escorting her up, but she, at last, felt like she actually had a job here in the Sri corp. At last, it did not feel like her delusion.


    "Anne, you can sit and look around you know��" Shreya said smiling. Anne instantly paled seeing as she had forgotten Shreya''s presence. She obediently sat down with her head hung down.


    Shreya''s lips twitched. This innocence was what attracted Shreya towards her. In her world, this kind of innocence was precious.


    "Anne, you''re going to have to wait for a while okay? I''m really sorry but I have some really urgent work that I have to complete. Once I am done with that, I will brief you on what you must be doing. I have asked someone to prepare an office for you. Even that will be arranged by the time I am done with my work here. Half an hour maximum," Shreya said sitting back in her chair and flipped the file she had just closed.


    Anne got up from her chair saying, "It''s okay, ma''am. You can do your work. I will wait outside." But before she could take two steps out, Shreya''s voice stopped her on her track.


    "It''s okay. Just stay here. Look around�� There are some books there you might like�� you are English lit, right? I still have some classics in there my dad used to read me when I was a kid. Check it out." Shreya replied and stopped talking at last focusing on the work in hand all over again.


    Anne hesitated for a while. She was afraid she might end up disturbing Shreya or worse, even break something here. But after being explicitly asked to stay, she did not feel right to leave either.


    So, as Shreya suggested, Anne took a book from the shelf and started reading�� time flew by without her realizing. She forgot where she was and what she was doing once she started reading. This was the whole reason why she took English Lit in the first place. She loved reading. But sadly, she did not have enough confidence to actually write anything.


    There was absolute silence in the office except for the flipping sound of both of them. Anne turned her pages in quick succession since her reading speed was extraordinary. While Shreya flipped pages slower in comparison since she has to be thorough�� she cannot let anything slip by in the cracks.

 Chapter 219 - Akash, I have work now...

    Anne''s family conditions were normal. They were what you would expect from any ordinary family. Her father is a salaryman while her mother is a housewife. She has a younger sister who is 4 years younger than her.


    Financially, they were not poor but were not well off either. They had a very content happy life.


    But all that had changed when her mother fell sick all of a sudden and the year she graduated from her undergraduate degree, her father was forced to retire from his office.


    SO, they were in a bit of a crisis now. She really needed a job�� she was very desperate when she attended the interview of the Imperial. The interview was actually for the recruitment of front desk personality in one section of the hotel. And miraculous as it was, she actually got the job. And as per the job offer, she had to actually work in every section of the hotel before she could go to her assigned place. It was an orientation of sort which was applicable for each and every employee in there.


    It was Shreya''s idea actually. She wanted everyone to know everybody''s job so that they could experience what a maid or a janitor goes through. After all, delegating work was easy. Especially if the person is not going to know the volume of work a person below him actually does.


    Because of this system, there was always a weird harmony between the different chains of command in the Imperial. And because everyone knows everything, in time of emergency everyone can pitch in too.


    That was why she was actually cleaning rooms in the first place that day when she met with Shreya. She was yet to know if it was a boon or a bane.


    When Anne was busy reading the book, Shreya had already finished with her work and stared at her. She could see that Anne really enjoyed the book. She was as focused as she would be when she worked.


    "You can take it home to read if you want to��" Shreya said, at last, breaking the silence startling Anne.


    Anne was so immersed in her book that when she heard Shreya, she jumped almost falling off of the couch. And when she realized where she was, her face drained of any blood making her go white. She instantly kept the book in the tea table in her front and stood up straight in attention.


    "Sorry, ma''am. I forgot where I was��" Anne apologized scared out of her whit.


    "You don''t have to be so scared of me, you know. I am not going to eat you��" Shreya said lightly getting up from her place. "Now come on�� I will show you to your office." She walked out after picking up some files.


    Anne followed her without words.


    Shreya first gave the files to Akash.


    "Who is that?" Akash asked curiously looking at the timid little girl following Shreya nervously.


    "Anne, come here��" Shreya first called out for Anne to get near the table. She was standing at the entrance of the huge office.


    When called out, Anne took rushed steps forward and came to a shaky stop beside Shreya.


    "Anne, this is Akash�� my cousin and also the General Manager here. You can just call his Akash�� And Akash, this is Anne, my personal assistant." Shreya made the introductions while flinging her arms around Anne''s shoulders. The way Anne looked so terrified out of her mind, Shreya doubted she would be able to stand straight without any support.


    But little did she know that Anne''s nervousness exponentially increased with the physical contact. Her heart rate spiked.


    She was not averse by the contact�� but she just�� she was clueless as to how to react to the overtly friendly Shreya�� Shreya was her BOSS!!!! Can she be really this friendly to just anyone?


    Anne still gave Akash a squeaky handshake after composing herself.


    "From when did you need a personal assistant?!" Akash asked frowning.


    "From when you started abducting Madhu in all odd hours!" Shreya said rolling her eyes.


    Akash stared back at her speechlessly.


    Shreya did not bother with him anymore. "Just forward those files to the concerned department. I even sent you a soft copy in your mail." She instructed and dragged Anne out of the office.


    The next stop was an empty office. It had a table in the center of it with a system while a couch was laid in one corner.


    "This will be your office�� The file cabinet will be here by the end of the week. You need anything else, just tell me. You like it here?" Shreya asked looking at Anne expectantly.


    Anne, on the other hand, was dazed. The room which Shreya said was hers was not smaller than that of Shreya''s. Even if it was small, it wouldn''t be by much and she gets to work here?


    Shreya frowned when Anne did not reply. So, she came and stood beside her and elaborated, "There is another room beside this�� you can have that if you don''t like this one. That one is empty anyways��"


    Anne came out of her trance and comprehended what Shreya was talking about. And when it hit her, she frantically shook her head and clarified hurriedly, "NO�� no�� no�� Ma''am. This is fine. I like this one. It''s just too big��"


    Shreya gave a smile and replied, "Okay. Then it''s settled then. Now come on. I need to introduce you to someone��"


    Shreya did not stop for Anne to acknowledge and just walked out of the office and went straight to Madhu''s.


    Madhu looked up when her doors were opened unceremoniously. She was just about to scold assuming it was Akash, "Akash, I have work now�� can you just g��" But her voice trailed when she saw that it was Shreya.


    "Oh! Sorry, Shreya. I thought it was Akash." Madhu apologized instantly and stood up.


    "If Akash disturbs you, tell him I will be deducting his salary�� and remind him that Bhavna will be here in a few months. If he wants to survive, he better work hard." Shreya sent a warning with a knowing smirk on her face.


    Madhu chuckled at it and just dismissed it by saying, "I know, Sherya. Don''t worry about him!"


    "Don''t give me a perfunctory response, Little lady. I know you enough to know that you are going to cover for him. Just remember it''s me who pays you and him. So, you obey me! So, if I say he cannot come into your room during working hours, then it should be followed!" Shreya said pretending to be high and mighty while her eyes gleamed with mischief.


    If Madhu had heard something like this when she first arrived at the office, she might have actually pissed her pants. But then she knew Shreya�� now more than before after their vacation. For the first time, Madhu actually saw how childish and naughty Shreya could be. And she also how much Shreya loved these pair of siblings. Even though they were her cousins, she loved them more than if they had been her own siblings.


    But before Madhu could actually come up with a response, the doors to her office opened once again and the protagonist of their conversation walked in looking annoyed.


    "Hey, Shreya. Just because you can''t be with Charan, you are taking revenge on me!!?? This is not fair!" Akash argued extremely wronged and aggrieved.


    But Shreya''s smirk did not leave her face as she looked at Akash and asked instead nonchalantly, "Yea�� so��? Who is going to question me? You?"


    Akash''s face became ugly but he was rendered speechless. After all, he really can''t question her if she sets on doing something. In fact, nobody can��


    "Pfft" Shreya let out a burst of laughter looking at his ugly face. Once her excitement subsided, she turned her attention back to Anne and talking to Madhu and her simultaneous.


    "Madhu, this is Anne. She is going to take the load of work off your shoulders so that you can merry with Akash. Her office is next door�� please transfer all the work that pertains to me to her. And also teach her what exactly is her role here."


    "And Anne�� this is Madhu. You are going to follow her for a while until you get the hang of things with regard to the work. You can ask her anything. You can also come to me if you encounter any problem if I am around��" Shreya gave clear instructions. She then reached out and ruffled Anne''s hair before walking out of the office while dragging Akash by his ears.


    "Ow ow, Shreya�� that hurts," Akash exclaimed but he did not really resist her anyways.


    "Are you done with the work I gave you yesterday? And are you done with the reports of S corp?" Shreya asked without really letting go of his ears. Because of the height difference, Akash actually had to bend on his back to accommodate Shreya.


    But he is obediently replied, "Yes�� Yes�� I am working on them. Now let me go so that I can go back to work��"


    Shreya let him go after teasing him for a while and went back to work.

 Chapter 220 - Is she bipolar or something?

    Anne just stared at Shreya''s back utterly bewildered. She did not know how to take everything. Her mind was a mess.


    At first, she thought Shreya was very easy going and overtly friendly. But after listening to the interaction between Akash and her, she was slightly scared.


    "Is she bipolar or something?" Anne mumbled out loud without realizing it.


    Madhu took a minute to actually confer Anne was actually talking about Shreya�� But when she did, she couldn''t really control the bubbling laughter. A part of her was baffled that Anne would say something like that out loud and a part of her was amused by Anne''s naivety.


    Anne, on the other hand, came out her head only when she heard Madhu laughing and when she remembered what she had just done, her face went pale instantly in panic.


    She blabbered frantically explaining.


    "No. No. no. It is not like that�� I just�� I was not bad-mouthing the President. It is just�� she had been so friendly on second and all bossy the next. I was just scared for a second that I would be scolded for mistakes�� I really need this job�� so I just�� I just let my mind go wild for a second without realizing��"


    Madhu came out of her amus.e.m.e.nt seeing how scared Anne was. She put a hand over her shoulders and said, "Relax�� Shreya is not scary. She was just teasing us. And don''t worry about what you mumbled. You can tell it to Shreya, and she will also most probably be laughing too�� Just chill okay. You will get to know her in no time!"


    Anne was not exactly convinced, after all, she just called her boss mentally on the first day of her work. She can''t really imagine what would happen if Shreya came to hear of it.


    "Please, don''t tell the President about it. It was just a slip of the tongue I swear!" Anne still begged scared.


    Seeing that Anne was really scared, Madhu promised her instantly before diverting her attention to work.


    Madhu was not really worried about dispelling her misunderstanding. She was sure that Anne would find out for herself if she spends time with Shreya in the following days.


    Days flew by. Anne came to know what Madhu meant by Shreya.


    Shreya was eccentric and easy going. Anne was not completely at ease but she was not afraid anymore. And Shreya had been especially good to Anne. Somewhere in some small ways, Anne actually reminded her of Akira.


    Innocent, quiet but mature�� somehow Shreya had a feeling that Akira would turn out something like Anne in the future. So, because she couldn''t meet up with Akira, she overcompensated with Anne.


    She knew it is not healthy but she really couldn''t help it herself.


    Anne walked in after a knock.


    "Shreya, here is the file you have asked for��" Anne said handing her over a blue file.


    It had been a few days since Anne had joined. She was timid but smart. So, she quickly learned her job. And it also helped that Shreya was not particularly demanding��


    But it was not just with Anne�� it was true to every employee. The only qualification she looks for in her employees is hard work and integrity. She wouldn''t forgive people slacking off or being lazy but she wouldn''t reprimand someone for their inabilities or educational qualification. As long as you can do the work assigned, she really wouldn''t care about the educational qualification.


    "Thanks, Anne. Oh yea, you are going out with me after lunch. Finish your lunch by 1 am. We are going to go out�� and inform Srinivas, will you? He will have my head otherwise��" Shreya said and flipped the file open.


    Anne just agreed and went back to work. She did not understand one thing though�� even though she bossed around everyone somehow, Shreya seemed to obey Srinivas�� But then it was not her place to ask questions, so Anne wisely kept her mouth shut.


    By the time she was done with her work, it was almost 1 am. By now, Anne knew that Shreya was not the one to know the passing of time�� especially when she was working. So, Anne sorted out her desk and went to Shreya''s office knocking on her doors.


    "What is it?" Shreya asked blinking at Anne completely oblivious.


    "You said we need to go somewhere!!" Anne replied vaguely�� "It''s 1 o''clock."


    Shreya took a minute to contemplate before her eyes brightened up in realization but then her brows frowned in disgust the next moment!


    "Argh�� Shopping!! Do you like shopping, Anne?" Shreya asked tidying up her table simultaneously.


    Anne was taken aback for a minute. When Shreya told her they will be going out, she thought it would be to meet a client or something�� but now looking at Shreya, she knew that was not the case.


    After a while, Anne contemplated before answering honestly, "I do, ma''am."


    "Well good for you. Because I have a banquet to attend tomorrow and I have nothing to wear�� at least nothing that would fit in for the occasion." Shreya answered and was already walking out of her office in a fast pace with Anne hot on her trail.


    Shreya made several stops before actually getting out of the building and Srinivas was waiting for them at the entrance with their car.


    He went ahead and silently took the bag Shreya was carrying and kept it in the car and open the doors for both of them. He actually talked only when he got behind the wheels.


    "Where are we going, Shreya?" He asked.


    "Shopping��" Shreya said dryly not even attempting to hide her contempt with the act itself.


    Srinivas''s eyes slightly brightened surprised. As far as he knew Shreya, she always ordered anything and everything online and had it delivered to the front desk. And since it happens in the company, it was one of the most popular gossips in the company itself.


    Everyone drew their own conclusions with the way she dresses and the way she gets them. The most popular was that Shreya had drowned all her inheritance and the shares of the company were kept in her name just for sake of it and the actual power resides with Anand and that Shreya was too poor and too embarrassed to actually go out and shop for stuff. Or that had been the case until the newspaper article.


    But since there was no confirmation or denial from part of Sri corp., the opinion of the crowd was all over the place. But within the company itself, nobody was ready to take the risk. So, they were particularly respective to Shreya�� given how they had treated her so far, many of them were pissing their pants off silently scared.


    But Srinivas figured that Shreya was actually too lazy to either clarify or shopping.


    But Shreya immediately understood Srinivas''s intentions.


    "Naren''s banquet. Everything I already has had been rejected as being ''inappropriate'' by�� well by pretty much everyone actually. So," Shreya answered his unvoiced question rolling her eyes.


    "You were not planning on wearing sweets were you?" Srinivas asked but it was more a rhetoric question since knowing Shreya, she probably did. And she still could even after shopping for an appropriate outfit today.


    "Why? I can''t?" Shreya asked c.o.c.kily arching her brows.


    "Who is going to be able to stop you if you want to anyways!" Srinivas replied rolling his eyes.


    Shreya''s lips twitched but she did not comment more on it.


    "But if you are going to wear your sweats, why are we going on a shopping expedition today?" Srinivas asked.


    "I have another errand to run in there�� Shopping is the sidekick actually��" Shreya said ambiguously.


    Srinivas''s lips twitched but he did not ask anymore.


    As soon as they reached the mall, Shreya actually went to an old bookstore in one corner.


    She went to the front desk and handed an envelope.


    "You see this person�� He will be here in a minute. I want you to hand this envelope over to him��"


    She then went ahead a bought some books and walked out of the shop completely.


    Anne and Srinivas silently followed them.


    "What was that about?" Srinivas asked slightly puzzled. After all, Shreya wasn''t the one to do meaningless things.


    "That envelope? That''s the bait!" Shreya answered while simultaneously tapping away on her phone almost walking into walls.


    Srinivas helplessly took the book bag from her hands and held her by her arms before walking towards the clothing store.


    Once Shreya was done with her phone, she looked around and found herself in a different section of the mall. Suddenly she remembered something and took the book bag from Srinivas and stuffed it into Anne''s hands and said with a sweet smile.


    "Oh, this is for you. Since you seem to like reading, I figured you could use some!" There were about a dozen books in there weighing a tone.


    Anne looked at Shreya dumbfounded seeing them in her hands. And before she could comprehend anything, she had been dragged into one of the clothing stores by Shreya.

 Chapter 221 - You are such a tomboy!

    Srinivas looked at Shreya''s disgusted face when she looked at glittery frocks and ballgowns. For some, they were breathtaking and almost a dreamlike existence to wear them while for Shreya, the way she was glaring at them�� someone might think she was being tortured or something if she were to asked to wear them.


    "You are such a tomboy!" Srinivas teased her ruffling her hair.


    Shreya pouted and shrugged but she did not choose or try a single dress so far. "I am a girl!" She declared stubbornly daring him to refute.


    "It is not so if you are going to have to tell it out loud for others to know��" Srinivas teased.


    "Hmph! You are no fun! You are just bullying a vulnerable little girl!!! Jerk. I am going to go find Anne now!" Shreya sulked pouting and turned her head very dramatically before going to find Anne. Anyone who heard it would actually believe her word for her. Her face was that utterance was that perfect.


    Srinivas gapped at her unbelievably for a second before letting out a chuckle and following her. He couldn''t help himself from muttering, "Brat!" under his breath.


    Of course, Shreya heard it. She turned back at him and stuck her tongue out before calling out for Anne. Anne was looking for clothes in other sections of the store.


    "Leave these. I will just wear something I already have. We are going to buy clothes for you!!" Shreya declared dragging Anne towards a different section of the store.


    By the time she was done, all their hands were filled. And most of it was Anne''s or for Bhagya. She did buy a fancy looking top for herself.


    "Ma''am, what am I suppose to do with all these?" Anne asked meekly just looking at the sheer amount of things Shreya had bought her as she was getting down at her house. Since it was almost time for knocking off, Shreya offered a ride home.


    Shreya lowered her windows and stuck her head out and looked at Anne.


    "Use them of course!!" Shreya said in the matter of fact way.


    All Anne could do was haul all the bags and look at the back of the car as it drove off.


    Shreya sat back on her seat and closed her eyes.


    "Why are you doing this?" Srinivas asked breaking the silence between them. He knew Shreya did things out of whim every now and then but this did not seem to be the case here. If she wanted to drop off something in the mall, she could have come up with another 100 possible excuses, after all, she did own that damn mall! But she did not and she brought Anne along. So, he knew she had planned on buying things for Anne. But even then, she did not have to do it personally if it had been for Anne�� Shreya did not like shopping, everyone knew it. So, there had got to be another reason.


    "Doing what?" Shreya asked not understanding what he was talking about.


    "With Anne��" Srinivas answered without giving much explanation as always.


    "You really save up your words as if it is going to cost you money or something don''t you?" Shreya asked sarcastically.


    "You are changing the subject," Srinivas stayed on point.


    "Uhm�� if you asked me why�� I guess you can say that I am overcompensating." Shreya said sighing and leaning back on her seat and closing her eyes.


    "Overcompensating for?" Srinivas asked once again.


    "Overcompensating for wanting to see Akira��" Shreya replied without really bothering to open her eyes or look at Srinivas.


    He did not ask anything more. He just let her be and drove.


    Just as they were about to reach the office, Shreya suddenly sat up and broke the silence in the car.


    "You are so mature that, it is no fun teasing you at all!" Shreya sulked glaring at him irritated.


    "What did I do?" Srinivas asked taken aback.


    "By now, if I had brought along Akash or Pritham, they would have been up to my neck asking what did I drop off and who is it for? You did not even ask once! How boring!" Shreya complained.


    Srinivas blinked for a while before letting out a chuckle.


    "I have been in the army Shreya�� remember?" Srinivas pointed out. After all, most of the time when he was in the army�� he rarely knew why he was doing something or what he was fighting for. He was trained to obey orders and not ask questions�� and he did exactly that. Something like that gets ingrained in his bones�� even though he was now comfortable with Shreya to ask her about smaller things, he still did not found it appropriate to ask questions when it came to more important matters�� at least not outright. Unless it concerned her safety or face to face meeting where he is supposed to protect her.


    Shreya just gave him an annoyed look without saying anything further.


    Srinivas gave her an amused look as he ruffled her hair and actually asked, "What was in the envelope and who was it for?"


    "Are you doing me a favour? Don''t need it. I am not telling you!" Shreya sulked pouting all over again.


    But then when Srinivas did not ask anything more, she looked at him angrily glaring all over again.


    "Spill it. I know you are dying to tell��" Srinivas said once again�� the smile did not falter from his face though.


    "As a punishment, I am not telling you what was in the envelope. But the envelope is for Dharsh!" Shreya replied stubbornly not looking at Srinivas.


    Srinivas took a minute to place the name��


    "The guy who kidnapped you?" He asked frowning.


    "Yup�� the same��" She answered.


    He remained quiet for a minute before saying with a grave tone.


    "You are playing with fire Shreya�� First Malini and now Dharsh!" He remained her.


    "You have to play with fire if you are planning to burn something right?" Shreya asked rhetorically.


    Srinivas did not pry anymore. He just had a grave look on his face.


    "I am telling you this because Dharsh might reach out to me tomorrow at the banquet. You need to be prepared if that happens. He might be hostile or friendly�� it can go either way." Shreya explained.


    "What are you going to do if he shows the envelope to Naren directly and confessed everything?" Srinivas asked.


    "He won''t. He might not be willing to be a friend but he wouldn''t go to Naren with it. Not with what I sent him. Firstly, Dharsh himself is not that taken with Naren himself. Integrity speaks the loudest when you think you have nothing to lose. I put him there at the barn and he did not hold much affection towards Naren. But more than that, do you think I would take such a chance without leverage on both of them?" Shreya smirked.


    "What''s the leverage?" He asked.


    "Family. We have people staring at their family and both of them know it. If they want to keep them safe, they know its wise to keep their mouths shut." Shreya said with a smile that could send chills to people seeing them.


    "What if they figure out that you are bluffing?" Srinivas asked. After all, he was sure Shreya wouldn''t really hurt anyone innocent.


    "Who said I was bluffing with them?" Shreya asked out bewildered, "I am not such a goody-two-shoes you think I am Srinivas. I am not stupid enough to be nice to my enemies. In fact, I can be as cruel as one can possibly be to my enemies��"


    "Being nice to your enemies is being cruel to yourself!" Srinivas muttered as he looked at her face. Her face was cold�� without emotions�� the kinda darkness he had never seen in Shreya''s face before. That is when he realized that he was a long way from ever understanding her.


    "Exactly!" Shreya agreed readily.


    "But if you had planned everything beforehand, why did you not discuss this in front of everyone at the meeting that day?" He asked another question frowning.


    Shreya, at last, sat up as she replied looking at her with wide eyes, "Are you kidding me��? If I was to say that I am going to meet and give the evidence to Abimanyu''s daughter�� do you really think anyone in there would have agreed?! And they would have drowned me in 1001 questions before I could ever get a 1000 mile within Dharsh! Try saying I might be meeting him face to face�� I would never be able to leave the Sri corp.!"


    Realization drew on Srinivas as his eyes showed his understanding of the matter.


    "Exactly!" Shreya said pointing on his face.


    "I am telling you because you asked me to. And I am not looking forward to surprising you and make your job harder than it already is. If both of the things pan out, I will let the other know. Till then, this stays between the two of us��" Shreya said.

 Chapter 222 - Shreya, what did you do?

    By the time all the inquiry came to an end, Srinivas had already stopped the car in front of the Sri corp.


    Before Shreya could get down, Srinivas -alights the car and opened it for her.


    "Thanks," Shreya said but before walking away, she turned towards Srinivas and said suddenly remembering something.


    "Oh, yea�� just a head up. Zee is going to be really angry with you. She might come to beat you up! Depending on how angry she is, you will get to know how much success you have had so far with her. If you get beat up, you can consider you have achieved a passing mark!" Shreya said with a mischievous glint on her face and walking away without explaining anything further.


    Srinivas gapped at her back for a second before stuffing the car keys to one of the valets there and followed Shreya hurried.


    "Shreya, what did you do?" Srinivas yelled behind her to gain her attention.


    But except for Shreya, everyone else stopped in their tracks. The whole place quieted down instantly in seconds.


    The gossips were getting out of control within the company regarding Shreya�� they started speculating that it was Shreya''s scheme to take over the company in the name of being Adithya''s daughter and such��


    Even though Shreya was not bothered, Anand couldn''t stand it. So, he made an announcement within the building clarifying Shreya''s status and role within the company a few days back. He also made very sure to inform each and every employee about the consequences they will be facing if anyone ever disrespects Shreya within these walls ever again.


    So everyone within the company had been shivering at their legs whenever they saw Shreya. And since it was about time everyone left work, the lobby was filled. Everyone just gapped at Srinivas like he had grown horns for calling Shreya by her name. That too, so publicly.


    While everyone was waiting to see some sort of action drama, the main protagonist, Shreya just turned around and shuck her tongues out at Srinivas and ran away towards the elevator.


    In that stagnant frozen atmosphere, her giggle was especially sweet to ears.


    Srinivas stood there perplexed for a second before following her leaving behind an even more perplexed crowd of people. But before Srinivas could reach Shreya, the elevator doors opened and Shreya went in but blocked the entrance without letting Srinivas follow him in.


    "You were the one who asked me to poke around her shells�� and being the nice person I am, did exactly as you asked. So, remember, this is what you wanted��" Saying that Shreya closed the elevator doors with a bright smile leaving behind a dumbfounded Srinivas.


    "I asked you to poke around her, not get me beaten up��" Srinivas muttered to himself and then pressed the button to the elevator beside the one Shreya had used and waited patiently.


    Only when Srinivas''s elevator doors closed did everyone in the hallway started moving. Everyone''s minds were working overtime but none of them had the courage to voice them.


    Shreya reached her office in high spirits. After that, even she did not know how the time slipped by until Srinivas came in armed with dinner for the night.


    She smiled brightly seeing him but it was short-lived as Srinivas stormed in and pulled her by her ears as he asked, "You�� what did you say to Zee? Why did she suddenly come to me so agitated and livid without even giving me the chance to explain anything at all and left?"


    "Ow. Ow. Ow�� hey, it hurts!" Shreya yelled dramatically while all he did not hold her by her ears.


    Srinivas gave her a dry look but still let go of her ears and showed her scratch marks on his arm and asked, "What do you say to that then! Zee was absolutely livid. I have never seen her like this before. This what I got when I tried to stop her to ask what the hell was she talking about in the first place."


    Shreya''s eyes instantly brightened but her lips twitched into a proud smile looking at Srinivas.


    "It worked�� it actually worked!" She exclaimed excitedly.


    "You mind telling me what worked exactly?" Srinivas asked suppressed all his impatience by a thread.


    Shreya looked at Srinivas with mischief and actually walked to the couch and opened the dinner he had bought without saying anything else on the subject.


    "I am really hungry�� I feel almost dizzy now. We can talk after eating right?" Shreya had smiling brightly at him.


    Srinivas looked at her excited self and let out a helpless smile as he asked, "You are enjoying yourself aren''t you?" Her amus.e.m.e.nt at the given situation was not lost to him.


    "Yup�� I am enjoying this so very much actually!" Shreya agreed readily as she bit down on her burger unceremoniously. "Seeing you out of your sorts is quite entertaining actually! I should probably make you like this more often!" She continued after swallowing her first bite. All he could do was shake his head helplessly.


    Seeing as he was not going to win against her anyways, Srinivas took his own food and started to eat.


    They both breezed through their dinner in a matter of 10 minutes. Srinivas cleaned up the mess left behind while Shreya sat back leaning on her couch fully content with her hands resting over her stomach.


    "God! I am so full that my eyes are drooping on their own!" Shreya said.


    His lips twitched at her teasing but he did not really react. He just gave her a look and went on with the work at hand.


    Shreya pouted and closed her eyes stubbornly. Once he was done, Srinivas came back to the couch and pulled on her cheeks hardly.


    "Ouch!" Shreya exclaimed. This time it really did hurt. Her cheeks turned slightly pink when he pulled back his hands.


    Srinivas just gave her a look without explaining anything.


    Shreya pouted but still, she relented at last and took her phone and showed him the text she had sent Zee. It was a photo of him and another lady from the mall. He had just helped her pick up some stuff from the ground when she dropped and helped to the elevators. He was just being a gentleman. On its own, it was not harmful. But then Shreya had captioned it by saying.


    ''They look so cute together, don''t they? I am playing cupid!''


    "Shreya! I asked you to poke around a tortoise''s shell not throw a stone at the tiger''s den." Srinivas mumbled helplessly.


    "Well, you are the one trying to date a tigress�� not me! Tigress''s don''t come out with just a harmless poke. You need something stronger!" Shreya said proudly.


    "She is never going to be able to trust me ever!" Srinivas declared.


    "She has to be able to let you in first for her to trust! And that wouldn''t happen without a hard push�� not with Zee and this is your opening. Use it to your advantage��" Shreya answered and then tapped away in her cell.


    Srinivas became quiet without really saying anything.


    Shreya then showed him the CCTV camera video''s of the whole incident on her phone and said, "I already sent her this just now�� It''s your ability how you make use of it! She also knows you had nothing to do with the incident! And she knows I am too lazy to lie too��"


    Srinivas comprehended everything for a second before getting up and turned towards Shreya as he said, "Come on. I will take you home now��" After that, without really giving Shreya the chance to refuse, he dragged her to the elevator.


    Shreya did not protest. She was done with all the works for the day anyways.


    All the way to her apartment, Srinivas stayed absolutely quiet while his eyes had a distant look in them showing how much pre-occupied he was.


    As soon as they entered her apartment, Srinivas started instructing, "Lock the doors behind me and look through the peephole before opening the doors for anyone." His voice was slightly hurried but it did not hear as if he was impatient or anything.


    He then turned around to leave.


    Shreya suddenly remembered something and called out, "Wait!" She then tapped away on her phones and said, "She is at a club�� I sent you the address."


    Srinivas walked back into the apartment and approached Shreya and pecked on her forehead and said sincerely, "Thank you��"


    "You are welcome�� I just want to see you two happy�� I want to see her happy. She had enough suffering to last a lifetime. It''s about time that changed��" Shreya said solemnly.


    He smiled and said, "I will give it my best shot. I promise. Sleep tight!" he said and at last, exited the apartment and came back to the car.


    He stayed there thinking for a while before deciding and pulling out of the apartment.

 Chapter 223 - Who gave you the right to meddle in MY life?

    Srinivas patiently waited outside Zee''s apartment. He sat down beside the door bunching his legs in front of him.


    Even though the security around Zee was eased a bit since Naren did not seem to be concerned with Zee, Shreya still had someone drive Zee around to wherever she went. So, it would be really much of use to wait for her outside the club. And no matter what, Zee never stayed over the whole night anywhere. She always comes back to her apartment.


    By the time Zee stumbled back to her apartment completely exhausted, it was well past midnight.


    She stopped in her track seeing the figure waiting for her. She recognized him right away which just pissed her off so much more than she already was. When did she start recognizing vague shadows of a person in dark corridors? When did she start having that much interest in a person outside of work?


    She did not like these questions and nor the answers.


    "What are you doing here?" She asked straight away with an irritated voice.


    Srinivas''s lips twitched at her tone. He leisurely got up from his place and went ahead and pressed is the thumb on the security lock. And the doors unlocked after a beep. He opened the doors as waiting for Zee to go in first without saying a word.


    Zee glared at him. She really wished she could beat that sickeningly happy smile off his face. Because she knew he was probably amused at her expense. She still stomped into the apartment without arguing.


    She went in and straight-up crashed on her couch head first without really bothering to take off her shoes. Her purse landed unceremoniously on the floor with a clinking sound.


    Srinivas just shook his head sighing before picking up after her. He first switched on some lights. Then he placed her purse at the table and then came back and removed her heels.


    He got used to her like that from when he was following her around like a hawk.


    "Switch off the lights!" Zee''s voice commanded and he instantly dimmed the lights in the living room.


    "Come on. Go back to your room and sleep. You will get sore muscles in the morning if you end up sleeping here." Srinivas said then coming to sit beside her on the floor.


    As soon as her head hit the cushions, her exhaustion came back to her.


    She did not even have the energy to get angry.


    "Why did you come here?" Zee mumbled weakly. She barely had the strength to keep her eyes open. She shifted her head and snuggled into the couch''s pillow. This was her habit from forever. Srinivas had seen it each and every day for as long as he had been with her.


    She would just tire herself to the point where she could practically pass out before coming back home to actually pass out. It is almost like she is afraid to come back home any less exhausted. It was almost like she couldn''t fall asleep without being at the verge of going unconscious when she reaches home.


    "I just came to see you��" Srinivas replied. His voice unconsciously became soft as his hands caressed over her head.


    "Why do you have to show up in front of me?" She mumbled irritated this time keeping her eyes half-open.


    "Why? You don''t like it when I am in front of you?" Srinivas asked as calmly as ever.


    "I don''t like it�� You are already crowding my head�� where would I go if you are going to crowd my apartment too!" Zee said her voice unconsciously became as if she was whining. It was almost like she was throwing a tantrum like a kid.


    Srinivas couldn''t help but let out a chuckle. Although his voice was soft, it still reverberated in the quiet apartment.


    Zee''s eyes flared up all over again. But before she could say anything, Srinivas caressed her head soothingly and said softly, "Okay. Okay. Don''t get angry. I am not smiling anymore. Just get some sleep now. We can talk tomorrow��"


    "I don''t want to talk to you tomorrow!" Zee stuck on to just one piece of his sentence ignoring the rest.


    "Okay�� we won''t talk. Now just get some sleep okay? You look exhausted!" Srinivas still patiently coaxed.


    "Who do you think is the reason for that?" Zee frowning complaining.


    "Okay. It''s my fault okay�� now I will leave you to sleep. I won''t disturb you anymore, okay��? Now go to your room and get some sleep��" He still said calmly and patiently in spite of knowing that Zee was being extremely na?ve and childish.


    Seeing as she was going to keep arguing as long as he was around, Srinivas actually walked out. Anyways, as long as Zee was going to watch what Shreya had sent her, she will know what actually happened. He did not really have to explain anything. So, he needn''t be here and annoy her more than she already was. If he goes overboard, Zee was going to run so far away so fastly that he wouldn''t have the time to blink�� he did not want to see that happen.


    He was a very patient man and he was in no hurry to win a race. So, he can afford to wait.


    Just as the doors clicked, Zee peeks from the corner of her eyes before going to her bed and fell asleep in a blink.


    The next day, Zee stormed into Shreya''s office early in the morning looking extremely pissed.


    Shreya just gave her a perfunctory look as she always does before going back to work.


    "It was you, wasn''t it? You did it�� purposely�� He wouldn''t do something like that. He is not good with trickery!" Zee said really pissed. Her voice was seething with annoyance and anger.


    "Not bad. You know him well!" Shreya just said smirking without really bothering to deny or explain.


    "Why did you do that? From when did you start getting nosy? Haven''t you always been too lazy to bother about anybody else''s life?" Zee flared up. She did not even know why she was so angry over a simple prank but she was.


    That small prank had brought out the feeling she had so desperately denied. It brought out the things she did not know she had buried deep inside her heart. She did not like this feeling. It scared her.


    And the fear always came out as anger as long as Zee was concerned. She would never admit she is scared of anyone. Because being scared and not being scared had always been the difference between being alive or being a victim for her. She hated herself being a victim. She had long before promised herself to never be a victim again.


    "I have always been nosy but had been just too lazy to care so far when it came to you since you did not like it." Shreya just answered still very indifferently.


    "So, why now? Why did you do that?" Zee pressed.


    "I just wanted to test whether you are lying to others or lying to yourself�� I guess it is a bit of both seeing you��" Shreya answered.


    Zee just glared at Shreya without really replying to anything.


    "Stop lying to yourself, Zeenath. You want to let someone in�� you want to be happy with someone. Just because you keep saying you do not need anybody in your life doesn''t make it true." Shreya just lectured sternly.


    But before she could say some more, Zee raised her palm and said, "Stop it, Shreya. Stop it before its too late�� Who do you think you are? Who gave you the right to meddle in MY life? If you think just because I have been around you for a while now will invariably give you the right to poke into mine�� let me tell you�� you are wrong�� You have no right whatsoever. So just stay out of it!" She no longer cared about what she said or did. She was riled up beyond any reason by then.


    Shreya did not even flinch after hearing Zee. She just sat back on her chair and crossed her legs as she looked at Zee calmly and started talking.


    "I know I am a ''nobody'' to you. I have always known that. I know where I stand when it came to you. I would never cross that line. But Srinivas is somebody to me�� and planned or not, you have become someone he cares about. And I care about him�� So, it had nothing to do with you. And I do know too well that I have no right poking into your life�� And I also know that just because I trust you doesn''t mean that you should reciprocate it. I would never cross those lines with you�� And rest assured, this is the first and last time I ever did something for him when it regards to you. So, you may leave now. I am done explaining." Shreya''s voice went ice cold at the end of the sentence.


    Zee turned around walked without a word but before she could leave completely Shreya said one last thing, "Oh, yea. If you have decided to rot in your own personal hell all alone for life�� I wouldn''t meddle in it�� But next time I introduce someone to him for real, don''t go scratching him. You have no right to do that to him either�� not when you have no thought of ever letting him in��"

 Chapter 224 - But his luck had finally run out.

    Srinivas looked at the retreating figure of Zeenath through the corridor with a complicated look. Her boots echoed through the walls as she took each step forward. He just shook his head and went inside Shreya''s office after a knock.


    "What is it?" Shreya asked. The atmosphere around her did not change yet. She was still reeling on what Zeenath had just uttered. She had known Zee the longest of all the people here other than her own family but Zee was that one person she couldn''t really reach on an emotional level. She knew that and understood that to an extend. But it still stung when Zee told her that Shreya had no right to meddle in her affairs. It left her feeling alienated somehow.


    After her parents passed away, Shreya''s world wholly revolved around these people she had trusted until Charan came along. She considered them family. But when one such person told her she was not, she did not know how to feel or react.


    SO, unlike all the time they had been together so far, her stature and tone were distant.


    Not like the one you would use with a friend but one you would use with that of an employee.


    She was leaning back on her chair and looking at him straight into his eyes, but there was no warmth in them.


    "Nothing�� These came in for you��" Srinivas said passing her some envelopes and boxes over. Normally her mails, she would collect them on her way in or way out since very few people have clearance to this floor and Shreya doesn''t really go anywhere in the building out of her office.


    "Why are you bringing this over?" Shreya asked frowning.


    "I was not�� I wanted to give you this��" He said handing over the paper bag to her. "It''s your dress for the evening. You left it at the car��"


    Shreya looked at the bag with some resentment, "Do I really have to wear it?" At last, some sort of emotion seeped into her eyes even if it was only annoyance towards the dress.


    "You were the one who bought it anyways!" He said nonchalantly shrugging his shoulders.


    But before Shreya could respond, someone knocked on the door and before Shreya could even yell to come in, Pritham walked in with a tablet on his hands looking anxious. His steps were almost to point of running when he approached her desk.


    He did not say a word, just handed over the tablet to Shreya straight away. He did not dare to say a word actually because he knew how important this matter was�� And knowing Shreya, he knew someone was going to get absolute hell today. And he was not looking forward to being that person.


    Shreya''s brows frowned, at first, confused but then after skimming through the screen, her face instantly darkened while her eyes flared. There was a surprise on her face but more than that there was also agitation something that is very rare to see in Shreya''s face.


    "How the hell did this happen, Pritham?" Her voice unconsciously became cold and restrained.


    "Even I don''t know�� this was posted in our company forum just now. I took it down�� it had been up for only a few minutes. But many people should have seen it already. It is lunchtime." Pritham explained. Their company forum is run on an Intranet that is not open to the public but only to their employees. So, it was fairly easier to take the photo down�� but the building itself had tens of thousands of employees. SO, it was not easy to track who and all saw the photo and who did not.


    "First make an announcement in the forum�� Sign with my name on it. Anybody who shares the photo hereafter will be sacked immediately�� I want you to contain the news within this building no matter what. I don''t care how you do it. I want you to erase every last post of that photo��" Shreya said and handed him back the tablet as she walked out of the office.


    Her stride was fast but steady as she reached Anne''s office. She did not really knock. She just walked in as she talked, "Sorry, Anne. You need to cut short your lunch."


    Anne and Madhu were both in the office having their lunch. When they heard Shreya, both put down their spoons and looked up. Looking at her serious face, both stood up instantly.


    "What do you need from us, Shreya?" Madhu asked.


    Shreya looked up and gave away the instructions.


    "I need you guys to call up an emergency meeting. I want to see all the heads of the departments in 15 minutes in conference room 12. Broadcast the news building-wide if you have to. Those who don''t show up can go straight to the finance department to get their final payment��"


    Madhu and Anne looked at her bewildered but still nodded their head. Before they could even acknowledge, Shreya was out of the office.


    Srinivas looked over his shoulders as Pritham worked on Shreya''s computer.


    There was a picture of a little girl with Shreya and from the looks of it, the picture was taken from the office cafeteria.


    "Who is this?" Srinivas asked unconsciously. From the time he had been following Shreya he had not seen her with any kid so far. And before that, he never had much contact with Shreya in the first place. And Shreya herself or anyone around her never brought up Charan or Akira into conversation casually in fear they would piss Shreya off. So, it was obvious he wouldn''t know about it.


    Pritham looked away from the system to look at Srinivas for a second. But before he could contemplate whether or not the tell him, Shreya came in and answered for him.


    "That''s Charan''s daughter and Charan is my boyfriend. You will meet him today." Shreya answered coming in to sit on the couch.


    Pritham gave her back the tablet, "This picture is taken at our cafeteria. Most probably that last day you had called Akira over to the office�� So, it should be one of our own��"


    Shreya''s eyes became so cold that it almost looked like ice. Her hands fisted as if they are itching to smash something.


    Pritham did not even dare to continue��


    "This is my own building, damn it. I shouldn''t have to look over my shoulder even here." Shreya hissed. If only her voice was a blade, it would have sliced someone already.


    "Nobody is getting away with this shit."


    Pritham hesitated before continuing, "I have taken down all public posts. But I can''t really do much about the photo being shared in their private chats or saved to the gallery."


    Shreya looked at her watch and said absentmindedly, "I will be taking care of it. Did you track who posted it first in the forum?"


    Pritham just stood there hesitating for a long time. He opened his mouth many times but then closed them at the last moment.


    "I don''t have time for this, Pritham. Spill it��" Shreya said impatiently.


    "They did not even know who the kid was�� they were speculating whether the kid could be your''s�� born secretly when you still young and such. It was mainly posted with malicious intent towards you and not Akira�� If my guess is right, they were probably threatened by your status in the company and wanted to smudge your name to the mud��" Pritham explained.


    "I don''t care about that shit, Pritham. I need a name! That is all��" Shreya said, at last, getting up from the place.


    Unconsciously, Pritham took a step back in reflex reaction even though Shreya did not take any step towards him. Even when he knew her anger was not for him, he still couldn''t calm down his own heart from beating faster in fear.


    "It�� It was your cousin��" Pritham mumbled. He felt like he was going to piss his pants looking at Shreya''s expression. There was an oppressive air around her that made people around her unconsciously feel a chill down their spines.


    "Susmitha?" Shreya asked gritting her teeth. Only she knew how pissed she really was thinking it was one of her own family.


    After all, Shreya was someone who regarded family above all else�� blood-related or not�� those whoever she considered as her family, she always kept them in high regard. She expected absolute loyalty from them and in return, she could do anything for them.


    Pritham shook his head and mumbled another name, "Your other cousin�� Mithun."


    Shreya''s eyes became a bottomless pit by then.


    If he were Mithun, Pritham would have wished he was not born. Just by looking at Shreya, he could already guess the kind of hell that is going to be waiting for him.


    If this had involved just Shreya, he would have probably gotten away with it as he always does�� but his luck had finally run out. Without really knowing what he was doing, he had ended up crossing Shreya''s bottom line. Now, he is not even going to know what hit him before he goes unconscious.

 Chapter 225 - I can already see his colorful future!

    Shreya''s eyes remained stagnant for just a few extended minutes before her eyes regained her vigor as she came to a decision. She got up from the couch and strode to the file cabinet on the wall beside her desk.


    After looking around for a while, she pulled a file out. She flipped open and took a few pages out and handed the rest over to Pritham and instructed in her every so bossy tone.


    "Post this in gossip sights. Remember to pin it to the top searches. And also make copies of the termination order and post them in every department''s bulletin board. You will receive them in a while. I want each and every employee to see this�� I want them to know the exact consequences of messing up with me," Shreya said and went out without waiting for his reply.


    Shreya briskly walked to Anand''s office and entered the room without really bothering to knock as always.


    "Uncle, ask someone to draw up the order for dismissal of Mithun�� I don''t want him anywhere near this building after today�� And this should help with the other directors." Shreya came straight to point without really batting around the bush. She handed over the pages she had taken out of the file. She did not even have the time or patience to explain anything.


    Only after saying that she noticed Akash was actually there too.


    Both of them looked at Shreya shocked for a second. Akash more than Anand. After all, Akash was one person who knew how much Shreya had bent her back to accommodate both the ungrateful cousins. Even Susmitha would be still in the company if it had not been for the fact that Susmitha got into trouble when Shreya was not there to cover her back.


    But both of them really couldn''t do much except to watch it from the sidelines helplessly all this while. So, after seeing all that, this sentence would obviously send a shock wave in their senses. But Shreya did not really give them the time to slowly understand the situation.


    Seeing Akash, she just instructed all over again.


    "Good, you are here too. Put out a word. Nobody ever hires Mithun or Susmitha in their companies if they want to work with us��" She then turned and walked back out.


    "We are blacklisting them?" Akash asked doubtfully looking at her retreating figure. After all, this change was too sudden to comprehend.


    Shreya did not really even bother turning around. She just said a straight forward, "Yes�� we are�� now get to work. If he makes noise about it, I want to sue him for this. So, send a copy of it to Harshad," And left behind dumbfounded men.


    Both the men looked through the pages curiously.


    "Damn! You are telling me Shreya had this with her all this time!?" Akash exclaimed surprised.


    It was evidence against the embezzlement of company funds and other financial frauds committed by Mithun. Knowing, Shreya, she had probably compensated the company for it a long time back but still kept the evidence to use them at times of need like now.


    Anand took a minute before asking, "What the hell did they do this time?"


    "Whatever it is, too bad for them, Shreya did not like it��" Akash answered his dad and got up from his place.


    "You draft the order, I will go find out what hell they had provoked this time��" Akash said as he walked out of his dad''s office. He noticed that Shreya had actually walked towards the elevators.


    First, when he passed Anne''s office, he peeked in to see both Madhu and Anne working furiously.


    He entered after a knock and asked, "What happened?"


    Both the ladies did not even bother pulling up their heads to look at him.


    "No idea, actually. All I know was, Shreya suddenly popped up when we were having our lunch and asked to call an emergency meeting of all the heads of the departments in half an hour with mandatory attendance. Now, go away Akash, I still have a lot to do and from the looks of it, Shreya is already on her way to the meeting room." Madhu said swinging her hands dismissively at Akash.


    Akash looked at her for a minute before walking out without adding another word seeing as Madhu was extremely busy.


    Just as he closed the doors, he noticed the voices in Shreya''s office in spite of Shreya walking in the straight opposite direction.


    When he walked into Shreya''s office, he found Pritham and Srinivas reading something sitting on the couch.


    "What the hell happened?" He asked the same question all over again. After all, he had been discussing somethings with Anand when it was posted and the photo itself stayed only for a matter of minutes. So, there was no way he could know what was happening.


    Pritham looked up.


    "Why is Shreya suddenly screwing over Mithun?" Akash asked before Pritham could even open the mouth.


    Pritham did not bother explaining. He once again pulled out his tablet and handed him over the screenshots of the original post he had taken.


    "No wonder Shreya seem so pissed." Akash acknowledged after seeing the photo. He could clearly see the miseries in Mithun''s future.


    "What is she planning?" Akash asked looking at Pritham.


    Srinivas extended the files in his possession. Akash flipped through it skimming over the pages.


    You have to understand, Mithun is as snobbish a person as one can get. He regards his own status and image above all. He has a clean image as the eldest male member of the family. He would even let people speculate that one day he would become the heir to the company and that Shreya is just a figurehead and that without him, she would be nothing.


    And in order to maintain that image and the status he claims outside, he actually spends a lot. Between entertaining clients to showing off his cars�� his spending is as high as it can get. But after losing the shares in Sri corp., between the capital to start a new company for his dad and his salary�� his expenses could hardly be met.


    Shreya had proof of his debt outside�� from how many months they had been outstanding to how much mortgage he had taken, she had doc.u.ments for everything. He is practically drowning in debt.


    But the highlight of it all is that he actually had a family outside. A second wife and a son. He had hidden it well, but it was a piece of cake to find out for Shreya. And she had. She had pictures of both the families taken with him on the same days at different places.


    Since both of his wives were just as snobbish as him and since taking a loan was not exactly a crime, she had just kept it a secret for then. But now that it was out��


    Shreya really knew where to hit and how to hit. If this comes out, Mithun will be done. The so-called image and the status he had maintained so far will hit a rock bottom when she is done with him. On top of it, since she was firing him- even his claims of how Shreya looks up to him will also become redundant. He won''t be able to show his face to the public.


    And since he and Susmitha like partying so much and also likes to show off, they are very famous with the media outlets, unlike Shreya or Akash. Shreya and Akash barely come in front of the media, so only very few people recognize them outside of the business circle. Even though ''Srivastav'' itself is a name that every household recognizes, nobody knows anything more to add to it.


    At least, that was the case until Susmitha exposed Shreya with her photo, name, and identity.


    "I can already see his colorful future! He is going to be trashed like a ragged doll between his wives. And the media is going to have a field day." Akash commented.


    "Between his impending divorce and his debt, I think he would have to apply for bankruptcy very soon��" Pritham pitched in.


    "Forget about bankruptcy, between his two wives, I am afraid he would end up in a mental institution in no time!" Akash replied sarcastically looking at his wives'' information.


    "Not just his image, don''t you think even the company image will get a hit if this gets out��?" Srinivas pitched in for the first time drawing the attention of the others.


    "He is getting fired today. More like now�� Shreya is probably there screwing him over at his office. Once the company makes the official announcements, the company as such shouldn''t have much blowbacks." Akash explained.


    "Where is Shreya?" Srinivas asked at last. After all, given the situation, he was not sure Shreya would have the patience to actually call him if she wanted to go out.


    "Ask Anne. Shreya had ordered an emergency meeting. She is probably there now��" Akash answered going back to do his work while Srinivas went to Anne''s office.

 Chapter 226 - I miss you guys…

    When Srinivas reached the conference room, it was filled with people in suits with Shreya sitting at the head of the table.


    She was sitting leaning back on the chair with her legs crossed. She looked as arrogant as ever.


    Everyone around seemed scared out of their wits already. For one, the notice for the meeting was so short and on the other hand, the notice also said, those who don''t show are going to be sacked without reason.


    And on top of it, there was only Shreya when they came into the conference room. She was sitting with her legs hoisted over the table. Her head leaning back completely and her eyes closed. Only when the conference room was fully filled that Shreya pulled down her legs.


    Even when they couldn''t see her eyes, somehow they could already see the dark vibe coming from her. She looked like she was restraining herself from burning the world to hell by a thin thread.


    Shreya, at last, broke the silence and started talking.


    "You guys should know my position in this company by now and the power I hold. You should also know about the photo uploaded this morning and the announcement that came along with it��"


    She paused and looked around to make sure everyone knows how serious she was.


    "So, far I let things slide not because I am easy going but because I am too lazy to care. But that doesn''t mean I am going to do nothing even when my own employees are mocking on my back�� Go to your own departments and make sure every last person under you understands��"


    "Nobody has the right to comment on me or my private life or any person around me. I see even one of my pictures leak from this building or circulated�� I don''t care if you had just sent it to your very best friend�� they will be sacked. And I will make sure they won''t be able to get a job anywhere ever again within this country�� And you guys will be held responsible too."


    "I don''t care if you have to individually go to each employee under you and check their phones personally and delete them- no photo of mine is to leave this building�� If someone had already shared them outside, make sure they know the consequences they will be facing if the photo gets out."


    "Dismissed��"


    As soon as Shreya said that, there was dead silence for one extended minute as everyone dazedly tried to comprehend everything Shreya just said. But when Shreya gave them a look asking what they were still doing there, every single person scrambled from their places clumsily and ran towards the doors in haste.


    Srinivas got out of the way until everyone was out of the room before going in. Shreya was once again sitting with her legs hoisted over the tables.


    "Your phone��" Srinivas said sliding the phone towards her.


    Shreya gave it a look but did not reach for them. She just sat there��


    "That little girl should be something if she can make you behave like this��" He commented leaning on the conference table beside her.


    Shreya''s face unconsciously softened when he mentioned Akira. Her lips twitched as she said, "She is the single most important person in my life, Srinivas�� I really wouldn''t know what I might end up doing if anything ever happened to her."


    Srinivas could already imagine the gruesome hell Shreya might awaken if anything ever happened to that little girl.


    With just one picture, she had already flipped the whole building over�� so, one doesn''t need much of an imagination to guess how much worse it was going to be if anything really did happen.


    "You will probably end up break all hell lose and burn everything in your way!" He commented looking at her.


    Shreya''s lips twitched but she cannot refute his words because he is probably right about that.


    "When are you meeting Mithun?" Srinivas asked next.


    "As soon as his order of termination is ready��" Shreya replied. After a while, she actually sat up on her chair and looked at Srinivas and asked, "Call up Andrew for me��"


    Srinivas took up his phone and dialed the number without really asking anything. He was good like that�� he doesn''t have many questions. Even if he did have questions, Srinivas always asked them after doing his bidding first.


    He silently handed Shreya the phone as soon as it connected.


    "Andrew, this is Shreya��" She said. After a short pause, she continued and asked, "Where are they?" Her voice was especially low when she asked that as if she was second-guessing herself as she was asking.


    Andrew''s reply couldn''t be heard from this end.


    But after hearing the reply, Shreya''s eyes softened. After another long pause, she asked Andrew to make a video and send her.


    Another 5 minutes passed, and the conference room was filled with the sound of Akira playing on the swing while her bright smile sparkled the whole room with bliss while Charan stood guard behind her. Shreya stared at the big screen in the conference with such reverence that it almost looked as if she was trying to find a way to jump into the screen.


    It was a very short video�� barely lasted 2 minutes. Shreya watched it over and over again.


    "I miss you guys��" She mumbled softly before stopping the video and getting up from her place. By then she had watched it for at least a dozen times.


    "Ask Zack to send some more people over to help Andrew��" Shreya said as she walked out he corridor with Srinivas hot on his trails.


    "You seriously think anyone here is going to ever breathe about this to outside after a scare you just gave them?" Srinivas asked with an amused smile. For someone who was used to seeing Shreya for someone who tried so hard to put everyone around her in ease, seeing her making grown man piss in their pants- let''s just say it was quite a sight!


    "People need a good scare every now and then but that doesn''t mean someone else cannot be more scary. This will get out one day or another�� And I do not want to be caught off guard when that happens��"


    "Okay, I will inform him��"


    "I might even transfer you over depending upon how things pan out here��" Shreya continued as they entered the elevator.


    "Where are we going now?" Srinivas asked seeing as Shreya did not press the button to the lobby.


    "To screw my cousin!" Shreya said with a slightly sinister smile. She took her phone out to check on the things Pritham had sent her over.


    He did not just send the soft copies of the evidence she had given with the termination letter. But he also added the things he found out about how the photos came to be.


    Mithun must have had accomplices within this building. After all, he had no expertise in covering his tracks, and even though he did a clumsy job at it, he did try to cover his tracks. If only Akira was not in the picture and if only it was so integral to keep her identity anonymous for her safety, Shreya wouldn''t have even batted an eye towards this issue. Let alone actually investigate it.


    Maybe that is why Mithun actually looked down on her ability and did something so stupid.


    Srinivas just followed her around without asking anything more.


    Shreya moved around several halls attracting attention from employees. Many who had been lazily strolling back to their cabins after lunch sped their steps in a rush.


    Some really courageous ones even greeted her from a distance. It maybe herself or the presence of Srinivas�� for some reason, nobody actually dared to approach her.


    Shreya, at last, stopped at the doors of the office with the title ''Manager''. She just pushed the doors and marched in as rudely as ever. Three sets of eyes met with hers. Their faces were frozen in an awkward shape since they had stopped their laughter abruptly.


    Shreya leisurely leaned on the door frames and smirked as she said in a lazy voice.


    "Well, what do we have here? Accomplices?" She asked with her brows arched mockingly. She then stuffed her hands into her jean pockets and walked to the table and leaned on it facing the couch they were all sitting then.


    None of them actually gained their senses yet. They were still reeling on the fact that Shreya actually showed up when they were conspiring against her. Their mind felt as if they were short-circuited.


    "Let me guess�� one of you helped him upload the photo on his behalf while the other probably helped him cover his tracks. But sadly enough, I still tracked it back to him." Shreya leisurely crossed her legs while playing with the paperweight on the table behind.


    "Mithun�� this is my building. Did you seriously think you could get away with this just because you had someone erase the CCTV feed of you take the photo? You''re more idiotic than I gave you credit for��"


    That is when all the three came back to their senses.


    "Shreya, what are you doing here?" Mithun asked first.


    While the other two stood up at their places�� all the blood drained from their faces making them look sick.

 Chapter 227 - Do not touch my bottom line, Mithun.

    Shreya did not bother with him. She just went back to the table and sat down on his chair as leisurely as ever as if it was her own office. She kneeled her elbows in the chair handles and leaned back as if she had all the time in the world. She took her time before saying anything making them sweat.


    "You two�� you guys can go to the HR department and collect your termination letters. It should be ready by now. I am not stupid enough to feed the mouth that''s stabbing me on my back��"


    Both the men panicked instantly. But before they could even think about saying anything, Shreya gave them a glare and said, "Save it. It''s no use begging now. Just get lost before I end up suing you guys for infringing my privacy." Her face was ice cold but at the same time, they were also indifferent as is she was dealing with them was similar to dealing with flies.


    If anything, she hated betrayal. She could even forgive Mithun�� not because he was family but because she had expected this from him. He got his recklessness and arrogance from being spoilt by her and by being a ''Srivastav'' all his life.


    But these two did not know fear and did something out of sheer greed�� she cannot employ people who can be tempted so easily. She cannot employ people who do not succ.u.mb to fear but follows desire.


    The two of the men''s eyes widened but then they turned over and looked at Mithun for help. But all they got was an indifferent look from him. He can''t really be bothered about insignificant people like them who can''t do their jobs right in the first place.


    Once again, Shreya pitched in and said, "Don''t worry. Even he will be right behind you. It''s just since he is my cousin, I thought the least I could do was give him his termination letter personally. Now, out�� Don''t make me tell this the third time�� you won''t be able to face the consequences of that. And you better learn from today and keep your mouth shut after getting out. Or else, making you two disappear is not even a job to me��" She dismissed them with the hand gesture.


    The two guys stumbled around and scrambled out of the room. You can''t really fault them for that, Shreya''s eyes told them how utterly serious she was�� so, their reaction is given.


    "You can''t do this, Shreya�� You need at least 5 directors'' approval for firing me and none of them is going to sign it just because I took some pictures and posted it online!" Mithun said arrogantly sitting back on the couch. He had an indifferent face as if he had expected this much and made prior arrangements.


    Shreya let out a giggle.


    Even though Mithun is purely only an employee, he still had some influence on the company management and he had clients backing too. It mainly came from giving out and accepting benefits for every deal he ever made. So, he had a strong footing within Sri corp. At least, he thought he did.


    "I don''t know if you are so confident in your abilities or pretending to be confident knowing you are screwed. But either way, it''s going to be so fun proving you wrong��" Shreya said sitting back on the chair. Just as the words left her lips, someone knocked on the door.


    "Come in��" Shreya yelled and gave Mithun an amused smirk.


    "You should have stayed there quietly with your tails tucked in when I was letting things slide. Now, you have run out of luck just like your dear sister��"


    The guy who came in did not know what was happening but Mithun glared at him fiercely. He just stood there frozen for a second without knowing whether to go ahead or not. After all, this was Mithun''s office.


    Srinivas chuckled and helped him out by taking the envelope from him and dismissed him to his absolute relief.


    "Brat!" Srinivas said to himself and handed over the envelope to Shreya.


    She took it and read it with a lazy expression. Her lips twitched sweetly as she said, "Would you look at that�� all the directors unanimously approved your termination!"


    Mithun''s face changed instantly as he exclaimed and got up from the couch startled, "What??" He pulled the papers away from Shreya in one swift move shocked.


    Shreya smirked at him as his eyes swept through the pages. As he went through the evidence she had collected all this while, his eyes widened precariously.


    "Like I said you guys should have known your place and behaved when I was giving you the chance. Now, get lost." She said her eyes flaring at last. She did not even wait for Mithun to answer. She straight-up walked to the doors.


    Because she knew Mithun would not really have the face to actually beg and he does not have the ability to force his way through this either. So, all he can do now is grit his teeth and accept the reality of the situation.


    "And remember to warn your family to behave hereafter. This is the last time I let you guys get away with scheming against me in the name of family. Next time this happens, trust me, you won''t be able to live anywhere in this country peacefully. Do not touch my bottom line Mithun. You won''t be able to bear the consequences�� Oh, by the way, you will be able to get a glimpse of what I can do if you check your phones. This is just a trailer. I can do worse. So, be wise when you make the decision��" Shreya warned and left the office leaving behind Mithun to check his phones.


    He did not even have to search around to know what Shreya was talking about. He almost dropped his phones. Uncontrollable rage took over him as he walked out of the office to catch up with Shreya.


    "You bitch!" He yelled as he approached her from behind.


    But just short of being able to grab on to her arms, his hand was caught by an iron grip and the next second his hand got twisted to his back painfully. It was so harsh that he felt as if his arm is being cracked.


    "Owe, owe, ouch�� Let go, you bastard. Do you know who I am? You are going to be so dead!" Mithun yelled hysterically.


    No matter how much he tried, he couldn''t take back his hands. His struggles were feeble against Srinivas''s iron-clad grip.


    Shreya turned around and looked at him.


    It was a huge hall filled with open cabins for at least 100 employees. Every last person in the hall went silent. They did not even dare to breathe loudly as they watched the events unfolding.


    Shreya''s eyes were ice cold and her voice, so much more fierce.


    "Do you really want everyone to know how pathetic you really are? If you want to keep even a bit of dignity for your so-called image, behave yourself and get out of my building��"


    In that frozen hall, her voice reverberated like a sledgehammer making everyone shiver in fear.


    Mithun was not even in the right mind to actually listen and comprehend what Shreya was telling. His mind was filled with blinding rage. He kept struggling even though all his efforts were of no use against Srinivas who was calm as ever. If eyes could only kill, Mithun''s eyes would have already burned Shreya alive by then.


    But Shreya just stared back at it unflinching. Her jaws were tightened as if her anger was held on by a thin thread.


    Thankfully, security guards came in by then and retrained Mithun back from Srinivas''s grip.


    "He is not allowed into this building ever again��" her order rang loud and clear through the hall.


    "Yes, ma''am��" The security guard acknowledged promptly.


    "Let him pack his stuff and escort him out personally. Don''t let him out of your sight." She turned back and left with Srinivas.


    Nobody moved for a long time except for Mithun struggling with all his energy.


    "Wow! That was so cool!" one of the employees exclaimed followed by others and the whole hall became chaotic in seconds.


    At the elevator, Shreya leaned back to the farthest wall and closed her eyes. You could see her trying to calm herself down.


    Srinivas rubbed the top of her head comfortingly.


    Minutes ticked by�� when she opened her eyes back up, the fierceness had reduced considerably.


    "Bring more people over to the banquet!" Shreya said out of the blue.


    "I have already asked Zack to send me two more guys with me," Srinivas explained.


    "No�� it won''t be enough. I need you to flood that place with our people." Shreya clarified her intentions without giving any reason.


    As always Srinivas agreed at first and straight-up divulged the information to Zack. Zack was the person responsible for the delegation of security people. So, only he could make this happen.


    Once making sure that Zack understood what he needed, Srinivas kept his phone aside and looked at Shreya.

 Chapter 228 - Lets go kick some ass…

    By then, they were back at her office and Pritham and Akash were nowhere to be seen.


    "You want to tell me why you need so many people when you are supposed to just act like a na?ve crazy girl and come out?" he asked as soon as Shreya sat on her chairs.


    "Because I have changed my intentions. I am not going to act. I am done hiding. Today, Naren and everyone there is going to know who I really am and what I am capable of. We are going to crash his party today��" She replied. Her lips were smirking but there was something dark about it�� almost evil.


    Shreya was tired of hiding now�� she did not want to anymore.


    Just because she kept hiding her true self, everyone seems to look down on her. Personally, Shreya was least bothered about what people thought of her or how they treated her or saw her. She knew what she was and when the time comes, she knew how to use those abilities to get what she wanted.


    So, the people''s mocking gazes and their presumptions were not something she gave a thought to. But it changed this morning.


    Just because nobody knew who she was and what she can do, things like today morning had happened. People seem to take her for granted. If it had just involved Shreya herself, she still wouldn''t have bothered. But it involved Akira�� that suddenly triggered something in her.


    She decided she was going to make very sure every person around her is going to know exactly what she is capable of so that they wouldn''t even dare to touch or think of her or the people around her.


    "Are you sure you want to face them heads on? All three of them?" Srinivas asked.


    "They still wouldn''t know what hit them! I am tired of playing this hide and seek�� it about time we end the game!" Shreya said and took her phone to send a text.


    "I am going to end this shit in two months. One way or another," Shreya said keeping her phone back down.


    "Why are you being so hurried all of sudden? Don''t make rash decisions when you are being angry, Shreya! It will be hardly ever the right one!" Srinivas advised.


    Shreya just gave him a look without really knowing where to start her explanation.


    Yes, she was angry�� more angry than she had ever been in a long time. The last time she was this angry was probably when Akira was kidnapped. And in all probability, only Akira will be able to make Shreya lose her cool like this. Shreya herself knew that�� she was emotional at the moment. She can''t deny that.


    But her decision was not emotional. Shreya knew more than anyone what is at stake if she ended up screwing this up. So, she was the most cautious person of all. But today''s event brought out a question in her. That may be because of her over-cautious nature, she might miss the most suitable time to strike and mess things up just like how she had did with her two cousins.


    Her gut was telling her to go ahead and that this was the perfect time to attack.


    And also, after seeing Charan and Akira on a screen today, she suddenly had this unshakable feeling�� that it was too much of a waste of her time to follow the bad guys when she could be right there with them right this moment. And that she can go there to them only if she can extricate herself out of this mess.


    But the most concerning thing for her that led her to this decision is the photo that got exposed of Akira today�� she knew, for now, they had contained it. With the scare she had given her people today, nobody will breathe about it for a while. But she can''t contain it forever. And when the time comes when the photo is exposed along with her relationship to Akira�� and with the way things are with the syndicate right now�� Shreya is afraid something similar to the kidnapping episode will happen again. And last time, it was really fortunate that it was local thugs with no real skills to hide or fight��


    But if the same is organized by Naren�� she did not have the confidence to say that she can be sure nothing will happen to Akira�� especially if it was a surprise attack�� And God knows what she will end up doing if they even touch a hair in Akira''s head�� she would be as far away from being rational as a person could possibly be.


    Shreya ran her hands over her face harshly before just saying, "Trust me, Srinivas. I know what I am doing�� this is not out of anger."


    Srinivas did not ask anything more. A few minutes later, everyone gathered in the room and planned everything. It was mostly Shreya delegating work to each of them and telling them what she was planning. By the time everything was settled down, it was almost time for the banquet.


    Srinivas waited downstairs with the car ready while Shreya walked down after a quick shower. But she was still in a ripped up jeans and a really baggy black sweatshirt with a hoody. The hoody even had kitty ears attached to it. Her hair that came just to her shoulders was as unruly as ever from being dried messily after the shower.


    Srinivas gave her a once over and looked at his own formal black suit with the black tie and white shirt. He thought she was just kidding when she said she can go in her sweats. After all, this was a formal high-end banquet with a heavy media presence�� Even if she was not intimidated by it, Srinivas thought, the least she would try and put some effort to look formal. Guess, he figured her wrong after all.


    "You are looking handsome!" Shreya commented taking out her phones and snapping a picture.


    Srinivas did not bother. He had gotten used to her quirks. So, instead, he opened the door to the backside for her. Once she got in, he got in from the other side and asked the driver to start the car. One more car pulled behind then with Andrew behind the wheels.


    "Did you ever actually put some effort into actually looking presentable?" Srinivas asked curiously. Because as far as he had seen her and after today, he was doubtful anything could ever hassle her enough to put much effort into dressing up.


    Shreya frowned her brows and thought hard before her eyes brightened and said excitedly, "I did dress up when I went to see Charan''s parents. I even wore a skirt!!!" She had a proud grin for her accomplishment.


    "Then I guess, I have to wait for you to get married to see you like that again!" Srinivas said rolling his eyes.


    "Speaking of partners. What did you say to Zee last night? Why is she still high on her horses?" Shreya asked frowning.


    "I did not get to say anything actually. She was exhausted when she came from the club. She could barely keep her eyes open enough to open her doors let alone actually talk��" Srinivas explained.


    Shreya just nodded her head and did not ask anything more.


    It took them a while to swim through the evening traffic to reach their destination. It was one of the hotels owned by Naren himself. So, the whole hotel was bustling already.


    It was not just a birthday banquet but also a great opportunity to connect with people and talk about business in an informal setting over a drink.


    So, almost everyone in the business community had shown up for this banquet year in and year out. This banquet had been happened for a long while now. Something that started as a meeting of close business partners and clients had slowly grown into something of a huge festive over the year.


    So, when Srinivas approached the entrance, it was almost like a red carpet event already filled with people to brim. The media people and reporters were on high spirits clicking away at will and enthusiastically asking questions.


    "I hate crowded places. Especially the ones filled with people like them��" Shreya mumbled as they stopped a good distance away from the whole chaos because of the congestion of vehicles.


    "What kinda people?"


    "The kind that can smile to your face and stab you in your back without blinking an eye��" Shreya replied looking outside the windows.


    "Well, you have people like that everywhere. Not just here??"


    "I know. That is why I have so little interaction with people in general!" Shreya answered shrugging her shoulders.


    He just chuckled in response. He should have guessed that answer from Shreya after all.


    Just then, the car reached the red carpets while reporters gave the car a curious look waiting for the doors to be opened.


    "Are you ready for this?" Srinivas asked as he unlocked the doors.


    "Let''s get this over with! Let''s go kick some ass��" Shreya said exhaling and getting ready to get out.

 Chapter 229 - Wasn’t she supposed to be depressed?

    The whole crowd at the entrance stopped and uncontrollably took a second look at the car that was standing.


    Some people recognized the car and their faces went pale instantly. They were looking at the car as if they were seeing a ghost from the past. While those who did not recognize the car were confused by the dramatic effect the other around was giving them.


    After all, the car itself does not really stand out in any special way. From the outside, it just looks like any other luxury sedan. The only peculiar thing about it is probably the lack of any brand symbolization and there is also the number plate that had a fancy number with just one big ONE.


    But those who were in the media when Adithya Srinivas was still around, they could recognize the car like the back of their own hands. This car was a very famous and very scary existence back then.


    This car was custom designed and made by Adithya. There was absolutely no duplicate to it. NO one knew its design or features ever. There was also no estimate of its cost or speed. Nobody knows anything about the car except that the car belonged to The only Adithya Srivastav.


    Many people took a fancy to the car and asked Adithya to make something similar�� but Adithya always refused it without hesitation.


    The car was a feared existence for both the media and paparazzi. NO matter how desperate they were for the scoop on Shreya''s parents, nobody ever dared to follow this one car. Because they were terrified they would cause an unexpected accident and they wouldn''t be able to afford the compensation. Even the companies they worked for had strict rules to stay away from the car.


    Such a car had disappeared from existence when Adithya and his wife passed away never to be seen again�� until now.


    So, it was not really such a surprise that they would react as such.


    Shreya got down from the car as lazily as ever with her hoody over her head. Since her sweatshirt was really very baggy for her size, her hoody was also so much bigger than her head almost covering the whole of her face.


    In her sneakers and torn jeans, she looked like a really bratty college student rather than the heir to the most prestigious family in the country.


    Shreya pulled down her hoodie and tussled her own hair languishing. Her eyes wandered around without giving care to anything or anybody around as if she was actually looking at a furniture or something rather than a heap of people who are busybodies.


    "Damn! That''s Shreya Srivastav!!" Someone exclaimed softly but in that still atmosphere, it still resonated bringing everyone out of their trance. As if their butts were being burnt with fire or something, everyone came back to their senses, and instantly camera''s started flashing rapidly as Shreya laxly ran her hands over her hair and hoisted her phone on her back pockets.


    In the chaos someone instinctively asked in a voice louder than intended, "Wasn''t she supposed to be depressed?"


    When the voice was heard out, everything went quiet all over again as everyone looked at Shreya nervously.


    Even if the rookies did not know, all the seasoned reporters knew what arriving in that car meant.


    Shreya was declaring her sovereignty over Sri corp. and also over the legacy left behind by Adithya Srivastav. She was declaring to the world that she was officially claiming the rights to her throne. That throne that gives her the right over almost half of the country as it is��


    So, when one of their own people ends up asking something so stupid, they were, of course, scared to be swallowed whole by the giant that crash-landed on them unannounced. The reporters looked around glaring to find the source of the voice.


    But Shreya just gave them an amused but still extremely arrogant smile and said, "Do I really look stupid enough to be depressed over an asshole?"


    Only one person dared to chuckle in such an atmosphere and that was Srinivas.


    "You completely ruined the atmosphere, idiot!" Shreya complained pouting. Before any of the reporters or people around could react, she stomped on Srinivas''s foot and walked to the stairs.


    Srinivas followed behind her smiling. Two more people followed behind him. They followed Shreya just a step behind her as she strutted through the hotel portico unaffected by all the stares from around.


    Some people were curious while others were uncertain of what was happening. But looking at the entourage following her, nobody dared to stop her even though she was not dressed appropriately.


    By the time they reached the banquet hall, the news had already traveled before they could.


    So, when Shreya entered, there was an eerie silence there with a path cleared for her to walk in.


    Shreya looked around without really giving attention to anybody in particular. It seems the host and her other foes were yet to come. Or they may have left after making an initial sighting.


    Shreya couldn''t really be bothered about anyone else in there. So, she straight-up turned towards the bar and walked with people giving her way very eagerly with a big smile.


    "Bourbon on the rocks��" She ordered the bartender and sat down on the table.


    Only then people came back to their senses and started talking. Seeing that Shreya was not going to socialize, they left her alone�� mostly because they were afraid of the consequences they will have to face if they offended her.


    Shreya did not even give anyone a second glance or bother to actually listen to anything they were saying.


    She just sipped on her drink as soon as it was served.


    Srinivas was beside her all the while but he did not say anything till then.


    "Why is everyone so afraid of you suddenly?" He asked at last not being able to contain his curiosity. After all, Shreya did not really do anything extravagant yet to instill such a reaction�� neither from the media outside nor from the crowd of high and proud business people in this room�� but still, they seemed to be nervous around her.


    He can already say that none of the three they were here to meet is in this hall right that moment. And none of the other people in the country had reached their caliber in the past years.


    "That is my dad''s car�� it is an exclusive car representing the head of Sri corp. by default!" Shreya answered Srinivas very diligently sipping on the alcohol. She took it in small sips. She was not afraid of getting drunk here with everyone around but she still wanted to have a proper conversation with her adversaries. So, she was conscious of the fact not to drink too much.


    But then she was not in the mood for light alcohol now.


    "Wow!" is all that Srinivas could give as a reply.


    After all, it was ingenious and brilliant on one level but also very simple and extremely effective at the same time. There was probably no better way of declaring war.


    "Hey, what did Zee tell you today?" He asked suddenly remembering Shreya''s expression then.


    "You did not hear her?" Shreya asked arching her eyebrows. After all, she saw Srinivas walk into her office just as Zee left.


    "Not from lack of effort. Your office just has very high sound insulation��" Srinivas answered rolling his eyes.


    Shreya''s lips twitched but she did not say anything more.


    "I need to know Shreya��" Srinivas insisted.


    "It has nothing to do with you��" Shreya answered slightly annoyed this time. She couldn''t really control her frustration when she remembered Zeenath''s words this morning in spite of herself. Her voice invariably turned slightly venomous.


    But then something struck her�� she was probably doing and saying the words identical to that of what Zee had said to her this morning.


    So, Shreya looked at Srinivas and reluctantly answered, "She said I have no right to meddle in her affairs whatsoever. That I shouldn''t dare to be nosy about her life. Her life had nothing to do with me."


    Srinivas could clearly see the discomfort and stung in her voice.


    "I''m sorry��" He mumbled. After all, this was something Shreya had done for her sake.


    "I told her I am going to arrange a date for you�� for real this time��" Shreya said once again. This time there was a smirk on her that looked extremely proud.


    Srinivas just shook his head and mumbled, "Evil Brat��"


    "She started it!" Shreya complained disapproving of his accusation.


    "And you ended it right?" Srinivas asked looking straight into her eyes.


    Shreya just pouted and looked away.


    "I am not complaining. She must have pushed you to that point. I know that�� I am sorry you have to go through something like that because I asked you something really stupid."


    Shreya just dismissed it without really even bothering to acknowledge his apologies.


    "You like her doesn''t mean you have to take her blames," Shreya said one last time before sipping on her drink.

 Chapter 230 - Happy birthday, Mr. Naren.

    The whole hall went to an uproar all over again when Naren made his grand entrance walking down the stairs with a glass of wine in his hands.


    He looked dashing in his expensive suit and proud grin. Everyone gathered around him like bees around a flower. Some individuals proposed a toast for him and wished him a prosperous year ahead while others just praised him one way or another about his business and achievements.


    The only exception is, of course, Shreya. She did not even bother to give him a second look as she leisurely sat down on the bar stool with her legs crossed. Her face was buried in her phones.


    When Srinivas curiously peeked over her head, he found that she was actually playing a game. But he did not point her out or comment on it. He just went and stood guard a few feet away from her as always.


    It was almost half an hour later when Naren actually approached them. Shreya was after all the elephant in the room. As soon as he addressed her, he can go back to enjoying his party. Nobody dared to approach her but nobody could ignore her either. Everyone was walking around eggshells because of her presence. He cannot let her ruin his party. As soon as he talks to her and sends her away, he can bring the merry atmosphere back.


    And since he was the host of the party today, it was his responsibility. Even though it was rude of Shreya to not come to him, he still swallowed the difficulty and approached her on himself.


    By then, Shreya was done with her glass of bourbon.


    "One more��" She ordered herself one more when she heard the ever so familiar from beside her telling, "One for me too��"


    Shreya did not bother looking at him. She just took the glass and sipped treating him like air.


    "Gosh, Shreya. You still have shitty taste in booze." Naren complained after taking a sip.


    "I see that you still have the taste of a little girl when it comes to booze��" Shreya smirked mocking him blatantly.


    Naren did not lose him composure though. He had long gotten used to her sharp tongue. But her arrogance still pissed him off. After all, he was not that same immature brat back in school anymore. So, instead of fists, he used his tongue for punches.


    "It has been a long time since I last saw you. You seem well��" Naren commented casually instead as if he had not taken her words to heart and that they were long lost friends meeting after a break. As if they had been best of buddies who knew everything about each other and were just fooling around childishly now.


    Shreya just played along�� for then. But before she could say anything, Naren continued in his same friendly voice.


    "I heard about your parents�� I am extremely sorry for your loss!" His voice was gloating unconsciously even when he was trying to act sympathetic.


    Shreya''s hands stiffened around her glass by reflex instantly. A look of utter menace racked through her face as she looked at him sharply. Even Srinivas''s hands fisted. But it was all gone in a split second.


    But it still did not escape Naren''s eyes. His lips even twitched slightly seeing Shreya''s red eyes. He smirked and said proudly, "It was nothing personal. Just business��" After all, it was very clear from her reaction that she knows. There was no point in hiding. Rather, he could torment her by saying like this. After all, she can''t really do anything to him here��


    Shreya composed herself and let out a dark chuckle that felt as if she was beckoning your soul.


    "Seems like you have matured a lot since I last saw you. You have learned to start using your tongue instead of fists. Very impressive��" She smirked taking another slow sip on her drink.


    Naren smiled pridefully and stayed quiet for a while. But then after a while, he changed the topic and asked, "I heard you made quite an entrance," A car he thought was destroyed in the accident coming back to life�� it can''t get more eye-catching than that.


    And that car had been the subject of envy of almost all rich people for almost a decade now. So, word travels faster regarding such things.


    Shreya let out a small chuckle and asked in a teasing tone, "Why? Are you jealous that I took your spotlight as the birthday boy?"


    Naren let out a chuckle but did not really reply. He just ordered himself another drink to his preference. But his silence was also his default agreement to her statement. But more than jealous, he was furious. He had long gotten used to being treated like a King on this day�� being the center of attention for this party. But today, it was stolen by a girl who was too scared to show her face to the public for years now. How can he tolerate such insult? But then again, he can''t do anything to her in public now. So, all he could do was swallow his anger and act mature and composed.


    She could see right through him. Unlike Naren, she was not someone who is pretending to be mature and composed. Shreya''s lips twitched. But this time there was a sense of darkness in them.


    "You don''t have to worry. You will be the one in the spotlight all day tomorrow�� It will be absolutely memorable for you. I promise��" Shreya said with a sweet adorable smile dancing on her face. If only her eyes were not mocking at him, Naren would have actually thought she said it with good intentions.


    But her eyes�� they told him otherwise. Thus the hand he had extended to take his drink froze in place as he turned and asked.


    "What do you mean, Shreya? What did you do?" Naren''s voice just went up by an octave without him realizing it. His composure was dangling down by a thin thread with just the slightest nudge from Shreya. He was not a coward but he hated himself for being anxious.


    Shreya just grinned as she leaned back on her chair and said, "I can''t come to a birthday party empty-handed now, can I? So, I just prepared a gift for you�� a ticket straight to hell! An hell I designed just for you. With very special regards from my parents... But I can''t really say that you will come to like it though! You might even end up brawling like a little kid when I am done with you��"


    "What did you do Shreya�� I am asking you last time!" Naren asked in a frustrated voice. One thing he absolutely hated was people disrespecting him. Shreya knew that and was purposely pushing his buttons. But even after knowing that, Naren couldn''t control his anger.


    Shreya did not answer. She just arrogantly sipped on her drink while watching like an idiot unbothered.


    Naren being the hot-headed person he was, stood up abruptly. His hands fisted. Her silence was frustrating. Even if he took Shreya for an idiot- which he doubted is the case�� after all, he had known her fairly well when they went out and she was no idiot but even if she was just a pawn used by someone like her uncle or someone after Adithya''s passing�� even then, Naren cannot really take her for granted. Even if by name, she still owned Sri corp. And Sri corp. is one giant mountain they couldn''t cross even when the whole company was pushed to an abyss after Adithya''s passing.


    Even when they had so many illegal means�� they couldn''t crush Sri corp. Naren should give Adithya credit for that�� even if he can be called gullible, Adithya sure knew how to make and run a self-sustainable company.


    So, even if he was not scared of Shreya, he cannot take Sri corp. lightly.


    And moreover, in recent days, his own company had been having problems. Things just did not feel right somehow.


    "Well, that''s the Naren I know�� Only knows how to use his fists and not his brains! Immature�� You are no better even now, after all." Shreya mocked him openly pissing him off more.


    "Don''t be a wuss and pull back your punches now. I will be very disappointed in you��" Shreya continued berating him until Naren actually lost it and pulled Shreya by her collars and his fist landed on her jaws�� or at least he tried to.


    But Shreya dodged it in just the last second.


    When Naren realized what he had done, it was already too late. Everyone around was looking at them with frozen faces and open mouths. He let go of Shreya shocked. This was not the first time something like this had happened with Naren�� but then none of them he beat up was The Shreya Srivastav.


    "I told you right, I wouldn''t steal your spotlight. Happy birthday, Mr. Naren. Good luck. You are going to need it hereafter��" Shreya mocked whispering against his ears.

 Chapter 231 - So, you better behave…

    Naren''s eyes widened when he realized that he had walked straight into the pit she had dug for him.


    "You�� You did that on purpose��" He flared up once again. But this time around, Srinivas came to stand between him and Shreya like a damn China wall with a dead serious face.


    Naren couldn''t digest this humiliation. It was something he was planning on�� that was the whole reason why he brought up her parents in the first place. He wanted to rile her up and watch her make a fool of herself. But Shreya beat him in his own game.


    "You figured that out just now?" Shreya asked mockingly.


    But before he could continue, he felt a presence behind him. When he turned to look, he found Abimanyu and Abishek standing beside him. Abimanyu''s eyes were telling him to better behave.


    Shreya kept a hand over Srinivas''s shoulders and walked in front of him as soon as she saw the company. Srinivas did not stop her but he did not leave much gap between them either. It was already a close call last time. He did not think that guy would actually dare to lift his fists to beat to woman, that too in public. He was not going to do the same mistake again.


    "Hey, little girl. Long time no see��" Abimanyu greeted amiably with a smile. He forwarded his hand to shake. He was so friendly that if Shreya herself did not know for sure what had happened, she might have actually thought he had no ill intentions against her.


    He was an old guy with his boyish charms still intact which made people feel at ease in his presence. While Abishek, on the other hand, is like your quiet anti-social domineering boss with a cold mannerism. Both are polar opposites but still got together pretty well.


    "A really long time�� but just not long enough��" Shreya said returning the smile which looked a little too pretentious and did not really move her hands.


    Abimanyu awkwardly took back his hands but still gave her a smile. After all, he did not exactly know what happened just now??? all he saw was Naren trying and failing to punch Shreya in front of everyone. Even if it was Shreya''s fault, it would still be disadvantageous for Naren only. So, it was better to apologize before this thing blows up out of proportion. There was dead silence in the whole hall.


    "I apologize for what just happened�� he is just hotheaded. He has no ill intentions��" Abimanyu continued but then his voice trailed seeing Shreya give him a nasty look.


    Shreya looked each and everyone standing before her straight into their eyes�� none of them had any guilt in them. That ticked her off in all the wrong places. She really wished she could just burn them all to hell right this moment. Her hands clenched so painfully so.


    Shreya did not really spite Naren that much because even though he was part of the syndicate now, he had just been an immature hot-headed brat when her own parents passed away. That was the time when Naren''s himself lost his own father and was in the process of taking over her business and learning the rope of everything. But these two�� they had known her dad�� she herself had met them at parties.


    Yea, sure they were not close�� but still�� they could be considered acquaintances which just pissed her off so much more. She actually remembered seeing them at her parents'' funeral.


    If only she had known what she knew now, she probably wouldn''t have had the patience to even let them stand properly in front of her�� instead she would have just stabbed them in their gut and watched them bleed without breaking a sweat.


    In fact, she was so tempted to do it right that moment too. With all the hatred she had acc.u.mulated, she actually wanted to do more than that. But she still just stood there fisting her hand trying to restrain herself.


    Myriads of emotions flashed through her face while her eyes stayed staring all the three�� accusing them without words for all the crimes they had committed to her.


    As soon as Abimanyu saw her eyes, he could guess what was happening and what she knew. And that minute he knew this was no causal incident. But even knowing that is not going to make getting them out of this situation any easier. Not with so many eyes watching. Especially given they need Shreya to keep her mouth shut.


    If she even breaths about her parents and what happened to them in this situation�� she had evidence or not wouldn''t really matter. And looking into her eyes, he can be sure she was daring them�� which just meant she had found the evidence her dad had left her. Even when they have countermeasures in place for dealing with that situation, letting it out now would be the most disadvantageous for them and most advantageous for Shreya.


    Srinivas came beside her and put his palms over her fists and pressed on making her come back to reality.


    While Shreya was having her internal battle, the whole hall was staring at her trying to gauge what she might do next. The three people in front of her exchanged glances. Abishek was the only person with sharp eyes amongst the three and he could see that they have gotten a hell of an opponent for themselves. Even when he did not have sympathy or empathy for what he had done to her parents, he still had respect for intelligence.


    With great effort she actually composed herself. But her eyes still did not ease from the three people standing in front of her.


    Srinivas leaned over and said to her in low voice�� just enough so that Shreya and the three people in the front can hear him but nobody else in the hall could make out what he was saying.


    "You know, if you want to punch them in the face�� you just have to say the word. I would do it for you. You do not have to waste your energy." Srinivas purposely looked at the three people standing and smirked when he said it.


    Naren once again went livid, but Abimanyu gave a stern look and stopped him on his track.


    Shreya''s eyes, at last, averted from them and looked away as she said, "It''s okay. You do not have to dirty your hands. They are not worth it. Anyways, today''s entertainment is done. We do not need to be here anymore."


    "Shreya��" Abimanyu tried in spite of knowing it wouldn''t work. "This is just a misunderstanding��" He started with a smile perfectly covering up any of nervousness or vile intentions.


    "Save it��" Shreya said sternly. Just looking at them made her feel as if ants are crawling over the skin. She was utterly disgusted by just their presence. On top of it, if she had had to exchange words with them�� that was challenging her self restraint to the maximum.


    She actually stepping forward one step and said under her breathe. Even though her voice was low, one couldn''t possibly miss the foulness or the coldness emitting from her tone.


    "You three�� you guys deserve every last bit of shit coming your way for what you guys did to my dad and mom. If I were you, I would start saying goodbye to your family members already. Enjoy the time you still have with them??? because it is not going to be long. Because trust me, you have no way out. You are all ending up in a body bag�� whether it''s in jail or in an abandoned warehouse, it totally depends on you." Her eyes told them how utterly serious she was.


    The depth in them felt as if they could swallow you into the bottom of an abyss. Any wise person will know to actually be sacred after seeing them. And Abishek actually was�� he could feel the chill down his spines as he saw Shreya. He believed every single word she said. For once, he actually regretted taking down Adithya��


    Naren on the other hand actually flared up, "Who do you think you are? Do you really think you can get out of here in one piece after threatening us? You have no idea who you are dealing with!" He even proudly gave a glance as a dozen bodyguards surrounded Shreya and Srinivas in circles.


    Shreya did not even bat an eye around. She just smirked as she looked back into Abimanyu and Abishek instead, "I see you haven''t been able to tame your dog just yet�� And Naren, trust me. I know exactly who I am dealing with. And don''t ever try to threaten me again. Do not challenge me. You guys have already crossed my bottom line a long time ago and what''s coming your way is already long overdue. And if you want to add further to that list, I seriously don''t know what I would end up doing."


    She paused and walked especially close to Naren and uttered in a menacing voice that showed utter hatred and said things that could make a grown man shiver with goosebumps.


    "I can skin you alive right here in this hall right now in front of everybody if I want to�� and nobody will be able to stop me�� now even your dear partners. You can challenge me to see whether I am lying��"


    Shreya then gave a subtle glance around. And like a magic show, big bulky guys came out of the shadows of each pillar in the hall. They did not approach Shreya or make their presence very obvious but just enough for Naren to see what she was talking about.


    "So, you better behave��" Shreya said and walked back.

 Chapter 232 - Enjoy your evening everybody…

    Naren who was about to pounce on Shreya in spite of her warning was actually stopped by the iron grip of Abishek holding him back.


    "If you really don''t want to die on your birthday, you better stay put. If you are looking to have a really gruesome death, then you can try and take a swing at her by all means. But I would really not advise you on that." He warned in his rusty voice as he looked at Shreya.


    "Somebody with some common sense at last," Shreya smirked and walked away at last. "Enjoy your evening everybody��" She said to everyone else in the hall and walked out with Srinivas hot on her trails.


    As soon as she walked out, her car was waiting for her. None of the reporters dared to even breathe in her direction as she got into the car and drove away.


    The whole hall was still in stunned silence when the doors opened from one corner of the hall and Dharsh walked in not really knowing what had happened. He just casually walked in when he noticed the odd silence in the hall.


    That is when everyone came back to their senses. They all looked at each other bewildered for a second before leaving their booze glasses and scrambled from their places. After all, they can''t really afford to offend the Sri corp. Only half of them actually bothered to excuse themselves, others did not even bother to do that.


    Within minutes, the bustling hall was emptied.


    Only Dharsh, the bodyguards, and the serving staff were left in the hall except for Naren, Abimanyu, and Abishek.


    "Where the hell were you?" Naren flared on Dharsh pushing him harshly almost making Dharsh on his butt.


    Dharsh, who had long gotten used to this treatment just answered him calmly, "You were the one who sent me to drop off those foreign clients in the airport. There was traffic on the way." He did not even ask what happened here�� after all, he saw Shreya walk out just as he entered.


    And he also saw the looks on all the guests�� they looked as if they had seen a ghost or something. And as far as he knew, only Shreya was capable of bringing such a look on so many people all at once. And even otherwise, Naren was not really someone he could ask questions to anyways. He was someone who treated people like expandables rather than as a person.


    "Naren, calm down now. What exactly did she tell you? And why the hell did you punch her?" Abimanyu enquired.


    "Nothing concrete. Just something about a birthday gift tomorrow�� with regards from her parents''��" Naren said. Even he himself did not know how the hell she actually provoked him the punch her. So, he did not elaborate on it. He just took the glass on the table beside him and downed the alcohol in frustration.


    "Look after your company��" Abimanyu advised keeping an arm over Naren''s shoulders and left the hotel.


    Abishek did not even bother to do that much. He just left quietly leaving him to drown in alcohol.


    In the car, Abimanyu made some calls the try and keep the news of today''s spectacle contained�� but it was really to no avail since the video of what had happened had already started circulating in the mass media a long while ago�� and the internet was already exploding with people cursing them three for bully a little orphaned girl all because they felt threatened of her status.


    No matter what they say now would be of no use. And he could already see his companies fate going to hell as soon as the market opened tomorrow.


    He quickly called Malini. She was actually supposed to be here with him when everything happened, but then she called in at the last minute and canceled it saying something urgent popped up in the company.


    "Hey, dad. Aren''t you supposed to be partying at this time?" She asked pleasantly.


    Abimanyu let out a sigh started talking, "No�� I am already on my way to the company. Something happened at the party. Our shares are going to drop tomorrow morning�� I will send you some account numbers. Use the money in there and try to stabilize the company for now. I have to meet up with other clients and shareholders. You deal with the finances��"


    Malini hummed and cut the call as she viewed the screen in front of her with wide eyes.


    The screen had an email�� more like a threat. She knew it was Shreya. All it had was a single question.


    "Have you made your decision yet? You are running out of time��"


    And attached to the mail were photos�� surveillance photos of each and every member of her family�� including herself�� all taken in the last 24 hours. The meaning behind them cannot be more clearer than this. This was so like Shreya�� conveying her intentions without the need to actually say anything.


    This mail was the whole reason why she never made it to the party this evening. She received this email right after lunch and from then on, all she could do was stare at it.


    But after hearing Abimanyu, Malini did not think she really had any option now�� because she understood how fast her time was running out.


    She fidgeted and paced around in her office for a long time before sending a reply mail.


    "I need a face to face meeting�� in a secure location. Tomorrow�� Bring your tech with you��"


    It was short and precise to point just like the once Shreya had sent.


    Somehow, the uneasiness she had been feeling all this while subsided as she sent that mail.


    Malini was experiencing what felt like literal hell from the time she had raided her father''s study. She really wished she hadn''t done it but a part of her is also glad she did. It was as if she was being shuttled between two points constantly for the whole of this week.


    She was really shocked by what she had found in her dad''s study. Well, actually shocked will be an understatement. What she found actually paralyzed her�� flipped her damn world.


    At last, she understood what Shreya told her about her not really having much of a choice in the matter except to help her. But her goody-two-shoes side of her really ate her alive from both the sides.


    One side, she could not digest the things her father had did and on the other hand, she couldn''t accept that the only way she could save him and her family was to actually betray them.


    The last time she had met with Shreya was the last day she had actually had any decent amount of sleep. She couldn''t bring herself to actually shut her eyes without thoughts bombarding her like a damn meteoroid explosion.


    Everyone in the company can see her exhaustion but no one dared to come and ask her. And her own dad had been busy with some foreign delegates the whole week to notice anything amiss in his study or Malini. For which she was really grateful actually.


    She had been such a mess in the whole week that she was not sure she could have hidden it from him successfully if he were to actually confront her face to face.


    On the other side of the city, Shreya was, at last, getting some shut eyes as the car steadily drove through the roads to her apartment.


    Her phone chimed bringing her out of her thoughts.


    Srinivas got rid of the driver and was personally driving while two other cars followed them just in case. Even though it was unlikely for them to actually target her this evening, Srinivas was not at ease�� so she just let him do as he pleased.


    Shreya opened her mail and after carefully reading it, her lips twitched into a smile.


    Srinivas gave her a peculiar look and asked, "What happened?" After all, she wore a really grave expression since they walked out of the hotel. Seeing her smile, he got curious.


    "Malini wants to meet. Arrange a quieter place this time�� Tomorrow first thing in the morning, I will go to meet her." Shreya instructed and went back and closed her eyes. She pulled her hoodie over her head and pushed back her seat to the maximum and snuggled in. After a while, her soft breathing filled the air as she went into sleep.


    After all, she really had one hell of a day. She had been running around from morning. And she had been running her mind nonstop too on top of it. So, if she did not get tired, she wouldn''t really be human.


    Srinivas just quietly drove them both to her apartment while simultaneously keeping a sharp eye on the road around.


    By the time Shreya blinked her eyes open, they were already parked on her apartment parking lot.


    She let out a yawn and stretched her hands lazily.

 Chapter 233 - Wish me luck...

    Shreya leaned over and gave Srinivas her default smooch on his cheek and bid him goodbye.


    "Sweet dreams," She mumbled and stumbled out of the car slightly dazed.


    Srinivas''s lips twitched but he actually followed her out after locking the car behind him. After seeing the reaction of the reporters today, he knew he can''t really afford to take this one particular car out by himself ever�� he could probably get away with driving a top luxury car on the road without hitch but he doubted he could do the same with this one�� a car that actually looked so ordinary on the first glance.


    Shreya sleepily zigzagged to the elevators. It took her several tries before she could actually hit the button to summon the elevator down.


    Srinivas just stood behind her amused but he did not bother to actually help her. He just snuck in behind her when she got into the elevator. Only when he saw that Shreya was napping leaning on the walls of the elevators without even closing the doors that Srinivas actually extended his hands and helped her select her floor.


    When they reached Shreya''s floor, he dragged her out by holding on to her arms.


    "Hey, don''t stomp on my legs�� walk straight. You will be in your bed in no time��" Srinivas scolded her as she leaning over his shoulders and walked like a drunkard. But Shreya did not really listen to anything he said and did as she wished as always.


    "You are so spoilt sometimes, you know��" Srinivas complained but did not scold her anymore and let her be.


    As soon as they reached her apartment doors, Shreya stood straight and opened her doors.


    She waved at Srinivas and once again wished him for the night, "Good night�� drive safe��"


    "Don''t even think about it. I am going to stay here tonight and every night till this shit is settled��" He said with a sweet smile trying to push her out of the way.


    "NOO��" Shreya panicked and stopped him on his tracks. "You�� you go sleep at your own house. I will be fine. I am just going to lock right behind you and only open the doors when you knock on it tomorrow morning. I promise��" Even though she childishly extended her hands to make a pinky promise, her face had a more complicated expression without daring to meet his eyes.


    Knowing Shreya, it was probably not because she did not trust him. After all, she had added his biometrics to the security system.


    "What is it?" He asked confused.


    Shreya let him inside the house first seeing as they were talking in the doorways before answering.


    "I know it is going to be hard to believe but I can''t sleep with people around��"


    Srinivas did not comment but his brows arched an octave more after hearing her. After all, she was sound asleep throughout the car ride.


    "I swear�� I can''t sleep for an extended period of time when I have people around. At least, when I am in a bad mood or anxious, it is especially worse��" Shreya explained very seriously without going into details.


    Seeing as she had a very serious expression, Srinivas believed her. So, he just handed over the car keys and nagged her some more before leaving.


    "Take one of the other cars��" Shreya instructed before closing the doors behind him.


    After that, she went straight to her room and took a quick shower. She was off to bed without really having the energy to even dwell on the things that had happened today.


    It had been like she was riding a rollercoaster ride the whole day. Her brains were fried to the maximum. And the fruit of her hard work will be seen by the whole country tomorrow morning.


    "I did it, dad. It had started. Wish me luck��" Shreya mumbled before going to sleep.


    Srinivas, on the other hand, took one of the cars in the lot and drove straight to his home. But then halfway through, he remembered something and changed directions and instead reached Zee''s apartment.


    This time around he did not really bother about the manners and actually walked into her house uninvited.


    But to his surprise, Zee was actually there in the living room. He thought she would come back well past midnight as always.


    "What are you doing here?" Zee demanded annoyed. But she did not try to drive him away. After all, she knew that, unless he himself wanted to leave, her words will be utterly useless.


    Srinivas did not answer her but went to the fridge and got himself a can of beer.


    "Why are you home so early?" He asked a question of his own while poping the can open and sipping on his drink.


    Zeenath was sitting on the living room sofa and watching television with its volume muted. She looked at him peculiarly as she answered sarcastically, "Why does it matter to you? I will do whatever I want! Who are you to question that?"


    Srinivas''s expression darkened unconsciously as he replied in an equally sarcastic tone, "Yea.. yea�� Zee. You are the Queen of your own life who likes to be left alone. And nobody has the right to question." There was a sense of mockery in his voice. But this was not the one Zee was used to�� that teasing tone he would use whenever he was trying to drive her nuts. This was somehow sad�� hurt even.


    "If you are here to scold me or berate me, just get out��" Zee flared up as always.


    But this time around, even Srinivas couldn''t keep his cool. His ever so calm expression actually cracked and his eyes darkened.


    "Just like how we don''t have the right to question your choices, even you do not have the right to hurt the people who truly care about you, Zee�� Doing that is the lowest of the low��" Srinivas said with his jaws clenched painfully.


    If anything, Zeenath''s anger actually increased a notch after hearing him. Zee absolutely hated it when people accused her of something. She was one of those people who did not know how to admit her wrongs in any situation.


    Thus she stood up from her place and asked in a raised voice trying to prove her point of view.


    "Who asked you to care about me? Did I come and beg you to care about me? Did I come and beg you to give me your attention? When I did not do any of those, then you do not have the right to whine about getting hurt either! It is your choice to care��" Zee''s voice had the arrogance she always had but this time around that arrogance did not come from a healthy place but from somewhere darker.


    With great effort, Srinivas actually kept his voice steady as he said, "I am not talking about myself. You can hurt me all you want since I am the one who fell into this pit knowing too well how it will proceed. But what about Shreya�� what right do you have to hurt her like that? She did that because she cares about you�� that is all. Don''t you think you owe her an apology for the way you talked to her this morning?"


    Zeenath did not like the accusation in his voice nor the way his eyes flared up as if she had committed a grave mistake against Shreya�� She did not know if it was the self-preservation of her ego or was it misplaced jealousy. Whatever it was, negativity ruled her mind and made her say things she probably wouldn''t have said in any rational state of mind. "Who asked her to care? Don''t patronize her as if she is some saint and picture me as a villain. I did not ask anybody to care about me�� so, don''t force your own misplaced ideals on me. I am fine the way I am."


    Srinivas froze in her place for a second dumbstruck. He then shook his head and got up from his place. He did not know what surprised him more. The fact that she told him something like that with such an uncaring expression or the fact that he did not doubt that she could say something like that.


    "I thought you were cold-hearted�� I thought with patience I would be able to crack them open�� But now I realize how wrong I was�� I can''t do anything about a heartless person. If you can''t empathize or sympathize with that one person who has had your back no matter the situation, I am not sure I can ever get to you in this lifetime."


    He got up from his couch as he said with a sigh, "I guess Shreya was right after all. You got too comfortable in your lonely hell that you are not even ready to step out anymore. Just remember, you chose this hell for yourself. So, you can only blame yourself for it. I am outa here��"


    He walked out of the doors without a second glance.

 Chapter 234 - Chicken!

    "SRIVASTAV SIBLINGS MAKE HEADLINES. Same day Mithun Srivastav gets fired from the company, Shreya Srivastav makes a grand entry to a banquet in her dad''s car."


    "THE SHREYA SRIVASTAV BACK FROM EXILE. And she took three men head-on on her first day back and walked away unscathed."


    "WILL THERE BE A POWER STRUGGLE BETWEEN THE FOUR BIG CORPORATE�� Business people are not rushing to take sides just yet�� but people are��"


    "NAREN TIRED TO PUNCH THE MISS SHREYA SRIVASTAV IN HIS BIRTHDAY BANQUET. Is he feeling threatened by the newly throned heir.."


    "SHREYA SRIVASTAV CLAIMS HER FATHER''S THRONE. Picks up a fight with the birthday boy on the first day back��"


    "IS SHREYA SRIVASTAV REALLY THE HEAD OF SRI CORP. How will the management take the handover�� Will Anand Srivastav take orders from his niece..?"


    Similar headlines flooded the papers the next morning. There was more about Naren.


    Shreya walked into her office a little sooner than her normal time. She found Akash already there going through the detailed report on what happened on the banquet the before evening.


    A wide assortment of newspapers was spread out on her office table. Shreya glance through them before commenting, "I see, they still managed to divert the crowd towards me and Mithun�� in spite of it being so public,"


    "Don''t worry, they did not have so much success on the internet. You are trending�� The video of you dodging the punch is the top view in just 10 hours from when it was first posted. You got yourself hell load of fans. That miss was so cool by the way��" Akash exclaimed with starry eyes. If he were a cartoon, he would probably have glittery things blinking all around him.


    "First, I thought things could have gone more in our favor if I had let him punch me at first. But then I did not like the idea of him touching my face�� no matter the benefit��" Shreya shrugged.


    "He would have died in my hands if he landed that punch!" Akash said clenching his hands.


    "I don''t know if Srinivas would have given you the chance if it had happened�� He looked just about ready to blow them all to hell��" Shreya replied with a grin. Akash would have probably had an even worse reaction if he had been there with her yesterday.


    If only he had seen the raw hurt and the pure hatred she had in her face when she met with Abimanyu and Abishek, he probably would have punched them regardless of the situation and also landed them precisely too.


    Fortunately, it was Srinivas�� someone who knew self restrain. And he kept not only himself but also Shreya calm. If not for him, even Shreya herself might have landed a punch or two to their faces. And depending on their reaction, she might have done something worse too.


    "All in all, yesterday was quite successful�� things went in our favor. I am also meeting Malini in about an hour��" Shreya commented going over to her chair and flipped over some files carelessly.


    At least, she was careless until Akash actually asked a question, "Who Malini? Meet where? For what?"


    Shreya stopped in her track bit her lips. After all, no one yet knows about her dealing with Malini or Dharsh just yet. But she hid her expression quickly and fled the scene in a rush.


    "Ah, Nothing. I have to go now�� call me if you need anything." She walked out of her office so fast that Akash did not even have the time to comprehend what she said.


    His slow brain took a while to actually place the name�� but it was too late by then since Shreya had already left without even leaving behind a shadow.


    "Damn it, Shreya. What the hell are you up to talking the Malini Bharathwaj?" he muttered to himself while swearing to corner her the next time he meets her. But for now, he kept it for himself.


    On second thought, he actually called up Srinivas.


    "Hey, did Shreya inform you about any meeting in an hour?" He just wanted to make sure his idiot cousin is at least taking the necessary precautions when she goes to do something crazy.


    "Yes�� Shreya informed me��" Srinivas answered honestly but he was also confused as to where it was going.


    "You know who she is meeting up with?" Akash asked once again.


    That is when Srinivas realized what was happening but he still honestly answered, "Yes. She is meeting with Malini Bharathwaj��"


    But just as the words left his mouth, Shreya walked into his office gesturing him not to tell. All Srinivas could do was roll his eyes at her. After all, he had already answered. What''s the use of trying to hide now.


    Akash paused for a minute before asking, "And you let her? Even after knowing everything? And you did not inform the other? What the hell, Srinivas?" He did not show any disrespect but he couldn''t control his frustration either out of concern for Shreya.


    "Hey, chill. DO you really think anyone can stop Shreya once she put her mind to it? And Shreya explicitly told me not to inform anyone of her itineraries. I was just following orders. I like my job and I like to keep it�� And moreover, I am not here as a decoration piece following her you know�� I know how to do my job. So, nothing will happen to her�� I promise."


    Akash huffed and puffed for a minute or so before saying sternly, "You better keep that promise or else even Shreya wouldn''t be able to save you."


    Srinivas cut his call and looked at Shreya. She was in her usual jean shorts and today she had a navy blue hoodie. Srinivas was really getting sick of seeing her like this�� day in and day out- nothing changes except for the color of her hoodie. If the day was hot, she will wear a normal t-shirt, that was all.


    "You want to tell me why Akash is calling me up to scold me as soon as we reach the office?" Srinivas asked arching his brows at her.


    Shreya did not really answer him right away. She went to lay down on his couch and used her arms as her pillow. She leisurely crossed her legs in front of her and answered, "Just a slip of tongue�� I blurted out that I will be meeting Malini in an hour and he caught on to it, that is all."


    "Let me guess, after the slip of tongue, you ran away to find a sanctuary in my office��" He said sarcastically. Technically, he did not have an office when he was with Zeenath since he was rarely in Sri corp. But since he started following Shreya, she assigned an office room for him since Shreya''s ends up being in Sri corp. more than necessary. And while he was free, he was assigned to actually share some of the work with Zack.


    Shreya, on the other hand, did not take offense to his sarcasm at all. She just beamed at him and nodded her head enthusiastically.


    "Chicken!" Srinivas teased going back to his desk to complete the work he was doing before he got Akash''s call and was rudely interrupted by Shreya''s barging in.


    "Hey," Shreya whined complaining getting up from her place. "This is not cowardice. This had nothing to do with how brave I am. This is called ''survival instinct''" Shreya even proudly lifted her chins up.


    "Yea, yea. You can keep telling yourself that. I want to see how you run the next time you see Akash!" Srinivas pulled her legs all over again without taking his eyes off of his files.


    Shreya puffed her cheeks at his teasing. She flipped close his file childishly and stuck her tongue out before going back to his couch and laying down all over again.


    "I am going to sleep��" Shreya sulked and closed her eyes. She pulled her hoodie over her head and snuggled into the headrest of the couch. Her hoodie was so big that it actually covered up her face fully.


    Srinivas couldn''t really help but smile. Once he could hear her even breathing, he went ahead and covered her with a blanket before going back to work.


    The room was absolutely quiet until it was time for them to start.


    Shreya had a half an hour nap by then. Srinivas was careful not to touch her when he woke her up. It was one of the first advises he had gotten from Zack when he found out Srinivas will be following Shreya around. He was very specific not to shake her away if he wanted to keep all his bones intact. He was not really sure whats touching got to do with being woken up but he was not the one to take risks or ask questions.


    So, he called out for her loudly enough. And thankfully, Shreya actually woke up right after his first call.


    But her eyes were slightly drooping all the way to their meeting place as she stumbled out of the car.

 Chapter 235 - Bodyguard to stalker...

    The meeting place was very different from their first meeting. It was a private room in the Imperial. And the person tailing Malini had already reported that Malini came in alone and that nobody followed her here and that she did not approach anyone since the time they sent her the mail.


    As soon as Shreya reached the Imperial, she got herself another new tail in the name of Pritham apart from Srinivas.


    "Hey, Shreya. She is already here. I sat her in the room as you instructed. Its been 2 minutes max." Pritham said enthusiastically following her.


    "Come on. Let''s go. 2nd floor right? I don''t want to keep her waiting." Shreya asked walking to the elevators.


    "Yes�� but Shreya�� we did not even frisk her yet�� or maybe I can do a full bug sweep before you go in. I can have the device in 5 minutes. But even otherwise, we can always just jam all the signals in the room as a backup, what do you say..?" Pritham asked getting into the elevator right behind Shreya. Srinivas went in the last and pressed 2.


    But Shreya did not agree with his idea. "There is no need for any of it. If you had made sure nobody had followed her, it is enough."


    "But Shreya, she is Malini Bharathwaj. What if she records everything we say today and uses it against us in the future�� what if she is playing along now with an ulterior motive? You yourself said she was ruthless when it comes to winning��" Pritham persisted. He was so elated when Shreya asked him to the Imperial today morning especially when she said it was a secret meeting not to be disclosed to anyone else. He was like a little kid receiving a secret little extra candy from your dad without the knowledge of your siblings.


    "She wouldn''t do that, Pritham. I told you she was ruthless but I never told you she is dirty�� she is as straight-laced as it can get�� to the point where even I could end up feeling ashamed for the trickeries I play." Shreya replied with a straight face. She checked on her phones when the elevator stopped with a ding.


    "How do you know? How can you trust her blindly?" Pritham complained. He was concerned but more than that he did not like the mad skills Malini has when it came to electronics. On a fair play, they were probably just equal when it came to skills. But because Malini has an upper hand when it came to maturity and keeping calm under pressure, the scales are actually against him and he did not like the odds. The only way he could beat her was by being on guard and cautious against her.


    But Shreya did not agree.


    "I am not trusting her blindly, Pritham. I have known her for 3 years in college. But even otherwise, we are for all practical purposes, threatening her. But instead of going to her father, she had come to me to help. A little bit of trust now is going to go a long way. I need her to work with me and it is not possible if I am not going to give her the least bit of trust in the first place. And remember, when you are in there, you do not disrespect her�� she is not her father��" Shreya warned Pritham.


    Only when Pritham reluctantly nodded did Shreya open the door.


    Malini was sitting there drinking what looked like a tea in the middle of the room.


    Pritham was dazed instantly. But just for a split second before averting his eyes and became hostile all over again.


    "Sorry, I am late," Shreya said in politeness which was very rare for her. She was not really late actually. She was just on time. Shreya hated being late or early. So, she always plans it just to be on time.


    But Malini was early. So, she ended up waiting.


    Once again, Shreya and Malini sat facing each other.


    Malini''s eyes wandered around the two men standing behind Shreya...


    "Oh, I forgot to introduce�� this one is the technical guy you asked for, Pritham. And this one�� Srinivas. Let''s just say he follows me around everywhere whether I like it or not like a stalker��" Shreya smirked at Srinivas while Pritham let out a chuckle.


    "What did you do that you became a stalker from a bodyguard in a couple of hours?" Pritham sneakily whispered to Srinivas.


    "I just teased her," Srinivas whispered back but the atmosphere came back to becoming stagnant when Malini did not talk anything.


    Shreya lost her patience pretty after 5 minutes of straight silence.


    "Hey, you are planning to tell me why we are here any time today?" She asked.


    Malini hesitated for a while. It was almost pitiful to see her fidget so nervously. Especially given how delicate she looked without her makeup or arrogance.


    "You guys wait outside��" Shreya said suddenly. And Pritham and Srinivas exited the room without further question but they did not really leave far. They stood right outside the doors.


    "Hey, you have come this far because you decided on something and something pushed you to that decision. Hesitating now is really of no use!" Shreya said. Her voice was actually softer. There was no arrogance that she had when they last met. It was not really because she needed whatever she had on her. Because in all probability, even without it, Shreya will find a way around it. But Shreya could actually sympathize with Malini and the graveness of the conflict she is facing right that moment. She could already guess the depth of thoughts she should have put and the will it should have taken for her to come here.


    From this point on, her whole life was going to change based on what she chooses. Actually, it was not right�� the minute Abimanyu decided on starting the syndicate, their lives changed! And it once again changed when they killed Shreya''s parents. And it is going to go downhill from there no matter what choice she makes�� Her choice is just going to decide the degree of shit she will be facing from thereon.


    It is just so unfair that she had to be the one to bear the responsibility of her father''s choices. She will be the one to bear the burn of a man''s greed.


    So, as far as Shreya was concerned, Malini is as much a victim of this as she was. That is why she could empathize with her�� at least up to now. Depending on the choice she makes now, it might change though.


    Malini took a deep breath and brought her hands over the table at last. She was clenching her right hand into a fist. She slowly let go of it and a pen drive fell on the table with a clink.


    "This is what I found�� It is�� it''s my dad''s ledger. My dad is probably the one managing the finances of the organization. This is everything I found out��" Malini said, at last, gaining some composure as if she had come to a decision all over again.


    "Pritham��" Shreya called out and both the men walked in all over again.


    "Laptop��" Shreya asked for which Pritham extended the notebook in his hands and Srinivas quietly went and brought the pen drive to Shreya.


    Shreya actually handed it over to Pritham while he switched on the laptop and open the drive.


    "Password?" Pritham asked looking at Malini.


    Normally, Malini wouldn''t have trusted this??? no matter if she agreed with her dad or not, she wouldn''t have brought incriminating evidence against him to a third party if only it hadn''t been Shreya.


    And the reason why she actually did find ''it was okay'' to Shreya was actually two-fold.


    One mainly because in this situation, Shreya deserved the power to decide her father''s fate because she was the one who lost the most because of him between them. She deserved a say in what happens to him. And since Shreya promised not to look for revenge but justice, Malini was more at ease to give it to her.


    But secondly, and most importantly, Malini could hear through the doors what Shreya had said on the outside. She did not know what the exact context was but she could hear Shreya telling people to trust her and that she was not her dad�� somehow that trust she had given her, gave her the courage to trust her in retrospect.


    "My birthday��" Malini answered without thinking while Shreya followed her and said, "January 15, XXXX,"


    Pritham''s hands worked on the laptop while Malini looked at Shreya and asked surprised, "You even know my birthday by heart?"


    "I am just good with remembering numbers." Shreya shrugged. "I have known it from college days."


    By then Pritham had pulled up whatever Malini had brought and Shreya''s eyes instantly latched on to it. While Malini sat there fidgeting with her fingers nervously.

 Chapter 236 - I am going to be jobless...

    "It is worse than you could have imagined actually�� I did some research and matched the time of payment with events. I do not have the exact client list, but I had attached the possible events that could be attributed to the syndicate in the past few years." Malini said and paused as she let her words sink in.


    Pritham passed the laptop towards Shreya pulling up a bunch of photos and doc.u.ments attached thereto.


    "The records I found are after your parents'' death. So, sorry I couldn''t really track down the person exactly responsible for your parents'' death. Or any evidence that might have been covered up. But from what you had given and from my own digging, I could tell that the conclusion you guys have come up with is the most probable one."


    Silence ensued after that as Shreya skimmed through the doc.u.ments in quick successions.


    "Don''t worry. We can track the records before that. My dad had found a link that could lead us back to the source. It is just a matter of time before we know. They probably re-organized everything when my dad had breached into their systems��" Shreya explained while her eyes kept going through the data in the system simultaneously.


    "If I have to guess, they probably decentralized everything. My dad only had financial records. So, if I am not wrong, Abishek uncle should be responsible for handling clients while Naren should be responsible for handling the members. Thus no one person could actually topple everything�� It also probably served as a check of trust between each other��" Malini elaborated.


    Since his dad was close to Naren and Abishek, she is familiar with their habits and behaviors. She had overheard numerous conversations that never made sense in itself but when put into context, it actually made sense.


    Abishek uncle did not really have anybody now. His wife had passed away and his children are settled in foreign countries. He manages the company on his own. He never actually involved any of his kids in the company business for some reason but it made sense now. He probably predicted this would happen one day or another inevitably.


    And because he had no family, he often stayed out late drinking with his buddies. His behavior is often excused as being lonely. But now, she knew he was probably meeting with clients.


    While Naren on the other hand often had guys around him�� but the people around him kept changing so very often that it was hard to keep up with the names��


    Which was why Malini said Abishek should be responsible for handling and maintaining the records of clients and the jobs while Naren should be responsible for the execution of the job and managing the corresponding men.


    Shreya nodded her head agreeing. It made sense. After all, even though, they could be called friends, there is no way they would put their own interest before friends. So, it was probably beneficial to intertwine interests as security and a check on each other.


    "This only says when the money had come and how much�� do you know where they keep the money now?" Shreya asked. "This information is of no use if they are still going to have money stacked in their backyard. Even if take them to court, they could bride their way through the trails and get away with it after framing somebody else��"


    Malini bit on her lips for a second before taking her phone out and pulling up the message his father had sent her yesterday. She then slid the phone towards Shreya.


    "There is probably more loops to cross over but those accounts should serve as a starting point. It should lead you back to the source." Malini explained.


    Shreya handed everything to Pritham and said, "Get to work�� You don''t leave it unattended even for a second."


    Pritham nodded his head diligently and closed the laptop and took the pen drive. Shreya typed the account numbers and sent a text to his phone. And Srinivas actually followed him out without a word which left Shreya and Malini alone all over again.


    "What are you going to do when you find the money?" Malini asked.


    "I will just distribute them amongst the victim families��" Shreya answered shrugging her shoulders.


    Malini just nodded and sipped on her tea. They stayed quiet for a while until Shreya broke it.


    "Thank you. I mean it. I don''t even know half of you are going through but I do know it shouldn''t have been an easy decision to make. So, thank you��" Shreya said sincerely with a smile. This was probably the first real smile they shared since they had known back in college.


    Malini just smiled back but it was awkward.


    "I know it wouldn''t be of much help but I am truly sorry about your parents�� on behalf of my dad. I know you can''t forgive him�� and it okay." Her voice was as gentle as water. It was almost meek actually.


    "As I said, you are not your dad. I do not plan on blaming someone who is not responsible. And I will try and keep your family out of it as much as I can?? and I wouldn''t influence the court''s decision in one way or other�� That''s the best I could offer you��" Shreya said once again sincerely.


    Malini gave a self-deprecating chuckle and said, "Please, Shreya. You do not have to sugar coat anything for my sake. He freaking worked with terrorists and bombed our own people for a freaking paycheck- I know he is not going to walk out of this one alive�� Even if you do not do it personally, he is a dead man walking one way or another the minute everything gets out. And our family is never going to get out of it unscathed either�� My father made his bed a long time back, now he is going to have to sleep on it. Sadly, he is going to drag his family with him, is all!"


    Shreya stayed quiet not knowing what to reply to that.


    "If you need anything, do call me. I would actually like to help in any way I can. It''s the least I could do��" Malini offered.


    "If you are going to offer then I wouldn''t hold back. You saw that guy who just left�� I might need you to work with him. He is bad with analyzing accounts�� he gets confused easily." Shreya grabbed the chance shamelessly and gave her an ashamed look.


    "I thought I was bad in dealing with accounts!" Malini commented. After all, she was someone who suffered extremely through her finance classes in college while Shreya would completely skip it and still ace her exams.


    "You have no idea. For him, every number looks like 1''s and 0''s after a while. So, trust me�� your ''bad'' and his ''bad'' are worlds apart." Shreya smirked. She just wanted to lighten up the atmosphere by a notch.


    "Okay, I will see what I can do." Malini smiled and answered.


    "You can contact him in that same mail id�� He is a scaredy-cat though�� so he might take a while to loosen up." Shreya explained getting up from her place.


    Malini also got up and hoisted her handbag over her shoulders with her phones held on her hands.


    "It''s okay. I can find his contact information. I will do my best to find you that money. I promise�� Many people out there are going to appreciate it. And anyways my company is going to end up bankrupt in no time�� I am going to be jobless."


    Shreya once again has her an awkward look and said scratching the back of her head, "Yes�� sorry about that." She opened the doors and held it open for Malini to get out first. And then they walked through the corridor side by side.


    "When this is all over, I might actually start an IT company of my own and am going to beat you fair and square one day��" Malini declared proudly keeping up with Shreya.


    "Well, I wish you good luck with that��" Even though to people, it might not look it but Shreya was sincere in that. And with Malini''s talents, she was sure it would happen if she was to let her guard down even a little.


    By the time they reached the lobby of the Imperial, Shreya stopped Malini and looked at her seriously and said, "Hey, do you have any plans as to how you are going to explain when your dad''s going to find out about this��? I made sure you were not followed this time, but I can''t do it every time and I can''t really pull my people away from your family just yet��"


    "I think I am going to go tell him well before he finds me. And don''t worry, I can understand. Just do as you always did. Just as long as it is only to corner my dad." Malini answered.


    It almost felt as if she had matured leaps and bounds overnight with just one conversation with Shreya.


    "Okay then. You take care of yourself." Shreya waved as she saw her drive away in her car.

 Chapter 237 - Ungrateful brat.

    Shreya actually came back into the private room and sat back on the chairs. She leaned back on her chair and tapped the hand rest with the tip of her fingers.


    Srinivas went and sat in front of her after a while seeing as she was not planning to go anywhere anytime soon. But it went on like this for almost an hour.


    At last, Srinivas broke the silence and asked, "Care to share what you are thinking about so deeply?"


    To his surprise or not so surprisingly, Shreya actually did not answer. She did not even move a muscle. Her eyes did not even twitch. It was almost like she did not even hear him in the first place. But knowing Shreya, it probably was true. She was probably so drowned in her thoughts that she did not even hear him in the first place.


    Srinivas waited some more and then went out of the room and came back with two cups of coffee. For convenience, he actually brought it in a closed plastic cups and shoved on right in front of Shreya''s eyes.


    At last, Shreya had some reaction and frowned her brows. She silently took the cup and sipped on it but did not talk even then.


    "Ungrateful brat!" Srinivas mumbled slightly swatting her forehead with his fingers and sipped on his own coffee leaning against the table right beside where Shreya was sitting.


    "You can always leave you know��?" Shreya opened her mouth at last but her voice was irritated and annoyed without any warmth.


    Srinivas chuckled and mumbled once again, "Like I said, ungrateful brat!" But he did not move from his place. He just blew and sipped on his coffee lazily.


    "What''s on your mind, Shreya?" He asked at last once he was done with his coffee.


    "A lot actually��" Shreya did reply this time around.


    "What''s bothering you the most?" He asked once again discarding the cup on the recycle bin.


    Shreya took a big last swing at her coffee before answering. "Everything." She said and rubbed over her eyes roughly.


    "Do you mind sharing? Obviously, you are not getting anywhere with just thinking by yourself�� and you have been sitting there like a statue for two hours already."


    Shreya let out a sigh and started talking.


    "I have taken the first step forward. All their legal part of the business will be shattered in no time. They wouldn''t be able to fight it�� but the syndicate. I do not know how to bring it down. No matter how much I think about it, if the syndicate is still functioning, it is almost impossible to bring the three people down. With the syndicate, they will not only have sufficient manpower to fight against anything we plan but they will also have the support of almost all of the powerful figures in the country. After all, in that line of work�� even though anonymity is the key, they will still have some leverage against each and every person they worked with in the past or any person who employed them�� and their leverage is probably more powerful than the fact that they had all paid money into an anonymous account some years back��" Shreya analyzed and briefly explained the things that are stuck in her head at that moment.


    "What do you need to shatter the syndicate then?" Srinivas asked the next question without really commenting on anything she just said.


    "Well, if we were to completely disintegrate the whole of the syndicate, then we will have to drain their money, have their client list and members list- and all of this should happen simultaneously so that they do not take advantage of the time and disappear��" Shreya summed up everything very efficiently. "And of course, the cherry on the top is we will need the government co-operation."


    Shreya let out an exasperated sigh even before Srinivas could say or do anything and got up from her place.


    "What''s going on?'' Srinivas asked instead seeing that she was actually walking out of the room without really bothering to let him reply or talk.


    "I will drive myself insane staying here. I am just going to let things happen for once after this�� just ask the guys to keep their eyes peeled and in the lookout. I do not want any accidents happening, I will handle everything else as it comes." Shreya said crossing the corridor already.


    "Where are we going then?" Srinivas asked hot on her trails.


    "Out to eat�� I am starving. Thinking burns serious calories. Everything you made in the morning is completely sucked out of the system" Shreya said walking out the elevator.


    Srinivas''s lips twitched at her overdramatic self but then a frown formed between his brows as he saw her walking towards in the direction of the exit��


    "But Shreya, this is a hotel you know. You can eat here��" Srinivas said confused. After all, it is not like Shreya should be careful of how much she eats here since it costs a lot�� She owned the damn place.


    Shreya looked at him baffled for a second before uttering, "Eat? Here? NO thanks!" A slight shiver ran through her.


    All Srinivas could do was gape at her speechlessly. This is her freaking restaurant!


    But Shreya did not really bother with him and headed towards the parking lot.


    "Why can''t you eat here?" Srinivas asked curiously. I mean there are people coming from all parts of the country eating there�� staying there�� but the owner makes such a face at the mention of it- he did not know if it was not odd then what is.


    "I just don''t like the whole environment or food. I mean- you need to act proper and mannered and the lights and chadeliers�� I lose my appetite�� And the food itself looks too pretty to touch and even when you dash past it and eat it- it doesn''t give you a full stomach a local pizza is going to give�� So, we are getting a pizza��" Shreya brimmed with excitement but it soon became downcast when Srinivas stopped her on her track and reminded her.


    "After the stunt, you pulled yesterday evening, you really can''t walk into domino''s you know�� people are going to recognize you��"


    Shreya''s head hung down as soon as his voice ended. She hated this part�� it had been heaven when she had been hiding so far�� even though reporters are afraid of her and wouldn''t really dare to pester her but she can''t do much about the general public recognizing her and approaching her.


    "Goodbye, pizza�� goodbye, freedom��" Shreya mumbled and went back into the Imperial. She would just have a drink then�� she decided.


    Srinivas let out a chuckle at her antics. She looked like a kid who lost his favorite toy car. As if her whole world had crumbled into pieces.


    "If its pizza you want�� I will get you one okay? You just be there in your room, I will bring it to you!" He offered in an attempt to bring her out of her sorrows and it worked like magic.


    Shreya instantly cheered up. She pecked him on his cheeks and said, "Thank you" and hopped back into the Imperial.


    "She is going to drive me insane one of these days��" Srinivas mumbled to himself and went to his car. But you can see that subtle indulgence in his voice.

 Chapter 238 - Oh my god. That is so cute!!

    It was dead of the night when Preethi''s car parked outside Adam''s house. Thankfully, his study was still light.


    And thanks to Adam, she actually has a chauffeur/ bodyguard following her all the time and driving her home whenever Adam isn''t around to drive her. No amount of arguing, whining, or exploding helped�� Nothing she ever did change anything. Adam would just give her a face and say, "He wouldn''t interfere with your life�� so, I am not pulling him out. And he is just going to drive you wherever you want to go." And day after day, just as she walked out of the hospital, there will be a person waiting for her and when she comes out of her house in the morning, there will be a person waiting. It is usually alternated between two people.


    And with Adam''s stubborn persistence, she actually got used to it.


    Today, she was here because Adam hadn''t shown up for about two weeks now. And because of her work and his work, they could hardly talk on the phone. The only quality time they spend with each other before is on her day''s off or on the drive home for which Adam normally accommodated with Preethi''s schedule.


    But these past two weeks, he really couldn''t. It had been two weeks since Naren''s banquet and with the crash of the three most powerful companies in the country, Sri corp. itself was put into chaos. And to speed up the process, Shreya actually announced privately to all their major clients that if they were to work with anyone of their companies, she will cancel the contracts with them.


    And the clients those who hesitated, Shreya actually followed through with her process and transferred the projects to other smaller enterprises.


    So, everyone was working overtime the whole week while Shreya was pretty much bunked in the office for the whole of two weeks. Only today Srinivas was able to drag her out of the building and to her apartment after two weeks.


    So, when things are like that, Adam really couldn''t pull himself away�� thus he had not gone to see Preethi nor Akil all this while.


    But Preethi could already guess what was happening without Adam having to explain since the conflict with Sri corp and other major corporations are extensively covered by the media widely in these two weeks.


    She just went in not really bothering to ring the bell. She found him in his study still working. Preethi knocked on the door to get his attention.


    Adam looked up surprised but then smiled seeing Preethi there. His eyes lite up like a firework instantly.


    "You are still busy?" She asked going to stand beside his table.


    "Nope�� I am almost done. You go freshen up and come, I will be right there with you��" He said smiling as he started closing the files and his system simultaneously.


    "You had your dinner?" He asked out of habit. After all, Preethi forgets to eat when she is busy in the hospital most of the days. So, she often skips many meals a day.


    Preethi just gave him a sheepish look without really answering him.


    "Okay, go ahead and freshen up. I will whip up something��" Adam said and ruffled her head. Preethi did not really protest since she was starving and she really needed a shower after the kind of hectic day she just had. She really can''t sleep all sweaty and dirty anyways.


    By the time Preethi came back, she found Adam sitting in the dining table with some sandwiches. She practically pounced on the food as soon as she laid eyes on them.


    Adam just smiled at her as he extended a glass of water over to her side. Then he also helped her wipe away some crumbles around her lips.


    Preethi became conscious of her eating manners only then. But then seeing as Adam was smiling at her creepily, she put her sandwich down and asked, "Is everything okay in Shreya''s end? Charan is worried sick."


    "Ask him not to worry. We are all here looking out for her. Nothing will happen to her!" Adam said confidently.


    "I think that''s the part he hates the most�� not being the one looking out for her," Preethi said resuming to eat.


    "Shreya wouldn''t allow it�� not with the way things are. She is practically paranoid when it comes to Charan and Akira��"


    Both talked about innate things until Preethi finished her dinner after which both came to sit on the couch.


    "You want to go get some sleep now. You look exhausted." Adam asked bringing her to lean on his shoulders.


    Preethi just shook her head and snuggled against him. "Next week is Akil''s birthday. Will you be able to make it?" She asked.


    "Don''t worry. I will be there. I cannot miss the little champs'' birthday��" He said confidently.


    "You don''t have to if you are busy. He will understand. I will explain it to him."


    "It is not just for him you know�� even I want to be there with him. I know work had been pretty hectic these couple of weeks�� and I actually don''t know when it will wrap up. But that doesn''t mean I will miss even his birthday." Adam said in his ever so serious voice.


    Preethi opened her mouth to actually reply but midway it turned into a yawn.


    "Come on, now. We will get you to bed��" Adam said trying to drag her up.


    But Preethi stubbornly held on to him and shook her head.


    "You look beat, Preethi��" Adam coaxed her softly.


    "I won''t sleep��" She replied but then let out another yawn.


    Adam couldn''t help but let out a chuckle. "I bet you''re going to be knocked out cold in 5 straight minutes! What do you say?"


    Preethi glared at him. "You�� Why are you trying to drive me away so soon? Did you not miss me these days? In spite of being so busy, you still had time to actually play games with Akil but you never once even called me!!!" She actually turned her head away from him and pouted moving to sit far away from him.


    She did not know why she was behaving like that but she really couldn''t help herself at that moment. After a lot of thought, she actually came here today. But the fact that Adam did not seem to appreciate her thought kind of stung in all the wrong places. And of course, she was dead tired to have the energy to be rational and sane at that moment.


    Adam just gaped at her for a second to make sure he was hearing it right. But when he did confirm, laughter bubbled as he asked, "Are you telling me you are jealous of your own kid? That too because of me?" He couldn''t help but pinch on her cheeks as he cooed her, "Oh my god. That is so cute!!"


    Preethi swatted his hand harshly glaring at him but then she swang herself and ended up sitting on his laps straddling him as she started scolding, "You�� you don''t laugh. It is all your fault. You are the one who got me used to seeing you every single day to and from work�� so, it is not my fault that I would want to see you when you suddenly disappear for two straight weeks without a warning�� And when I get home, I have to hear to Akil praise you on your gaming prowess every single day! So, I came here today after so much deliberation and you actually have the nerve to laugh at me?"

 Chapter 239 - You have no idea how much I missed you…

    Preethi was getting really pissed at that moment. So much so that she wanted to bite him or something until she could wipe out that gloating smile off of his face.


    Only she knew how much disappointed she felt every single day when she came out of her work�� she couldn''t help herself but hope that Adam will be there in spite of knowing it was not going to be so.


    In the past months, she had really gotten used to seeing him outside of her work. No matter in what ungodly hours her shift ended, he would just be there�� patiently waiting for her. Somehow, seeing him just made everything okay.


    And after getting used to that, she couldn''t survive these past two weeks. And it invariably affected her sleep too. Normally, she could crash and get up whenever or wherever. But she couldn''t sleep peacefully even in bed in these two weeks which affected her mood largely.


    So, she had been very grumpy. Especially given how Akil will end up saying how he had played games with Adam online or chatted with him online��


    "You�� you have time to play games and come to attend a birthday party�� but you can''t come and pick me up from work one day ah? You are the one who said you loved me�� Are they just flowery words? I am just going to go home tonight�� you to hug your files!" Preethi whined some more before trying to get out of his laps.


    When Adam held her in place, she started struggling.


    "You let me go. You are the one who kept asking me to sleep right? So, I am going to go sleep now�� I am very tired!" Preethi said pettily and refused to stay still.


    That was until Adam stood up with her still in his hand. Instinctively Preethi circled her arms around his heck securely fearing of falling down.


    "Adam, what are you doing? Let me down!" Preethi exclaimed instinctively but seeing him walk towards the stairs, she couldn''t help roll her eyes and say sulkily, "Let me down. I can walk to the bed myself!"


    Adam did not give heed to her. He simply took her to his room and crashed her on the soft mattress.


    Before Preethi could even get a single word out, her voice was swallowed by his as he crashed his own against her for a kiss.


    The kiss at first was actually soft, sweet, and very brief.


    As their lips parted, Adam did not get up but hovered over her and whispered against her ears, "You have no idea how much I missed you�� " before dipping back in for another brief gentle kiss.


    He then pulled up and looked straight into her eyes and said, "I was just trying to be considerate since you look exhausted." He explained softly.


    At last, Preethi''s eyes softened from her sulking self. She took her hands and ran them gently over his cheeks as she said, "I know�� I do understand but I wish you wouldn''t hold back on my account�� It sucks not to know how you really feel or want."


    Adam''s eyes stayed on her for a few extended seconds before he went ahead and kissed her all over again. But this time around there was no gentleness. There was a slight impatience as he plunged right in and sucked the breath out of her literally.


    He poured every unspoken word and unexpressed emotions through the kiss as he pulled Preethi impossibly closer to him. His lips were passionate as they moved against hers while he circled his hands around her waist their bodies close in an iron grip.


    Preethi did not even know what hit her as she tried to keep up with his pace.


    They had never been this intimate before�� not that they avoided it purposely but they never really had the chance. Between both their works and Akil, they never really got time or space to think about these things. So, Preethi was slightly taken by surprise by how desperate his kiss was.


    She, at last, opened her mouth gasping for air but Adam took the opportunity to actually plunge his tongue in deepening the kiss further. All she could do was let out a whimper and accommodate to his lips.


    Adam let go of her lips only when she started struggling for air but even then his lips never left her skin as he kissed her jaws and every part of her face.


    Their intense make-out session went on for god knows how long before Adam pulled away. Both their clothes were wrinkled while Preethi''s t-shirt was pulled up revealing her skin underneath. Their heavy breathing filled the air.


    Adam did not completely pull away though. He buried his face on the seems of her neck and whispered in a husky voice, "This and more is going to happen if I am not going to hold back each and every time I see you�� So, it''s better to think about the consequences before you carelessly ask for something." Even though he was warning her, in his voice it sounded so s.e.xy right that moment.


    Even though she was yet to recover her breathing and was still slightly dazed, his warning still rang into her ears like a damn bell awakening all her senses. Her eyes slightly widened in surprise.


    So far, Adam had always been very calm and composed. She never saw him lose his cool not even when he proposed to her. So, she was really surprised that he actually had such a side to him.


    But before she could make her brain work up a response to that, Adam completely pulled away from her and said, "I need a shower��"


    Adam ran his hands through his already messed up hair and walked towards the bath.


    Preethi''s lips actually twitched. She did not know what it was but a really accomplished feeling spread through her along with a sense of warmth. It felt really good to be desired by your partner like this�� She had never experienced this feeling before. She had never been at the receiving end of such an uncompromising passion.


    A content smile spread through her face as she snuggled into the bed and drifted off to sleep.


    After what felt like forever, she heard the shower stop and she vaguely felt a feather-light touch over her forehead.

 Chapter 240 - What? I am not a saint.

    It had been three weeks since Naren''s banquet and in these three weeks, nothing concrete had actually changed. All three companies they targeted are surviving still though barely. But Shreya had anticipated as much. Naren''s company is the most hit�� after all, he lacks experience and he was the one directly involved.


    With a little more push, she could easily topple them, but for now, without any further progress with obtaining evidence, Shreya decided to keep them there. It will keep them busy without really giving them time to do anything else.


    Malini actually found most of the accounts in which they had stashed the money�� Shreya had no idea how she did it but she did. And since taking out the money now would be counter-productive, Shreya asked them to let it be for now but also asked Pritham to monitor any movements closely.


    It took her three days just to convince everyone else to accept Malini''s help. That was of course after Akash and others blasted her completely for going to meet her without their knowledge. After a lot of whining and griding, they agreed to let Malini in on a strictly trial basis. Thankfully, she did deliver, or else it would have been Shreya''s head.


    But out of all, surprisingly, it was Pritham who is most against Malini. When Shreya asked him why�� the answer kinda baffled her.


    "She is scary, Shreya. Whenever I ask something stupid, she gives me a look as if she was trying hard not to burn me alive�� Once I almost pissed my pants. So, no matter what, I will work really very hard and get it for you, but please don''t ask her to help me out! I might end up becoming a resentful ghost and haunt you for life."


    Shreya laughed so hard that her stomach hurt after hearing him.


    "What did you do to Pritham? He is practically sweating buckets with just hearing your name!!" Shreya asked out loud to Malini. They were just hanging out. Somehow things ended up like that. Timing is essential for a relationship to build probably. Shreya wasn''t sure they could have gotten along so well even if they had talked to each other during college. But this was also nice.


    And of all, it was Malini who initiated it actually�� and most of the time they did not even speak. Just shared absolute silence over a cup of coffee. It had already been 4 times like that.


    "Well, let''s just say, I did not realize someone who could beat me in computers can also be someone so stupid and na?ve when it came to other things. Now I really know what it meant to be bad at numbers. Compared to him, I can proudly say I am a genius and you are probably a supercomputer or something." Malini replied sipping on her tea.


    Shreya let out a chuckle.


    "By the way, are you sure this is okay to hang out in the open like this? I mean, it wouldn''t affect me much, but are you sure you are going to be okay if your dad finds out?" Shreya asked next. They were sitting in an open-air caf�� surrounded by trees and plants facing a really very busy street.


    "What if I say I am actually waiting for him to find me? And that I am purposely asking you out!" Malini asked with a pointed look.


    "To what purpose though?" Shreya asked frowning. With her intelligence, she had already deciphered Malini should be doing it on purpose, and since she did not particularly mind her company, she just let things slide as it is��


    "Just want to show my dad that I am no longer a na?ve little girl to do as he says without any questions��" Malini replied with a very complicated smile on.


    Shreya paused looking at her and then after a while, she just shrugged her shoulders and said, "If you are so dead set on getting caught, then I might as well remove the people following you around! It will be counterproductive."


    "You have people following me?" Malini asked surprised. After all, she did not spot a tail so far.


    "Of course. I did not want to be caught off guard and let you take shit from your dad�� if nothing else, at the very least I wanted to give you a fair warning if we got caught!" Shreya replied in a ''Duh'' voice.


    Malini looked at her surprised for a second without knowing what to say.


    "What? I don''t have the habit of using people and throwing them away if that is what you were thinking about me�� I do not like owing favors. And more than that, I do not like abandoning people who have helped me!" Shreya emphasized looking pointedly at Malini.


    "SO, you are telling me the guy is just for my benefit and not because you are afraid that I will tell my dad about us and what I had done?" Malini arched her brows.


    "I won''t be able to do that even if I tried. Do you really think I will be able to stop you if you really want to rat me out to your dad?" Shreya arched her brows back asking a rather rhetoric question. After all, with today''s technology and with Malini''s expertise, as long as she wanted, she could always warn her dad and Shreya wouldn''t be able to stop her or know about it.


    "Then what would you have done if I had really ratted you out to my dad without really helping you? What if I am still spying for my dad?" Malini asked curiously.


    "Firstly, you have to give me some credit�� I have been running the business for a while now and I do know how to read people�� and you are not a spy material and even if you had ratted me out to your dad, I figured you would have informed me first. After all, you did not even cheat in your college exams in all the years I had known you��" Shreya asserted calmly and collected.


    But before Malini could say anything else, Shreya actually continued.


    "Secondly, you are too much of a morally conscious person to side with your dad. But finally, above all, if you had really ratted me out, I would have just killed everyone around you and your dad and left you guys alive to rot away��" Shreya had a dead serious face when she said the last part making a chill run down Malini''s spines.


    Malini could say nothing but stare at her with wide eyes.


    "What? I am not a saint. And I am only good for people who are good to me�� I am not stupid enough to play nice with people who are cruel to me!" Shreya said casually and got up from her place drinking the last of her coffee.


    "Thanks for the coffee�� See you around��" Shreya said and went out.


    For once, Malini was really glad she made the right choice and she did not give in to her doubts. Because something in Shreya''s eyes told her that if she hadn''t helped her, the consequences were something she couldn''t have handled.

 Chapter 241 - I do not need a thank you card from you, Zee.

    Zeenath stood outside Shreya''s office biting her fingers. She did not know how to approach her after what she had said to her on that day. Shreya hadn''t contacted her at all after that day.


    Even her job assignments were given to her through Akash. Even when they had the meeting, she did not behave any different than usual but during meetings, Shreya always had an air of distance. So, Zee did not know if it was just her, or was she really cold to her.


    When she was still contemplating on whether to go in or not, Anne walked towards the door with some files in her hands.


    "Uhm�� You need anything?" Anne asked politely. By now, she actually got the hang of how things worked at her job and she was coping pretty well. She also knows the people around Shreya and who and all have access to the floor and stuff like that. So, she did know of Zeenath even though she did not really have a conversation with her before.


    Zee came out of her trance and looked at Anne.


    "Ah?? no�� you go ahead. I will wait here until you come back��" Zee offered generously.


    Anne gave her a look but still went in since Shreya had asked for these files asap.


    After a knock, she walked in and approached the desk.


    "Madam, here are the files you asked for��" Anne said keeping them on Shreya''s desk.


    Shreya was busy with work. So, she did not really look up but still said, "Thanks, Anne. Can you bring me a cup of coffee��? Make it strong!"


    "Right away��" Anne said but did not leave.


    Shreya looked up at her hesitating self. "Is there something else?" She asked.


    "Uhm. Yea, Miss Zeenath is waiting for you outside." Anne mumbled timidly. She did not want to rat out but then it did not seem like a secret either.


    "Ask her to come in," Shreya said and went back to work.


    "Yes, ma''am," Anne said and exited the office.


    Zee was still outside the doors.


    "Madam asked you to come in��" Anne said politely holding the doors open for Zee.


    Zeenath made a fist of her hands and actually went in. She just stood there in front of Shreya''s desk watching Shreya flip through some files. There was no other sound except for the sound of Shreya turning pages.


    Zeenath cleared her throat loudly to gain her attention.


    "What do you need, Zeenath?" Shreya asked looking at her reluctantly. Don''t know how it would look to a normal stranger, but to those who did know Shreya, they could easily detect the alienation in her voice right away. There was something formal and distant about the voice.


    "I�� I just��" Zee stumbled not knowing what to say. Especially after seeing Shreya like this. Zee did not like that tone Shreya was using with her. Shreya had never used that with her.


    When they met first in school, this aloof person who did not care about anything or anybody�� this rebellious brat who did not listen to anyone�� not even the Principal suddenly got attached to her.


    Once Shreya saw Zee being cornered by some other kids from other rich families�� Just when Shreya was about to jump in and have fun, Zee herself sent them running for their money. Her comebacks were beyond perfect.


    From then on, Shreya took it upon herself to actually drag around Zeenath everywhere she went. They were two people who everyone did not dare to cross. They never went looking for trouble but they never really backed down from trouble either.


    Zeenath never did initiate contact but she enjoyed Shreya''s company. But they got separated when Zeenath had gotten admission in a university far from the city. But somehow Shreya tracked her down all over again.


    A bond built between them over time�� Zeenath thought it was strong enough without her having to put effort into it. But looking at Shreya now, she knew she was wrong. A relationship needs two people to survive.


    Shreya patiently waited for her to continue. But her eyes did not have any warmth. They just coldly and stagnantly gazed at Zeenath.


    "I am sorry about that day�� I was out of line." Zeenath told at last.


    "It''s okay. Anything else?" Shreya said in a dismissing tone.


    Zeenath did not know what to do�� She had never taken a step forward in their relationship�� Shreya just always accommodated her.


    "I am really sorry Shreya. I mean it. I know I was rude that day�� and I am sorry��" Zeenath tried desperately once again.


    "I am not angry, Zeenath. And it is not what you said that is making me behave this way�� The problem is that you actually meant every single word you said that day�� And don''t try to deny it because you and I both know that you did�� I know you don''t like to have people beside you, Zeenath. You don''t like people being in your life. I always knew that but I turned a blind eye to it as long as you just let me be there for you�� but I was wrong. I realized I cannot do that anymore. I cannot be there for a person who is not going to appreciate it." Shreya said with a straight face.


    "I do appreciate it, Shreya. I really do��" Zeenath defended herself. But then she did not have any defense for other things Shreya said because they were true. She was really grateful to Shreya for putting up with her for so many years but she never properly let anyone actually into her life. She always kept everyone at a distance, emotionally.


    "I do not need a thank you card from you, Zee. I am not running a f.u.c.k.i.n.g charity here. You know me better than that. But that''s the problem right there�� you do know me but I cannot say the same about you. And I am sorry to say this, but I cannot do this anymore. I cannot stand there on the sidelines and still smile at your face as if we are the best of buds. You want to drown yourself into an abyss, I cannot stop you. But I am not going to be around you to watch it happen either�� I do not have the courage for something like that." Shreya frustratedly ran her hands over her face quite harshly.


    Zeenath just stood there dumbstruck.


    "You�� You are firing me?" Zeenath asked in disbelief.


    Shreya looked up at her once again frowning, "Of course not. But I am your employer, and you are my employee. That is all there is going to be between us hereafter��" There was a heaviness in her voice when she said the last parts.


    Shreya was someone who will emotionally invest herself in abundance when it came to people she likes�� people she takes as family.


    For her, neither Pritham nor Zack are any less family than Akash or Anand.

 Chapter 242 - You cannot do that Shreya…

    "You�� You cannot do that Shreya��" Zeenath said. For once there was panic in her voice though only very mildly.


    That moment she realized that in spite of all her walls and in spite of all the conscious distancing she had done, she had somehow come to think that Shreya was going to be around her for life. Even she did not know when that happened, but when Shreya said she was going to detach herself away from her, Zee actually got to know how close she was to Shreya.


    "What do you expect from me Zee? What do you take me for? Some kind of a plush toy you can cuddle with whenever you wanted and then leave it alone when you are fine. You guys are my only FAMILY, Zee. And you know what a family means to me. I don''t know about you, but for me at least you were part of the family�� my family. A person I love and trust�� And you did what? You told me I have no right to meddle in your affairs whatsoever. And for what? I sent you a prank photo?" Shreya had gotten up from her chair by then and was standing right in front of Zeenath.


    "I am sorry to say this but if you have thought that I am someone who puts up with shits like that and still can go on with you as if nothing ever happened, I will make it clear, I am not that person. I am a trusting person but not a stupid one�� I am not someone who brings people closer to me because they are pitiful. And I am not some saint or someone running a charity."


    Zeenath did not know what to say anymore. All she could do was stand there frozen to a place like a statue while everything Shreya was telling kept echoing to her in her head.


    "You can leave now, Zee. We are done here�� And like you had said so clearly that day, I will never ever meddle in anything about you ever again. As long as you do the job I give you, you will get your appropriate salary." Shreya said and dismissed her promptly.


    Zeenath did not even know how she actually got out of Shreya''s office or how she ended up in front of Srinivas''s office. But before she could comprehend her actions, she was already walking into his office without even knocking.


    When Srinivas looked up from his work when he heard the doors open, he never thought he would come face to face with Zeenath�� that too in such a state. She looked dazed and completely frozen. Her face was pale.


    He got up from his place and approached her and asked hurried, "Hey, what happened? Why do you look like this? Do you have a fever?" He stacked questions concerned.


    Zeenath snapped out of it and looked up and started talking, "You�� you go talk to Shreya. She listens to you, right? Can you just tell her I did not mean anything I said that day? That I was just having a mental breakdown or something? She�� she said she cannot be my friend anymore�� she is my only friend�� I do not really have anyone other than her you know�� So, you just go tell her I am sorry��"


    Even though her speech was coherent enough, she did not seem like she was aware of what she was telling. But the panic is her voice was clear as day.


    Srinivas pulled her to the couch and stopped her blabbering by giving her a glass of water.


    "Okay, okay. Now, first drink this before talking anymore��" He extended the water right in front of her face.


    "You will go talk, then?" Zeenath asked without really even taking the glass or giving it any attention at all.


    "Yes, yes. I will go talk to her. Now drink this first��" Srinivas said once again shoving the water into her hands.


    Zeenath actually drank a bit this time.


    "If you have calmed down, now tell me what happened will you?" Srinivas asked.


    Zeenath briefly told him what Shreya had said to her without even thinking. At that moment, she did not really care. If felt like she would go crazy if she did not share it with someone.


    Srinivas listened to the while thing attentively and said, "I will go talk to Shreya�� but maybe you should actually think about what Shreya told you because she is actually right on all counts about you. You are like a tortoise or something�� as long as something you deem risky happens, as simple as a confession, you end up hiding yourself completely in your personal shell. It''s hard being a friend to someone who won''t let you close to them you know?"


    "Use that big brains of yours and think, Zee�� Maybe what she needs from you is not a half-assed apology�� an apology that wouldn''t count for anything at all if you are not going to change the way you treat her." Srinivas said and walked out. And he actually did go to Shreya''s office.


    He actually found Shreya lying on the couch face completely buried against the cushion.


    He knocked on the doors to get her attention and walked inside.


    "What do you want now?" Shreya asked lifting her face off of the couch.


    "Nothing... I am just here to check up on you actually�� you gave Zeenath a nice scare��" Srinivas commented coming to stand beside her.


    She let out a sigh and buried her face back in and said in a muffled voice, "I am fine�� You go check on Zee. You have to take advantage of the situation like these if you want to even put a dent in her armour."


    But then Shreya looked up and continued after a short pause with a sly smile, "Well, I see you have put quite a dent on her armour if she actually went to you after that epic argument she had. Nice job��"


    Srinivas frowned and asked cautiously, "Is that supposed to be a compliment?"


    "Definitely��" Shreya said smiling.


    "You know, she is not the only having a problem with sharing? Even you are the same�� You guys are almost identical! maybe you should actually take your own advice." Srinivas added giving her a knowing smile. After all, if Shreya was as unaffected as she is pretending to be, she wouldn''t have talked as such to Zeenath.


    "Did you come here to annoy me now? Or because you cared? If you are here to get justice for your girlfriend, you can get out! I don''t care," Shreya said irritated turning her face away from him.


    Before Srinivas could say anything, there was a knock on the door and Anne walked in.


    "Hey, Anne. What is it?" Shreya asked.


    "Eh, there is one Mr. Abishek Mehra waiting for you�� he is asking for an appointment. What should I do?" Anne had a confused frown on her face. It was mainly because in all the time she had worked with Shreya, this is the first time she had encountered such a situation. Even after the announcement, Shreya was really not the one to meet clients and staff. All the administrative part of the company is done by Akash and Anand�� so nobody comes to meet her or calls her at all. So, this was one unique incident she did not know how to deal with. So, she came straight to Shreya to clarify.


    Shreya''s eyes widened as she subconsciously looked at Srinivas.

 Chapter 243 - You are not much of a chitchat person, are you?

    If anything, Shreya really hated surprises. Especially when it came to working�� she needed everything under her control when she was doing anything. She absolutely makes sure that nothing happens without her knowledge under her nose. She just let some things slide knowingly�� but if the same had happened without her knowledge she tends to freak out��


    "Why the hell is Abishek Mehra sitting there in my corridor and I am just knowing about it?" Shreya asked in a slightly raised voice into the phone.


    As always, Shreya did not really say any greeting or explain anything. So, Zack had a baffled expression on his face without really knowing how to reply.


    "Ask our guys to escort him up to the floor below, conference room 7. I will be there in 10 minutes." Shreya passed on other instructions without giving Zack any chance to respond. And of course, she also cut the call without waiting for a response.


    "Anne, I need the east wing of the floor below fully cleared. Nobody in or out until I say so��" Shreya ordered again.


    So, 15 minutes later, Shreya was sitting in the conference room with Abishek sitting facing her on the far end of the table. There was absolute silence and no one around.


    Even the corridors were empty because of Shreya removing all personals in this wing.


    It was actually Abishek who broke the silence between them. He was once again impressed by Shreya. After all, in a battle of minds, the first one to start a conversation often gives too much away since it means he is impatient. But he was not here for any mind games, so he started the conversation without much hesitation.


    "Sorry to have come here uninformed. And sorry about shaking off the tails you had on me�� I just couldn''t take the risk!" With his experience, spotting a tail is not really something he had to do consciously�� but he let it be since shaking it off at the time would have only resulted in more people the next days.


    He had a smirk on his face that irritated Shreya to no end but she still kept quiet.


    "What do you want?" Shreya asked coldly.


    "You are not much of a chitchat person, are you?" Abishek asked smiling. And this time it was not taunting but more like a tease from an elder to his junior.


    Shreya sat back on her chair seeing as this wasn''t going to end as smoothly and as quickly as she thought it would.


    "Not particularly�� at least not with the person responsible for my parents'' demise�� I would rather not make friends with them if you know what I mean!?" Shreya''s voice was dripping with sarcasm all the through while her eyes kept at him mocking him slightly.


    Abishek was actually left speechless. He did not answer it but took out his bag and unzipped it.


    "Don''t worry, there is no bomb in here��" He commented.


    But Shreya just shrugged her shoulders. She was not really being cautious about the bag in the first place. For one, she knew Zack would have done his job�� and of course, if Abishek really wanted to something to her, he wouldn''t have walked through the front doors of her office.


    "I am not really that worried. I figured you would have a million other ways if you wanted to hurt me�� Not one where you end being the prime suspect and about a 10000 witnesses to vouch for it." Shreya shrugged nonchalantly.


    Abishek just smiled before pushing some files and a hard drive towards Shreya. Shreya did not reach out at her but just looked at Abishek.


    "Look at it��" He just said confidently.


    Shreya just sat back without really touching it as she stared at Abishek. She was slightly put off. If it were something on her, she would be able to handle it. But if there was something they had found out about people around her, she was not really sure what she would end up.


    But Abishek just stared back at her without urging her anymore.


    Shreya sighed but leaned in to take the file and flipped it open after a bit of hesitation.


    Her eyes immediately widened after giving it a quick skim. She looked up at Abishek completely shocked.


    "Why are you giving me this��?" Shreya asked shocked. Not in a million years did she think she will be receiving something like this when she heard he was here to see her.


    "You should know what happened to my granddaughter right?" Abishek asked. That is when Shreya actually noticed how tired he looked. He did not look well.


    Shreya nodded her head. It was a tragedy actually. Just a random terrorist bombing�� the police had been looking on to him but before they could actually catch the guy, he blew himself taking about a dozen people with him along with Abishk''s granddaughter who was there with her nanny.


    But Shreya really couldn''t bring herself to sympathize or empathize with him since he was someone who had been responsible for things like that even if he did not do this particular one.


    "I can almost hear the contempt in your mind just with the way you are looking at me��" Abishek commented staring at her eyes. But somehow, looking at her eyes actually put some peace of mind to him.


    All the other people who had met up with him in all the days following, they always had a pitiful and sympathetic look in their eyes�� which just made things so much worse for him. It was almost suffocating to be on the receiving end of such an expression. Because the more they empathized, the more he felt as if they were mocking at him�� or maybe telling him, he had it coming. Or maybe it was his own guilt telling him that. It made him feel very ashamed to meet them. But Shreya''s eyes�� that pure contempt in them�� you can see that she did not really have any sympathy for him��


    Her eyes were just cold and stern. She was looking at him just the way he felt about himself.

 Chapter 244 - A monster.

    A monster.


    He really did not know how he had come from being a hero who served the country with pride, to become someone who felt like a monster.


    The file had every last bit of evidence he had against himself and his other partners and clients who are part of the syndicate. He had photos, doc.u.ments, and voice recordings. And the background checks they did on their clients. Everything Shreya was looking for.


    "Why are you giving me this��?" Shreya asked. She did not really want to pat his back and console him or something��


    "If you read it, you will know that you will be able to recognize some of the biggest names in the country there. I would never make it into the legal system alive if I brought them this. I want to come clean�� I am done with this whole thing�� I am tired and I am not really looking forward to making another Naren out of all this shit�� So, you just fit the bill. You are desperate for the information I have and if it were you, I probably have a better chance of actually making it to a trail. I will testify everything�� You will be able to get justice for your dad and mom too��" Abishek answered earnestly.


    "Why should I believe you? What if you were just laying down a trap for me?" Shreya asked skeptically. After all, a man his age doesn''t suddenly come to the realization that he had been doing wrong��


    "You can check every last detail in the files�� And while you do it, you can put me in some corner and observe��"


    Shreya took out her phones and called Pritham and Akash over�� Of course, they were right there beside her in a matter of minutes panting and puffing.


    "What happened?"


    "What did he do?"


    Both asked anxiously standing in front of Shreya giving Abishek an ugly look.


    Abishek gave them an amused look showing his palms out indicating that he was innocent.


    "Nothing�� he did nothing. I need you guys to go check these out�� a quick one is enough for now��" Shreya said handing them over the files and the hard drive. Be careful��" Shreya said pointedly before handing the hard drive over to Pritham.


    "I know. I will be careful��" Pritham said solemnly and went out.


    Once they left, Abishek looked at their back thoughtfully. In all the years he had worked, he never had this kind of comradeship since he left the army�� he never had people he could depend on. Partly because he could not trust the work he was doing and secondly his guilty consciousness always prevented him from exposing it.


    "You trust them!" Even though it was a statement, there was this tinch of question mark in the end.


    "Of course, what''s the point of having people around you if you are not going to trust them?" Shreya said shrugging her shoulders. And he could clearly see that Shreya was not saying this just for flaunting but she really meant it.


    This confidence to trust in people probably came from being morally right�� this reminded him of the time when even he used to trust in people.


    "You know when we started all this�� we actually had good intentions��?" Abishek said with a sense of nostalgia and melancholy in his voice. His face actually looked worn out and aged��


    "Look, if you are going to start your life history and geography, I am going to need coffee�� or else I will end up snoring away and you will be talking to tables and chairs," Shreya said with a very straight face and actually called up to deliver her some coffee first.


    Abishek let out hearty laughter at that. He really liked Shreya�� and if only he hadn''t done what he did to her parents, maybe they could have actually met in more normal circ.u.mstances and maybe even had a relationship.


    "If we have only met in different circ.u.mstances�� maybe we could have had a better relationship you know?" Abishek unconsciously said his thoughts out loud.


    But before he could continue, Shreya interrupted him and refused him coldly, "NO�� There is no way we would have ended up on the same side regardless of what happened to my parents. The minute you decided to do this business, we are bound to be on the opposite sides. Nothing is ever going to convince me to accept killing innocent people for money�� Maybe we wouldn''t have even known each other."


    She was more exactly Mother Teresa�� Shreya had her share of darkness�� but she wouldn''t abuse it for money or power�� they were not worth it as far as she was concerned�� NO amount of money is ever going to be worth a person''s life for her.


    Abishek looked up at her with very complicated eyes.


    This moral compass that Shreya has now, there was a time when even he had it�� just as stubbornly as her�� and somehow it all went away so gradually that even he did not know how?


    A few minutes passed in silence when Srinivas came in with the coffee.


    Shreya took it eagerly and gave him a grin and said, "Thanks�� I have been dying for one��"


    Srinivas just ruffled her hair as he always did without adding anything.


    But just as he turned around Shreya stopped him.


    "Hey, wait. You can leave now for the day�� I know�� you can save the lecture actually. I am pretty sure I am going to be stuck in the office for the night�� But even if I need to go home, I will take Vicky with me!" Shreya uttered without really giving him a chance to say anything at all.


    Srinivas quietly stared back at her. She knows he was wondering why she was doing it and she gave him the reason after a pause.


    "Check up on her will you�� don''t leave her alone. She did not seem her usual self when she left my office. I am worried��" Shreya mumbled hanging her head down. Even though she said she was not going to care about her, somethings are just out of her control. Maybe she can be cold to her on the face, but she did not know how not to care.


    Srinivas knew she was talking about Zeenath without her having to point out. So, he just smiled and pecked on her temple and said, "See you tomorrow��" He then left the room without turning back.

 Chapter 245 - You had it coming.

    Shreya slurped on her coffee quite greedily making a hell lot of noise that actually resonated real loud in that silent room.


    "You are not much for manners, are you?" Abishek asked. Somehow, he actually enjoyed getting to know Shreya. He liked observing her unrestrained self. Even knowing he was a foe, she did not bother to hide herself�� and he can see that it came from a place of absolute confidence�� in herself and in her people around her.


    "Manners consume time and I do not have time to waste on such silly things�� Especially with you." Shreya shrugged her shoulders.


    Abishek just smiled back quietly.


    "Anyways, you won''t eat or drink anything I serve you here�� so why bother?" She continued after a pause.


    Abishek was not surprised by her comment nor did he deny it. After all, this was something they had learned when they were in the army�� never to take any food or drinks in hostile territory. That kind of habit gets ingrained in you.


    Silence ensued after that until Abishek broke it.


    "You know when we started out�� it was actually to save people��"


    Shreya did not react but she rolled her eyes sarcastically. No explanation he gives is ever going to justify anything he did in front of her, ever.


    "When we�� I mean me, Abimanyu, and Kabir- Naren''s father retired from the army�� we actually struggled a lot. We did not really know how to have normal lives anymore. The army was all we knew and we weren''t that good at anything else. The army gave us a sense of identity and when we came out, we lost it�� And that is not a place you want to be��"


    "And that justifies everything you did?" Shreya asked arching her brows delectably.


    "NO�� of course not. I am not trying to justify myself. I am just trying to figure out when it all went wrong. We were so desperate financially and emotionally that we turned to one thing we knew�� we freelanced our skills. And back then, since we decided to do only rescue missions�� Nobody will be getting hurt�� nobody objected."


    "We three were legendary back then. We had a 100% success rate and we earned a reputation for ourselves in that sector�� And that reputation was contagious. Slowly, we started taking more jobs that ventured slightly outside the line�� and it gradually went from something good to something immoral so fast that we never even noticed. Everything just became a business suddenly�� impersonal. After all, even if we did not do it, someone else will. And we wanted to be the ones who did it�� we liked the attention and the feeling of superiority it gave."


    "And by the time we actually realized what we were becoming, it was already too late." Abishek finished with regret written all over the face.


    "If you are looking for someone to comfort you for your granddaughter''s death and come and tell you it is not your fault, you are seriously looking for the wrong person. Because I am that person who is going to end up saying ''You had it coming''. I am that person who is going to tell you ''You are just a hypocritic''. You have been doing to same shit to countless people almost all your a.d.u.l.t life�� and the same thing happens to you�� You suddenly realize that it hurts. Please! I am not a little na?ve kid to believe in bullshit like that!" Shreya comments in her same noncommittal unempathetic voice. Her sarcasm with the last sentence couldn''t really be missed.


    Abishek looked at Shreya and actually smiled looking at her��


    "I am actually looking for someone who could tell me that ''I had it coming'' actually�� It is almost like a breath of fresh air for someone to actually recognize you for the person you are��"


    Shreya just gave him a bored look. "Look, you want to get to the part you are actually going to be useful to me or I am getting out of here�� I really am not that idle."


    Abishek chuckled once again. In some part of him, he actually felt more comfortable talking to Shreya than anyone else at that moment�� even when he knew the gesture is not going to be reciprocated.


    "I can tell you anything�� you just have to ask�� Like I said I am done running and hiding��" Abishek said solemnly looking straight at Shreya.


    "Well, then let''s start with the person who is actually responsible for my parents'' death? And Girish uncle''s shooting?" Shreya asked.


    Even when she was very reluctant and every part of her brain was fighting against it, her instincts actually told her that Abishek was being genuine.


    Maybe if they had met in a different place and in different circ.u.mstances, she might have actually been able to believe him right away following her gut as she had always done for so long�� but the facts were against her�� so she couldn''t help but be suspicious of Abishek.


    When Shreya first heard about his granddaughter�� she was shocked at her but then she actually did not really know what to feel about the whole situation.


    Abishek had only one daughter who was married out of the country�� and she had a little princess who was just 5 years old.


    She looked like a happy child from what she had gathered�� and she also knew that Abishek did not really bring any of his children into this business�� just like how Abimanyu never brought Malini into this. And Naren was pulled into the business only when his own father had died all of sudden�� otherwise�� if Kabir had been alive till now�� Shreya did not know how Naren''s fate would have ended. Maybe even he would have been steered clear of these. And he would have just been an arrogant jerk and not a monster.


    At first, Shreya thought that maybe they did not really even trust their own kids to let them in. But looking at Abishek, she knew that they did not want to drag their kids into the hell hole they had made for themselves. And that they might not be exactly proud of syndicate themselves in spite of founding it.


    Abishek answered each and every question Shreya had put forth very earnestly. And he did keep his words and answered about anything and everything he possibly knew. He did not hold back even when Shreya insulted him in her ever so sarcastic tone�� And he did not lose his composure throughout the conversation no matter what she said�� it was the kind of composure who had completely surrendered to their fate after a long struggle�� where they had lost every last ounce of self-preservation in them.

 Chapter 246 - I never really learned how to let people close.

    Srinivas walked out of the conference room and went straight to his own office. But he did not find Zeenath there. So, he immediately called her bodyguard and found that he had dropped her off at her house.


    Srinivas got his keys and was out of the building in a jiffy. But his face was still very calm. His car steadily traveled through the city�� even though it did not look like he was being impatient, his legs still kept pressing the accelerators a little harder than normal.


    He reached her apartment in no time while his legs kept skipping a step every now and then as he climbed the stairs to her doors.


    He did not really bother knocking this time. He could already hear the music jarring through the walls from inside. NO amount of knocking his going to reach her ears over the noise. So, he just went in naturally.


    He did not find Zeenath in the living room. SO, his legs stepped into her bedroom involuntarily.


    Even when he knew that Shreya did the right thing�� he was still slightly scared with the way Zeenath was when he reached her office. He never saw her so lost, panicked and vulnerable before. He knew Shreya at last put a dent into her armors with the way she had dealt with Zeenath�� He still did not like seeing her like that.


    When he opened her doors to the bedroom, he was met with complete darkness in spite of the sun being right up the head. All the windows were completely shut down and thick curtains were drawn completely blocking any amount of light into the room.


    And there was, of course, the speakers on the shelf that was blaring out of control.


    Srinivas first went and switched off the music. When he turned around, he found Zeenath sitting in a cramped up corner between her bed and the walls. She was sitting with her legs bunched in front of her hugging her knees with both her arms.


    Zeenath looked up as soon as the music stopped. Because Srinivas had opened the bedroom doors, a little light penetrated into the room. Her eyes just stared at him unblinking. Her eyes held no real emotions�� but behind all the coldness, her anguish was actually pretty apparent.


    Srinivas just stared back at her eyes for a while�� he then went and sat beside her leaning on the walls. He did not say a single word from start to end.


    They did not know how much time had passed between them with absolute silence.


    After what felt like forever, Zeenath''s head actually fell, and leaned on his shoulders completely exhausted. She did not even know where this tiredness came�� it was just seeing him here in one of the worst days�� having him here�� she felt like she can let go somehow�� with him here, she did not feel the need to put up a strong front somehow.


    Normally, she wouldn''t have dared to let herself go like this�� but then after the day she had had�� after hearing what Shreya had said�� she did not want to make the same mistake twice and regret it later.


    "It is not that I push people away from me consciously, you know? I am just so used to it that it had become a habit by now�� And now, I really don''t know how to let people in�� actually, I never really learned how to let people close��" Zeenath whispered, at last, breaking the silence between them.


    Srinivas did not really say anything to that. He just lifted his hands and caressed her head lightly.


    "How could I possibly learn something like that when my own mother had abandoned me on the streets�� How do you trust in people when you still remember the harsh push of your own mum asking you to not dare follow her if you did not want to get beaten to a pulp?"


    These were the questions that had been buried in the depths of her heart from as long as she could remember. Something she never dared to speak out until this moment.


    A huge lump formed at the base of her throat making it hard to breathe.


    She always thought she had become numb to the world around her�� but somehow feeling the warmth beside her and that gentle hands resting over her head�� She couldn''t really help the surge of emotions that toppled her completely taking her off guard.


    "Does Shreya know?" Srinivas asked. Somehow his voice had actually become hoarse. He could only imagine what kind of a scar that should have left on an innocent little girl�� and the fact that she still remembers the whole incident made everything so much worse.


    Zeenath shook her head.


    "Shreya and me�� we actually met in school�� we were friends before I came to work for her. So, she never really conducted any background check on me. So, she only knows what I have told her which is not much actually. All she ever knows is that I came from an orphanage��" Zeenath explained. She was actually grateful for Shreya for that. She really did not know how she could have faced Shreya if Shreya had dug out all her past and put it into papers.


    Shreya was that one sole person in her life who Zee had treated as a friend�� someone equal to her. Zee did not know how she would have reacted if she saw pity for herself in Shreya''s eyes after knowing how she had been living all her life��


    For Zeenath who was all alone and empty, her own pride and ego are the only things she actually owned�� and those are things she had earned through hard work. She had put hours and hours of work into it before she could lift her head high and let no one dare to look down on her.


    For someone like that, pitiful eyes probably gave a disgusting feeling.

 Chapter 247 - Regret has no pill after all.

    "You know�� I was a result of a drunken one night stand that completely ruined my mom''s life�� You can''t probably fathom the amount of hate she actually held towards me. She, at last, called it quits when I reached 9 years�� Probably the only good thing she had ever done for me." Zeenath said with a grave self-deprecating chuckle.


    "Why did she have you then?" Srinivas asked without really thinking. But he bit on his tongues as soon as the words left her mouth. But it was too late by then.


    But Zeenath did not really take offense to it. Because this was a question she asked the universe above all her childhood.


    "Oh! You will love that part��" She started to answer. One can''t miss the sarcasm in her voice from miles away.


    "The jerk�� or the s.p.e.r.m donor if put politely�� he is actually a wealthy bastard who likes playing around. My mum was aiming to not only get into his bed but also into his house�� but he was already married and he was looking for an heir and not a little girl. And thus, my mum had to endure excruciating torture in the name of a daughter that nobody wanted."


    The bitterness in her voice cut him like a sword. He was someone who had seen war�� but still, hearing to her was not easy.


    Zeenath paused and actually pulled away from him and shifted her backs to him. But before Srinivas could protest, her voice continued.


    "And she would do this whenever she will remember how much my presence had deprived her of��"


    (Note of the author: I am really sorry but there should be some discrepancies when it comes to Zeenath''s back story�� Originally when I wrote, I think she never had any memories before she went to an orphanage. And there is also this�� I mean I keep switching between university and school- the time Shreya and Zeenath will meet first. The final storyline is�� they will meet in school and gets separated when Zeenath moves out for university. I will make the changes in the necessary places later.)


    Her hand reached out and pulled her t-shirt presenting her bareback to Srinivas in all its glory.


    Srinivas''s breath stuck at his throats. Her back was completely covered in scars�� whip marks, cut marks, and even some cigarette burn marks.


    When he thought of a little girl barely old enough to understand the world enduring something like this�� his whole being hurt.


    Zeenath was the first one that entered his heart in all his life�� she held a place in his heart that was completely hers�� But seeing someone that dear to him and knowing she had been tortured at such a young age�� and hearing to her cold emotionless voice recounting the same without an ounce of attachment.


    His own emotions became a mess very quickly.


    Srinivas scooped her over and actually sat her on his laps in one smooth move. And then he held her in his arms�� at that moment, he did not even know if he was doing this to comfort her or himself. He wished he could somehow make it all go away for her. Or maybe just forget she ever said anything to him��


    Because the helplessness of the whole situation was like cruel torture for him.


    "You don''t have to tell me anything�� You don''t have to remember them�� You are fine now and here��" He mumbled against her neck. He did not feel like he could bear to know more�� he was really scared of what more she could have gone through. Just thinking about it made every last muscle of his body go stiff.


    Zeenath just smirked and asked sarcastically, "Weren''t you the one who asked for a chance? Wasn''t I being a scaredy-cat?"


    The bitterness in her voice did no good to his already torn up emotions. He never would have imagined something so f.u.c.k.i.e.d up behind her cold mask��


    "I''m sorry�� I am really sorry��" Srinivas mumbled really regretting somethings he had said to her so carelessly without even knowing her situation. He actually dared to implicate that she was a coward�� when he thought of it, he felt regret eating him alive.


    If he had been in her shoes, he wasn''t even sure if he would have survived for so long let alone be so brave. And somehow, he had actually asked her so arrogantly whether she was just sacred�� Now he knew he never had to qualification to ask her something like that.


    Regret has no pill after all.


    But on the completely different spectrum, his emotions became so twisted when he thought of what she had gone through�� all before she was 9 that too.


    Zeenath pulled away to look at him when she heard him apologize. But when she looked into his dark eyes, she really did not know how to respond. He actually had unshed tears clinging on to his sockets precariously which shocked Zeenath to no end. She never knew this iceberg could actually melt.


    She had always been afraid to be met with pitiful eyes staring back at her when she finally shared�� but she never thought she would actually be met with anguished ones. Somehow, his eyes looked hurt�� painful even�� reflecting her own.


    Srinivas pulled her all over again and buried his head against her body. He felt ashamed to look into her eyes. Not because she was seeing him tear up but because he kept remembering all the things he had said to her that one night��


    "I am really sorry��" He repeated himself all over again.


    Zeenath actually let out a chuckle at his behavior. Without his arrogance, he actually looked pleasing to her eyes.


    "Aren''t you the one being a scaredy-cat now?" She asked teasingly. Of course, she knew he was avoiding eye contact. So, she couldn''t help but tease. But she was not really trying to mock him��


    "You are probably right��" Srinivas replied chuckling himself. But he did not really elaborate on it. But his arms around her tightened.


    Zeenath leaned over and actually pecked on top of his head��


    She did not know what it was�� but seeing this man who was always so calm and collected soo out of sorts�� emotionally twisted over her�� a sense of warmth spread. The fact that he seemed so hurt for her�� that he had tears for her�� a sweet sensation blanketed her hardened heart unconsciously.


    He was probably the first person to tear up for her�� that too knowing the kinda iceberg he usually is�� it felt special.

 Chapter 248 - I wish I could say the same!!

    "I was found by a blessed soul after I had passed out on the street starving��" Zeenath started talking all over again. But she did not move from her place.


    Srinivas pulled away and looked at her��


    "You don''t have to tell me anything if you don''t want to, Zeenath�� You don''t have to do anything at all with me if you don''t want to. I am okay�� I was wrong." Srinivas said interrupting her without letting her continue.


    He was not going to let her relive things she had long buried just to quench his misplaced curiosity. He would love to listen to her story- yes�� but he did not want to be by force or by letting her feel that she got to say it to him if she wanted him here�� he wanted it to be because she wanted to share a part of her with him.


    "I am not telling this for you�� I am doing this for myself�� I want to give myself a chance!" Zeenath replied determined. Maybe then she will not hurt the people who are truly sincere towards her��


    The thought that if she did not take a step out even now she might end up being miserable and alone all her life�� she did not know the purpose of breathing living like that.


    Shreya was right- this was a hellhole she had built for herself�� and unless she herself crawl out of it, she cannot be saved.


    "Once I reached the orphanage�� the fact that I needn''t endure beating felt like heaven�� but then it was a madhouse there. And I knew very soon I wouldn''t be leaving that place�� after all, what potential parents are going to choose a little girl with a gloomy unsmiling face and body full of scars��? Especially when there are so many princesses smiling from one ear to another!"


    "Shreya probably saved me�� twice�� I never knew how to smile before I met her. I knew how to survive�� but smiling or actually living�� and she taught me that."


    After that Zeenath started talking about everything she could think of�� once it started, words just kept flowing fluidly. She did not know it was so easy to share��


    She talked about everything�� from how it was in the orphanage to how she got into this line of work�� Time went by in a blink.


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    Once she had exhausted her words, silence prevailed. For a long time, both of them did not talk.


    Srinivas did not want to give her perfunctory words of comfort. Someone like Zeenath will see right through those. And he also knows that she did not share so that he could comfort her�� she was too strong for those. She just wanted someone to listen to her and he gave her that.


    "What? No ''it''s going to be okay from here on.'' or ''I am here for you'' ''s?" Zeenath asked arching her brows seeing him remain absolutely silent so long after she was done talking. Because that is how she always thought one would react to her story�� A little bit of pity and a lot of comforting words.


    But Srinivas just listened to her and answered her casually with a smirk, "Nope�� you are way too smart for such blind optimism. So, the first sentence won''t work on you. And as for the latter, I am pretty sure you will be able to do just fine even without me�� You do not need me." Srinivas had an ''I know you too well'' eyes looking at her.


    Zeenath just let out a chuckle and snuggled into his arms.


    "But I am glad I am here��" Srinivas said after a long pause.


    "I wish I could say the same!!" Zeenath said with a sarcastic smirk dancing on her face.


    Srinivas''s face froze in an ugly angle as he looked at her with wide eyes until he saw Zeenath giggling away at his expense. She was laughing so hard that her stomach hurt. He couldn''t help by pinch her cheeks. But he did not have the heart do anything harsher than that. He just looked at her laugh.


    Once she calmed down, her eyes met with his�� his eyes as calm as ever but there was a slight twitch on his lips that looked really attractive.


    "What are we, Srinivas?" Zeenath asked at last. She did not know much about relationsh.i.p.s in the first place. On top of it, with Srinivas, they tend to share more silence than words. This is probably the biggest conversation they ever had, period, in spite of almost spending whole days together for months by now.


    They usually understand things without having to say anything out loud. But she cannot do that in this situation. She did not dare��


    "What can you be?" Srinivas asked back caressing her head gently. His eyes steadily staring at hers.


    Zeenath looked down and mumbled, "I don''t know��" She had taken a step somewhere�� she knows. But she did not know if it meant she could go all the way just yet. She did not even know where she was. Her life hadn''t exactly given her much confidence in relationsh.i.p.s or herself. She had never been someone who had a lot of expectations from life anyway. She was someone who had prepared herself to be all alone all her life.


    "Then you can tell me what we are when you figure it out!" Srinivas said simply.


    But they were interrupted when Srinivas''s phone vibrated. It was just a text, so he did not bother to look.


    "Wait, how did you come? What will happen to Shreya?" Zeenath, at last, asked frowning. With everything, she actually forgot that it was weekday and midday.


    "Shreya sent me. She was worried about you��" Srinivas answered straight up.


    That just made Zeenath''s face fall all over again. She remembered their argument. She knew she was wrong but she was still trying to figure out how to rectify it.


    But then she decisively shook her head and got up.


    "Come on��" She said walking out.


    "Where are we going?" Srinivas asked frowning.


    "Office, of course. Shreya might need us. And she said I will be paid only if I can do my job right! So, I can''t slack off in the name of connections anymore�� so, I have to work hard!" Zeenath said pouting. She knew Shreya was kidding about that part�� but she still wanted to do her part right first. Especially now.


    Srinivas chuckled but still took the car keys and walked out right behind her.


    By the time they reached the office, everyone was present in the conference room. Srinivas actually filled Zeenath of Abishek''s visit�� but since he left there before he could hear what actually happened in the meeting, he couldn''t elaborate much.


    When they entered the room, the whole room was silent with Shreya having a frustrated look on her face.

 Chapter 249 - Mom… dad… I did it…

    The whole atmosphere was broken when Adam''s phone rang.


    Shreya frowned but did not comment. But it also brought her back from her trance and looked around.


    "You guys go back for the night!! I need to think about all this�� I am going to sleep on it for the night. Rest for the day�� Meeting at the conference tomorrow morning sharp at 9 a.m." Shreya said and actually picked her car keys.


    When she saw Srinivas following her back, she stopped him and said, "It''s okay. I will take someone else with me today. You catch up on things here�� and go home."


    Everyone just looked at her back helplessly. But as soon as the doors closed behind her, it was opened again.


    Shreya thought it was Srinivas. So, she just said annoyed, "I said I will call someone else, Srinivas!" Her voice was slightly irritated.


    But when she looked back, she actually found Adam.


    "Sorry, princess�� he did not come. And I am off. Be careful on the road��" Adam smirked and walked past her after giving her a flying kiss. He had a grin on his face as he rushed to the elevators.


    Shreya just shook her head and followed after him but then stopped midway at Madhu''s doors.


    "Hey, you and Anne also leave for the day. You are going to be working your asses off from tomorrow��" Shreya just said and walked out without further explanation only to find Srinivas waiting at the door for her very diligently. Shreya shooed him away with great effort before going away.


    Madhu and Anne just watched her walk away dumbfounded. They had just finished their lunch. But before they could recover, Akash''s silhouette came and stood at the entrance of the room with a big smile.


    "Come on�� we are going out now!!"


    The only miserable person was Pritham. He was working with Malini right that moment on exploring the things Abishek had handed over to make sure they are not being pulled a leg. And as always he was scared out of his wits facing Malini even if she was not right there in front of him.


    Shreya found Vicky waiting for her downstairs. She got in the car without a word. She was really not in a chatty mood. So, she just instructed him to take her to the Imperial and shut her eyes.


    And she actually made a bee-line to the terrace without really bothering to go to her room as soon as she reached the hotel. The sun was still up�� it was pretty hot too. But she found a shadow and sat down.


    This is where she always comes whenever she needs to think about something.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="/book/rich-brat-sweet-revenge-of-a-lazy-princess_15043105205573105/mom%E2%80%A6-dad%E2%80%A6-i-did-it%E2%80%A6_50174733332832434">/book/rich-brat-sweet-revenge-of-a-lazy-princess_15043105205573105/mom%E2%80%A6-dad%E2%80%A6-i-did-it%E2%80%A6_50174733332832434</a> for visiting.


    And right now her mind was all over the place.


    She was way too excited and scared to make any rational decision. The fact that it was all going to come to an end made her feel over the moon and relieved at the same time.


    And the fact that she could get justice for her parents, at last, made her heart twist in a way even she did not know how to explain.


    "Mom�� dad�� I did it�� I can get you guys justice at last. I can put the people who are responsible for you guys going behind bars at last. Are you guys proud of me?" She mumbled seeing the sky. A line tear stumbled out of her eyes uncontrollably.


    But there was also this other side that was terrified beyond any rational explanation.


    She knew when she corners these people, they will try to retaliate one or the other way and she was scared of what they would do then and she couldn''t help but be nervous about whether or not she will be able to keep everyone around her safe till then.


    And of course, there is also the fact that if she complete and sees this through�� she was going to make way too many high profile enemies for herself.


    If it were just her, she wouldn''t hesitate�� after all, her sense of justice was high because of the way Adithya had taught her from a young age.


    But she was not alone now�� she had Charan and Akira�� she had to think about them before she took any decision. They are going to be with her for life�� so, if she makes so many enemies now, they will become targets too.


    So, even when she knew she was already knee-deep in the dirt, she was still hesitant to take the final step.


    If it was just a matter of a short period of time, she wouldn''t be so scared. She could handle it. But the enemies she makes now will be following her almost the whole of her life�� which means it will not only affect her whole life, it will also affect Charan''s and Akira''s lives irreversible.


    When she started all this, she had been prepared for everything�� but then Charan happened to her unexpectedly�� and he had pretty much flipped her life over. So, she did not know how to get out of this dilemma.


    If she was with Charan, she would just ask him straight what she was supposed to do. But she did not want to take the risk now�� she did not want to go and talk to him and expose Charan over at such a junction.


    This just opened a wormhole kind of situation where she goes on thinking without really getting anywhere.


    So, she just wanted to sleep on it??? relax for a minute�� get her emotions under control before taking any decision.


    As time went by, the sun sunk under the horizon slowly but in a very breathtaking manner. The whole sky went from white to crimson to black right in front of her.


    Somehow, that put her mind in a numbing sort of situation. Just watching the sky so big and so beautiful put her mind to rest�� it just went blank.


    She laid back and took a nap�� just that this time around there was no Charan around to wake her up. So, by the time she woke up, it was actually night and her stomach grumbled.

 Chapter 250 - But I don’t know how to ride a bike!

    Adam waited outside a huge gate. He looked slightly impatient as he stood there. A few minutes passed before a long bell rang and the whole street was filled with kids of different sizes in no time.


    Adam looked around eagerly before his eyes landed on a little guy stumbling with his huge bag.


    Adam went ahead and took the bag from his hands in one easy tug while the little guy looked up confused for a second before his lips spread all the way to his ears.


    "Adam," Akil exclaimed opening his arms wide open excitedly.


    Adam just chuckled and lifted the little guy off the floor and into his embrace, "Hey, bud. How have you been? How was school?"


    Akil did not really answer but instead wrapped his little hands around Adam''s neck tightly and said, "I missed you��" His voice was low and shy as they whispered but then you can''t really miss the joy in them.


    "I know, bud. I missed you too��" Adam replied holding him in place. "Many more happy returns of the day, bud." He continued pulling away from the hug and ruffled the little guys head.


    The little guy just gave him a big ass grin and said, "Thank you��"Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="/book/rich-brat-sweet-revenge-of-a-lazy-princess_15043105205573105/but-i-don%E2%80%99t-know-how-to-ride-a-bike!_50830538080052179">/book/rich-brat-sweet-revenge-of-a-lazy-princess_15043105205573105/but-i-don%E2%80%99t-know-how-to-ride-a-bike!_50830538080052179</a> for visiting.


    "Come on. Let''s get you home!" Adam said walking towards the car where a driver was waiting for them.


    These days, for sake of protection everyone in Charan''s family had a driver for wherever they went. There was a lot of grumbling and gritting at first�� but with the stern persistence from Shreya, they all got used to it by then. So, children usually get picked up by one of her people these days.


    As soon as Akil got into the car, his eyes straight up fell on the wrapped box beside Adam. He bit and chewed his lips giving the box a longing look. But still did not ask��


    Adam looked at that scene and let out a chuckle. He picked the box and passed it to Akil and said softly, "Happy birthday, bud." He ruffled the little guy''s hair.


    Akil''s hands were actually too little to hold on to the box. But still, he held it tightly on his laps carefully but did not move to open it just yet.


    "You are not going to open it now?" Adam asked seeing him just stare at the box without really moving to open it.


    "I will open it when I get back home�� I don''t want to drop it down accidentally��" Akil said and unconsciously tightened his hands when the car swerved.


    Adam took the box back and actually kept it on the seat beside him and said, "I can take them when we reach home okay?" His voice was soft but also amused by Akil''s behavior. Akil had always been too mature for his age�� it probably came from having a single parent.


    So, Adam had never seen him do anything childish before. But seeing him like this now�� an incredible amount of joy spread through him.


    Akil, on the other hand, did not take his eyes off of the box. He kept staring at it as if his life depended on it or something.


    Adam couldn''t help but laugh at that. He reached his hands and pinched on his cheeks and said teasingly, "Hey, bud. It is not going to magically disappear. I promise�� even if it did, I will buy them again, okay?"


    Akil bit on his lips fiercely but still did not take his eyes off of the box. Adam just shook his head amused and let him be.


    As soon as the car stopped in front of their house, he eagerly went for the car door which Adam stopped. Adam got down and checked the roads before going to Akil''s side of the car and opened the doors for him.


    This was a force of habit that he had gotten in recent times. Especially after Preethi and he got followed by her ex-. That incident gave rise to paranoia in him making him scared about everything.


    When he opened the doors, he found Akil struggling to get his gift out of the car with him.


    "I will get it for you, bud. You can go in. I am right behind you��" Adam offered. Akil got down after hearing him but did not move from the place with his eyes stuck to the box.


    You should understand, this was new to Akil�� having a fatherly figure who would give him gifts and pamper him. Even though Charan did try to fill in some of the gaps over the years, it was just not the same. Even if there was no apparent difference in the way Charan treats Akira and Akil, there was always a slight difference�� Charan''s eyes would just linger a bit too long on Akira��


    And children are just way too sensitive sometimes. They just invariably sense these things�� And Akil could sense Adam''s eyes on him�� just the way Charan would look at Akira�� This feeling of warmth was new and giddy for him.


    But it also made him insecure and clingy and childish somehow�� something a child his age should have had by default.


    But after taking the box, Adam did not turn to the doors but instead went to the back of his car. He asked the driver to open the trunk. Akil''s little head poked into the trunk curiously even before it could open fully.


    But his eyes widened the instant they fell on what was inside. He eagerly looked up at Adam with questions all over his eyes.


    "You like it?" Adam asked grinning at him.


    Akil instantly nodded like henpeck returning him grin.


    "Let''s get them inside then��" Adam said and handed over the box to the driver and took out the bike from behind the trunk.


    The bike was just about the right size for Akil. He mainly got it because Preethi was worried Akil spent too much time inside closed doors and not going out enough to play.


    "But I don''t know how to ride a bike!!" Akil proclaimed as he followed Adam inside the house.


    "Of course, I will teach you how to ride!!" Adam answered.


    Akil''s face instantly brightened considerably as he excitedly ran into the house to show the spoils of the day to his granma and grandad.

 Chapter 251 - Do you want to go talk to him bud?

    Time flew by in Charan''s parents'' house in a blink after the arrival of Adam and Akil. Since Preethi was late, they delayed the cake cutting for the latter when Preethi actually arrives.


    And since it was just family, they did not make too much fuss�� just some simple decorations and loads of gifts�� which Akil opened personally one by one with extreme patience. He was one of those kids who opened the wrapper with careful precision without tearing it apart. So, it took him half an hour to just open all the gifts. But he seemed to enjoy it, so no one complained.


    Once that was over, everyone sat in the living room to watch some cartoons. The kids were snuggled against each other while Bharath kept harassing them from time to time by tickling them. Adam was occupied with his phone while Charan left to complete some work.


    Gopal and Srimathi were fretting over dinner and cake in the kitchen when the doorbell rang.


    Akil instantly hopped out of his place thinking it was Preethi but before he could open the doors, Adam called out.


    "Akil�� don''t open. Wait for me!" After all, he had guys looking at the house and he knew it was not Preethi.


    And since he personally oversaw the protection of Charan and his family, he made it a point to keep himself informed of any or all activities regardless of whether he was there or not. Even though Shreya wanted to do it herself, she wasn''t confident to actually stay away after knowing about Charan''s whereabouts every other day. And since Adam had more chances of actually going in and out of their house without much suspicion, this job ended up with Adam.


    Adam calmly opened the doors and with Akil peeking out curiously. But when the little guy found that it was not Preethi but some other guy, he went and hid behind Adam.


    Adam did not look surprised seeing Sridhar at the doors. He just stood there with his hands folded giving him a calm look.


    "What are you doing here?" Sridhar asked in a very obvious disapproving tone. He did not think Preethi''s and Adam''s relationship had reached to point of actually meeting parents.


    Adam did not bother to answer him but instead asked back sarcastically, "I can ask the same about you," If Sridhar was someone who was genuine, he wouldn''t bicker with him but then Sridhar was someone who cared more about image than people�� this pissed him off way too much to be able to be polite to him.


    "YOU�� What right do you have to ask me that? This is my wife''s home!! I can come whenever I want to�� nobody can stop me!!" Sridhar exclaimed on top of his voice. And in all the time he was talking, he did not even notice the little guy flinching away at his loud angry voice.


    Adam, on the other hand, reached out and rubbed his hands over Akil''s head comfortingly and let him hid behind him and then only looked at Sridhar and answered nonchalantly, "Ex-," Adam did not elaborate on it anymore. After all, he had always been too lazy to answer irrelevant people.


    "What?" Sridhar asked not understanding.


    "You forgot the word Ex- when you were talking about Preethi and you also conveniently forgot that you have a son living here along with your EX- wife��" Adam replied sarcastically.


    The blatant disrespect that Adam was showing him pissed him off. More than that, if the people had let Adam actually open the doors, that meant he was not a guest anymore but actually one of the people in the family. Both of the scenarios did not sit well with him.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="/book/rich-brat-sweet-revenge-of-a-lazy-princess_15043105205573105/do-you-want-to-go-talk-to-him-bud_50830706389086817">/book/rich-brat-sweet-revenge-of-a-lazy-princess_15043105205573105/do-you-want-to-go-talk-to-him-bud_50830706389086817</a> for visiting.


    Just as he pulled Adam''s collar two people came and beside them and asked the same question in chorus.


    "What are you doing here?"


    "What are you doing here?"


    Bharath came and stood beside Adam and asked while Preethi who was just walked back towards the doors stood beside Sridhar and asked.


    Both the voice had identical irritation in their voice leaving Sridhar speechless.


    Srimathi who heard the commotion came beside the door and watching. Seeing Sridhar, she pretty much understood the situation at hand.


    "Anyways. Come inside and talk�� do not disturb the neighbors��" She said in a stern voice.


    Adam quietly picked Akil into his arms and walked in.


    Akil naturally wrapped his arms around Adam''s neck and whispered against his ears after a hesitating, "Uhm�� who is that?" The little guy''s voice was really timid and meek as he asked that.


    Adam took a minute to digest the fact that Akil actually did not even recognize his own dad. He knew they had not met in the time Sridhar had been abroad but he never thought he would have had zero contact with his own kid.


    A sense of anger took part in the pit of his stomach�� after all, even as an a.d.u.l.t, he did not know how to deal with the lack of communication with his mom and sister�� and Akil was just 10 years old kid�� Adam could already imagine the mindset he should have been having all this time.


    If possible, Adam would really like to punch Sridhar right in the nose until it is disfigured.


    "That''s you Father, bud��" He answered Akil resigned in spite of all his piling emotions.


    Akil took another look at Sridhar over his shoulders and looked at him intently.


    They were in the living room by then and Srimathi let Sridhar sit on the couch out of courtesy�� But she did not bother asking him for refreshments. That itself said how much welcome Sridhar was in this house.


    But he can''t blame anyone but himself. After all, everyone in this room had watched both Preethi and Akil suffer because of his absence. Even if the couple had divorced because of their differences, it did not justify leaving Akil behind hanging�� that too at such an age.


    "Do you want to go talk to him bud?" Adam asked softly seeing as the little guy was looking at Sridhar unblinkingly.


    Adam would not stop Akil from meeting and having a relationship with Sridhar�� after all, in spite of all the rambling and grumbling, it was still his father and Adam wouldn''t be able to change that fact��

 Chapter 252 - And your heart bled out for him?

    Akil turned around and gave Sridhar a thoughtful look�� Sridhar was still busy arguing with Preethi rather than looking at him. From the time he had walked to the doors, his eyes never landed on the little guy�� not even once.


    "No�� I don''t want to talk to him��" Akil mumbled and buried his head in Adam''s neck�� you cannot really miss the melancholy in his voice from a mile away.


    Hearing him, a strange kind of rage seeded in Adam''s chest. He did not even have this much anger when Sridhar insulted him and Preethi.


    The fact that Sridhar was doing this to Akil�� especially on his birthday�� Adam did not know what he would have done if only Akil was not there in his arms. He would have probably buried the guy alive.


    After all, even if not by much�� at the very least he knew and could relate to how it felt to not being wanted by your parent.


    He did not have the heart to show him his parents fighting. SO, Adam just pecked on his cheeks and got him out of the living room.


    "It''s okay, bud. We will get you out of here�� We will go to your room while the a.d.u.l.ts talk, okay?" Adam asked softly but his legs were already reaching for his room.


    Akil just nodded his head without letting go of Adam''s neck. Adam looked around as he saw Akira standing in a corner. Charan whispered something and she actually followed Adam out of the living room with her stub little legs.


    "Come on, baby. Let''s get out of here��" Adam said caressing her head.


    He did not really care about what was happening in the living room. He knew Preethi was there but so were Bharath and Charan�� so, she wouldn''t be at a disadvantage��


    As soon as they reached his room, Adam sat him on his bed and looked at him. "You okay there, bud?" His voice was soft as he asked Akil.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="/book/rich-brat-sweet-revenge-of-a-lazy-princess_15043105205573105/and-your-heart-bled-out-for-him_50830847854575342">/book/rich-brat-sweet-revenge-of-a-lazy-princess_15043105205573105/and-your-heart-bled-out-for-him_50830847854575342</a> for visiting.


    Akil did not open his mouth but still nodded his head.


    "You want to ask me something��?" Adam asked once again seeing Akil biting on his lips pretty vigorously as if trying to stop himself from talking.


    "He doesn''t want me, does he?" Akil asked in a timid voice that could break hearts. It was so meek and nervous.


    Adam could easily decipher where he was coming from. But he did not lose his cool. But instead asked softly, "Does that make you sad, bud?" He did not want to give him false hope at this junction knowing too well it would be a white lie. ''No, your dad loves you��'' or ''he is just busy right now��'' That kind of sentence lost its meaning since Sridhar hadn''t been in touch for not one or two days but 5 freaking years. So, lying right now may do more damage than the truth. And Akil was at an age where he would actually remember everything��


    Akil, on the other hand, thought about Adam''s question and nodded. His head barely moved as if he was not ready to accept it for himself.


    "It is okay to be sad, bud," Adam said ruffling his head but did not add anything to it.


    But after a long pause, Akil opened his mouth and said with a firm tone after contemplating everything seriously.


    "It''s okay if he doesn''t want me. I won''t be sad�� I have mom and I have you. It is enough!"


    Adam was actually surprised with the kind of determination his young voice had.


    "And we will be here for you no matter what��" Adam said smiling at him.


    Akil actually returned the smile and hugged Adam all over again.


    But their moment got interrupted when Bharath walking into the room and gestured Adam to come out with him��


    Adam walked out with a frown after pecking Akil on his cheeks.


    "What is it?" Adam asked.


    "Well, Preethi looks just about ready to sucker punch her ex- to the next universe if only it were possible!!" Bharath said. There were excitement and some anxiety in his voice.


    "And your heart bled out for him?" Adam asked sarcastically rolling his eyes. If only he was not Akil''s dad, Adam would have done the same the minute he walked into the house�� or maybe he wouldn''t have even let him near the house.


    "What? Of course, not. It''s just�� Preethi is practically going livid since he keeps calling you ''her'' boy toy�� I did not even want to know the meaning of half the profanities she is throwing at Sridhar��" Bharath elaborated but then stopped seeing Adam actually grin after hearing him.


    Bharath couldn''t help roll his eyes before continuing, "Hey, can you get your head out of the gutter and focus on the problem here. I do not want to have an ugly crime scene in the living room!! And she wouldn''t listen to any of us." If only Adam was younger than him, he would have probably swatted at the back of his head.


    Adam let out a sign and went to the living room.


    He did not really want to save Sridhar. He wished he could beat him�� but since it would only look like petty jealousy to everyone''s eyes, he did not bother. But Preethi was doing it for him�� so, he was really reluctant to intervene at such a great opportunity.


    But seeing Gopal and Srimathi anxious and knowing Sridhar was Akil''s dad, he still walked towards Preethi who was trying to get away from Charan''s grip. Charan instantly let her go and went towards his own parents. He could see the scene was getting out of hand and he was not looking forward to letting them see this at this age�� so, instead, he sent them up to look after Akil and Akira��


    "Whoa�� Whoa�� Preethi�� Calm down will you�� He is not worth it��" Adam said holding her by her waists.


    But Preethi did not really notice the change�� her eyes were trying to insert daggers into Sridhar''s head while she kept struggling to get out of his grips.


    In her struggle, her nails just about missed his eyes as he called out, "Whoa!! Easy there, wild cat. Are you planning on grouching my eyes out��" Adam exclaimed.


    At last, Preethi snapped and looked at Adam.


    "Sorry�� sorry�� are you hurt?" She asked anxiously looking at Adam.

 Chapter 253 - You think I have a pretty face?

    "Damn�� I wish I had a popcorn�� this will be so much more perfect��" Bharath mumbled under his breath watching Adam pull his sister back from attacking Sridhar.


    Charan, who stood at the end of the stairs couldn''t help but smack at the back of his head earning a growl from Bharath.


    Preethi, on the other hand, saw the scratch marks on Adam''s face and felt guilty.


    "I am so sorry�� I did not realize��" She apologized in a whisper.


    Adam just ruffled her head smiling.


    The tenderness in Preethi''s eyes did not leave Sridhar''s eyes�� and he recognized those in a heartbeat�� after all, he had been the source and destination of such eyes for 5 years when she was studying as his student.


    The same being directed towards someone else gave rise to bile at his stomach making him very uncomfortable.


    He was already fuming with jealousy and insecurity as it was�� he always thought, as long as Akil was there, Preethi will be his�� That as long as Akil was there, she would have to be stuck with him.


    But now looking at her glowing for someone else, he lost his rationale pretty quickly as he started rambling nonsense all over again.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="/book/rich-brat-sweet-revenge-of-a-lazy-princess_15043105205573105/you-think-i-have-a-pretty-face_50831012137061530">/book/rich-brat-sweet-revenge-of-a-lazy-princess_15043105205573105/you-think-i-have-a-pretty-face_50831012137061530</a> for visiting.


    "You�� you think she can love you? You don''t know her�� you don''t know how obsessed she used to look at me from across the class�� this went on for not one or two days but for 5 years�� You think that kind of thing can go away because of your pretty face�� You are just an ATM machine�� a convenience to look after Akil while she works. A security guard. That is all�� She is just using you�� it is not ''love''�� She can''t love another person�� It is not you who she wants, it is what you can give her!!"


    Sridhar couldn''t help himself from viewing all the gift''s shattered on the table. From the expensive looks of it, he knew they must be from Adam. And of course, there is also the fact that Adam was younger than him and looked better and fit�� And given Preethi had been his student, the age difference between them was also quite vast. That always made him have an inferiority complex�� and now looking Adam and Preethi side by side made that complex burn like a forest fire.


    And Sridhar would have already had a broken jaw and falling tooth if it was not for Charan and Adam pulling the two daredevils who were just about ready to pounce.


    Sridhar would have continued rambling if not for the confused expression that spread on his own face. Adam did not seem stimulated by what he said. Instead had an amused frown dancing on his face. When Sridhar gapped at him, Adam looked down at fuming Preethi and asked, "You think I have a pretty face?"


    Everyone went quiet at his question for a second before Bharath burst out into laughter.


    "PFFT!!" Bharath stopped struggling in Charan''s arms and laughed holding his stomach while Preethi on the other hand, gave Adam an exasperated look as she said, "I don''t think that is the point here, Adam�� At least, not what he was trying to point out��?? She gave Sridhar a glare.


    "Well, for me that is the POINT!! Do you or do you not think I am pretty??" Adam asked with a serious expression. But there was also a playful smirk dancing at the corner of his lips.


    The whole atmosphere went from being tense to amus.e.m.e.nt in a matter of seconds, except for Sridhar, of course.


    He looked just about to explode all over again.


    "Adam, get serious, will you? And yes, you look darn handsome!! Are you happy now?" Preethi exclaimed annoyed.


    Adam grinned at her happily before giving his attention to Sridhar who had an extremely ugly expression on his face��


    Adam''s eyes were smug as he started talking, "Look, as you said, I am rich, handsome, and young�� unlike someone. So, your little provocation is not going to affect me. And even if it is for convenience, I am happy to be her ATM machine�� and I really have a lot of money and I am clueless about how to spend them!! So, if she is going to spend it, she will be helping me!!"


    Just as he closed his mouth, he felt someone pinch on his torso�� Adam''s teasing expression crunched instantly into a frown as he looked at Preethi and asked, "What? You don''t like me being your ATM machine? Then, I can be your bed or a couch too!!" His lips twitched when Preethi''s pinched him all over again.


    Seeing them all flirty got Sridhar''s eyes to go red as he said, "You will never be right for Akil!! He is not even your son��!!" He then looked at Preethi pretty condescendingly as he continued, "Weren''t you so arrogant and got angry when I complained about you not being a good mother and weren''t you going to prove me wrong? Is this how you do it? Instead of looking after your own son, you are flirting around with some random guy and even letting him into your house?? You are just as careless as you were back then�� you do not deserve to be a moth��"


    He did not get to finish it because Adam punched him right in his mouth! All his cool amused face disappeared in a matter of seconds replaced by a face conveying pure menace.


    "Look, the only reason I even let you into this street is that you are Akil''s dad�� And after the stunt you just pulled today, you lost that privilege�� Now get out of the house before I decide to throw you out like trash that you are!!" Adam seethed holding on to Sridhar''s collars. The venom in his eyes was actually scary. He was not going to stand there and tolerate him insulting Preethi in her own house�� it wouldn''t matter what Sridhar told of him. Anyways he is too lazy to heed. But instilling Preethi is a whole different spectrum of ball game he wouldn''t allow�� especially if it involves her role as a mother.

 Chapter 254 - You got your answer, right? Now, get out!

    Adam knew how sensitive Preethi is towards Akil and her duty as a mom�� So, no piece of loose mouth is going to question her dedication to Akil and get away with it�� not in front of him�� not even her own ex-husband�� not even if he was Akil''s dad.


    But Sridhar remained in his place without moving as he asked, "I am not getting out of this house without seeing Akil�� he is my son and I am his father. Nothing will ever change that. And nobody has the right to stop me from seeing him�� not even his own mother let alone you- an outsider��"


    He had a slightly gloating smile on his face knowing he was right.


    "Says the guy who did not even show his face to his son in 5 freaking years that he does not even recognize his own dad!! Akil is lucky he has Preethi as opposed to a Father like you who is too busy arguing." Adam retaliated coldly pushing him out towards the door.


    But Sridhar still resisted. He did not defend himself but he still said stubbornly, "I am not going anywhere without seeing my son. And nothing is going to stop me!!"


    In a couple of minutes they had argued, Sridhar observed that the only way to get under Adam''s skin was to provoke Preethi or Akil�� when he said something bad about Preethi was the only time Adam actually reacted in any way�� when he called him names, all Adam gave was a look that said I am so much above you�� That look was a blow to his pride and ego and he wanted to put him in his place�� He wanted to get under his skin very badly.


    And in all this, he did not think once about how it might affect Akil�� Seeing all the a.d.u.l.ts argue. He did not care even if he thought about it. He was here on his birthday after such a long time�� his father. As far as Sridhar was concerned, Akil should be grateful and happy for it.


    Adam gave Sridhar a condescending look before saying to Bharath, "Bharath, bring Akil down��" Adam really wanted to avoid showing the bad sides of Sridhar�� because he knew it would make it so much more harder for the little kid. But looking at Sridhar now, he knew he would just pester and persist until he completely destroys himself and maybe take Akil down with him in the process. So, it was better for Akil to know now�� it''s like stripping a bandaid in one quick sweep. It might hurt like bitch now�� but that was it.


    Bharath hesitated and looked around. Preethi gripped Adam''s arms. That is when he saw that Preethi had moved closer to him.


    "Trust me, okay? He will be fine. Nothing will happen��" Adam convinced her softly while Charan went ahead and gave Bharath a nod.


    A few minutes later, Akil came back to the living room pattering on the floor with his small legs. He looked at the scene confused before going to Adam and Preethi. When he looked at Sridhar smiling at him, Akil unconsciously shuffled away and hid behind Adam''s legs.


    Sridhar crouched down to his knees and looked at Akil hiding behind Adam.


    "Hey, Akil. You don''t have to be afraid of me�� I am your daddy�� Come on out from behind him. He is not your daddy. I brought you gifts for your birthday�� it''s in the car. You wanna go see them�� Even if you don''t like them, I will buy anything you want from here on!"


    Even though the words were soft and caring, any a.d.u.l.t can tell that he was manipulating the kid to come with him rather than showing he actually cared about Akil.


    "If you come with me, you can live in a big house with a big garden and all��" Sridhar continued.


    Preethi was not having any of this shit�� just when she was going to explode all over again, Adam rubbed his hands over her shoulders soothingly and shook his head not to do anything. He then rubbed his hand over Akil''s small head and asked, "What do you want to do, bud? Do you want to talk to him? Do you want to go to his car and take a look at what he bought for you?" His voice was gentle and soft as it always was when he talked to Akil.


    But Akil did not budge from his place�� He did not answer out loud but he turned his face away from Sridhar and hugged Adam''s legs.


    Adam swatted down and picked Akil into his arms and asked, "Do you not want to see him, bud?"


    Akil hesitated for a long while before giving a very small nod and hid his head in Adam''s neck.


    Adam just ruffled his hair and did not ask anymore.


    Akil maybe a kid but he had a heightened sense of self and maturity. So, for him, the gift itself did not hold much but the fact of who bought it for him mattered�� It was apparent that Adam cared about him with the way he treated Akil�� and he also saw how Adam treated Preethi. So, something Adam bought him became something precious to him. Normal kids may have been tempted by Sridhar''s offer but Akil was someone who grew up lonely�� even though he had his gran, grandad, and uncles, he did not have a mom or a dad to greet him home when he is done with school.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="/book/rich-brat-sweet-revenge-of-a-lazy-princess_15043105205573105/you-got-your-answer-right-now-get-out!_50831161370404977">/book/rich-brat-sweet-revenge-of-a-lazy-princess_15043105205573105/you-got-your-answer-right-now-get-out!_50831161370404977</a> for visiting.


    For kids like him, what''s more, important is not the materialistic things�� it was things like today when Adam came to pick him up�� those were the things that really mattered.


    "You got your answer, right? Now, get out!!" Adam said. His voice remained low and calm in front of Akil but the eyes told other things��


    Sridhar would have fought but seeing Akil turn his face away from him and the way he was buried in Adam''s arms�� he was once again let to think of ''what the hell went wrong in his life?''


    Once all the drama was over, Akil cut the cake and made a wish��

 Chapter 255 - Well, this place is awesome…

    Madhu could hear her heart beating rapidly�� in the quiet car, it felt as if someone was playing drums or something. She even feared her heart is going to pop out of her ribs or something.


    Akash and Madhu were parked outside Akash''s house. Once they were out of the office, Akash asked her and brought her here�� Even though she had agreed, now she was extremely nervous. There is no way that ''nothing'' will happen when a man and woman were alone in a house�� but she did not know how to deal with it. She was excited in some small part of her heart but the most part of her was nervous.


    Akash, of course, saw right through her�� her face was practically pale and she did not even realize that he had stopped the engine. He extended his hand and ruffled her head bring her back from her trance.


    "Hey, I can drop you at your home if you don''t want to come in�� or we can even go somewhere else!!" Akash said smiling. It was just a suggestion since Madhu had never seen his house?? whenever they went out, it was always for dinner or something�� and between their works, they only had a short amount of time to spend with each other to actually bring her to his house and show her around. And since Madhu lived with her parents, sleepovers are out of the question.


    Madhu quickly shook her head and looked around.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="/book/rich-brat-sweet-revenge-of-a-lazy-princess_15043105205573105/well-this-place-is-awesome%E2%80%A6_50831251027849162">/book/rich-brat-sweet-revenge-of-a-lazy-princess_15043105205573105/well-this-place-is-awesome%E2%80%A6_50831251027849162</a> for visiting.


    "Are we there?" She asked instead in a small voice.


    "Yes, we are here��" Akash answered getting out. He then walked to the other side and opened the doors for her.


    Madhu got out clenching his hands tightly to the point it was painful. But Akash did not complain�� he looked at her nervous but curious eyes as she took a look around. He smiled unconsciously as he dragged her to his house.


    It was nothing Madhu had ever seen before�� they were actually in front of what looked like something she would have only seen in dramas on TV or a magazine�� the yard and the pool were enough for her to panic.


    "Maybe I should just go back��" Madhu mumbled not daring to take a step forward. She knew Akash was rich�� but knowing and seeing it was so different. In an office setting or a public setting, it gets sugar-coated and masked but in a personal space like home- it was shown to you with a damn focus light scaring the shit out of you.


    Akash just gave her an amused look and dragged her in as he called out to his butler and other staff to leave for the day�� he is normally surrounded by people here but looking at Madhu, he wanted her to be as comfortable as possible and he was afraid she wouldn''t be comfortable to have all these people around. And his suspicion just got concrete when he saw her look towards his house as if she was seeing a ghost house.


    This house was something he had bought after his one year of working at Sri corp. By then, he wanted to move out of his parent''s place very desperately. All the sneaking out and getting caught by Bhavna was driving him nuts�� so, he called up Adithya and he set this up for him. And even he was taken aback when he saw the house first�� but knowing Adithya, he should have known something like this could happen. He thought he would get him an apartment or something�� And he did not feel guilty since he did work for one year in Sri corp. and he refused to get paid since he did not have much for it��


    But Adithya overdid it and bought him a freaking mansion in the suburbs of the city�� It was two stories up and way too big for one person to live. So, he could understand Madhu''s feelings.


    But it had become his home�� especially after Adithya passed. Being here made him feel somehow closer to him�� knowing he had personally selected this place and took care of every last detail for him�� it made him get attached to this place.


    They walked through the threshold of the living room when Madhu''s jaws fell open��


    The whole house had a black and white decore�� the living room was so freaking big�� it was occupied by a sofa that was shaped like an open-ended rectangle and the whole set was actually two steps below the floor with a flat-screen television right in front of it hung on the wall and a small coffee table.


    To the right was an open space with what looked like a lounge chair in front of a large wall-length glass sliding doors facing the garden area. And of course, there was the open kitchen to the far end of the living room with an island counter in the center and a compact dining table serving as a wall in the front.


    Outside of the kitchen was a spiral staircase all-black�� Madhu figured it should lead to the story above them.


    "I never pegged you for a black and white kind of a guy!!" Madhu murmured as her eyes still wandered around curiously.


    Because of the huge windows, the living room was bright and sunny without the lights.


    "Even I did not know until I actually saw this house�� but once I saw it, I just fell in love with it instantly��" Akash said smiling.


    It was true though�� he really did not have such gloomy taste�� he liked color�� but something about this house�� he liked it the minute he saw it��


    "Then who chose all this in the first place?" Madhu asked frowning.


    "Shreya''s dad�� he bought this place for me when I said I wanted to move out of home��" Akash replied quietly.


    "Well, this place is awesome��" Madhu said smiling��


    "I know�� come on�� let''s get you something to eat first. You must be starving!!" Akash said dragging her towards the kitchen.

 Chapter 256 - You are not scared to be here with me alone, are you?

    Akash dragged her upstairs once they were done with their lunch. Thankfully he had the mind to inform the people to prepare some when he left office before vacating the property.


    The spiral stairs were slightly inconvenient to climb holding hands but Akash did not leave her hand.


    The stairs stopped at the first floor right corner and the whole floor was actually an open bedroom. No walls what so ever. IN the center of the space stood a big bed majestically�� The bed was made of wood and was suspended from the wall completely without any legs with 2 feet thick wooden structure going all around and the mattress was sunk in.


    "Make yourself at home�� I am going to take a quick shower��" Akash said and left her to loiter around his room.


    For a long time, until Madhu heard the shower running, she did not dare to move from her place. She felt slightly self-conscious. She had never been to a guy''s room before�� and even though Akash was her boyfriend, it was still slightly unnerving. But when she realized nobody is going to be able to see her, her curiously got the better of her and she moved around with her eyes peeled.


    It was a typical male room with car magazines lying around and big bad speaker systems handing in the wall. Of course, there was a game console and a big flat screen to go with it. A big family photo hung in the dead center of the east wall while the photo''s with his friend and others were hung all around it randomly covering the whole wall.


    When the shower sound stopped and Akash did not come out immediately, Madhu figured he probably had one of those huge walk-in closets attached to his bath.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="/book/rich-brat-sweet-revenge-of-a-lazy-princess_15043105205573105/you-are-not-scared-to-be-here-with-me-alone-are-you_50831391167933183">/book/rich-brat-sweet-revenge-of-a-lazy-princess_15043105205573105/you-are-not-scared-to-be-here-with-me-alone-are-you_50831391167933183</a> for visiting.


    Even though Akash told her to make herself comfortable, she still felt like a thief sneaking around. So, she quietly went and sat down at the edge of the bed�� there was actually no other furniture in the room except for an odd-looking chair sort of thing in front of the game console�� and it did not look comfortable to her.


    "You are going to fall to your butt if you keep up with that position, you know?" Akash asked looked at Madhu sitting there��


    Madhu''s face turned towards the source of the voice instantly and her eyes froze��


    Akash was only wearing his track pants leaving his upper body n.a.k.e.d which was glistening with residual water from the shower. He was drying his wet hair with a towel as he walked closer to her.


    Madhu visibly blushed and gulped as her eyes went over his six packs�� She did not really have much first-hand experience with half-n.a.k.e.d men like this outside of movies�� but whatever she saw, she liked it�� she knew that much because she was finding it hard to look away even when her brain was screaming at her in embarrassment.


    Of course, Akash also noticed her scorching gaze�� he did not know he had it in her to look at him like that. Madhu had always been extremely shy and barely spoke�� but her eyes were fierce as they went over his body.


    His lips twitched as he asked smirking, "Like what you see, baby girl?"


    Madhu snapped out of her daze and her cheeks instantly went pink in embarrassment.


    "I�� I will go... down�� I think my phone is ringing!!" Madhu studdered and got up from her place quickly.


    But before she could take two steps, Akash''s hands grabbed on her wrists in a firm grip. And before she could even think about getting out, he pulled her back in and sat her on his lap while his other hand circled around her waist naturally without any thought from him.


    Madhu froze in place for full two minutes before she felt his breath over her shoulders.


    "You have your phone in your hands, idiot!!" Akash whispers amused looking at her clench on her phone in nervousness. They were definitely sweating by now.


    Madhu was too embarrassed to even look up let alone actually think straight. She just sat there stiffly while Akash gently pried the phone out of her hands and put it beside him on the bed and looked at her.


    In the absolutely silent room, Akash could hear both of their hearts beating at a pace a lot faster than normal.


    Akash looked at Madhu abusing her lower lips pretty vigorously.


    "You are not scared to be here with me alone, are you?" Akash asked softly�� He was not a pushy person�� but there were still a lot of things different between them because of the difference in the environment they had grown up in�� things that are acceptable and normal for him are not so for Madhu.


    And since Madhu is not really that vocal about things between them, there are times when he doubts his own actions�� whether are not she is actually comfortable with things between them or is she just going with it because she is intimidated. And it is also a fact that she is almost always nervous around him��


    He knew that it is not because she was aversed to him but just shy�� but sometimes it gets a little hard to differentiate the two.


    Like now�� for him bring her to his house was normal�� not something he needs to think too much about�� But it did not seem to be the same for Madhu. He knew in some conservative family environment, a girl is not really allowed to be alone with a guy�� especially in a closed setting like his house and his room in particular�� but Madhu did agree to come when he first asked her to come over to his house�� He did not know what was going on in her head back then but she did agree to come.


    But from the time they had come, he could see the tension palpating from her�� and he wanted to know if it just from nerves or because she was scared to be here with him alone�� and if she was, he wanted to make it clear to her them he would never do anything she did not want to�� not now, not ever.

 Chapter 257 - TO be with you…

    Madhu did not know what to think at that moment. Her mind was blank��


    She could hear her heart hammering against her ribs and Akash''s hands gripping on her waists were not helping her one bit. She could feel her cheeks burning up almost to the point where it resembled a ripe tomato�� but she knew she cannot do anything about it now.


    Goosebumps rose to make her skin shiver slightly�� but even she did not know whether it was because of the cold water that was seeping through her top from Akash''s still wet skin and dripping hair or was it because of their close proximity.


    One part of her was screaming for her to get up from this place and run�� but there is this other part of her that wanted to stay there�� maybe even snuggle in. And honest to god, she did not know which part was winning.


    While she was going through her internal struggle, she heard Akash''s question.


    That brought her out of her head��


    "I�� I am not s-scared�� I just��" She started but she did not know how to say it right�� she was fl.u.s.tered and nervous- yes�� but she was not really scared in that sense where you would be terrified to be just near a person.


    "You do not sound so convincing, you know?" Akash replied looking at her intensely while one of his hands just went ahead and tucked some of the stray hair behind her ears.


    And with that little bit of touch, she lost her train of thoughts just like that.


    Madhu was sitting sideways on his laps�� so Akash had a clear view of every last bit of emotions playing on her face�� he could see the smallest bit of changes in them instantly.


    So, of course, he saw her eyes go from clear to daze with just the simplest of touch from him which just made his mood go from bottom to top instantly. But he still wanted to know what the rational side of her brains thought of the whole situation.


    So, he picked her up and sat her down beside him�� he then got up from his place and half sat in his legs in front of her and ran his hand over her red cheeks.


    Madhu yelped in surprise before meeting his eyes.


    "I just want you to know you don''t have to be scared of anything when you are around me!!" Akash said with all the seriousness he could muster.


    Madhu''s eyes softened as she leaned into his hands smiling.


    "I am not scared of you, Akash�� at least not in the sense, you presume. I am just scared of myself around you��" Madhu mumbled seeing as Akash was still looking at her intently for an answer.


    "What do you mean?" Akash asked not really understanding what she was getting at.


    "I mean�� I have no bottom line when it comes to you and that scares me at times��" Madhu murmured. She did not want to admit it but it was the truth.


    Akash seemed startled for a second�� A part of him was ecstatic and flattered but another part of him was confused��


    "I still don''t get it. Can you give an example?" Akash asked.


    Madhu bit on her lips thinking about how to explain it to him��


    "Well, if you kill someone, I would probably help you hide the body!!" Madhu deadpanned after a while. She knew it was an extreme and unrealistic example�� even overdramatic but a part of her actually believed that she was capable of going to such extremes for him�� She did not know how to reason it or rationalize it. But she just knew that if the time came, she would end up doing just as she said without a second thought.


    Akash blinked and blinked some more looking at her dubiously. He would have laughed out loud if only Madhu did not look so serious at the moment.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#%E2%80%A6_50831566707935774">#%E2%80%A6_50831566707935774</a> for visiting.


    "Why would you do that?" Akash asked after calming down a bit��


    "TO be with you��" Madhu mumbled in the lowest of voices. "I know that was overdramatic and over the top example�� but like I said�� I would do anything to be with you to the point where I get scared of myself�� Do you want to know why I was so out of it on the road here? I was preparing myself mentally to sleep with you today even before I walked into your house and your bedroom�� if you wanted to that is�� That just made me so jumpy and out of sorts!!"


    The reality of the situation did not matter�� but she wanted to clarify to what extent she had covered when she said ''She would do anything''. She did not know whether this came from absolute trust or desperation.


    The worst part of it all was that she did not know what she wanted anymore�� Except to be with Akash, it did not matter what else she had or did not have in her life��


    Madhu was someone who had people around her�� who had a proper life and education. She had never starved in her life and she was just a baby when her parents had adopted her. So, she cannot really say she had suffered in her life. At least, physically, she had always been content.


    But emotionally, she had been practically starved from childhood to now. Because of her lack of support at home, she never had the confidence to go ahead and make friends?? she had never been bold enough to go to someone and talk.


    The only person who ever cared about her was Karthik, her friend. But even that never gave her much of a confidence boost given neither her birth parents nor her adopted parents seem to be able to actually love her.


    And the very first person to say he loved her was Akash�� and the giddy happiness she felt at that moment was something of euphoria for her�� and she was scared to lose it. To the point where nothing really even mattered.


    She knew Akash was not someone who is going to demand anything from her she did not want to�� but it did not really matter what she wanted anymore�� If it was Akash, she was ready to do anything to please him�� even if it meant sacrificing her body or her morality��


    Akash, on the other hand, could just gap at her. Suddenly, all her jumpiness made sense. After all, Madhu had improved a lot after their two-week trip�� She was no longer as shy or as self-conscious as she used to be. She talked her mind freely after that�� the blabbering and all. And she was comfortable with him physically too�� at least, he could hug her or hold her hand without her shivering away.


    But all that went back in reverse today�� which had bothered him�� but now, it actually made sense. She had thought he had brought her here to sleep with her�� and she thought she had to go with his pace if she wanted to be with him.

 Chapter 258 - One of these days, I am going to make you believe it.

    Akash did not know whether to be offended or hurt by it��


    He couldn''t really dial down his frustration at that moment. No matter how much he says or how much he does, Madhu just does not seem to have a sense of security with him or in this relationship�� And they had been going out of months now�� and he had tried�� he had really tried his very best.


    A part of him knew it was not Madhu''s fault that she was so insecure with him and in this relationship but there is another part of him that is getting angry and hurt that she could think of him as someone who is going to force her into something she did not want.


    With all the emotions, his body moved on his own with his consent as he picked Madhu up and crashed her on his bed. And before she could even comprehend what was happening, Akash hovered over her looking at her with his jaws clenched. He was trying to really control his anger at that moment but was also failing at it miserably.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#._50831862523815431">#._50831862523815431</a> for visiting.


    Madhu had never seen Akash look at her like that before�� he seemed angry and that just scared her more. Akash never got angry with her after they started going out�� he had always been very gentle and smiling��


    "A-Ak-Akash��" Madhu mumbled nervously which just fueled his anger more. He did not like her being scared of him�� He would rather be able to throw tantrums and fume at him.


    "Why? Don''t want to? Scared? I thought you said you prepared yourself mentally for this?" his voice came through gritted teeth.


    Madhu knew how to handle and deal with an Angry Akash when it came to the work front�� but the same cannot be said about when it came to the Relationship front. So, she just stared back at him with wide scared eyes. She could not comprehend what was going on in his head and she was too scared to ask at that moment.


    Her mind went into an absolute frenzy when Akash went for her blouse�� before she could even think of what was happening, Akash had removed her blouse over her shoulders revealing her bras�� with Akash''s head buried over her shoulders.


    Instinctively, she wanted to close herself or run or at least, stop him�� she wanted to struggle. But all she could do was look into his stormy eyes as they glared at her and take what he was doing to her�� she was too scared to do anything at all.


    Akash was pissed�� but he still had some sort of rational�� but it all went to the drain when he saw Madhu not struggling�� Looking into her scared terrified eyes directed at him�� a part of him broke and another part of him lost his struggle to anger and guilt flooded him instantly like a damn tsunami.


    He sat up abruptly. He rubbed his hands over his face roughly before standing up and walking towards his bathroom. A few minutes later, he came back wearing a full hand t-shirt while holding another in his hands.


    He found Madhu sitting right where he had left her fidgeting with her blouse in her hands�� there were at least two buttons missing in them. She was biting on her lips pretty aggressively contemplating when Akash walked back in.


    Akash did not say a word�� he just came closer holding out his t-shirt. Madhu obediently lifted her arms and Akash wore her the t-shirt.


    "I am sorry I behaved like an asshole�� It won''t happen again�� I promise��" Akash muttered tidying up her hair a bit.


    He then took her hands in his and pulled her out of the bed, "Come on. I will drop you home."


    But Madhu did not move from her place but instead patted at the bed beside her asking him to sit.


    Akash did not question�� he just sat back obediently. He felt ashamed slightly for losing his cool�� He knew he had a short temper�� but he had always been able to keep it down. But today, somehow his head had gone down the gutter without any resistance from him. Even if it only lasted for a little over a minute. If Shreya or his mom or dad or even Bhavna for that matter ever heard about how he behaved, they would have his head without thinking twice about it. So, he had his head hung really low when Madhu crept in and actually sat on his laps hugging her hands around his torso.


    It is amazing how just a small gesture from her can bring so much peace to his head. His hands naturally wrapped around her as he brought her close and pecked the side of her temple over her hair.


    "Baby, I just want you to know you do not have to be afraid of anything around me�� I know it is kind of the opposite of what had just happened�� even when I know that it shouldn''t have happened in the first place, I just want you to trust me when I say it won''t happen again. I am really sorry��" Akash muttered in a whisper.


    Madhu did not reply straight away. She was busy trying to get her hands out of the sleeves of his t-shirt that seem to go at least half a feet over her hands�� she crunched and puffed but nothing worked until Akash actually helped her out.


    Silence prevailed after that�� Just when Akash thought she was not going to talk, as usual, Madhu actually cut the silence and explained, "I am not scared�� at least not in the sense you think I am�� I just got a little out of sorts since you got angry at me and I did not know what to do��" She paused after that but then asked hesitantly, "Why did you get so angry before?" She did not want to provoke him or anything but she did want to know so that she can avoid doing the same all over again in the future.


    "I was angry because you thought I was the kind of who is going to leave you for not sleeping with me�� which I am not. I might look it but I am not�� I have never had that kind of a lifestyle�� Shreya would have carved my head off before I could ever think of doing something like that. It just hurt you would think like that�� I know that does not justify a damn thing and that I should have handled it better�� but I just�� I lost it for a second." Akash explained. Just from his tone, you can see he was no longer angry or anything. He was back to being the gentle self he always is with Madhu.


    Madhu''s brows, on the other hand, crunched in confusion. Her voice mellowed as she answered, "You got it all wrong, Akash. When I said that, I was not talking about you�� I was actually talked about myself. I was just trying to explain how desperate I am to be with you�� to what extend I will go to be with you�� to what extend I want you in my life�� it had nothing to do with what I thought about you because I know what you are�� I trust you. I don''t think I would have agreed to come to your house so absentmindedly and so readily if I did not trust you��"


    When Madhu was going to continue, Akash actually interrupted and turned her over towards him making her sit facing her.


    "Hey�� I want you to know that you do not have to do anything for me to be with you�� not a single shit�� I am going to be there with you regardless of what you do or do not do. So, I want you to just be, Madhu. I want you to be able to tell me what you are comfortable with and what you are not comfortable with between the two of us�� without that, I feel like I have failed you in some way�� that I never gave you that sense of security. And that sucks."


    Madhu bit on her lips not answering.


    "Hey, talk to me��" Akash asked seeing as she was really not going to answer him this time around.


    "It is just hard to believe that you would want me when my own parents did not!! It is so hard to get past that thought once I had it." Madhu mumbled. Her voice was barely audible and she refused to look up.


    Akash could hear her voice crack at the end of it.


    "One of these days, I am going to make you believe it. I promise��" He said with a firm voice letting her snuggle in on him.

 Chapter 259 - You failed to teach me that!

    Things went from hectic to crazy after the day Abishek showed up. Shreya rarely left her office�� no�� scratch that, Shreya did not leave her office after walking into them the next day morning. She had been working like crazy.


    They had to reach out to the authorities but had to filter out the one who could handle the caliber of the case they were handling and also someone uncompromising.


    It was actually Abishek who suggested approaching the head of the Intelligence Department who was as straight assed as it can get�� of course, Shreya did a thorough background which proved to be very difficult given his nature of work.


    So, she met up with him, face to face, to get a sense of him�� and he approached the current Prime Minister�� even though Shreya was skeptical, given he was Girish''s confident, she agreed.


    And from then on, they handed over all the evidence to a handpicked team of people who will be carrying out the operation while Abishek will be kept under surveillance.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#!_50832016890979492">#!_50832016890979492</a> for visiting.


    The biggest issue came when all the culprits ended up being people in high places on the corporate ladder. Taking them all out will result in the economy being crashed in days which would affect the country on the whole.


    The economy was already shaky with the top 3 companies being under the weather in the past month or so. But was surviving because of Sri corp. pitching in and they gave the business to a lot of lower-level companies. But if the same were to happen on a bigger scale, it would end up in a disaster and the Prime Minister absolutely refused to take any action until someone could provide a foolproof plan to boost the economy up, after.


    So, Shreya reached out to her foreign partners and got a lot of investments. Even that was not exactly enough, so she pulled in every last penny she could spare and pumped in.


    All this resulted in a crazy shit load of work for everyone. Even when no one know what exactly was happening, they had a vague guess of the company being expanded further at a very large scale in a short amount of time which made Sri corp shares go up through the roof.


    The problem was it brought a lot of suspicion on Shreya herself while everyone speculated on the ''Why''s'' and ''What''s next!''


    Like a domino effect, everything was falling into place. And of course, the very first action the authorities took was the freeze all the accounts that Malini had found.


    Shreya made a deal with the Prime Minister to actually cease and let her personally oversee the distribution of the same to the relevant victim�� which he was reluctant to agree with�� but Shreya convinced him very gently�� note the sarcasm.


    Now, Malini was standing in her father''s office looking as calm as ever while Abimanyu was looking at her condescendingly.


    But Malini had a straight face. Her eyes were actually very clear. She did not flinch under her gaze. She had come to her dad when he was investigating the reason behind the accounts getting creased. They had hit a very dead end in the investigation.


    What was an even more mystery was how did they find those accounts in the first place.


    "You do not have to give me a look like that, dad. I know you are getting tired too�� let it go." Malini said calmly while Abimanyu became furious.


    He had one daughter�� she had been his everything as long as he could remember�� especially after he had lost his wife and Malini joined his company. They had been a team�� He never thought that the same daughter would be the one becoming the stepping stone for his demise after all.


    If it had been anyone else, he could have done something about it�� maybe even killed them. But it had been his daughter�� all he can do now is stay quiet and wish none of his other partners find out about this.


    But for the life of him, he could not figure out why! Even if she had been threatened, he did not know why she never came forward.


    "Why, princess? Why? Why did you have to be the one to stab me on my back? Why does it have to be you?" Abimanyu asked. His voice and face gave away the confusion and the complicated feelings he was going through at that moment.


    A small part of him did not want to believe it�� a small part of him was suspicious that her motives could be as simple as greed.


    But a larger part of him knew Malini was not like that�� and subconsciously, he even knew why she had done it. But he did not want to accept it because it would mean accepting the dirty nature of the work he had been carrying on all these years�� accepting it means he would have to bear a part of him that he had been hiding from her.


    And now even after knowing that Malini already knew, he did not want to accept it�� he avoided thinking about it.


    Malini just gave Abimanyu a self-deprecating smile as she answered his question.


    "You are asking me why? Well, I guess the answer to it is probably that you had somehow succeeded in raising me right in spite of everything!! You have raised me to be someone doing the right things�� a patriot!! So, you get half the credit for my actions!!"


    Abimanyu gave his daughter a stunned look�� Her words resonated with that part of him that he had long buried and forgotten all those eyes ago��


    "I did not come and work in the company to end up becoming some high profile goon, dad. You just did not raise me to be one! Sorry��" Malini said rubbing her hands over her face.


    "I love you�� but I cannot stand here and do nothing after knowing what I know�� sorry. You failed to teach me that! Do me a favor and do not fight it. It will just get so much worse��" Malini uttered and left the room without looking back. Good or bad, she was not ready to face his reaction just yet�� especially if it was going to be bad. She was not ready to face a pair of eyes filled with guilt�� especially from her father.


    Abimanyu looked at her retrieving figure and unknownst to him, his eyes slightly filled with pride�� of her and for himself for raising her as such even if it had brought them to such a junction.

 Chapter 260 - Just be patient with me.

    Shreya was sitting in her office as always. Even though she was really really rich, the amount of investment that would need to be pumped in after all the operations were carried out was ginormous. And the amount of work she had put in to collect such funds was even more so��


    So, in a matter of two months, she had slimed a lot�� from her total lack of sleep and irregular food habits. She had been practically starving unless someone shoves food through her throat.


    It was well into the night, and Shreya was still working. Not only was she expanding the business on the surface�� Shreya was also expanding her rein underground�� she had been branching out to other countries.


    So, god know how many hours she had actually worked these days.


    Tomorrow will be the day when the authorities will make an official statement to re-open up the investigation on the Prime Minister''s death.


    Along with it, Shreya had actually filed in an FIR for her own parent''s car accident along with all the evidence�� the evidence that actually came from Abishek�� and along with his testimony, she was sure she will be able to get a conviction��


    She signed at the bottom of the file and looked up at last.


    "That is all�� guys can go get some rest now," Shreya announced and everyone pretty much ran out of the office�� the first person out was actually Pritham. He was the one person who worked almost as much as Shreya�� he had forgotten how sleep looks like in the past months.


    Even though Malini did help him this time around, unlike all the time he used to work alone previously�� and although the efficiency of work was high, so was the stress level for him. Which pretty much drained him of any or all his energy.


    Shreya was really very amused looking at them both work�� Pritham was like a mouse in front of Malini. He looked exactly like how he used to behave with her when they first started working together�� but somehow it also looked more intense since Malini made no effort to ease his fear.


    Shreya just smiled and closed the file and handed somethings to Harshad. He will be the one defending his parent''s case obviously.


    She rested her head on the table and closed her eyes thinking everyone had already left�� but then she heard a knock on the table.


    She looked up and was met up with Zeenath. They had not really talked in these days�� even when they did, sticking to her words, Shreya had kept it strictly business and nothing more.


    "Can we talk, please?" Zeenath pleaded softly.


    Shreya gestured to Zee to sit without saying anything. She had her cold distant look on as always.


    "Can you like NOT give me that look?" Zee asked with just a touch of irritation but with a lot of pity.


    "What look?" Shreya asked confused.


    "That condescending distant look when you are talking to your acquiescence or something!!" Zee pouted.


    "You were the one who told me we were nothing! That we have no relationship�� not even friends!" Shreya replied rolling her eyes.


    There was this venom in her voice that was so subtle that one wouldn''t be able to catch it if they were not listening carefully enough. And Zeenath was listening to Shreya carefully�� so, she, of course, heard it. But seeing as it were her own words, and the same words coming back to her�� somehow she actually understood how cruel she had been to Shreya�� She realized that the degree of damage she had done was not small.


    She just never thought it would sting so much seeing her like this�� and she can only imagine what Shreya would have felt all this time.


    Zeenath took a deep breath before saying, "I am sorry�� I really am�� I know what you want is something more than an apology and I am trying�� I am working on it the best I can."


    Shreya did not really budge after hearing her. She maintained her stance�� Zeenath knew how stubborn Shreya can be at times, so she did not really expect any less from her.


    "I know I messed up�� can you give me just one last chance, please?" Zeenath asked making a pitiful face. She made a face that practically looked like she was about to cry.


    "I thought you hated people seeing you pitiful!" Shreya rolled her eyes.


    "Yes�� but for now, as long as it works, I do not mind being pitied! If it meant I can have you back��" Zeenath said cheekily pouting.


    Shreya''s face cracked at last�� her lips twitched the slightest before going back to the original grim look. But Zeenath saw it�� and she could also see Shreya''s eyes warm up��


    Zeenath let out a sigh of relief before saying seriously, "You are all I have Shreya�� One sole person who does care�� Without you, I don''t think anyone would be even bothered whether I am alive or dead�� it had been like that for as long as I can remember."


    "I grew up thinking the whole world was against me�� I survived knowing I was all alone�� So, it is really hard to believe that I might actually have someone on my side for once�� that I do not have to carry the weight of the world on my own. I am learning�� just be patient with me."


    Shreya looked at her�� this was the first time in all the time they had known each other that she had seen Zeenath be vulnerable in front of her. She could see that something had changed in her.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#._50832221153576071">#._50832221153576071</a> for visiting.


    Shreya let out a sigh and said, "Okay, fine. You are off the hook�� But don''t think I will let you off this easily next time around�� Now, get lost. I need some sleep��" She even waved her hand gesturing her to get lost.


    Zeenath''s face brightened instantly as she gave a flying kiss to Shreya and walked out of the office happily.

 Chapter 261 - There are going to be mosquitoes around…

    Adam was standing outside Preethi''s house�� to be more specific, he was standing outside her parent''s place. He hadn''t really gotten to talk to either Preethi or Akil in the past few months right after his birthday. He promised to make it up to them later. He knows it wasn''t exactly the right time to bail on them, but he had been helpless.


    Work had been beyond crazy.


    He picked up the phone and dialed a number. He patiently waited�� after almost a full minute of ringing, a groggy voice answered from the other end.


    "Hey, Charan. This is Adam. You mind opening the door!!" Adam talked straight to the point.


    The line went dead without any real reply but a few minutes later, Adam heard shuffling from inside and Charan came into view�� in all his haggard glory.


    "What happened? Why are you here so late?" Charan asked slightly out of it. "You want me to call Preethi down?" He asked without really giving Adam time to reply.


    Adam shook his head and said, "No�� let her be. I came to talk to you actually. You have a minute?"


    Both the men walked to the living room where Charan went and got Adam a bottle of water. They do not have booze in their house.


    Adam gulped on the water pretty relieved while Charan came and sat opposite him.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#%E2%80%A6_50832733345211301">#%E2%80%A6_50832733345211301</a> for visiting.


    "You want to tell me what is going on?" Charan asked at last seeing as Adam was not speaking.


    "Shreya must have explained everything to you right? SO, with news and things you know, you should have a fair idea of what is happening right? Adam asked first.


    Charan nodded his head without really speaking out. Without all the attention Sri corp. is getting in the past few months, and with the downfall of the other three companies, he knew Shreya was moving forward with her plan. Even if he did not know the exact details, he knew she had revealed herself to them and that the fighting was in full swing.


    "Things are going to get pretty dicey from tomorrow�� even though we are moving things through the legal channels, there are going to be people who are going to know who was behind the whole thing�� And when that happens, I would really prefer it if you guys are not here! It will take a maximum of one month the wrap up the whole thing�� by then, none of them will have the power to move a damn stone let alone think of something else. But until that time, things are slightly risky and I do not want to take that risk�� not with Preethi or Akil!" Adam explained.


    "Explain �C NOT HERE? You mean this house or?" Charan asked.


    "I mean this country!!" Adam deadpanned.


    Charan just blinked back not knowing how to answer something like that. After all, he cannot just up and leave just like that�� and that too to some other country.


    "I know I am asking for a lot. But it is going to be just one month. I promise�� Anyway, Akira and Akil are in their summer holidays, right? Just say you are going on vacation�� I will arrange everything�� even Preethi''s work�� you just have to explain it to your family��" Adam further insisted.


    Charan took a minute and asked, "Does Shreya know about this? Does she want this too??"


    "NO�� She does not know yet�� Even if I suggested to her this, she wouldn''t come and ask you�� she wouldn''t ask you more than you had already given�� She would much rather guard your doors with every waking minute she has��" Adam sighed rubbing his face��


    "What do you mean?" Charan asked confused.


    "Shreya keeps staring at the CCTV around your house like every half hour or something�� She barely sleeps�� and even when she does have spare time, she ends up staring at your doors non-stop. She thinks she is being discrete�� but�� And she already knows how much she had hurt you and Akira by asking you guys to stay away, so she wouldn''t ask for more��" Adam explained.


    "So, you are telling me the only way I could help her now is to hide?" Charan asked exasperated�� this was wearing him down slowing�� staying away from her and on top of it, this��


    "No, I am telling you the only way you could ease her stress is by being safe and I am telling you the best way to keep yourself and your family safe. There is a private island. Off the coast of Bahamas�� It is as secure as it can get for now�� Just relax for a month. I will even talk to your parents�� if you agree that is!!"


    Charan ran his hands roughly over his face and gave a self-deprecating smile and asked, "Do you even realize what you are asked? You are asking me to leave Shreya here all alone when I know she is going to be in danger and run away to some godforsaken island in the middle of nowhere and hide!! Do you even realize how messed up it is?"


    "I know. I never said this was going to be easy�� just do it for her�� With you guys here, her focus is all over the place�� if she had decided to keep you guys close, things would have been different�� but keep you guys at an arms-length now is the most f.u.c.k.i.e.d up part. I tried talking her out of it�� but you know Shreya�� she is stubborn as a rock�� so, I came up with this. This should be much safer than here��"


    After all, if Shreya publicly announces their relationship, even if nothing else, just the fear of repercussions they would be facing will keep a large portion of the people involved in the bay.


    Even sending them there involves risks�� mainly accessibility�� which is a boon and a bane�� but the fact that only a handful of people actually knows about the existence of the island makes the risk to be minimal�� and with proper security on the island, it can be brought to zero��


    "Think about it. I can arrange your flights by 6 pm tomorrow. Just one month Charan. After that things are going to go back to being just the way it was before. I promise." Adam said vehemently.


    "Okay�� fine. Have it your way. I will have to talk to my partners though!" Charan said and got up from his place.


    "And can I crash in here on the couch? It had been forever since I last saw Akil and I am free tomorrow morning��" Adam trailed.


    "Suit yourself. But I am not going to be responsible for your sleepless night!! There are going to be mosquitoes around��" Charan said and closed the doors to his room before Adam could even reply.


    Adam sighed and laid down on the couch. With how tired he was, he was going to end up sleep like a rock even if there is going to be a bomb falling right beside him, let alone mosquito biting.

 Chapter 262 - They are two peas in a pod.

    Charan was sitting on the sand looking at the sky. He did not even know how he got here. All he knew was that he agreed to Adam''s proposal of going on a vacation�� and Adam bundled everybody up in one swift move and sent them away.


    Before anyone could even think straight, they were already a few miles high up in the air with no way out of it.


    And kids are absolutely in love with this place along with Preethi�� they had been playing around and exploring everything adherently for two weeks now.


    And unlike when Shreya and her troupes came, this time around the island was not that deserted. Shreya had increased the number of staff members and bodyguards around significantly.


    So, the mansion was filled with people more or less�� And of course the cameras�� Almost every last inch of the island was filled with cameras and drones. Adam swore that only a handful of people had access and to rest assured.


    Shreya practically fortified the island�� It''s the swiftness of her action that was so unbelievable.


    Charan heard someone come from behind him and when he looked up, he was met with Srinivas approaching him.


    Shreya wanted someone she absolutely trusted to be here. With so many people around, there were just so many things that could go wrong but then the chances of things going wrong sending so many people without the appropriate amount of people were also significantly high�� when they came, each and every person apart from Madhu were highly trained including Bhavna. But the circ.u.mstances with Charan''s family was different�� so Shreya had no other choice but to take her chances while planting Srinivas here was like the last line of foolproof security.


    Charan acknowledged him but stayed quiet. He more or less got to know Srinivas by then even though they cannot be exactly called friends. After all, Srinivas does have a very stuck up face in front of everyone except, of course, being Shreya.


    She just had a way with people.


    "How are things back at home?" Charan asked breaking the silence between them.


    Even though he had been keeping up with the news, there will always be things that are happening under the surface. Things involving Shreya��


    Shreya had once again gone under the surface�� after the news of her parent''s death being reinvestigated had been reports, there was no other news on her even though Sri corp. had been on top of the business news bulletin in the past two weeks��


    "You don''t have to worry about Shreya�� She is fine." Srinivas replied.


    Charan went silent instantly. After all, he knew there are things that he better not know given the nature of events they are dealing with�� especially since he can''t really help even if he knew.


    "The kids are changing��" Srinivas reported flatly before going silent.


    Charan just nodded.


    Of course, Charan had noticed the subtle things Srinivas does�� he is almost always sticking to the kids�� especially when they are venturing out of the mansion. Srinivas personally escorted them everywhere no matter the time or the place.


    Charan knew it was probably Adam or Shreya''s doing�� and Srinivas reported their activity very diligently whether Charan asked for it or not�� Charan did not know if it was because Charan was Akira''s dad or was it because Srinivas treated him as his boss in the absence of Shreya.


    Charan sure hoped it was the former because he was not used to being a boss of the likes of Srinivas who seemed so much more intelligent and mature than himself.


    "Dadaaaa��" Akira came stumbling. Charan caught her when she was about to trip on a stone.


    He gave his daughter a stern look for which she just gave him a sheepish look and stared back at him with her watery brown eyes looking absolutely innocent.


    "Now I know why Shreya is so taken with your daughter�� they are almost identical when it came to their personality�� Like two peas in a pod." Srinivas mumbled with a smile. After all, Shreya about gives him the same look when she messes up somehow.


    "You should be on the receiving end of them both giving the same expression side by side��" Charan said rolling his eyes while keeping Akira back down on the floor.


    Srinivas let out a chuckle at the image Charan had described. He could easily imagine the effect it would have had on Charan.


    Akira, on the other hand, just giggled away happily and started describing her day.


    They had gone deep-sea diving today. They had been training for it for the past weeks and they had their first dive today.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#._51161715492047078">#._51161715492047078</a> for visiting.


    One can only imagine how much Akira had liked it from just her expression. Her excitement seeped in making both the men around her twitch their lips.


    But their gleeful moment did not last.


    All of a sudden, all the lights in the mansion went out�� everything went black in a second leaving them in dark�� Since it was well past sundown, the whole sky was black. But thankfully, the moon was still shining. So, there was still a little light.


    But Srinivas was not bothered by the light�� instead, his eyes became extremely focused instantly. And when a ''pop'' reverberated from the mansion, his whole being went tense.


    Even Charan''s body stiffened. He knew by now that it was the sound of a gunshot. He had been training with Zack in the past couple of months Shreya had been away�� something to occupy his mind and body�� And there was also a larger part of him that wanted to be in a position to protect Shreya if they were in a similar situation as that night when she was kidnapped. So, he asked Zack to train him��


    He might not be an expert, but he knew enough to recognize the sound when a gun is discharged.


    Charan''s first instinct was to lift Akira and secure her in his arms and then looked at Srinivas��

 Chapter 263 - Why can’t people send letters through the post?

    Miles away, Shreya was in her office as usual. It was still day time there. Files were piled in front of her on her table as her eyes drooped on their own��


    The past two weeks had been crazy. She never left the Sri corp. Even though all the criminal related matters were actually handed over to the special intelligence division complete�� she still had to work hard on bringing back balance in the economy.


    The stock market had been absolutely erratic in the past few weeks. The fluctuations were off the charts. Most of the time went by just to appease panicked shareholders, clients, and banks.


    And her previous estimate of investment needed was off by far��


    She knew she just had to ride it out�� but it had been a mess.


    Even though, personally, for her, there was no real loss�� but if the market crashes, the people of the whole nation might suffer. So, she couldn''t afford to take that chance no matter what.


    But being on your toes all the time was exhausting beyond words.


    Pritham just walked in to ask her something�� but seeing her sleeping, he quietly left. God knows when she last slept.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#%E2%80%99t-people-send-letters-through-the-post_51185466929631153">#%E2%80%99t-people-send-letters-through-the-post_51185466929631153</a> for visiting.


    But the slumber did not last long since Pritham walked back in�� this time completely panicked making Shreya wake up with a hell of a jolt.


    Before she could even recover, Pritham shoved a tablet to her face and took a few steps back. He had a feeling Shreya was going to break something as soon as she saw the mail.


    Shreya''s eyes darted over the screen for one second�� and then two�� full two minutes went by before her eyes snapped and instantly flared up.


    It was a picture of Charan and his whole family from the island taken in close proximity and it had one line written at the end.


    ''Need to deliver Abishek Mehta within 48 hours and do not try to approach the island or else they are all going to be dead.''


    "Contact Srinivas on the sat phone��" Shreya''s voice rang coldly while her eyes trembled uncontrollably.


    "I tried�� It is jammed. In fact, all communications in and out of the island are jammed." Pritham muttered not daring to raise his voice.


    "Can you trace the e-mail��?" Shreya asked.


    "Yes, but it is just outside of the city. I guess there should be two sets of people. One should be already on the island while another group should be working here for the drop-off."


    Shreya''s grip on the tablet tightened to the point Pritham was afraid the screen was going to crack.


    Panic rose uncontrollably in Shreya�� for once she actually did not know what to do. Because she knew what she does next will directly influence the lives of people she most cared about beyond herself. She was so scared that her palms started sweating.


    "Find the whereabouts of Abishek��" Shreya whispered.


    Pritham just stood there�� without saying or moving.


    "What?" Shreya barked making Pritham almost pee his pants.


    "Abishek is with witness protection now�� It is probably easier to find him through proper channels." Pritham mumbled in a mosquito voice taking a precautionary few steps back. After all, jumping through the channels might result in unwanted consequences later especially if something goes wrong with him later.


    "Find him��" Shreya insisted but then she added, "But do not move him until I say so�� And keep trying to reach Srinivas. Now out!" Pritham gave her a quick nod before fleeing away.


    He really cursed his job as the computer guy in the team. Why can''t people send letters through the post? Why does it have to be an email!! Especially given how much of a scaredy-cat he was.


    Shreya back in the office took a few deep breaths. She knew she needed to calm down�� it was integral for her to have a straight head if she wanted to bring them back�� thinking of the consequences now is only going to lead her to make stupid mistakes. Mistakes that could cost her dearly.


    She took a few minutes for herself before taking out her phones.


    "Adam�� find me the itineraries for the Minister and the Chief. I will be meeting them in 3 hours��" She instructed and hung up the phone.


    She then dialed again, " Akash�� go through the CCTV videos from the island. I want to find out what we missed�� I want to know how the f.u.c.k did someone escaped our security check�� If I find out someone had messed up�� that person is screwed��"


    She then took another few minutes to control her shaking hands�� this time around anger rose in her uncontrollably which was good.


    Because Shreya knew when she is angry, her mind is going to work like a freaking computer which was good. Better than how her mind goes blank when she is afraid.


    Her eyes darted rapidly as her mind ran a million times faster.


    After about 10 minutes, they suddenly stopped and she took out her phones and her fingers flew over the screen as she exited the room�� her legs were steady but her pace was not lazy as usual. They were rushed and brisk.


    By the time she reached the lobby, she found Zack standing there before her along with some other guys.


    She did not great anyone. She just nodded and everyone followed her without a single word and got into the waiting car.


    Total 4 cars drove off in a rush and Shreya was sitting in the second.


    The cars came to a stop when they reached the outskirts of the city. Everybody got down except for Shreya.


    Zack gave a gesture as the other guys spread out and checked the perimeter and then silently hid themselves in inconspicuous places.


    Only Shreya and Zack remained. Zack stood outside Shreya''s doors while his eyes looked around vigilantly.


    They were standing on the open ground surrounded by under-construction buildings. The building was all skyscr.a.p.ers. But from the looks of it, the construction process had been ceased without a single worker to the seen on the ground.

 Chapter 264 - Did you find out where we messed up?

    Time ticked by and the sun slowly set. The sky went dark�� and the whole field was quiet except for the rustling of the wind.


    But after a few minutes, the silence and the night sky was broken by a car approaching with their lights glaring and horns blaring. The car stopped just short of the car Shreya was sitting in right now.


    Dharsh alight the car swiftly. He looked agitated and he came out. As soon as Shreya came down from her car, he went ballistic.


    "What the f.u.c.k do you want now��?? I did every damn shit you asked�� I even sent you warning messages�� why the f.u.c.k are you still torturing me with pictures??"


    But before he can reach Shreya, Zack restrained him back.


    Shreya just rolled her eyes��


    "I just asked one of my guys to take a selfie with her�� they never even approached her or harmed her hairs�� I just needed some information and the pictures are just incentives��" Her voice was nonchalant and sarcastic at best without any care.


    All Dharsh could do was swallow his frustration and give her a blank look.


    Zack let go of Dharsh as Shreya approached him.


    Shreya extended a tablet with the email they had received and asked, "Was this Naren?"


    Dharsh frowned for a second before taking the tablet and his eyes focused on the mail and became confused.


    "When did this happen?" Dharsh asked.


    "Little more than an hour''s time past��" Shreya replied.


    "Where are they?" Dharsh asked once again.


    Shreya took a minute but then came to a decision and answered honestly, "It''s a private island�� off the coast of Bahamas�� about a day''s flight from here��"


    "This is not us�� Naren is still reeling on how to save his own ass�� he is still hoping to get out of this alive�� He is pulling every last string he has with all his might�� He does not have the brainpower nor the manpower to reach outside this city let alone outside this country��" He said handing the tablet back to Shreya.


    Shreya tapped away on the tablet and gave them back to him and asked, "You recognize any of the people here?"


    Dharsh took a minute as he swiped through all the photos and shook his head.


    Shreya took back the tablet and said, "Thanks for your help��" She then got back in the car and was out of the field without a trace.


    When she came back to the office, Akash and Adam were there��


    "Did you find out where we messed up?" She asked without really greeting them.


    Akash and Adam stayed silent with their head hung down slightly.


    Shreya waited, tapping on her fingers impatiently.


    After a lot of deliberations, Akash extended a photo of the head maid. It was taken out of the CCTV footage.


    "It is probably her. But we still don''t know who she is�� all the other people checked out. But the head maid we hired and checked out was someone else�� She was killed just hours before the take-off�� Her body was discovered only when our guys knocked on her doors to check out an hour ago�� And this lady went in her place," Akash explained he showed Shreya whatever they found or to be precise, he showed her what they couldn''t find.


    "Problem is we couldn''t find her��not in Abishek''s records nor in our records. Nobody knows who she is or where she is from��" Adam continued after him.


    Shreya''s hands fisted in anger.


    "You are telling me we know nothing about who it is or what is their purpose?" Shreya''s voice seethed.


    Silence ensued after that��


    "Were you able to contact them?" Shreya after a while��


    "Nope��" Adam answered.


    "When is the meeting with the minister��?" She asked next.


    "In an hour�� in his office�� You should know�� he is pissed�� after all, he was due for a meeting abroad tomorrow which he had to cancel without notice because of us��" Adam answered once again.


    "Well, he is going to be more pissed after the meeting�� He just has to learn to live with that!" Shreya said flatly.


    Right then Pritham walked in.


    "Did you find Abishek?" Shreya asked him as soon as he came in.


    "Almost�� don''t worry�� I will have his location in a couple of hours��" Pritham said confidently.


    Shreya nodded and said, "Keep our guys ready�� but don''t make the move until I say so��" Shreya instructed.


    Pritham nodded diligently as always but did not make the move to exit.


    "Something else?" Shreya asked.


    "This is the guy who sent the photos��" Pritham said showing her a photo of a guy��


    Shreya took the photo and blinked at Pritham.


    "He served in the army in Karthick''s squad and he was Karthick''s best friend��" Pritham elaborated.


    Shreya''s eyes twitched slightly but she did not react.


    "Find out more information on people in that squad. And locate them�� Also, keep an eye on this guy but do not make a move on him until I say so�� Ask our people to quietly walk out if they get discovered."


    Everyone in the room nodded.


    "Now get out�� I need some time alone��" Shreya said and dismissed them.


    Everyone quietly left the room. Seeing the distress on Shreya''s face, Akash stopped at the doors and hesitated to leave but then he too left without a word.


    Shreya''s face crumbled as soon as they left as she rested her head on the desk�� her mind kept showing her all the worst-case scenarios that could happen to Charan and his family�� the kind of scare Akira could get.


    Tears ran down her cheeks without her knowing�� She took great effort to compose her emotions. Blood dripped down her palms as she clenched them tightly with her nails almost breaking in half.


    But Shreya did not feel the pain at all��


    She just stayed like that for a long while before exiting to room�� she went straight out where Zack was once again waiting for her. She got in the car and the car drove off in a jiffy.

 Chapter 265 - Are you threatening me?

    The room was brightly lit and looked luxurious and dignified. A middle-aged guy sat there in the head on the table while Shreya sat opposite him. Another slightly older guy sat beside Shreya looking nervous. He looked like someone who was caught between a rock and hard floor.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#%!d(string=15043105205573105)/are-you-threatening-me_%!d(string=51221653086073563)">#%!d(string=15043105205573105)/are-you-threatening-me_%!d(string=51221653086073563)</a> for visiting.


    Shreya was looking at the guy opposite her with a fierce and stubborn look while the guy stared back at her with an equally stubborn look. None of them seemed to be thinking about giving up any time soon.


    "I cannot release Abishek into your custody Shreya�� the hearing is in one week and you very well know how integral it is for Abishek to testify in the court�� that is the only way I can get a conviction. That is the only way to take down the syndicate�� I thought that is what you wanted!!" The guy exclaimed frustrated retracting his eyes from her fierce laser-like look.


    After all, if this case is successful, then as the leader of the country, his popularity will go leaps and bounds. He will become the talk of the town for the next full year�� of course, his credit will be countless times bigger since Shreya said she wishes to be in the dark.


    So, he will become someone who will earn people''s support just by seeing through this case without really putting any effort into it.


    That was part of the reason why he agreed to Shreya''s suggestion in the first place�� if only the reward was not so high and so tempting, it was not worth the risk involved. And the oppositions he will face and the people who are going to target him are not going to be less�� So, he would really need a miracle to dodge a bullet if he cannot convict each and every person he went against.


    And sadly enough, there were also some of his supports in that list�� but he couldn''t really save them since Abishek first went to Shreya and she had as much evidence and information as he has.


    So, after doing all this, he cannot take the chance�� he cannot let go of Abishek now�� he cannot afford to.


    "Look, Mr. Prime Minister�� with all due respect, you wouldn''t have this case or Abishek without me. I gave you this case and I collected the evidence�� you better not forget it." Shreya reminded him sternly.


    The older guy beside Shreya let out a sigh and replied, "Shreya�� we do know that. We are not trying to cut you off or anything�� but wait until the hearing is over�� you also know the risk of people walking free is high without Abishek taking that stand to testify��" He tried to be amiable�� he wanted to resolve this without any party taking offense.


    After all, one is the leader of the country and the other is almost the Princess of the country�� and he was the one who introduced them to each other.


    "I do�� and I gave my word that he will be there outside the courthouse on time without a scratch on his body�� and I keep my promises��" Shreya said stubbornly.


    "But I cannot afford to take such a chance�� After all, they were able to kidnap your people from right under your nose�� So, your guarantee is not worth a damn shit!" The Prime minister barked back losing his patience.


    Right then, Shreya''s phone chimed. She glanced at it and gave the minister a sinister look�� and said to him.


    "Look�� I am not here in this room asking for your help because I am incapable. I am here because I am giving you this courtesy out of the position you are holding now and because you are someone Girish uncle trusted."


    She then slid her phone across the table with a picture�� as the Minister''s and the Chief''s eyes swept through the photo, they automatically stiffened.


    How can they not recognize the picture�� after all to be safe, they themselves chose the place to hide Abishek and Shreya had the picture of the outside of the house along with his own guard smoking outside leisurely.


    "I wouldn''t even have to lift a finger to get Abishek out of that house and take him out of your custody�� and when I hide him, trust me�� you will never find him�� not even if you used the full force of the government. And don''t forget, elections are soon coming and you are majorly sponsored by one of the companies that I had taken over. And you had personally put most of your sponsor''s behind bars. So, I suggest you try and make me very happy if you are looking forward to reaping the success of this case��"


    "Are you threatening me?" The minister asked with angry eyes�� after all, he is the elected leader of the country and Shreya is nothing but a little girl in his eyes.


    "I wouldn''t dare to but these are the facts. I am just saying, your life is going to be so much smoother if you do not try to make my life difficult," Shreya replied leaning back on her chairs and sitting back arrogantly.


    "Why are you being so stubborn, Shreya?" He asked exasperated. He really did not want to get on the bad side of Shreya�� especially now. Because he knew, he is going to need her help not only after the case but even with the case. After all, he really cannot trust his men to not sell him out for money�� and there are things that need to happen outside the purview of what is legal.


    Shreya then slid a picture of the minister''s daughter�� The minister stiffened all over again the instant his eyes fell on the photo�� after all, this picture seemed to be taken a couple of hours ago�� He clearly remembers the dress his daughter wore this morning.


    "What would you do for her�� I would do so much more for my family. So, trust me when I tell you�� I do not care who stands in my way and how many people are going to stand in my way. I will go through each and every such person and protect them. So, it is better for you if you are not going to be one of them��" Shreya said fiercely.


    "So, minister, I would like Abishek with my guys outside tomorrow morning or else I am going to take him myself�� and he will not come back if I take him on my own�� You think and decide what you are going to do��" Shreya said getting up from her place.


    But before exiting, Shreya turned around and added, "If you hand him over as asked, I promise he will be there outside the court to testify without a hair out place��"

 Chapter 266 - I am just so scared…

    The room was fully dark without a speck of light�� there was eerie silence�� The whole building was the same�� The silence was almost haunting��


    But such silence was broken by the soft whimper followed by steady footsteps.


    Zack walked towards Shreya''s office room. He knew she wouldn''t have left yet�� When he saw the darkroom, he took a minute to adjust his vision to the darkness.


    And then his eyes zeroed in on the silhouette of the figure crouched on the chair. Zack switched on the lights as he asked, "What are you doing in the dark?"Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#%!d(string=15043105205573105)/i-am-just-so-scared%E2%80%A6_%!d(string=51272935012354495)">#%!d(string=15043105205573105)/i-am-just-so-scared%E2%80%A6_%!d(string=51272935012354495)</a> for visiting.


    Shreya did not answer but instead winced and closed her eyes because of the brightness�� Her face flinched unconsciously.


    "What are doing here?" Shreya asked once she got used to the light.


    Zack came and stood beside her as he ruffled her hair and answered, "I just had a feeling you will be here like this�� So, I came to check up on you."


    "Like what? I am fine," Shreya said defensively. Even though her lips were lying, her pale looking face gave her away.


    Zack gave her a look and said pointedly, "Your lips can lie but your hands cannot��" Zack then pulled out her fisted hands and uncurled them only to reveal several scratch marks lined with just the tinch of blood.


    Shreya just stayed quiet trying to pull out her hands. But it was absolutely useless against Zack.


    Zack dragged her from behind her desks and sat her down on the couch before getting some towel soaked in warm water to wipe her hands down.


    Something collapsed inside Shreya at that moment as tears dripped down unconsciously. Maybe knowing someone is going to catch her if she fell gave her that courage at that moment��


    Zack simply pulled her into his embrace and put his hands over her head as he said softly, "Hey�� they are going to be fine. I promise. If nothing else, Srinivas is there with them�� and that guy can move a mountain if he puts his mind to it�� you know that. He will keep them safe."


    "I am just so scared��" Shreya mumbled vulnerably��


    Zack was actually surprised�� He had never seen Shreya like this before. She never showed her vulnerabilities to others. She would rarely come over to his house when things don''t go as she planned�� but even then, she would never utter a single word.


    They would just share a beer quietly and she would end up sleeping over the night. And she would be okay the next day good as new.


    So, this side of Shreya was a surprise for him. IN all the years he had known her, he had never seen her cry once��


    Zack originally just came here on a hunch. He thought he would find Shreya still staring at he CCTV camera''s or trying to contact them�� he thought he can coax her to take a break for a second�� but not in a million years did he think he would end up finding her like this��


    "Baby girl�� they are going to be okay�� I promise. They are going to be safe. Anyways, we still have Abishek under our watch. As long as we do as planned�� everything is going to be okay!" Zack tried to coax her like a kid.


    He was clumsy since he had no experience dealing with Shreya like this�� He did not know what to say or what to do.


    Shreya took a few deep breaths before calming herself down��


    She knew the people doing this are counting on her falling down like this�� so she also knew it is so much more important to keep her head in the game�� People''s lives depended on her keeping her head cool.


    But it was just so hard��


    She did not know what she would end up doing if something ever happened to any of them�� She had the power to make this whole country go to hell and back with just a snap of a finger and she was afraid she would do exactly that if so much as a hair was missing from Akira''s head.


    And another part of her was terrified out of her mind to just think like that�� It felt as if someone had stabbed her heart and twisted the knife painfully to just entertain that possibility��


    Being as is, she did not even know how she managed to keep herself standing so long.


    Zack put both hands on the sides of her head and made her look at her��.


    "They are just playing with your head Shreya�� they are counting on you to make a mistake�� They are counting on you to be emotional�� don''t give them that."


    Shreya bit on her lips painfully almost to point of bleeding trying to get her state of mind to a more stable ground. She closed her eyes and desperately tried to shoo away all the negative thoughts. That was the only way she could keep her emotions at bay.


    So, she concentrated on just one thought�� that moment when she will have Akira back in her arms.


    I will get you back, baby. I promise. Mom�� dad�� help me. Watch over them for me till I can reach them. I can''t lose them�� not like how I lost you�� I can''t live without them��


    A single tear fell down and tumbled down her cheeks stubbornly as she thought that. But then it was all gone as she opened her eyes with all the fierceness you will be able to see on her any normal day.


    Her eyes were cold and almost cunning��


    Zack looked at her in awe. He could see her pull herself together�� and it all happened in record time�� he couldn''t help but be proud of her.


    "Now�� come on. Let''s get some work done��" Zack said kissing on her temple and he got up.


    Shreya followed him out�� She would get them back no matter what it took for her to do it.

 Chapter 267 - Kidnap you...

    It had been 24 hours since she received the mail�� Shreya was now sitting outside Abishek''s temporary house. It is about another half an hour''s time before the time she gave for the minister ends.


    She was really tempted to just screw it over and drag Abishek out of there�� but she retrained to that last thread of rationale and stayed put. It will be a real headache if she broke through the front doors now��


    Anyways there is still 24 hours before the meeting time�� And she can always break in if nothing else works��


    But to her surprise, Abishek actually walked out and walked towards her car. He slowly reached her car and knocked on her windows.


    Shreya rolled down her windows��


    "What are you doing here?" Abishek asked. He did not really seem surprised to see Shreya inside the car.


    "Kidnap you��" Shreya answered bluntly getting out of the car. Both stood side by side leaning on the car. If only they had cigarettes in their hands, they could easily pass as weird sort of friends taking a smoke break.


    Abishek took a minute to understand Shreya''s words�� now, that answer did surprise him but from Shreya. If he knew better, he should know by now nothing is surprising when it came to Shreya. Abishek let out a helpless chuckle but did not really seem scared of the news.


    "Don''t tell me you developed a soft spot for this old guy now!?" He asked teasingly. He knew Shreya was being serious about her answer but it still did not really bother him�� after all, he was someone who had given up on everything by now, and being taken by Shreya was not really that bad. At least, he will not be bored.


    "Oh! Please�� I am not that bored unlike someone�� and I have higher standards!!" Shreya answered rolling her eyes.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#%!d(string=15043105205573105)/kidnap-you..._%!d(string=51327206470771276)">#%!d(string=15043105205573105)/kidnap-you..._%!d(string=51327206470771276)</a> for visiting.


    "Ouch, Shreya�� that hurts!!" Abishek joked around.


    Shreya glared at him without really bothering to play along with him. Given her mood, the fact that she had not punched him yet should prove that she has the patience of a saint�� And Abishek was testing her limit.


    But after fooling around for a while, Abishek sobered up and looked at Shreya and asked seriously, "Why are you here, Shreya?"


    "I am serious�� Do I really seem like someone who is going to joke with you? I am here to kidnap you�� if the minister is not going to hand you over to me in half an hour that is�� Look around you Abishek�� they are not your guards. They are my people." Shreya deadpanned.


    Abishek leisurely looked around and just nodded his head�� he anticipated as much.


    "Why? What happened? I mean, if you are planning to dump me in some ditch, don''t you think it would have been better to have done it when I was in your hands��" After all, it was Shreya who handed him over to the authorities in the first place�� so, this did not make sense.


    "Well, someone else out there not seems to like whatever you are trying to do!! And now I am regretting that I never got around to doing the exact same thing you just described��" Shreya answered.


    Abishek did not lose his spirit�� he still smiled amused.


    "Well�� I guess I have pissed off a fair amount of people by now including you�� but why are you here?"


    "Because whoever you pissed off has my family and I have to deliver you alive in exactly 24 hours��"


    Abishek stayed silent��


    "You can either co-operate and have a chance to get out of this one alive or I will just hand you over and forget about it��" Shreya even shrugged her shoulders as if she was talking about what she had for breakfast rather than the fact that she was actually talking about leaving Abishek to die.


    Abishek still did not lose his smirk as he asked, "You don''t have any case without my testimony�� many people including your parent''s killer will walk free�� are you sure you can live with that��"


    Shreya''s face, at last, showed some emotions�� it was determined�� and filled with pure agony��


    "I know what I can''t live without�� and those people are far away from here�� waiting for me to save them from across the other side of the sea. A little girl is waiting for me there�� and I don''t care if I have to burn the whole god damn world to get to them. And anyway, I already have the names of the people involved. I have a million ways to make their lives hell without the help of the court�� so, you see�� you are not walking out of here�� and nobody can stop me."


    Just as she closed her mouth after saying this, they heard sirens�� all around. It was evident from the sound that there were a lot of cars�� the whole area livened up in a matter of minutes.


    "Well, it seems not everybody has your idea�� somebody wants to stop you��" Abishek said with a relaxed smile. He was taunting her but Shreya remained calm as ever.


    She had, after all, predicted as much. Nobody likes to be threatened even when they know they might not win. Their egos will be hurt if they went down without a fight�� and someone who has become the leader of a whole country would have acc.u.mulated a lot of ego and arrogance.


    Shreya also knows he was blocking her so brazenly mainly because, if he went down now, he will be mocked as the puppet Prime Minister�� and he was probably counting on Shreya going down without a fight if he tried to take her down so publicly.


    Shreya wouldn''t dare to fight the police, head to head, in broad daylight and make herself a criminal.


    Shreya smirked as time ticked by but none of the cars actually reached them. And a few minutes later, a deafening sound of blades whirling was heard.


    Abishek looked up only to find a helicopter looming around their head.


    Since the area was quite remote, there were a lot of empty landmasses around.


    The helicopter touched the lands scattering around a lot of dust all over the place.


    Shreya did not even look at Abishek�� she just approached the helicopter while Abishek just shook his head and followed her obediently.


    After all, she was not someone he would win�� and a part of him did not want to. He owed her and he was also quite fond of her�� if only his circ.u.mstances and his decisions in life had been a little different, he would have loved to have a better relationship with Shreya�� maybe become one of the people she trusted.


    But since it was not possible, he could just co-operate with her for now.


    Moreover, he knew what it is to lose a little girl�� he did not want Shreya to go over it because of his sins.

 Chapter 268 - the plane is going to land.

    The helicopter landed on top of the Sri corp. tower in no time.


    Throughout the ride, Shreya just looked out without really saying or doing anything. But just as they touched down, her phone buzzed�� and as soon as she looked at the message, her nonchalant eyes changed as if they were caught on fire in just seconds.


    She jumped out as soon as she was cleared to go alight and her footsteps rushed towards the doors.


    She did not even stop to make sure Abishek was following her.


    She just left leaving behind a trail of very confused people dressed in black.


    A few minutes later, she walked into her office and everybody''s breath itched to their throats seeing her fierce eyes.


    "What do you mean they are not there???" Shreya''s voice seethed without really giving anyone time to take a second for themselves.


    "Uhm�� I mean�� this evening, people went for routine supply to the island�� after all, all the groceries have to be still supplied from the mainland and we never even got the chance to cancel the delivery with everything happening�� Anyways the people who went to supply found something odd and called the authorities�� when they reached the island, none of Charan''s family was there�� nor was Srinivas�� All the other workers there had been knocked out unconscious without any knowledge of how they ended up in such a state��" Akash said everything he found out precisely and briefly knowing Shreya''s moody state�� he did not dare to mess around.


    "Where are they? Do you know why they were taken?" Shreya asked again.


    Pritham shook his head��


    "The flight is missing and our suspect is nowhere to be seen. All the cops found was a pool of blood in the kitchen�� and they suspect it is probably this girl�� She is the only one missing in the staff." Pritham said showing the picture of Mary to Shreya.


    As soon as Mary''s picture came into her view�� something flashed in her eyes�� and her eyes invariably went towards Zack��


    "CCTV?" Shreya asked.


    Pritham once again shook his head and said, "They checked everything they could�� CCTV''s stopped recording 24 hours prior to the email�� so we have no way of knowing what happened. And because of the security problem, I did not tell them about the panic room�� anyways they won''t be able to get in��"


    "Where are they? I don''t really care about anything else at this moment!!" Shreya mutter with her teeth clenched.


    "We don''t know yet�� I am trying to get into the plane''s GPS but it is going to be difficult if they had the technology to block satellite phones, covering their tracks when they fly is going to be a piece of cake," Pritham answered and kept his eyes trailed on the laptop in front of him where he had been trying to track the missing plane for about half-hour now.


    "So, you are telling me you have no freaking idea where they are or whether they are alive or dead or who took them?" Shreya asked gritting her teeth.


    Everyone in the room hung their head down just as Abishek reached them with Anne trailing in the front�� Anne stopped when she found that the atmosphere in the room was not right�� she was about to take him back when Shreya''s voice rang��


    "Sit him in your office�� someone will be there to watch him��"


    Shreya then gestured to Adam to arrange for the same.


    Abishek did not move�� his eyes trailed on the board behind Shreya for a second where there was a picture of the suspect was hanging��


    His eyes squinched but he did not say anything and left.


    Once he left, the atmosphere froze all over again��


    "Uh�� we did find something though��" Pritham hesitated and gave Shreya a tablet.


    Shreya''s eyes focused in on the screen�� it was obviously CCTV footage.


    From the looks of it, it was a parking lot where two girls walked in zig zags�� on a closer inspection, you can see one of them is shit face drunk�� while the other was heaving her along�� when they came near, Shreya''s eyes went ice cold. Her hands on the tablet tightened to the point where Pritham was afraid the screen was going to crack any moment now��


    "But we don''t think she revealed anything intentionally�� she was in that state from the time the suspect approached her��" Adam pitched in.


    Shreya did not say a word. Her eyes just kept trailing on the paused video heavily with ice and resentment.


    The whole room came to a standstill to point of it being suffocation�� even then none of the people in there dared to move a muscle��


    At least that was until something pinged in Pritham''s computer and his eyes widened looking at it.


    "Shreya�� the plane is going to land in our airport in about 45 minutes'' time��" He said amazed by himself.


    He thought they would have left for some godforsaken country by now so as the cripple them from finding their whereabouts. But he never thought they would end up coming back home.


    Obviously, it would make their work a lot easier on home ground. The people they could mobilize here were not small and the time it would take to find something within the borders of the city was even less than that of other parts of the country.


    SO, logically and practically it did not make sense for them to come here. Not after all the trouble, they went to kidnap a whole family from an island that was practically inaccessible.


    But before any of them could react, Shreya was already out of the building as soon as she heard Pritham.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#%!d(string=15043105205573105)/the-plane-is-going-to-land._%!d(string=51384097607565921)">#%!d(string=15043105205573105)/the-plane-is-going-to-land._%!d(string=51384097607565921)</a> for visiting.


    She did not bother saying anything to anyone.


    She went straight to the parking and got the fastest car in there and pushed on the peddles till it hit the floor. She was like a mad bull weaving through the road scaring everyone to make way for her.


    She stopped only when she reached the airport.


    Thankfully, Zack did his work and cleared the section of the VIP lounge, and also made arrangements for the people in the plane to be escorted to the VIP lounge by their own people.


    And he himself was only a few minutes behind Shreya��

 Chapter 269 - I missed you too, baby…

    Shreya walking from one corner to another agitatedly. She was abusing her lips to point of bleeding as she waited for everyone in the VIP lounge.


    Zack had personally gone to escort them in case something happened. Shreya wanted to go but Zack somehow convinced her to wait for them here�� he promised her several times that they will be safe.


    But waiting at this time was not easy for Shreya�� she couldn''t really stop for one second.


    As time ticked by her muscles tensed to point of numbness�� At one point, she really couldn''t take it and started walking towards the runway.


    Since the whole area was flooded with her own people, nobody really dared to stop her.


    Just as the plane came into view, her eyes focused and suddenly she was very scared to look at what was behind those closed doors.


    What if something bad had happened to any of them? How was she ever going to be able to face Charan? How will she face Akira? What if they were scared of her? After all, she was the one who had put them in danger�� if she had not been in their lives, they wouldn''t have had to go to some godforsaken island in the middle of nowhere��


    Just as fear overpowered her, an excited voice called out for her�� that voice which felt like redemption for her dying soul.


    Shreya instantly looked up to find Akira sprinting towards her with all her might with her tiny legs�� her excited smiling face filled her eyes.


    Shreya wanted to go to her�� but her legs stayed frozen in place as her eyes kept staring at Akira�� Shreya almost felt as if Akira was going to disappear the minute she blinked her eyes.


    Her eyes watered on their own�� Her heart stopped beating in her chests. Everything around her stopped mattering to her except for the little girl who was running towards her with a bright smile dancing on her face.


    Shreya unconsciously crouched down with her arms open as Akira crashing towards her with all her might��


    Shreya wrapped her arms around her tightly instantly�� she was really scared that Akira would disappear the minute she losens her arms and everything she was feeling would end up being some sick dream or her hallucination.


    All her senses were focused on one single thing�� the sound of the heart beating against her chests�� the proof of the fact that the little girl in her arms was hail and healthy and was in her arms at that moment��


    Shreya couldn''t stop her tears any more�� the fact that Akira was fine came with so much relief that she felt as if her legs would give up on her any minute��


    Akira kept talking and saying something excitedly but Shreya couldn''t even muster the energy to comprehend anything she was hearing��


    All she could think of was�� Akira was here��


    She kept muttering to her herself in her head that�� She was safe�� she is alright�� she is here��


    She was almost chanting it to herself like a mantra�� until that time she could believe it.


    At last, Akira found that something was wrong with Shreya when she felt something soaking her clothes��


    "DADA�� Shreya is crying��" Akira yelled out anxiously. After all, she can''t really do much with her small body. And Shreya was not letting her go no matter how much she tried to wiggle out of her grips.


    Charan had almost reached them by then��


    When he reached them, he could clearly guess Shreya''s state of mind. If her arms tightly wrapped around Akira was any indicator, Charan knew she had to been scared to hell and back in the past two days��


    "It''s okay, baby. Let her be for a minute okay?" Charan replied to anxious looking Akira�� "Just let her hold you, she will be alright,"


    In her hazy state, Shreya heard Charan''s voice and her eyes involuntarily looked up��


    Charan stared back at her watery eyes�� looking at her in front of him after such a long time, as cliched as it sounded�� it almost felt as if his heart had come back to him and started beating all over again at that moment�� it almost felt as if he had been surviving without a heart all this time��


    He extended his hands and wiped away her tears and said softly, "Hey�� it okay. We are fine�� you don''t have to be scared��"Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#%!d(string=15043105205573105)/i-missed-you-too-baby%E2%80%A6_%!d(string=51439402307606425)">#%!d(string=15043105205573105)/i-missed-you-too-baby%E2%80%A6_%!d(string=51439402307606425)</a> for visiting.


    Shreya took a long time to listen and comprehend what Charan was saying at that moment. But when it struck her, she couldn''t really help by lean on him weakly�� but her hold on him was anything but.


    Her arms around him were bone-crushingly tight around him�� with Akira sandwiched between them.


    But at that moment, none of the parties minded�� neither Akira nor Charan made any effort to get out of her grip or showed any discomfort.


    It had been way too long since they saw each other and neither of them wanted to push her away�� in fact, if it was only possible they want to be held more tightly.


    Charan kept muttering that they were okay to her over and over again as he let Shreya soak his shirts��


    He looked up and gestured for his family to leave with Zack. Anyways, Shreya did not look like she was going to let them go anytime soon.


    Zack nodded at him and went with his family after giving him a smile.


    Shreya''s sobs at last reduced a long time after everyone had left. She let go of them suddenly as her eyes darted over them looking for something��


    "Hey, we are fine�� nothing happened to us. We don''t even have a scatch��" Charan reassured her and this time around he wrapped his arms around Shreya and buried her face against his chest.


    "I missed you��" He muttered softly over her head and kissed on her temples��


    But before Shreya could reply, Akira pitched in and said in her high pitched voice, "Me too�� me too�� I missed you too��"


    At last Shreya''s face lightened up and her lips twitched��


    "I missed you too, baby��" Shreya said but her voice was very hoarse. Akira diligently wiped Shreya''s tears and gave her a kiss on her cheeks.


    The left out Charan couldn''t help but pout�� even then, nothing was able to deter the grin on his face.

 Chapter 270 - Its my family out there…

    Two days prior. On the island�� Just after the lights went out.


    The whole island stood still for a few minutes before Srinivas cursed under his breath. His eyes darted around while moving towards Charan. He signaled Charan to follow him while his hand automatically went for his gun straps.


    Srinivas and Charan made their way to the mansion with Charan holding Akira tightly in his arms.


    They found Bharath snoring away in the living room. Charan woke him up and asked him to follow them while gesturing him to keep quiet.


    Srinivas led them straight towards a dead end only for a door to open suddenly when he pressed on a particular brick on the wall beside. He stumbled around the lock for a second before the door opened to a huge hall.


    Srinivas went in followed by the group��


    The door automatically closed behind him and the whole hall lit up making everyone cringe from the sudden brightly lit room.


    There was a separate monitoring station set up inside the room with other amenities.


    Srinivas went inside and opened another room and came out strapped with some vests.


    Charan handed Akira to Bharath and followed Srinivas.


    "You guys stay here�� I will check out. Don''t worry�� only I and your family member can open this door. SO, you guys should be safe here." Srinivas whispered to Charan not wanting to scare Akira.


    "I am coming with you��" Charan said flatly.


    Srinivas gave him a look as if he was going to protest.


    "It''s my family out there��" Charan said once again without really giving Srinivas the chance to refute.


    Srinivas sighed and gave him a gun.


    Charan held it comfortably this time.


    In all these months, Charan had been training with Zack�� that was the only way he was able to keep himself from going crazy missing Shreya�� He trained intensely. So, he knew his way around a gun by now, and anyways he was combatly able even before�� but he had improved leaps and bound in these past few months.


    The room was abled with a game console probably thanks to Shreya�� so, Srinivas let Bharath play with Akira to keep her occupied while Srinivas and Charan quietly exited the room.


    Srinivas switched on his flashlight as he walked back up.


    But before any of them could move another step, they heard a rustling sound right behind them and a few minutes later, Srinivas felt a gun barrel placed behind his head without really giving any chance to react. And Charan was pulled behind by slender arms.


    Time stood still for a full one minute as no one spoke�� or even moved a muscle.


    Unexpectedly, right that moment, the power came back on and the little girl with the gun widened her eyes considerably before she pulled down the gun.


    Srinivas, at last, turned back and he sighed in relief when he saw the little girl.


    The little girl''s hands moved frantically as she gestured something in a sigh.


    Charan had seen this girl around. She was the timid maid who never once talked. He always thought she was just shy but looking at things, Charan figured she was probably dumb or even deaf.


    The gesturing went back and forth for a long while. After which, the little girl led them to the kitchen where the head maid lay down unconscious.


    "Don''t worry. She is just knocked out. This is Mary by the way. Shreya sent her undercover in case something happened to me. She is deaf and dumb but she can read lips. She oversaw the head maid talking to someone say she was going to blackmail Shreya."


    Srinivas clarified before checking the surroundings.


    "It seems, the maid still managed the trip the main power and cut off communication outside the island," Srinivas muttered after checking the phone beside the unconscious maid.


    Mary gestured something again.


    I switched on the backup generator��


    After all, it is hard for her to move around without light.


    Srinivas gestured something back.


    "She must be working alone. Mary had run a check�� there is no one else out of bed till now. Charan, go and check on your parents and Preethi. We will be leaving in an hour if things get dicey. Lastest at, tomorrow at first light. I cannot bring the communication back up. Shreya must be freaking up�� we will go back home. Anyways the island is compromised. Mary will run another check within the mansion. I will check the outside." Srinivas fired away instructions after thoroughly going through the maid''s phone. He then secured her with a rope before going out while Charan and Mary went ahead to do as they were bid.


    Srinivas went out and checked. First things first, he went to the plane standing on the runaway and checked.


    As expected, the plane was untouched. After all, Shreya took extra precaution with every damn shit after very long and meticulous planning.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#%!d(string=15043105205573105)/it''s-my-family-out-there%E2%80%A6_%!d(string=51460942357129509)">#%!d(string=15043105205573105)/it''s-my-family-out-there%E2%80%A6_%!d(string=51460942357129509)</a> for visiting.


    And given their predicament without any means of communication with the outside world and not having any information on what was happening on the other side, he decided it was probably prudent to get back home.


    Anyways, he and Mary can fly the plane without much trouble even though the weather was slightly stormy.


    By the time they got back, everyone was gathered in the living room while Akira and Akil were sleeping on the couch.


    Mary gestured that everything was fine.


    Srinivas did not say anything. He took Charan to a corner and explained. He did not know how much his family knew and what he told them now�� All Srinivas knew was that, Charan was well informed about what is happening back home and that he had been there when Mary told them what happened.


    And Shreya also instructed him not to hide anything from Charan when they left.


    "I think it is best we return back home tomorrow morning. You guys get some sleep now�� I will keep an eye on things�� Expect for lack of communication, there seems to be no other danger as of now�� From start, it should have been their plan to just scare Shreya without really wasting much effort. So, it is better for us to get back even if there is no much danger��"


    Charan did not say anything�� he just nodded his head.

 Chapter 271 - And whose fault is that?

    Charan, at last, finished saying in detail what had happened in the past two days��


    It was pretty late at night�� they were at Shreya''s apartment. Given the circ.u.mstances, none of them wanted to be away. And anyway, he still had two weeks of his leave pending��


    It took everything in Charan to just pull Shreya out of Akira''s room as she slept. Shreya had barely trailed her eyes away from Akira all day long. He coaxed Shreya like coaxing a baby to get his toy car away from him�� and he also felt it probably would have been easier to do that than to bring Shreya away from Akira at some point in time today.


    And as soon as they came back to her room and her mind started working, the first thing she asked was what happened. After all, Shreya was attached to them like glue all day long without really getting any opportunity to inspect and keep herself informed of what had happened on the island in the last few days.


    Charan gave her a detailed report of what had happened to his knowledge��


    "What did your parents say? Where they scared?" Shreya asked tentatively. After all, no parents are going to like their children put in the path of danger��


    Charan just shook his head and said, "I never told them anything�� I just said a storm is coming the way of the island and we can''t stay there any longer and the power cut was a technical difficulty because of it�� they did not suspect much but I am not so sure now�� after seeing your reaction at the airport, they are bound to be suspicious�� But knowing them, they are going to let me get away with the lie." Charan answered leaning back against the headboard.


    For once, he actually observed Shreya�� she had lost a lot of weight in the past few months and she was back to having very deep dark circles around her eyes��


    He could already guess what had happened in the past few months they were separated.


    "Come here��" Charan asked softly opening her arms toward Shreya who was deeply immersed in her own head.


    Shreya looked up when she heard Charan and her eyes met with his warm ones�� for a second she just stared back at him before dashing over and crashing in his embrace��


    In all the anxiety, she completely forgot that they were together after such a long time�� She had been so worried about their safety that she never got the chance to just think about Charan and herself and their relationship�� and how they were back with each other all over again after not seeing each other for a little less than half a year��


    "I missed you��" Charan mumbled over her hairs and rubbed his hands over her back as he held her against him tightly��


    "Let''s not do this again okay�� being away sucked�� big time." He said again after a pause.


    Shreya did not reply but pulled away from Charan and looked into his eyes intently�� seeing the warmth in them�� she really wondered how she survived without looking into them all these days�� it did not seem possible�� It felt as if it had not been her who had been breathing and moving all these past months.


    Her eyes darted over his face eagerly�� and she missed each and every inch of them to hell and back��


    "Are you just going to keep staring at my face like that all night?" Charan asked smirking�� His own emotions have settled down as soon as he saw Shreya�� and even though he knew Shreya had been scared shitless in these past two days, he couldn''t really help himself from being slightly grateful that it happened because invariably those events led to her being here in front of him where he can reach out and touch her�� and that is all he ever wanted.


    Shreya, on the other hand, did not really react for the full two minutes�� she just stared at his face without blinking as if she never really heard what CHaran had just said.


    Just when Charan was about to shake her awake, Shreya leaned over and bit on his cheeks as she always did�� her teeth dug into his skin without much mercy leaving behind her mark very proudly.


    Charan winced at first but did not really push her away�� he just smiled. He never thought he would actually miss being bitten�� but he did.


    He beamed as Shreya let him go and buried her face in the crooks of his neck and muttered, "I missed you too�� more than you would ever know�� even though I once mocked the line, I really don''t know how to live without you. It did not feel as if I am alive without you guys�� I just��" She stopped talking without knowing how to continue after that.


    "And whose fault is that?" Charan asked sulking�� He pouted making a funny face. He knew this was not the time but he still held a grudge for this point.


    Shreya pulled away and looked at him and she was speechless.


    After all, the whole reason she had forced them to be apart was to keep them safe�� and that she did not want to put them in harm''s way because of her�� and yet�� in the end, what she feared had happened anyways. They were put in danger because of her. So, what was the point of them being apart from each other in the past months�� it did not serve any purpose except for giving them heartache.


    But more than that, if she had not let them separate and kept them close to her�� this whole ordeal wouldn''t have happened. They wouldn''t have been on some island in the middle of nowhere with no way to defend themselves.


    Her emotions reeled leaps and bound as she thought of all this�� She started rambling unconsciously,


    "I''m sorry, Charan�� I just�� I just thought�� I never thought things would get to this point invariably in the end�� I never should have let it get this far�� I never should�� I should have been more careful. But somehow things just seemed to have gotten out of my control without me realizing it�� I am really sorry. If something had happened to you guys�� I really don''t know what I would have done�� I just��"Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#%!d(string=15043105205573105)/and-whose-fault-is-that_%!d(string=51489155745639448)">#%!d(string=15043105205573105)/and-whose-fault-is-that_%!d(string=51489155745639448)</a> for visiting.


    Her voice broke and she choked involuntarily not knowing how to continue.


    Guilt and pain-wracked through her with just the thought of what could have happened if only Mary hadn''t chanced on the conversation��


    Charan just gathered her impossibly closer and consoled her gently��


    "Hey�� we are here now, aren''t we? We are safe�� And we are not going to go anywhere any time soon."

 Chapter 272 - I am going to be really very pissed!!

    A part of Charan was scared that if guilt kept building up like this, one day Shreya would really run away from them in order to keep them safe. And that was something he cannot afford to happen. After all, he had seen what guilt does to Shreya when it came to her parents��


    "I''m so sorry, Charan�� I don''t know how we really missed it. It was I who sent you guys there�� and it happened in one place I was sure you would all be safe�� if something had happened to your family�� I really don''t know��"


    Shreya kept mumbling like a broken record all over again as if she never heard Charan consoling her�� she really did not hear him. All her head was filled with all the worst-case scenarios all over again�� just like the day they had separated.


    That fear was paralyzing to Shreya to the point she cannot think of anything past them�� or even hear anything.


    "Maybe I should have never gotten close to you and Akira�� then none of this would have happened�� Akira wouldn''t have been taken on the very first day we ever met�� I don''t even know why someone in my situation will even start a relationship in the first place�� why do I have to be so selfish?"


    Her ranting went on and on to the point Charan really couldn''t take it anymore�� Her thought process was exactly where he feared she would end up. He was not sure she even realized that she was actually talking out loud about everything she is thinking.


    Charan at one point just pulled her away from him and crashed his lips against hers��


    Shreya, at last, shut up and realized her surrounding�� her eyes widened in surprise for a second before she closed them returned the kiss. She poured all her emotions she had bottled up in the past months and past days into the kiss��


    Her lips were eager and absolutely desperate against his�� And Charan matched her perfectly. When he tasted the saltiness of her tears, he unconsciously softened and gentled his movements.


    They, at last, pulled away only when they both needed air�� even then, Charan kept her close to him without really letting her pull away from him.


    He gently wiped away the tears drying up on her cheeks�� he then stared at her watery eyes said earnestly, "Shreya�� at no point in time I am ever going to think that ''if only I have never met you'' or ''if only I have never known you''�� You will never know what you brought into my life or Akira''s for that matter�� so, don''t ever say that again�� or I am going to be really very pissed!! And you do not want to see me getting pissed!!" His voice, at that moment, was stern and overbearing as if he was educating a child.


    The tears she had stopped on her eye sockets tumbled down as she heard him.


    She no longer had the ability to think�� her emotions were overwhelming her to the point she felt she would go crazy��


    She really loved these two to pieces and she would do absolutely anything to keep them safe all their lives�� but she did not know how to do it and that helplessness made her heart feel as if someone was twisting them with their bare hands��


    With her chaotic emotions, she leaned over and bit on his shoulder blades in hope of getting some semblance of sanity�� She poured all her frustration and helplessness as she bit him��


    She really really hated how much she loved him and how much she needed him��


    Charan on the other hand just let her have her way as always. He knew she was struggling with herself and she needed a place to vent her emotions�� and he was happy to be that person even when it pained for him to see her like this.


    He knew a part of it was because of how she lost her parents that she had so much insecurities in her and no matter what he said or did, those scars are not going to go away from her in this life�� He understood that and so he can be patient with her�� at least for now. But he did not know how long that was going to last��


    Because every time she behaved like this, it almost felt as if she was regretting their meeting and their relationship and that thought brought along a whole lot of pain to him as well.


    Shreya, at last, pulled away when she tasted his rustly blood�� She pulled away and at last her eyes cleared. But she did not meet his eyes�� just bit on her lips and muttered, "Sorry��"


    Her lips still had some red blood on their corners. Charan wiped them away and asked softly, "Are you okay now?"


    Shreya nodded her head diligently before leaning on him limply.


    "I am sorry I am such a mess�� I was just so scared. I thought I was going to lose you guys�� and I couldn''t do anything because I had sent you so far away from me. I thought something would have happened to you because of me�� I thought I would never be able to see you guys again�� the thought that you guys were so far away from me and suffering because of me and all I could do was to stand here and wait�� it was antagonizing�� I thought I would go crazy�� I couldn''t even think straight�� everything was getting so hazy in my head at one point that��"


    Shreya poured but then she did not know how to continue after that.


    These two days had been hell for her would be an understatement. She did not even know how she had survived these two days�� she had still not fainted was her sheer grit and determination.


    Charan gathered her and rocked her like a baby�� he let her ramble on and on to the point she did not have the energy to say anything more and at last her eyes drooped down as she fell into slumber.


    Charan stood guard all night��Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#%!d(string=15043105205573105)/i-am-going-to-be-really-very-pissed!!_%!d(string=51503434901281731)">#%!d(string=15043105205573105)/i-am-going-to-be-really-very-pissed!!_%!d(string=51503434901281731)</a> for visiting.


    He did not even bother moving her to bed�� he did not have the heart to. He just let her sleep on top of him and looked at her smiling all night long.

 Chapter 273 - I thought you did not want me anymore…

    The next morning Shreya woke up with a start yelling when she felt someone tickling on her ears�� and when she looked around for the culprit, she found Akira giggling away happily at her expense��


    Shreya pulled her over and sat her on top of her and stared at the little girl warmly�� seeing her laughing felt as if someone had flooded her heart with warmth.


    Shreya''s fingers unconsciously caressed her cheeks just to make sure she was real. Only when she felt her body temperature did Shreya let down her guard and tickled her relentlessly�� Akira''s squeal rang shrill reverting through the walls.


    "Good Morning, baby��" Shreya said at last stopping the tickle attack and kissing on her cheeks.


    Akira happily returned her kiss�� and snuggled into Shreya wrapping her arms around her.


    "I missed you�� I thought you did not want me anymore��" Akira complained pitifully after a while. After all, they did not get to actually talk yesterday even when Shreya stuck to her like glue�� Akira sensed something was not right with Shreya yesterday and did not say anything. But seeing her now, she really couldn''t help herself but complain.


    Shreya froze for a second after hearing her��


    Maybe every person who had lost their parents had this kind of insecurity in them�� At some point, maybe they will always feel unworthy of love. Maybe it was human nature rather than a personality trait. But hearing something like this from a little girl�� Shreya felt as if she had failed Akira.


    Shreya pulled Akira away and made her look at her eyes and said seriously, "Akira�� remember�� There would never come a day where I wouldn''t want you. I want you to remember this very clearly okay? If something like this ever happens in the future too�� remember I will only be gone for a short while�� I will always�� I mean it�� I will always come back to you? I promise�� and I will always want you."


    Akira looked at her for a while comprehending what Shreya was saying before nodded her head enthusiastically.


    Shreya hugged her and said, "I love you, baby and I missed you like crazy�� I thought I would become dumb from missing you so much��"


    Just then, Charan walked in with a spatula in his hands.


    Just as both the brats were about to jump in joy to have their breakfast, Charan gave Shreya a stern look and she obediently went to the washroom to freshen up and brush her teeth.


    Charan just shook his head while Akira giggled away closing her mouth.


    By the time Shreya joined them, Charan had already set the table and was waiting for her. Shreya stopped on her track for a few minutes�� She just stood there a few feet away from the table and stared at both of them.


    "What happened? You are not going to eat?" Charan asked gesturing her to join them.


    Shreya just shook her head and joined them. She couldn''t help but grin from ear to ear throughout the breakfast��


    After breakfast, both Shreya and Akira fooled around with video games and loitering around until Akira got tired and fell asleep�� Only then Shreya went in search of Charan�� he was working in her office.


    He was in a call when she snuck in. Just as he was showing her his back, Shreya crept in and bounced on his shoulders almost toppling him, and giggled away at his staggering self.


    Charan looked at his cracked screen with a scowl��


    "Shreya��" He mumbled exasperated but he still held on to her legs not letting her fall�� Shreya just grinned and teased his ears.


    It had been so long since she had been this happy�� since this place had felt like home�� not that she had actually come here a lot when they were separated.


    But having them here again with her put her in a high spirit�� she was giddy with ecstasy�� it almost felt like she was drugged or something�� and a part of her did not want to get sober if this was all a hallucination.


    Charan heaved the naughty brat and sat her on the table and looked at her sternly.


    "Shreya�� I was talking to a client!!! And now the phone is broke�� what am I going to say to him now." Charan complained exasperated.


    But all his scolding went through one ear and came through another��


    Only after a while, Charan saw that Shreya was not right�� she had a very silly grin playing on her face and her eyes kept staring at his face with wonder. All his anger flew through the window just like that.


    Just as he came to stand in front of her, Shreya extended her hands and caressed his face so softly that their skins barely touched while her eyes followed her fingers with fascination.


    "What are you thinking?" Charan asked at last��


    "Just that if this all my own hallucination in some sick part of my mind, then I wish I could never get better�� that I would really be better off crazy��" Shreya whispered without taking her eyes away from him.


    Charan''s eyes widened in shock�� Looking into her hazy dazed eyes, he knew she was not joking around but was being utterly serious about what she was telling.


    He knew she loved him�� she had shown him that with actions over and over again. But he never thought it would be to this extent.


    He had underestimated her dependence on him�� He had underestimated her feelings for him and Akira to a ridiculous extent. Suddenly, he was really scared of what would happen to her if something happened between them in the future�� He was afraid of how she would survive.


    If her loss of weight and her dark circles were any indicator, he knew he cannot really hold much hope on her survival skills�� and for the life of him, he cannot figure out what he had done to deserve something like that from her.


    Charan leaned over and rested his forehead against hers and brought her face impossibly closer to himself��


    "Sweetheart��" He called out but he did not really know how to continue after that. He did not know what could he possibly say at that moment.


    Shreya pulled away from him and looked at him straight at his eyes and asked, "Call me that again!!" She demanded sweetly��


    Charan smiled and complied�� but just as he opened his mouth to speak, Shreya kept her fingers loosely over his lips and felt his lips move as he called her, "Sweetheart��"


    A giddy smile spread on her face as if she had discovered some 9th wonder of the world.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#%C2%A0i-thought-you-did-not-want-me-anymore%E2%80%A6_51552857610056974">#%C2%A0i-thought-you-did-not-want-me-anymore%E2%80%A6_51552857610056974</a> for visiting.

 Chapter 274 - He was rendered speechless.

    For Shreya�� everything that was so familiar felt so fascinating at the moment�� more so, she was fascinated with the fact that they were all so familiar to her�� and that it still felt so natural to be with him.


    His touch�� his endearment�� his food�� his warm eyes on her��


    They were things so familiar but had been something she had yearned with every last cell of her being in the past few months. And having them all over again felt out of the world��


    "Did I ever tell you�� I love it when you call me that?" Shreya whispered still touching his lips��


    Charan just sighed and started talking gravely, "Don''t do this to yourself Shreya��"


    For the past months, even though they never met, Charan had kept himself informed about Shreya from Zack and Adam�� maybe not in detail but he knew she did not have any major problems. That she was as good as she could be given the circ.u.mstances.


    As far as he knew, she really behaved as usual except for sometimes when she would zone out completely�� so he always thought she was fine even without him. Even when it stung a little, he was at ease because of it.


    But seeing her behavior in the past two days, Charan knew that Shreya had not been fine. She had just been pretending to be fine for sake of others�� and that she had done a pretty good job of concealing her emotions perfectly.


    "Do what?" Shreya asked confused.


    "Don''t be dependent on me to smile�� don''t define your own happiness with ''us''," Charan replied. Because he was someone who had gone through a similar situation�� and it sucked balls. But he had Akira to pull him up�� or else he would have drowned. Quite literally.


    And looking at Shreya�� she seems more gone than him. And if he had learned anything from Sam''s death, it was that life can be unpredictable in the cruelest of ways�� and he was scared for Shreya if life decides to take such a turn with them�� he was afraid she will drown and nobody will be able to pull her up�� that she wouldn''t have the will to save herself.


    Shreya just gave a self-deprecating smile as she answered, "It''s too late for that now, Charan�� I don''t know how to be happy without you guys in it�� I can work, I can survive�� but I don''t know how to smile without you and Akira in my life anymore�� so, if you want me to live�� you want me to smile�� you just gonna have to make sure you are there in my life. Both of you��"


    The sincerity in her eyes made him suffocated. A large part of him wanted to shake her and yell at her not to be like this�� to not sell her life short, but seeing her self-deprecating smile, he couldn''t bring himself to do it��


    She looked like someone waiting to be sacrificed willingly�� her eyes were as if she was presenting herself into his chopping boards waiting for him to make a decision whether to save her or butcher her.


    He had things to hold him afloat�� his parents�� family�� Especially Akira and the responsibilities that came with her�� But Shreya was different�� she was someone who considered herself an orphan. Without them, she did not have that sense of belonging with anyplace else. Charan came to know that when they separated�� but seeing her admit it��


    He was rendered speechless.


    He just took her face in his hands and crashed his lips on hers�� the kiss was harsh and desperate. But he did not really know what else to do with Shreya like this�� he did not know how else to deal with her when she was looking at him with such begging desperate eyes.


    "Then�� I am going to make damn sure we are there with you. I promise��" Charan vowed at last pulling away. His voice was hoarse but very earnest.


    He knew some promises are not to be made�� but at that moment, he did not have the heart to leave her hanging. Maybe one day he would break this promise�� but he knew he would do his damnedest to keep it.


    And Shreya was counting on his to keep it too��


    After all, the things she had realized about herself were not small��


    She realized that she does not have any bottom line when it came to Charan and Akira��


    She had no sense of self or self-preservation�� nor did she have any pride, ego, or arrogance��. But more than anything, she did not have a moral compass when it came to them.


    She knew she wielded a lot of power on her hands�� the kinda power that can make or break a world. The kinda power that came with a lot of responsibilities and restrain.


    Shreya always thought so far that she had it in her to take up such a responsibility�� she never doubted it�� until yesterday.


    The things she wanted to do�� the things she could have done were not simple. And if Charan and Akira hadn''t come to her when they did�� she was not really sure she could have really restrained herself from doing something crazy or insane�� things she wouldn''t be able to undo. Things that could have destroyed everything she, her dad, and everybody around her stood for��


    She could have done a lot of damage to a lot of people�� and if the end result was not in her favor, she would have probably destroyed herself along with the whole world.


    After all, there is always only a thin line between being a God and being a Devil.


    Shreya crawled over and hung on to his neck as she mumbled, "You better keep it�� or else I don''t know what I would end up doing, Charan."Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#._51579198661254393">#._51579198661254393</a> for visiting.


    Charan hugged her tighter and confirmed once again, "I promise��" It was both for his own sake and hers. He then kissed her on the side of her face still holding her in his arms.

 Chapter 275 - I AM NOT JEALOUS!!

    That night, after Akira and Charan had fallen asleep�� Shreya snuck out of her apartment. She left one of her guys to keep an eye on them of course.


    As she reached the parking lot�� she saw Srinivas standing there. Her lips twitched unconsciously as she sprinted towards him and crash-landed hugging him.


    He simply held her with a smile and called out, "Brat!!"


    Shreya scowled at that and glared at him pulling away��


    "I did not miss you�� at all!!" She said turning her head and pouting. She even stomping away from him childishly and got into her car.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#!!_51599857437171927">#!!_51599857437171927</a> for visiting.


    Srinivas chuckled shaking his head helplessly at her antics. He followed her and got behind the wheels. But he did not start the car�� instead he turned towards her and asked, "How have you been those two days? You were scared, weren''t you?" Concern laced in his voice.


    Shreya''s face stiffened and went cold instantly�� she did not really want to remember them more than she already does. And when she thought of the people responsible�� she couldn''t help but fist her palms and grit her teeth.


    "Let''s go��" She said with a stiff expression��


    Srinivas understood Shreya did not want to talk about it�� so, he let her be but he still ruffled her head and said, "I missed you��"


    At last, Shreya''s expression softened a bit�� just so slightly as Srinivas started the car.


    It took then only 10 minutes to reach the office�� Srinivas did not bother taking the car to the parking lot instead parked it in front of the lobby and both went in together.


    But before they could even fully get out of the elevator, they were met with a very grumpy looking Zeenath waiting for them just outside the doors��


    Shreya just rolled her eyes and walked through the corridors with Zeenath hot on her trails complaining at the top of her��


    "Shreya!! Don''t you think you are being inhuman!! Why do I have to attend a meeting in the middle of the freaking night just because you can have a lovely day with your boyfriend!! And on top of that, you actually have the nerve to be late!!!"


    Shreya did not take her seriously. She just rolled her eyes and gave back with equal sass��


    "Don''t be such a wuss, Zee. You wouldn''t be sleeping even without the meeting at this hour. You are just being jealous that your boyfriend came and reported to me as soon as he was off the plane without coming to see you!!"


    Srinivas''s lips cracked unconsciously looking at Shreya pushing him straight into the line of fire to get away scot-free��


    Zee fumed instantly�� whether Shreya was right or wrong, her mind fumed instantly after hearing Shreya��


    "I AM NOT BEING JEALOUS!! I am asking a very reasonable question here�� and you�� you stop smiling!!" Zee exclaimed frustrated at the pair of wolves giving her an amused smile at her expense��


    Zeenath stomped towards Srinivas in such vigor that he actually took a step back afraid but he did not lose his smirk��


    "You�� you did not bother to make a single call to me in two weeks but happily chatted with this brat for hours, DAILY. So, you don''t get to smile!!!" Zeenath fumed pointing her fingers at Srinivas furiously.


    Even though Srinivas looked very decent, he was a fox when it came to things�� so, he purposely never called Zeenath even once when they were on the island�� he wanted to rile her up as much as possible.


    But before Srinivas could come up with a reply, Shreya''s voice rang from behind them sarcastically, "Don''t you think you are missing something, Zeenath? Don''t you think you should first correct me with the fact that Srinivas is not your boyfriend? As far as my information goes, you are still hanging on the cliff, too scared to let go��!!"


    Zeenath gave Shreya a nasty look while Srinivas chuckled.


    Unknownst to her, Zeenath''s cheek''s blushed when she realized what Shreya was implying. She scolded herself nicely for making such a slip-up, that too in front of these two people��.


    Shreya, of course, noticed that gleam in Srinivas''s eyes�� and not wanting to be too bright a lightbulb, she walked away leaving the two behind.


    Zeenath did not even notice Shreya walking away.


    Srinivas, of course, did. He approached the frozen Zeenath with a mischievous gleam.


    "You are not jealous but I am your boyfriend, right? Got it!!" He uttered very slowly to her ears. Nobody who heard it can ever miss the teasing in his voice.


    Zeenath''s cheeks flamed every more but her eyes focused coming out of her daze.


    "I AM NOT JEALOUS!!" Zeenath flared once again but then realized she had missed the point all over again��


    Srinivas couldn''t help but chuckle. He had never seen Zee like it before�� He had always seen her wild with that stubborn attitude�� she had never been fl.u.s.tered before him. It was really refreshing to watch her like this��


    Even when he knew it was silly, he felt a sense of misplaced pride seeing her like this�� but most parts of him were happy seeing her opening up at last. He had been looking forward to this day for a while now.


    Not in a million years he thought he would feel something so silly but so warm towards someone��


    War had numbed him to any positive feelings for a long time now�� he always thought his heart had died there and perished. But somehow watching Zeenath, it came to life�� somehow he seems to have gone back to being immature�� which did not make sense to him for a long while�� it still doesn''t�� but he did not want to dwell on it for now. For now, he just wanted to go with the flow�� he just wanted to enjoy this place he is in his life and he likes it.


    He dragged Zeenath towards where Shreya had disappeared a few minutes ago��

 Chapter 276 - What is his problem?

    Shreya on the other end reached the conference room very swiftly.


    Everyone was present along with Abishek. It was not that she was accepting him or anything but she just felt things would go more with ease with him present here�� after all, the people did not ask for money or anything but for Abishek�� so, knowingly or unknowingly, he should know something or another.


    And even if he was pretending, it was better to keep him close than far��


    She did not bother greeting anyone. She just sat on the chair and asked, "Progress?"


    And everyone around the table obediently started reporting.


    "Well, we got the guys who sent you the mail as instructed. You can see him whenever you want!!" Akash first started��


    "Identity?" Shreya asked once again not using many words. She was kind of impatient now�� she wanted to get home as soon as possible. Even though she did not particularly want to hide this from Charan, she still was reluctant to talk about all this unpleasant shit as soon as they got together after such a long time.


    She was not the one to hide things�� but a large part of her wanted to keep Charan and Akira as they are without really dragging them into the dirty waters with her�� this was part of her�� something she will have to live with. Dealing with such things was inevitable for her. But is not so for Charan��


    Pritham forwards his tablet as always bring Shreya out of her head and started talking as Shreya glimpsed and followed his information on the tablet.


    "This is the guy�� Ajay Prathap. We caught him trying to flee the scene. We almost missed him too�� He is pretty fast"


    "Very well trained. He has high-level survival skills and instincts. And he would have probably made it to special forces if he had passed the phycological evaluation." Zack continued.


    "What is his problem?" Shreya frowned swiping through his career records.


    "Lack of empathy and moral compass�� He had no right or wrong way to achieve his end result. So, the army never gave him any place of authority and always kept him under tight wraps until he retired." Srinivas joined the party.


    "And look who his immediate superior and trainer was?" He continued sitting down.


    After all, this information was something he got from his former teammates who were there in the selection committee now.


    Shreya frowned and zoomed in on his records and her eyes widened.


    It was none other than Major Kathick, the convicted victim for the murder of the Prime Minister.


    "He was the one who found the problem with him�� He was the one who suggested to keep him under him to keep an eye on him. For most parts, they were best friends in any layman''s view until you read the reports Karthick submits to the army every few months."


    "Karthick made a thorough psychological evaluation on Ajay and wrote a report in periodical intervals."


    "Did Ajay ever found out about this?" Shreya asked. After all, if he did�� with his temperament, Shreya could already guess what he would want and the consequences of it.


    "Yes�� You can pretty much say he had been pitting Karthick for a while without luck until, of course, he was convicted that is��"


    "And he had been loitering around you for quite some time�� He claimed he was hired to keep surveillance on you��" Srinivas said. And he also handed some photos as proof taken from surveillance camera''s around the city.


    "Shreya looked over and arched her brows as she asked, "Claims? You do not believe him??"


    Srinivas shook his head��


    "I don''t know what but he definitely knows more than he is letting out. He swears with his eyes closed that he did not know about Kathick''s undercover mission�� I mean, I can believe if he said he had only vague knowledge but not knowing at all does not make sense�� I mean they were practically living together�� neighbors. Even if Karthick did not confide in him, he would have noticed the obvious signs with his skill. It''s almost not possible to not notice such things when you are trained. Especially given the amount of hostility he had towards Karthick." Srinivas elaborated.


    And he had seen him too�� and he was someone with a deep heart. After all, he was able to follow him and not be caught�� which was not a normal feat to achieve. He should be someone who is trained to be able to lie under the worst of circ.u.mstances��


    Zack evaluated further after a pause, "Only a person who has something bigger to hide will even lie about a dead cause�� after all, we cannot persecute him for something that happened all those time ago��"


    "Did he tell you who hired him?" She asked.


    Srinivas once again shook his head and answered, "He said it was an anonymous bit online that he accepted but he did not have any cash on him��"


    Shreya absentmindedly nodded her head but her brain was blank for a while. She felt like she was missing something obvious�� but cannot figure out what.


    She knew the maid got the information about the island from Susmitha�� but she couldn''t figure out the purpose of this whole ordeal.


    She then turned to Abishek and asked, "What is your connection to all this?"


    Abishek frowned and thought about it before asking, "When did he retire from the army?"


    Pritham stated the answer and saw Abishek''s eyes dim a bit as he lazily answered, "I was far out of the army by then and we never hired him for his services. It was just after Girish''s death�� we were in the cease operation then. NO hire, nothing. Your parent''s thing was the first mission in forever��


    But then he swallowed the words seeing as the temperature around the room was dropping. But then when he thought about Shreya''s parent''s affairs, his eyes widened in shock. He quickly scrambled and took the tablet in front of him for the first time and looked at the information��


    The whole room was quiet as they watched Abishek go through the information.

 Chapter 277 - If I am not wrong, that is Alisha!

    "Were you able to track his activities when he was still in the army? Were there any discrepancies?" Abishek asked out of the blue.


    Pritham subconsciously first looked at Shreya for confirmation before answering, "No�� except for some extended sick leaves, that guy did not even have a parking ticket. And from his financial status, I doubt he will be one of your people!!"


    "No, he is not one of our�� at least, not until I was handling things, he was not. And I really doubt, Naren would have reached out to this guy�� especially given he was abroad this whole time out of the army."


    "Then, how do you look like you are interested in this guy suddenly," Pritham asked.


    "I am not interested in him�� I am more interested in his time of retirement and his periods of sick leave�� they almost directly correspond with Girish''s assassination and that of Shreya''s parents'' murder." Abishek said going through the information in front of him more seriously.


    Before any of them could react, Abishek opened his mouth and asked another question, "You said you guys found a maid on the scene of the crime on the island�� do you have a photo?"


    Pritham came back to his senses and operated on his tablet before projecting the photo on the screen behind Shreya��


    Abishek''s eyes frowned and stared at it intently for a while before shaking his head and asked again, "You have more material on her��? Any information will do?"


    Pritham slides the information he has on the screen which was really not much to his utter frustration.


    "We do not have anything on her�� at least, not anything solid. She was born and brought up abroad�� and suddenly seem to have shown up on the island." Pritham elaborated along with the slide.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#!_51672637000179065">#!_51672637000179065</a> for visiting.


    "Do you know her? After all, the person she wanted was you? Or is she a hired gun as well?" Shreya asked looking at Abishek. After all, the list of people who wanted Abishek''s life is a long one. It would take a really long time to rule out one by one.


    Abhishek did not answer Shreya but instead asked another question, "You have more photos of her? Or will I be able to meet her?"


    Everyone looked at Shreya for permission. Abishek met her eyes straight. Shreya gave a very slight nod.


    Pritham cast a video on the screen. It was the CCTV footage of a club. It was retrieved from the night when Susmitha and the maid were seen together.


    Abishek''s eyes instantly flickered towards the screen unblinking. On the screen, the maid did something peculiar when she was about to get up by rubbing her knuckles against the bridge of her nose and Abishek instantly went ridged.


    "It''s really her��" He murmured shell shocked. He went dazed instantly as his mind went haywire.


    "Who is she?" Shreya asked sitting up. Something in her told her that she is not going to like the answer coming out of Abishek at the moment.


    Abishek came back to his senses as he heard Shreya and his whole body stiffened instantly as he tried to look up at her.


    "If I am not wrong, that is Alisha!!" Abishek murmured in a whisper.


    Shreya''s jaw tightened instantly, "What did you just say?" She asked with blazing eyes.


    "It should be Alisha�� she probably went under a knife�� plastic surgery of some sort. Her face can be changed but her mannerism cannot change��"


    There was a suffocating silence for two full minutes before everyone reacted after letting the information sink in.


    "I thought you said she had long died!! How did she come alive all of sudden??" Shreya asked. Her voice seethed with anger��


    Abishek slightly shivered. But years of experience helped him to keep his voice straight as he explained.


    "I thought so too�� I mean as far as my information goes, her plane crashed in the Pacific years ago�� right after your parents'' death�� But a few weeks before that, one of her safe houses was robbed�� only she knew of that place apart from me. Back then I had doubts'' maybe this was all planned by her to completely disappear. But then, I have never been able to find her anywhere�� I made an extensive search. But never found any traces of foul play or escape. So, I never thought about it again�� Until I saw this�� I never thought she might have had a partner in all these years." Abishek explained looking over the information in front of him.


    Alisha��


    She was Karthick''s wife and one of the people''s worked for the syndicate. She was top of her game�� extremely skilled.


    Unlike most of the people there, she was one person who was not trained by the army. Instead, she came from the other side of the spectrum. She was trained by a criminal organization from when she was a kid.


    And one fine day, that kid grew up and accepted a job from the rival organization and killed each and every last person in her own organization and walked away over the bloody bodies without remorse.


    When Abishek first came to know of this, he was very reluctant to hire her. But Girish''s assassination was a risk they couldn''t take without appropriate people. And Alisha was perfect for it��


    They had never really used her before that case even though they knew about her.


    But Karthik found out about her and her job at the last moment and rushed to Girish''s place to stop her but it was already too late��


    Alisha was already done with her job when Kathick came to the scene of the crime and Alisha was spotted by Karthick while she was fleeing from the scene.


    "You are telling me the person directly responsible for my parents'' death is still alive and breathing?" Shreya asked gritting her teeth.


    Abishek hung his head down and nodded his head.


    The room went utterly silent all over again. Nobody even dared to breathe loudly.

 Chapter 278 - His trial is in few days…

    Karthik, even though he was honest and patriotic at heart, he also had one major flaw. He loved Alisha beyond any reason.


    So, when he saw her pull the trigger on the Prime Minister�� instead of handing her to the authorities, he erased every last bit of trace of her.


    He was the whole reason why there was not a single shred of physical evidence on the scene of the crime. And he also later let himself be framed without much resistance.


    As time passed by, he still wanted to nail syndicate. After all, he thought he owed at least that much for Girish�� that is why he brought Adithya on board for.


    But Alisha, when she learned that Karthick was reaching out to people�� she thought he was going to rat her out.


    So, she made a deal with Abishek�� she promised to destroy all and every evidence Adithya had along with taking his life in exchange for all the evidence against her and Karthick''s permanent silence��


    After that, she planned everything that went down with Adithya.


    She kidnapped Shreya''s mother and called Adithya to a remote location and shot both of them point-blank. She then stuffed both of them in Adithya''s car and pushed it straight down the cliff to the point where the car crashed into scrap.


    And the person who facilitated the deal with Alisha was actually Naren.


    The others were reluctant. After all, Adithya had a lot of status in the country, and killing him and his wife... if things got out, they would all end up in a storm all over again like they were in when they took out the Prime Minister.


    So, they wanted to make a deal with Karthick and let him get out of jail and cover up the whole thing.


    But Naren was stubborn to do it this way and they accepted without much choice.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#%E2%80%A6_51716668199588688">#%E2%80%A6_51716668199588688</a> for visiting.


    "Alisha is as ruthless as it can get. She has no attachment to anything or anybody. She is someone who lives for the thrill of the chase through and through�� that was why she accepted the two most high-profile jobs knowing the risks."


    Do you have evidence to convict her for the crime?" Shreya asked.


    Abishek shook his head�� all the physical evidence was destroyed by Karthick and Alisha never made direct contact with any of them to actually create any circ.u.mstantial pieces of evidence.


    Even money was given to her by cash�� so no wire transfers to trace back.


    On top of it, Alisha even changed her face to the point it was completely not recognizable.


    Shreya took her time to think things through�� She then gestured to Zack to take Abishek out of the room before she started giving instructions.


    "Reach out to all our foreign contacts�� I need to know what she had been up to all these years�� and I want to know how she found out about us investigating Girish''s case. For her to have planned something this elaborate and also call in her partner, she must have known about our investigation a long time before it was made public. Something does not add up there�� Go back to her safe house and search it. Old habits die hard�� she hadn''t been to the country for long. She couldn''t have found a secure location so fast. So, chances are she must be using her old places."


    Shreya knew Alisha''s computer skills should be extraordinary from the way she had blocked communications in and out of the island completely��


    "Also, find out if anything had happened abroad when she was in the country. With her nature, she couldn''t have stayed away and stopped herself from the life of crime. Also, go through Karthick''s stuff again. Maybe he could have missed something��"


    Shreya piled up instructions for another half an hour. When she stopped, everyone scattered out of the room.


    Only Zack and Srinivas were left behind.


    "Do you still want to keep Abishek around? His trial is in few days�� The Minister is starting to get impatient. The only thing stopping him is the fact that he needs him alive!!" Zack asked as soon as the room quieted down after everyone''s departure.


    Shreya rubbed on her forehead before shaking and answering, "No�� send him back. Make sure there are no mishaps when he reached the court. Ask our guys to be around until the trial is done�� I don''t trust them completely still."


    When Zack saw that Shreya was done with her instructions, he frowned and asked, "There is no peace offering�� after all, you practically snatched Abishek out of his custody which is technically still illegal, you know!!"


    Shreya frowned��


    "Just tell him I will sponsor his campaign for him next election. That should do��" But you can clearly guess her reluctance to do it.


    After all, if the Minister had sent Abishek on his own volition, she wouldn''t be so reluctant. But he refused her which did not sit well with Shreya. And her opinion on the Minister had plummeted multiple folds because of this one incident.


    As far as she was concerned, a person who can take the lives of the public lightly for sake of a little bit of fame and power is not really worthy to be a leader of a country. But then, given her option, it was better off him than anyone else.


    So, she just had to swallow the bitter pill.


    Zack just chucked at her reluctance�� after all, he knew Shreya did not like being denied even if it was from someone so much older and more experienced than her which put her in such a state. But he wisely did not comment and left the conference room.


    "What do you want?" Shreya asked looking at Srinivas still standing there��


    Srinivas rolled his eyes and said, "I drove you here�� so, of course, I will take you back. Get your lazy ass off the chairs�� Only, you and the ghosts will be roaming around the office if I leave you here��"

 Chapter 279 - Is Shreya okay? She is acting weird!!

    The sun was still not up�� it was just that time of the day when no living soul would be awake. And car zoomed through such road and came to a stop only when they reached the parking lot of Shreya''s apartment.


    Srinivas still diligently escorted Shreya back to her apartment doors before going out.


    Shreya made sure that Srinivas was out of sight before going back down and took out her bike. It came alive as she pressed her thumbprint and vroomed loudly in that silent night.


    She did not even bother to put on her helmet as she zoomed out of the parking lot and wandered around aimlessly on the deserted streets.


    Her emotions were not stable at the moment. In fact, they were as erratic as they had ever been in all these years after she had lost her parents.


    She was holding on to a very thin thread of control she was afraid she was going to lose.


    A murderous aura surrounded her as long as she thinks about how the person who was responsible for her parents'' death was still alive and wandering around the world��Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#!!_51757748488037535">#!!_51757748488037535</a> for visiting.


    Even though Abishek, Abhimanyu, and Naren had been responsible enough, they were not the ones who pulled the triggers.


    Knowing the person who pulled the trigger was dead had put something in her at ease for so long. But knowing that was all a lie and that same person had dared to target her family all over again made her heart boil in ways she did not know was possible.


    Every last cell in her body was begging her to just go to her office and pull the trigger to her head��


    And there are other parts of her that wanted to do something so much worse than that.


    These thoughts made her body and heart cold like ice�� And Shreya did not want to meet with Charan and Akira when she was like this�� she did not want to scare them.


    And their presence was the only thing that was making her fight for control�� without them, Shreya is afraid she would have long since killed Alisha with her own bare hands the minute she knew of her presence.


    In her daze, she did not realize the time flying by until she noticed the light rise all around her. She let out a sigh and turned back home.


    It took her another hour to reach her apartment�� by then, the sun was well above the horizon and the streets started bustling.


    She clicked into her bedroom and found Charan still sleeping. She just stared at him for a while before going to get a very quick shower.


    The ride on the bike had resulted in a lot of dust particles deposited on her body. She did not like the feeling�� so, she washed them away quite thoroughly.


    But the downside was that the sound of running water actually woke Charan up. So, when she walked out of the shower wearing her usual sweatshirt and shorts, Charan was sitting leaning back on the headboard.


    Charan blinked himself awake only to see Shreya walk towards him.


    "Why are you showering again?" He asked and yawned heavily before he could continue.


    Shreya just shook her head and went to him and snuggled into his laps.


    No matter what she faced�� whether Charan can help or not�� Whether she talked things through to him or not�� she found solace like none other here.


    She felt safe here somehow��


    Before she could even realize what was happening, her eyes drooped on their own accord as sleep took control of her body.


    Her body and mind relaxed slowly as her breathing became steady.


    Charan just patted on her back and stopped talking.


    He knew she had left in the middle of the night�� He had woken up to get some water when he found her missing.


    And just from seeing her facial expression, Charan could deduce she was not happy�� that something did not go her way. So, he stayed quiet and let her get some sleep for a while.


    When he heard a rustling sound outside, he slides Shreya out of his laps and went out without making any noise. Thankfully, Shreya actually did not wake up. She was exhausted�� both physically and mentally.


    Because of all the fright, she barely slept for a couple of days now. So, it was no wonder she collapsed.


    When he carefully closed Shreya''s room behind him, he also saw Akira walking out of her room rubbing her eyes to get rid of her sleep.


    Charan scooped her into his arms and wished her warmly, "Morning, Princess��"


    "Morning, dada!! Shreya?" Akira asked adorably holding her arms around Charan tightly.


    "She had been working all night and just getting some sleep just now. Let''s not disturb her okay?" He explained before placing her on the kitchen counter and opened the fridge to get her some milk.


    As always, Shreya''s fridge was miserable before Charan filled them to brim in the last two days.


    The father and daughter got along silently as always. Charan handed Akira a warm glass of milk once she came back after brushing her teeth.


    Akira gulped down one sip at a time as always. But then she stopped after two sips and asked, "Is Shreya okay? She is acting weird!!!"


    Children, even though innocent actually has a very accurate incite on the moods of people around them�� especially when they are people closest to them. And Shreya was close to Akira in more ways than one. So, she obviously recognized her oddness.


    "How so?" Charan asked making himself a cup of coffee��


    "I don''t know. I have never seen Shreya scared. But for some reason, when she looks at me�� it looks as if she is afraid. There are even cold sweets dripping down her forehead when we met at the airport!!" Akira explained.


    "I know baby. She was just scared that something bad had happened to us when we couldn''t call her�� She will be okay with us around��" Charan smiled and ruffled Akira''s head before going back to making their breakfast.

 Chapter 280 - I lose my mind with just a flip of a switch…

    When Shreya woke up, it was almost noon. She woke up with a readily rumbling stomach. She lazily got up and looked around. She tumbled out of her room and went straight towards the kitchen.


    But then when she came back to her senses, she noticed that the apartment was quiet�� almost as if there was nobody in the house.


    For a second, panic set in and she started to think maybe she had one of those dreams, and Charan and Akira are still far away on some island�� out of her reach.


    She set down the water bottle she had and frantically went from one room to another only to find them completely empty. Because of the hell, she had created for herself in her head, she did not even notice the lunch Charan had prepared sitting on the dining table ready to be eaten whenever she woke up.


    When she couldn''t find Charan and Akira, her mind instantly stopped working as she sat on the living room floor looking so anguished that her face was distraught.


    That was how Charan found her when he came back to the apartment��


    She was sitting right in the middle of the room with her knees bunched in front of her. She hugged them with all her might while hiding her head between them.


    "Hey, what are you doing here? Why did you not eat when you woke up? Not hungry?" Charan asked leisurely as he left his slippers at the entrance.


    Shreya''s head jerked up as soon as she heard his voice as if someone had burnt the back of her head.


    And when Charan''s eyes landed on hers, the look in them broke something inside. Shreya buckled from her place the next second and flung herself on him and held on to him tightly��


    Words completely failed her. And Charan did not need them�� her eyes told them all. So, he just held her without asking anything.


    Once he felt that her body had warmed up and she was no longer shivering�� Charan hoisted her and took her towards the dinner table. He sat her down on one of the chairs and served her lunch. Shreya looked up at him but very obediently took her spoons and started eating without a word.


    Seeing that Charan was not taking anything, she even extended her spoon and fed him one for every bite she took��


    So, all the food prepared went away in no time.


    Once done, Shreya just stayed at her place and watched Charan clear away everything.


    "Leave them be�� maid will be here in the afternoon." Shreya when she saw Charan starting to do the dishes.


    Charan left it without protest and came back to Shreya�� he just stared at her for a while before taking her hands and dragging her back to her study room. He sat down on the chair and let her snuggle into his laps.


    Shreya found a comfortable position for herself and started playing with his hands.


    "Shreya, sweetheart�� we are fine. Everything is fine. We are not going to leave you, I promise okay? You don''t have to be so scared every time you can''t find us�� I was just dropping Akira off at my parent''s place. Her school is almost going to open and she has some home works she had to complete�� so, she asked me to drop her back�� That is all. I don''t like seeing you so distraught every time we are not in front of your eyes��" Charan started talking. His voice was extremely soft and gentle but was also extremely serious.


    He did not want to have to worry about seeing Shreya being anxious at home driving herself crazy with fear every time he steps out of the doors. He was not looking forward to seeing anything similar to how she had greeted him today.


    He knew this is going to take time�� but for now, he wanted to make somethings clear to her when she was thinking straight.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#%E2%80%A6_51777574057080677">#%E2%80%A6_51777574057080677</a> for visiting.


    But the problem was Shreya did not know how to do that��


    Her mind and heart are in constant battle�� she was on edge all day long. Almost half the time is lost with just trying to convince herself that everything was going to be fine��


    But despite all her effort, her anxiety did not reduce even one single bit�� not even when she tried to get some sleep.


    Charan saw her sleep both the nights she had spent with him and from what he saw, she was frowning and anxious even when she was sleeping. He knew if this goes on, it was not going to be healthy for Shreya�� she was consuming too much emotion and brainpower��


    He also knew with everything going on, Shreya cannot afford to be distracted�� she cannot afford to put anything but 100% on her work��


    Abishek''s trial was a few days away. With his testimony, including Naren and Abimanyu about 100 other people will be arrested overnight and convicted.


    "I don''t know how to control them Charan�� I lose my mind with just a flip of a switch�� And once I am out, nothing seemed to help to keep my head together no matter how much I try to rationalize it!! Until I see you guys that is��" Shreya whispered, at last, breaking the silence in the room. She did not really dare to meet his eyes. She looked as if she was guilty of something�� like she stole a cookie.


    Charan shifted her and sat her down stranding him and lifted her head to look up at him.


    "Babe�� talk things out�� your main problem is you are trying hard to control everything around you. You are trying to suppress everything in your head. Even though your head is big�� it is not healthy to put too much stuff in there. I am here�� just let it all out. You will feel better, I promise!!" Charan said�� his voice was silky soft as he caressed her cheeks lovingly. He was earnest and sincere as he looked at her and waited for her to reply.


    Shreya just bit on her lips averting her eyes. She was someone who never hesitated to share things�� at least with Charan, she never did.


    Shreya was someone who always dared to look straight up at his eyes�� always. She was someone who confessed to him with a straight face and unwavering eyes just hours after meeting him. She had always expressed herself boldly�� She would never avert her eyes. So, seeing her like this was new for him.

 Chapter 281 - Ouch!

    Charan lifted her chins with his fingers and asked, "Hey, what is it? Where were you last night? I know you went out�� what happened?"


    If things were normal, Charan wouldn''t insist. He would have let her be until she was ready to share�� he was not the one to ask too many questions. But the circ.u.mstances were not normal. He felt she needed this more than anything at the moment.


    Just from the fact that she was not talking even after he asked about it showed that she was not right. After all, Shreya never hid much from him before�� she never hesitated to say neither what she did nor what was happening. She especially never hid what she felt.


    He knew their separation had taken a toll on her and that they hadn''t gotten back together in the best of circ.u.mstances either.


    "I don''t know where to start Charan��"


    Shreya had been running one whole week without a break and this week had been a rollercoaster of emotional ups and downs for her. She never even got the time to sit and sort them out let alone share them with someone��


    "Just take a minute for yourself Shreya�� You don''t even have to say anything to me. I just want you to be in a good head space�� You just look so out of it these past few days�� It is scaring me" He tucked her hair behind her ears as he caressed her cheeks. "I am not trying to be nosy�� I just��"


    "The maid�� the maid that you guys found on the island�� she�� she is also the person who has killed my parents," Shreya whispered without giving Charan a chance to continue.


    Charan stopped shocked as he looked at Shreya��


    "I thought you said, Naren and the others were responsible��" Charan wondered out loud when he came out of his surprise.


    "They are�� they had hired Alisha to do the dirty deed. She was the hired gun�� but she had faked her death and disappeared completely for so long�� She wanted Abishek because that is the only way she can be sure nobody finds her�� she was also the one who killed the late Prime Minister�� But every last shred of evidence is destroyed. It is going to be hard to get a conviction for her�� And she had dared to touch you guys and she is right there in my building�� In front of my eyes��"


    "Knowing everything she did to you and my parents, standing still is hard!!" Shreya said fisting her palms when she came to the last part.


    Charan''s expression did not change�� and they were as soft as ever. But his eyes said that he had recognized her struggles.


    "What do you want to do, Shreya?" he asked.


    Shreya snapped and looked straight at him. This time she did not conceal anything�� her eyes said them all�� that sheer hatred and the menace in them�� her eyes were almost red with murderous anger.


    "Then why don''t you do them? It is not like anybody is going to be able to stop you!" Charan asked. His eyes never deterred or changed the way he looked at her. He still looked at her gently. Not an ounce of warmth reduced.


    Shreya stayed silent but she slumped in his embrace looking exhausted.


    With jus the fact that they had tried to kidnap Charan''s family- Shreya wanted to practically skin them alive�� but knowing what she knows now and the fact that she might not be able to prove any of them in court�� the struggle was getting harder. The mental pressure she is putting on herself is not small.


    The hopelessness when she couldn''t reach them�� The relief of having them back�� the fear of almost losing them. The anger and hatred towards the people responsible�� the sheer helplessness of her current situation.


    "Take a few deep breaths and put your emotions aside and think Shreya�� think if this is what your parents would have wanted. Think if this is what you want��" Charan said rubbing behind her head.


    "Put those big brains of yours to use�� don''t make rushed decisions and regret it later�� Anger and hatred are not going to take you anywhere."


    After that, neither of them spoke.


    Shreya just laid on his embrace very obediently without making a noise. You can see her mind running a million miles�� and Charan did not interrupt her either. He let her be�� he just pecked on her temple and caressed on top of her head every now and then.


    After a long while, Shreya''s eyes drooped automatically�� She fell asleep in no time. Her even breathing filled the air. She snuggled in and slept peacefully for once. She did not have that anxious frown or twitching eye lips as he saw in the past two days.


    Charan''s eyes softened as he looked at her sleep.


    This tranquility lasted until Shreya blinked her eyes open after a long while. Her hazy eyes met with his and a carefree smile spread on her face look at him sleeping with his mouth slightly open.


    The naughty side of her awoke as she leaned forward and played with his lashes before taking a bite off of his lower lips.


    The sharp pain awoke him as he exclaimed in his half-asleep state��Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#!_51802616685971473">#!_51802616685971473</a> for visiting.


    "Ouch!!"


    Shreya just giggled away happily��


    Charan couldn''t help but smile back. It had been way too long since he had seen her smile like this�� even when they were together almost the whole day since he got back�� even when Shreya smiled, there was always a sense of heaviness around her. It was as if she was haunted or something.


    But now, that heaviness was gone�� she seemed her normal self�� someone ready to take the world for a ride if the need arose.


    He couldn''t help himself from wrapping his arms around her and hugged her tightly as he whispered over her head, "I love you so much, Shreya�� so much more than I ever thought I could."

 Chapter 282 - Don’t you even dare call him!

    Akash blinked his eyes open when he heard the doorbell. For a minute, he just rolled over ready to go back to sleep, but then he remembered that he had sent all the maids and servants out.


    After Shreya left the meeting, the remaining people worked nonstop till everything Shreya had asked for had been checked�� So, when Akash came back, it was a little after lunchtime.


    He instructed the people there to prepare dinner for him and leave for the day since they wouldn''t be having much work after that. And after lunch, he called it a day and fell asleep until now that is��


    Akash lazily strolled down from his room to the door. He let out a yawn as he opened the doors and his eyes widened exponentially when he saw Madhu standing there��


    For a second he thought he was hallucinating or something. He even rubbed his eyes harshly before opening them again.


    Madhu stood there biting on her lips nervously.


    "What are you doing here?" Akash asked shocked.


    Even though Madhu knew he did not mean it in any offensive way, but hearing the question outright still made her feel fl.u.s.tered and awkward.


    "My parents had left for outstation on an emergency and I was locked out of my house since I forgot my keys in the morning�� so, I have no place to stay�� so, I just thought�� maybe I could crash here for the night?" She stammered around but still successfully conveyed almost most of it.


    When she realized she couldn''t get into her house, she thought she could go crash in Karthick''s house but then given she had Akash, she did not feel it was appropriate to do that even when there was nothing going on between Karthick and her�� more than it being inappropriate, a part of her knew that it was just an excuse she had given herself to come here.


    Akash was barely in the office these past few months�� he was always way too busy to meet her outside of work too. So, she really missed him terribly. But then she was not one to call up and throw tantrums anyway. So, she silently swallowed everything.


    She could see that it was not just Akash but the whole group of people around Shreya were busy too�� She did not even know whether Akash was going to be home or not. She just took a chance because she wanted to see him. So, when he saw his car parked in front of the mansion, she could only sigh in relief.


    Akash took a whole minute without moving a muscle.


    "Or maybe I should just go to Karthick''s place�� anyways, I was going to go there if you weren''t home!!" Madhu said seeing him hesitate. And without giving Akash any chance to reply, she actually took out her phone as she said, "I will just call him here��"


    But Madhu did not even get the chance to unlock her phone before it got snatched out of her hands�� and when she looked up, she was met with the fierce-looking eyes of Akash.


    And the next second her hands were pulled harshly making her stumble and fall against his embrace and the doors closed automatically behind her with a click��


    "Ow!!" Madhu yelped in surprise at first but then blinked awake when she felt her cheeks buried against his bare chests.


    Akash never bothered to wear t-shirts when he was home�� so, he was only in his full-length track pants and ruffled bed hair when he walked out.


    Akash leaned over with her jaws clenched and whispered dangerously close to her ears, "Don''t you even dare call him!!"


    Even when he knew that they were just friends, he couldn''t really help but be jealous especially when she talks about staying over at his place so casually.


    Madhu on the other hand lost her train of thought the minute she felt his breath so close to her ear. Her cheeks unconsciously as she asked confused, "W-who-what are you t-talking about?"


    Akash did not answer instead took her hands and dragged her into the living room and stopped in front of his security system.


    Before Madhu knew what was happening, Akash already placed her thumbprint on something.


    "Uh�� what are you doing?" Madhu asked confused.


    "Key to my house. Whenever you can''t go back home�� just stay over here�� even if I am not here. With this, you can come in as and when you want. You don''t have to go to your ''best friend''s'' house��" His voice was inevitably sulky when he said ''best friend''.


    Madhu''s eyes widened inexplicably when she comprehended what he had just said.


    "Akash!!" Madhu''s voice raised but she did not know how to continue.


    Akash completed the whole process before taking her out to show her how to get in.


    Madhu followed dazedly. Nothing he ever said actually reached her head.


    When Akash noticed it, he asked, "Hey, what is it?"


    "Is it appropriate? I mean�� this is your home�� how can you just like that give me access?" Madhu blinked and asked confused.


    "Why can''t I? You are my girlfriend! So, technically, this is your home too!" Akash answered back.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#%E2%80%99t-you-even-dare-call-him!_51838298720627787">#%E2%80%99t-you-even-dare-call-him!_51838298720627787</a> for visiting.


    Madhu just blinked back not knowing how to refute and before she could further question it, Akash had already taken her back into his house and sat her in the dining.


    "Had your dinner?" Akash asked casually.


    Madhu shook her head��


    "You go take a shower and come down. I will re-heat our dinner! You remember the way right?" Akash asked leading her towards the stairs while he himself went back to the kitchen after sending her up.


    Even though he might not know anything in the kitchen, he does know how to reheat them in an oven since he does not like having cold food or takeaways.


    The servants had long prepared his dinner. So, he just popped them in the oven and set the timer before going back to his room to get himself a t-shirt.

 Chapter 283 - You do not need a reason to say ‘no’ to me

    Just as Akash reached his closet to get a t-shirt for himself, he heard a rustling sound from inside the bathroom. Now that was not such a surprise given Madhu was in but what was odd was that along with rustling sound, there was also the sound of her yelping.


    Akash unconsciously went in and the bath was actually open.


    "Madhu, are you okay there?" He asked out loud as he opened and went in only to find Madhu trying to reach the controls of the shower while simultaneously trying to avoid the hot water spraying from them.


    Akash quickly switched off the water.


    "You okay?" He asked looking up at Madhu. But before she could answer, he noticed the slight redding on the back of her hands and frowned.


    "I''m okay��" Madhu said flinging her hands but it was soon caught by Akash and he then went ahead and changed some settings on the shower and cold water piped out.


    He tested first with his own hands before placing her hand. After letting the water for a while, he looked up and asked, "Are you okay now?"


    Madhu had a mind to actually roll her eyes at his overdramatic concern if only she did not feel so awkward and embarrassed at the moment.


    Anyways the water was not that hot, to begin with�� it was just she was someone who is used to cold showers at home�� so, her skin doesn''t take hot water that well. So, it had slightly blushed. So, her problem was not her hands but the rest of the body.


    She had worn a satin white blouse to the office today�� and because of all the water, now the material was almost transparent sticking to her body like a second skin making her blush. So, she just stood there awkwardly biting her lips as Akash let cold water run through the back of her hands.


    Akash frowned and at last, actually looked up at her seeing as she was not replying. A quick glance at her and his mind went down the gutter in seconds.


    Akash quickly let go of his hands and straightened his back but his eyes still kept at her�� focused especially on her abused pair of lips.


    He cleared his throat unconsciously as he took one step closer to her. Madhu took a step back involuntarily. Akash took another step�� and Madhu took a step back�� but cold marbles hit on her back when she tried to take another step.


    That is when panic set in�� she was fl.u.s.tered beyond reason as the person in front of her. Akash was standing almost directly under to cold shower but somehow looking at Madhu, his body did not seem to cool down at all. He placed his hands on both sides while simultaneously preventing her from splashing any more water.


    "A-A-Akash!!" She murmured nervously. Her stammering was contributed both by the cold water and the close proximity between them.


    Akash''s eyes did not deter. He kept his eyes trailed on her face as his hands sn.a.k.e.d around her waist making Madhu shiver unconsciously.


    In one swift tug, Madhu was slammed against his n.a.k.e.d chests as fiery hot eyes met with her tentative ones.


    "Akash!!" Madhu exclaimed more surprised this time�� after all, the floor was slippery and the water was still running�� his move brought her completely under the splashing shower.


    Akash snapped when he heard her. His eyes were no longer dazed�� but he still did not let her go. His eyes still were focused on her lips. By then, Madhu had bitten on it to the point it was already red.


    "Can I?" He asked in a hoarse voice. His hands gently wiping away the wet hair sticking in front of her eyes.


    Madhu''s eyes widened instantly as they stared back at his�� Only an idiot would not understand what he was talking about and thankfully so, she was no idiot.


    So, she understood what he was asking her and her heart instantly jumped out of her ribs hammering. Her mind exploded. The pressure she put on her lips increased��


    Water was still running down both of them but neither of them seems to care at the moment.


    "All you have to say is ''no'', Madhu�� nothing else. So, stop abusing your lips��" Akash, at last, said breaking the silence between them while his thumb reached out to pry her lips out of her biting teeth.


    "You do not need a reason to say ''no'' to me Madhu��" He whispered the last part as he pecked on her forehead gently and disentangled himself away from her fully.


    You should understand, Madhu had grown up in a completely different environment. A really conservative one. Just by the fact that she has a boyfriend and she was here alone with him would give raise to scorn from most of her adoptive family�� Sometimes, even the way she gets along with Karthick is frowned upon by her adoptive mother. Karthick gave her the courage to venture outside her comfort zone�� he was the one who taught her how to have fun with her life. And everything they both did was a secret just between the two of them. And since Karthick is Madhu''s adoptive mother''s best friend''s kid, her mother usually let it slide even when she had suspicions.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#%E2%80%98no%E2%80%99-to-me_51928941069388075">#%E2%80%98no%E2%80%99-to-me_51928941069388075</a> for visiting.


    But these principles and values, whether right or wrong, had been with her since she was young. And being the obedient kid she was, never questioned them, unlike Karthick.


    So, she was really having a hard time getting used to everything that came along with Akash��


    But in spite of herself, her hands gripped around his fingers as she saw Akash turn away from her��


    Her voice failed her�� she did not know what she wanted to convey. Things were just so messy on her head. All she could do was look at him with her wide panicked eyes.


    Akash just caressed soothingly over her arms and pecked over her brows all over again and said, "Quickly wash up and come down. You must be starving."

 Chapter 284 - What did you just say?

    Bathroom doors closed behind him and Akash nicely cursed himself for being an impulsive piece of shit.


    Akash- you idiot!! This is the first time she is coming over for a sleepover and you end up jumping her bone!! Nice going, bastard. You should have perfectly scared her off!!


    His own consciousness scolded him to no end. But seeing as the damage was already done, he just let out a self-deprecating sigh before going over to her closet and changing out of his wet clothes. He then grabbed a really huge sweatshirt and a pair of his shorts and went back to the bath.


    He knocked on the doors and yelled, "Madhu, I am keeping a change of clothes outside�� come down, when you are done." He then walked down without really waiting for her reply.


    Madhu on the other hand, came out of her head only when she heard Akash yell. She quickly washed up and went down��


    Akash was in a call when she came down. Madhu went to the dining waited for her obediently. A few minutes later, he came to her and started serving the food for both of them.


    Dinner was quiet for most parts in spite of Akash''s efforts to lighten her mood up.


    Madhu mostly remained dazed for most parts of the dinner and stuffed the food served subconsciously at best. After a while, Akash stopped trying and let the silence prevail. Once both were done eating, Madhu actually cleared the table while Akash got another call and walked away to talk.


    The call actually took longer than he had anticipated�� when he came back in, Madhu was nowhere to be seen. But since he had urgent work, he decided to complete them first before going to talk with her��


    More than the fact that the work was urgent, he wanted to give her and himself some alone time and he was also scared to face her just yet.


    Another half-hour passed like that with only the sound of Akash tying away in his laptop sitting on the living room sofa until it stopped�� and coincidentally, he also heard a rustling sound from behind him.


    "Are you still busy?" Madhu asked walked up to him from across the living room�� but she stopped a few feet away.


    "No�� I am done." Akash said closing the laptop with a snap and placed them on the short table in front of him.


    Madhu just stood there biting her lips while Akash looked at her and said, "Hey�� I am sorry if I scared you before. I know there is no excuse�� but it wi��"


    But Akash never got to finish it as Madhu interrupted and said, "Marry me, Akash."


    Akash froze for a second before thinking ''Just great, I am so fried in my head that I am even hallucination shamelessly now!''


    "Sorry�� can you repeat what you just said? I am hearing things��" Akash said after furiously shaking his head. He was absolutely sure that he was hearing things.


    Madhu, on the other hand, looked amused for once and actually dared to repeat it one more time, "Marry me, Akash."


    Madhu did not really know where this sudden surge of confidence came from�� most probably, it came from how much Akash valued her. So, she actually looked straight up in his eyes as she said it.


    Akash blinked astonished once again.


    "What did you just say?" He asked in disbelief as he got up from his place and actually approached her.


    And with that, all the confidence she thought she had mustered flew out the windows with a wuff and Madhu''s eyes hung down.


    Akash on the other hand got anxious seeing her like this�� maybe he was hallucinating things again��


    "Baby, if you don''t tell me clearly, I am going to think I am imagining things you know!" Akash said caressing her cheeks before lifting them to face him. But Madhu''s eyes shied away from meeting his in just a second.


    "Did I really hear what I just thought I did?" Akash asked in disbelief seeing her reddened cheeks.


    Madhu mustered a lot of energy and actually nodded her head tentatively.


    Akash, at last, knew he was not going crazy. But then a sense of bewilderment set in. Between the two of them, Madhu was the slow one and he had to painstakingly restrain himself to meet up with her pace in their relationship so as not to scare her off�� so, he was puzzled as to why she was suddenly rushing forward. Then he thought of their encounter last time and this time�� he figured, Madhu was probably afraid he would leave her or something all over again.


    And he wanted to marry her when she wanted to and he did not want it to be because she felt threatened in their relationship somehow.


    So, even when the offer before him was so f.u.c.k.i.n.g tempting beyond reason, he wanted to clear things out between them. He did not want to take the big step because of her misplaced emotions and later have her regret it�� which would be more painful for him than anything else.


    So, he gently took her hands and pecked on their back before pulling her back to the sofa he was sitting on.


    He sat down and pulled Madhu down with him�� but when Madhu tried to sit beside him, he actually stopped her midway and pulled her on to his laps.


    If only her mind was not such a mess, Madhu probably blushed beet red by now. But then, her mind was miles away, so, she did not bother to complain and actually sat down comfortably stranding him.


    Madhu was so small that, even sitting on his laps, she only came to his chins, and given she had her head hung down�� it was even less.


    Akash somehow found that adorable as he playfully ruffled her head and smiled at her. For just a split second, looking at her, he would completely forget the world and himself. His hands just wrapped around her and let her lean on his embrace with a mind of their own.

 Chapter 285 - Without any ‘terms or conditions.

    Akash just held her for a long while before actually breaking the silence between them.


    "Madhu, I love you. I really really love you." He confessed making her look at him.


    Madhu''s heart galloped away just as it did the first time he heard him say that to her. The warmth that spread through her was immense. But before she could relish on it, Akash continued, his articulation was actually a little slower as he emphasized each and every word very precisely. He wanted to make sure Madhu heard and understood each and every word he was about to say.


    "You know what that means�� that means I want to be with you regardless of anything you do or don''t do�� whether you do something or don''t do something does not change that�� It also means I have given you absolute power and control over me. That means I have given you the right to say ''no'' to me�� So, you really don''t have to force yourself for me." Akash''s voice was very affirming as he said that. He then took her hands and placed them over his erratic heart and said, "This right here is yours to do with�� without any ''terms or conditions. Do you understand?"


    Akash finished by kissing the back of her hands.


    Madhu''s heart, on the other hand, felt as if it were going to explode any minute now. Each and every sentence he said just increased her sweet suffering more. She was absolutely gobsmacked. And the fact that he meant everything he said, did something unimaginably sweet to her. Tears spilled down without her regard as sob blocked her throat.


    What did she ever do to deserve someone like this in her life?


    Emotions that rushed through her heart did not know where to go�� impulse drove her as she disregarded everything else and crashed her lips against his�� At that moment, she really did not have enough brain cells to think straight�� She was that overwhelmed.


    But then, she did not have any experience�� so, her lips just stayed still against his for one whole minute before pulling away. Something did not feel right, so she placed her lips over his all over again��


    And at last, Akash defrosted from his stupid frozen self. Just as Madhu was about to retreat again, Akash held her head in place and moved his lips hungrily against hers. At that moment, even he did not care about being rational�� he did not know how to be.


    There was only one voice in his head and it was commanding him to devour her lips and by god, he did.


    He only let her go when he felt she desperately struggle for some air. Just as air rushed to her lungs, they were blocked by Akash all over again.


    This went on for god know how long until the panting sound of both of them filled the whole house and reverberated through the walls.


    Some rational returned to him as he took deep breaths to appease his burning lungs.


    They were attached, forehead to forehead, fanning each other with their warm breath.


    "I did not ask that because I am scared you would leave�� I asked you because I do not want to keep saying ''no'' to you��" Madhu mumbled against his neck. Even though the voice was strained from harsh breaths, they were firm but at the same time slightly vulnerable.


    Today''s incident made her think deeply and hard. Even though on the surface, it was something very trivial�� something that is going to go away as long as Akash understands�� there was a part of her that actually rebelled.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#%E2%80%98terms-or-conditions''._52024483422199727">#%E2%80%98terms-or-conditions''._52024483422199727</a> for visiting.


    From young to old, she had never really thought about herself�� She was just focused on being obedient to her parents and not bringing them any sort of trouble. She very rarely played or went out�� that too only when Karthick was around. And Karthick had been abroad for the better parts of past years. So, even that little fun actually stopped when she graduated from college.


    She knew she was pretty dull�� but then she never really had an option to choose anything for herself. Akash was the first one to openly say that she had the right to say ''no'' to him.


    Something stirred in her when she heard him say that��


    She felt that it was ironic and the one person to whom she never wanted to deny anything actually gave her the right to her.


    But she also knew she owed a lot to her parents. They might not have been loving�� but they had been very kind to her. And she did not want to be sorry for them.


    Right or wrong, this situation restrained her limbs.


    And so far, she never had any particular interests that made her want to break free from those bounds. But now, Akash made her want to.


    "What do you mean, Madhu?" Akash asked confused.


    "I am telling you I want to marry you so that I can detach myself from my family. Being there�� I do not even have the courage to think about what I do want in my life or for myself. They never gave me that freedom. But before this, I never needed such freedom for myself. But now, I do not want to deny you of anything�� but my hands are tied. And getting married to you will relieve me of it."


    Because for her family, staying over alone with a boy or even having a boyfriend is a matter of bringing shame to the family�� not something a well-educated cultured girl would ever do that. She was allowed to stay over at Karthick''s because he actually lives with his parents and both their parents'' are family friends. So, she can already guess her mother''s accusing looks when she goes back tomorrow. But she still wanted this with Akash�� and she wanted it to last.


    And since they did not care much about Madhu, they should probably let her get married to anybody without much fuzz. They would probably be relieved.


    Akash''s eyes became distressed instantly. For a person who grew up with infinite options, hearing her made him feel suffocated. Even when he had some questions and quibbles, he did not have to heart to ask them to her now.


    He just gathered her so much close and whispered against her ear, "Okay. We will get married. I will go ask my parents to meet with your''s to discuss, okay? You tell me when, and they will be there," Akash promised solemnly.


    "I love you��" Madhu mumbled back and stayed put.

 Chapter 286 - Scaredy cat!

    Home.


    It was an absolutely foreign concept for Madhu. She never had it�� a place where she can be herself�� a place of comfort when she was down. A place to give her courage when she was weak.


    And when she asked Akash to marry her, she was actually betting on Akash to give her all these�� even though she trusted Akash, she was still scared in parts of her heart.


    After all, Akash and she hadn''t been together for that long��


    SO, she remained dazed for a long while still sitting on Akash''s laps as her mind took her to the brink of insanity.


    Akash just stared at her without really bothering to disturb the tranquility of the moment. He could see her mind reeling but he let her be. He just let her snuggled into him and kept caressing around every now and then. Thankfully no more calls came from the office��


    So, he just stayed there with her without moving a muscle until Madhu let out a big ass yawn with drooping eyes.


    "Come on, now. Let''s get you to bed�� you seem tired."


    But Madhu resolutely shook her head and nuzzled closer to him.


    Akash could only chuckle and shake his head at her stubbornness.


    "What''s going on in this pretty little head of yours?" Akash asked rubbing the back of her head as he saw her going back to being dazed all over again. Madhu did not answer for a long time. Just when Akash thought she was going to ignore him completely, she opened her mouth to talk.


    "Uhm�� Your parents won''t mind, right? They�� they won''t think I am�� I am pitting you or something right?" Madhu asked in a mosquito voice.


    "Is that what you were so seriously thinking about all this while?" Akash asked dubiously once he came out of her stupor at her question.


    If he had known this is what she was thinking about, he would have asked her questions a long time before.


    Madhu nodded her head and answered, "I mean�� when I asked, it was an impulse�� I did not think things through�� but when I calmed down. I got scared. I mean, I do not want to rush into things and pit a hole for myself. After all, I haven''t even met your mother yet and if she knows I proposed to you, I can only imagine what she is going to think of me�� especially given our backgrounds!!" There was anxiety in her voice when she explained herself.


    After all, in every drama and book she ever read, the relationship between the daughter-in-law and mother-in-law seemed to always suck more times than it works.


    Akash just glared at her for a while�� he bit on her ears quite harshly venting his anger for letting her mind run so wild.


    "Ouch�� Akash?" Madhu exclaimed in pain and tipped her chin to look up at him.


    "Do we look like such superficial people to you?" He asked sarcastically pouting away seeing her rub over her ears in pain.


    Madhu''s eyes widened instantaneously as she frantically shook her head and explained once again, "No-No-No�� of course not. I know how Shreya and your dad is�� I am just nervous, that is all!!"


    Akash smirked but did not let her get away with it that easily as he stated, "So, you think my mother is superficial then�� without even meeting!!"


    "What the hell, Akash. When did I say that?" Madhu asked in shock.


    "Just now�� don''t try to fool me. Anyways�� I am going to rat you out to my mom, then see how she deals with you!!" Akash said childishly teasing her. An amused smile spread on his face seeing her face go absolutely pale in seconds.


    Before she could open her mouth to say anything, Akash playfully swatted on her forehead before chucking and saying, "I was just pulling your legs, idiot!"


    "You absolutely no need to worry about my mother. She is a carbon copy of Shreya, just slightly older. Both love cute little innocent girls like you�� they will behave as if they are some knight in shining armor or something when they see one!!" Akash said rolling his eyes.


    God knows how many of his ex-girlfriends are still in touch with his mother�� And his mother will also happily join in the fun and end up cussing him without regret most of the time.


    If the work had not been so absolutely frantic, he would have long since took Madhu home. And of course, there is also the part where Shreya went absolutely paranoid and flooded their whole family mansion with so many bodyguards that it almost looks like a festive fair or something back at home.


    "Now, come on. Let''s get you to bed��" Akash said once again.


    Madhu childishly pouted and turned her head away from him.


    "What happened?" Akash asked confused.


    "I am not going to talk to you�� you keep teasing me like a kid!!!" Madhu complained showing an aggrieved face. Her pouting lips trembled slightly.


    Looking at her childish temper and puffed up cheeks, Akash did not know whether to cry or laugh. He tightened his arms around her waists and practically plastered her against him while burying her face at the crooks of his neck and mumbled, "You are going to be the death of me, baby."


    After all, she actually proposed to him�� on top of it, she looked adorable in his clothes that were ridiculously huge on her�� and they are supposed to spend the night all alone here in his home. It was really hard to get his head out of the gutter.


    Madhu did not really help as she struggled to get out of his grip until Akash gritted his teeth and said in a threatening voice, "You keep moving around like this, I will let you know how an a.d.u.l.t would tease!!"


    Madhu of course froze in place instantly. She did not dare to even breathe.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#!_52089954561485534">#!_52089954561485534</a> for visiting.


    "Scaredy cat!!" Akash teased and let her go��


    Before Madhu could even know what was happening, Akash had already safely tucked her in his bed and was about to switch off the lights.


    "We will be okay right?" Madhu asked nervously holding on to his hands no letting him go. Her confidence can last only for so long before all the questions flood her head with negativity.


    "We will be okay. I promise. Now get some sleep�� I will be in the next door up�� in my study. If you need anything." Akash said and went up to do some work��

 Chapter 287 - Summoned!

    Shreya stumbled out of her bed when she heard Charan call for her��


    She had been extremely clingy towards both dad-daughter duo from when they got back�� and for now, they were patiently going with her whims and staying over. And Shreya still sneaks out at night to work while spending the whole day with them even when she got reprimanded by Charan time and again.


    But he had been mindful to let her sleep in since all his scolding seemed to go into deaf ears.


    So, she was quite surprised when Charan yelled at her to get out. But her anxiety did not even have time to reach her head as she saw Charan standing in the living room and looking at the security monitors peculiarly.


    "What is it?" Shreya asked coming back to stand behind her.


    "I don''t know�� one of your guys just asked me to wake you up and went out��" Charan said. But he could not see anything peculiar in the security monitor�� the corridor was empty.


    Shreya bunched her unruly hair over the top of her head with a band and walked out saying, "I will go see�� it shouldn''t be a big deal. This apartment building is mostly housed with our people."


    She yawned big as she strolled in her shorts and t-shirt.


    She reached the lobby to find the cause of all the trouble.


    Two groups of people were having a face-off�� two of them she did not know. Shreya instantly recognized Andrew. Even when he was outnumbered, he stood there unrelenting. She knew the confidence probably came from having back up nearby.


    And she also knew he probably did not engage and called for her since the opposite party seems to be official.


    "Andrew, stand down��" Shreya said as she reached the space between the two groups.


    Andrew backed away but he still did not put down his vigilance as he stood close to Shreya.


    One of the guys took out an official paper and handed it to Shreya��


    "You are summoned by the Prime Minister''s office. Please co-operate and come with us!!" The guy said with a detached emotionless voice.


    Shreya frowned flipping the papers. Her confused frown did not leave as she extended her hands and asked Andrew, "Phone��"Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#!_52115820985242253">#!_52115820985242253</a> for visiting.


    Andrew handed over his phone instantly.


    Shreya punched in some numbers and Zack''s voice came through after several rings.


    "We sent Abishek back in one piece right?" Shreya asked without bothering to greet.


    "Yes�� I personally saw it. He should be in court right about now for his first hearing��" Zack replied.


    "Okay, fine. I will get back to you." Shreya said and hung up.


    "Okay�� you guys go. I will be there in his office on time��" Shreya said handing back Andrew''s phone.


    But the guys did not budge��


    "We will escort you there��" the guy said stubbornly reaching for Shreya''s hands. But it never reached its destination as Andrew held it in his iron grip.


    "Guys�� can you not make a fuzz here? I just woke up and grumpy! Trust me, you really don''t want to make a scene here. People are living here��" Shreya said standing behind Andrew and two other of her guys.


    Anyways, she can''t just like that follow someone even when they looked official.


    The other guy took his phone out and made a call but did not speak. Instead, he gave it to Shreya silently.


    Shreya listened to the other end quietly before puffing her cheeks frustrated.


    "Okay, fine. I will follow them out. But I am bringing one of my guys with me. Or else, you will not be seeing me today, at all." Shreya replied sternly and handed over the phone back to the guy making it very clear she was not making a request or asking for permissions��


    She then turned back to the elevator after instructing Andrew to follow her up and leave someone else in the lobby.


    Normally, she might not make such a fuzz about things�� but both Charan and Akira were home, so, she was not really going to take any chances here.


    Once inside the apartment, she let Andrew wait for her in the living room while she went to the bathroom for a quick shower. When she came out, she saw Akira playing around with Andrew while Charan sat on the living room couch with his laptop.


    Charan looked up at her as soon as he heard the doors close behind her.


    "Going somewhere��" He asked as he walked up to her.


    Shreya checked on her phones and answered him simultaneously, "Yes�� I need to go out now. I really don''t know what the issue is�� so, I am not sure when I will be back. You guys eat your lunch. Don''t wait up�� I will let you know when I can be back when I get the time. I will leave Andrew here�� if you guys want to go out."


    She then pecked him on his cheeks and walked towards Akira��


    "Baby, come here for a minute." Shreya beckoned. Akira very obediently walked to her. Shreya swatted down and gave her a hug and said, "I am going to go out now�� I will be back as soon as I can, okay? You have a good day with your dad��"


    Akira nodded her head and pecked on her cheeks before Shreya let go and went to the doors.


    Just as she was about to exit, Charan bellowed, "Wait��"


    "Car keys��" Charan said dangling her keys and approached her.


    "NO, I do not need them. I am going to be ''escorted''." Shreya said waving at him and rolled her eyes sarcastically at her own reference.


    Charan frowned but did not ask anything seeing as she seemed to be in a hurry. But he still hugged her and said, "Okay�� be safe and get back soon. We will be waiting."


    "Don''t worry. Srinivas is going to be with me. This shouldn''t be an issue either way. Okay, I am getting late. Bye-bye��" Shreya waved at both father-daughter duo and went out without really looking back.

 Chapter 288 - NOT happening.

    Shreya sat back on her chair leisurely just as she did the last time she was here. The chief had a sense of d��j�� vu seeing Shreya like this��


    Last time the meeting ended with such a sour note that the Prime Minister went on rage just after making everybody''s lives around him miserable.


    And now, seeing Shreya here again, he can already imagine the colorful days ahead of them. He is really second-guessing his initial suggestion of introducing these two tyrants to each other now. Especially given how headstrong Shreya is�� She absolutely refuses to play ball.


    It hard for a personality like hers to be liked by someone like The Prime Minister who is equally headstrong.


    The chief of the intelligence agency sat there stiffy looking at the two having a staring match.


    At last, Shreya lost her patience and asked the question, "Look, I returned Abishek without a scratch on his skin�� what more do you want now?"


    "Are you going to do what I want if I told you?" The Prime Minister asked arching his eyebrows.


    Shreya smirked sarcastically before refusing him bluntly, "Of course not. It was already my goodwill that I actually sent him back after the stunt you pulled that morning with sending your people�� so, don''t try to act smart with me as if you are doing me a favor by letting it go. It will not work." She rolled her eyes at the end of it nonchalantly.


    The Prime Minister''s face instantly stiffened.


    "Of course, I had done you a favor by letting it go�� you know the time you will have to serve for kidnapping a state witness?" He said irritated.


    "Well, you can press charges if you want to�� I do not need your favor. I will deal with it my own way��" Shreya sassed without giving in.


    Seeing as the situation was getting out of control as soon as things got started, the Chief intervened in good intention and asked, "Shreya, let''s put aside what had happened already and look forward to what is going to happen here on, can we? Sir, why are we here?"


    The Prime minister puffed but then he took a deep breath and calmed himself down before looking at Shreya and ordered, "I need access to your information network for all our investigations!! Full access�� it will be under the direct authority of the Intelligence Agency! That is why I asked you here today! With this, we will be able to solve so many cases and be able to prevent a lot of disasters too��"


    The Prime Minister looked so righteous while he talked that it is hard to see any flaw. Even though he did not really know the extent of the network, he could already guess how extensive the network is just from the depth of information she was able to gather for the cases they have been working on.


    And the power that comes with such access to information is immense and it is really hard not to be tempted.


    But Shreya remained unmoved as she looked at him unblinking as said at last stubbornly, "NO�� not happening."


    Both the guys couldn''t help but gap at her. The chief couldn''t help but let out a sigh.


    "Shreya, it will benefit the public largely��" the Chief persuaded.


    Shreya just let out a sarcastic chuckle as she looked at the Prime Minister''s eyes that looked weirdly sinister.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#._52127653083272107">#._52127653083272107</a> for visiting.


    "Oh, please�� don''t paint yourselves as saints here. I am no child to believe that kind of bullshit. You guys are just pining on finding the handle on whoever opposes you to make your lives easier on yourself. And I did not create the network to fulfill your political agendas."


    Even though she had created the network, she never abused it and hurt innocent people. She had played around with it�� pushed some people pretty hard here and there�� but she never actually hurt anyone innocent in real terms. Of course, she had never shown mercy to someone who had been cruel to her either.


    So, the heavy burden that came along with this power�� so far, she had carried it with grace. And she does not trust anyone at all with that kind of power�� she does not know if she ever will be able to.


    On top of it, in recent days, she is not able to trust herself with the power due to the impulses she had back when Charan and Akira were inaccessible. So, you can guess why she would be so stubborn about it.


    "It is too much power for a single person to handle. That too a civilian�� it is dangerous." Chief tried but then he really struggled to get words out of his mouth under Shreya''s scrutinizing stares while the Prime Minister just gave a look at Shreya.


    "It is something I created for my own purposes and it is not even illegal. So, you cannot force me�� I would rather destroy it rather than handing it over to others�� You cannot persuade me otherwise." Shreya said making any persuasion coming to her way stop with a full stop.


    Suffocating silence followed after that while Shreya just gave a nonchalant look towards both the older guys.


    "It is true that we cannot touch you�� But no everybody around you is not as powerful as you��" Minister said breaking the silence smirking.


    Shreya''s jaws stiffened unconsciously. If there is one thing she hated more than being controlled, it had to be being threatened�� especially using others around her.


    "You are not the only one who can dig information out, you know?" He said and pushed a bunch of photos and files towards Shreya��


    Shreya glanced at it but it was enough to know what he had found. It contained photos and information on Charan and Akira and everyone around her. There was also a photo of Shreya hugging Akira in the VIP lounge of the airport a few days ago.


    "You seem pretty close to the whole family!!" Minister smirked.

 Chapter 289 - You remember Rakesh?

    The room came to a standstill all over again. But this time around, a freezing coldness spread all around making the people shiver.


    Shreya''s eyes showed a fury that was enough to burn the whole world as soon as the Minister shut his mouth.


    But the guy still just stared back arrogantly.


    After all, since Shreya had been hiding them so precious, he knew they were her weakness. And the whole family was just ordinary people with normal jobs. It is so easy to manipulate them to leave her if he insisted on it.


    And with whole government support, he knows he could scare them real well. Shreya maybe powerful enough but she was still not the government. And the title he holds gave him such arrogance�� and he really hated that Shreya was not succ.u.mbing to such arrogance even when she was just a spoilt brat who was born with silver spoons.


    He was not underestimating her but he had a disdain for her since he thought her power came from other people''s hard work and not her own. At most, he could agree she was very smart when it came to making money. He could acknowledge that much from their interactions these days. And using that money, she was able to establish an information system.


    But he could never have guessed the power that such an information system could actually give her. And he underestimated her manpower. He saw her as an arrogant paper tiger reaping in on her father''s goodwill.


    He did not have this kind of confidence to face her the last time because he did not have anything on her and she had the means to make his future.


    But between the last time they met and now, he gathered investors for himself and he was confident that he had a handle on her. SO, he did not see the need to bow down to her now.


    "And do you know the consequences you will be facing if I just ''accidentally'' let out that you were the mastermind behind bringing down the syndicate?? You will be facing a whole lot of angry people�� even if I am doing it, I can always pretend I had no choice in the name of public service�� but you? You are one among them�� they might see this as a betrayal."


    After all, all public knew was that Shreya was responsible for bringing down three big corporations due to dispute and the government used that opportunity to infiltrate and investigate the syndicate.


    The arrest warrants will be an issue today in a matter of hours, once the hearing of Abishek comes to an end. And all those involved will be arrested at once.


    Naren and Abimanyu are already in custody and had been interrogated thoroughly. Only Naren had been resisting while Abimanyu also co-operated very peacefully with them after the talk he had with his daughter.


    Everything gave him such a confidence boost that he actually forgot for a second who brought all these to him.


    Shreya sat back and let out a chuckle.


    When she initially checked on the Prime Minister, out of courtesy, she actually kept it strictly business�� she only checked on his career and political development since that was what was relevant for her. But seeing him now, she realized she must have made a mistake��


    "Do you really think you can intimidate me with just this much? You are so much more na?ve than I gave you credit for!!" Shreya sneered sarcastically.


    But before either of the men could come up with any response, Shreya continued, "Have you ever thought, if you, with your corrupted resources can actually gather this much on me, what I could gather on you? What I already have on my hands? Did you really think I would have just come to you and gave you every last bit of evidence because I was helpless??"


    Shreya paused and asked coldly, "You remember Rakesh? You should be familiar with what happened to him��?"


    Shreya stopped after that letting them digest the information she had given them�� after all, nobody really knew that it was Shreya''s hand behind Rakesh�� But thinking about it now, they should have known. After all, it was no secret how close Rakesh was to Abimanyu.


    The Prime Minister''s eyes widened. But before he could ask anything Shreya continued, "If I could do that to him, imagine what I can do to you?"


    After all, even though he was the Prime Minister, the kind of power Rakesh had was much more than his own. He personally does not have such financial backing. He solely depended on public opinion and was slowly building his own financial power after taking the seat, unlike Rakesh who came from generations of wealth and noble status. His family was an aristocratic family for generations now.


    The kind of power Shreya has now is very different from Rakesh�� Shreya was just a second-generation rich kid�� but Rakesh was different�� his family had been prominent for a long while now. His identity is almost noble.


    It was just, Rakesh was not smart enough to make use of it properly and let his powers decline over time. Or else, he wouldn''t have had to work for the likes of Abimanyu in the first place.


    So, it can be said that Rakesh and his family had been the only true power she had dealt with so far�� It took her 6 months just to topple all the power behind Rakesh and to isolate him to a corner.


    "You�� you did that?" The Chief asked astonished. After all, Rakesh ended up in a bloody sack in front of his department overnight. And Shreya did not seem the type to flaunt or brag.


    They always thought maybe, it was a retaliation from some terrorists whom he had brushed the wrong way. SO, knowing Shreya did that was a big blow to both the men�� they saw Shreya in a new light�� at least the Chief did since he saw personally what kind of damage Shreya had done to him and his family up close.


    "So, I suggest you keep your head down rather than insisting on trying to control me. As long as you do not touch me, I am almost always too lazy to care about anybody or anything. And you even so much as touch a hair of people around me, trust me, you guys will end up more miserable than him!!" Shreya warned and stood up from her place.


    She then looked at the Chief and said, "You need any information for investigation�� forward me the details, I will get them for you. If it is genuine. Don''t try to play tricks!!"


    She then left the office leaving behind a truly furious Yash -The Prime Minister and a helpless Rudra- the Chief.


    Yash was beyond furious�� both with Shreya and himself. He was angry with himself because of his helplessness to deal with a little girl like Shreya�� and with Shreya, because he had never been treated like that by anyone from when he took the office.


    Note: I will name the Prime Minister as ''Mr. Yash''�� initially I did not want to name him since I never thought of his character to play into the story so much but now, it is hard to keep calling him the Prime minister everywhere. And also, the Chief of the Intelligence Agency is ''Mr. Rudra''.

 Chapter 290 - I am not crazy!

    The gloominess in her face was very evident. She looked just about ready to send someone straight to hell. Her palms fisted and jaws stiff�� she looked as if she was restraining herself from punching someone.


    Srinivas did not want to end up being that person, so he started the car wordlessly.


    "Where are we going?" Srinivas asked at last when there reached a junction.


    "Office��" Shreya replied after thinking for a while. She did not want to take her bad mood back home with Akira there�� so, she might as well get some work done. Anyways, she had been ignoring work for the past couple of days.


    Once she reached the office, she drowned herself in work as she always does until she heard a knock on her doors. Only then did she look up at even see the time�� It was almost closing time.


    "Come in��" Shreya bellowed and started sorting her files out. Normally, she wouldn''t bother but then she said she would be back home��


    But before she could get up a small pair of hands crept in and hugged her legs. Shreya looked down startled but then smiled at seeing Akira��


    "Hey, baby�� what are you doing here?" Shreya asked but then she already lifted Akira off the floors and pecked on her cheeks. And after hours, a smile actually crept into her face.


    "We brought you food�� Srinivas said you haven''t eaten anything at all." Akira straight up said unknowingly pushing Srinivas under the bus.


    Before Shreya could reply, Charan actually came in armed with food. He went and sat himself on the couch and gestured her to come over.


    Shreya very obediently came over and ate her fill quietly. But it was pretty evident she wasn''t herself. Right then, Pritham walked in with some files to give to Shreya��


    "Hey, princess��" Pritham smiled widely looking at Akira�� They had gotten pretty close before Shreya decided to push them away�� so, he really missed this little brat during that time. And of course, as soon as they came back from the island, Shreya barely left Akira''s side for anyone else to meet. So, the joy of meeting the little devil was very evident on his face.


    And Akira was also equally excited seeing Pritham. She even reluctantly smooched on his cheeks after his repeated nagging.


    Seeing this, Charan secretly signaled Pritham to take Akira for a trip around the building leaving Shreya and him alone in the office.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#!_52198914392121566">#!_52198914392121566</a> for visiting.


    Shreya was so out of it that she did not even realize Pritham taking Akira out.


    Charan helplessly rubbed his palm over her head and brought her back to her senses and asked, "Hey, what is it?"


    Shreya shook her head slightly before looking at Charan. She kept her cutleries down and looked at him intently for a second. Staring went on for so long till an expression of gloomy darkness seeped into her face. But before Charan could question about it or before it reached her eyes, Shreya leaned over and smooched on his cheeks.


    Charan hadn''t shaved for a while now leaving a thorny beard covering his cheeks. But Shreya did not mind�� she just seemed slightly desperate as she practically smudged her face beside his and held him in her embrace and said, "I will protect you guys, I promise. Nothing will happen to you guys�� I will not let anything happen to you."


    There was a fierce determination in her voice when she said it that overpowered her vulnerabilities. And with that sentence, the endless battle in her head also came to an end�� Even when she was scared, her desire to keep them close still won�� for now. For now, she still wanted to be with them against all odds. Having them in front of her made her rational side to go weak�� and for now, she did not want to let go of this warmth.


    If anything, her behavior just confirmed that Shreya was not fine. But seeing as she was reluctant to share just yet, Charan let her be�� but he still hugged her back.


    It was a long time before Shreya actually pulled away and looked at Charan��


    "I am acting absurd right?" She asked in a whisper as she nuzzled against his neck. She can feel it in her bone�� she is not herself. For someone who is used to being calm and rations, her emotions and feelings did not make sense to herself�� so, she can hardly ask others to understand her.


    Charan did not answer�� instead he sat her on his lap and hugged her. He can''t really say he was not surprised�� after all, he had always seen Shreya so put together. But now, her mood seems to be all over the place�� and the cause of all of this seems to be fear. The fear of losing them�� And no matter what he does or what he said, she seemed to be unable to pull herself out of it and he is out of ideas.


    And Charan also understood where this fear of her came from�� after all, both of them knew what loss is�� the kind of loss that doesn''t ease after shedding tears but the kind of loss that makes you feel as if someone is stomping over your heart�� it hurts so much that even breathing will become laborious even when you are physically fine.


    This was the main reason why he had stayed with her the past days even when Kabir was practically begging him to come back to the office.


    But looking at Shreya, she seems as helpless as he was with her own behavior.


    "It''s okay�� you can act crazy in front of me!! I find it cute when you act crazy!!" Charan teasing trying to distract her and it did work as Shreya''s eyes instantly flared and her cheeks puffed into balloons on both sides.


    "I am not crazy!!" Shreya said gritting on her teeth harshly.


    Charan''s eyes lightened instantly as a sweet smile spread on his face. He lifted his hand and rubbed the back of her lovingly and said in an extremely sweet voice, "Of course, your not. You are a sweetheart!! Only an idiot will dare to call you crazy!!" His smile was overly sticky.


    That just made Shreya more mad as she bit on his cheeks as always�� She let him go only when she had vented herself completely and said softly, "You are that idiot who dared!!"


    Charan just smiled seeing she was back to normal��


    "Well, since you love me even when I am an idiot, I guess it doesn''t matter!!" Charan whispered pecking on her cheeks. Even when the words on themselves were teasing, when he said it in such a serious voice, it felt earnest.


    Shreya knew what he was doing and so it was impossible for her not to be moved. So, she whispered back with the same level of earnesty, "I love you��"

 Chapter 291 - Hey, move your ass already…

    Shreya stayed back at the office while Akira and Charan actually went back to their home. Charan''s parents had called them out for dinner, so they left�� reluctantly so.


    Charan asked Shreya to accompany them, but she really did have some work to finish up.


    She had been turning a deaf ear towards everyone urging them to deal with Aleesha as soon as possible. After all, keeping her under them comes with risks.


    She had a high level of skills and hard to contain for an extended period of time. But Shreya had been postponing it for some reason�� mainly because she first wants to cool her head before actually meeting her�� or else she is afraid she would do something unscrupulous.


    Anyways, they could not find a single goddamn physical evidence that they could link her to the crimes. And as far as recent crimes are concerned, she barely harmed anyone�� she did not even get to reveal any weapon or threaten anyone. All they could pin on her is her hacking into the island network and communication systems illegally.


    Even the maid they found dead was not done by her but was done by Ajay- Karthick''s friend. They found evidence for it and nailed him. They thought he would flip and actually give them something on Aleesha or even testify against her for a deal, but that guy did not open his mouth.


    They found it was mostly because he is more scared of Aleesha than of spending the rest of his life in prison.


    They tracked down the doctor who did the plastic surgery for her but even he kept his mouth shut.


    So, that left them with absolutely nothing on Aleesha. Except for Abishek being able to identify by his gut that she is Aleesha, and his oral rendition of her deeds before and in the syndicate, they did not even have the evidence that she was Karthick''s wife��


    She has a perfectly forged identity�� except for impersonating someone else as a maid and cutting off communications, they cannot prove anything else.


    So, it was obvious as to how frustrated Shreya was at the moment. She took few minutes for herself before walking out of her office.


    Srinivas was standing there just beside the door.


    "Going somewhere?" Srinivas asked following her.


    "Yep�� I ate a lot�� so going to go flex some muscles��" Shreya said with a straight face as she entered the elevator.


    Srinivas followed quietly. Shreya reached the gym in no time and stretched her arms and legs before discarding her sweatshirt on the side and entered the fighting ring in the center. Obviously, there was no one except them these two at this time of the day�� or night to be precise. This was actually built by Adithya for some reason even when he never ever bothered to set foot on it once�� this was solely for employees'' benefit and the employees had long gotten used to it and so, Shreya did not bother with it.


    A few minutes passed as she looked at Srinivas meticulously taking off his cufflinks and folding his shirt with artistic precision.  Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#%E2%80%A6_52250298558760355">#%E2%80%A6_52250298558760355</a> for visiting.


    "Hey, move your ass already��" Shreya gestured impatiently.


    Srinivas gave her an amused smile before joining her in the ring. He took opened two of his collar buttons and looked at Shreya eagerly.


    Shreya''s eyes narrowed and every other thought left her just like that�� She solely focused on the person opposite to her like a predator cornering its prey.


    Just that, Srinivas was no prey�� so, the fight was actually pretty intense. Even though Srinivas did not use his full capacity, he did not take it easy on Shreya either.


    Shreya''s was freestyle while Srinvias''s fight was more disciplined. Skillwise they both matched almost but his strength was far superior.


    "What happened between you and Zeenath after that?" Shreya asked in between her pants as she locked Srinivas by his neck with her legs.


    He of course, easily flipped her over and stood up taking a breath.


    "Well, she is hiding under the rabbit''s hole for now and I let her be��" Srinivas said smirking.


    This went on for almost an hour before Shreya gave up and laid down on the ring.


    Srinivas, on the other hand, got her a bottle of water before joining her.


    Both were sweating profusely and panting. And both stayed quiet for a long time.


    "Calmed down a bit?" Srinivas asked sipping on some water of his own.


    "Yep��" Shreya said�� but she did not get up.


    "You know, you are actually pretty good at this!!" He observed.


    "Thank you�� But still not as good as you��" Shreya said actually getting up. "Now, come on."


    "Going home?" Srinivas asked slightly surprised. After all, as far as he knew her she rarely went home when Charan and Akira are not there.


    "Of course not. Back to my office�� I need a shower and so do you��" Shreya said walking out.


    Shreya stopped him out of Akash''s office and pointed at him.


    "You can use the one here�� there are probably clothes too�� Should be about your size��" Shreya said and walked to her own office lounge.


    When she came back, she found Srinivas sitting on her couch.


    "UP�� we are taking a ride!!" Shreya said taking her phones and threw Srinivas the car keys.


    Srinivas took the keys but still frowned and asked, "Where are we going?"


    "To see Aleesha��" Shreya shrugged.


    "What about sleep?" Srinivas asked once again. After all, it''s about 2 am in morning.


    "You will get half a day off tomorrow. For now, let''s just get this done with. Or else all the sweating I did will be for naught!!"


    After all, she was calm for now�� and this is the state of mind with which she wanted to meet Aleesha�� that way she can think straight and get something out of her. After all, being a hothead was not helping.


    And with her mood swings, she wasn''t sure when she will become a hot head again. So, it was better to take the plunge now.

 Chapter 292 - It was nothing personal. Just business…

    Car came to a standstill in front of a completely deserted factory building.


    "Why no guards?" Srinivas questioned seeing as there was absolutely nobody around. And the place itself is in the middle of freaking nowhere.


    "Only, digital surveillance. Given her skills, I did not want any accidents happening, so Zack suggested absolutely isolation. Nobody in and nobody out." Shreya said dismounting from the car.


    "The place is packed with food for at least a month�� So, she cannot get out no matter what!!"


    "Aren''t we going in now?" Srinivas asked.


    Shreya just rolled her eyes and went in.


    The whole place actually reeked. Srinivas took his flashlight and followed Shreya quietly.


    After moving through some trashed corridors, she came to a standstill in front of an elevator.


    "Does that even work?" Srinivas asked looking at it aghast.


    Shreya pressed a button and gave her thumbprint�� surprisingly when the doors opened, it looked top class.


    "Show off!!" Srinivas grumbled and got in behind her.


    The elevator actually went down instead of up�� it opened to a well-lit passage and as soon as Srinivas and Shreya got out, the elevators closed and went up.


    Shreya walked a few corridors before stopping in front of a door. She casually walked in��


    For a room holding people against their will, it actually looked pretty decent. Well lit and ventilated�� with canned food stalked.


    But that is about it�� a vast empty space in between.


    "I see you haven''t tried to escape yet�� I thought you would try and do me a favor!!" Shreya said sarcastically.


    After all, the whole place is rigged with sensors�� and the only way out was the door. The minute Aleesha would have tried to open the door, the ventilation system would have stopped and she would have suffocated to death in a matter of hours.


    Aleesha did not reply�� she just looked at Shreya focused. She did not know how many days she had been here�� she did not even know what time of the day it was. It had been a long since someone actually came to her��


    After initial questioning which was way too perfunctory, nobody really asked her for anything. They just dumped her here and warned her about the security system here and went out.


    And she also saw the sensors�� it was looped such that if she even tried to disable the sensors, the ventilation will shutdown�� or that is what the person said. And he did not seem the type to joke around either.


    Of course, she did not try�� she was not looking forward to dying any time soon.


    She looked at the person coming in�� obviously she knew who it was.


    "Oh! It''s the princess at last�� I thought you were too scared to even see me!!" Aleesha said sarcastically.


    She was sitting leaning on the east wall with her legs partially pulled up and her hands resting leisured over her knees.


    She looked as arrogant as Shreya.


    Shreya sat leaning on the opposite sidewall and faced her. Her eyes flickered uncontrollably.


    "Hey, sorry about your parents by the way. It was nothing personal. Just business�� Your mom looked pretty��" Aleesha said nonchalantly.


    The most annoying part was that they were no emotion in her voice�� nothing at all�� it was neither mocking nor was it provocative like Naren''s�� it was just plain assertive. A statement of fact�� it was almost as if she was talking about buying a freaking car.


    Shreya''s eyes went cold in seconds. But thankfully she did not go ballistic.


    "I can kill you right here�� right now you know?" Shreya sneered. Obviously, her anger showed. But unlike all the other people she had interrogated, Aleesha remained unfazed.


    "If you had such an idea, you would have done it a long while ago instead of stuffing me in a comfy bread and breakfast kind of place!!" Aleesha replied rolling her eyes.


    She was someone who had been trained by the worst�� in the worst of places. Compared to that, this place is practically a hotel for her.


    "And besides, I know you. You are just like your dad. Doesn''t know how to go out of line. That''s what got him killed�� You have nothing on me, do you? NO leverage to hold�� no evidence to prove anything. That is why I am still here with you instead of a prison�� and you are too much of a civilized person to do what''s necessary. And between you and me, I am not going to confess to anything no matter what you do."


    Aleesha paused after that assessing Shreya''s face. Even when Shreya tried so hard to keep her emotions in check, still some frustration seeped in.


    "And the minute I step out of here�� as soon as I can get a phone call. I will end your whole family including you... because I am the kind of person who does not like loose ends and likes the adrenaline. So, you will be the last to go�� and I will come to you personally at the end of it all�� so that you wouldn''t even have the will to fight me!!"


    There was something dark and sinister in Aleesha''s eyes.  Her eyes were not even focused. She looked as if the things she was talking about were being displayed on a screen playing just for her eyes to see. And the excitement she felt as she talked about it was clear as day��


    Just the thought of it seems to make her high on euphoria.


    Aleesha smiled at Shreya��


    "The first to go is going to be Abishek of course." She mumbled as an afterthought.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#.-just-business%E2%80%A6_52285042696712596">#.-just-business%E2%80%A6_52285042696712596</a> for visiting.


    After all, this whole thing started with him. She would have taken Abishek down then and there�� after all, he was the only one alive who knew about her history and who had seen her. And like she said, Alesha did not like leaving loose ends.


    Aleesha would have come for Abishek a long while back�� but since there was no buzz, she just kept postponing. But the minute Shreya started looking into Operation Redtape, she knew about it. And by the time she had done all the recon, on Shreya and Abishek, Shreya had already hidden Abishek.


    She ended up following Shreya for a few days after Abishek visited Shreya and disappeared. She was hoping Shreya would meet up with Abishek one of these days�� but they never met after that.


    So, she had to find Susmitha�� Susmitha kept grumbling about the island so miserably��


    Aleesha actually thought Shreya had hidden Abishek there but instead found a lovely family�� so, she improvised and found Ajay and came up with a plan�� Or else she wouldn''t have gone to the island solo without backup.


    Aleesha never counted on Shreya trusting the government completely and handing Abishek over to them completely. And she never counted on her powers either.


    But knowing them just made her conviction to eliminate Shreya so much more��


    For one, she liked the challenge of it�� and secondly, she does not like having unfinished business�� Anyway leaving Abishek led her to this day.

 Chapter 293 - ‘I do not have to do it ‘myself’.

    And the minute I step out of here�� as soon as I can get a phone call. I will end your whole family.


    Shreya did not hear anything past that�� but that sentence was enough to paralyze her for a second and the next second she flared-up with anger.


    At the back of her head, Shreya knew Aleesha a reeling her up�� she knew she was doing the same thing she had done to others over the years. She had gotten hold of her weakness and was playing with her emotions like a toy��


    But no matter how much Shreya tried to fight it, she was not able to get out of it.


    Her whole face scrunched as if she was in immense pain even though nobody laid a finger on her. Her hands fisted and her eyes went red with anguish and anger.Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#%E2%80%98i-do-not-have-to-do-it-%E2%80%98myself%E2%80%99._52325329506729773">#%E2%80%98i-do-not-have-to-do-it-%E2%80%98myself%E2%80%99._52325329506729773</a> for visiting.


    It took everything in her to not go up to Alisha and not pull a trigger to her head.


    "You know�� You want someone to beat the ever-living crap out of her, I can do it for you. You do not have to do everything by yourself. I am itching anyways��" Srinivas said walking beside Shreya. He stood in front of Shreya blocking her line of sight to Alisha.


    Do it for you�� you do not have to do it yourself.


    Shreya blinked confused as her mind suddenly went silly.


    "What did you just say?" Shreya asked snapping out of her daze.


    "I said I can beat her for you since you look beat!!" Srinivas repeated confused. Shreya''s emotions seemed to have snapped in seconds which was hard for him to keep up��


    "No�� that''s not what you said�� you said, ''I do not have to do it ''myself''." Shreya repeating her words back��


    Srinivas''s brows frowned as he agreed confused, "Yes�� that is what I said even now�� at least, that is what I mean��"


    Shreya completely ignored everything around her as her brain worked fast trying to catch up to her own thoughts.


    When she came out of it, Srinivas was staring at her weirdly as was Alisha�� Shreya grinned excitedly. She smooched on Srinivas''s cheeks and smiled at him as she said, "Thank you so much�� I know what to do now��" She said and went back to the elevators without really giving Alisha a second glance.


    Srinivas followed her while Alisha looked stupid for a second. But before she could come out of it, she was left alone all over again.


    "God damn it!!" Alisha exclaimed as she punched into the wall pretty hard. She thought she could at least rile Shreya up today�� make her do something stupid and get the hell out of here�� but nothing happened. Things didn''t go as planned.


    "What just happened in there?" Srinivas asked confused as he started the car. From the looks of Shreya and from the taunting nature of Alisha, he was pretty sure they were going to have an epic fight scene there�� full-on bloody.


    "I just suddenly thought of something�� we have work to do," Shreya said vaguely. "I need the call the other��" Shreya continued taking out her phone.


    "Shreya��" Srinivas called before she could dial.


    "What?" Shreya asked confused.


    "It''s 4 a.m. in the morning!!" Srinivas reminded.


    "And that is relevant because?" Shreya asked back.


    "That is relevant because, normal people are going to be sleeping at this hour and if you had forgotten, we had a late meeting yesterday night!!" Srinivas answered rolling his eyes.


    He had seen her like this more than once�� when Shreya focuses on something, her brain goes silly and she forgets just about everything else.


    "Oh!!" Shreya realized and she also came to realize because of her even Srinivas did not get to go home and get some sleep.


    "In that case�� you just drop me in the office and go home�� get some sleep and bring everyone to my office sharp at 8 a.m." Shreya relented.


    "Nope�� not happening. I am dropping you at your apartment. And you are getting some sleep. I will pick you at 8." Srinivas decided on himself as he drove towards her apartment.


    "But I still have some pending work to do��" Shreya whined. She had to complete them before tomorrow noon so that she can go pick Akira up from her parents'' place.


    "You can do them tomorrow��" He answered not really bothering to heed to her.


    That resulted in Shreya sulking and puffing her cheeks all the way to her apartment. As silly as she was, she even stomped and left him in the parking lot without waiting for him to park the car and hand her the keys.


    Srinivas was really amazed at how childish she can actually be time and again. It was fascinating how she behaves around the people she likes and how she changes into someone completely unrecognizable in front of other people.


    He patiently waited for the elevators and buzzed himself into her apartment. Shreya was lying there on the couch with her tablet in her hands playing some game.


    "I did not send you home for you to play games, you know?" He asked patiently walking up to her.


    "That is why I asked you to take me to the office�� I told you I am not sleepy." She replied stubbornly as always.


    Srinivas just shook his head.


    "Shreya, please get some sleep�� you look beat. I will be here sharp at 8." Srinivas relented to ask softly this time around.


    If he knew anything about Shreya by now, that is that she never relents to force�� and she was as stubborn a person as it can possibly get. So, the only way to convince her would be to be soft with her�� and bow down. Otherwise, you are just going to create a hell of a headache for yourself.


    And just as he thought, him softening the voice worked like magic as Shreya stood up from the couch. She was still biting and puffing but she still kept her tablet away.


    Srinivas couldn''t resist himself from smiling as he ruffled her head and bid her goodbye.

 Chapter 294 - She told you!

    Shreya walked through the corridors of Charan''s office. She looked around curiously taking in the new building.


    She had not come here since they shifted�� there were many new faces too. She only recognized few people.


    The first person to notice her was actually Kabir who was coming out of what looked like a conference room. His eyes instantly light up as he approached her eagerly.


    Shreya of course showed all her teeth as she opened her arms wide to give him a hug�� but someone dashed over chasing him and gave her a bear hug�� and of course, it was Ajay.


    "I missed you too, bud��" Shreya giggled and said looking at Kabir shooting daggers at Ajay. He was giving him a stinky eye��


    "Me too��" Ajay said oblivious to his friend trying to kill him with his eyes.


    "And you�� you don''t break up with Charan again, okay? When you are not around�� he goes back to being all gloomy and doomy�� and he brings that to work. He becomes an ass�� it was really hard to put up with him��" Ajay''s motor mouth started ill.u.s.trating everything she could possibly be missed in the past months she hadn''t been around.


    But his banter was interrupted when Kabir pulled him away from Shreya and broke her free from his bear hug.


    "You are smothering her, buddy��" Kabir said when Ajay gave him an oblivious look.


    "Oh!!" Ajay came to realization and stepped away as Kabir gave her a hug.


    "How have you been?" Kabir asked once he pulled away. He couldn''t mask the concern in them.


    After all, he is not exactly as oblivious as Ajay was.


    From news and papers, he could already guess somethings are not exactly right with Shreya''s circ.u.mstances. Even though he did not know what it was, he could clearly guess a storm brewing around the corner even if it hadn''t hit her yet. And that the reason they hadn''t met for so long shouldn''t be simple either�� after all, Charan and Shreya were not exactly what you would call a ''quarreling couple''.


    Even if they were having a fight, there was no way Shreya could have stayed away from Akira for so long without a really good reason.


    And Shreya wasn''t exactly the kind to attend a banquet and pick a fight with not one but three men at that�� that too for no good reason. She was really not someone that jobless.


    And of course, there was the fact that Charan along with his whole family, just up and absconded for two weeks and returned without notice 2 weeks earlier than the original schedule.


    Nothing added up.


    Only a person as na?ve as Ajay wouldn''t notice that something was up��


    "I am good�� don''t worry about it," Shreya answered beaming at him brightly.


    Before Kabir could ask more, Ajay straight up dragged her to his office while his mouth talked non-stop. For once Kabir actually followed and did not stop him��


    "You scared me, you know that!! Suddenly not showing up and breaking up with Charan all of a sudden. I thought you guys were done�� like ''done'' done. And Charan wouldn''t talk about it�� he wouldn''t say anything. He would just sit in his office and brood and work- occasionally."


    Ajay blabbered all the way to his office through the corridor not bothering to heed the comments flying around.


    Now, Shreya was a well-known face now. Especially after the grand entrance, she had made in Naren''s birthday banquet. Even though she hadn''t shown herself to the public after that and the new papers are too scared to dig up scoops on her�� that one entrance was memorable. It made an impression on a lot of people.


    So, almost all the people recognized her instantly. And no. of staffs had almost tripled in size from when he had last come here and most of the people she had met had become senior members in the firm and had an office room.


    So, most of the people in the staff were curious and shocked and perplexed all at the same time seeing The Shreya Srivastav be so chill with their bosses��


    But the three protagonists of the gossip were completely oblivious to the effect and were catching up leisurely in Ajay''s office.


    Ajay kept talking and talking until his own mouth went dry.


    But he was interrupted by someone knocking on the door. One of the staff members peeked in nervously and said, "Sir, you guys are late for a meeting!!"


    Both Ajay and Kabir came back to their senses while Shreya got up before them.


    "You guys work. We will meet next time�� anyways, I need to meet up with Charan!!"


    She walked out before they could object.


    Shreya on the other hand strolled around the corridor until she was a door with Charan''s name on it. She peeked in to make sure he was alone.


    Charan was facing away from her on the phone. A mischievous grin formed on her but then someone came from behind her putting a stop to her plan.


    A lady stood there in her formal suits looking bewildered as to what to do. She had some files on her hand.


    Shreya took a step back and gave way and said, "you can go in��"


    Charan''s ''come in'' came as soon as she knocked. The lady came back out about a couple of minutes later. And Shreya snuck in behind her but was met with Charan''s eyes looking at her.


    "She told you!!" Shreya pouted puffing her cheeks.


    Charan gestured her to come near and asked, "What are you doing here?" He gave her a once over and could clearly see the tired eyes. And of course the bruises on her knuckles.


    He pulled her and sat her on his laps and took her hands in his�� his fingers involuntarily traced her bruises��


    "It''s not what you think�� I just trained with Srinivas last night��" She explained snuggling in. "I needed to get off some steam!"Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#!_52406368006622994">#!_52406368006622994</a> for visiting.

 Chapter 295 - And please be back safe!

    "Why are you here?" Charan asked holding her close.


    "I need to go on a business trip�� to T country," Shreya whispered pouting. She looked as if someone had wronged her.


    But she was the one who said she would go.


    "T country?" Charan asked frowned. T country is extremely underdeveloped. He did not know Shreya actually had business there�� "You have business there?"


    "I do, actually. But I am not exactly going for business. I will let you know if it works out!!" Shreya answered snuggling in with him.


    "When are you leaving?" Charan asked.


    "I am going to be leaving in an hour�� Zack will be here to pick me up." Shreya replied seeing the time. Initially, she still had two hours�� but between Ajay and Kabir, somehow one hour passed without her ever knowing.


    "When will you be back?"


    "I don''t know actually�� if my work is done, I will be back in a day or it might take longer." Shreya replied. Her reluctance was written all over her face.


    "DO you have something to do now?" Charan asked arching his brows.


    Shreya shook her head and asked, "Why? What do you want from me?" Her eyes gleamed for some reason.


    Charan couldn''t really help himself from swatting on her forehead as he scolded her, "Get your head out of the gutter, will you?" But then his lips also twitched helplessly.


    Shreya pouted and puffed as she asked irritated, "Why do I have to do that when I am with my boyfriend?"


    "Don''t you think our roles are reversed way too much between the two of us?" Shreya asked frowning.


    "Yes�� but then it is clearly your fault and not mine!!" Charan answered deadpanned.


    "How is this my fault?" Shreya asked surprised.


    "Well, you do realize you are the boss between the two of us right? So, obviously, the roles will be reversed!" Charan answered beaming at Shreya��Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click <a href="#!_52489416836436398">#!_52489416836436398</a> for visiting.


    Shreya straight up punched in on his gut�� even though she did not her full strength into it, she was still not exactly going easy either.


    Charan inexplicably winced but then arched his brows and asked, "You see what I mean?"


    "You were the one who said I was the boss, so you are just going to have to live with it!! Whether you like it or not!!" Shreya snickered pouting.


    "I never said I did not like it though!!" Charan smirked biting on her ears making her shiver slightly.


    Shreya snuggled in and let him talk her ears out until she actually fell asleep. She did not even realize it�� all she knew was waking up when Zack walked into the office.


    "Times up, sleeping beauty!!" Zack said smiling.


    Shreya did not budge, she instead snuggled in hiding her face into Charan''s embrace.


    Both the men rolled their eyes simultaneously. They started talking about other things leaving Shreya alone for another 5 minutes before she actually got up from Charan''s laps and got on her own feet.


    Charan followed them to the car. He pulled Shreya into a hug and said seriously, "You keep yourself safe okay? Don''t do anything stupid!! Just follow Zack''s arrangements!!"


    "I don''t do stupid things��" Shreya protested but then it died in her throat as Zack reverted her instantly.


    "Says the person who got herself kidnapped!!" Zack commented sarcastically.


    "You are never going to let me live it down, are you?" Shreya asked exasperated. But Zack just smirked.


    "Just don''t fool around, okay?" Charan asked once again looking at her.


    "I will be okay. I won''t do anything stupid!! Promise!" Shreya promised and only then Charan actually let her go.


    He then looked at Zack and said, "Bring her back in one piece will you?"


    Zack just nodded his head. This time things were slightly tricky actually. That is the whole reason why he is going there personally�� if everything goes as planned, nothing should happen. But if there are any hitches, things can actually get slightly dicey since they do not have that extensive resources in T country.


    They do have resources, but he was just not sure that is going to be enough to withstand if something crept up.


    And looking at Charan, Zack knew Shreya hadn''t exactly explained anything concrete to him��


    She pretty much had to bulldozer Akash and Adam to let her go on this trip�� she practically had to threaten them to let her go.


    If there was someone who could make her change her mind, it should have been CHaran�� but Shreya smartly avoided explaining things to him this time around. And he cannot exactly overstep his boundaries when Shreya explicitly asked him not to open his mouth.


    "I couldn''t get hold of Akira�� can you just let her know I will be back. Cell receptions might be slightly tricky in that part of the world�� I am not sure I could keep in touch!!" Shreya said pocketing her phone.


    "She is in a workshop with Akil. Preethi took them�� so they are probably in there now�� I will let her know. And please be back safe!!" Charan said pecking her on the lips and closing the doors for her.


    Almost an hour later, the car pulled up at the airport.


    "Why are we taking the jet again?" Shreya asked slightly irritated as she boarded the plane.


    "Because you planned to suddenly up and go to a godforsaken country a couple of hours ago. And also because this will give us better security. You can''t exactly wait to book a ticket if we have to make a run for it right?" Zack said sitting opposite her.


    There were at least 10 more people in the cabin who all stayed quiet after greeting Shreya.


    Shreya sat back and pulled up her laptop and started working�� her eyes lost all emotions just like that as she surfed through the information.


    "We will get her Shreya�� one way or another. You just going to have to be patient and rational about it!!" Zack reassured her. But Shreya did not budge�� she just pursed her lips tightly and looked out the window.

 Chapter 296 - I want to marry her…

    Madhu looked at the mansion in front of her and was pretty much ready to sprint out of the place. The only thing keeping her in place was Akash holding on to her hands in a death grip.


    "Maybe this wasn''t such a good idea!! We are fine the way we are right? There is no need for marriage and stuff!!" She mumbled complete pale.


    Akash just gapped at her shocked. But then he softly rubbed at the back of her head and said gently, "Just meet with them okay? If you feel uncomfortable at any time, we will be out of here�� I promise." He then did not really give her an option as she dragged her out of his car and walked towards his parent''s place.


    Madhu shook her head frantically.


    "How can I do something like that? What will your parents think about me? Let''s just go before I lose my nerves completely, okay?" Madhu murmured the last part softly��


    Akash''s mouth twitched but before he could say anything or do anything, Bhagya walked out of his house with a bright smile playing on her face.


    She swiftly reached the couple. Bhagya more or less knew everything about Madhu�� after all, Bhavna can rarely keep anything to herself. And as far as Madhu''s family situation is concerned, she knew about it a long time ago�� Once Shreya had told her about it when she first hired Madhu into the company as Akash''s assistant.


    Even when the rest of the personal management is done by HR without her interference�� the people she keeps on her floor are strictly hired by herself.


    Bhagya reached them before Akash or Madhu can even take a step�� her bright smile slipped when she saw Madhu''s aghast, pale face. Bhagya''s brows involuntarily frowned as she looked at his own son.


    "What did you do? Why does she look so scared? Did you say anything to scare her?" Bhagya scolded Akash instantly and then looked at Madhu and said in a soft voice, "You don''t have to be afraid of him�� if he does something to hurt you, you just say to Bhavna or Shreya, they will teach him nicely!! Or else come to me, I will see to it!!" While saying so, Bhagya warmly ran her hands over Madhu''s shivering ones.


    Madhu''s eyes snapped up surprised but Akash looked at Bhagya frowning.


    "Mom, I did not do anything!! I swear!!" He whined aggrieved.


    "I don''t care if it is your fault or not�� if she is going to look like that when you are around, you are doing something wrong. That is all�� now come on in�� see how cold she is�� and you are keeping her here and talking!!" Bhagya said sternly and did not really give Akash a chance to refute as she took Madhu inside the house leaving behind a really helpless Akash.


    "I knew this would happen!!" He mumbled aggrieved to himself but then helplessly followed the ladies inside.


    Madhu on the other hand froze like a statue�� she was extremely confused. She did not know how to comprehend what was happening.


    Bhagya kept saying something or that other as she walked Madhu inside and sat her down in the living room but Madhu could not hear even a single word or what she said�� even when she did hear, she couldn''t comprehend what it was with her frozen mind. So, as soon as she sat down, her eyes involuntarily searched for Akash.


    Akash of course, saw right through Madhu as soon as their eyes met. Her eyes looked scared but more than that they were confused and asking for some help.


    "Mom�� take it down a notch, will you��? you are the one scaring her!!" Akash said helplessly coming to stand in front of Madhu.


    Bhagya looked offended as she looked at her son!


    "How the hell do I scare her? I am being nice here! See, as soon as she saw you, she is sweating!! Your frowning face probably reminded her of King Kong!!" Bhagya reverted back over dramatically.


    Akash could only gap at his own mother. He really did not know what to say to that. His face became more ugly.


    Madhu, on the other, could not help but smile at his face�� she couldn''t help herself from letting out a soft giggle.


    Bhagya beamed brightly and said, "See, even Madhu is agreeing to me!!" She gave Akash a proud smile that said, ''See, I made her laugh!''


    Akash just rolled his eyes at his mother''s antics but then was also relieved to see Madhu relaxing ever so slightly.


    "You go bring your dad!! He is in the study doing god knows what!!" Bhagya practically shooed him away and joyously started talking to Madhu.


    Akash gave Madhu a worried look but then he saw her whole attention was on Bhagya and she did not look as pale as she was when she met her outside. So, he walked out slightly relieved.


    Akash knocked and went into his dad''s study.


    Anand was busy flipping through some files as always when he looked up at Akash.


    "Any word from Shreya?" He asked.


    Akash just shook his head. It had been two days since Shreya had left for T country in spite of all their protests�� and they hadn''t heard from her much after she reached there.


    Anand was worried out of his head but Shreya just won''t listen.


    "Madhu is here�� mom is calling you down!" Akash said changing the topic.


    "I will be down in a minute!!" Anand said starting to close the files.


    But Akash did not budge from the place. Anand frowned and asked, "You have something to say��"


    Akash hesitated for a second but then looked at Anand straight in the eyes said, "I want to marry her��"


    Anand looked at his son surprised for a second. Not that he had any objections. He was just surprised.


    He knew Akash was serious about Madhu when he offered to bring her home to meet Bhagya. But he did not realize he was actually this serious about her.

 Chapter 297 - It is not something you can do half-assed. Not in our family!

    "Have you considered it carefully? Marriage is a big step�� it is not something you can do half-assed. Not in our family!" Anand asked once calming down.


    Akash''s eyes did not flicker as he answered determined, "I am sure about it!"


    Anand just nodded his head and exited his study with Akash on his trail. They reached the living room and found both Madhu and Bhagya laughing and giggling away. Both the men warmed up instantly as Akash went and sat beside Madhu while Anand sat beside Bhagya.


    Madhu greeted Anand very respectfully�� But somehow Bhagya breezed through the conversation very naturally.


    Bhagya did not close her mouth even for a second. Even the conversation on the dinner table just flowed naturally thanks to Bhagya.


    Anand interrupted and asked something here and there�� but he did not make it awkward to Madhu. He did not ask anything embarrassing or tough.


    Once the dinner was done, Akash did not heed to Bhagya''s complaints and whining as he dragged Madhu away from her and to his room. He could even see Madhu''s reluctance to part away from Bhagya.


    "Don''t worry. I am going to marry her home. Then you can talk to her all day long!!" Akash said to his mom before disappearing into his room along with Madhu leaving behind a surprised Bhagya.


    Akash did not take even a single step into his room when he felt someone hug from behind. Small white hands wrapped around his torso and held him in place with a firm grip.


    He did not move from his place as he caressed Madhu''s hands softly and asked, "Hey, are you okay? My mom did not scare you, did she? I mean, I know she talks a lot but she means well��" But his explanation stuck in his throat when he felt something cold drip on his back.


    Akash instantly pulled Madhu away�� or at least, he tried to. But Madhu did not let go. She just held him in place and soaked him in her tears. He helplessly let her be for a minute. But when he saw that she was not calming down, he used some force and pulled away.


    A pair of teary vulnerable eyes met with his. Akash dragged her to his couch and sat down with her on his lap.


    He used his thumbs to wipe the tears away but then she shed some more.


    "Are you trying to get me beaten by my mom? Because I will get nicely from her if she knew I let you cry as soon as we are alone!!"


    Madhu tried to calm down�� she kept wiping her tears away repeatedly but in spite of her efforts, they just kept tumbling down her eyes.


    "I''m sorry�� it just�� it just is not stopping." Madhu whimpered. But her anxiety to stop crying just made it so much worse��


    Akash helplessly pulled her to him and let her nuzzle over his neck as he whispered comfort right beside her ears.


    It took a while to calm herself down. Akash waited patiently. Even when he did not know why she was crying her eyes out exactly, but he could already guess it wasn''t because she was sad. She looked scared if he was any good at judging her moods. Akash figured she was probably venting all her suppressed anxiety about meeting his parents.


    If he had known she would be so scared, he probably wouldn''t have made this meeting so official�� maybe he would have done it with Shreya and Bhavna around�� But what''s done is done�� so, all he can do now is to ride it through.


    Madhu diligently wiped all her tears and snot on his shirt completely until they left a big patch of a mucky wet blotch behind.


    Akash just shook his head helplessly but did not comment.


    "The crybaby, at last, calmed down I see," Akash teased when Madhu looked up.


    Madhu blushed red�� her eyes were already red. So, her whole face was red now.


    "Sorry�� I just��" Madhu mumbled but then nothing came after that.


    "You want to tell me why you were crying as if someone was threatening to take your favorite doll or something?" Akash asked arching his brows.


    "Can I�� c-can I be here? I mean, Can I really be w-with you? B-be with y-your family? B-be a part of this f-family?" Madhu stumbled around her words a lot as she whispered the questions plaguing her.


    Akash looked at her steadily as he asked, "Why are you asking me this?"


    "C-cause I won''t know how to go on if I started having expectations�� so far I never had a family before�� I never had any expectations. So I knew how to cope with myself. But with you and your mum, dad and sister�� I cannot really help myself from having this ''hope'' that maybe I can have one too�� maybe I can have someone warm come home to. Maybe I can have maternal protection��" Madhu paused taking a deep breath.


    "And if for some reason this is all going to be taken away from me after experiencing it�� because we had a spat�� because you got bored of me. Because you found someone�� more than losing you, losing them all together- it would ruin me completely. I do not want to take that kind of chance�� At least not without being terrified about it."


    "When it was just you, I can jump in with a leap of faith�� because I had the confidence to get over you if you decide to turn your back on me. But after meeting your mother, I do not have that confidence�� I am in all absolute sense am terrified to accept that kind of warmth!!" Madhu mumbled and looked at him with expectant eyes and asked further,


    "So, you are going to have to tell me clearly�� c-can I? If you have doubts, please just say so�� I won''t blame you�� after all, I was the one who proposed. You never made any promises�� I will handle myself!!"

 Chapter 298 - But then it seemed like Akash knew what he was doing!

    Bhagya!


    She was an absolute joy to be around. In just a couple of hours they had spent together, she had given her more warmth than she ever had all her life. She was everything she hoped her mother was.


    Anand and Bhagya- they were everything she ever wanted from her parents��


    The fact that she can have that kind of warmth for herself all her life did something extraordinary to her heart�� but at the same time, it also scared her out of her wits.


    All her insecurities plagued her with questions- one after the other.


    What if Akash suddenly decided he did not love her anymore? Will his mother also blame her�� will she also abandon her? After all, all this warmth is because she was with Akash now! So, what happens when they both fight? Will Bhagya be angry with her?


    It was hard to get her head out of it.


    So, all her emotional dilemmas came crashing down as soon as she was left alone with Akash and she poured all of them to him. She would rather he break her heart now than a few months later when she had gotten used to not only having Akash but also someone like Bhagya and Anand in her life.


    So, she looked at Akash with expectant eyes��


    She did not even know what she was expecting. She was hoping he wouldn''t break her but at the same time, she was also preparing her heart for him to break her like a porcelain vase��


    Akash did not reply. He got up from his place and let Madhu stand on her two feet steading her. He then quietly took her hands and dragged her out.


    "Where are you taking me?" Madhu asked confused as he traveled through several corridors before coming to a standstill at the backyard garden. Bhagya was there walking with Anand happily giggling away.


    Madhu frowned confused. She tried so hard to wipe away all her tears�� but her blotched eyes were a dead giveaway. So, Madhu did not dare to tilt her head up.


    But as soon as Bhagya and Anand heard other people come in and saw Akash and Madhu, their eyes frowned in confusion.


    But Bhagya''s eyes were sharp. She could see there was something wrong with Madhu right away�� not that she had been very forthcoming and bubbly all day long�� but she did not hide like this. She frowned and narrowed her eyes as she looked at Madhu and asked, "Madhu, what is it?"


    Akash did not answer. He just kept dumb and let his mom approach them�� he knew Bhagya well enough to know she was probably the only one who could pull Madhu out of her insecurities. But he never thought his decision would end up having his ears getting twisted by his mum.


    "Hisss��. Mum�� mum�� let go, it hurts!!" Aakash exclaimed giving Bhagya a bewildered look. But he was met with blazing ones from Bhagya.


    "What did you do? Why is she crying suddenly? She was fine when we parted!!" Bhagya hissed. She knew Akash wasn''t the kind to do anything harmful�� but again she also knew he was an idiot every now and then.


    All Madhu could do was stare at Bhagya with an open mouth shocked. One minute went�� and then another went as she looked at the scene in front of her completely frozen as she saw Bhagya almost pull Akash''s ears out of the seems of his face before she actually came back to her senses and shook her head frantically��


    "No-no-no aunty. It was not Akash''s fault. He did not do anything!!" Her voice was frantic and panicked at she met with Bhagya''s eyes.


    "You do not have to defend him�� we know he can be an idiot every now and then. We will take care of it��" Anand said following the fun.


    Madhu looked around at Anand helplessly as she tried to explain, "NO, sir. It really was not�� I was just�� I was just emotional after coming here and meeting you guys�� that is all!!"


    Bhagya looked at Madhu intently before letting go of Akash. Then she looked at both of them�� Akash had a sheepish smile on his face even when she had held him by his ears�� she knew he was scheming something�� he almost seemed happy to be scolded just now.


    "You want to tell me what is happening here?" Bhagya asked at Akash.


    He just leaned over and pecked at his mom''s cheeks and said grinning, "Nothing mom. You did great. I will drop Madhu off now��"


    He dragged out Madhu before Bhagya or Anand could say anything. He did not even give Madhu the chance to bid them goodbye as he dragged her out to his car.


    "Did you get what just happened?" Bhagya asked Anand once Akash exited the garden.


    Anand obviously shook his head as he answered, "Nope�� but then it seemed like Akash knew what he was doing!! For once��"


    "About time he did, I would say��" Bhagya said rolling her eyes.


    Akash was what you would call a laid-back person. He neither had much ambition nor was he too much a wild spirit to mess up completely. SO, he had it smooth sailing so far. He would just do anything and everything Shreya or Adithya asked of him blindly�� so, he never really had a sense of responsibility towards anything. Though he would very diligently complete everything given to him�� he just never really a person who knew what he wanted for himself.


    "He said he wanted to marry her!!" Anand announced.


    Bhagya''s eyes widened surprised but then she grinned.


    "Wow!!"


    "What? That is all you are going to say in the subject?" Anand asked his wife frowning.


    "What else can I say?" Bhagya asked.


    "You know they had just been going out for a few months right? And he is already thinking about marriage? Aren''t you afraid he is being blinded with infatuation or something?" Anand asked walking back into the garden holding Bhagya''s hands.


    "Maybe it is�� or maybe it isn''t. Anyways, he is an a.d.u.l.t now and she is a lovely girl. As long as it is something that both of them want to do�� I am not planning on creating a headache for myself by sticking my nose on something where it doesn''t belong. And I saw the way he looked at her�� he is a goner!!" Bhagya replied gleefully beaming.


    Anand just smiled looking at her helplessly.


    Srivastav''s men and women are stuck up like that when it came to love!! Goner''s!

 Chapter 299 - They were her savior.

    Madhu reached out and touched his ears with slightly shivering hands as soon as they both got into his car.


    Bhagya really did not take it easy on him�� whole of his ear was a pretty deep shade of red by now.


    "Hisssssss." Akash exclaimed dramatically when he felt Madhu''s finger brush over his ears every so slightly.


    Madhu''s eyes somehow welled up all over again as soon as she heard him exclaim in pain. She took back her hand quickly as she apologized fl.u.s.tered, "I''m sorry�� I''m sorry. I did not mean to hurt you��"


    That is when Akash noticed something wrong with her voice and actually turned to look at her and saw her crying all over again. He just shook his head helplessly after a minute and wiped her tears with his thumbs and said softly, "You know, I even let my mom do that to me because I wanted to make you stop crying�� but you are making it all go to waste by crying as soon as you come out!!" He was clearly teasing her to get her distracted but then Madhu was way too far gone by them.


    Her sob broke as she heard him.


    "Sorry�� sorry. I did not mean to cry and get you scolded by your mom�� I just did not know�� I was just!! I just couldn''t control myself. I did not mean to cry now too�� but just looking at your ears�� I don''t know! It just�� hic!"


    Akash had enough of it as he swiftly lifted her off her seat and let her sit on his lap stranding him.


    "You are going to be the death of me, baby!!" He mumbled helplessly for the nth time today before crashing his lips to hers. She instantly stopped talking and froze in place for a second surprise.


    Akash actually kept the kiss very light! But he still tasted the salt from her tear as he pulled away.


    "If I had known this would work, I would have done it back in my room itself!" Akash mumbled regretfully.


    Madhu did not reply. She just sat there blankly��


    Akash put his hands over her cheeks and let her look at him and said in a serious voice, "Hey, baby. Did you see what happened back there? Do you know what that meant?"


    Madhu shook her head obliviously. She actually did not understand anything that happened there��


    But Akash did not really pause much as he answered her with the same seriousness as before��


    "What just happened may be small�� but it also means you are going to have a family with or without me, Madhu. It means you are going to have elders even if we do not work out�� not that I am going to ever let anything happen to us�� because I am not! But even if you have doubt about it, I need you not to pull away from my family even before knowing them because you are scared!!"


    Akash ran his hands over her soft hair before continuing, "I brought you here to show you that you will not be alone even if you do not have me!! So, do not be so scared around me, okay?" His eyes looked at her earnestly as he explained patiently.


    He knew this was not something she was going to be able to understand just like and suddenly gain a sense of security but then at least he wanted her to take one step forward instead of being so scared.


    It took Madhu a minute to sink in everything Akash said. But when it did sink in, the fading tears reappeared. But this time she buried her face against his neck as she let her sobs out.


    When she was really really young�� when she hadn''t known what it meant by adopted parents, she often wondered why every time her brother cried, her mother made so much fuss.


    She often wondered why nobody ever noticed her red eyes�� why she was alone when she cried. Why nobody comes to comfort her and give her candy when she fell��?


    But then when she grew up, she understood�� not just the difference in treatment, she also understood she was asking for too much.


    Because it was an absolute fact that her parents saved her. With her personality, she did not know how she would have survived in a place like an orphanage�� even if she did, it wouldn''t have been so smooth sailing as she had grown up with her parents. They were her savior.


    And her parents never mistreated her or nobody even scolded her or called her names�� As far as she knew, they treated her fairly enough. They just never had an interest in her�� they just never loved her. But then, seeing as her own biological parents never did, what right did she have to expect something like that from someone who picked her up?


    So, she slowly learned what she can ask for and what she cannot ask for�� she understood and accepted it without complaint too.


    But somehow seeing Bhagya today�� somehow it just brought her back to the person who had once asked tough questions�� who had wanted more for herself.


    Madhu bit on her lips pretty hard trying to sort her thought process and gain some control over her emotions.


    Akash just held her tightly�� He figured out by now that she was thinking about something more than what just happened there inside his home�� Whatever it was, it was better for her to let it out now.


    After a lot of hiccups and bloody lips, Madhu pulled away calming down.


    "You okay now?" Akash asked running his fingers over her bloody lips. She was still chewing on them which he actually pulled at and released them from their seems.


    Madhu nodded her head not trusting her voice.


    "Do you want to go home now?" Akash asked.


    Madhu shook her head��


    "Can I crash at your place? I cannot exactly go back like this!" She mumbled,


    They might not care enough to comfort her but her parents would still ask her what had happened and she did not really have that kind of energy to come up with anything to answer them and for now, she did not want them to think badly of her�� or to be more precise she did not want to think badly of her ever.


    But then, that was not going to happen�� as soon as they know she was in a relationship, all the goodwill she had earned so far is going to go in a puff. She knew�� but she wanted to gather enough courage before facing that situation�� and that was defiantly not today.

 Chapter 300 - I cannot wait to marry you, baby!

    By the time Akash reached his home, Madhu was already fast asleep. He quietly called his butler and asked him to open the doors for him while he picked Madhu up carefully not to wake her up and walked in.


    He first took her up to his room and settled her in while his butler adjusted the temperature of the room following closely behind.


    Akash tucked her in and walked out.


    "Thanks, Al. You can go for the day��" Akash bid him for the night and locked his home behind him.


    He quickly freshened up and came out to find Madhu actually up�� But her eyes were still extremely dazed.


    "Go back to sleep��" Akash said softly sitting beside her running his fingers through her hairs. Madhu nuzzled in and leaned over unconsciously.


    "I need to tell my mum I am at work!!" Madhu mumbled but then her eyes drooped back shut before she could go through with it.


    Akash just laid her down and went downstairs to find her bag. He took her phone and texted her mom that she was staying over at the office tonight.


    This was not really the first time it happened. Because of all the pressure these few months, Madhu had actually crashed in her office more than once�� it was not just her but everyone including Akash and others. As far as Shreya was concerned, she never left the office to sleepover in the first place.


    Akash went back into his room to check up on her. But she was sleeping soundly when he reached her. He just tucked her in one more time for his own peace of mind and switched off the bedside light that was still on.


    He pecked on her forehead and got up from his place�� or at least he tried to because between his hesitation to leave and fussing, Madhu had unconsciously looped her arms around his and was holding him in a death grip as if a little girl would hold on to a plush toy while sleeping.


    Akash tried to pull out his hands without waking her up but all his attempts were unsuccessful since her gentle prying just made Madhu tighten her grip around him.


    That''s what you get for sneaking up on her while she was asleep and stealing a kiss�� Akash thought for himself and mentally prepared for spending a sleepless night sitting in an extremely uncomfortable position. After all, Madhu was holding on to his left hand with her both of her arms wrapped around them while he sat facing her.


    But then he couldn''t really help but smile in spite of it all.


    He just leaned over and pecked on her forehead all over again�� and time ticked by just like that until Madhu stirred in her sleep about half an hour after and let his arm fall. Akash did not go through. He just sat with his back to the wall and let her snuggle in on his lap��


    So, that is what Madhu saw when she, at last, woke up the next morning. His head bobbing up and down as he drowsed off with her on his laps.


    Madhu shot up surprised and yelped.


    Akash opened his eyes wide awake instantly asking, "What happened?" He was a light sleeper.


    Madhu calmed down a bit as she remembered where she was��


    "Nothing�� I just did not expect to see you first thing in the morning." Madhu answered.


    Akash looked around and found that it was just 5 am.


    "Why are you up so early?" He asked frowning as his eyes involuntarily shut halfway through.


    "I am always up by this time. I had chores at home!!" Madhu answered getting up. But Akash never gave her the chance to actually get up.


    Instead, he laid back on the bed with Madhu alongside him. He shut his eyes while holding Madhu strongly in his embrace.


    "Well, you do not have chores here�� so, guess we can sleep in!!"


    Before Madhu could really protest, Akash was out cold breathing evenly.


    Madhu did not even bother. She just closed her eyes and tried to sleep�� but it was hard seeing as she was used to getting up by now for almost all her life. So, she just laid there until she got bored and her hands started wandering around.


    She traced his face with her fingers so softly that it almost felt like feathers. When her fingers slide over his eyes, his brows unconsciously frowned ever so slightly.


    Madhu bit on her lips trying to control the bubble of giggle that was threatening to break out when Akash tried to swat away her hands without having to open his eyes.


    This went on for a couple of minutes before Akash actually opened his eyes and gave Madhu a childish glare.


    Madhu at last let herself giggle.


    "I can''t sleep!!" She smiled.


    "So, you decided to play with my face!!?" Akash asked arching his brows.


    "Yep�� I mean I cannot move with you holding me like this�� and you are the only thing within the reach of my hands!!" Madhu sassed, unlike her usual self. Maybe it, at last, went through her thick skull or because she forgot about it, either way, Akash liked her this way�� carefree.


    He just pulled her flush against his chests and kissed her temple and murmured, "Good morning, baby"


    Anyways, it did not look like he was going to get much sleep after this�� he might as well give up on it.


    "Morning��" Madhu wished back.


    "So, since you do not want to sleep�� what do you suggest we should do now?" Akash asked. He deliberately made his voice very suggestive and husky while he whispered against her ears.


    Madhu involuntarily shivered with wide eyes��


    "You know what, you should just go back to sleep. I am also getting very sleepy suddenly." Madhu answered hurriedly and even closed her eyes in a hurry instantly.


    Akash just chuckled as he started teasing her some more until she was a laughing fit.


    At the end of it all, he was really tempted to just pick her up and drive to the Marriage Bureau to get the certificate straight up. But he controlled his urge since he wanted to do right by her�� But he still made up his mind to talk to his dad to organize the whole thing as soon as humanly possible.


    "I cannot wait to marry you, baby!!" Akash murmured against her ears before fully getting up from the bed walking towards his shower to get ready for the day.


    "Oh! I arranged some clothes for you�� see if you like them!!!" He said before going into the bath while Madhu was left staring at a closet full of women''s clothes�� The last time she was here, there were only his clothes on this��

 Chapter 301 - I came bearing gifts actually…

    Shreya looked out the vast sky in front of her with a blank look on her face�� there was no emotion on her face as she leaned on her balcony and just looked outside.


    "We found one!!" Zack said from behind him��


    Shreya''s eyes at last flickered.


    "Who is it?" Shreya asked.


    "Son of the leader�� he is a politician here�� powerful too!" Zack replied.


    "How did she miss him?" Shreya asked.


    "He is illegitimate�� Nobody knew of him until after the organization''s demise. He took over underground. Unless one comes here to inquire personally, it''s impossible for them to trace his birth or his whereabouts."


    "Will he serve our purpose?" Shreya asked again.


    "I don''t know�� You will have to meet him to know it!" Zack replied.


    "Can we meet him?"


    "With all our noisiness, he should approach you rather than the other way around. We made some pretty glaring inquiries�� with his power, it''s almost impossible for him not to know even though his arms are not that long�� he is pretty sturdy within T country. He rules the underworld here�� He might not know who you are, but he is going to know that you made the inquiries in no time." Zack said.


    "You sure we can get out of there alive once we walk into his trap?" Shreya asked giving him a skeptical look.


    "Not sure�� it would depend on what he wants and how well you can exploit it actually��" Zack shrugged.


    Shreya just shrugged back and said, "We will cross that bridge when we come to it!! So, for now, we will have to wait ah?"


    "Or you can make it easy and go out to the club he hangs out usually�� Anyways, you did want to go home soon!" Zack said.


    "Okay, let''s make it easy for them then�� Let''s go clubbing��" Shreya said walking out of her room briskly.


    Half an hour later, both Zack and Shreya were walking into a packed club that was loud and happening even in the early evening hours.


    As soon as they stepped in, all activities stopped as people stared at her with pin-drop silence��


    She was the only female in the room�� or at least the only one who looked out of place. Every other female seemed to be working girls�� either for the club itself or a date to one of the patrons there. Even though it looked like a typical club, everyone in the city knows this club is off limit for the general public�� this is the place where all the bosses of the underworld met and dealt with their business without the intervention of the police��


    This club is a no-man''s ground. Nobody is allowed to dispute on their grounds�� if they did, they will most probably end up in a ditch somewhere, either completely dead or halfway there.


    T country in itself is a land that is ruled more by these bosses than the government�� and this club owner is kind of the boss of all these bosses here�� he reached that place by being ruthless and smarts.


    Shreya looked around and found the one person who gave her a nonchalant look rather than a curious one�� he was the one person who knows who she was and Shreya was here to meet him.


    Shreya made her way toward the corner that person was sitting without really bothering with anything else��


    She sat down opposite him��


    He was a rather handsome dude with blonde hair and green eyes�� His suit was in pristine condition. He just sat there giving Shreya an amused look sipping on his drink.


    Shreya just crossed her legs and sat back comfortably.


    "TO what do I owe this pleasure, Ms. Shreya?" The person asked with a heavy accent.


    "I came bearing gifts actually�� I am just not sure if my gift is going to be valued here��" Shreya said pushing some photos over.


    The guy stiffened as soon as his eyes landed on the photo�� a minute passed before his eyes involuntarily shifted to his left and made eye contact with the female beside him��


    Shreya caught on to it pretty quickly. Her eyes brightened immediately��


    "That is just a sample by the way�� I have more if you guys are interested!" Shreya said now looking at the female beside him rather than the male in the center.


    The female''s aura changed instantly as her eye met with Shreya''s sharply. The male stood up and took a  step back leaving the center place to the female. The female sat back comfortably crossing her legs. She bunched her hair back and secured it with a band revealing a deep scar on the side of her face just beside her ears.


    Shreya''s eyes twitched slightly but other than that, her face remained calm as ever��


    "How did you know I am in charge?" The female asked curiously.


    "Well, he might be the son, but the guy grew up being protected endlessly by his father�� he does not seem like someone who had the guts or the street smarts to achieve everything happening here�� plus your faces are similar. Those jaws are a dead giveaway�� So, it was obvious you were not his date�� so, you must be here for another purpose and he looked at you as soon as I handed him the photo which just confirmed my suspicion." Shreya answered.


    The female''s lips twitched slightly��


    Half an hour later, Shreya and Zack walked out of the club with a triumphant smile�� But before either of them could do anything else, they were surrounded by a group of men with guns looking serious��


    "Are we going to get kidnapped now? Seriously? Just when I thought we can go home at last?" Shreya whined exasperatedly.


    Zack took out his guns while his own guys jumped from the corners��


    Even then, they were sourly outnumbered and outgunned.


    "Let''s not make a scene here�� can we just go with them for now and then regroup?" Shreya pitched in and asked looking around.


    Even though they were outnumbered, from the looks of it, none of the assailants seemed to be having a steady hand as they held their gun�� they looked barely above legal age��

 Chapter 302 - Idiots!

    Shreya was taken away with her face covered�� after a long ride, she was let out and after a short walk, she was sat down roughly.


    When the blinds were lifted Shreya was squinted her eyes to adjust them to their brightness.


    "Why did you guys bring her here?? That too alive?" A gruff voice bellowed.


    "She went into the club before we could grab her!! So, we couldn''t make a move. As soon as she got out, we got her surrounded�� but she had a back-up�� and she seemed cozy with the Boss! So, we grabbed her for now!" One of the kids who was holding a gun to her head outside the club answered.


    Shreya looked at the person who talked to her first��


    He was an older guy with a bald head. He looked plum with flashy clothes and golden teeth. His watch flickered shinily at the old barn they were in.


    Shreya then looked around the people working for him�� they did look malnourished at best, at worst, some of them seemed starved.


    The streets of T country are known to be cruel to the week.


    "Where are the guys who were with her?" The stout guy asked��


    "We couldn''t contain them all�� only one guy came with us voluntarily and he is in the back of the truck!! Knocked unconscious!" The little guy replied.


    The stout guy faced Shreya for the first time�� Even in that barn with her baggy clothes, Shreya looked attractive naturally. So, his eyes went l.u.s.tful instantly�� He grinned with all his teeth and secretly felt good that his idiotic subordinates did not kill her yet�� His eyes gleamed making a plan�� anyways, she was going to end up being dead one way or another�� so, nobody is going to be bothered about what happened to her before that. So, he might as well have some fun.


    "You sc.u.ms cannot do one thing right!! Idiots! I have to do everything myself�� Get out of here before I chop your head�� and no food for anyone tonight! Feeding you guys is a waste of food��" The boss scolded begrudgingly while all his subordinates exited the room��


    By then Shreya could decipher what was happening. A sinister grin played on her lips as she looked at the disgusting guy in front of her��


    She hated this kind of people the most in the world�� someone who is not satisfied with anything�� someone who is greedy. Someone who would not care about what happens to anyone else as long as they had fed and comfortable.


    Such guys do not have any sort of sympathy for anyone�� they did not care about anyone. But on top of it, they like stomping on others to make themselves seem superior.


    Shreya couldn''t help but grin at the thought of stomping someone like him�� that would be really really satisfying.


    She easily slides out of her cuffs�� Zack painstakingly taught her that in their training sessions�� He would lock her up for hours at a time and let her get out of locked doors and cuffs and rope ties until she could pretty much get out of any type of restraint.


    So, as soon as the guy approached her with his dirty teeth showing, her fists connected with his jaws with a crack�� his shrill scream filled the air but he never got the chance to continue since Shreya jabbed on his throat in quick succession making it impossible for him to let any sound out.


    With on swift kick from Shreya, he was quivering on the floor on his knees with no means to do anything to save himself.


    Shreya leisurely took the knife from his hands and went back to sit on her chair. She rested one of her feet on top of the chairs and rested her elbow on its knees while the knife dangled off of her hands�� her aura and the calm arrogance�� she looked more like a thug than their own boss ever did while their own boss was shriveling away on the floor.


    That was the scene that invited the guys when they came back in hearing their boss scream�� for a second, they stood there stagnant in shock��


    "What the hell are you guys standing there like statues for? Get her�� now�� She tried to kill me just now!!" The boss wailed on top of his lungs in pain. His face was puffed red�� nobody can tell if it was caused by anger or pain.


    But before any of the guys could take on a step forward, they heard a loud noise of something exploding followed by Zack breaking into the barn fully armed.


    "I would really think twice before taking another step forward because that might end up being your last starting with your boss!!" Zack said walking in.


    Several red dots started appearing out of nowhere with one staying constantly on the boss''s head.


    All of them were amateurs�� they were just used to being jerks because that kept them fed in the streets. Nobody there knows anything about anything�� They are just people who are used to fighting so that they wouldn''t starve��


    Their gang was low-key scary in that area given they have a huge advantage when it came to numbers after the stout guy brought everyone together��


    "How much did they pay you to kill me?" Shreya asked leisurely�� Zack came to stand beside her while another one of her guys sat the boss in place on the floor.


    Anyways, if the person knew what he was doing, he would have never given the job to this kind of low key thugs�� they were of no match to her.


    So, Shreya just saw this as some kind of entertainment rather than someone trying to kill her��


    She already could see the other person was a bigger idiot than this boss�� or maybe that was debatable. But either way, both of them are like clowns in her eyes serving as entertainment for her amus.e.m.e.nt. Something she can joke and laugh out of in the future��

 Chapter 303 - Plus… you will have good looking boss!

    The boss shakily showed 3 fingers��


    "Three crores?" Shreya asked surprised��


    The guy shook frantically.


    "Thirty crores?" Shreya asked looking slightly satisfied.


    But the guy''s eyes widened inexplicable as he shook his head more quickly this time and at last deciding to open his mouth to answer her��


    "T-thirty lakhs!" His already gruff voice was further distorted due to the broken jaws and bruised throat.


    Shreya widened her eyes speechless��


    While Zack couldn''t help but let out a burst of laughter.


    "Damn, Shreya�� you are getting cheap these days!!" He said amused looking at Shreya��


    "What kind of idiot actually sold me so cheap?" Shreya fumed��


    "I-I do-don''t k-know. I just got an anonymous email. T-they sent a picture of yo-you a-and they even s-said when y-you w-w-will arrive in the country. The instruction was t-to kill you before you leave the country and blame it on rebels�� Half payment before the job is done and the other half will be deposited after the success of the job!!" The guy confessed after some persuasion from the guy standing beside him.


    "How did you receive your advance?" Shreya asked.


    "Wire transfer��" The guy replied.


    "Where is your computer?" Shreya asked next��


    The guy shook his head frantically this time�� the computer not only had these transaction records but many more like that. He was a street rat who bowed his head when needed and bullied when he had the upper hand.


    Someone like that naturally tends to have a lot of information on everyone in the city��


    Especially given he tends to take in stray kids into his wing and use them to his advantage, things he knew in this city were not small�� and that information is what is keeping him feel secure to go around this city with some arrogance.


    The minute people know about the things he has, either way, he will end up being dead quicker than he could reach for his guns�� so, at any cost, he cannot give her his laptop. He would rather take some more beating.


    "Anyone here knows where his laptop is?" Shreya asked the other members of the gang.


    The boss shook his head frantically as he said, "Don''t you dare!! You would never be able to walk these streets alive ever again!!"


    As soon as he finished, the guy beside him served him with a blow on his gut making him groan.


    "Anybody who tells me where his laptop is will get half of the pay he got for this job!!" Shreya announced happily��


    "If I am happy I might even give the full amount!" Shreya tempted them further until one of the guys went ahead and brought back a silver laptop from under a car''s floor.


    Shreya smiled at that��


    "Anybody knows the password?" She asked next. The authority in her voice made the guys instinctively answer before they could stop themselves or even think about whether or not to co-operate with her.


    They all shook their heads in unison.


    If they ever went near the laptop, they will get hell. SO, nobody dared to go anywhere near him when he was using it.


    "Too bad�� okay, then. Next task�� somebody here wants to help persuade him to give me the password?" Shreya asked next��


    This time around everyone looked at each other waiting to see who would go��


    "You should know by now that he is an asshole of the worst kind�� he abuses you guys and never feeds you right while he goes around with golden teeth and a shiny watch�� If you guys help me, I promise to take you with me! You will definitely have better pay if nothing else!! You will have a better life in this godforsaken country!! A legal one�� You know I have more influence in this country than your boss!" Shreya said sitting back.


    A few guys took a hesitant step towards the boss��


    "Plus�� you will have good looking boss!!!" Shreya beamed�� she gave them the best smile��


    Zack couldn''t help but chuckle helplessly. She was playing with these guys like a kid playing with a barbie doll.


    Next thing you know, the stout boss groaned as a punch landed on his stomach��


    After about half an hour of diligent persuasion from his own men, the boss relented and decided to keep himself alive and gave up the password.


    Shreya''s hand flew around after that�� a slight coldness passed as she looked at the things in there��


    "How the hell did we produce this kind of an idiot in our own family?" Shreya mumbled.


    "What do you mean?" Zack asked looking at the screen over her shoulders.


    "Mithun Srivastav!!" Shreya whispered. Her voice lost all of her warmth.


    What little attachment she had for her cousin had lost its meaning when he tried to kill her��


    She really wished it was anybody but him. In spite of herself, the feeling of betrayal felt as if someone was suffocating her.


    They might not be close, but she and he still grew up together�� he was still someone Adithya raised. How he came to become someone like this, she did not know? She could not understand!


    "Come on, now. Let''s get out of here�� we have what we need." Zack said.


    Shreya shook her head coming out of her thoughts.


    "You have a pen and a paper?" Shreya asked Zack.


    When Zack handed them over, Shreya scribbled away in it for a second before looking at the guys in the barn.


    "This is the address of my office here in T country�� if you go there and tell my name�� they will give you a job�� a legit legal job. But you guys should work hard�� learn. Do not stray away�� The minute you cross the line again, you will be back on the streets before you know it! The smallest of crime, you will rat on the street." Shreya warned.


    She then handed over the slip to the eldest person there was��


    The cops got the stout guy before Shreya completely walked away from the barn.

 Chapter 304 - Make me proud, baby girl!

    "Send all the embezzlement evidence we have on Mithun to the police station and ask Anand uncle to officially press charges on behalf of the company. Keep Harshad on the loop��" Shreya instructed Zack as she exited the jet. Not pressing charges on attempted murder was the last bit of concession she could give her cousin as a family.


    Zack gave her a sympathetic look.


    He could see that it bothered her that it was Mithun of all people�� she was staring at space the whole ride home�� her expression told it all. The coldness and detachment could be seen on her face�� nobody could reach her when she goes like that�� it is almost as if her mind is enveloped by a protective shield all of a sudden protecting her from anything and everything that could hurt her.


    "Meet me at my office sharp at 9 a.m.," Shreya said before getting into the car waiting for her.


    Zack went away in his own car��


    When he reached her office the next day, she was still in the same state of mind�� giving cold looks to everyone around. Not that anyone was there except for him.


    As soon as he reached her table, Shreya looked up and sorted out the files in front of her.


    "Let''s go��" She said after cleaning up the desk and taking her phone.


    She wanted to be done with all her work as soon as possible so that she can be with Akira as much as possible after almost a week of being away.


    Zack took the car keys with confused eyes��


    "Where are we going exactly?" He asked once he got behind the wheels.


    "Aleesha!! Don''t you think we need to convey the good news?" Shreya said smirking.


    Zack silently drove to the warehouse where Aleesha was kept.


    As soon as they reached her room, there was an eerie silence��


    "Did you really do me a favor and kill yourself already?" Shreya asked nonchalantly walking towards the shadow��


    Just as Shreya took a step forward, she was almost got hit by a pipe�� Zack stopped in just inches away from them hitting her nose�� Zack twisted her arms behind her and held her in place.


    "Coward!! Hiding behind your little boy toys who are paid to waggle their tails around you!!" Aleesha seethed provocatively. "You are just a little princess brought up with a silver spoon. A dog trying to be a tiger!!"


    Shreya knew she was doing this purposely�� she also knew if it was any normal day, she could have seen the humor in her provocation�� she might have even had a hell of laughter out of this with Zack right here right now!! But sadly enough, today was not any typical day�� at least not in her head. She was really itching to punch on something�� even when she knew rationally she was jumping into the pit dug out by Aleesha, she couldn''t care about it today.


    She wanted to see blood�� no amount of rationale was winning today�� her eyes went cold as she looked at Aleesha��


    Aleesha, on the other hand, knew this was her chance to get out of here�� last time she missed the chance because Shreya did not play by the rules�� but seeing Shreya today, she knew she was right on track.


    "You would have probably ended up being trash without your dad and his money. It''s sad he had trash for a daughter!! Or maybe it was fitting given even he died as one!!"


    Now that hit a real hard nerve for Shreya�� even without her bad mood, this would have made her livid just like she went just then�� all she saw were red all of a sudden.


    Shreya took off her sweatshirt and gestured her to start away��


    "You want a fight, right? I will give you one!! You do not need to rack your brains to provoke me anymore. Set the terms!!" Shreya said coldly flexing her knuckles.


    "Shreya, you don''t have to do this�� she is trying to rile you up and you know that too!!" Zack said still holding back Aleesha��


    "Let her go, Zack��" Shreya ordered.


    Zack did not budge but once again tried to convince her, "Shreya, you know you are playing right into her hands!! You do not have to do this�� think Shreya!!"


    "I said let her go, Zack�� I do not like repeating myself." Shreya warned not bothering to take her eyes off of Aleesha.


    Aleesha''s lips switched in provocation and triumph. For a second after seeing Shreya the last time, she thought maybe Shreya was too smart for her tricks��


    But looking at Shreya now, she knew she was just an arrogant rich brat who thinks the world should kneel before her because she is rich�� And Aleesha was going to have fun beating the ever-living crap out of her.


    "My terms are simple�� I win, I can go free�� you win, you get to do anything with me!" Aleesha said. If Shreya was in her normal mindset, she would have seen Aleesha would have nothing to lose through this fight but everything to gain while she would lose all if she lost.


    But right now Shreya''s mind was anything but her normal self.


    So, she just nodded her head before Zack could interrupt and badger some sense into her��


    Seeing that Shreya was not going to listen to anything he says, Zack, at last, released Aleesha from his grip and took a step back.


    "How would I know your pet hulk is not going to interfere?" Aleesha asked looking at Zack.


    "He won''t�� He won''t move without my word and I would never cheat in a fight!! Not my style!!" Shreya answered and smirked at Aleesha as she continued, "Now, don''t waste my time�� let''s get started."


    Shreya then gave a look towards Zack that warned him not to jump in the middle of the fight��


    "She tried to kill you, word or not, she is going to be seeing her grave�� so, you better not get yourself killed!! If you really want to have a fair fight, then make sure you win!!" Zack smirked back and took a step back.


    "Make me proud, baby girl!" He said at last slightly smiling before Shreya''s focus turned completely towards Aleesha.

 Chapter 305 - Do your worse Princess!

    Silence ensued as both of them took cautious steps around the room sizing each other with vigilant eyes. Zack stood right in front of the exit to make sure Aleesha did not do anything stupid�� not that she can since all his eyes are waiting on them watching everything happening here�� so, even if something does go wrong, he will be having back up in no time.


    Shreya and Aleesha couldn''t be bothered with such trivialities at the moment.


    Each and every step the other person took was watched with utmost vigilance.


    "Move it already!!" Aleesha asked impatiently.


    Even though she had an advantage with it came to skill and she knew this room every nook and cranny�� but her disadvantage was the fact that she was malnourished in these god knows how many days she had been held here�� her energy level has highly deteriorated. Her stamina was zilch compared to her normal standards.


    Shreya did not starve her but she did not exactly consult a nutritionist when she packed the room with food�� so, the food was just enough to stay alive�� nothing else. And she did not know how many days she had to be here and whether or not Shreya will refill�� so, she had to ration her food carefully not to starve.


    But even then, Aleesha was confident that Shreya wouldn''t have seen combat abilities like her in her life and that was enough advantage for her to defeat her�� that Shreya would never last enough for her to lose her stamina�� until this moment of course��


    Just with Shreya''s footwork and her sharp eyes, Aleesha could see that Shreya was trained. Most likely by one of the guys who came with her both the times, Shreya was here�� or she may be trained by both of them�� either way she could feel that she was screwed. Because in spite of calling them boy toys, Aleesha can recognize a hard build body and mind when she saw one�� and she saw that in both Srinivas and Zack. They were both people who saw the harshness of the battle��


    Shreya patiently waited for Aleesha to make the first move before missing her punch very efficiently while her own hand connected with Aleesha''s stomach hard making her wince��


    That was all it took for all hell to break loose as both lunged towards each other�� soon the room was filled with the noise of knuckles smashing muscles and cracking bones�� Both were fighting as if their life depended on it. Shreya did not pull back her punches and Aleesha put all her strength in them. Soon, both of them sported bruises all over them��


    At one point of time in the fight, Shreya flung Aleesha against the mirror making the glass shatter to pieces��


    An alarm sounded instantly blaring throughout the building�� Zack spoke into his phones making the guys monitoring cut the alarm. That alarm was set to be triggered by sensors if Aleesha tried to break anything in the room��


    Aleesha took advantage of her distraction to the fullest as she picked the glass piece and charged towards Shreya�� She came straight up aiming at Shreya''s face and almost slashed her eyes out�� but Shreya moved fast but she still could not avoid it completely as the glass stabbed across her cheeks�� the cut was not that deep but it still oozed with blood.


    Zack took hurried steps as he bellowed, "Shreya��"


    "I am okay�� Stay at your place!!" Shreya said tackling the glass out of Aleesha''s hands and it fell to the ground with a clink.


    "What? You are not going to cry for mommy since your face got ruined, you little princess??" Aleesha asked smirking��


    "Well, I am no princess�� I am the Brat actually. So, I do not much care about how I look at PR photos�� and you missed your one chance by the way. You should have kept that glass to my throat�� Maybe you could have gotten out of here!!" Shreya smirked back.


    After all the sweating and punching, she had some rationale now. She also knew Aleesha made a mistake just like her when she gave in to her provocations��


    "You are anxious that I can hold you off for so long, aren''t you? That is why your mind is not in the game and made such a rookie mistake�� You could have easily gotten out of here with glass to my throat and you could have even gotten whatever other things you needed to disappear all over again!!" Shreya provoked further.


    Even when Aleesha knew this time that Shreya was digging a pit for her, she still fell in because Shreya actually hit a nail when she said it was bothering her�� she really did not like the fact that Shreya actually seemed more talented and trained than she could have ever imagined possible.


    And she did not even realize her mistake until Shreya pointed it out for her which pissed him off more��


    "Shut your mouth bitch!!" Aleesha bellowed punching straight to Shreya''s face�� this time it did connect and came back soaked in blood.


    But Shreya did not even flinch neither from the blood nor from the pain�� she just took a step back and observed. Aleesha did the same.


    Both were almost equally matched when it came to the skill. And on top of it, Shreya''s endurance to pain was more profound than Aleesha could have ever thought. And Aleesha''s stamina had come to its last thread while Shreya still looked preachy barely out of breath.


    "You are going to go for another round or going to obediently rot away in this hole like the rat you are?" Shreya asked beckoning Aleesha.


    Aleesha wiped away the blood on her pants and took the stance all over again.


    "Do your worse Princess!!" Aleesha dared.


    "Oh!! I am�� trust me�� I am going to pay you in full for everything you did for my parents. You see, I do not like owing debt!!" Shreya smirked.


    Just as Aleesha flung her hand for a punch, Shreya caught it easily and held them in place��


    "This the hand that pulled the trigger isn''t it?" Shreya asked. The true darkness of her loss showed in her face at that moment to its fullest.

 Chapter 306 - Open the door, kid. I am outside!

    Shreya had always hidden her true feelings when it came to her parents since the depth of those feelings felt as if they would consume her happy side�� And she did not want to drown herself in negativity and hate. That was not what her parents would have wanted. That was not the person she wanted to be�� That wouldn''t have been a person her parents would have been proud of. That was not how her parents had brought her up.


    So, she carefully put all those feelings in a box and stashed them away in one dark corner of her heart. She never dared to open that box fully��


    But at this moment, somehow all those feelings flooded her senses to the brim as she snapped Aleesha''s right hand with her bare hands.


    The sound of bone cracking can be heard followed by Aleesha''s wincing.


    Violence hadn''t been Shryea''s way of expressing her anger�� it had never been. But at that moment she really wanted to break every other bone of Aleesha��


    Her own anger and anguish blinded her to the point she could not feel anything else at the moment. It almost felt as if someone was setting her heart on fire�� and it burned like a wildfire and consumed everything on her path.


    Shreya stepped away only when Aleesha was knocked out unconscious. Shreya herself did not seem okay but she did not say a word as she walked to the elevator.


    Zack checked Aleesha''s pulse and sighed in relief when he felt them pounding under his fingers.


    Just as he reached their car, Shreya ordered, "Send her to our hospital and send the location to Delaney. Make sure things go as said�� And you stay back here and follow through. Don''t have to follow me��"


    Shreya then got in her car while Zack called up one of his guys to drive her.


    "Drive her to the hospital��" He started his instructions while Shreya interrupted him sternly, "I am fine, Zack. I am not going to a hospital. You just follow up here�� I can take care of myself." For once there was an absolute authority in her voice as she said it. The orders rang loud and clear to Zack.


    Zack helplessly let her be��


    "The Imperial!" She said one word before closing her eyes.


    The car came to life and swiftly navigated through the city�� the driver was so scared by Shreya''s aura that he gripped on the sheering wheel as if he was holding onto his life straw as he so carefully drove her to the Imperial


    And even when they reached, he did not dare move a muscle. He even signaled the security guys to stay put.


    Shreya opened her eyes when she felt the car standing still for a long time�� when she looked that they had already reached, she alights the car wordlessly and walked through the reception.


    Some of the staff and guests gasped at her state�� But with a look from her driver, nobody dared to approach her.


    He made sure she got into the elevators before walking away.


    Shreya went into her suite and her hands straight up went to the fridge and got out the available booze�� she wanted to drown herself in alcohol so that she does not have the mind to think or feel anything at the moment. But just as she opened the bottles, her phone rang��


    "Hey, uncle. What''s up?" Shreya asked casually. At last, some semblance of emotion seeped into her cold demeanor.


    "Open the door, kid. I am outside!!" Anand said straight off the bat and simultaneously the bell rang.


    Shreya absent-mindedly went ahead and opened the door. This was a reflex for her when it came to Anand�� she would listen to him no matter the place or time or circ.u.mstances�� She would never miss his calls either.


    That is why Zack found Anand to check up on Shreya because he knew Shreya would listen to him no matter what�� and given her mood now, Zack was not sure Shreya would listen to anyone but Anand at the moment.


    Anand let out a gasp as soon as he saw Shreya��


    Her whole face was covered with bruises and blood dried up on her cheeks.


    That is when Shreya realized her mistake�� she really wished to bash her head against the wall beside her right at that moment. But all she could do was stand there hanging her head down.


    Anand silently stepped in and dragged her to sit on the couch. He did not ask any questions because Zack had already filled him in briefly. But more than that he did not want to put Shreya through that all over again.


    He just went to get some ice and the first aid kit and came back to the couch Shreya was sitting.


    Shreya did not even flinch when he disinfected her wound and closed it up�� except for the slash in her cheeks there was no visible bleeding on her body. Once it was done, he handed over the pack of the ice to her.


    Shreya did not move�� she just sat there like a statue pursing her lips.


    Anand helplessly sighed and took back the pack and pressed them on her face on the places where there were visible bruises.


    Once her face was done, he even pulled up her sweatshirt sleeves��


    At last, Shreya came back to her senses and took back the ice pack, and said, "It''s okay, uncle. I will do it myself��"


    Anand did not let go. Instead took her hands in his and kept the ice pack on her knuckles.


    At last, Shreya remembered to wince�� but she still did not open her mouth to talk.


    This went on until Anand had tended to almost all of her visible bruises�� except for her ribs.


    "Do you need to go to the hospital?" Anand asked when he saw her hands unconsciously going for her gut.


    He could see that it hurt�� but he also knew the stubbornness of his niece�� So, he did not force her for now.


    She was already hurting, he did not want to add to it by forcing her to do something she did not want to even when he knew it was for her good.


    He first wanted to tend to her mind before to her body�� because he knew she probably hurt more on her mind than her body seeing as she had a full bottle of bourbon beside her.

 Chapter 307 - I know, kid. Me too…

    Anand packed the medical kit and kept it aside before sitting beside Shreya. He gently brought her to his embrace��


    Shreya did not protest as she snuggled into his warmth.


    "It''s okay, kid. You did great�� your parents are going to be very proud. I am very proud of you!! No matter what you do or what you decide, that is never going to change Shreya�� Nothing is going to change between us! I just want you to know that!!" Anand muttered softly before pecking on her forehead.


    For once, somehow somewhere in her heart, Shreya believed that. Her arms circled around Anand and held on to him as tears dripped down her cheeks.


    "I love you, kid. No matter what!!" Anand repeated�� and he would repeat it until it gets imprinted on Shreya''s head.


    "I wanted to kill her so badly today�� when I thought about what she had done to mum and dad, I just wanted to snap her neck�� I almost did too. I just�� I was so angry��" Shreya whispered and confessed.


    Anand pulled her closer but did not really say anything. He couldn''t say anything�� this anger, this hatred�� they were things she had buried in her heart for way too long a time now.


    When she first found out that her parents did not die in a car accident but were killed, Shreya had shut herself in her room for two straight months�� nobody could reach her. And when she came out of it, she was not the same person they knew.


    She planned and calculated each and every step�� She did not see the world the same way anymore.


    When she first lost her parents, it was just that�� a loss coupled with a lot of resentment towards God and heartbreaking anguish.


    But when she found out that it was not natural but man-made�� that her parents were forcefully taken away from her, there was this coldness and hatred��


    Even he could not control himself when he found out�� he could not help but want to smash something. He wanted to burn the whole world�� But his little niece�� she buried all that at such a young age�� and she grew so tall in such a short time that they couldn''t catch up to her.


    Even when Anand knew about this all this while, he couldn''t do anything about it since she had built these walls around her to the point where no one could penetrate to that part of her heart. Nobody could.


    So, by some miracle when someone somehow was able to break those walls down, even when he knew it was not in a healthy way, he was still glad she was able to let it all out�� that she had found a way to vent all that anger and hatred out.


    Anand rubbed on her arms gently and Shreya''s body slowly warmed up�� he just kept her company silently as she tried to compose herself. Only her heartbreaking whimpers can be heard reverberating through the walls of the room��


    When she calmed down, Anand pulled away from her and said looking at her eyes, "Shreya, I want you to know this�� I know you go around thinking you have to heave the world on your shoulders because you have the power�� and that you have to always behave responsibly because you are the heir! But I am here to tell you that you do not need you�� You are still young�� you still get to do mistakes. I am the a.d.u.l.t in the family! You do not have to protect everyone in the family�� you just do as much as you can, the rest of us will share the rest�� You are not alone, kid. You have a family. Just remember that when you try so hard next time."


    Shreya stared back at him unblinking for two straight minutes before snuggling back into his embrace.


    "I know, uncle�� I know it in my head. It is just��" Shreya mumbled but she did not know how to continue��


    Her first instinct when it comes to family is to protect�� she yearned from the deepest part of her heart to provide something like her father did�� Even when Adithya couldn''t save himself and her mom, he did protect his family�� and Shreya wanted to provide the same�� something even better if she could. She wanted to give everyone she cared about a secure place for all her loved ones to be as and what they want to be�� safe heaven where they could reach their potential without having to worry about dos and don''ts. A place they could move forward confidently and make mistakes without having to be scared about it�� Just like how she grew up.


    "You are our guardian angel, baby girl. You will always be�� You shouldered everything when we did not know what to do�� You do not know how proud I am of you for that and how much more grateful I am for what you have done and are still doing for Akash and Bhavna. But let us do our part to you too�� I want to protect you too�� with what little ability I have. I know I haven''t done a very good job at it and your dad would probably be cursing me right about now for what I let his baby girl shoulder at such a young age�� Just let me be there for you every now and then kid so that I do not feel like an absolute failure as an a.d.u.l.t. Come to me when you are down like today so that I can at least give you a hug and tell you that everything is going to be okay!!" Anand said when he saw Shreya keeping silent.


    Shreya choked as she heard him�� she did not know where the sob broke from�� somehow for the first time since she had lost her parents, she broke down in front of Anand. She couldn''t control herself. It was more profuse and uncontrollable than the last one�� tears just kept stumbling down her cheeks without regard.


    "I�� I�� I just m-miss t-them so-so much��" She mumbled between the sobs.


    "I know, kid. Me too��" Anand said gathering her closer. His own eyes turned red involuntarily. He couldn''t help gather her closer as she sobbed away.


    By the time Shreya calmed down, she was exhausted. Anand tucked her in for the day before exiting the suite.

 Chapter 308 - Or should I call you Aleesha now?

    Aleesha blinked awake and groaned instantly as the pain registered. She looked around groggily. She took a minute to make sense of her surroundings��


    The strong smell of disinfectant told her she was in the hospital. That is when she remembered her and Shreya''s fight and how she got her ass handed over to her�� Aleesha realized she had underestimated Shreya''s strength�� but more than that, she did not understand her drive and emotions that boosted her strength by multiple folds.


    But before she could dwell on it, a voice spoke��


    "Boss, she is awake!!" A gruff guy informed someone over the phone.


    Aleesha did not show any reaction. She waited patiently for Shreya to come. Or maybe one of her minions.


    She was actually looking forward to the meeting. Shreya had impressed her in every turn and she gave her the thrill she had craved and enjoyed so much�� Shreya reminded her of the self that steadily moved forward and the excitement she got winning each person in front of her��


    The ecstasy of getting away with things�� the adrenaline of being that close to being dead.


    But unlike the stumbling of Shreya''s boots, she heard the sound of pointy heels�� Her brows frowned.


    It had long registered in her system to distinguish her surrounding with sound.


    She thought maybe Shreya had found something and handed her over to the authorities.


    But not in a million years did she think it was going to be her worst nightmare��


    "Long time no see, Darcie... Or should I call you Aleesha now?" A sweet female voice said as soon as the heels came to a stop inside her room.


    As soon as Aleesha heard the voice, her eyes snapped as she jerked towards the voice�� her eyes really couldn''t help but blink several times staring at the slender figure standing before her�� but no matter how much she stared, the figure in front of her did not disappear�� no matter how much she stared, she couldn''t help doubt her eyes.


    "Why? Only you get to come back from the dead?" The lady in front of her asked smirking at Aleesha�� even when her voice was calm and her lips smiled, there was something sinister about the atmosphere around the room.


    "Y-Y-You-You are dead!!" Aleesha stuttered still with widened eyes.


    "Well, you should have done a better job!!" The lady said lazily coming to sit in front of her bed.


    The lady in front of her was Delaney. She was one person who Darcie alias Aleesha was scared of ever in her life.


    Delaney was the one who had taught her every single thing she ever knew�� Delaney was her mentor and partner as long as she worked with the organization.


    So, when she first accepted the job to destroy the same organization, Delaney was the first one she went against. And since she knew she would never be able to defeat Delaney head-on, she actually spiked her drinks when they both went out for celebratory drinks.


    Even then, Delaney was able to somehow figure out her move just as gulped down the second sip�� she did not have a choice but the fight her, and Delaney''s scar on her face is thanks to that fight. When she left Delaney, she was sure she couldn''t make it.


    And meeting Delaney is literally the worst part of her nightmare�� she was rather Shreya had put her behind bars�� she was rather Shreya had killed her�� anything but this��


    Because Darcie and Delaney were almost as if they were cut from the same clothes.


    Both knew and understood each other to their veins��they both lacked empathy�� they lived for the chase�� when they were together in the organization, they fed off each other''s crazy and took higher and higher risks�� they lived for the adrenaline of it. It was so bad to the point where nobody dared to come anywhere near those two�� They were called the Evil twins within the underworld in T country.


    If Darcie had stayed, they both would have probably got themselves killed in one way or another��


    "Welcome to T country, old friend!!" Delaney said with a sickly sweet smile seeing Darcie be silly for once.


    "T-T-T country?" Darcie asked trying to look over the windows to know whether or not Delaney was pulling her legs��


    "Well, you were delivered in a gift box�� bashed�� I saved you and brought you to the hospital!! Where would you find such a good friend who is ready to save the person who had stabbed her in the back?" Delaney asked.


    Between the two of them, Delaney also lacked any emotional attachment to anyone. If their places were reversed, she probably wouldn''t have spared Darcie either. For both of them, it was just a job�� nothing personal.


    If Darcie had faced her head on and beat her, she wouldn''t have even blinked�� she wouldn''t have felt such hatred.


    But Darcie used her integrity against her, and she hated that.


    Delaney got up from her place and approached the bed in slow lazy strides.


    Darcie couldn''t really help but flinch away scared.


    Delaney caressed over her hair as she said, "When did you become such a scaredy-cat??"


    That brought Darcie out of her trance�� she hated being scared above all else�� which was the main reason why she accepted the job in the first place�� because she did not like being bossed around�� and she did not like being scared of Delaney.


    "I don''t get scared. I have killed you once, I can just do it again��" Darcie replied in a cold voice. For the first time since she woke up, her voice did not shake or stutter.


    "Well, that''s the wild cat I know. Bring it on�� You have 24 hours�� if you can kill me by then, your luck�� if not, you are going to be my toy for the next 24 hours. And you know what I do my toys better than anyone. You have a maximum of two weeks. And don''t think about running away from here�� T country is my place�� the minute you decide to run, you will regret it. I promise!!" Delaney smirked leaving Darcie on the bed all alone.

 Chapter 309 - What can I say… she was very persuasive…

    Looking at Delaney''s retreating figure, she at last figured out where it had all went wrong.


    When she killed everyone in the organization, she had faked her own death making things look as if she had died with the organization. Nobody could have known that she was the person behind the death of the organization. Nobody should have known what she had done.


    But suddenly out of nowhere, rumors started the spread that she had betrayed the organization and mercilessly killed her own colleague. Even when it was true, this gave Darcie a lot of headaches since others started to look for her all over the place.


    This was the main reason why she was forced the fake her death all over again. It had nothing to do with The Prime Minister''s assassination or people finding her. Those government people could have never found her and touch her.


    But she cannot say the same when all the underground international organized crime families were looking for her�� some wanted to destroy her while some others wanted for her skills.


    But both of them made a lot of noise and brought a lot of attention to her�� which was why it was vital for Darcie to erase all and every trace of her�� which was why she had made the deal with Abishek in the first place to hand over everything he had on her�� which led to her faking her death and going under the knife to change her face��. which was why she couldn''t take the chance that Abishek was going to confess about her or find her even when years had passed��


    She did not want to be alive as Darcie ever again�� she did not want to look over her shoulders ever again.


    "I should have killed Abishek back then!!" Darcie muttered to herself regretting her decision.


    Usually, if nobody was paying, she did not like killing people. She was not someone who liked seeing blood on her hands, unlike Delaney��


    Delaney was someone who liked blood on her hands��. While Darcie was someone who liked the chase��


    So, Darcie left Abishek as such since the minute he opened her mouth about her, he would be revealing himself too�� and humans have a high sense of self-preservation.


    So, she was at ease to leave Absuehk�� but who knew her one decision could lead to the current situation. And she couldn''t be in a worse situation��


    The only reason she was able to get away from T country was that it was chaotic back then�� but then after years, and with Delaney, she would have built her empire all over again. So, even though Delaney said she had given her 24 hours, she knew she was a cornered prey�� and she was just playing with her.


    But she cannot give up�� she wanted to have a go at this�� this would give her the ultimate high�� and when she got out of here, she was going to let Shreya see her��


    But the reality was cruel as she sensed a gun pull to her head�� she dropped her weapon and surrendered. The next 24 hours was as painful as she had anticipated it to be��


    Delaney had her way with her to the fullest extent possible without having her killed. Cuts and bruises filled the whole of her body��


    Delaney was very careful to not do anything life-threatening but she was meticulous to make each strike as painful as possible.


    As Darcie healed, she had another 24 hours��


    This cycle went on for at least a month to the point where Darcie was begging Delaney to kill her already.


    "Can''t you end this torture�� just kill me you bitch�� end this torture. Didn''t you have enough fun by now?" Darcie bellowed as she endured another punch straight to her jaws.


    Delaney sat back and let out laughter. It was sarcastic as she explained.


    "Oh!! This is not just my doing you know�� you pissed someone really devilishly fun!! When she gave you to me parcelled up like a gift box, she had one condition�� only one. That I have to make it so that you will truly regret giving her crap�� that you should suffer every pain possible��"


    "Shreya Srivastav!!" Darcie murmured under her breath.


    "The same!!" Delaney answered smiling. Even when she was a sadistic cold person herself, for some reason, meeting Shreya had been very interesting for her.


    What truly surprised Delaney was how innocent Shreya looked on the surface�� but when she gave her demands, she couldn''t help but widen her eyes in surprise. Somehow she still remembered the scene on the club vividly.


    "Why do I have to do that? What''s in it for me?" Delaney asked sitting back lazily. After all, she was nobody''s dog. She hated taking orders.


    "I am not really asking anything you are not already planning to do�� and I can do all that myself too. The only thing I cannot do is kill her�� but I can always just leave her half-dead on a street and be done with it�� or find someone else who wants her dead�� and that list is a long one, and you just happen to be the top of that list for now�� If you do not want to, I can go down the list until I get someone for my terms. But you cannot get your hands on her without my help�� and you do need to get your hands on her if you want to be done with your vengeance�� If you think about it, you are getting more than me." Shreya replied sipping on her booze.


    It doesn''t happen much where someone manages to shut Delaney up but it did because she knew Shreya was right.


    Even if she was to search for Darcie, it was going to take a long time to find her. But with the confident look, Shreya was giving her, Delaney doubted she was lying about the part where she would never be able to find Darcie without Shreya''s help�� After all, she did not even know Darcie was still alive before Shreya''s walked in.


    So, Delaney could only agree to Shreya''s terms.


    "When did you become someone''s bitch??" Darcie snared bringing Delaney out of her mind.


    "What can I say�� she was very persuasive��" Delaney shrugged. She did not try to deny or defend herself because that was what Darcie was catching for��


    Darcie really lost it at that day��

 Chapter 310 - Atta girl…

    Shreya stumbled out of her bed when she heard someone call out to her�� She was still in her office. She did not go home from when she got back from T country. And of course, she did not get to meet Akira nor Charan given her face looked as if she had been run over by a car.


    But as soon as she came out of her lounge she was met by the very same person she had been avoiding for two days.


    Charan was standing beside the shelf of books still not facing her. But as soon as he heard the rustling noise of doors closing, he turned to ask simultaneously, "I heard you came back�� why didn''t you call? Akira was��" He never got to finish the sentence�� whatever he was about to say left his head as his eyes landed on her face��


    She was an aghast sight especially given all the bruises are starting to heal making them look more profound. She was wearing a crop top which showed her purplish midriff�� she wore it because it was easier to ice her ribs in this tee�� but she never thought she would be caught red-handed like this by Charan.


    "What the hell happened to you??" For once, Charan actually raised his voice at her��


    Shreya did not know how to answer, so she stood there biting on her lips.


    "I asked you a question, Shreya!" Charan repeated moving closer to her. The more close he got the angrier he got.


    Shreya was caught by a reporter at the airport when she landed�� so, it was public news that she got back home. But it had been 2 days since that news�� and there was no report of any injuries. So, he was confused as to why she never contacted him as soon as she came back�� but looking at her now, he could easily guess she was hiding from them.


    "I-I got into a fight!!" Shreya mumbled. By then Charan had already reached her.


    "And then you decided to hide it from me!!?" Charan asked arching his brows. He kept a two-inch distance between them�� He did not reach for her. Mainly because he was afraid he would touch one of her wounds accidentally.


    Shreya frantically shook her head at first but then her head paused at Charan giving her a stern look. So, slowly she bit on her lips and nodded her head. Her enthusiasm was so much lesser than when she first shook her head��


    Looking at the clear guilty eyes staring back at him, Charan really couldn''t stay mad at her. He gently ran his fingers over her swollen cheeks and asked, "Did you apply something on it?"


    Knowing Shreya, he doubted she would have treated them on her own�� but the wounds did look clean.


    "Uncle patched it up�� he put something on before he left home��" Shreya answered very obediently like a good kid.


    "Who did you fight with?" Charan asked once again.


    "Aleesha��"


    "Are you okay now?" He asked next. He could already see her eyes darken with just mentioning Aleesha''s name��


    Shreya nodded her head.


    Charan did not say anything else�� he simply pulled her in for a hug��


    Shreya instantly snuggled in readily as she mumbled, "Sorry, I did not call you when I came back�� I was busy at first and then this happened�� I couldn''t really do much."


    Charan just held her by her head on one hand while the other tentatively hovered over the wound on her stomach as he asked, "How is it now?"


    Shreya just shrugged.


    "Did you win??" Charan asked. His mood was not exactly good but he still controlled his emotions for Shreya''s sake�� he did not want her to relive things she did not want to��


    As far as he knew Shreya, she was not one to get into a fight just like that�� and given how she looks, he could already guess that the fight was intense even though Shreya was trying to play it light.


    And when he knew it was with Aleesha, he could already guess Shreya''s mindset wouldn''t have been pretty.


    "She is still in the hospital!!" Shreya gave him a proud smile while her eyes were looking for praise. She looked as if a kid would after winning a race and saying it to his dad��


    Charan helplessly ruffled her hair and said, "Atta girl��"


    Warmth spread instantly as she looked at Charan''s proud eyes. She couldn''t really help but bury her face against his chests as she held him tightly and said, "I missed you�� sooo much. I wanted to come to you, but I did not want to scare Akira with the whole face�� What if she thought I was bad and started being scared of me!!"


    "So, it''s okay if I saw you like this ah? What if I got scared of you? What would you do then?" Charan asked teasingly.


    Shreya just shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly, "I can always just scare you some more and keep you with me!! And if you knew what is good for you, you will stay! Anyways, only an idiot is going to try to run from me!!"


    "And why is that?" Charan asked�� his lips automatically twitched anticipating her answer.


    "Well, I am the Shreya Srivastav�� Duh!! You won''t even have a chance to take a step out of this city without me knowing�� so, how are you going to run!!" Shreya sassed.


    Charan couldn''t really help but let out a chuckle. Even when he knew she was actually being serious�� he did not know how to be scared of her.


    "Then it is a good thing I am not stupid!!" He mumbled as he buried his face against her neck. Her sweet musky scent instantly flooded his senses making his mind fall straight into the gutter.


    "You smell so good��" He mumbled unconsciously while Shreya shivered as his lips touched on her sensitive skin.

 Chapter 311 - Its over, Charan.

    Charan lifted Shreya by her h.i.p.s and walked somewhere startling the hell out of her��


    "Charan!!" Shreya exclaimed surprised tightening her arms around him.


    Charan sat her down on the table. He was met with a confused pair of eyes staring back at him.


    They did not get any personal time to spend with each other since they got back together. Shreya was always hyper with something or the other�� And she had been sticking to Akira like glue. So, it had never been just them, like this. And he missed that��


    The tranquility that came with just being with the person you love�� he missed that.


    "What is it?" Shreya asked trying to find whether something was stuck on her face.


    Charan just rubbed his thumb over her cheeks without really answering. Her cheeks sported a shallow cut while her lips were purplish from bruises. His hands reached for her cropped top and pulled it over in one swift motion.


    The whole of her body was covered in purple and red�� Whatever thought he had before, left him. A sense of coldness and anger seeped in. He did not even know why he was angry or at whom�� Himself, Shreya or Aleesha�� or at all three��


    "Why did you fight?" Charan asked not being to hold himself back��


    A part of him knew why subconsciously�� And that part also knew that she probably needed it. But a larger part of him still ached at the sight of her�� he was more anguished by the bruises on her heart.


    If she had pushed her body to this extent, he could not even imagine what her heart must have been like��


    "I wanted to do so much more to her�� so much more than anything she did to my dad and mom. Just the thought of it made me so angry that I saw no sense in holding back that anger." She mumbled. She rubbed on her arms feeling cold.


    Charan picked her up once again and brought her back to the bed she had stumbled out of. He laid down with her snuggling against him.


    Both stayed silent for a long time�� Shreya practically plastered herself against him for warmth.


    "It''s over, Charan. At last, it is all over�� I got justice for my parents." She mumbled. She let out a long breath of air at the end of it��


    "Your parents are going to be proud!!" Charan answered rubbing his hands behind her head.


    "I don''t know�� I did some pretty nasty stuff to Aleesha with my own hands and she is going to have more coming her way�� I just borrowed a sword to do things I am dying to do! I am not sure my parents are going to be happy about something like that," She confessed. Her face was grave.


    "They will understand." He said with conviction. He might not have known on a personal level, but he still absolutely believed in them�� just because they were Shreya''s parents. If they had given birth and raised someone as perfect as her, they themselves have to be just as perfect. And such perfect people would never look down on things like this�� especially after having seen how much she had struggled to come to terms with their death.


    "When someone so close to you is taken away�� it changes you as a person. It is just impossible to remain innocent anymore�� And you do not have to be! You have to be cruel to people who are cruel to you�� that is just fair, Shreya!" Charan said pecking her temples.


    Shreya stayed silent.


    Maybe in some part of her head, she agreed with Charan�� but a larger part of her gut did not agree��


    She did not see the difference between herself and Naren, Abimanyu, and Abishek��


    They had used Darcie to do their dirty deed and she used Delaney to do hers.


    This thought ate her in a way she did not think was possible until she had already gone through with the plan.


    If Charan and Akira weren''t part of her life, she wouldn''t have ever tried to stop herself from killing Darcie with her own hands�� but having them was like a cuff to her throat. If she ends up killing her, she would have to end up in jail�� without that, she wouldn''t be much of a person doing justice.


    But more than that, she did not have the confidence to pick up Akira with the same hands she had used to take a life�� evil or not. Yes, Darcie had no loyalty�� no integrity�� nothing�� she was someone who killed her own partner for money and adrenaline. But in spite of all that she was still a person��


    Killing her would have brought Shreya to her level�� and she would not have minded much before�� but now, she had something she was looking forward to in life and she did not want to ruin it for vengeance.


    And given Darcie never budged�� she had no other choice. She was never going to let her walk away free. Not in a million years. So, she had to just find someone who would want her head almost as much as she did��


    And that list was not small�� Delaney just happened to be at the top of it.


    Having Darcie alive was not an option after what she heard from her at the warehouse. It is almost similar to going around having a gun to her head and as well as behind every other people she ever cared about�� she cannot afford it.


    So, she just had to bite the bullet and do something about it�� she just never thought she would feel so disgusted about herself after that��


    Even though, Shreya was mainly staying away from Akira and Charan because of her injuries�� there was another part of her that did not have the courage to face them�� what if they end up seeing her as a monster?


    Having to be seen with fear and disgust from the same eyes that adored and admired her should be the worst parts of her nightmares come true�� she did not want that.

 Chapter 312 - I am just cold!

    "Hey, what''s going on in that big head of yours?" Charan asked when he saw Shreya keeping quiet with a complicated look on her face.


    Shreya did not answer�� she did not know how to�� she did not know where to start all her thoughts.


    She never thought the price of revenge will be so heavy because she knew she has to live the rest of her life feeling this way about her�� her heart went cold with just the thought.


    "I am just cold!!" Shreya mumbled to Charan unconsciously.


    The arms around her instantly tightened as Charan held her closer. But after a few minutes, he let her go and sat up�� He then pulled her to his l.a.p and held her close��


    "Hey, everything is going to be okay�� I promise!" Charan mumbled against her temple.


    Shreya stayed silent�� but then said slowly but very firmly, "No, it is not! It is not going to be okay��"


    "And why is that?" Charan asked.


    "Well, I got someone killed, Charan�� how do you possibly think that all that is going to just go away just because days are going to pass by��" Shreya asked looking up at him�� her eyes looked fierce and firm as she stared at him��


    "Shreya��" Charan tried to start�� but was interrupted by Shreya instantly.


    Shreya pulled away�� she was getting agitated when she thought more about it�� she couldn''t sit in a place�� at least, her mind was not letting her.


    The more understanding Charan behaved, the more frustrated she got. The more he said it was okay, the more she felt it was not��


    "But I had no choice�� she said she can get anyone around me killed as long as she can access a phone�� regardless of whether she was in prison�� and I couldn''t take that chance�� she knew you and every single member of your family. I couldn''t let her go�� I just couldn''t take that chance�� and I did not want to go to jail. But at the end of the day, I did exactly what Abimanyu, Naren, and Abishek did to my parents�� I used someone else''s hands to solve my problems. So, I killed her as clearly as a day and got away with it."


    Charan stayed quiet. He did not refute her instantly�� somewhere he felt, Shreya need to get it all out first for her to hear to his reasonings.


    "I did not want to get my hands bloody, so I just��" Shreya continued and went on and on about it for straight 10 minutes without any break until she met with Charan''s eyes looking at her with his usually loving eyes.


    "I do not like how I feel about myself anymore��" Shreya at last said and gave up��  her mind was going round on circles and she could not find a way out of it on her own.


    Especially given how she had been stuck in this office for 24 hours straight now without any distractions�� with just her and her head�� She was having a hard time catching up to them.


    She was going to sort it all out on her own and then go away��


    When she first beat up Aleesha and her uncle came to talk to her�� she was filled with this hatred that did not allow her to see past the anger in her. But after venting and crying to Anand, all that anger and hatred dissipated and she started thinking about the magnitude and the meaning of thing she had done�� And she got stuck with the question why did she get to get away with it while Naren and the rest are supposed to be rotting away in a jail!?


    And the fact that she did not have an answer to it was driving her crazy�� especially given how she had dismissed all the excuses Abishek had given�� even he had, in his opinion, had a justifiable reason for what he did��


    Seeing that she had completely vented out everything she could, Charan approached her all over again�� this time Shreya slumped against him and asked in a whisper, "I am not like them right? I am not going to become like them one day right?"


    Charan pulled away and held her face in his hands and tilted her face upwards. But Shreya still drooped her eyes unable to meet his eyes.


    "Look at me, sweetheart!" Charan asked softly�� when Shreya reluctantly lifted her eyes to meet his, he started talking at last.


    "You did not get away with anything Shreya�� and you have nothing to be guilty about either. They did it for profits�� they had driven innocent people to hell so that they can earn a few bucks more�� you are not them. You will never be them�� but yes, you did get someone killed. But you did it as a last resort. Because you did not have any other choice. You did it to protect your family�� you did it to protect me and my family�� that''s not murder, that''s self-defense�� they are different things Shreya�� And Aleesha is someone who should have died years back when she killed your parents for money. The system had failed you and you are correcting it now�� that is all."


    "If you had killed her in a fit of anger as soon as you saw her, maybe you can be at fault. But she was the one who chose to blackmail you�� she was the one who forced your hands�� there is nothing wrong with protecting your loved ones Shreya�� no matter the cost�� If you hadn''t done what you did, god knows what she would have done!!" Charan said and paused looking at her.


    Knowing Aleesha, Shreya knew she wouldn''t have stopped until she had buried every last person around her. Shreya would rather just bear this burden.


    "I am just sorry that you had to bear that burden. But please just trust me when I tell you, you did nothing to be ashamed of. When she dies�� your just going to have to say your sorry and be done with it. Even that is a luxury for someone like Aleesha�� but you can do that for your own peace of mind. That is all��"

 Chapter 313 - Shreya… just let me get you an ice pack!

    Charan did not know if anything he said actually reached Shreya�� but she did not utter a word after that. She stayed absolutely quiet snuggling against him. Her eyes kept staring at nothing in particular.


    He was clueless as to how to get her out of it�� but then Charan guessed, Shreya was probably struggling with the same predicament.


    So, he resorted to distracting her for now�� his hands slipped around her waist and started tickling her��


    Shreya let out a shrill giggle while exclaiming, "CHARAN!!"


    Charan''s lips smirked as his hands continued their endeavors until Shreya was a laughing mess�� She even had tears running down her eyes because of too much laughing.


    "Charan�� stop�� stop�� I cannot breathe��" Shreya stammered inbetween laugters��


    Charan stopped at last, but he still stayed hovering over her. He stared back at her eyes as she tried to get back her breathing. He leaned over and kissed away her tears as he muttered, " You are human, Shreya�� not some saint who is devoid of all attachments. Humans get angry�� we have loved ones and we want them to be happy�� we get hurt and they have repercussions. We don''t always have to be right�� you do not always have to be right!"


    He looked pretty serious when he said that��


    "I know all that�� but it is just kind of hard to accept," Shreya muttered back with a slight smile.


    "Well, then just know that I love you regardless!!" Charan said c.a.r.e.s.sing at her cheeks with his thumbs.


    Shreya did not reply to that. Instead, she stretched over with her mouth wide open and bit Charan�� Her lower set of teeth sank just shy of his lips while she bit almost the whole of his cheeks into her mouth.


    Charan winced involuntarily but he still did not pull away as he obediently let her bite him. He just resigned to his fate of being teased by Kabir and Ajay tomorrow.


    It took a while before Shreya was satisfied and by then, all her teeth had already left a mark on his cheeks. But even when she pulled away, her face did not seem to ease�� her eyes were heavy and watery when she stared back at Charan�� she almost looked as if she was just about ready to cry or choke as she looked at Charan smiling back at her.


    Shreya blinked back at him twice before flipping him over and sitting on top of him over his stomach�� she stared at him seriously as her thumb ran over her handy work�� she almost looked obsessed when she stared at his now reddened cheeks.


    Before she could say anything, Charan pulled her down capturing her lips between his��


    The way she was looking at him was driving him crazy. No man will be able to stand such a look from their girlfriend. It was almost flatteringly sweet the point where it took away his ability to think straight.


    The kiss gradually increased in intensity. Charan held her head with both his hands and held her in place as he practically devoured her lips. There was something more desperate than l.u.s.t when he kissed her�� he almost looked like he wanted to somehow swallow her whole, if only it was possible.


    Shreya struggled and pulled away when she got desperate for some air�� but Charan sat up with her�� His lips did not leave her skin. He trailed small wet kisses along her cheeks and jaws�� and they finally settled on her neck making Shreya shiver. A p.l.e.a.s.u.r.ed m.o.a.n escaped her lips when Charan hit her sweet spot.


    Shreya did not know how things got to this when she was reeling on her head just minutes ago�� but she was really not complaining.


    Her right hand buried themselves in his hairs�� she just could not decide whether she wanted to pull his head away or keep them in place. Whatever he was doing was driving her crazy�� She was a withering mess with no idea was what to do.


    "Charan��"


    She couldn''t help exclaim his name when she felt him bite into her sweet spot�� his teeth brushed against her skin leaving behind a trail of red in their wake.


    Shreya''s hand tightened on his hair unconsciously pulling on them while her other hands bunched on his shirts.


    Charan''s lips left her neck and trailed downwards��


    Shreya was wearing just a sports bra under her crop top�� so, they barely covered anything as his lips explored. It fell down her shoulders on one side with little to no effort.


    Shreya couldn''t help herself from arching herself closer to him giving him better access as her face stayed buried against his neck��


    Her panting against his skin just made things so much more worse for Charan.


    Shreya let out another m.o.a.n as his hands roamed around electrifying her skin in their wake. But then, her m.o.a.n came to an abrupt stop and turned into a short wince when he unintentionally brushed against her bruised ribs making pain shoot through her head. Her left side of the ribs was pretty beat up. She forcefully bit on his neck to prevent herself from screaming in pain as tears slid down her eyes unconsciously.


    Charan instantly froze�� he came back to his senses when his own pain registered and at last as he saw his hands covering her bruised skin�� His hands left her skin instantly as he apologized, "Sorry�� sorry�� I did not realize�� Wait, I will get you something for the pain!!"


    But he never got around to actually getting up from the bed as Shreya held him in a death grip��


    "Shreya�� just let me get you an ice pack!!" Charan tried but she never bothered to loosen her grip.


    "Just let me hold you for a while�� it doesn''t hurt anymore��" Shreya blurted out. But her breathing was still labored. It was hard for Charan to distinguish whether it was due to pain or because of their previous activities.


    But either way, he did not dare to move a muscle in fear of hurting her all over again.


    "I am sorry I hurt you��" He still whispered against her ears burying his face against her neck��


    A short while after Shreya pulled away and looked at him. She wordlessly adjusted herself on his l.a.p.s and snuggled closer to him and went to sleep��

 Chapter 314 - His name is Akash…

    Madhu kept fidgeting her hands as she sat in her room�� her palms were sweating profusely. But she couldn''t be bothered to wipe them.


    Today Akash was going to bring his parents over to talk about the marriage.


    She is still picking up the courage to tell about that to her family. She barely got any sleep last night since Akash told her that they will be here when they parted after dinner. Anand and Bhagya are due tonight.


    "Madhuuu��"


    Madhu practically jumped when she heard her mother calling her out. She fumbled around a bit before stumbling out of her room and went into the kitchen following her mother''s voice.


    Her mother- Rekha, was a plump female in her 40''s. She pretty much had a very snide character�� at least when it came to Madhu. As long as Madhu did everything she asked, nothing will happen. But the minute Madhu started to act out even the slightest, Madhu could never hear the end of it.


    When her father- Abhijeet, was the quiet person in the family�� he was a tall fit-looking middle-aged man who knew how to go to work and come back home. He never really participated in any of the family drama anyway.


    Madhu also had a gran�� she was that one person who makes it her mission to remind Madhu pretty much every day as to how much grateful Madhu had to be and that she was not part of the family.


    And she also never fails to remind her how much better her brother is��


    While her own brother �C Aarav, who is a year younger than her is a carbon copy of her father. He doesn''t participate in anything in the family.


    So, Madhu does not particularly have confidence when it came to her family. She would just do everything that is asked of her obediently and go back to her room.


    This marriage�� Akash was the first time in her life she ever did something on their backs�� this will be the first thing she ever did for herself from when she had walked into their lives�� So, you can imagine how freaked she should be.


    She barely took a few bites in breakfast�� the rest, she forcefully swallowed at the last second before gathering everybody''s plates and went ahead to do the dishes�� doing the dishes slightly calmed her nerves as she concentrated on cleaning and rinsing and nothing else.


    By the time she came out of the kitchen, everybody had gathered in the living room watching TV. This was their family routine on weekends. They usually just stayed together like this until lunch while she would be quiet in her room. They never called her to join them but then they never told her not to join either�� But Madhu being the passive her she was, never really took the initiative to go. She never felt at home here no matter how much she tried. She always felt like she would be imposing herself on them��


    She gathered up all the courage she could muster and went near the sofa Rekah and Aarav were sitting. Aarav looked up at her surprised at first but then scooted over without a word and let her sit down. She blankly stared at the TV for a long time�� she did not even know what was happening in there��


    She did not even notice Aarav''s peculiar gaze at her��


    "You want to tell us something?" Aarav asked suddenly looking at Madhu breaking the silence in the room. Everybody''s attention instantly turned towards Madhu��


    Madhu almost choked in fear as everyone looked at her�� but a part of her brain thankfully still worked and told her that this was the right time�� it was now or never��


    A cold sweat broke out�� Just when everyone was going to go back to ignoring her, she opened her mouth and said, "I�� I�� I ha-ha-have a boyfriend. And his parents are going to come to meet you guys today to ask my hand in marriage��" She stammered and blurted out in a go.


    "What did you just say?????" Rekha asked raising her voice slightly.


    "His�� His name is Akash�� Akash Srivastav." Madhu said. She really did not know how long she would have the courage. So, as long as it lasted, she wanted to tell them everything she needs to�� so, with everything going on in her head, she did not even hear Rekha�� or else she wouldn''t have had the courage to ignore her question or continue for that matter.


    "We�� we have been together for almost a year now�� and we want to get married. He already told his family and they will be here tonight!!" Madhu said and stopped at last. That was everything she needed to say��


    The next thing she knew, Rekha slapped her on her face making everyone in the family raise from their seats.


    "Mooom��" Aarav was the fastest to react as he came to stand in front of Madhu.


    "Is this why we raised you for so long? So that you can bring the reputation of our family to the streets!!! Did you even think before you decided to do such a disgusting thing?? You just proved you are not one of us�� You just proved no matter how carefully we raised you, you are not our blood. How much selfish can you be? How am I going to face our relatives now?" Rekha piled up complaints looking at Madhu fiercely.


    Madhu''s eyes gathered tears inexplicably. She knew this would happen. They were a very orthodox family�� marriages have to be decided by the parents.


    A girl child having a love affair is seen as a shame to the family�� Especially given her mother is someone who grew up in villages��


    Even adoption was not particularly approved by her side of the family. All her family treated Madhu as an outcast�� Just like her gran.


    But her dad side strongly believed that her mother was able to get pregnant just because of Madhu. So, they never entertained the idea of abandoning Madhu.

 Chapter 315 - She is my sister, mom!

    For Rekha, Madhu''s existence was a constant reminder of her own presumed shortcomings and her in-law''s dissatisfaction with her.


    That is why she could never love Madhu�� In fact, she even hated her at times. But she knew her husband would have her head if she ever did anything to Madhu out of spite... And Madhu was also so obedient that she never got any reason to vent her anger and resentment on her so far.


    But now that she had given her the reason, Rekha could not stop herself.


    "Did you ever think of our family and our reputation when you decided to go around seducing men?? We raised you out of kindness and is this how you repay us?" Her gran pitched in rubbing salt over her wounds.


    "I�� I did�� I did not do an-an-anything wr-wrong. I pr-promi-promise. I just like him�� an-and m-marry him! Pl-pl-please, jus-just��" Madhu couldn''t really continue between her hiccups. And Rekha really did not let her continue.


    "Did not do anything wrong? Do you think what you did was not wrong?? We let you go to the office because you said you wanted to help the family when your dad retired�� now I can see how wrong I was. You just wanted to trap some rich men and get out of here, didn''t you?? How can you be so greedy?" Rekha continued.


    "No-no-no�� it is not like that! Pl-please, mom��" Madhu sobbed uncontrollably under the scrutinizing glances of her family.


    Just when she was going to give up completely, to her surprise, Aarav actually spoke up.


    "Mom�� that''s enough!" Aarav said looking up at his mother.


    "What do you mean, Aarav? Anyways, you are just a kid�� you don''t have to be here�� go back to your room!! I don''t want you to get spoilt seeing her!! She is not your sister anyways!!" Rekha said pointing her fingers to his room.


    But for once Aarav actually did not move�� he just looked around at everyone and at Madhu sobbing.


    "She is my sister, mom!!" He couldn''t really help himself saying it. All this while, he had just been too lazy to meddle with things at home.


    He always saw her mother''s resentment towards Madhu�� so, he never got close to her knowing it would just make things so much worse for Madhu. He knew how possessive Rekha was when it came to him�� she would never share his love with an orphan.


    But seeing Madhu sobbing and Rekha accusing, he did not want to stand still anymore.


    "What is this, Aarav? Did you seduce him too?" Her gran accused her unscrupulously.


    Madhu shook her head frantically while Aarav gave his dad a helpless look. Because he knew anything he utters now is going to be detrimental to Madhu rather than helping her.


    Abhijeet, at last, joined them��


    "Aarav, you go to  your room!!" He said first.


    "But dad��"


    "I will handle things here�� This is not something you can meddle in��" His father said to him sternly.


    Aarav helplessly left to his room.


    Once he was out of the living room, Abhijeet saw his daughter sobbing away with her head hung low�� While his own wife and her mother glaring at her giving her a disgusting look as if she had committed a grave crime.


    For Rekha, it was�� But then Abhijeet was not that close-minded a person.


    "Ple-please�� j-just let me marry h-him. I won''t ask for anything�� I will do anything you guys ask�� But j-just�� don''t ta-take me away from him!! Please��" Madhu begged desperately. She really needed Akash�� and everything that came with it. But without her mother and father''s permission, she cannot have him��


    Just then Rekha slapped Madhu all over again, "You are still thinking about him?? Is this what we taught you�� You shameless��" Rekha shouted.


    "That''s enough, Rekha!!!" Abhijeet said this time.


    Rekha instantly became quiet.


    "Son-in-law, Rekha is just thinking about the family�� think about how we will face our relatives if this got out��don''t look at that wretches crocodile tears and scold your wife!! She is a nobody!" Her gran said supporting Rekha completely.


    But Abhijeet did not budge.


    "She is not a nobody�� she is my daughter and I know her. I raised her right! She did nothing wrong��" He said looking at the older ladies sternly.


    "Abhijeet�� you cannot be serious�� Are you going to accept her marriage? Her love affair?" Rekha said in disbelief.


    Abhijeet did not answer�� he did treasure his words more than necessary but his stance in front of Madhu gave Rekha the answer she needed.


    "If you marry her off, what is going to happen to our family? You are retired! And what will happen to Aarav''s college�� who will give the fees!!! And you�� you owe it to our family! This is your responsibility! Are you just going to eat our salt and stab us on our back??" Rekha flared up�� she first looked at her husband and then at Madhu as she asked the last question.


    Madhu once again shook her head but before she could answer, Abhijeet pitched in.


    "She does not owe us anything, Rekha!!"


    "Of course, she does�� you have any idea how much humiliation I had to endure because of her from your father and mother�� do you know how many people laughed at me because I had to adopt!!" Rekha couldn''t really control herself anymore. She really hated it when her relatives questioned her fertility when she couldn''t conceive�� the pressure that came with it was immense. And when she did get pregnant at last, somehow, all the credit actually went to Madhu instead of her.


    "That is not di''s fault mom�� how can you blame her for other people''s insensitivity!!" Aarav suddenly asked. He never really went to his room. He just left the living room and stayed in the corridor listening in.


    He did not like seeing Madhu being cornered like this�� but thankfully his father still had some sense�� But then, he still couldn''t help pitch in when Rekha accuses Madhu of things she was never responsible for.


    She was just a baby for god''s sake when they brought her�� how can she be held responsible for other people''s ignorance.


    But Madhu couldn''t handle it anymore�� she made a run towards her room and closed her room as she wailed helplessly.

 Chapter 316 - Madhu’s eyes snapped hearing his voice…

    Madhu really hated this feeling�� this feeling of knowing you are not loved.


    Because she was always obedient and always listened to Rekha, she had this illusion that Rekha actually loved her�� even if it is only a very insignificant amount. But today, these two slaps and her words proved how na?ve she had been.


    There was also a part of her that was so surprised and pleased that Aarav and Abhijeet stood up for her�� but that part is now being crushed but the pathetic heartbroken part.


    She never really resented her birth parents�� until that moment. If they did not want her, why did they ever bother giving birth to her? Knowing you are not wanted was not really a pleasant feeling.


    She had forgotten that when Akash came into her life�� slowly she felt like she can do something for once. But all that went to drain just like that�� she was once again that orphaned unloved girl crying in her room.


    If there was god, she resented him too�� why did he have to bring a person like Akash into her life just to take him away��


    If she had never known him�� if only she had never known what it felt like to be loved, she wouldn''t hurt this much at this moment. This moment felt absolutely cruel to her�� Her life felt cruel to her.


    She quickly wiped away her tears and opened her doors scared when she heard someone knock.


    This was a reflex reaction that was ingrained in her to absolutely be obedient within these walls.


    To her surprise, it was not her mom who called for chores but was Aarav, standing there scratching his head awkwardly.


    "Can I come in?" He asked softly.


    Madhu instantly opened her doors��


    Her room was pretty much the same as his�� he had never actually been inside here before. But then he did not bother looking around. Instead, he met with Madhu''s eyes and instantly looked down feeling guilty. He awkwardly extended his hands from behind and revealed an ice pack��


    "For your cheeks��" Aarav said gently.


    Madhu blinked for a long time before accepting it�� if it was awkward for Aarav, it was absolutely illusionary for Madhu. She had never had this kind of thing happen between her and Aarav even in her wildest of imaginations.


    Aarav is pretty stoic and an absolute mama boy�� he was not one to stand up for her and argue with his mom. Madhu had the serious urge to check his forehead for fever�� maybe he had a high temperature for a long time and his brains got fried.


    Aarav let out a sigh and came closer to Madhu taking the ice pack she was holding idly in her hands and kept them against her cheeks where his mother had just slapped.


    "HIssss." Madhu hissed involuntarily�� Her eyes almost popped out of her sockets as he stared at Aarav.


    He actually had pretty sharp features�� his square jaws can cut a paper if only anyone bothered to try�� He was fit and handsome�� Madhu had just never really enough interactions with him so far to notice all this before.


    "Are you really okay? Maybe you are having a brain fever or something!?" Madhu blurted out without being able to restrain herself anymore. He was behaving oddly today��


    Hey, I am not that bad on normal days, am I? he thought to himself but then looking at Madhu he knew she was not exactly teasing him but was actually genuinely confused and concerned.


    Okay, maybe I had been a jerk to her all along�� Aarav concluded.


    She bit on her lips pretty hard as she stared at Aarav�� But her hands stopped midway when they tried to feel his forehead�� but then she suddenly remembers something her mother and gran said and quickly took a few steps away from Aarav.


    "I- I am not trying to do anything with you�� I just suddenly thought of something stupid that is all!!" Madhu explained looking scared between the doors and Aarav as the ice pack slipped with a thud to the ground. Her whole face went sickly pale in seconds.


    Aarav couldn''t help but stiffen clenching his jaws�� His fists clenched.


    He really could not figure out what screws are loose in his own mother and gran when it came to Madhu to have driven them to say something so freaking vulgar��


    Did they really forget that saying such disgusting things about Madhu not only brought down their own reputation but also showed them how vile and low their thinking can get�� but at the end of the day, they were still his own mother and gran�� so, all he can do is sigh. He cannot exactly go and degrade them��


    "Di�� don''t listen to them�� they are just angry and said something not knowing what they were talking about. You did nothing wrong��" Aarav tried.


    But with each step, he took towards her�� she took back two back�� So, he stopped and both of them came to a stalemate.


    Madhu couldn''t really be bothered about standing anymore as her legs gave out��


    She did not want to cause them any harm�� that was not her intention. But seeing all the fighting happening because of her�� she let out a whimper hugging her knees tightly.


    Nothing Aarav said made their way to her brains after that.


    Madhu''s phone rang right then�� seeing as Madhu was in no state to attend the call, Aarav peeked�� Seeing Akash''s name flash on the screen, he actually took the call and put it on speaker mode.


    "Hey, Madhu what happened to you�� why are you not picking up the call!?" Akash''s voice came through the speakers.


    Madhu''s eyes snapped hearing his voice��

 Chapter 317 - you are my sister too…

    But before Madhu can actually react, Aarav actually spoke.


    "Hey, Akash�� this is Aarav, Madhu''s little brother. Can you come and take her away from here for a while. Things are not ideal at the moment and she is not holding up that well��"


    "No-no-no�� don''t tell him��" Madhu tried but it was already too late as Akash just hang up after telling them he will be here��


    Aarav looked at Madhu�� he just reached out and took her hands in his and tried to drag her out of the house��


    "Aarav�� Leave me. I cannot go�� especially not with Akash. Not now�� Mother will kill me!!" Madhu stopped him anxiously.


    "Nothing like that will happen�� I know mom and I know how to handle her. You on the other hand�� I am afraid if you remain here any more, you will end up drowning this whole house with your tears! And I don''t know how to swim yet�� so, I am not taking that chance�� You go be with your boyfriend, I will call you when I settle things down here��" Aarav joked around as they stood at her room entrance.


    Madhu blinked at him�� she stared at him for a long time biting her lips before saying, "You don''t have to do this�� I am fine. Do not fight with mother for me! I will just stay at home and talk to her�� she will understand." She herself knew she was lying through her teeth with the last part. Rekha was never going to understand�� She would probably just berate Madhu more if she tried to talk to Rekha about this again�� Madhu wouldn''t dare. But it was also true she did not want people to fight because of her��


    "It is not worth it!" Madhu mumbled looking at Aarav.


    Since Madhu never made any noise or complaints, he always thought they were doing fine�� at least, he thought they were doing enough.


    He thought as long as it is just a few chores and stuff, Rekha was not going overboard with Madhu�� They never had anything major happen since Madhu usually just did everything Rekha said. His gran would raise her voice every now and then, but Madhu always seemed unbothered by it.


    But looking at Madhu now and her behavior after hearing Rekha, he really did not know where and what went wrong between them.


    He could see she did not have any sense of self when it came to their family�� no sense of belonging or comfort a family should provide. He couldn''t help but think to himself if they had indirectly abused Madhu all along�� and that thought made him so angry at himself.


    He never thought that his laziness to meddle and aloof attitude towards things can actually result in something so horrendous for someone else�� especially his own elder sister.


    "Di�� I am not doing it for anyone else. I am doing it for my sister�� how can you say it is not worth it!" Aarav whispered through the lump on his throat.


    "I am fine, Aarav�� You should worry about your mother. She must be so disappointed and hurt�� you go talk to her. And do not get angry or try to talk for me�� that will just make things worse for her!" Madhu whispered looking down for a whole minute to compose herself before looking up at him�� she flashed a grin at him. But the effort she had put into that smile was very evident and looked painful somehow.


    Aarav did not move nor reply for a long time�� he just saw her smile until they faltered under his steady gaze.


    "I am fine, Aarav. Really!" Madhu repeated herself.


    "Di�� did we hurt you so much in all these years that you do not even know what it is to be fine and what it is to be hurt? Did we do this to you? Did you always pretend to be fine when you were in fact hurt?" Aarav asked tentatively. He knew the answer to that with just one look at Madhu�� but he was still afraid to hear her admit it to his face��


    Madhu was shocked hearing his question but then quickly shook her head as she said, "No-no-no�� I am not pretending, Aarav. I am really fine. You don''t know how grateful I am for all of you for what you guys gave me�� I am just sad that all I gave your guys in return for all that favor is a disappointment."


    Aarav got his answer with just that�� he did not bother talking to her anymore. He just silently dragged her out of the house in spite of his gran''s hollering and beckoning. Madhu was no match to his strength.


    Even though he was younger than her, physically he was taller and much bulkier than Madhu�� so, she couldn''t even make a send with her struggling.


    "Aarav�� why are you doing this? You will get scolded pointlessly!" Madhu said slightly raising her voice when they came to a standstill outside their home.


    "Di�� what I am doing is not pointless�� you are my sister. Do you even understand that�� do you get what that means? I cannot just stand there on the sideline when someone is questioning your character without any reason��" Aarav said frustrated. That was probably the first time he had actually acknowledged that they had a relationship between the two of them��


    Madhu couldn''t help but blink twice�� it took her a minute to realize she was not hallucinating.


    "But�� but�� that is your own mother. You cannot fight with her for ''me''!" Madhu still said confused with the way he was doing things today��


    "As I said�� you are my sister too��" Aarav said bluntly not explaining. Thankfully before Madhu can come up with any more protests, Akash drove over.


    Aarav pretty much had to dump her into his car before she would leave�� he stood there until the car left their streets before turning around only to find his dad standing there.

 Chapter 318 - He couldn’t help his guilt anymore…

    "We never gave her a family, did we?" Aarav asked looking at Abhijeet. He could see his own guilt reflect in his eyes.


    Abhijeet more so than Aarav because he was the one who brought that little girl into this house with a whole lot of promises and he somehow seemed to have broken each and every one of them very successfully because of his own ignorance.


    Somehow, racing with life, he seemed to have completely ignored a little girl growing up quietly in one corner of his own house.


    He never counted on Rekha to have this kind of resentment towards Madhu�� If Rekha could talk like this without Madhu uttering a single voice of complaint or protest, he could only imagine how things had been growing up��


    "We really seemed to have failed her completely as a father and brother!" Abhijeet whispered back before going in��


    Aarav could only silently agree��


    The more pathetic part was that if today''s events have not occurred, they probably wouldn''t have noticed it ever on their own.


    Just as they re-entered their house, they found Rekha shouting outside Madhu''s room.


    "Where did that girl go? Did she run away crying just because I reprimanded her a little��? Ask her to come back�� she cannot use such a lame excuse to shed her responsibilities�� she still has to make lunch!!"


    "She won''t be making lunch today!" Abhijeet said straight away.


    "Why the hell not? Is she pretending to be hurt because of two slaps?? Where is she? I will show her what happens when she ignores her responsibilities! She cannot even stand this much, how is she going to go marry into such a family and survive!" Rekha sneered.


    "She is not at home�� I sent her with her boyfriend! She will be with him till you can know your mistakes�� so, till then, we will just have to manage all the chores on our own! I will go cook the lunch" Aarav pitched in and he silently went to the kitchen.


    He is actually not that good at cooking but he can probably try and do something simple for now��


    "WHAT? How can she just go��? What does she think this is��? House or a hostel? Just to come and go as she pleases!? She did not even ask for permission before going out? And she dares elope with her boyfriend at that after all the things happened! The nerve of that gal�� I will see how she steps back into this house�� And why are you in the kitchen? She did not even cook lunch�� that dead girl!!!" His gran added fuel to the fire.


    "Gran, she did not go�� I sent her away. And why does she need permission to go out�� she is also the daughter of this family right? If I can come and go as I please, so can she. If she can cook lunch, so can I?" Aarav replied calmly.


    "You guys are not the same. You are my son!!" Rekha flared up.


    "And Madhu is your daughter too��" Abhijeet said at last.


    Rekha gave him a cold look and denied decisively, "No, she is not�� she is not my daughter. She had never been my daughter�� and she will never be part of this family after the stunt she pulled today�� she will never step foot into our house again!"


    "Then, I will also have to go find a rental for myself from tomorrow��" Aarav said nonchalantly shrugging his shoulders shocking everyone there��


    "What? Why? Why would you do shit like that?" Rekha exclaimed bewildered.


    "Of course because even I have a girlfriend. Doesn''t that mean I have committed the same crime as Madhu�� and it seems as far as this family is concerned, that is an unforgivable one. So, I will also move out tomorrow�� I do not want to disrepute my family by being here�� I cannot possibly shame my family now, can I?" Aarav threw a bomb at them.


    In all honesty, he did not have any girlfriend. But he could not think of any better way to make his mother see some sense��


    "What? When did that happen? Who is she? Is she pretty? Is she from your class? Why did you not bring her home? And what do you mean move out�� you would do no such stupid thing? We will be good to her as long as you like her and she is good to you!" Rekha said with a smile once she came back from her shock.


    Aarav let out a self-deprecating chuckle at his own mother''s ignorance towards her own double standards�� That minute looking into her guilt-free eyes as she said that, he knew he was never going to be able to put any sense into her��


    "Did you always treat her like this at home? Don''t you feel ashamed by these double standards??" Abhijeet asked defeated. Seemed like things were worse than he thought��


    "Why should I feel ashamed? She is not my daughter�� she is just an orphan. She should be grateful for everything we did for her�� I never starved her. And we sent her to school, college and kept the roof on top of her head. We never denied anything she asked for so far!! Where did I abuse her?" Rekha asked self-righteously.


    "We never sent her to any college or school, Rekha! She earned her way through it as soon as she was old enough to understand! Even now everything she earns is given to you!" Abhijeet said sighing.


    "Of course she should contribute�� we have raised her after all. And you know how much Aarav''s tuition fees cost�� with you retired, she should take the responsibility. She is the eldest after you��" Rekha argued back.


    "Rekha, there is a limit to being shameless��" Abhijeet said resigned before going to his study.


    He couldn''t help his guilt anymore�� he cannot believe he has actually given the responsibility of an innocent little girl to such a person.

 Chapter 319 - You are not going there again…

    The car remained quiet until they reached his house. Akash started talking only after parking his car.


    "Hey, you okay?" His voice was soft as he c.a.r.e.s.sed her arms.


    Madhu quietly nodded her head but did not say anything more.


    Akash got down and opened the doors for her. Both entered the house hand in hand. Madhu kept her head down in a daze and blindly followed him around.


    Akash sat her down in the living room and asked one of the maids for some ice��


    Madhu came back to her senses for a moment and winced when she felt the cold suddenly and at last, looked up at him��


    "You will feel better in a while!" Akash said softly and held the ice pack against her cheeks looking into her eyes.


    Madhu just stared back for the longest of time once again going into a daze�� And she did not really come out of it until she felt herself floating in the air.


    "Akash!" Madhu said surprised. But Akash did not reply�� he just took her to his room and sat her down on his. But even then he did not let her go�� just held her tightly.


    "You don''t have to go back to that house!! You just be here okay? I won''t let you go back there��" Akash said with conviction as he pulled away.


    God knows how much self-control and patience it took for Akash to not actually go into the house and give them a piece of his mind. He wanted to absolutely destroy every single person in there�� but seeing Madhu, he realized his priority should first be to know if she was okay��


    "I cannot do that�� even you know that! They are my parents Akash��" Madhu reasoned.


    "I do not care�� we can get married tomorrow and you won''t need to go there ever again��" Akash said without budging. He hugged her all over again. Keeping her close is the only way that seemed to work to keep his anger at bay.


    "Akash!" Madhu whispered exasperatedly. She knew things are that easy for him�� but it was not so for her. For one, even if nothing else, she had grown up in that house and she owes them everything she had today. But more than that, she was really surprised and puzzled by both Abhijeet and Aarav''s behavior today.


    "You know�� I may not have been that alone in that house after all��" Madhu mumbled thoughtlessly.


    "What do you mean?" Akash asked pulling away��


    That is when Madhu narrated the whole thing that happened at her house. She did not dare to say out the exact words her mother had used. She just described how Aarav and Abhijeet stood up for her in spite of her mother and gran.


    Akash did not seem convinced either way.


    "You are not going there again�� that is all!" Akash said finally with his ever so stubborn bossy tone that made refusing him almost impossible.


    Madhu couldn''t help let out a helpless sigh�� She knew she wouldn''t be able to change his mind in a short while�� so, she resigned to her fate and did not argue anymore with him. She can convince him in a couple of days to come. Anyways, she wouldn''t be able to go back home when her mom was like this and Aarav did instruct her to stay away from home for a few days until he gives her the green flag to come back home.


    "Okay, I will just stay here�� happy?" Madhu asked looked up at him with a slight smile on her face.


    Akash did not answer. Instead, he actually enveloped her in a hug almost crushing her in the process.


    Madhu stayed put as long as she could but after a while, she started aching.


    She lightly patting on his arms as she whispered, "Akash, you are crushing me!"


    Akash instantly let go and looked at her worried.


    "You don''t have to look at me like that you know�� I may be younger than you and may even look slightly na?ve, but I am a big girl. I can take care of myself. I have lived in that house for all my life�� I know how to handle people there�� You do not need to protect!" Madhu said beaming at him.


    Madhu had calmed down a lot by now. She had come out of her head and was able to think straight now. She was surprised by what had happened in her house�� If anything, she can say she had anticipated her mother''s and gran''s reaction to the news�� but what she did not expect was Aarav''s and Abhijeet''s reactions�� not in a million years did she think they would stand up for her�� that they would fight their mother and wife for her sake��


    It felt really good when people looked out for her�� It made her feel as if she was not that alone in this world after all. But that did not mean that she was going to hide behind them and let them fight her battles.


    "I cannot just let you go back to that house after seeing you come out of there like this, Madhu! I just can''t" Akash said with conviction as his fingers traced on her still red cheeks feather-light.


    "That was a result of two people in the house, Akash�� there are two other people in there you know! Aarav stood up for me�� he fought with his mother for me. So did father. I cannot just up and leave everything just like that just because I have a place to stay now��" Madhu reasoned with Akash very patiently. She knew his sternness came from a good place�� so, she did not have to heart to say anything mean to him even when he was being unreasonably overbearing.


    Akash, on the other hand, sneered.


    "Stood up for you�� yea right�� They watched you get beat up, Madhu! You are telling me two men couldn''t stop one lousy woman from beating you? I am not sending you back to that house�� that''s final, Madhu. You are getting nowhere arguing with me on this subject!!" Akash said and walked out of the room as anger rose inside him uncontrollably as he remembered the state she was in when she came inside his car.

 Chapter 320 - Wait till I tell this to Akira!

    "You think even I should get a s.e.xy secretary like that�� it should be fun right?? Having eye candy like that all day long��?? Do you know where can I get somebody like that?" Shreya said looking intently at Charan''s secretary.


    Shreya was free for the day and came to Charan''s office on a whim��


    Charan of course had work. So, he was busy working while Shreya just loitered around in his office leisurely. Obviously, his secretary was in and out of the office multiple times by now��


    And Shreya who was bored out of her head couldn''t help but notice. She stood beside his chair leaning on the table as she commented the above.


    Unlike Charan''s office which had a more formal setting, her own office does not have a dress code.


    So, Anne is a slacker when it came to what she wore to the office. And since Shreya does not go out to meetings or anything, she usually just comes to the office in informal dresses�� most of them bought to her by Shreya personally on their very first shopping trip.


    But Charan''s secretary on the other hand wore a formal knee-length skirt that hugged her legs in all the right places and a very fit white shirt that showed all her jewels. And Shreya found it extremely interesting at the moment.


    "Or maybe I should take Anne on another shopping trip and buy her more formal clothes�� they look nice but they will not look as nice as your secretary''s though. Anne does not have such perfect figures�� I should agree, you have great eyes. Your secretary looks smoking hot!!! She almost has the perfect shape for a woman!" Shreya''s eyes were practically gleaming with delight and sincerity when she said that.


    Charan could only gap at her�� he really did not know whether to laugh or cry in this situation. His brows frown unconsciously in disp.l.e.a.s.u.r.e as he asked, "Shouldn''t you be jealous?"


    Normal women would have probably gotten angry with him�� and some unreasonable ones may even demand to change his secretary in the given situation. But only Shreya�� only Shreya could react like this.


    "Of course I am jealous. I am jealous you got someone like that around you who has the perfect brains and body��!!" Shreya answered very self-righteously.


    Charan could only gap at her speechlessly.


    "Can you let her go? Do you think she will come and work for me if I pay more�� or should I just seduce her?" Shreya thought out loud with a very serious expression on her face.


    "Shreya, you are a female!! If you have forgotten�� You cannot seduce another female!!" Charan answered rolling his eyes sarcastically��


    "Why the hell not??" Shreya asked vehemently. "I am going to show you I can�� wait for me here. You also prepare to get a new secretary for you!!" She smiled confidently and started to move away from his side but she never got the chance as Charan pulled her and sat her down on his l.a.p.


    "Stop messing around if you have had enough fun��" He scolded her sternly.


    "Are you afraid I will steal your precious secretary??" Shreya asked smirking. Unconsciously her eyes went for his secretary doing something on her desk��


    Charan''s cabin had glass walls all around. So, you can pretty much see what anyone was doing pretty clearly from here.


    "Hey, stop looking there already. I get it�� you find her attractive. That doesn''t mean you have to keep staring at her when I am around!!" Charan did not even know why he was sulking. But the way Shreya was looking at his secretary just ticked him off. It was almost close to the way she would look at him whenever he would cook in front of her�� wonderous kind of look�� admiration of sort when someone does something she cannot do and he did not like that�� not one bit.


    When Shreya did not straight away look away, Charan straight up used his hands and blocked her line of sight��


    "Hey, are you even listening??" Charan asked sternly.


    That is when Shreya actually looked at him. "Why are you sulking??" She asked confused looking at his pouting cheeks.


    How did it come to himself sulking over his own secretary is something Charan could not figure out��


    But their moment was interrupted by laughter and when they looked up, Kabir was standing there at Charan''s doors.


    "When did you come??" Charan asked irritated.


    "When you were busy getting jealous over your own secretary!!" Kabir said gleefully smirking.


    "I was not!" Charan denied straight away. But his blush gave him away��


    That is when Shreya''s eyes at last brightened. Her lips curved irrevocably.


    "What?? What are you smiling at??" Charan asked giving her a pointed look��


    Shreya pursed her lips suppressing her laughter and shook her head vehemently.


    "Wait till I tell this to Akira!!" Kabir said before walking away leaving a file behind.


    "I am not going to be able to hear the end of this, am I??" Charan said shaking his head.


    After all, once Akira learns about this, his whole family will. Shreya couldn''t help but stare at his sulking face��


    She did not know how she looked when she was looking at his secretary but she sure as hell did not feel this way�� She felt as if her heart was going to burst out of her ribs or something.


    The joy she feels just by seeing him or being with him was something she does not have enough words to describe. She couldn''t really help herself from leaning over to bite on his cheeks.


    "You have no idea how happy you make me, Charan!" She said pulling away from him with the brightest smile lingering on her lips.


    Charan''s eyes softened.


    "Maybe I should make an a.s.s out of myself more often so that I can keep you to myself!" Charan smiled back.

 Chapter 321 - Promise...

    Charan�� even when he is this m.a.t.u.r.e person in their relationship most of the time keeping his head straight, there are still times when he cannot help his mind from wandering around. Especially when they were apart.


    Shreya''s existence for him is a miracle. An absolute miracle��


    After losing Samantha, he never dreamed of ever getting someone like Shreya in his life��


    He also knows she loves him with everything she had�� but there were times he had wondered if it was enough.


    Because for both of them, life was about so much more than love�� they had so much more in life.


    A family and all the responsibilities that came with it�� and for both of them, those responsibilities came first�� regardless of their own happiness. Because both of them had people they need to take care of and protect.


    And in the case of Shreya, that responsibility was so much more heavy and draining than it was for him.


    For him, it was Akira and his family�� that was all. He still had a lot of space for Shreya and everything that came with it.


    But Shreya had way too much on her plates even without having to worry about Akira and himself. So, he cannot really stop himself from asking whether he was just being a burden on Shreya by being around her�� whether he was actually making her life harder than it already was.


    Especially after hearing how Shreya was okay even without them meeting for all those months��


    Even when he had consoled Akira that Shreya would come back, he himself could help but doubt that promise.


    After all, being an a.d.u.l.t means you know more of the world and you know how easy it is to break a promise. But all that was flushed into the drain the minute he laid eyes on Shreya�� and after seeing her state for the weeks following them coming back from the island, all his worries felt absolutely useless.


    He just wished he had the strength and the means to keep this smile on her face all her life�� Even if it was not possible, at the very least, he wishes he does not become the reason behind her sorrow in the future.


    "Shreya��" Charan called out softly once they reached home later that night.


    Akira was already put to bed. Shreya was watching someone on the television while Charan kept her company.


    Shreya hummed without looking at him. Her attention was still on the television when Charan pulled out the remote control and switched it off��


    Shreya frowned and looked at him asking him what was he up to without really voicing it.


    "You remember when you said before that you cannot make me any promises for the time being? Is it still not time yet��"


    Charan couldn''t really help his eyes from flickering around in nervousness.


    Between the two of them, maybe it was Charan who actually lacked the sense of security.


    It probably came from the fact that their priorities are different.


    Even though for Shreya, Charan was an equally important existence for her happiness, her bottom line is his and Akira''s safety.


    What drove Shreya that day crazy was the fact that something might have happened to them�� and it had nothing to do with the fact that they had been apart for so long.


    Yes, she was missing them�� that was pretty much apparent. But as long as she feels it was not safe for them to be around her, Shreya would never ever within a mile of them even if it ends up killing her in the process.


    And as long as they are hidden in the dark�� as long as their relationship can be hidden, Shreya can end up doing what she did all those months back in a blink of an eye. And he was not ready for something like that to happen all over again.


    He knows he should be thinking about Akira first�� a part of him always does too. But at the end of the day, he had decided to have a life with Shreya. And as long as that statement is true, he needs to start facing the consequences of that decision one day or another. Because that is not something he can escape��


    So far, she had blanketed them from it�� she was protecting him and Akira with the whole of her body and soul without a speck of dust reaching them�� and he wanted to change that. He wanted to face things with her instead of letting her do all the work for him.


    "What kind of a promise do you need?" Shreya asked without answering him directly.


    "What kind of a promise can you give me now?" Charan reverted back.


    Shreya went silent in contemplation. She was very happy now�� so, she never had the chance to think about beyond today and now��


    For a person who meticulously plans everything ahead when it came to business, she was still pretty sloppy when it came to relationsh.i.p.s.


    Not because she was scared of commitment but mainly because she had too much commitment when it came to relationsh.i.p.s of any kind.


    For her, once she had recognized someone as her person�� her family. She will protect them meticulously till the end without expecting anything in return. So, for her, as long as she recognizes the people, it in itself is a promise. A promise for a lifetime.


    She never believed in verbalizing them because verbal promises mean nothing if they are going to be followed with action. And she believed more in action�� And she had shown it with action what Charan and Akira are for her.

 Chapter 322 - I am not an idiot!

    Even though Shreya extended the file towards Charan, she did not let it go��


    She stood there hesitating for a long while. She looked entangled.


    "What is it?" Charan asked confused. Between the two of them, Shreya had always been straightforward and bold. So, he was surprised to see this kind of expression on her face. She almost looked guilty.


    "I don''t know if this counts as a promise�� I don''t know if this was what you meant. But this was something I did a while back�� and I did not mean any disrespect when I did this�� I just�� This just gave me peace of mind. I did not do this for anybody''s sake but for myself�� selfishly. So, I will apologize if you feel offended by it."


    Charan gave her a peculiar look before giving his attention to the file in front of him. He carefully went through the papers and his eyes widened inexplicably.


    It was the papers to the creation of a trust fund whose sole beneficiary was Akira.


    The purpose clearly states that if anything were to happen to himself and Shreya, the fund will provide the necessary funds for Akira to finish her education�� And after Akira''s 25th birthday, the fund will do as per her instructions. There were no conditions�� nothing.


    Charan was shocked�� he did not know how to feel about it. He looked at the date it was created, and it was exactly a week after they had separated. To be more precise, it was exactly a week after the day they both had ended up getting themselves kidnapped.


    "Shreya, you cannot do this�� I cannot accept it. You do not need to do this��" Charan scrambled for the right words to tell her.


    The whole reason he had asked her for a promise is that he wanted to share her responsibilities, not let her take up more responsibilities from him.


    But Shreya just shook her head as she said, "Charan, I did not do it for you or not even for Akira�� I did for myself. I did it for my own peace of mind. This made me feel safer somehow�� more secure in this relationship. I do not know how to say it right�� even though I am still terrified to be around you at times thinking of what could happen, doing this makes the intensity of my fear a little less�� just a tiny bit less.  It eases the guilt a little bit too��"


    Charan closed the file and kept it on the coffee table before looking at Shreya to ask something, "You feel guilty being with us??"


    "Maybe�� I don''t know how to exactly say this�� but every minute I have with you guys, it almost feels as if I am stealing something that is not mine, to begin with. And the thought that I might put you guys in harm''s way in the process just makes it so much worse." Shreya answered.


    "Then what about your family? When you spend time with your uncle and aunt or maybe when you are with Zack, do you feel guilty too? After all, they are also in danger by associating with you?" Charan asked. Even when it almost felt like he was interrogating her�� he was just trying to get into her head�� he cannot understand this part of her.


    "Zack is my employee�� he is getting paid. And with uncle and aunt, I do not have a choice��" Shreya answered subconsciously the first thing that came to her head.


    "You mean you cannot walk out on them as you did with us?" Charan asked. Suddenly he did not know how to go about this with Shreya��


    "We are expendable, right?" Charan asked looking extremely hurt.


    "WHAT? Of course, not!!! How can you even think that?" Shreya asked back with indignation��


    "Then explain to me what is the meaning of saying you have no choice with your aunt and uncle but you have a choice with me and Akira?" Charan asked back.


    Shreya blinked and looked confused for a long time�� before mumbled looking ashamed, "For me�� I just�� I just think it is not worth the risk!"


    "So, you think you are expendable when it comes to Akira and me��?"


    "I just feel it will be too selfish of me to ask you guys for something like that��" Shreya mumbled without meeting Charan''s eyes.


    Charan was getting really pissed but then looking at her so down and about, he couldn''t really do anything about it. Especially when he remembered her behavior just after they had come back from the island, he could already guess for Shreya both Akira and him were not expendable but were anything but.


    Charan took a minute for himself before pulling Shreya towards himself. He let her sit on his lap��


    All the blood had drained from her cheeks making them look pale. Her palms were sweaty.


    "I just�� I don''t know how to say it. But for me, nothing is worth a life�� not me at least." Shreya added.


    "I am going to get really very pissed if you are going to keep up with this statement!!" Charan said with a lot of fierceness in his voice.


    Shreya went absolutely quiet after that. She reminded Charan of Akira when she was very little. Whenever she misbehaves or does something absolutely ridiculous and gets caught, she would look just like Shreya was right now. And all his anger dissipated just like that.


    He let out a sigh as he leaned over her shoulders as he said, "I really don''t know how? But for a person who is really smart on normal days, you really behave like an absolute idiot sometimes��"


    "I am not an idiot!!" Shreya said with conviction looking wronged and offended at the same time.


    Charan really couldn''t help himself from pulling on her cheeks�� He pinched her so hard that they turned red very quickly.

 Chapter 323 - Her pale cheeks really broke his heart.

    Charan did not speak for a long time while Shreya just stayed mum since she felt like she had done something wrong but couldn''t really figure out what it was.


    "Shreya�� do you really consider me as someone you want to spend your life with??" Charan asked softly.


    "Of course!!" Shreya said obviously.


    "Then you need to start letting me in�� have some faith in me. You are not my bodyguard who has to stop all rain and wind in my path�� You are my girlfriend. And whether or not you are worth the risk is something that is for me to decide�� it is not your decision. You do not get to decide that for me�� nor for Akira." Charan said seriously and paused letting his words sink in.


    He knew Shreya had never thought of these things before�� For someone who is very smart most of the time, she was really dense at times like this.


    She likes things under her control all the time and she was not used to letting people choose�� Even though she does not straight away come as one, but Shreya was pretty overbearing. The only thing is she does not force her decision but instead will weave around the person patiently until they give her exactly the answer she wants. Since she always ends up convincing people in the sweatest of ways, her overbearing and controlling nature gets overlooked most often than not.


    But seeing her frowning brows, Charan knew she was having a hard time digesting things.


    "If you want a family for yourself out of us, you need to stop pushing us away every time things get hard. You should stop treating this relationship as something you can have when it is safe and hide when it is not safe�� I did it once because you looked so desperate. But I cannot do something like that again."


    "What do you mean you cannot do that?" Shreya asked looking alarmed slightly.


    "I mean if you are going to walk out on me one more time, that will be the last time you will be doing something like that�� because I will not be around to give you another chance��"


    Shreya''s eyes widened instantly as she shook her head frantically and said, "NO. I won''t do that�� You just be here, okay? I will do everything you say��" She did not even process half of what he just said. All she heard was ''I will not be around'' and fear engulfed her immediately.


    Her pale cheeks really broke his heart. He couldn''t help himself but hold her tightly to himself.


    "Hey, relax. I did not say that as a threat or to scare you�� But I want you to understand, a relationship takes two people and you cannot keep shouldering everything on your own leaving me behind�� that so unfair to you and me." Charan explained softly�� he kept his hands firmly around her. He rubbed on her arms giving away some warmth.


    His words floated around in the air for a long time before Shreya actually understood what Charan was trying to say�� a lot of her panic subsided.


    "I know�� it is just�� it is just hard sometimes�� I don''t even realize I am doing that half the time. Even uncle said the same. But I don''t know what I am doing wrong?" Shreya''s hands fisted in frustration unconsciously.


    "You are not doing anything wrong��" Charan started but looking at her anxious face he did not have to heart to explain how overbearing she can be. So, he let it go��


    He did not have to say everything now anyway. As long as the thing from before does not happen again, he can deal with the rest.


    "You just don''t push me away like last time okay? Regardless of the risk, please just don''t think about dealing with it alone hereafter. A family faces things together!!" Charan answered her.


    Shreya contemplated for a while. But, at last, nodded as she said, "Okay, I can do that. But if something similar to the last time kidnapping episode ever happens again, you have to absolutely agree to my arrangements. You cannot go around pulling stunts like the last time! I am a big girl, I can take care of myself. I do not take myself lightly�� so, if I do something that seems reckless, it means I have already made arrangements. All I need from you is to take care of yourself!"


    "I can live with that!!" Charan said smiling at last.


    Anyways, with the depth of paranoia Shreya has, this was probably the best she could give him and he knew Shreya is going to do her damndest to keep her promise too.


    Charan simpled rubbed the top of her head and said, "Come on. Let''s get you to bed��"


    But Shreya did not budge�� she just snuggled into him and started talking soft, "I know I am kind of stuck up like that�� it is just when dad was around, he will take care of everyone regardless. Even Ram uncle''s family. And I grew up watching him shoulder that responsibility so effortlessly. We did not have to think about anything at all. All we have to do is say what we want and he will have it in front of us�� As long as something is done in goodwill, he will support us unconditionally. But he is also the most feared existence since if we did something wrong, he will be just so much harder on us. None of us will ever dare to do the same mistake twice."


    "You know, it was dad who actually convinced Anand uncle when Bhavna first said she wanted to go into modeling. He provided us some sort of a safe haven where we can just be�� and from the time I can remember, I always just wanted to be like him�� even if I cannot do all of it that he did, I wanted to at least try and be half of what he was�� but I am nowhere near my goal seeing as Mithun just tried to kill me�� When I learned that it was Mithun, I felt as if I failed him as a family. I felt as if I failed my dad��"

 Chapter 324 - You are ‘my idiot’

    "You know�� if you- the Shreya Srivastav, had failed your dad�� nobody in this country can ever say they had lived up to their parents'' expectations!!" Charan said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice��


    Shreya stared at him bewildered for a second. She was so deep in her thoughts that it took her a minute to even realize that Charan was teasing her.


    "I am being serious here��" Shreya said frowning.


    "I am too�� I meant every word of it!" Charan reverted back.


    Shreya could help but give a sardonic look as she stared at him.


    "You should be in my shoes to actually know how idiotic you sound! Do you even hear yourself�� how much crap you are talking about!?" Charan said rolling his eyes. The mockery in his eyes was pretty evident.


    Shreya glared at him speechlessly for a second before leaning over to bite on his cheeks. By now, Charan had so gotten used to this habit of Shreya''s that he did not even flinch. He just looked at her amused as she vehemently said, "You call me ''an idiot'' one more time, I am going to end up giving you a facial using my teeth�� and it''s going to be pretty painful too.


    Charan just let out a burst of laughter while pulling on her cheeks and said adoringly, "You are not ''an idiot''�� you are ''my idiot''. There is a difference." He said looking proud.


    Shreya made a face and attempted to get up from his l.a.p.s. But Charan never gave her the chance.


    "Okay, okay. I''m sorry. You are the smartest person I know�� who would dare to call you an idiot??" Charan curry-flavored giving her a flattering smile.


    Shreya stopped struggling and just snuggled in. She was not that angry in the first place. It was just, from small till now, she had a high IQ and high EQ. So, she had never been dumb. And being called an idiot was just a tad bit annoying.


    Charan rubbed on the back of her head and started talking seriously at last, "Jokes apart. But Shreya, I promise you, your parents are going to be proud. Just as much as I am. And the thing with Mithun was not your fault�� he bought it upon himself. Even family can only do so much Shreya�� Every person is individually responsible for his own actions from when he attains the age of 18. And it is a parents'' responsibility to tell that to their kids. So, you cannot possibly take responsibility for the faults of others just because you''re the heir. That just is not the way things work�� and he is elder to you for gods sakes�� You have a life to live on your own�� you cannot go around correcting a jerk just because he has the same surname as you��"


    Shreya did not reply but Charan could say she was listening. But he did not add anything to it. He knew for a person as smart as Shreya, she probably already knew all this in her head but just does not have the heart to accept it and that she probably just needed someone else to remind her of it one time.


    So, he did not nag. Just kept her company quietly. By the time Shreya actually came out of her trance, it was already midnight.


    "I will go check on Akira�� you can have your shower��" Shreya said softly smiling at Charan and getting up from his l.a.p.s.


    Charan silently agreed to go to do as she said while Shreya sneaked up into Akira''s room.


    Akira was pretty disciplined while sleeping. She had a very straight posture while a plush toy hung from her right hands. Even her sleeping hours were pretty regular.


    Shreya adjusted her blankets fuzzily before bending down to peck on her temples. Just as she stood up, she noticed Samantha''s photo beside Akira''s pillow. Shreya couldn''t help herself from taking it and looking at it. She just stared at the woman''s photo for a minute absentmindedly rubbing the corners with her thumb before keeping it back from where she took it and exited the room.


    When Shreya asked for a promise, for a second Shreya thought maybe he was talking about marriage. For a second she did not know what to think but then she quickly dismissed it. But then it suddenly struck her that they hadn''t seriously talked anything that pertains to the future of their relationship, ever.


    NO wonder Charan will ask such a question.


    She just always knew she wants Akira and Charan in her life forever. But she never thought about the title that would follow for that to happen.


    Marriage.


    Her past experience had made her wary of the term itself�� She does not exactly believe in the institution as such.


    But she does not hate it if it is with Charan�� But other than the title nothing else would particularly change between them since they usually just stay together every night even otherwise shuttling between Charan''s house and her own apartment.


    But the title in itself was the problem�� Because once she was married, she will not just be Shreya��


    She will be a wife and a mother�� then she will also be a daughter-in-law and a sister-in-law. She cannot exactly say she is scared of the responsibilities that come with it�� But then again when she seriously thinks about it, she feels as if the very ground she is standing on will shake��


    Once married, it will be a whole new reality in which she had zero experience.


    "What are you thinking so deeply about?" A voice suddenly sounded just beside her ears bringing her out of her thoughts.


    Shreya looked up at Charan and blinked. Even though a part of her wanted to ask a lot of questions, for once she did not have to courage to do it.


    She quickly shook her head and said, "Nothing�� Just stuff�� go on get some sleep. I will shower and come��" And then she quickly disappeared into the bath leaving behind a confused Charan.

 Chapter 325 - You are not just Akash… you are Akash SRIVASTAV.

    Crash!


    "MADHU!!" Akash called out so loud that it can be heard in all corners of the house instantly.


    "Here!" Madhu called back in a considerably lesser voice.


    Akash followed the voice to the kitchen and found Madhu squatting over a broken vase giving him a sheepish smile.


    For a second, he had completely forgotten how clumsy Madhu can be. Since Madhu had long gotten used to his own floor in the office and for some time now, they hadn''t really had any meeting outside of the office because of security purposes, there hadn''t been that many accidents happening. And when they are out, Akash usually just holds her hands�� so, there were no chances of her tripping over absolutely nothing.


    But since she had been with Akash in his house, he was reminded of her clumsiness all over again.


    The crashing sound had become a daily occurrence for the past week�� more like 5 days and she had been with him for 5 days.


    "Amy, clean that up for me please��" Akash instructed one of his maids.


    Madhu stood back chewing on her lips with bleeding fingers. There was also some blood around smudged with her footmarks.


    Akash let out a sign before calling out for his butler.


    "Please clear out all the vase and other showcase pieces around�� Especially breakable and glass ones�� I do not want any of those displayed around or in the house." Akash gave instructions giving Madhu a dry look before lifting her up from her feet and made his way to his bedroom wordlessly.


    Even Madhu did not protest. If she walked around with these feet, the whole way would have to be cleaned all over again. She did not want to be a pain in the a.s.s for the people working here and invite hate for herself.


    "I told you when you break something, just stand back without moving an inch until I come there�� who asked you to try to clean up?" Akash scolded glaring at her.


    Madhu just clewed on her lips without saying anything.


    A few minutes later, his butler knocked on his doors and gave him the first aid kit.


    "Thanks, uncle�� You guys can go after the dinner is done." Akash said taking the first aid kit from him and walked towards Madhu.


    This had happened almost every day at varied times of the day�� It''s almost ridiculously predictable.


    "I''m sorry about the vase," Madhu mumbled looking pitiful as Akash cleaned up her wounds from under her feet.


    "You�� You are not getting up from this bed for the next two days!" Akash said sternly.


    Madhu couldn''t help but pout as she said, "I will buy you another vase!" She looked away sulking.


    "What the use? Anyways, you are going to end up breaking it within days??" Akash asked smirking.


    "YOU!!!" Madhu glared at him puffing her cheeks. But looking at his amused smile, she did not know where the anger came from but she leaned over and actually bit on his arm.


    "Serves you right!!" Madhu mumbled not bothering to look at him anymore.


    Akash blinked at her surprised at first but then let out a chuckle before pinching her puffed-up cheeks playfully as he asked, "Do you have any idea how cute you are?"


    "Don''t treat me like a kid!!" Madhu answered back but her ears turned red in embarrassment.


    But before Akash could say anything, Madhu''s phone rang. Just as Madhu made an effort to get down from the bed to get the phone, Akash beat him to it and handed her the phone without seeing who it was.


    But he soon regretted it when he heard it was her dad.


    Madhu did not say anything for a long while. But before cutting the call, Madhu just said, "I will be home dad��"


    Even before Madhu could start to explain their conversation, "No�� you are not going back to that house��"


    "I cannot just stay here Akash��" Madhu said back. "I have already not been home for 5 days now��" She tried to reason.


    But Akash did not budge. After almost one whole hour of begging and bickering, without another option, Madhu called for Shreya�� She briefly explained things. Anyways, Akash already told her almost fully what happened that day�� so, Shreya caught up instantly.


    "You just give the phone to Akash. I will deal with him��"


    Madhu sighed in relief and readily agreed. Anyways, her mouth had gone dry by now. She does not have the energy to talk anymore.


    "It''s Shreya��" Madhu said and just handed over the phone to Akash and left the living room.


    "Let her go home, Akash. You cannot just keep her with you against her will�� and no matter what, that''s her home�� a place she grew up in from little to now." Shreya got straight to the point without Akash ever having to say a word.


    "You cannot be serious Shreya�� do you know how she was when she came out of that house�� those jerks beat her!!!" Akash flared.


    "Hey, they are her family�� no matter what."


    "Family, my ass��" Akash reverted without flinching.


    "They could have easily abandoned her, Akash. But they did not�� good or bad, they had raised her till now. They could have easily just let her go even now, but they did not. NO family is perfect�� but they are still a family. Do not look down on that fact nor ignore the fact if you don''t want to hurt Madhu.", Shreya said sternly stopping him from saying anything more.


    "They don''t care about her at all Shreya��" Akash still argued. His voice sounded defeated when he said that because he knew Shreya was right on all counts in spite of


    "Maybe�� but Madhu does. That makes a difference�� So, when you insult them, you are not only insulting them but also insulting someone Madhu respects and cares about. Just remember that��"


    "I cannot just send her back knowing they are just going to insult her more because of me!!" Akash said stubbornly.


    Shreya couldn''t help roll her eyes as she said sarcastically, "You are not just Akash�� you are Akash SRIVASTAV. Even though you are the biggest idiot on normal days, the world does not know that�� Use it��"


    "Hey�� That''s not fair�� its not my fault that I was abused by two evil sisters from a young age which did damage to my brains. But you are righ��"


    Before he could finish, Shreya cut the call without having the patience to put up with his rubbish anymore. She had work to do��


    "Go on�� get ready. I will take you back��" Akash said reluctantly to Madhu giving her phone back.

 Chapter 326 - Madhu, can you get me some coffee?

    Everyone in the house was standing around not daring to make a single noise��


    "Madhu, can you get me some coffee?" Akash asked, at last, breaking the silence in the living room.


    The other day when Madhu was trying to explain who her boyfriend was, Rekha never gave her a chance to finish it. So, nobody really knew who it was until Madhu knocked on their doors today with Akash leading the way.


    Rekha suddenly regrated the way she behaved the other way.


    Akash may not be readily recognized by everyone. But because Madhu was working under Akash, the whole family knew who Akash was and can recognize him at a glance.


    When Madhu said she had a boyfriend, Rekha thought it would be someone working in the company who was maybe her senior or someone old. After all, who would want to marry an orphan?


    Not in a million years she thought it would be Akash SRIVASTAV, Madhu''s ultimate boss��


    Madhu gave Akash a skeptical look. He had coffee just before they left�� there was no way he was going to need another one in such a short time.


    "You just had one?" Madhu asked giving him a pointed look.


    "So, I want another one? What? You don''t want to even give me a cup of coffee when I visit your home??" Akash played dumb acting cute.


    Madhu rolled her eyes but still made her way to the kitchen. But not before giving Akash a serious look and saying, "Behave!"


    Rekha couldn''t help glare at Madhu as she said, "Is this what I taught you? Where are your manners??" She chided at Madhu.


    Madhu had long gotten used to the slightly venomous words of her mother�� on the surface, it always looked like she was just correcting her but when you see and listen closely you will know they were slightly berating. But she had never bothered about them, so she just obediently apologized, "Sorry, mother. I will do better�� I will go make coffee now��"


    Madhu left while Rekha wore a satisfied smile on her face�� Abhijeet seated opposite Akash had a pale face��


    Rekha happily turned towards Akash only to see something was wrong��


    Akash was looking at her with icy eyes�� She couldn''t help shiver unconsciously.


    Grandma saw something was wrong and quickly ushered Rekha out of the living room saying, "Daughter, you go bring snacks over with coffee��"


    Rekha took a minute to comprehend but when she did, she quickly nodded her head and said, "Yes�� snacks. I will go bring some snacks, excuse me."


    But before she could even take a step away, Akash''s voice came out rather sternly, "No need," His voice was filled with authority and ice.


    Rekha''s legs stopped and her whole body froze in place. She turned around slightly scared.


    "Madhu maybe someone you guys raised, but she is my fianc�� now. She is someone who is going to be a part of Srivastav''s family�� I don''t care how you treated her so far�� I don''t care if you don''t love her�� I won''t count it since, in spite of it all, you guys did keep her here and raised her. But I see her crying and beaten one more time, you won''t even get the chance to beg for forgiveness��" He said it looking directly at the ladies of the house.


    Akash paused and turned to look at Abhijeet this time as he continued, "If it were up to me, I wouldn''t even let her enter this house ever again�� but Madhu still calls this place her home and I do not want to take it away from her�� but that doesn''t mean I will sit still no matter how you end up treating her�� I see one hair out of place in her ever again or I see her crying because of something you guys did or said to her, you guys can say goodbye to your peaceful lives��"


    Just as Akash was about to continue, he saw Madhu entering the living room and she was precariously close to dropping the plate with the hot coffee�� Akash was up his feet in no time but Aarav beat him to it and took the plate from her.


    "Di��" He exclaimed as he stabilized her plate. He then quickly took it from her hands and let her stand steady.


    "You don''t even know how to walk straight!!" Rekha chided almost habitually. But before she could continue on to say anything else, Abhijeet gave her a warning look while Akash glared at Rekha.


    Madhu only then noticed that there was something wrong with the people in the living. When she left, even though they looked uncomfortable and nervous with Akash, they did not look like this��


    Her grandma looked about ready to faint while Rekha looked terrified and pale as she looked at Akash.


    "What did you do?" Madhu asked giving Akash a pointed look. She gave him an icy look trying to intimidate him into telling her.


    But Akash did not budge. He just shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly as he said, "Nothing I shouldn''t!"


    Aarav pitched in at the moment and answered for Akash before Madhu can insist, "He was discussing your engagement with mother and father. He was asking when he can bring over his parents, that is all!"


    Akash rolled his eyes not showing any sort of appreciation for saving him. But he did not refute his comment either. He just quietly agreed not to disagree.


    Akash leisurely went back to the living room dragging Madhu by her hands while Aarav followed them with the coffee.


    "Akash, wait. I need to get the coffee��" Madhu struggled but it was all in vain since she was no match against Akash''s insistence.


    "It''s okay, di��" Aarav said and quietly followed them unhurriedly. But before he could serve, Rekha took over and served them to Akash.


    Thankfully, Akash did not make it hard on Rekha and quietly thanked Rekha as he took a sip.


    Once he was done with the coffee, he dragged Madhu to see her room leaving everyone behind with a casual sentence, "I can stay for dinner right??"


    But that was all it took for Rekha to frantically go into the kitchen to prepare dinner. Of course, Madhu volunteered to help but Akash instantly rejected saying he would be bored which was total bullshit but Madhu couldn''t say anything because of the intimidating look Akash gave her as if daring her to protest and she did not.

 Chapter 327 - Your mother agreed. Don’t worry…

    Madhu twisted the skin on his arms as soon as they reached her room as she glared at him and repeated the question she asked outside, "What did you say outside when I was in the kitchen?" She even stood in front of Akash glaring at him with both of her hands on her h.i.p.s showing how serious she was.


    Akash did not answer her but instead pulled Madhu towards him and hugged her. Both of his arms completely enveloped her as they wrapped around her protectively.


    "Was it always like this growing up?" Akash couldn''t help but ask even though he already knew the answer.


    Madhu did not understand what he was asking. So, she just frowned and asked confused, "What do you mean?"


    "Your mother?" Akash asked in one word without really bothering to explain in detail what he meant. But, this short sentence was enough for Madhu.


    She just nodded her head as she said, "Mostly�� but I have gotten used to it by now. I rarely make mistakes like this anymore�� it was just, today I was anxious to let you be there alone with them and almost made a mess. But who knew you were faster than me��" Madhu couldn''t help roll her eyes at the end of the sentence.


    Akash''s lips twitched.


    "You came just in time to save them. Things were just getting interesting to your mother�� she looked like she would end up passing out when you crashed the party!!" He said rolling his eyes looking disappointed.


    "Hey, don''t forget, she is my mother!!" Madhu said hitting him over the shoulders.


    Akash rolled his eyes as she heard her.


    "I saw the look she gave you and she gave Aarav�� the clear double standard. Her heart almost bled out when Aarav took the plates from you�� but she just stood there as if it was normal when you almost dropped the plate with piping hot coffee�� all she did was move away to avoid any presumable damage to herself. That''s not what a mother does��" Akash said. A sense of gloominess passed through him as he said this.


    But Madhu did not look surprised, "It is understandable. I am not her flesh and blood. There are going to be some differences. It is not such a big deal! I cannot be greedy�� they have already done enough for me. I am where I am because of them and I will be eternally grateful for that�� no matter what they do to me, they will be my parents�� they were people who were there with me when my own failed." Madhu answered sincerely. But then her face hung down as if she felt ashamed for admitting this to him.


    She did not even have proper parents''�� let alone status.


    Even if it was not her own fault, she still could help feel smaller in front of Akash��


    Akash could help pull away from her and look at her face intently. He held her face by her cheeks and made her look up at him as he said, "This is not okay? The way your mom treats you is not okay? When they brought you to this house, they are not just responsible for food and shelter, they are also responsible for loving you. And they failed you when it comes to giving you a family��"


    "Maybe, I was just not worth it��" Madhu mumbled giving him a defeated look.


    Akash couldn''t help but get pissed at her look. He couldn''t really help but reach out and pinch her waists, pretty hard too.


    "Ouch!" Madhu exclaimed looking at Akash with a wronged expression taking a step back.


    "You talk like that one more time, it will not end so simply�� You put yourself down one more time, you see how I fix you!" Akash said not letting her retreat from his embrace. Even though he was scolding her and was pissed, he leaned over hugging her. He did not forget to take a bite of her ears making the whole atmosphere very teasing and suggestive.


    "Akash!!" Madhu shivered away because of their close proximity. She completely forgot where she was or what she was about to say. Akash always had that effect on her for some reason.


    "Do you understand?" Akash asked against her ears but Madhu did not answer. She did not even hear half of what he just said let alone understand.


    Akash stared at her amused. Just when he was about to tease her some more, Madhu put her hands over his shoulders and pushed him away stammering, "You�� You stay away from me, okay? I cannot think straight��"


    Akash couldn''t really help chuckle as he brought her in for a hug.


    "One of these days, somebody''s gonna have to save me from you, you know? Or else you are going to end up being the death of me!!" He mumbled pecking on the side of her temples.


    "What do you mean?" Madhu asked circling her arms around him.


    "Nothing, it just means I love you�� and you are worth it." Akash said smiling.


    Madhu''s lips stretched unconsciously as her heart sped instantly.


    "I love you too��" Madhu answered back. Of course, Akash''s mood skyrocketed instantly.


    Before any of them could continue, they called them out for dinner. The whole dinner was a very solemn affair because of Akash''s presence.


    He did not make it any more harder for the family and actually left right after eating. But, of course, he did not forget to remind Madhu to call him if anything ever happened before leaving.


    "What is it, father?" Madhu asked confused. This had never happened before�� So, she was quite surprised.


    "I just wanted to say, welcome home. And ask Akash''s parents to come over whenever they have time��" Abhijeet answered straight to the point.


    Madhu bit on her lips not answering.


    "Your mother agreed. Don''t worry��" He added looking at her hesitant figure.


    Madhu finally nodded.


    "GO on. Get some sleep now" He said and left.


    Madhu stared at his back for a while before going back to bed.

 Chapter 328 - You are so fuzzy!

    Several newspapers were lying around scattered on the coffee table.


    Charan took the one from T country and casually filliped it over. The headlines read, "Assassination attempted on the Minister�� assassin shot to death at the scene of the crime."


    Charan could guess the said assassin should have been Aleesha alias Darcie. He knew Shreya asked to make it clean and legal when she handed over Darcie to the T country��


    There was also a local newspaper that informed that the trials for the syndicate were over and the final verdict will be given in the next session which was scheduled 2 weeks from now.


    Even though Abhishek testified as a witness, he actually pleaded guilty to all charges and did not accept any plea bargain. So, he will be charged with everything without any concessions. The same went for Abhimanyu. Only Naren was still pleading for bargains out of the court.


    Malini had liquidated the company and started one of her own. The business and the operations of her old company were spit-up and taken over up different small level entities as arranged by Shreya�� so, nobody lost their job even though most had to suffer from pay cuts and delay in payments. But the employees seem to be okay with it as long as they did not lose their job given how volatile the economy was at this time.


    But since a lot of preparations were done in advance there were no major blowbacks.


    So, once the verdict is out, Shreya will be able to put all of this to rest.


    Shreya walked down from her room in her usual jean and sweets. Charan couldn''t help roll his eyes as he went to meet her halfway��


    "Hey, where are you going?" Shreya asked but never got an answer�� Instead, Charan dragged her back into her room and left her near her bed, and walked towards the closet.


    "You are not going to a marriage dinner party in a sweatshirt," Charan said looking around in the closet.


    Shreya rolled her eyes but also gave him a mocking look as she said, "And you think you can find anything else in there��?"


    Charan was having a headache. He really did not know how she survives only on sweats and tees. Other than hoodies and several sleeveless tees for summer, there was nothing else in there�� until he saw an uncovered package stuffed in the corner.


    "I indeed did find something else��" Charan showed off with a smug smile.


    This was not something she bought for herself, obviously. This was something he had gotten her�� and as always, other than sweats, everything else gets stuffed to a corner before it gets distributed to someone else around her.


    After a while of trying, Charan had stopped.


    "Seems like one of my purchases survived!" Charan said proudly taking out an A-line sleeveless kurta top that had a deep center slit.


    It looked classy and neat. It had extensive embroidery that looked elegant. Even if it is not all dressy, it was still a far cry from her sweats.


    Shreya gave him a dirty look but still took off her sweats and put on the kurta quite reluctantly. And Shreya being Shreya, she did not even bother to send Charan away.


    "Happy?" Shreya sarcastically asked flaring the kurta by holding on to both ends of the kurta.


    Charan rolled his eyes but then gestured her to come near him.


    "What?" Shreya asked coming closer. He reached out and took out the band that was holding her hair up above her head into a messy bun. He then ran his hands through her hair to fix it as best as he can.


    "Are you done?" Shreya asked. Even though her voice was impatient, she did not really move a single muscle as she stood there and let Charan doll her up.


    "Just a second!" Charan said leaving the room. He came back a few minutes later with one of Akira''s earrings. She usually does not bother with accessories either. And she doesn''t have one that can pass as formal.


    Shreya obediently wore it and gave him a sticky smile.


    "That should do��" Charan said at last.


    "You are so fuzzy!!" Shreya complained. But even when she was complaining, she had happy-looking eyes. It had been long since someone had done this for her. Susmitha usually used to fuzz around like this��


    Shreya would have to just be there and her mother would usually take care of the rest�� Susmitha practically dolls her up as if she was playing with a Barbie doll or something. And her mom had a girly taste too�� so, she would usually have frocks and skirts.


    But when Shreya had lost her, she couldn''t do it for herself�� she couldn''t bear to. There were just too many memories�� and they were too painful.


    The fact that she would have to do all that by herself hereafter because the person who had done it for her is no longer in this world and that person was also her mother�� she did not know how to deal with something like that.


    So, she subconsciously started avoiding anything that involved dressing up or anything that reminded her of her mother. That was the whole reason why Shreya dresses up the way she does now�� That was the whole reason why she does not like spending time dressing up.


    And since her mother was the person who had always dressed her up, Shreya never ever bothered to learn all those things�� she thought Susumitha is always going to be around to take care of it for her��


    But when it became impossible, she did not want to learn.


    But Charan doing it for her��


    Even when she was still remembering the past, there was also a sense of warmth with it��


    She found another person for herself to do these things for her�� and this time she vowed to keep him forever with her no matter what. She was not going to let anything happened to him ever��

 Chapter 329 - anyways, where is your wife?

    Shreya''s eyes watered without her knowing as she remembered her mother�� she did not even realize it until Charan looked up at her and asked alarmed, "Hey, why are you crying suddenly?"


    CHaran looked at her surprised. Even when it was not the first time he had actually seen her crying, this sure was the first time that had happened without a prior reason.


    Shreya shook her head and wiped them away pretty quickly and ushered him out of her room, "I was not crying�� just some hair went in. Is all! Come on, let''s get going. We will be late�� we cannot be late for your own sister''s dinner party right?" She then pushed him from behind towards the living room.


    Charan tried to stop and take another look at her, but Shreya never gave him the chance.


    Today, Adam and Preethi got their marriage certificate.


    Charan''s parents fixed an auspicious date and time and fixed it today at noon�� Anyways, Adam and John did not believe in stuff like that, so they agreed with whatever Preethi''s parents decided.


    There was no ceremony as of yet since Adam''s mother and sister are still out of the country without any means to reach them�� SO, both the parents discussed and decided to conduct the ceremony when Adam''s mother and sister are back home but since Adam did not want to delay the marriage itself anymore, they decided on just registering it.


    And, tonight, just family and friends are gathering to having a simple dinner at the Imperial.


    Shreya had reserved a mini hall and arranged a very grand dinner. She personally set up everything and planned a surprise of sorts for Adam and Preethi.


    So, all the decorations and everything was top-notch. Even though she, herself, personally was pretty lazy, she had personally managed the Imperial from its inception. So, professionally, she knew the ins and outs of these things.


    And it was Charan''s sister''s marriage dinner�� she cannot possibly stingy.


    So, the hall she had arranged was decorated to its best. It was decorated to be comfortable and very elegant instead of looking grand and luxurious. She did not want to put too much pressure on Charan''s family by making it too grand.


    One look at the hall, you can see the amount of effort she had put into it��


    The flowers and cutlery�� everything just fit in.


    Shreya, instead of arranging small tables for each family, actually put together several tables together to make it into one huge table that can actually fit in all the people coming today�� Anyways, there were only about 30 people coming tonight��


    John did not really invite many people. He did not have any close relatives�� just Anand''s family and Shreya while Charan''s side of the family was also very limited.


    "I never saw a more shameless host whole comes fashionably late for something she herself had taken the responsibility to host!!" Kabir''s voice complained as soon as Shreya entered the hall.


    Once pulling away, Shreya complained shamelessly, "Anyways, I was not the one to blame for today''s delay anyways. It was your friend who took too long to doll me up�� He said I was not presentable in sweats!!"


    Kabir couldn''t help roll his eyes at her antics as he asked sarcastically, "If this was dolling you up, what are you going to do when you get married and all??"


    Even when her first marriage was highly publicized by the media and the public, Shreya never had a ceremony�� and they all thought it was probably because Shreya couldn''t bear to do it so close to losing her parents.


    So, she did not yet have to go through the trouble of having to doll up in front of relatives and friends to be shown off.


    "I will deal with it when the time comes�� anyways, where is your wife?" Shreya asked looking around.


    Even when she was late, she was not that late�� only a few people had come as of yet and she did not recognize any of them��


    Charan''s parents were entertaining them. So, Shreya did not bother them yet��


    Kabir pointed at a corner where his family was�� Shreya instantly abandoned him and went away.


    Shreya really had some sort of magic when dealing with women around her�� Kabir did not know how Shreya did it. But just after one day of getting along, both his and Ajay''s wives were charmed silly by Shreya�� and Shreya really liked them too given how much she had pampered them�� All three went out on a shopping trip and their wives came back with their hands full. And knowing how much Shreya hated shopping, she really sacrificed too much that day��


    So, Kabir was not surprised when Shreya went ahead with a silly grin on her face as she approached his own wife��


    Growing up, even when she had Bhavna, she did not really have a big girls group or anything of that sort. Just her personality made it hard for getting closer to girls. Even though she had Zeenath, she was also her employee which was not the same. So, now whenever she got a chance to be around women she can get along with, Shreya pounced on the opportunity pretty quickly.


    The hall started filling up and in no time everyone arrived and were seated. Both Adam and Preethi sat at the head of the table since it was their day while Shreya sat with the children�� And of course, Bharath also shamelessly tagged along.


    Charan was obviously busy attending to guests. After all the commotions settled down, Shreya asked her people to start serving dinner.


    John toasted for the newlywed and started the dinner��

 Chapter 330 - Maybe I should work harder!

    After a merry dinner, all the elders and the children had left. Shreya had allotted rooms for everyone who came in the Imperial for the weekend. So, they did not have to hustle back home after a tiring day�� not that they did anything strenuous. Shreya had prepared people for everything in advance making sure the whole dinner went on without a hitch.


    With all the elders and children gone, the rest of the a.d.u.l.ts gathered around to relax in the lounge.


    Adam really couldn''t be bothered with others right now�� He, at last, had a wife and he wanted to be with her on his wedding night��


    But very slyly but very much deliberately, Shreya schemed on making him and Preethi stay behind. Just as he would take up the topic of going back for the night, Shreya will ask something��


    She did not let them go until Preethi pitched taking pity on Adam. Shreya instantly sat down tucking her tails under her butt��


    She might not say this but for some reason, she was really scared of Preethi�� She would even daringly tease Govid- Charan''s dad�� but she was always well behaved only in front of two people in Charan''s family and they were Preethi and Charan''s mother.


    She will be her usual bratty self all the other time but in front of Charan''s mother and Preethi, she will have this expression as if she had been caught on the act by her mother doing mischief.


    Charan can still understand why she behaved like that with his mother�� after all, in spite of him telling her numerous times, Shreya still had the picture of some traditional mother-in-law of sorts when it came to his mother�� But he really couldn''t figure out why she behaved like that with Preethi. Little did he knew Preethi had given Shreya the famous ''You hurt my brother again, I will have your neck'' speech a while back.


    The elders offered to look after Akil and Akira for the night so that the a.d.u.l.ts can get some privacy for the night.


    Shreya did not go back to their room but instead made a beeline to the terrace.


    A big grin spread from one ear to another as she pushed the doors to the terrace open and the wind hit her face�� the scene in front of her was pure bliss.


    Charan caught her as she stumbled on an uneven floor and almost got herself face planted.


    "Be careful!" He said as he held her steady in his embrace.


    Shreya''s expression did not change for one bit. She still had a joyous almost infectious grin on her face.


    "DO you have any idea how happy you make me feel?" Shreya asked almost in a daze as she stared back at Charan.


    She did not only like Charan but she loved everything that came with him. His parents, his brother, his sister, and especially Akira��


    She has Anand and Bhagya�� and she cannot really ask for anything more in her life as far as having elderly figures were concerned.


    But when they looked at Shreya, there was always a layer of pain and pity masked underneath. She could clearly see it as clear as day�� they were people who not only sympathized and empathized with her state but they were also those people who shared her pain.


    But when she was with Charan''s parents''�� they just treated her with pure delight. There was not complicated agonizing baggage attached to it.


    When Preethi had called to reprimand her, she actually liked it. It had been long since someone had dared to do that to her�� she, for once, had been in the receiving end of cold menacing stares.


    When she did crazy stuff with Bharath, she was completely lost. And of course, being with Akira was pure bliss.


    "How much?" Charan asked back humoring her. His eyes gleamed merrily over her.


    Shreya did not even stop to think as she stretched her hands wide open on both the side as far as she possibly could and said with the same infectious grin on her face, "This much�� and some more�� Just a tiny bit more."


    Charan blinked at her twice utterly speechless before shortening the distance between them as his lips crash-landed on her grinning ones. He really wished he could eat her whole or something�� Maybe he could fit her in his pockets and take her with him everywhere he went.


    His kiss was searing and fierce. Sparks exploded all over the place instantly. It knocked her out of breath right away.


    He did not know what he was supposed to do with her. Her smallest of gestures made his heart stop in place�� Her words made his world flip over as he just stood there, helplessly, nailed to his place. It was almost as if she was playing golf with his heart�� and the things she makes him feel��


    At times like this, he really wished he did not have a family or all the moral responsibilities that came with it so that he can do something crazy for her�� He did not even know what he can do��


    CHaran did not pull away until he s.u.c.k.e.d the very last breath��


    Shreya gasped for air greedily as soon as he let her go�� She took deep labored breathes to ease her deprived heart.


    Charan leaned over resting his forehead to hers.


    "What was that about?" Shreya asked calming down a bit.


    "Just showing you how happy you make me feel," Charan whispered smiling at her. Happy cannot really suffice what she makes him feel but for now, he did not know how else to describe the turmoil of emotions badgering him.


    "Just this much? I thought with me around, you would feel like the King of the world or something! Maybe I should work harder!" Shreya answered with gleaming eyes and a proud smug smile.


    Even when he knew she was teasing him, he really couldn''t deny it either.

 Chapter 331 - That’s called confidence…

    "That was so narcissistic of you, sweetheart!" Charan teased after laughing to his heart''s content.


    Shreya, obviously, did not seem offended by his comment. But she still argued very self-righteously, " That is not narcissism. That''s called confidence��"


    "And what exactly are you confident about?" Charan asked holding on to her. He ran his hands over her cheeks habitually tucking her hair behind her ears. His eyes did not deter from her face. Even in the dark, he could clearly make out her eyes twinkling like a star with his teasing�� the satisfaction that came with knowing you are the reason your loved one is smiling is so immense in so many ways. It almost makes you feel as if you are flying even without wings.


    "That I can make you the happiest man, ever!!" Shreya replied proudly.


    "How are going to do that?" Charan asked back with a teasing arch on his brows.


    "You have me, what more do you need? Just being with me is the happiest thing ever." Shreya answered with a ''duh'' voice as if Charan was asking the most idiotic and obvious question in the world.


    If the previous statement can be considered as being narcissistic, this one was downright conceited. But for some reason, Charan couldn''t bring himself to refute her statement��


    The statement fits somehow�� at least when it came to him, it fits pretty damn perfectly. Just being with her made him happy��


    Charan could not help but chuckle at her as he hugged her all over again burying her head at the crocks of her neck.


    "What am I ever going to do with you, Shreya?" He couldn''t help whisper as a myriad of feeling knocked him over. There was an immense amount of emotion buried in those words.


    When Samantha died, he had learned a lesson�� a very cruel but an important lesson�� that nobody is going to be able to be there with you forever. No matter how much you try to fight it, what''s supposed to happen is going to happen. And people die inevitably��


    So, even when he knew it was very selfish of him to do it, he had kept a part of himself for himself when he was with Shreya�� He had reserved a small part of his heart for himself. A very logical part that kept reminding him time and again that it can all go away in just a snap of a finger. That had always kept him grounded. It kept him from daydreaming about things that may not be possible. That was why he stopped himself from thinking about the future and where the relationship was going time and again with great effort. He stopped himself from expecting too much.


    That is why even when they were separated, he was able to accept it�� Even when it was hard, he accepted it. He had prepared his head time and again for the worse so that he wouldn''t completely crumble if something goes wrong�� he cannot afford to crumble if not for anything else, he cannot do that to Akira.


    That was why he was so calm and collected even when Shreya did not seem so when they got back together. Even when she said ''I do not know how to live without you,'' he never said it back because he cannot afford to.


    But Shreya was breaking those walls so easily with just a few simple words. He cannot think straight anymore. She had made all his carefully thought-out plans and painful efforts to keep her at a distance to naught with just a few sweet smiles.


    "Hey, what is it? Did I say anything wrong?" Shreya asked with a confused frown. She did not know why Charan suddenly sounded serious when they were just joking around just seconds ago.


    Charan took a few deep breaths as he got his head back on track�� he then pulled away from her and ruffled her head comfortingly as he said, "No�� you did not say anything wrong, sweetheart."


    He then dragged her towards a corner on the terrace and took a pair of blankets and spread them.


    "How did it come here?" Shreya asked confused.


    "I had come here a few times when you weren''t around." Charan shrugged as he sat down.


    Shreya grinned but did not sit. She instead went and brought herself a bottle of booze from her hiding place�� She showed it off proudly to Charan and sat down beside him.


    Both couldn''t help the nostalgia.


    Even though they both had come here several times after, this was the first time they had come here together after their first meeting. Even the timing was just about right.


    The only difference was probably how Shreya snuggled into him instead of lying down on the floor.


    "I am really really happy today," Shreya repeated herself all over again. She just suddenly felt content today��


    "I know��" Charan said smiling.


    "What about you? Are you happy?" Shreya asked looking at him. She did not even know why she asked this now�� she had never been a person to ask something like this. Just like before, she was pretty confident most of the time�� But at times, she wanted reassurance too.


    But more than reassurance, she just felt something wrong with Charan all of a sudden�� he suddenly went quiet and she did not know why?


    Charan looked down at her frowning figure and smiled�� Even when his heart was doing somersaults, he really did feel happy. He leaned over to peck on her cheeks as he whispered, "I am��"

 Chapter 332 - You look gorgeous in this dress!

    Preethi did not even get the chance to get one single word out before she was caught up by a fierce kiss from Adam.


    Adam stranded her behind the closed doors and absolutely savored her lips. And he did not let them go until Preethi was struggling for air.


    "Adam!!" Preethi panted in her hoarse voice as soon as he let go of her lips.


    "Shreya really knows how to mentally torture a person!!" Adam murmured helplessly as he dipped down for another fierce round of kisses.


    Whatever Preethi was about to say got swallowed up. But then again her own mind cannot be bothered by anything at the moment anyway. Just trying to respond to Adam''s passion took up the whole of her heart and soul��


    "You look gorgeous in this dress!!" Adam whispered against her ears sending shivered through her b.a.r.e spines.


    She wore a backless full-sleeve mini black dress with studded silver collars. She usually wouldn''t wear anything like this on her own but one of her friends brainwashed her shamelessly to make her wear it. It took everything in her to not shiver in cold throughout the dinner.


    But a shudder racked through her body at this moment for an entirely different reason as she felt his hands gently brush along her spines making her hair standstill.


    "Adam��" She couldn''t help call out. But that was the last coherent thought she ever had for the night as Adam''s hands started exploring around��


    The next thing she knew, she felt Adam peck on her temple as she fell asleep completely exhausted. Adam just laid beside her with a very big smile on his face. He gathered her close to him into his embrace�� but he did not really have the heart to fall asleep this night.


    He felt so giddy with happiness. Of course, he was�� after all he got married to the person he hopelessly fell in love with. Preethi snuggled closer to his unconsciously making him feel like he was on cloud nine.


    The fact that she was there with him and she was his wife felt as surreal as he felt when she agreed to go out with him. Everything from that moment on till this moment flashed through his mind�� somehow it all felt so fulfilling and satisfying.


    With these thoughts, he did not even realize the time go by until he heard someone ring the bell.


    The suit was huge with two bedrooms and a living room. He carefully closed the doors behind him before reaching the doors.


    But before opening the doors, he made sure he had covered all the spoils of yesterday night. He made sure all the clothes are dumped in the laundry basket and everything are in the proper places before opening the door.


    He did not want to scare Akil just yet by being shameless.


    "Hey, buddy!" Adam greeted him happily carrying him in his arms. "Did you come here on your own? Did you tell your gran?" He asked closing the doors behind him.


    "I told granddad," Akil informed very obediently looking around.


    "Your mother is still sleeping in the room��" Adam said letting him down. But just as Akil peeked inside the room, Preethi blinked her eyes open and gestured for Akil to get inside.


    Preethi was someone who had worked ER in hospitals. She was trained to be agile. So, the smallest of movement can wake her up no matter how exhausted and tired she was. Because a few seconds can cost her lives at work.


    So, when Adam got out of the bed, she had already awoken�� it was just she was too tired and too lazy to get out of them just yet.


    "Hi, mom��" Akil called out excitedly as he sprinted towards Preethi.


    Soon the room was filled with Akil''s voice animated talking and laughing around as he said what all he did yesterday and today morning.


    Between teasing and giggling the whole room was lively.


    Adam couldn''t help stare at them from the entrance. After a while, the doorbell rang once again. He had called the room service to deliver them some breakfast.


    So, he went out and brought the food to the living room. He was pretty sure Preethi was not going to budge from the place on herself until she had something to fill her stomach. So, he lured Akil out.


    "Akil, can you come and help me with this��?" Adam called out giving Preethi some time to go ahead and freshen herself up and come.


    Akil instantly came out of the bedroom and very obediently did what was asked of him while Adam went back into the bedroom.


    Preethi gave him a pointed look while Adam just smiled back. He had really tired her out yesterday night. She cannot feel her legs.


    Adam did not dare argue back as he lifted her princess style and took her to the bath. He sat her down on the counter and got her the toothbrush with paste. After she brushed, he even helped her wash her face.


    At last, Preethi let down her grudge and pecked him on the cheeks.


    "Mom, Adam�� the food is ready��" Akil called out.


    The three did not come outside the suit until almost nightfall.


    They just spent the whole day talking and goofing around as a family.


    At night, Adam took them out for a nice dinner before taking them over to his own house.


    After putting Akil to bed, Adam came back to the bedroom but did not find Preethi there.

 Chapter 333 - I know my wife is very capable. I can vouch.

    Since his old house was small and had only one bedroom, Adam actually bought another place. This one was even nearer to Preethi''s parents'' place and bigger too.


    The house had three bedrooms and a study�� It also had a big backyard and play space for Akil to play around.


    About a month back Adam took them here out of the blue. He did not really say anything to them. He did not even discuss getting another place with Preethi. He just brought them here and surprised them.


    Even as they looked around, Adam did not say anything. Only when they had completely looked around did he explain that he was planning on getting this place.


    Akil had instantly fallen in love with this place�� so, Adam naturally bought it. He then brought Preethi''s family also over one day and showed it to them.


    "Hey, what are you thinking?" Adam asked hugging her from behind.


    The living room in this house was wide and big with a lot of moving space. It had a sofa set in the center and a large wooden swing hung from the ceiling on the side. And to the left, they had a wide glass sliding door leading to the backyard.


    Preethi was standing there staring around dazed.


    "Nothing�� I am just seeing. Trying to wrap my head around everything that had happened since I met you��" Preethi answered.


    When she got divorced, she was prepared to raise Akil on her own�� she had prepared herself for a lifelong battle�� she was prepared for his son to grow up without a father. But Adam suddenly barged in and disrupted all that�� and suddenly she had a new home. She did not know how to digest that information.


    Home��


    ''Home'' had always been just her parents'' place�� that place had a lot of her childhood and a.d.u.l.thood. It had seen her joy and sorrow. But most of all that place had her parents who had always been her strength in everything she did.


    Even when she married, she always missed that place. Even now she cannot help miss it.


    For some reason even when she was married for almost one whole year with her ex-husband, it never felt like home.


    "And?" Adam asked. He did not really interfere with her thoughts. He just wanted to listen to what she was thinking.


    "Marriage�� I have jumped into that pit for the second time and this time around I had even dragged Akil with it�� and I cannot help being scared. If this goes wrong, I am going to end up not just burning myself but also pull Akil with me��" Preethi whispered. Even when she felt ashamed to admit it, she really was scared out of her wits to the point where she wanted to run away from all this�� It all came crashing down at that moment when she was asked to sign the papers. Only she knew how much effort it took her to not tear up the papers then and there��


    "Are you doubting me or this relationship?" Adam asked.


    "I am doubting time�� Time can be cruel to people at times. I know that better than anyone else."


    After all, when she first married, she assumed herself to be some fairytale princess excited about getting married to her first love�� and she thought that love was going to last forever till they die. So, when that fantasy crashed, a part of her died with it.


    She did not even know how she dared to even say yet to this marriage in the first place. Blame it on Adam for being so charming and knowing what to say to her when he proposed.


    Preethi couldn''t help but resent him a little for that�� it was almost like she was hypnotized.


    "Well, time can be cruel to people regardless of their marital status!" Adam reverted back. But he said in rolling his eyes with a sarcastic tone.


    Preethi blinked for a while not getting what he meant when suddenly a chuckle bubbled and she laughed out loud.


    "Argh!! You are really an idiot sometimes!!"


    "I am not an idiot. I am your husband�� Officially,"


    Their banter went on like this for almost an hour. Adam successfully stirred Preethi clear from her anxiety.


    But then just as they got to bed, he couldn''t help but ask, "You don''t regret this right?"


    Preethi looked at him startled for a second but then looking at his eyes, that layer of complicated emotion in them, "No�� I do not. Not at this moment�� I just miss home�� And nervous. But I do not regret this�� I do want this��"


    "As long as you do not regret this, it is fine!" Adam smiled.


    He can slowly quench her fears away�� slowly he can bring a sense of security in her. But if the foundation of all this is if she is going to let him in�� only if he was going to let him in can he prove himself.


    But if she was already regretting her decision on the second day of their married, he wouldn''t know where to start.


    "I love you��" Adam said after a while. He did not know if he ever said this to her. He believed in showing her his feelings. But at times, saying it loud also makes the difference.


    "You and Akil�� I will protect you guys no matter what!" He vowed surprising Preethi.


    You should know, Adam is not really a vocal person. He is stingy with words. Even when he proposed, he only said two words. So, Preethi never really expected anything vocal from him.


    But deep down she knew he cared and also he gave her a sense of security when she was with him. For some reason, she just trusted him to be the right person for her.


    But more than that, her divorces not only scared her, it also gave her the confidence to stand back up after falling down. So, she never needed promises from him.


    "I know�� but I can take care of myself and Akil just fine even otherwise��" She said but then her eyes still gleamed even when she was refusing him.


    Adam just smiled as he leaned over and whispered against her ears, "I know my wife is very capable. I can vouch."


    In spite of herself, Preethi blushed. She did not know whether it was the fact that he praised her or the fact that he called her his wife or the blatant teasing in his voice�� She blushed red as she snuggled closer to hide her face from him.


    "Good night��" She whispered as she forcefully closed her eyes to go back to sleep.

 Chapter 334 - Madhu, do no learn from them!

    "Why do I have to wait 3 full months more?" Akash complained out loud dissatisfied as he rested his head on his office table.


    After that day when he left Madhu at his house, days had been really boring for him.


    Before knowing what it was to have Madhu all around him 24/7, it wasn''t so depressing. But after living with her for 5 days, it was already so difficult for him to fall asleep without her in the house that very night.


    So, he worked pretty quickly and arranged for his parents to visit Madhu''s house that very week. But little did he know that the villain will come in the form of a horoscope.


    A big guy with a white beard set the marriage date after 3 months.


    Akash really wanted to punch the grin out of his face when he looked at him proudly. It almost felt as if he was mocking him.


    Anyways, since the time he had threatened them, Madhu''s mother and gran hadn''t dared to breathe heavily towards Madhu let alone raise their voice.


    Even before that, Aarav had taught them well. He blackmailed that he would move out of the house if they did not agree to Madhu''s marriage. And the day after Madhu had been sent to Akash''s place, Aarav actually moved out to his friend''s place to prove that he was being serious. And after 5 days of separation, Rekha couldn''t take it anymore and actually agreed to the marriage. That was the whole reason why Abhijeet had called Madhu that day.


    Even when Rekha was reluctant, she still obediently agreed to Abhijeet''s arrangement. Anyways, no one is going to know what happens when they were not around and Madhu would never complain anyways.


    But all that thought crash-landed and broke after meeting Akash�� Rekha did not dare. Even when habitually she scolded her, she bit her tongue every single time to point once it actually bled.


    So, he cannot even use the excuse of them treating her badly to let her sleep over in his place now��


    So, he was really depressed. If only that white bread man was not someone that Anand and Adithya respected, he would have really kidnaped him and tortured him personally�� he would make him suffer just like him. He would not let him sleep for 5 days straight and see how he copes.


    He decisively stood up and made his way towards Madhu''s office. For some reason, she had been more busy than him in the past few days to his utter frustration.


    When he opened the doors unceremoniously, he saw Madhu talking over the phone with someone. He cannot be bothered. He dragged her from her place sacring the crap out of her.


    thankfully she did not let go of the phone in her hands. After the surprise, she continued the conversation on the phone while Akash sat her down on the couch and laid on her l.a.p.


    She unconsciously traced under his black circles. She felt distressed seeing him like this. So, she did not bother him�� just stayed in place and let him sleep it off.


    The only problem was that she still had work�� If only Akash had given her time to get her laptop. This would have been easier. She was due to send a mail to one of the managers as soon as possible.


    Without any other option, she texted Anne to come to her cabin without making any noise. As Madhu waited, she c.a.r.e.s.sed Akash''s head soothingly.


    "Anne, can you get me the laptop, please��? I cannot move like this��!" Madhu said in a low voice absentmindedly as soon as she heard someone coming in without looking up.


    Shreya walked in with an amused smile. She took out her phones and clicked away pictures instead of getting her the laptop.


    "I see sister-in-law is already assuming the position to boss people around!!" Shreya couldn''t help but tease.


    Madhu abruptly stood up when she heard Shreya''s voice instead of Anne''s voice and Akash was pushed down from her l.a.p.s unceremoniously leading him to wake up.


    "What the hell!!"


    "Shreya!!"


    Shreya let out a chuckle as Anne also came into the office behind her.


    Madhu blushed involuntarily as soon as she remembered what Shreya had just said.


    "Sorry�� I did not mean it just now. I thought it was Anne��" Madhu stammered and explained. She gave Shreya a nervous look. She knew she was teasing her. But even the teasing made her nervous and tingly. Shreya had just called her ''sister-in-law''.


    "Shreya, why are you scaring her??" Akash complained waking up from his not so peaceful nap. He was not asleep anyways�� he was just resting his eyes and enjoying himself. Who knew suddenly he would be pushed down so suddenly. Thankfully, his head slid down and landed on the cushion rather than the floor.


    "I am not scaring your wife. I am just teasing her. But Madhu, if you become like a cherry tomato for just this, what are you going to do when Bhavna comes home next week??" Shreya fooled around rolling her eyes at Akash. But then she also went and brought the laptop to Madhu.


    Akash sat up as soon as he heard Bhavna was coming back.


    "When is she coming back?" He asked Shreya��


    "Should be here next week about the same time��!" Shreya replied. Her arrival had been postponed till now because of her final semester exams. She was stubborn saying she will come back only after finishing the exams.


    Thankfully, it happened before Akash''s marriage. She was already beating herself up for missing out on Adam''s dinner.


    "You two love birds, have some concept of office here�� I catch you guys making it out, I will take a video and will straight away send it to aunt. And Akash, you know what happens when your mother gets her hands on gossip?"


    "Shreya? Why are you behaving like Bhavna suddenly?" Akash asked aggrieved.


    "It''s not me who is behaving like her�� she was the one who was behaving like me!! Who do you think taught her? And how do you think I earned all the money for my first investments?" Shreya sassed with a smirk.


    God knows how much Adithya lost to his own daughter�� Usually, he will end up getting caught doing something stupid behind her mother''s back and only to get caught by Shreya!!


    "Madhu, do no learn from them!!!" Akash said sternly.


    They fooled around for a while until Charan came to pick Shreya up��

 Chapter 335 - What did you do to Shreya?

    Shreya went to Charan''s parents'' place for dinner that day. When Charan picked her up from her office, they went straight to his house. As soon as she came in the whole house light up and getting lively.


    Mostly, Shreya and Bharath kept bickering for the whole night.


    That was of course until Adam and Preethi came back�� As soon as Preethi came in, Shreya became a very obedient person. Even when Charan found it odd, he did not question it at that time. And with Akil, Bharath and Akira around, none of the others noticed her apparent change. Or that was what Charan thought.


    "What did you do to Shreya? Why does she look, for lack of a better word, scared of you in the reception?" Adam asked suddenly remembering what happened at the dinner just now.


    He found it odd at his dinner wedding itself but never got the chance to ask. Using the verb ''scared'' to describe Shreya felt alien to him but he did not know how else to describe how she reacted that day. Shreya was as shameless and as over-bearing as it can get when she put her mind to it. She yields to very few people without protests. So, he was surprised when he saw Shreya give in as soon as Preethi pitched in while he had been unsuccessfully trying to get away from there for 2 hours that day.


    It had been a couple of days since they got married and moved into their new house. They had settled down pretty much. They made it a point to go to dinner at Preethi''s parents'' place so far. And they seem to like it this way�� Especially given they had gotten used to having AKil all the time at home for some years now. So, they couldn''t cope if he was taken away completely. And since the place Adam saw was also close by, it was not much of a bother either.


    They both got into the car after settling down Akil on the back seat. The little guy was already fast asleep after playing for all this time.


    "I just gave her hell for hurting my brother!!" Preethi said nonchalantly with a sinister grin.


    She really did not like the power Shreya had on her family. This made her hate her just a tiny bit even when she knew it was petty of her to do that.


    She knows the Shreya had brought so much more happiness to her family�� especially to Charan and Akira�� but that would all mean nothing if she was going to take it away with her as she pleases when she got bored. After all, nobody knows what a broken heart can do to a person and a family better than her. So, her over-protective sister mode got activated when she got to know Shreya and Charan were seeing each other again�� So, one of the days, Preethi called Shreya over after they got back from the island and gave her hell.


    What calmed her down was the fact that Shreya did not show any arrogance to her that day�� she just stood there and took everything she said to her without any sort of resistance. That for some reason made her feel uneasy and complicated whenever she saw Shreya thereon.


    Adam looked at Preethi surprised at first but then after contemplating, it did make sense. He had seen the way Preethi got along with Charan. She was protective of him��


    "You know, I am not trying to take her side but she really did not have any other choice back then�� literally. There was too much danger around her at that time�� She could have exposed Charan and Akira to some really bad people if she had been around them at that time��" Adam explained.


    "That does not make everything alright. She cannot just come and go as she pleases!" Preethi said stubbornly.


    "As I said, I am not supporting her. What she did was not ideal, yes. But she did explain everything to Charan at all times from the moment she started going out with him�� he knew exactly what he was getting at. And even their separation was something he had actually agreed to even when it was initiated by Shreya��" Adam explained.


    "I don''t care�� she is not off the hook!" Preethi said pouting. But then her browns frown in contemplation.


    After all, all she knew was what was on the surface. And on the surface, Charan did not explain many things to his family in the fear of scaring them. The explanation they got was that Shreya was going to be pretty busy for a period and she cannot meet up at that time��


    They did not know it was something more complicated. But hearing to Adam, maybe there was more to it than what''s on the surface.


    But then, as a sister, she still did not like seeing Charan depressed.


    "I am not asking you to let her off-hook�� I am just asking you to give her a chance. DO not guard against her like a hawk all the time��" Adam said stopped the car in their parking lot.


    He then went to the back seat and naturally lifted Akil up.


    Oddly enough, Charan had the same question for Shreya about the same time��


    "You want to tell me why you are sweating buckets every time you see my sister?" Charan asked. But his tone was light since he knew nothing serious could have happened.


    "Nothing happened. It is just, Preethi said she was going to keep an eye on me before I can be with you fullfledged again after our separation. I am still on a probation period. So, of course, I should work hard to get her approval."


    "You do not need her approval Shreya��" Charan said shaking his head. But then he did not plan on interfering with each other. Both were a.d.u.l.ts and his sister is not going to go overboard anyways. And Shreya can handle her.


    He just wished they would have a better relationship at the end of it.

 Chapter 336 - Where is my gift?

    "What are you doing?" Preethi asked out loud when she saw Adam sneaking around early in the morning.


    Adam literally jumped almost dropping the box in his hand.


    "You scared me!!" Adam exclaimed laying one of his hands over his heart.


    "What''s in the box? Why are you being so secretive in the morning?" Preethi asked frowning.


    "Shh��" Adam gestured to her to keep quiet by keeping his index finger over his lips.


    It was really tough surprising this pair of mother and son since they were vigilant even in their sleep. He made sure Preethi was in deep sleep when he got out of bed, but she still was able to catch him. The same is actually true for Akil.


    Even he was a light sleeper. Smallest of noise, he wakes up. He learned it the hard way when he accidentally ended up getting caught teasing Preethi thinking the little guy must be asleep.


    Preethi laughed her a.s.s off at his expense that day.


    Adam stealthy opened the doors to Akil''s room with Preethi hot on his trails looking curiously at him.


    Adam went in and Akil opened his eyes as expected.


    Hey kid. You are just 11 years old�� can you maybe not be soo freaking vigilant even in your sleep at your own house! Adam grumbled in his head but did not say anything.


    "Good morning, Adam!" Akil mumbled rubbing his hands over his eyes and yawned out.


    "Morning buddy��" Adam said smiling back at him.


    "What is that?" Akil asked curiously looking at the box Adam was holding.


    But before he could answer, a soft barking sound was heard from inside the box.


    Akil''s eyes widened when he heard it while he looked up at Adam with expectant eyes. Just with the way the little guy was looking at Adam, you could guess how eager he was to see what was inside the box.


    "This is for you, bud. Welcome to the family!" Adam beamed stretching the box to Akil.


    Akil scrambled from his place. Any sign of sleep had already left him completely. His hands shook with excitement as he approached the box Adam had kept on his bed.


    Just as he touched the top, the box shook on its own. But instead of being scared, Akil''s excitement grew.


    Akil did not waste any more time as he opened the box and the first thing he saw was a furry blob of flesh curled up in the box on one corner. Just as Akil reached out his hands to touch them, a pair of black eyes stared back at him and another bark was heard.


    Inside was a pup�� a golden retriever. It looked barely a few months old.


    Akil stared back at the black eyes incredibly. He did not know what to do for a second. he was instantly fascinated.


    Akil had always been a lonely kid growing up. But he was also a very quiet and sensible kid. SO, he never complained about it to anyone. He always wanted to have a pet he can play with at home growing up. Whenever he saw his friends talk about taking their pets for a walk or play at a park, he couldn''t help but be envious of them.


    His greatest wish was, of course, to have a brother or a cute little sister. But seeing his mother and father fight all the time, he never had to courage to ask. But he did ask for a pet once to his father. But he was rejected straight away saying they did not have the time to look after one.


    And he cannot ask Preethi after coming to his grandparents'' place. After all, Preethi had her hands full with just work and him. And later he forgot all about it.


    But all these years after, seeing the little guy staring back at him�� he was really scared he was dreaming of something.


    "Do you like him? I thought you might like the company when I or your mother is not around. But then again, you should also look after him, of course. I can help�� but he will be your responsibility when I am not around!" Adam said smiling.


    Next second, he did not know what the little guy was thinking, Akil suddenly pounced on him circling his arms around Adam''s neck almost toppling him over.


    Adam let out a chuckle patting on Akil''s back.


    "I take it you like your gift��"


    "Of course," Akil beamed back pulling away from Adam. After that, he carefully took out the pup from inside the box. The puppy was very well behaved too. It did not struggle but instead curled up against his arms and snuggled closer.


    "I will take very good care of him��" Akil vowed. He had reached the age where he knew what to do. And he was a responsible kid. So, Adam can be relieved to leave him with something like this��


    "You have a name for him?" Adam asked smiling.


    "Let''s call him Hiccup!!" Akil answered without thinking.


    Adam was not that surprised. After all, the little guy was the biggest fan of the cartoon. He had seen them so many times that even he can recite the dialogues to them let alone Akil.


    "Okay, go on. Take him out�� I had prepared everything he needs in the other room." Adam gestured to Akil.


    Akil readily obeyed. But before going away, he did not forget to give Adam another hug.


    Preethi just stood behind and watched the whole process. She realized how charming just a little bit of attention and care can be. Be it, kids or a.d.u.l.ts, they don''t need much�� just that bit of care and attention can go a long way. Because it shows they matter.


    "What is it?" Adam asked seeing her weird expression.


    Preethi looked at him with her hands resting on her h.i.p.s and asked with a serious stern expression, "Where is my gift??"


    Adam did not know whether to laugh or cry at that.


    "I thought I was your gift!!" Adam answered confidently pecking at her lips beaming at her.


    He really liked this kind of morning. It was fulfilling in more than one way.

 Chapter 337 - Why do you know me so much?

    Things had almost settled down by then with everyone. Things were getting back to normal.


    In two days, the court will deliver the final verdict. The whole process has been pretty transparent so far. Shreya and her people had been keeping a pretty tight watch on the process from behind the back to make sure there were no mishaps happening.


    But none of them came to the front row to claim the credit. The whole thing had passed on as the Intelligence sting operation taken by the Central Bureau under the direct orders from the current Prime Minister in order to catch his real killer and to complete his final mission.


    Yash- the Prime Minister had gained a lot of recognition. But the actual proceedings of the whole case will be revealed in the final trial with the verdict. All the trials that had happened before were closed trials that had happened in secret to be able to reduce the risks. After all, the people involved in the trial are not small people. It cannot be predicted what they would end up doing in order to get out.


    So, only the lawyers had been allowed access to the people�� no visitations and of course, no bails.


    There were about 89 people who had been found to have committed serious crimes through the syndicate and most of them were rich corporate heads from different parts of the country. There were a lot more people who were on the list but the things they had commissioned for were less severe.


    And as far as the ground people were concerned, they never got the comprehensive list just yet. Naren had not been very cooperative. But after filtering through the company records, Malini had shortlisted about 1000 names who were getting paid without actually working for the company in any of the legitimate departments.


    Most were taken for questioning and half of them claimed they were threatened in one way or another. Those of whom could provide evidence were let go�� for the rest, they had been trying to get enough evidence against them to charge them.


    Because of all this, the whole judicial system of the country had been hectic and the whole financial environment had been refurbished.


    There were many businessmen who had been caught because they wanted to cover up their kid''s crimes. So, that kind left them with no heir to succeed them. There were many company''s who had to file for bankruptcy because they couldn''t hold up to the negative news of the storm.


    Shreya took over many such companies and left the management to their own employees instead of going to find any outsiders. She does not have the manpower to manage so much anyways. Her people were set to delegate and observe only.


    Because of her move and her financial inputs, the economy did not fall. The number of people who had lost their jobs was relatively less�� amongst them, most of them were top-level management people who had some or other problems with their conduct over the years. Shreya couldn''t be bothered about them.


    After a long day, Shreya couldn''t be bothered to even lift a finger now.


    Just then, someone knocked on her doors. It was pretty late, so Shreya unconsciously said come in and looked up curiously who it was.


    After all, Charan was not going to be here today�� he was out on a business trip. He was out of the city for the weekend to Shreya''s utter annoyance.


    Zeenath walked inside. Usually, she wouldn''t bother knocking on Shreya''s doors�� but one time she had walked in on Charan and Shreya making out. From then on, she decided to take the extra mile to avoid future embarrassments.


    "What are you doing here? Shouldn''t you be going out and having fun with Srinivas by now?" Shreya asked confused seeing Zeenath walking into her office.


    Since there was no more imminent threat, Srinivas had stopped following her around. He had split some work with Zack and had been busy with other things.


    She also heard there was some progress between him and Zeenath through Prithum. So, she couldn''t help but tease her a bit.


    After all, it was well past midnight.


    "He is busy today!" Zeenath said pouting. She did not shy away from answering but then there was no reason for either, yet. They barely shared a couple of dinners together. Nothing more.


    "I was instructed to get this to you!!" Zeenath said sarcastically handing over the food. Of course, Srinivas was the one who instructed her.


    Until he was around, he made it a point to keep Shreya fed. But without him, if Charan was not around, Shreya still ends up skipping her meals more often than not.


    "Why do I smell something burning suddenly??" Shreya asked taking the food and smiled brightly at Zeenath.


    "Oh, please. There is nothing going on between me and Srinivas!!" Zeenath said defending herself.


    "I did not say anything. I just thought the food might be slightly burnt!! Where did I say there was something between you and him?" Nobody can beat Shreya in playing dumb.


    "Just shut up and eat, will you? I have to text him after seeing you finish everything!!" Zeenath said annoyed and sat on the couch with her legs hoisted on the tea table in front of her.


    Shreya sat beside her and started munching on the food.


    "You might as well tell what is on your mind!! Anyways, that is why you are here in the first place!" Shreya said in between bites seeing Zeenath biting her lips vigorously. Shreya could tell Zeenath has something to talk to her with just a glance.


    "Why do you know me so much?" Zeenath grumbled frustrated. Even though she was trying to let people in, she still gets annoyed when people saw right through her.

 Chapter 338 - Leave him as in leaving him…

    "Why is there nothing between you and Srinivas? I thought you guys broke the ice and hit it off?" Shreya questioned after finishing her food seeing as Zeenath was not going to say anything on her own.


    "We are fine�� We go out�� talk and stuff." Zeenath explained.


    "But?" Shreya asked.


    "But I don''t know��" Zeenath confessed. This was in itself a stretch for a person who is used to eating on her own all her life.


    Even when she had known Shreya all her life, they had rarely shared a conversation over a meal. So, Zeenath was clueless as to how to go about this.


    And since Zeenath told Srinivas about her life experience, he stopped advancing towards her. He gave her complete freedom between them. He let her guide the pace of their relationship.


    Even when she knew that he did this because he did not want to burden her, he ended up doing exactly the same since she was clueless as always.


    Zeenath was someone who was clear on what she did not want from people around her. But she never got around to the part where she comes to know what she did want��


    But those things were not true when it came to Srinivas. He was not the same as Shreya�� At times, she would catch him looking at her with a sense of longing in them. She wanted to reciprocate it but she did not know how to do that. All she could do was pretend she never saw him.


    "What do you mean you don''t know? You either like him or you don''t? There are only two ways things can go! And you just have to choose which way you want to be!" Shreya said dubiously.


    For someone like Shreya, relationsh.i.p.s were pretty simple and straightforward. She does not like making them complicated.


    She either loves a person or she doesn''t. She treats the people she loves with utmost care and attention. And the people who she doesn''t love, she cannot be bothered. At best, she can be polite if she thinks the other person is decent.


    That''s about it.


    She is not someone who goes around thinking about what she should do next or what will happen in the future kind of a person. She never learned to hold herself back when it comes to people. She never learned to be shy to express herself either.


    "It''s not that simple, Shreya��" Zeenath rolled her eyes.


    She was scared.


    "What is complicated in this? You like him and you are going to go and say you like him�� that is all. Anyways, you already know that he likes you. So, you do not even have to have the anxiety of being rejected." Shreya asked in a baffled voice.


    "Liking a person does not end with saying so, Shreya. It comes with responsibilities. Saying it out loud is just the starting point. It''s a promise of sorts. I do not have the confidence to keep that promise��" Zeenath said looking down.


    "I do know that�� But that responsibility is not as complicated or as hard as you make it seem. You just have to be able to do two things properly. You should be around that person to point of annoying them. And secondly, you should be able to share everything and anything about yourself with them�� your emotions, your doubts, and your thoughts and you should be absolutely honest about them. You just need to give them attention and share��" Shreya explained.


    That was the motto she led her life on.


    That is all she ever does with Charan too�� she never did anything else. She never even given him a gift in all the time she had known him. They never went on any fancy dates either. Neither did Charan do anything especially for her.


    Because when it came down to it, those things were superfluous.


    As far as Shreya was concerned. Showing off only becomes relevant when you are not giving enough attention and care to the relationship as it is.


    If we can do these two things properly, the rest of it will just fall into place.


    Of course, the premise is that both have mutual feelings for each other. Without that feeling, there will be nothing to hold on to when the boats going to rock.


    "You know me�� I am a nomad, Shreya. I cannot let him into my house without being nervous about it�� how am I going to let him into my life and my head??" Zeenath asked looking defeated.


    "Then leave him�� simple as that. Just go home and be with yourself. You want a beer, I will accompany you��" Shreya shrugged.


    Zeenath couldn''t help but gap at her friend.


    "What do you mean leave him?" After all, Shreya was the one who played the cupid between the two.


    "Leave him as in leaving him��" Shreya answered with a straight face.


    "I thought you wanted us to be together?" Zeenath asked looking dubious.


    "NO�� I do not want you two to be together. I want you guys to be happy�� and you won''t be happy being together if you are going to keep defending your heart as if it is some kind of a fortress. It is not�� you are going to have to take chances with your heart and share it with him. If you are not determined to do that, leave him. Because I can guarantee�� it won''t work. Both will not be happy�� at least, if you leave him now, I can set him up with someone else!" Shreya looked excited when she said the last part.


    Zeenath just stared at her speechlessly. Shreya really can be cruel with how straightforward she was sometimes.


    "Why do you look like you already have a candidate in your mind for him?" Zeenath asked looking suspiciously at Shreya.


    "Why? You are not going to go for it?" Shreya asked looking hopeful.


    "You can seriously be a bitch sometimes, you know that?" Zeenath couldn''t help curse.


    "I know�� but then I need to be because I am surrounded by some serious normal-looking idiots. And I need superpowers to drill some sense into them!!" Shreya smirked.

 Chapter 339 - You are a saint, Shreya…

    "I am not stupid!" Zeenath retorted puffing her cheeks. Shreya''s lips twitched in amus.e.m.e.nt. She couldn''t help but want to tease her some more.


    But before Shreya could say anything in reply, her phone buzzed on her table.


    "Just a second," Shreya excused herself.


    Shreya frowned making her way to her table. After all, it was past midnight. No one should be calling at this hour. She had already talked to Charan and Akira anyways.


    Her frown just deepened when she took the phone��


    It had no number. She does not know anyone with a restricted number��


    She attended the call and called out confused, "Hello, who is this?"


    She could hear haggard breathing on the other end but nobody said anything for a long time. Just when she was about to cut the call, a raspy voice came through, "Shreya�� this is me, Abishek!!"


    That surprised Shreya�� It took a minute to come out of her head as she asked, "What do you want??" After handing him back over to the Bureau, they did not keep in touch. One of her guys did keep a track of him and his safe house�� but it was strictly ''stand-by and observe'' and not ''participate and annoy''.


    So, she did not know what he could possibly want with her.


    "It''s�� something is not right. The safe house is breached�� these guys�� there are guys in masks holding me hostage. And they want you to come here�� alone!"


    Shreya kept quiet. She was not particularly inclined to believe him just yet. Even when he looked trustworthy, she did not trust him. That was a fact.


    "I know you don''t care�� I wouldn''t have even bothered to call if it was just me�� But they got my family�� they have kidnapped my daughter and son-in-law�� They are the only family I have. So, please�� please come here. I cannot lose more than I already have��" Abishek begged.


    Shreya''s eyes changed when she heard that. She took her car keys and threw them at Zeenath and walked out of the office.


    "Where are you?" Shreya asked quickly making the decision. She did not waste much time after making the decision.


    "We sent you the location. You have two hours��" Some other voice told her and the next second the line went dead.


    Just as the elevator came to a stop at the lobby, Shreya rushed towards the parking lot.


    "You are driving��" She instructed Zeenath as she tapped away in her phone and shared the location.


    Zeenath''s phone buzzed and they rushed into Shreya''s car.


    "How long it''s going to take to reach there?" Shreya asked as she sat down on the passenger seat.


    "About 2 hours if I step on it��" Zeenath said.


    "Then step on it!" Shreya instructed and busied herself on the phone.


    First, she called everyone in the group for a conference call. It took a while for everyone to join. Shreya did not say anything until everyone joined. Once they did, she did not waste time beating around the bush and got to the point. She first briefly told them about Abishek''s call and what she was doing.


    And then she stalked instructions one after the other. She told them exactly what each of them needed to do.


    "Zack�� Call up our guys who are keeping eyes on Abishek''s safe house�� I want to know what is happening in there�� he called saying there are hostiles trying to get him killed. I want to know if it is true�� But don''t let them approach. Just observe and report back��" She obviously knew that the location Abishek had sent her to come to was actually the last safe house the government had assigned for him.


    "Srinivas, try to track down his daughter''s family�� I want to know her last whereabouts. I want to know if she was kidnapped."


    "Prithum, try to trace the call that just came to my phone. The number was restricted, so I don''t suppose you are going to have much luck. But give it a try. Also, I have switched on my tracker, keep an eye on where we are going."


    "Akash, organize a team and sneak in and around the safe house�� it is imperative they do not find out. I have instructions to come in alone��"


    "Adam, organize another team when we have a location on his daughter''s family. I will keep in touch via text if I have anything else��"


    She then hung up without giving them the chance to reply. She knew they would do it. But she also knows if she gave them the chance they will all hound her and try to talk her out of this.


    "You sure you want to rush to save an asshole who ordered to kill your parents??" Zeenath asked for the first time since they left the office. She got to know what was happening only when she explained it to the guys. Her eyes did not leave the road ahead�� nor did she ease her legs from the accelerators for even a second.


    Shreya''s car was custom made and the engines can pull faster than the most similar sedans in the market. And also it is easier to maneuver when you know what you are doing. Zeenath obviously had the skill as she smoothly raced through the road efficiently.


    "I wouldn''t much bother if it is just him��" Shreya answered straight up.


    But when it involves family, she did not want to sit back and do nothing. They were innocent people. Shreya had looked into his daughter. She was just a normal person with a normal life. Even when she might not sacrifice and do anything extravagant, she still wanted to try and put some effort into saving them��


    "You are a saint, Shreya��" Zeenath grumbled as she sped through the empty road.


    The location was obviously very remote and out of the city. Once they crossed the city limits, there were no other vehicles whatsoever.


    There was an eerie stillness on the streets. Their car was the only moving thing for miles. The only lights were the headlights. Both sides of the roads were filled with farm fields. They could see small towns and huts every now and then, but everyone was fast asleep by them. Nobody was outside at that time of the night.


    Shreya tapped away in her phones for a long while until she confirmed that Abishek''s safe house was indeed breached and that her daughter and her husband had been missing for a couple of hours now.

 Chapter 340 - Okay, Dhruv. Thanks. I owe you one!

    It rang for a long time before someone picked up and grumbled, "Do you freaking know what freaking time it is??"


    Dhruv''s voice came through the phone irritated.


    Only reason Dhruv was still out and about because he never killed anyone personally.


    Even when he was cruel and cold, he never killed anyone. It came from having a sister��


    Even if not now, he knew someone somewhere will always find out that they were family and when that time came, he did not want to leave the legacy of a killer''s sister to his sister. So, no matter what happened, no matter how desperate he got, he never killed anyone.


    No matter how much anyone paid him, he never relented.


    His specialty was, of course, the extraction of information. He was very good at reading people and torture techniques.


    Naren had used this talent to the maximum. Once he was done getting whatever information is needed, Naren will send his own guys to finish the job.


    This was the condition with which he had actually agreed to join Naren in the first place.


    "Dhruv, this is Shreya��" Shreya said straight away not bothering to comment on what he said.


    "I know�� What do you want?" Dhruv grumbled. Of course, he knew her number by heart by now. And he also recognized her voice. If possible, he really wished he could hang up on her. He had just gone to bed.


    "I want you to track someone down for me!" Shreya answered and sent him the pictures of Abishek''s daughter and her husband.


    "I thought tracking people down is your specialty��" He couldn''t keep the sarcasm out of his voice. After all, she was the one who had tracked his long-lost sister in a matter of a feeling half hour.


    But then, the situation now was different since this was not a lost person but someone being kidnapped. That too in the middle of the night. Her system is pretty useless for the present condition because the kidnappers are not exactly going to walk into stores with their victim''s faces flashed out in the open.


    "It is�� but if I am guessing it right, this should be done by Naren and it should be one of the secret groups he trusts absolutely. People have been kidnapped. And I do not have enough time to ask around. You should be able to do it fast. I just need their location, our guys are on stand-by. They will go in. You do not need to go��" Shreya instructed and once again cut the call before he could agree or deny it.


    Dhruv couldn''t help glare at the phone.


    He really must have owed Shreya a lot in his past life!! She almost felt like an aunt!


    But then, he still got to work.


    Just as she cut the call, Zack called, "Shreya, you sure you want to go in alone? It is very obviously a trap!"


    "I know�� I wouldn''t take unnecessary risks�� don''t worry. Anyways, our people are going to be just a call away. The smallest sign of trouble, I will call for you��", Shreya answered decisively.


    "You guys just have to be ready when I call for you! Don''t worry, Zack. I will be fine!" Her voice softened when she said the last part.


    So far when she talked, there was a sense of detachment in them as if she was talking to her employee and nothing more. But when she said the last part, there was something comforting in them.


    "Okay, you take care baby girl! I will see you when you get back��" Zack said and hung up. He knew he cannot talk her out of it. For a person who looks easygoing on normal days, Shreya was pretty stubborn and bossy.


    Shreya got a call back from Dhruv.


    "You found her?" Shreya asked without giving him time to even greet.


    "No�� I did not find her yet. But I found who took her! At least part of the team, I think. It''s a team of 6 people. I sent their photos to your mail. They didn''t show up for their day jobs in a week." Dhruv answered.


    Shreya took out her tablet and opened her emails.


    "Okay, Dhruv. Thanks. I owe you one!" Shreya said but she did hang up the phone before he could add to it.


    Dhruv also sent their details along with the photos.


    Shreya forwards the email to Prithum to trace them ASAP.


    All of them worked out of a garage. All ex-convicts. Specialized in different fields. But they are most proficient in getting in and out of a place undetected. One of them is a mechanic.


    Shreya kept staring at the information for a long time.


    Going in and out of a place by themselves is way different from getting another body in and out of a place�� And they had kidnaped two people.


    That takes a different set of skills and resources��


    If the goal was the kidnap and lure, Naren wouldn''t have gone to this group. He made the call to Zack.


    "Zack, something isn''t right here�� These are high-profile thieves. They are not fit for heavy lifting. Check, in and around the place where Abhishek''s daughter and her family live. They wouldn''t have taken her far. I am afraid, they hadn''t transported her at all. They probably detained her against her will in her own apartment just like they are holding Abishek in his safe house. They are not going to be confident doing this out in the open!" Shreya said.


    "Okay, I will check it out��" Zack answered.


    "Also, take some cops with you�� but take someone we know and ask them to keep it a secret for now. Something isn''t right about this whole situation�� be careful." Shreya said.


    Before Zack could reply, her phone beeped indicating 2 hours time is up��


    "How far along are we?" Shreya asked hanging up on Zack.


    "Half hour more�� I did not know the roads around here can be so damn bumpy��" Zeenath said frustrated.

 Chapter 341 - Zee, drive straight at him!

    "Why would they need a mechanic to kidnap�� even if it is not the whole crew, why did they need these particular people?" Shreya wondered out loud.


    "Maybe they were not part of Naren''s crew. Maybe they are doing something else��" Zeenath pitched in.


    "No�� This is Naren. I can feel it in my gut. I just don''t know what he is planning!! A mechanic??" Shreya mumbled under her breath.


    One mechanic? 5 Thieves? NO matter how much she thought about it, it did not make sense until she heard a pop sound from the hood of her car followed by smoke.


    Zeenath slammed on the brakes shocked. But the car never stopped. It did not even screech as it rushed forward as if Zeenath never ever pressed on the brakes.


    "Shreya, they must have planted something in the car. The brakes are not working anymore�� they should have blown up the brake cylinder! We are trapped!" Zeenath exclaimed panicked as she maneuvered the car from toppling over.


    Well, that explains the mechanic��


    But Shreya never even got to finish the thought as a big truck suddenly popped in front of them on the narrow road. It was driving straight at them without showing any signs of deviating with their horns blaring and headlights flashing.


    Zeenath couldn''t even open her eyes because of the sudden bright light that flashed right at her eyes. Even when they can see the truck riding right at them, they cannot avoid it since they were now driving over a hill road. If they drove the car off the road, they will fall down at least 50 feet. So, that was obviously out of option.


    "Zee, drive straight at him!! The car will stop!!" Shreya instructed.


    But just as her voice stopped, Zeenath turned the wheels 45 degrees and the car swirled with it. And the truck smashed straight towards the driver seat doors. Shreya never even got the time to protest as the impact of the crash pushed her body with the flow.


    This car actually has a top-notch security system. The glasses are not just bulletproof, but they were as tough as if can get.


    They were a type of polycarbonate that was designed not to break but to deform on impact. The same goes for the body of the car. That was the main reason why Shreya had asked Zeenath to drive straight. Because even when they might not be able to get out of it scot-free, the chances of both of them surviving the crash were also very good.


    But Zeenath had to be Zeenath and turned the car just before impact taking most of the damage to her side. But then, even when the truck had hit her side with the maximum impact, they were not crushed. And of course, the car does not just have airbags just from the front but also on the sides.


    But at the speed the car had hit the truck, it actually toppled upside down�� Shreya hit her head on impact. And everything went black for a second.


    She did not know if she was conscious or not�� all she can hear was a buzzing sound for full two minutes before she shook her head and looked around to make sense of things.


    "Zee�� ZEE. Wake up!!! Hey, do you hear me?" Shreya asked hysterically shaking her. Like her, Zeenath had also hit her head but it just looked so much worse. And on top of it, her whole left side of the body was injured and crushed. She was bleeding all over.


    Shreya''s hands started shaking as her mind started to panic.


    "Zee, wake up�� please��. Just wake up!!" Shreya called out frantically as her mind stopped working altogether. After so many times of calling out, Zeenath actually let out a groan.


    "Hey, can you hear me?? Can you open your eyes?? Hey, hey�� here look at me!" Shreya beckoned.


    But all that came to a standstill when she heard cars driving towards them.


    First things first, she needed help. So, she did not think about it before pressing her panic button.


    When she presses this, help will be there around her in a manner to half an hour even when it was unanticipated. This one not only alerts her team on the ground but also sends an alert to all the people in her network within the 2-mile radius of her location. And just as the shopkeeper in the middle of nowhere, every person on her network is equipped with the necessary tool like some very basic weapons and cars and stuff. But it does not stop there. It also mobilizes an elite team of persons that have been specially trained to react to emergencies. They were equipped with helicopters and top-notch weapons.


    Shreya does not use their services on normal days since they were so very skilled that it is insulting to come forward and do the day-to-day. This team is also very diverse and far spread. She usually outsources them. They accept any national emergency assignments freelance. But they listen to her first. And very few people even know that she commands such a team.


    But they were mostly concentrated on cities. Things may take a little bit longer when the location is remote.


    "Hey, baby. You hang in there for a second okay. Help is going to be here in no time. I will just take care of these jerks in the meantime��" Shreya said to Zeenath rubbing on her bloody cheeks. She then reached out for the guns from the dashboard.


    She had two�� She released her seat belts and the next second she fell down to the roof with a thud crashing on her shoulders.


    Pain shot up instantly as she cursed under her breath, "F.u.c.k!!!"

 Chapter 342 - DO I look like I lack money?

    Normally, Shreya wouldn''t have gotten out of the car until help came. It would have been safer like that. Anyways, her people will be here any minute and it would be impossible for them to reach her without her unlocking the car.


    These were all special features she had made for the car when she improved from her father''s model.


    But the driver seat window on Zeenath''s side had taken a great hit. Shreya was not sure how long the glasses would hold. When she looked at it now, they were still mostly intact. But she was not sure they could stop a bullet like that.


    And she cannot risk Zeenath''s life. Moreover, she did not dare to move her either. She has no idea how hurt she was and what kind of complications there is�� she did not want to make anything worse than it already was.


    Thanked be the god that Shreya actually decided to take her own car and not something else. Because if she had taken some other car, both Zeenath and Shreya would have been very much dead by now.


    Shreya checked Zeenath''s pulse quickly.


    Her pulse was not strong but they were not that weak either which means there should be no major bleeding outside. But internal bleed could be there�� but there was nothing she could do about it right now.


    "You are going to be alright, Zee. I promise. You have to be��" Shreya whispered and unlocked the car.


    When she got out, the first thing she checked where the oil tanks. Thankfully they were intact for now�� but she did not know how long.


    Just as she stepped out and stood up on her feet, her whole demeanor changed. Her whole aura became cold as her eyes pierced through the night sky.


    All she saw was blood.


    All the panic and fear left her instantly as she calmly faced the car coming to a standstill a few feet behind the truck. She marched towards the truck first.


    When her car flipped, it actually skidded a lot due to momentum�� thankfully it skidded on the road straight and did not go outside the road. But because of it, there is actually quite a lot of distance between her car and the truck. The truck stopped right after the initial crash.


    She can see the driver of the truck just sitting there smoking away.


    Her eyes were red with rage�� She did not care about anything else at the moment. She just wanted to hurt someone as much as she did.


    So, she did not even blink as she pulled the gun on the truck driver standing right in front of him. The driver looked at her shocked�� he did not think she could actually walk out of the crash. He never thought she could survive it let alone walk out of the car so soon. So, he was not even paying attention when suddenly Shreya walked up to him with a gun. He never even had the chance to even raise his hands as Shreya pulled the trigger. His head exploded instantly.


    Even though she had a silencer, in the dead night, the sound still echoed through the hill.


    The guys from inside the car got out frantically looking at each other.


    They were just here to collect the bodies. Nothing else�� they were supposed to bring them to the safe house. So, they were not alert enough. After all, they just saw the crash happen live from the road above. It''s impossible to survive that.


    So, they scrambled for their guns and came out. They had machine guns�� But even before they could switch the safety switch off, Shreya fired once again.


    She did not bother talking to them or showing herself to them. She took cover behind the truck and shot the guys one after the other.


    The truck''s headlights were still on. So, she could clearly see them all�� but because it was too bright with high beams, the assailants couldn''t even look in her direction let alone aim. They just blindly fired in her direction which Shreya avoided by taking cover behind the truck�� They exchanged gunfire for a while.


    Each shot she took accurately blasted through their heads.


    Bang Bang Bang


    The fourth guy actually dropped his gun down in panic seeing the other three fall down one after the other in small succession.


    He raised his hands and surrendered as he said, "Stop�� stop. Don''t shoot. I surrender. I am not going to fight anymore�� I won''t do anything. I will also tell you everything I know. Just don''t kill me. Please!!" He begged as he got down on his knees facing Shreya.


    Shreya walked from behind the truck and looked at him condescendingly. She did not blink she pointed the gun point-blank to his temples.


    "Who ordered you? Evidence?" Shreya said just a few words. She could not waste too many words with him.


    But the guy was smart. He instantly scrambled for his phone and unlocked it and showed the contents to Shreya��


    "You will find everything you need here�� and more. Just, please don''t kill me!! Please. I will give you money�� I have a lot of it!!" The guy begged.


    "DO I look like I lack money?" Shreya sneered.


    Shreya went through the phone�� It had call recordings. Since Naren was in the prison, he could only order through phone and these were hard times.


    So, everyone was for themselves. So, as a precaution, everyone first tried to protect themselves. Loyalty and honor were of the old times.


    "Well, thank you for this. I will use it well��" Shreya said and did not think before pulling the trigger. But before the gunshot can ever echo, the night was filled with the noise of blades whirling.


    Shreya looked up to find three helicopters making their way towards them.


    Shreya went back to back to her car and pried open the driver''s side door. She cannot really risk keeping Zeenath here any longer.


    "Hey the help is here��" Shreya mumbled but the doors won''t budge. So, she just sat there in front of the door.

 Chapter 343 - Show me your IDs…

    The adrenaline had been keeping Shreya going so far. With imminent danger, she was forced to keeping her head straight and focus on keeping herself calm. That was the only way to be safe and alive until help came.


    But when she no longer has to hold herself up, she did not know where the tears came from�� they just stumbled down her eyes and streaked down her cheeks.


    "It''s okay�� it''s okay. She is going to be alright! She is going to be alright!" She kept mumbling to herself. As she said at least a dozen guys rope down from the helicopter.


    About five people made their way towards Shreya while the others spread around to form a perimeter around them making sure they would not have any unexpected surprises.


    Just as the guys came within a few feet of Sherya, she got out of her trance and stood up. You can see her vigilance was back on as she pointed the gun towards them while wiping away her tears forcefully on one hand.


    "Show me your IDs��" Shreya yelled. You cannot be too cautious now.


    The one in the middle let go of his weapon and raised his hands first before slowly reaching for his ID from inside his pockets.


    All this while Shreya kept watching him like a hawk.


    The guy flashed his ID clearly towards Shreya. She scrutinized it carefully before lowering the gun.


    "Carefully get her out of there�� I don''t know the extent of her injury. She had a stable but weak pulse till about a couple of minutes back. Call the hospital and make sure they have a doctor waiting on them�� Nothing can happen to her�� nothing at all. Now, move quickly." Shreya instructed and got out of the way.


    The guys did not need any more instructions as they got to work. Their movements were precise and at ease. You can clearly see that they know what they were doing.


    Two people pried open the door as another slid Zeenath out of the car.


    Shreya stood back not wanting to distort their work. She kept wiping away her tears every few seconds. She was in a daze until she saw Zeenath groan out when they lifted her up to the stretcher. She did not move a muscle until she saw Zeenath safely be airlifted in one of the helicopters.


    "Coms��" Shreya asked once calming herself down after taking a few deep breaths. One of the guys promptly handed over his headphones to Shreya.


    "Zack, you have a lead on Abishek''s daughter��?" She asked as soon as she plugged the headphones into her ears. She cannot really be bothered about herself at this moment.


    "Hey, baby girl. Are you okay? How is Zee? Are you on your way to the hospital?" Zack stalked up questions concerned. After all, Shreya wouldn''t have pressed the panic button unless it was absolutely necessary. That single button can cause a lot of chaos once pressed. It mobilizes a really large number of people that is absolutely hard to hide. More than the number of people itself, it''s the speed of the response time that is incredible when it came to her elite forces.


    The anonymity Shreya operates when it came to the underworld will be exposed. And once this is exposed, everyone will come to know of her powers even if it is going to just be the tip of the iceberg.


    Zack is the direct superior to these people. He is their commanding officer in her absence. So, he had eyes and ears on what was happening in there without Shreya having to tell him. He could see the accident site and he also saw Zeenath being transported in the helicopter.


    "I am fine Zack�� Now answer my questions!" Shreya asked impatiently.


    "We found her�� she is safe. His daughter is smart. She dropped beads from her bracelets leaving us bread crumbs. She was in the apartment right opposite her. It was rented out just 2 days back. We captured two guys holding them down. As far as Abishek is concerned, by the time we breached the safe house, the guys that had held him hostage were gone�� and he was left there knocked unconscious." Zack answered no longer asking her anything else.


    Even though they had surrounded the safe house, to be safe, they were stationed a good distance away and the place was barren without any buildings or shops in all directions. They were just forests and trees all around. As long as they move on foot, the guys could have easily escaped right past them and they couldn''t have known.


    "I am going there now�� And ask Srinivas to go to the hospital. Clear the floor Zeenath is going to be and no news should leak about who is injured. Ask him to seal the news properly from that end. Nobody should know Zeenath was injured or how much she has been injured or how she got injured. They should not even know she had been here." Shreya instructed while simultaneously gesturing the guys to move.


    "And call the police to the scene after we have cleared. Tell them that I have been taken to the hospital and under surgery." Shreya said getting into the car.


    "So, you want to advertise that you are injured and serious?" Zack asked. After all, with just the things she allowed to be let out and with the scene in front of them, that is the conclusion people are going to get to.


    "Yes. I want them to think they had achieved what they came here to do!" Shreya said.


    "Hey, I have one more thing to report!" Zack said. He had been trying to say this from when Shreya had come on coms. But he still doesn''t know how to say it to her.


    There was something else has happened at almost the same exact time that Shreya had her accident.


    Shreya was right when she thought something was wrong with the team Dhruv had sent over. It was just when they found the purpose it was already too late to do anything about it.


    Naren had sent in two teams�� what Dhruv had found was just one part of the team that had nothing to do with Shreya''s accident or Abhishek.

 Chapter 344 - What is it?

    "What is it?" Shreya asked impatiently. After what she just went through, she really did not have the patience to be polite and mindful. And her head hurt like bitch.


    "Sri corp�� they have broken into Sri corp. when you were coming here. Your office had been breached. The office blew up��" Zack cut to the chase and put it out there for Shreya.


    By the time they got the news, it was already too late. Thankfully nobody was in there at those hours and since it was such an urgent matter, all of them worked from their own houses.


    Because everyone was supporting Shreya here, nobody thought there would be something like this happening back in the office.


    Shreya did not react for a second. But her eyes stiffened uncontrollably.


    "How did they get into the floor?", Shreya asked calmly.


    "Anne�� they took her just as she was leaving work today��" Zack answered without continuing.


    Anne was someone they had overlooked these few months.


    Everyone else who had access to the floor had security around them because they were family one way or another including Madhu. Shreya had arranged it a long time before everything started.


    But Anne was the latest inclusion�� and she was also an unexpected inclusion. And they had completely overlooked this point to let someone protect her. It had been neglect on their part that led to Anne being in danger.


    Since the access to the top floor of the Sri corp. is kind of the ultimate privilege within the company they enjoy a status within the company�� Especially with the current threats that have been looming around everyone��


    "How is she?" Shreya asked. Her face couldn''t get any graver than it already was.


    "We found her in the rubble along with the other guys who broke in. The guys are hurt pretty bad but they will live. They were inside your room. But Anne is alright. She must have gained consciousness somewhere before the bomb went off and tried to escape. She got herself out of the room just in time and the blast threw her off�� she is bruised and injured. But otherwise peachy��" Zack replied.


    Shreya really wished she can beat someone up right about now.


    She was really not someone who gets violent when she was angry. But today they were really testing her patience. She had really tried so hard to keep herself good all this while and they had pushed her too far today.


    "Keep them alive," Shreya commanded. She was going to prepare a special kind of hell for them.


    "Don''t worry, our guys are already on it," Zack reassured.


    Breaking into the office had the clearest and the most straightforward motive to it.


    They must have tried to get into the server room. That server had more than just the data about this case. It had everyone''s personal information in her network. It was a goldmine of data on every person that ever came in contact with Shreya. It also had the personal information of her team members.


    So, Shreya couldn''t let it get into the hands of the wrong people. So, as a fail-safe, she had placed a self-destruction system for the room.


    As long as someone tried to force their way into the room without proper authentication, the room will blow up within minutes.


    It is a controlled blast with the most minimal damage to the structure or people themselves. Most of the room should be intact. But even if they do not die, the culprits wouldn''t be able to escape whatsoever since it also releases toxic gas into the air that will knock them out for hours. The whole floor would have been knocked out within minutes.


    And that had what happened today�� those guys must have tried to get into the room and got themselves trapped.


    The problem was, very few people actually knew there was such a room in her office. Even when Adithya was around, he kept the room a secret that he shared with only a very few trusted family members and friends.


    And that just made this whole situation so much more worse for Shreya. Because, if there was one thing that Shreya detested more than anything that was the betrayal of people she trusted.


    And the motive to lure her out was also for the same reason.


    After all, if she was still in the building, they wouldn''t have been able to breach in the first place. Even when it is not apparent, the security in the building is pretty heavy when she was in the building.


    And most of them had been pulled away from the building when Shreya left the building and was mobilized to do her bidding leaving the building itself vulnerable.


    It was actually pretty smart of them to stage an accident without any prior warnings. Because they wouldn''t have been able to touch her hair otherwise even she had walked into the safe house alone.


    But more than anything else, the accident was not just a lure but a clear attempt on her life. Somebody wants her dead.


    With the place Naren is in right now, he really couldn''t have done this all on his own�� he should have had help. A lot of it.


    If Shreya''s guess is right, Naren should have just provided the manpower as he used to do in the syndicate while the others provided the plan. There should be at least two other parties involved.


    One who betrayed her and one who wanted the information on the server.


    Naren should have been the one who wanted her dead. Or maybe all of them did and the others were just benefits that came along with it.


    Either way, she had enemies. And she was going make them sorry��


    The car came to a standstill in front of a beaten-down house. The whole house looked old and desolate. It looked more like a ghost house than a safe house which was perfect since nobody will ever think a state witness will be kept in such a place with no security.


    It was hiding in plain sight. Unless you know exactly where to look, there is no way they could have found Abishek here.

 Chapter 345 - Hey, that’s not fair… I did not do anything…

    "Spread out and search for the assailants. They shouldn''t have gone far. They can only go so far without a vehicle. Search for any kind of vehicle hidden around��" Shreya commanded as soon as she got down from the car.


    Without looking back to see if they were following her instruction, Shreya made her way towards the worn-down building.


    Her steps were brisk as she opened the doors and entered the living room.


    Abishek was sitting there on the couch with someone tending to the cut on his arms.


    "OUT!" Shreya commanded as soon as she reached Abishek. Her bad mood was pretty evident in her voice.


    The guy did not dare to raise any protest. He wrapped up the wound in one swift move and got out of the house. He practically ran out to be precise.


    "WHAT THE F.U.C.K happened out there today??" Shreya bellowed as soon as the front doors closed looking at Abishek with blazing eyes.


    "I don''t know!!" Abishek answered looking oblivious.


    "You want to tell me why you and your daughter are perfectly intact and in good shape while two of my people are in the hospital fighting for life??" Shreya asked once again. You can clearly see the impatience in her tone.


    If Abishek did not start talking right about now, Shreya might actually explode. But Abishek really did not know what to say.


    "I really don''t know what just happened, trust me. All I know was I was here sleeping when 4 guys came in and showed me the picture of my daughter being held captive somewhere and asked me to call you here�� they said if I cannot make you come here, my daughter is going to end up dead! So, I called you�� But just as your deadline came up, someone hit me in the back, hard. I did not wake up until your people showed up. That is everything I know��" Abishek explained. His voice was desperate as if he was begging her to believe him.


    "I find out even a single word you just said to be false, trust me Abishek, you are never making it for your execution. I will make you so sorry before you die. I promise you that!!" Shreya sneered looking icy.


    "Hey, I did not do anything. I promise��" Abishek reassured Shreya raising his hands up scared.


    "Where are your guards?" Shreya asked looking around.


    "They were shot�� it is bad. Your guys sent them to the hospital." Abishek answered obediently. He looked like a student in front of his teacher at that moment.


    "Okay, here is what going to happen. Once we clear the scene, you are going to call up whoever is in charge and tell them everything as it is. Except for the part of me being here�� You are going to say that I never made it. You are going to say you never saw me here today. You are just going to tell them you heard my guys talk about some accident happening on the way here. That''s it. I hear you said anything more than that, just remember I have your daughter with me now��" Shreya instructed and walked out of the room.


    "Hey, that''s not fair�� I did not do anything��" Abishek complained but he was not as anxious knowing Shreya had this daughter. That is probably safer than her being alone.


    At least, the people who were out to get him cannot get to her.


    And he knew deep down, Shreya would not hurt an innocent bystander. If she did, she wouldn''t be who she was today. They may use them as leverage but not as baits.


    "One more thing. Don''t tell them we have your daughter. She is going to be safer remaining unknown for now!" Shreya added just before exiting the safe house.


    "Once you guys find the people you are looking for, clear the site. Just leave one behind to watch over. Unless and until they are going to try to kill him, do not interfere." Shreya instructed her guys and got on to the helicopter waiting for her.


    "Take me to the hospital!" Shreya instructed and closed her eyes.


    Sun was rising on the east giving her a spectacular view. Maybe in a different situation, if it was some other day, Shreya could have probably appreciated it. But today, it did not even enter her line of sight.


    She tapped on her feet impatiently looking outside. The only view that can catch her attention now is probably the sight of the hospital.


    And the only thing that can interest here was the news that Zeenath was okay��


    But just as she entered the hospital, she was met with a grave silent corridor.


    Her footsteps echoed as she walked. She knew where Zeenath was. Zack had informed her. So, she made her way to the operation ward.


    Only Srinivas was there��


    He was sitting down on the floor in the corridor. The lights flickered above him while he sat there like a statue. He was sitting leaning on his back and bunching his knees in front of him. His elbows were resting over his knees while he kept his hands joint in front of him casually.


    He looked up when he heard the sound of someone walking towards them. There was a very brief second of defensiveness in his eyes when he originally looked up.


    Even though all the entrance to the floor was heavily guarded, he still couldn''t relax. After all, everything that happened today had got them all off guard. They were completely unprepared.


    All of them were just waiting for two more days to put everything behind when the final verdict comes. And everyone who can oppose had lost almost all of their powers. So, they might have let their guard down just briefly. But they never anticipated it to cost time so much.


    Srinivas relaxed seeing Shreya. Shreya went ahead and sat almost identical to the way Srinivas was sitting on the opposite side of the corridor right opposite him. Neither of them said a word.

 Chapter 346 - She is also injured!

    When Shreya first set out on getting justice for her parents, she had only one condition. She did not want it to cost any more lives.


    But today, all that effort somehow came to naught as she helpless sat outside the operation room waiting for what felt like a lifetime. It almost felt as if she was waiting for a judgment that was going to decide her life or death.


    After what felt like forever, the operation opened up with a green light indicating the surgery was over.


    The statues catching molds at last moved. They looked up.


    Both Shreya and Srinivas got up from their places at the same time and approached the doctor coming out of the operation theatre.


    "How is she?" Shreya asked first eagerly.


    "Her life is not at risk for the time being. You guys brought her in just in time. Any later, we wouldn''t have been able to save her!"


    The doctor gave them the good news. But Shreya did not ask anything because she could see that the doctor had something more to say. And Srinivas did the same.


    The doctor paused hesitating before adding, "But her head was hurt pretty bad. There is swelling in her brain. So, we put her in an induced coma now�� How she recovers from that is out of our hands!"


    "How long before she wakes up?" Srinivas asked the question this time.


    "We are thinking maybe a week. But it can take more time. It depends on how fast she heals. But she is stable for now��" The doctor said and left them there.


    Shreya felt like she would fall down in relief. She did not hear anything else the doctor was explaining. All she wanted to know was if she was going to be okay. At the second when she saw Zeenath turn the steering wheel, Shreya was soo scared she was going to lose Zeenath in her life just like her parents. That thought was paralyzing for her.


    Only she knew how hard it had been for her to hold on up to this moment.


    The only thing that kept her together was Zeenath''s pulse�� as long as her heart was beating, she was breathing, she can always find a way to heal her. With her status and power, there was no resource that was out of bounds. And she will find the very best even if she had to flip the world over to find them.


    SO, hearing that Zeenath was stable and has a chance of recovery, the big rock in the bottom of her stomach dropped. The relief left her staggering.


    Her legs gave out as she swayed precariously feeling dizzy.


    "Woah�� Woah!! Hey, there��" Srinivas exclaimed holding her by her waist saving her from falling down.


    That was the first time that he actually gave attention to Shreya��


    "God damn it! Shreya�� when are you ever going to learn to take care of yourself??" Srinivas cursed uncontrollably.


    Shreya''s left arms were swollen like a damn balloon. Srinivas is pretty sure she should have broken a bone or two there while her neck was covered up with dried blood. Srinivas tentatively took his hands and touched the back of her head and they came back looked red with blood.


    "F.u.c.k!!" He cursed once again.


    "Hey, Shreya�� wake up. Open your eyes�� hey�� hey��" Srinivas tried to wake her up but to no avail. By then Shreya was completely unconscious.


    "Doctor!!" Srinivas yelled at the guy who had just walked out of the corridor after explaining Zeenath''s situation to them. Panic was evident in his voice when he saw Shreya did not wake up. This was the first time he had seen something like this happen to Shreya.


    He knew Shreya pushed herself�� but he never knew she would push herself so f.u.c.k.i.n.g far to point of falling unconscious.


    And he couldn''t help but curse himself for being so irresponsible even after knowing how she was and what she had been through. She had been with Zeenath inside the car when the accident took place. And he also knew the car toppled over.


    No matter how freaking amazing the car and its security system are, it is almost impossible to walk out of such a scene scratch-free�� But he did not know why he thought that Shreya could!!


    It may be because the damn girl had been going around commanding everyone around right after the accident without regard to the injuries!!


    Because the team that went out today was not any of the usual members, nobody knew what was happening. And since none of them had personally gone to the site, nobody could stop her from running around injured. Not that it would have made much difference if they were there�� but at the very least they would have known that she was injured and could have forced her to get treatment once she was done with everything she wanted to do.


    "Damn it, Shreya!!!" Srinivas cursed once again.


    The guys rushed back looking absolutely alarmed!


    "What happened??" He asked looking at Srinivas holding Shreya.


    "She is also injured!!!" Srinivas answered and directly picked her up and walked towards the patient room closest to them so that he can examine her properly.


    Anyway, they had already cleared the whole floor anyways. So, there was nobody around.


    The doctor looked calmly at Shreya and then called the nurse. After that, Srinivas was once again asked to wait outside. They took her for x-rays and scans before coming back to the same room.


    Once again the process of waiting continued for Srinivas. The nurse came and went a couple of times before the doctor came back out at last.


    "She is fine�� noting serious. Even though her head was also hurt, it is not serious. Just a mild concussion. Her arm is broken in two places�� it would have gone more smoothly if only she had gone for treatment as soon as she got injured. But because of the delay, major fractures had developed. We put on a cast. It is going to have to stay for a couple of weeks. Or maybe even months. And she had lost a lot of blood. So, we put her on IV and antibiotics for now. So, she is sleeping. Once she wakes up, it should be fine."


    The doctor explained and left Srinivas standing there.

 Chapter 347 - How did things get to this?

    Just as Srinivas sighed in relief, the silent corridor was filled with footsteps.


    Everyone came back at last.


    Because Shreya had been drilling everyone with work, they couldn''t come back sooner. And Shreya never informed Anand or Bhagya about what had happened. They did not want to scare them in the middle of the night.


    So, her uncle and aunt came to know about the accident only in the morning when Akash told her parents. As soon as they came to know of it, they first scolded Akash before making their way to the hospital.


    Akash and Zack accompanied them obviously. Pritham is still buried in his computers. Without the server and access to all the data they had collected so far, it was getting tedious to get any sort of information. He had been hitting brick walls at every turn trying to figure things out.


    Anand first went into the room Shreya was in and saw her state. As soon as he saw her banged-up state, his heart twisted.


    Bhagya let out a shocked whimper as she approached the sleeping Shreya.


    "What the hell happened out there Zack? How did things get to this??" Bhagya asked looking around ice cold. While Anand went to sit beside Shreya.


    He could not take his eyes off of her as tears spilled down uncontrollably.


    Zack let out a sigh before briefly explaining what had happened the night before.


    He did not know the full ins and outs of the matter but he had a hunch that Shreya had figured out something from all the instructions she gave. He also knows she probably has a plan in her head already.


    Even when he was smart, he still couldn''t figure out what she had figured out. After all, he had been with her from the start of this mess�� so, he knew almost everything about it as much as Shreya does. But he still couldn''t figure out what had happened today.


    He knew one of the culprits was Naren�� But he could not pinpoint his motives for breaking into the office. And personally, Naren did not seem smart enough to make such an elaborate lure. And even if it was only a lure, there was still something very sketchy about the way they had handled Abishek.


    "We found a very small charge detonator in Shreya''s car. It caused the brakes to fail at a very precise time and the car crashed into a truck. Zeenath must have turned the car just in time taking most of the damage." Zack explained what he had found out about the crash itself after the police had investigated.


    But he did not tell them about how Shreya had shot and killed 5 people on sight. And as far as the police were concerned, they were killed by their men and not her. And since all of them were fully geared up and armed, it did not lead to many complications either. Because Shreya had asked him to tell that she was almost on the verge of dying, he could only tell that his men had to shoot them while they came to rescue Shreya.


    Even without the story, even if the police figure out it was Shreya, it wouldn''t much matter since it was a legitimate self-defense move. If Shreya hadn''t done it, Shreya and Zeenath wouldn''t have been able to walk out of their alive.


    Because when they were looking around, they found that they had prepared a backup team hiding just minutes away from the crash site. If Shreya had let any of them alive and one of them called for backup, things could have gotten worse. His guys found them hiding away waiting for them to clear the scene.


    By the time they figured out something was not right with the scene, his guys have already arrived and all they could do was hide.


    So, he was really really glad that Shreya did not hesitate and did what she ought to do to protect herself.


    As soon as Zack finished saying about the accident, she looked back at Anand. Even when Anand did not say anything, she could see him make a fist. "And what about Sri corp.?" Bhagya asked next.


    Zack once again explained what had happened. He did not know how much Bhagya knew about what was happening and the server�� so, he explained the in and outs of the security system in place and how the whole thing went down.


    "How are Zeenath and Anne?" Bhagya asked. She did not just ask this for herself but she also asked this for sake of Shreya�� she could already imagine what it would do to Shreya if anything happened to any of them.


    "Zeenath is in ICU next door. They had put her in an induced coma�� she was hurt pretty hard on her head. But they said she was going to be okay!" Srinivas answered this time.


    In the time Shreya was getting her treatment, he went in to see Zeenath�� he really wished he hadn''t. The whole of her left side was fractured. She was wrapped up like a mummy.


    Her face was pale with masks and tubes all over.


    Srinivas had always seen her so wild and being reckless�� after getting used to seeing her like that, seeing her injured, it broke his heart into million little pieces. He did not even dare to touch her fearing he might break something more.


    "Shreya asked us to publicize the accident without including Zeenath into the picture�� She wanted to say to the police that she is in critical condition and she was the one driving the car!!" Zack added. The driver''s side of the car was so crushed that nobody will think twice when he said Shreya was in a critical condition.


    Zack told this mainly to remind Anand to be prepared. Because once this news broke, the company is going to be chaotic.


    Comparative to other companies, Sri corp. is actually more disciplined and smooth running. It was mainly self-sustained.


    Even when Shreya had played a major role�� it had always been behind the scenes. She always made sure the company can run pretty much the same without any glitches.


    Only in the past few months did she take personal actions in the company.


    "Akash, you go to the company and take care of the situation�� I will send John and Adam to help you�� I am going to stay with Shreya��" Anand at last spoke. But he still did not look away from Shreya��

 Chapter 348 - Ram is mine to deal with.

    Zack stayed back in the hospital as everyone else disbursed to do as Anand said. Zack just had a hunch that Anand had something to ask him in private.


    Just as everyone cleared, Anand stood up from his place and faced Zack looking extremely grave as he asked, "You tell me exactly how the car accident happened?"


    Zack explained as detailed as he could. Given the sensitivity of the accident, he did not let the police examine the car directly. He let his own team examine them first and give the report to the police. And because of all the pressure from above, the lead detective of the case couldn''t help grumble but accepted it. The bottom line was someone tampered with the brakes of the car and they knew exactly what they were doing.


    But given those people had worked in a garage, Zack was not surprised. More than that, he was more concerned about who was behind it rather than how it had happened.


    "We have a mole!" Anand answered looking graver than before.


    "Why do you say that?" Zack asked confused.


    "The car�� It might look like an ordinary sedan�� for most parts, it is. Except for extreme safety measures, that is. But there is one thing that is unique to the car that nobody knows of. Its engine design. It is not normal. It was custom made�� Adithya personally designed the engine. So, it is not easy to locate anything in there. It might not be special, but it is still very hard to tamper with without knowing what you are looking for. It is especially impossible to achieve something so precise and succeed in it without any prior knowledge. And very few people actually know the design." Anand answered looking extremely angry.


    "You suspect someone right?" Zack asking looking at Anand carefully.


    "Yes�� Ram Srivastav. Except for him, there can be nobody�� because he helped Adithya design the damn thing and build it the first time around. He knows it inside out." Anand answered.


    "Does Shreya know this?" Zack asked. Because he knew Shreya had figured out something�� but he cannot think of what she had figured out.


    "Yes�� she knows. Even though she did not participate in the actual business, Shreya still knew what was happening at home and Adithya was very proud of Ram back then�� so, there is no way she couldn''t have known this."


    That actually explained a lot of things.


    Zack had been wondering why Shreya did not insist on investigating anyone in particular. If she had a suspicion, she would always first as them to investigate the whereabouts of that person in the last few days or weeks.


    And he also wondered why she wanted to make it seem as if the plan was successful. He thought she wanted to catch the snake without startling them. But now he thinks maybe she also wanted to cover to Ram a bit. After all, she did walk out of the car alive and well.


    Anand gritted his tooth and fisted his palms in anger. But just as he was about to walk out of the ward, Zack stopped him on his tract as he reminded him.


    "I know you want to confront him and all before giving him a piece of your mind�� But we don''t have any piece of evidence now. With our servers down, it is hard to get any leverage to make him confess either way. And besides, I think Shreya has a plan. I know she is up to something with all this�� you don''t want to ruin it, do you? You can always punch him in the face�� he is not going to go anywhere anytime soon. I will send my guys to keep a watch on the whole family discreetly." Zack said.


    "Our priority should be Shreya now. Let''s wait for her to wake up for the rest." Bhagya pitched in keeping a hand over Anand''s shoulders trying to calm him down.


    Anand took a deep breath to calm himself down and said, "When she is done with whatever she is up to, Ram is mine to deal with." He wanted to see him in the eyes and ask him how he can do something like this to Adithya''s daughter. This time, he will show no mercy in the name of family�� he would not let Shreya face him either.


    Shreya may be good with many things, but she was not someone who can calmly face her own uncle knowing he had just tried to kill her. He did not want to make her go through that.


    "Okay, Anand, you stay here and look after Shreya�� I will get going." Bhagya said and went off. But not before giving Shreya a distressed look.


    Zack bid Anand goodbye and went back right behind her. He had way too much work to do. He just wanted to come and make sure Shreya and Zeenath were fine.


    As soon as he came out of Shreya''s room, he went to Zeenath''s room.


    Zeenath was in an ICU on the same floor. When peeped in, he saw ventilators attached almost covering the whole of her face. Srinivas was sitting beside her bed.


    Zack knocked on the door and gestured for him to come out.


    "How is she?" Zack asked as soon as Srinivas came out.


    "Stable�� Doctors are confident she is going to make full recovery with proper care. For now, they put her in a medically induced coma since her head was hurt badly and there are parts of her brain that are swollen. Until the swelling subsides, they are planning to keep her like this��" He answered.


    "Okay, take care of things here��" Zack said and excused himself.


    "Give me an hour. I will change and report to you." Srinivas said before Zack could leave. He got the call in the middle of the night and it read it was an emergency. And he had been here for hours now�� he would really like a shower before he could go to work.


    "You don''t have to come in. We can handle it!" Zack answered.


    "It''s okay. Anyways, there is nothing I can do here anyway. And I am sure it is a madhouse down there. It should be better than staring at the ceiling. Anyways, these guys are going to make sure things are okay here." Srinivas said making his way to the elevator.

 Chapter 349 - Have you ever seen Shreya being outdone by anyone before?

    To their surprise, Bhagya was actually waiting for them at the elevator.


    Both the men gave her an enquiring look.


    "I need you to take me to the Imperial! Even the Imperial is going to be chaotic! Sri corp., Akash can handle but he doesn''t know anything about the Imperial��" Bhagya said to Zack and entered the elevator without any other explanation.


    Her voice stated clearly that she was not asking but saying.


    So, Zack and Srinivas quietly followed her. Srinivas went home while Zack took Bhagya to the Imperial.


    "Call that kid over too�� Pritham!" Bhagya said as soon as she closed the doors behind her.


    Zack frowned at that. Pritham was already knee-deep with work. But he looked at Bhagya''s calm but firm eyes�� he knew he did not have a choice. So, he called up Pritham to meet him at the Imperial.


    The drive took a while. When they transported Zeenath, she was in critical condition. So, they actually took her to a hospital in a neighboring city nearest to the accident.


    So, it took a while to actually get to the Imperial. By the time they reached, it was afternoon.


    "Mrs. Srivastav, can you tell me why we are here exactly?" Zack asked opening the doors for her.


    "Get in. You will know. Where is Pritham?" Bhagya asked crossing the lobby.


    But before she could even finish asking her question, Pritham made his way towards Bhagya.


    "Hello, Mrs. Srivastav!" Pritham greeted respectfully. Even though they get along with Shreya like brats, with Anand and Bhagya, she always insisted on being proper. Shreya will not tolerate any sort of disrespect towards them, real or perceived. So, it got ingrained in their bones by now.


    "Follow me�� both of you. I have something to show you guys."


    Bhagya did not wait for them to acknowledge her.


    Both Zack and Pritham looked at each other. Both had a sense of d��j�� vu. Even though they had previous interactions with Bhagya�� none of them was like this.


    She always had a very gentle and soft demeanor so far. But today�� This type of behavior reminded them of Shreya when she was bossy and overbearing when everything she said had to be followed without any complaints or questions asked no matter how unreasonable it may be.


    Zack just shrugged his shoulders and followed Bhagya with Pritham hot on his trials.


    Bhagya made her way to the private elevator. This elevator is only for the use of specific individuals. Like Sri corp. only a handful of people can use this one�� even Shreya does not use this very often because it is built out of the public''s way. And it had biometric scanning just as the one in Sri corp.


    Unless she needs to go to her office, Shreya usually doesn''t use this one. Her office floor can be accessed only with this elevator.


    Zack and Pritham were not that familiar with the Imperial. Zack knew the general layouts since he was the chief of securities but he had not been here personally except for dining every now and then. So, both the men just followed her around blindly looking around.


    As soon as they all got into the elevator, Bhagya, instead of pressing one single floor, actually pressed a string of numbers.


    Zack looked around and found that there were no security camera''s inside the elevator.


    Zack and Pritham, once again, looked at each other. But did not say anything.


    The elevator came to a stop pretty quickly.


    "This is a level just below the bas.e.m.e.nt parking lot. Only me, Bhavna, and Shreya have access to this." Bhagya explained as she walked in.


    Zack and Pritham gapped as they looked around looking awestruck.


    This was a server room almost identical to the one in Sri corp��. A glass room in the center with lights. This was just exponentially bigger and more extravagant. Pritham looked around and found that the types of equipment here are also very much familiar.


    Shreya had once asked for him to develop and design the hardware and software need for an advanced, almost futuristic, data collection technology. He and his department brainstormed over it for almost a year and came up with this.


    But he never would have thought she would have actually built the whole thing up. Because building it at his scale was extremely impractical and would have cost a whole lot more.


    "Pritham, I am sure you recognize the server here�� They have, after all, came from your department."


    These servers were top of the market when it came to security. And more than that, storage capacity was also so exponentially bigger.


    She went to the mike in front of the table and said something and a computer voice answered back.


    "Welcome back, Mrs. Srivastav."


    "It is voice recognition," Zack said.


    "We developed it for something else�� Shreya must have combined several individual things and put them together here��" Pritham said with fascination.


    "Shreya made use of some of Adithya''s trusted people to set this place up using your software and hardware as the base. They kind of actually built on it some more. This place collects each and every piece of data every passing through the Sri corps. network. Every doc.u.ment, every email�� every transmission that ever happens within the company network will be kept here. This also has a backup of the server back in the Sri corp. that was recently destroyed." Bhagya said taking the seat at the head of the table.


    Pritham and Zack sat down but they still cannot help looking around.


    "Holy shit!" Pritham exclaimed. That is a very large amount of data.


    "Have you ever seen Shreya being outdone by anyone before?" Bhagya asked smiling.


    "Nope��" Both of them shook their heads simultaneously.


    "How can she let her father outdo her!!" Bhagya said smiling.

 Chapter 350 - Don’t let her down.

    When Shreya first came to know of the server room in Adithya''s office, she was fascinated by it. She liked that little bit of secrecy and mystery. So, she created a room below Imperial when she first started construction of the hotel


    But back then, she was clueless about what to use it for. Obviously, since Adithya was a techie, he needed the room to keep his innovations there�� His technologies and software were expensive. There were threats of competitors trying to get their hands on it.


    So, he created a closed server within the building that has an intense level of security. When Shreya took over, with the help of Pritham she changed many things there�� but she still did not change the core integrity of her father''s creation.


    For her, that room represented a part of her father''s legacy.


    And for herself, the Imperial was the starting point of her legacy. SO, she wanted to create a room similar to it. But back then, she did not have anything she wanted to hide from the public eyes until she started creating her network for information and started the investigation of her parents.


    Invariably, she found that information was more expensive than anything in the world. So, she started collecting them. And slowly, she found that it was getting out of control. So, she gave specifics to Pritham and asked for the best way to organize it.


    Pritham developed a simulation model of the room and Shreya built it using his specs as the base.


    She made it completely off the book and off the public eyes.


    Mainly because it might be detrimental to the safety of more people. Secondly, because this was a backup. What was the point of the secret room if everyone knew about it?


    The last resort if something very drastic happened to her or to people around her. This was the safety pin of sorts she had left behind for Bhavna to be precise if things went wrong with her. She wanted it to be a cushion if her plan failed.


    "This place is completely inside the grid. And I tweaked the software to respond only to me, Shreya, and Bhavna. Shreya made sure that everything you guys did, everything you guys received so far�� every last bit of data is backed up in here." Bhagya said giving some random voice commands.


    Which is quite opposite to what the original server was built for. Adithya made it off the grid. It was completely off the network. But this was inside the network.


    So, even when on the surface it might seem that Shreya had kept them on the dark�� for most parts, she did. But she also kept them in the loop�� okay, she never kept Bhavna in the loop. She just took her here once and made her memorize the method for getting inside�� that is it. But she kept Bhagya in the loop. Even otherwise, as long as they can come in here, they can clearly know what had been happening so far and Bhagya had come in here several times�� as a computer engineer, this place is obviously a safe haven.


    "Software in here is called ''Alice''. As long as you can command her, she can automatically get you the most relevant data you are looking for. I will give you temporary access for now. It will take a while to get the hang of it�� because you have to be pretty precise in asking what you need. Otherwise, it will be tedious to segregate what you do need and what you don''t want here�� but after you get the hang of it, you should be fine." Bhagya said and gave out the relevant commands. And then she also gave a string of numbers.


    Pritham just stared back at her for a long while before comprehending that she was in fact talking to him.


    "Yes, ma''am. I will take care of it." Pritham answered solemnly. It was almost impossible not to be intimidated by Bhagya�� especially given her aura and the surrounding.


    "Come here��" Bhagya called him out after a while.


    Pritham''s body moved before his mind could even hear what she had said.


    "Keep your palm in here��" Bhagya said pointing at a screen.


    Pritham did as she said.


    Bhagya was doing something or the other for almost 10 minutes straight before she was done. In the whole process, she kept asking Pritham to do one or the other thing. She made him give her a string of numbers and made him memorize it too.


    "This place does not have a single password. It is rather attached to each user. So, as soon as you enter your biometrics, only your password is going to work. Each of us has a different password. You enter it wrong even once, you are going to be locked in or locked out. So, be careful when you enter the password." Bhagya warned him before he decided on the password.


    "Okay, you are all done. I registered you in a guest account. Administrative access takes too much time to process. There won''t be many restrictions between the two anyways." Bhagya said.


    She then did the whole process for Zack once again.


    "I brought you guys here because Shreya trusts you guys�� don''t let her down. Also, find out the where about''s of Ram Srivastav and for the whole of his family in the past month. Collect everything you have on them and make a file�� Anand will need it. You will find a lot on them��" Bhagya said and left the place.


    Just as she left, Zack got a call while Pritham got to work.


    It was Srinivas.


    "What is it?" Zack asked answering the phone.


    "What do you need me to do?" Srinivas asked from the other end.


    Zack thought about it for a while before answering, "I need you to find who and all came to visit Naren in the past months leading up to the trial. We kept a watch, but we must have missed someone�� make a comprehensive list. One of them is involved. Somebody with a lot of power��"

 Chapter 351 - Shreya started lamenting utter nonsense after a while.

    Shreya blinked her eyes open when she heard soft sobs. She got up leaning on her uninjured hand and looked around confused for a second. It took her a minute to realize that she was in a hospital. Her head hurt like hell.


    But before she could really do anything at all, a soft bundle of fresh landed over her body crushing her in a hug�� a hug that was painful for Shreya. She had bumps and bruises all over her body.


    "Hiss��" Shreya couldn''t help but let out a groan. More than being painful, the pain just came when she was not prepared for it. Or else, Shreya actually had a pretty good resilience to pain.


    "Akira, Shreya is hurt�� you are hurting her!" Bharath told her from behind having an anxious face.


    Akira instantly pulled away with watery eyes and looked at Shreya terrified as she said, "Sorry�� sorry. I did not mean it��"


    "It''s okay. I am alright��" Shreya said smiling at Akira.


    Akira did not give did not smile back, but instead, she leaned forward and hugged Shreya all over again.


    Her arms wrapped around Shreya''s neck tightly as she sobbed away all over again. Akira made sure she did not touch any of the wrapped-up parts this time around.


    Shreya helplessly looked at Bharath that clearly asked without words, ''What was happening here? Why Akira was here!''


    Of all the people, why did they have to bring the little girl here when she was in this condition.


    "It''s all your fault, idiot. You got into an accident and you did not inform any one of us of what was going on. Even the guys driving Akira did not know anything at all. And the news said you were on the verge of dying!!!" Bharath answered sarcastically rolling his eyes at Shreya.


    That is when Shreya realized her blunder. Her arms around Akira tightened unconsciously.


    "As soon as she came from the school, she saw the news�� she started sobbing uncontrollably instantly. And we couldn''t reach Charan either�� he was busy on a meeting. Then, with no other option, Preethi called up Adam�� even he did not pick his phone for a while. But when he did pick the phone, he roughly informed us of everything going on. Even then, the little girl did not believe us no matter how much we tried to convince her. She said they were just lying to not scare her�� clever little devil. So, with no other option, Adam asked Andrew to take us here�� As soon as she saw you lying like this all wrapped up like a present, she started her waterworks again."


    Just as she heard everything Bharath had said, Shreya''s guilt doubled.


    With everything going on, she did not think about how it would affect Akira and Charan�� it completely slipped her mind. You cannot really fault her�� things had been very intense since midnight. She barely had time to breathe.


    Her head had been going round and round with thoughts that were pretty much out of her own control. Even though she had a grasp of what was happening after a little inquiry, that did not stop her from overthinking and getting herself into problems in her head that are not even present in the first place until she actually collapsed. In all this, she seemed to have overlooked something so important.


    "Baby��" Shreya called out softly trying to pull Akira from her embrace so that she can talk to her. Even when others might not have been able to hear it, Shreya could clearly hear her silent sobs.


    Even when she seemed to be quietly hugging Shreya and nothing else, Shreya could still feel her tears running down her back.


    She really really hated this day more than any other. She seemed to be messing up pretty much everything today from when it started.


    "Baby," Shreya called out again as she tried to gently pry her arms from around her. Seeing Akira like that hurt Shreya in more places than one.


    This was the girl she vowed to protect�� she wanted to keep her happy and safe all the time.


    But somehow today, she herself became the reason for her weeping her eyes out for god knows how long.


    Akira did not let Shreya pull her away though no matter how much Shreya tried. Instead, Akira just tightened her arms a little more around Shreya every time she tried to pull away.


    Shreya, at last, gave up when Akira let out a soft whimper.


    "I''m so sorry, baby. I did not mean to scare you�� I really did not. I just�� I just had so much work to do that it slipped my mind to call you�� I really did not want to scare you like. Sorry, okay!" Shreya softly tried to console and convince her.


    "I am perfectly fine now�� nothing happened to me. The doctors are just trying to make me look like a mummy to be funny. I am not that hurt�� The bandages are all just for show��" Shreya started lamenting utter nonsense after a while. She was getting restless and scared with how much Akira was crying.


    Bharath gave her a look that said, ''You are already like this�� think about our situation.''


    After all, all his family had tried until all their mouths went dry to convince her that Shreya was okay. But no matter what they said, Akira did not believe it one bit.


    He really cursed for switching on the TV and having the bad luck of the television opening to a news channel.


    Akira''s face brightened instantly when she saw Shreya''s photo being flashed on the news. But that same face paled instantly when she heard the news.


    Before he could even react, the news guys showed the picture of the crash site�� Akira, of course, instantly recognized Shreya''s car in a heartbeat. After all, Shreya had taken Akira on a ride in the same damn car countless times.

 Chapter 352 - I know, baby…

    It was as if a dam broke out in her.


    Akira never stopped crying for a second after seeing that news. She kept whimpering and sobbing so pitifully all the time while they stood there helplessly.


    Gopal- their dad, called up Charan instantly to no avail.


    But even when he called back and talked�� there was no much change. And Charan himself was getting anxious on the other end. So, he could only stay on the phone for so long.


    Charan called up Zack, but it did not go through�� the same was true for Srinivas. And Charan knew, if Shreya had gone out for anything dangerous, she would have taken any one of them for sure. And if both of them were not reachable, something serious must have happened.


    He immediately took off from the meeting and started home.


    But he was a couple of hours away from the city�� and the drive was long.


    In the meantime, at last, Adam''s phone went through and he informed them of what had happened.


    He told them that Shreya, in fact, had a major accident�� but the extent of the injuries was exaggerated in the news. It was, in fact, Zeenath who was severely injured and in a coma. He did not lie to them but also asked them to keep the news to themselves.


    The fact that Shreya was, in fact, okay was actually a secret known to a handful of people. Only the guys who had been there with her at the site and her family know about it.


    She prohibited the news from leaking to anyone else.


    "Oh, I forgot to say�� Charan is on his way here��" Bharath said going to sit back on the couch on the corner.


    Shreya can already see another headache coming her away.


    She really messed up this time.


    "Akira�� please believe me. I am alright now�� you need to stop crying now, baby. You are going to make yourself sick like this��" Shreya practically begged. She even promised her to buy her anything she ever wanted if only she would stop crying�� not that Akira needs to cry to get anything from Shreya.


    Akira did not even let her see her face let alone stop crying.


    As a last resort, Shreya actually resorted to acting.


    "Baby, my neck is starting to hurt a little bit�� can you let me go for a second��" Shreya whispered. Even then, Shreya did not dare to make it seem big�� she was scared of frightening Akira.


    "Bharath, can you get me a glass of water and ask around for some ice��" Shreya asked out while wiping away the tears from Akira''s cheeks.


    She seemed to slowly calm down seeing Shreya''s face.


    "I�� I�� I j-j-jus-just thought something happened to you�� t-t-that�� y-your car was al-all crushed in the news. I�� I t-thought l-like mom�� L-like mom�� Y-you also left us��" Akira whimpered looking extremely pale and pitiful.


    "I know, baby�� and I am really very sorry for scaring you like that�� this will never ever happened again. I promise. I am perfectly fine�� I am not going to go anywhere okay��" Shreya answered choking on herself. She couldn''t really do much about the tearing brimming on her eyes looking at Akira.


    As soon as Bharath had brought some water, Shreya first fed Akira a small sip at a time.


    "Come on�� close your eyes, baby. This will help��" Shreya whispered keeping the ice gently over her eyes.


    After talking some more�� after that Shreya talked about some irrelevant stuff. Akira was, at last, distracted from the issue of Shreya getting into an accident and calmed down.


    Shreya let out a big sigh of relief as she pecked on Akira''s temple. Shreya couldn''t help herself from wanting to hold her closer��


    With all the energy exerted, Akira quickly fell asleep. Shreya tried to lay her down on the bed beside her�� Her body really did hurt in places she did not even know she was hurt. The pain was getting really hard to handle as sweat trickled down her forehead.


    Shreya stopped trying resigned to her fate. But then Bharath came along and gently pried her away from Shreya and laid her right beside Shreya. Even then Akira''s hands held on to the hem of Shreya''s hospital gown.


    Shreya rubbed over her smiling.


    "How are you doing?" Bharath asked, at last, coming to her.


    "Help me sit up��" Shreya asked.


    Bharath did as said and also gave her a glass of water.


    "Thanks. Do you know how is Zeenath?" Shreya asked once she settled down.


    "You mean your friend. She is fine�� or at least the same. She is stable and still in a coma. No changes��" Bharath answered. He had been around with nothing to do��


    When he first came in, Akira actually calmed down a little bit after seeing Shreya in person. Back them he left her with Shreya and looked around. So, he asked around bored. So, he knew there were only two people on the whole floor. Since he was able to get here, doctors figured they could tell him stuff. And Adam also inquired about the same when he called. So, he was not surprised.


    Akira started crying all over again when Shreya did not wake up for almost two hours and he went back to keep her company.


    "Your uncle was here until we came in�� but then your cousin called for some help and he went out," Bharath reported.


    Shreya nodded absentmindedly at first.

 Chapter 353 - This place is awesome!

    "Bharath, get me the tablet over there�� also, do have a headphone?" Shreya asked once she settled down.


    "Shreya�� you are injured!!" Bharath said exasperated.


    "I won''t move my injured hands�� and can you call the doctor and ask if I can eat something�� I am starving!" Shreya smoothly distracted him and sent him away after once he handed over the tablet to Shreya.


    Shreya shifted Akira ever so slightly before finding a comfortable position for herself to hold the tablet.


    The first thing she did was check the news.


    The whole media was in an uproar about her accident and the bombing of her office.


    Obviously, Shreya and her team did not reveal that it was an internal security thing. They just told them someone broke into the building in the middle of the night just after Shreya had left about minutes ago and before they could reach the scene, the whole office was gone.


    Anyways, the bombs are designed so that nothing on the servers will ever be able to be recovered. So, they handed over the scene to the cops while they retained the crew that broke into the office. Anyways, the culprits knew what they were doing and cut off the security camera''s on their own. So, they did not have to do anything else to cover their tracks.


    And as far as the accident was concerned, they never revealed Zeenath was there on the scene�� and since the car was examined by their own people, it did not place many challenges in hiding the facts.


    And obviously, they never revealed anything about Abishek either. And that part was easy since the Central bureau stepped in to cover for them. After all, they are not only covering for them, they will also be covering their own asses.


    After all, it is their job to protect the witness and they failed in doing that miserably and Shreya had to step in and even almost lost her life�� It was a blessing Shreya was covering for them. Or else, they wouldn''t have any face at all. Especially given the case has so much media coverage right at the junction of when the judgment is going to be made and the whole country is focused on them and they had royally screwed up at such a time.


    Just as she was going to quit, a piece of flash news popped up.


    The police had released their official statement on today''s incident.


    ''POSIBLE TERRORIST ATTACK. POLICE WARN OTHER HIGH PROFILE PEOPLE TO STAY ON ALERT.''


    "So, someone high up is really in on it!!!" Shreya sneered.


    Anybody with the slightest of brains can see that this was no terrorist attack but a personal one, even if they do not know about the vendetta between her and Naren explicitly in detail, they all knew she pretty much swallowed his company on whole. And that he was the only one who was being very aggressive in the media since his arrest.


    He had been publicly cursing her to all hell.


    But most importantly, it was just proven that he had hands in Shreya''s parents'' murder not long back�� so, it did not make any sense to rule out personal motive.


    But then, after 12 hours of investigation, they conclude it was a terrorist attack? Which terrorist ever bombed an empty building??


    She immediately called up Zack. She knew he would be the one on top of all of this��


    The call connected and the screen showed her a familiar background. Shreya was surprised at first��


    It was not that she did not trust them enough to show them her own lair�� but it''s just, she wanted to keep this one absolutely to herself just to be absolutely sure. Any number of variables can happen.


    Someone betrayed her or not�� someone did something or not, she would have this�� and with this, she can protect her family. That was all Shreya''s thought process had been when she decided to keep this to herself. She did not think about being defensive with them or anything. Even bringing Bhagya and Bhavna was just in case something happened to her.


    "I see the princess had risen again!!" Zack said smiling at her.


    "Oh! Please�� I was not that banged up anyway." Shreya answered rolling her eyes.


    Even though they were making the whole situation seem light, only Zack knew how scared he was when he heard Shreya''s alarm go off. Everybody''s heart stopped for a while��


    If Anand had been on the receiving end of it, he probably would have had a heart attack.


    But Shreya never wanted to actually involve Anand in any of the mess she created. Anand was a pure soul. And she wanted to keep him that way. He was a straight-ass person�� who only knew how to run a company. And she gladly used him for that.


    She never involved him in all the darkness that came with her��


    So, from the start, Shreya never linked Anand with anything at all. So, he never knew there was a panic button that Shreya actually carries with her. But he was better off like that��


    Because, for the rest of them, their heart stopped beating for a few minutes until they actually saw Shreya sitting in front of the banged-up car with her gun pointed at them vigilantly.


    They let out a huge relief knowing both of them were alive��


    Pritham snuck in from beside Zack and pushed him away and intruded into the conversation on his own as he said, "This place is awesome!!! Absolutely awesome. I cannot believe you actually built ''Alice''�� I am shocked!! I cannot believe you built Alice and never showed her to me all these years!!"


    His voice was shrill with excitement. He sounded almost like a kid on a sugar rush. Even when he was complaining, it did not look like he was holding a grudge. He just sounded impressed somehow��


    "Be thankful you get to meet her now!!" Shreya answered twitching her lips. You can always bet on Pritham to behave like a complete idiot in any given situation.

 Chapter 354 - Did you guess it already?

    "What did you guys find?" Shreya asked seriously, no longer fooling around.


    Zack connected his phone to the system and sat back on the chair facing Shreya.


    Shreya obviously had her headphones on as she conversed. But her voice remained very small since she did not want to wake Akira up.


    "Did you see the news?" Zack asked a question of his own settling down, instead of answering hers.


    "Yes�� just. This is not done yet�� We are still in the middle of the mess. It is not just Naren�� he does not have the power to influence the police anymore!" Shreya analyzed.


    "I know�� Your uncle asked us to investigate the whereabouts of Ram Srivastav in the past few months��" Zack answered as Pritham sent Shreya some emails over.


    Shreya tapped away and opened her emails.


    But her face was ice-cold as soon as Zack mentioned Ram Srivastav��


    "We were able to rule out almost most of them he had met with in the last month or so��" Zack answered. From when Mithun was arrested, they actually had a guy follow him as a precaution. But there was never really anything suspicious about him. SO, they just watched in a distance after a while.


    But given the situation now, they went back and investigated everything more thoroughly. Especially in the last few weeks leading up to the day.


    "But there were a couple of them that we couldn''t place. I have sent their photos. Some are really in a long shot��" Zack continued.


    While Shreya simultaneously skimmed through the pictures. There were dozen or more pictures in there�� Her brows frowned in concentration as she swiped one picture after the other in quick succession.


    She did not stay in one picture for more than a couple of seconds until she reached a picture in which Ram was having a coffee with a guy in a complete black costume and a mask.


    Without the mask, Shreya wouldn''t have given any special attention, but that mask and the black outfit were eye-catching.


    "You know him?" Zack asked seeing her pause.


    Shreya also connected her screen to Alice to make it more convenient. If possible she really would like to have this conversation face to face but given the situation, she cannot risk getting caught going outside given she was almost ''dying'' as far as the public is concerned.


    "I don''t know��" Shreya muttered unsure as she zoomed in on the picture. The body structure did look familiar even though she cannot see his face. But then, her eyes stopped on his neck�� he had a tattoo in there��


    "That looks familiar!!" Shreya murmured.


    "Which one?" Pritham asked curiously.


    "That tattoo��" Shreya answered. Since the photos were taken by her own guys, the clarity of the pictures was top-notch. She could clearly see the spider tattoo.


    "That''s a spider��" Pritham said absentmindedly staring at Shreya''s screen just like Shreya was.


    "Alice, you have the CCTV videos of my apartment right from that day when I was taken to meet Mr. Yash��? Stream it to my tablet," Shreya asked directly.


    As soon as Shreya''s voice was heard, Alice would automatically log into Shreya''s personal account. Her account is the most active account anyways.


    Alice is not just a smart software, but also an Artificial intelligence. So, the more you interact with her, the more she learns and adapts.


    So, some commands that might confuse a guest user profile will actually not happen in an administrative user profile.


    So, to Pritham''s absolute surprise, Alice actually pulled up the footage and streamed it to Shreya''s tablet.


    "Pause�� Zoom in on the guy I am talking to. Zoom around his neck��" Shreya talked casually as Alice followed along with her instructions without any errors.


    "That''s the guy!" Zack said looking at both the images.


    The shock cannot be suppressed in both the men''s faces. While Shreya just stared at both the pictures coldly.


    Even though Shreya was annoyed out of her head back then, she still did not have a single thing to do all the way to the meeting that day. So, she kept staring at everything and anything around her the whole ride. So, that guy''s tattoo invariably registered in her head. Now, she was really glad that those assholes insisted on taking her that day personally.


    "Holyshit, we are screwed," Pritham exclaimed first. But after a pause, he added more productively, "If Mr. Yash- the Prime Minister, is involved, we are going to hit walls if we want to move things legally�� Even if we get the evidence of Naren doing anything, it will be of no use!" He really couldn''t help complain aggrievedly.


    But Shreya remained silent.


    "Did you guess it already?" Zack asked looking at her reaction�� or to be precise, the lack thereof.


    Even he was surprised when he saw the two pictures. They made a thorough check before going to Yash�� He was power-hungry�� but was also loyal to the late Prime Minister, Mr. Girish. And he did not care about money�� all he cared about is his image.


    He was not a saint. He was a politician after all�� but he did not seem completely unscrupulous either. So, he cannot have guessed he will turn on them.


    What he cannot nail on is the motive.


    Having Shreya''s support is like having a constant and unlimited supply of dessert for breakfast, lunch, and dinner�� Only an idiot will severe such an easy and strong connection.


    Even though having Shreya on his side had a nice touch and luxury to it, it was also a two-edged sword.


    Shreya did not bow to anyone�� she does not fit into normal societal standards either. She does not make too much effort into giving face to anyone.


    She stood up and tall all the time without bending for anything or anyone.


    Yash cannot tolerate having such a person around him. Having her around, he would have to watch his actions and steps so carefully�� he should constantly watch over his shoulders too. And all this meant, he would be more of a puppet to Shreya�� which meant he would have no authority whatsoever.


    And that right there was something he cannot let happen no matter what!

 Chapter 355 - He should be daydreaming!

    "Yash was the only one who could have wanted to get into the servers!!" Shreya answered straight. "It was either him or the Chief of the intelligence bureau. But I figured even if it was the Chief, he should merely be following the meaning of Yash��"


    "And nobody else would have leaked Abishek''s location so brazenly." After all, he was a state witness�� leaking information like that is as good as signing goodbye to their careers. And they had vetted everyone involved in the case anyways. Nobody in there was immoral. They wouldn''t have compromised on anything unless it was ordered.


    Her eyes held a type of contempt when talking about Yash suddenly.


    She hated guys like him hold the power the most�� They abuse their powers to control others to take part in their crimes. They cannot think about anything other than themselves. She first thought he would be perfect for the job she had in hand since it involved something so extravagant. And since all Yash cared about was his position, their purpose can meet for the short while.


    But she failed to calculate his male ego!! And his greed for power.


    Their common purpose stopped being of significance when she had trampled over him head-on when he asked for her information network. It had happened even before when she asked for Abishek''s custody and brazenly took him out of his hands in spite of his resistance. But Yash thought he could gain something from it but when Shreya refused to budge, he couldn''t control himself anymore.


    And of course, the main problem was, he had no more use for her when it came to the case. All the evidence and people have been handed over and even the judgment would be out in a few days.


    So, technically, he did serve their purpose quite perfectly. It is just, he brought up a whole lot of additional headaches to add to her.


    And he got himself a sponsor because of this case�� businessmen who are morally bound supported him now because of his actions thinking he was pure and driven.


    "He wanted to own the network?" Pritham asked shocked.


    "Yes�� and since they approached Ram, he should have spilled his gut on the server room in dad''s room!" Shreya asserted.


    When Adithya was still around, the two people who he trusted the most were, of course, Anand and Ram. And he never had any reason to be defensive with them either. With Adithya''s personality, if they both asked for anything at all, he would have given it to them.


    Adithya did not believe in boundaries within the family.


    So, Ram always knew about the server and even had access to it until he got kicked out of the company.


    "If your guess is right, then Ram could not have warned them about the bomb since he never got to know about the additional measures you have installed in there after kicking him out!! He also shouldn''t have known about the improvements you have made to the car�� so, both the information that came from him were just partially right!" Zack analyzed. But with that train of thought, another glaring detail also confirmed itself.


    "And if I am right about this, then you are confined to the hospital because you are covering his ass!! Because, if you are ''dying''�� then he would be wrong on only one count and not two. Or else, he would be in a much worse state than just being an asshole." Zack added sighing.


    "That is only one of the reasons�� I am not that generous. I just want to give him a chance to run away�� if he was smart that is. But more than that, I do not want to startle the prey just yet��" Shreya answered before going into an in-depth analysis of the whole situation.


    "The problem is not that they have acted against me�� the problem is the timing. Acting on it now is not the wisest of decisions. Even though we are relaxed now, in a few days, we would have completely let out guard down. It would have been much easier to get to us then. Anyways, the server is not going anywhere nor am I!"


    "And also, if all they want is to get into the server and take my life, they could have done it in a million other ways�� they needn''t have involved Abishek in this�� especially, not his daughter."


    "About that, those guys also confessed they were asked to keep her family detained for another three days!" Zack added in between.


    "Well, that just confirms my suspicion. They are planning something for the court on Monday�� something big. And for achieving that, the biggest threat is, of course, me. Without me in the picture, they could manipulate the law as ever they want, especially if it was the Prime Minister''s meaning. And the only person who has the means and guts to stand in the way of Yash is of course me. With me, out of the way, they can do pretty much shoot a freaking movie in the courtroom and nobody will be able to refute it. So, it was imperative to get me out of the picture. And the only way to do it going to be to take my life since I do not fear him nor listen to Yash. Also, he knows the consequences of doing something else dirty with me still breathing�� I made that very clear in our last conversation. Even if he finds a way to leverage me now, it wouldn''t be able to hold me down forever. And as long as I am going to stand back up after he knocks me down, I will screw him over." Shreya said everything nonstop until now before taking a pause.


    "And of course, Abishek can pose a threat. He is someone who had lost too much�� and he does not fear anything anymore. He does not care what happens to him. But then, he also has leverage. His family�� it would be easy to manipulate him once they get to her. And he has no power to defend himself now�� if I am out of the picture that is!" Shreya smirked as she said that.


    "He should be daydreaming! Thinking he got you out of the way." Pritham couldn''t help but sneer at that.


    "I cannot wait to see his face when he comes to know you are okay, though!" Zack said. But there was an entertained and amused smile when he said that. Also, there was a touch of darkness in his eyes.

 Chapter 356 - Let him daydream for the time being!

    "Let him daydream for the time being!" Shreya answered. Her eyes showed something sinister though.


    "When I am going to be done with him, he is going to be so very sorry�� I promise��" Shreya declared like the queen she was.


    An immense amount of coldness emitted from her whole being when she said that.


    Akira stirred and unconsciously turned on her sleep bringing her back to where she was�� and the coldness dissipated just like that as she patted her back letting her sleep comfortably.


    "You have the list of sponsors for Yash, apart from us!!" Shreya asked.


    These were information they had already collected just in case when Yash came to threaten her. But since Yash never made a move, she never got around to going through them anyway. She just asked her people to collect them and then stashed them in a corner. But since Yash had made his move, she will use every last bit of her resources to corner him.


    And without sponsors, Yash was nothing��


    The only reason he would be bold enough to move in on her is if he had found someone who can replace her. She was filthy rich�� but she was not the only person who was filthy rich in this country.


    "W corp," Pritham said one single word. But he need not really add to that sentence. It was pretty self-explanatory.


    If Sri corp owned most of the business in the south, W corp is a major business house in the north of the country.


    Both the companies are spread out to every nook and cranny of the country�� but their base of operations was geographically exclusive. SO, they rarely had any clashes.


    Both of the companies minded their businesses�� And even when they were competing for a business, they would do it fairly.


    Both of them did not engage in any underhanded practices.


    Shreya actually had a lot of respect for W corp.


    But it seemed because of Yash, she would have to break the peaceful atmosphere both the companies were operating on.


    "Make an appointment with the chairman for next Tuesday�� I will do it face to face��" Shreya said after thinking about it for a while.


    "Also, pull out our support completely�� but wait till Monday�� the court session will end at 2 p.m., pull our support out at 2.01 also announce I have recovered just then," Shreya said. This was her way of making sure Yash does not have any way to retreat anyways.


    Once he was done doing everything�� Shreya will get everything she needs�� Once he thinks he had achieved everything feeling top of the world, Shreya wanted to crash his dream.


    "Also, prepare everything we have on the case and make it ready. I am sure they are going to bend the facts. I want to make sure the public knows the exact facts just after their official announcement. I need the timing to be exact! But wait till I tell you�� I want to first know what they have in place for me." Shreya warned.


    "Okay, Shreya�� You just wait for the drama to unfold on Monday�� Keep a bowl of popcorn ready! It will be so much more fun!" Pritham boosted beaming at Shreya.


    Just when Shreya was about to bid them goodbye�� Zack asked, "What are you going to do about Naren and Ram!?"


    Even though most of it should have been planned by Yash; Ram and Naren did play a part. Yash might have had the power but they supported it too.


    They can understand why Naren did what he did�� they expected as much from him. But what Ram did was unacceptable.


    But Shreya did not really bother with them�� once the head falls, the others will follow suit automatically anyways.


    "Wait�� I almost forgot. You just have to worry about Naren�� Anand said Ram Srivastav was his to deal with!" Zack added hurriedly before Shreya could answer.


    Shreya''s face became complicated at that.


    She knew Anand was smart and he could have figured out just as she did�� But she did not want to involve him in this.


    Because setting everything aside�� in spite of everything they were brothers. They not only grew up together they also worked together. They had a life together until she ruined it for them��


    She did not want to make it worse by making them enemies with each other.


    "Don''t even think about it, kid�� Anand was just about ready to burst the guys and hack him to pieces when he figured out the accident had Ram''s hands. Thankfully, Mrs. Srivastav pitched in and bought him some time�� Do not stop him, Shreya�� He needs to vent. Or else he will probably carry on a guilty conscience for the rest of his life!" Zack warned Shreya as if reading her mind.


    Shreya bite on her lips processes it for a while before nodding her head.


    She did not like it but there was nothing she can do about it either.


    "Okay, that leaves Naren�� I will deal with him after knowing what they do in court. But make sure you guys get concrete evidence on what he had tried to do�� I want to know where the money came from for all this. We have the guys involved right? I want every last bit of information they can give�� Keep Dhruv in the loop. He might help��" Shreya said.


    "Okay, Shreya�� We will do that!" Zack answered.


    But Shreya did not hang up just yet��


    "What is it?" Zack asked seeing her hesitate.


    "Did you call Srinivas for work?" Shreya asked. She knew he wasn''t in the hospital, obviously. She also knew he wasn''t in the best space of mind now. So, the only thing that could have made him leave was work.


    "I did not call him in�� he came in on himself! Anyways, he cannot do anything more there�� and he did not want to keep staring at the ceiling for god knows how long. So, I let him report!" Zack answered. He couldn''t help roll his eyes at Shreya.


    "Okay, I have work now. You take care of yourself." Zack said before hanging up.

 Chapter 357 - As long as you are fine…!

    Shreya let out a groan uncontrollably. Moving seriously hurt.


    Just after the accident, she had way too many things on her mind�� she did not even have the time to feel the pain. But now that she had nothing to do, even breathing was painful.


    It was well past dinner time now. Bharath bought them dinner. She was about to send both him and Akira home but Akira refused to go home very stubbornly. And since it was the weekend and she did not even have to go to school, Shreya did not have anything else to convince her with.


    When she so much as started to talk about sending her home, Akira''s eyes welled up as if she was going to go into sobbing fit all over again. Scared Shreya, let her be. She just sent Bharath back and let Akira sleep with her in the room. She asked the hospital for an extra bed. Even though Shreya would love to let Akira sleep with her, it was really inconvenient as she was hurt all over her body�� And the IV was still on for some reason.


    Shreya carefully pulled out her IV and made her way to the bathroom.


    She couldn''t help but stare at herself in the mirror.


    She looked pale and her head was wrapped up with gauze, like a turban. Her whole left side was also wrapped up. She was in a hospital gown that was way too loose for her. But thankfully it was not too flimsy. It was also tied up front, not on the back.


    She wanted to wash her face but obviously, she couldn''t. So, after self-inspection, she did her business and left the bathroom.


    "Oww!!" Shreya could help squeal when someone engulfed her into a hug as soon as she stepped out of the bathroom. But then a familiar pair of hands circled around her.


    "You scared me��!" Shreya exclaimed at Charan after calming her shocked nerves.


    "I scared you? It''s you who scared me, idiot!! Do you have any idea how scared I was when I saw the news??" Charan answered scolding her.


    His heart still went erratic when he thought of the moment when he saw the morning news. His mind went blank for a minute before panic set in�� He could barely make a call.


    His composure almost fully slipped until he heard Akira crying. That is when he composed himself a bit and reassured her even when he himself was terrified out of her mind. Only when he heard Adam say that Shreya was perfectly alright, just slightly injured that he stopped scaring himself.


    Even then, he did not feel at ease�� so, without much thought, he postponed the business he had and drove here without break. He cannot be bothered about anything else.


    "Weren''t you supposed to be on a business trip this weekend?" Shreya asked feeling slightly guilty.


    Charan did not answer her question at all�� he just held her. But the hands holding her seem to be shivering somehow.


    Shreya let out a sigh and buried her face against his neck and awkwardly and cautiously circled her uninjured hand around him returning his hug. But it wasn''t as natural as it used to be.


    She gently rubbed on his back as she slowly said, "I am sorry�� with everything going on, I couldn''t get the word out. I completely forgot about it. And my phone cracked during the crash! So, I never got any of your calls�� I am sorry!!" More than her phone being broken due to an accident, it is more accurate to say Shreya broke it because of the accident.


    Whenever she walked into any sort of hostile situation, Shreya had the habit of breaking her phone because even if there are no contact details in it, it is still easy to get the call records. So, Shreya would never take such risks of her phones landing in the wrong hands in case something happened to her��


    So, after giving out all the instructions, Shreya cracked her phone on the floors of her car. And she never really had time to breathe let alone get herself a new phone��


    So, she never got around to calling him nor was she able to attend his call. But then, even if she did have her phones on her, she wasn''t sure she would have talked to him.


    Because for one, she was focused on Zeenath back then�� but more than that, she knew the minute she sees Charan, she will end up letting her guard down.


    Charan had that effect on her�� no matter how big a wall she tried to rise, it always falls around him. She will end up spilling her gut to him�� she will end up telling him how scared she was and she still is�� and she cannot get scared�� not just yet anyway. That is why even when she had woken up and met with Akira, she did not call him back.


    For the same reason she also subconsciously avoided visiting or seeing Zeenath. Because she knew the minute she will lay eyes on her, she will fall and she will fall hard. It would paralyze her completely�� the fear will completely knock her to the ground. And she would stop knowing what to do anymore. And for now, everyone depended on her to know what to do.


    She will have time to be scared later�� she will have time to fall all over the place later�� just, for now, she cannot.


    After a long while, Charan pulled away after calming his nerves. He looked all over her as he asked, "Are you okay now?"


    "I am fine, Charan. Just some bumps and bruises�� nothing a few days in bed cannot heal!!" Shreya smiled brightly making it all seem light.


    Charan pecked on her temples as he said, "As long as you are fine��!"

 Chapter 358 - Okay, then I am going to go with you…

    Even though Charan was able to relate to it, he never fully understand�� the way Shreya had reacted when they came back from the island. He had been patient with her because he could not see her suffer.


    But today�� he truly understood what she went through��


    The nerve clenching dread, the despair, and the utter helplessness of the situation�� the fact that you can do absolutely nothing but to just wait until you hear from them.


    Even when every passing minute feels like torture, all you can do is summon the patience and wait until you can actually see them in front of your eyes.


    And the knee-jerking relief you feel when you can, at last, hold them�� But then the very next second, the absolute terror that eats your heart making you question yourself if they were really in your arms or maybe they were deluding themselves because you have had countless such hallucinations when you were waiting.


    The trembling in your hands won''t go away because you''re afraid if you don''t hold them tight, they are going to disappear as if they were a figment of your imagination.


    He never really understood why Shreya was so paranoid since they came back�� but now he did. He also understood why she would cry so desperately that day�� why she would cling to him or Akira so much.


    So, the father-daughter duo stuck to Shreya for the night and the whole of the next day. And since Shreya did not have anything to do anyway, she was very happy to hang out with them. Anyways, she will drive herself crazy if she had to stay at the hospital alone and conscious. She would have probably discharged herself the first thing as soon as she woke up and hid in some hotel nearby if not for Charan and Akira being here��


    She really was not the biggest fan of the hospitals. After all, she saw her parents dead for the first time in a hospital. They had kept them in a hospital till she made the identification and signed the appropriate papers since she was the direct relative.


    So, having CHaran and Akira prevented herself from thinking where she was and having bad thoughts. They made the stay bearable.


    But the problem came on Monday when she had to get back to the city�� she definitely has to show up in the city by the time the court session will end�� it was integral for the plan. And on top of it, the Chairman of the W corp. was in the city and she had an appointment with him for the night. And she promised a face-to-face meeting.


    But she was met with a think wall of concrete�� make that two�� She was met with two walls of concrete. One small and one big!!


    Both were stonewalling her�� Her mouth was pretty much dried out completely trying to convince them to let her go. After a while, they completely stopped responding to anything she said making her helpless to the extreme.


    She really wanted to bash her head on the walls�� literally.


    "Guys�� please. Can you be a little bit more reasonable!?" Shreya asked exasperated.


    Both Charan and Akira gave Shreya a look. Akira looked scared but Charan looked more angry than anything else.


    "Sweety, can you go out and be with Uncle Adam for a second!! I have something to say to Shreya��" Charan said to Akira.


    Akira did not listen right away as she looked between Charan and Shreya worried!


    "It''s okay, baby. It''s going to be okay�� we are just going to talk. Take uncle Adam and start eating your breakfast�� we will come and join you just in time!" Shreya reassured her with a smile.


    Akira nodded pursing her lips. You can see she did not want to go but she still did very obediently.


    As soon as Akira left the room, Charan''s eyes lost their softness as he said, "I am not the one being unreasonable here Shreya�� do you even remember what happened the day before yesterday?? You almost died!! But that''s not even the point�� the point is that somebody tried to kill you and you are telling me you want to go back and confront the very same person, not even a day after??" Charan did not really dare raise his voice because he was afraid Akira would try to eavesdrop. But the gritting of his teeth and his cold eyes told a different picture altogether.


    Shreya''s frustration also reached its limits as she said, "Do you really think I could possibly forget what happened? If you think so, let me clear your doubt�� I do remember�� I remember every last detail of that night�� I can still feel the blood dripping down my head!! I cannot forget it even if I tried to�� and because of that night someone dear to me is still in a freaking coma�� and I am not sitting here doing nothing while I know the guy who did it is out there��"


    And with that, both of them came to a stalemate as they glared at each other.


    Charan let out an exhausted sigh as he sat on the bed rubbing his eyes with his palms frustrated as he said, "I almost lost you, Shreya�� just like I lost Sam�� so, I beg you�� please don''t push me away now. Please don''t ask me to turn a blind eye while you go around putting yourself in danger!!" His voice was pleading so very humbly as if he was just about ready to cry any moment.


    Shreya went near him as she hugged him rubbing over his head. She gently comforted him before talking, "I am not risking anything here, Charan. I know who I am dealing with�� as long as I know that, I know what to do. Please just don''t ask me to let this go�� because I cannot. And I am not pushing you away�� if it makes you feel better, you can come with me wherever I go till this ends. I promised I won''t put myself in danger��"


    Charan couldn''t help but tightly hold her. His arms circled her torsos with his head buried against her stomach. He hugged her for a very long time before letting go��


    "Okay, then I am going to go with you��"

 Chapter 359 - She is a kid!

    Shreya did not know whether to laugh or cry as she looked at Akira��


    The little girl was looking at Shreya as if Shreya had stabbed her on her back in cold blood.


    Obviously, coming to a conclusion, both Charan and Shreya drop Akira back at home while they went out to do their business. And Akira took a leave today�� she absolutely refused to leave the before night and by morning, it would be too late for school anyways. But given the situation, Charan did not bother much and let Akira be. He could understand what she was going through.


    So, they decided to drop her at Charan''s parents'' place.


    And the hole in their plan thus came when Akira refused to get down from the car.


    Akira being the smart kid she was, eavesdrops on their conversation throughout the ride home. Not that they were trying to hide it from her anyway. But Akira seemed to have grasped one main point from their conversation�� that Charan and Shreya were going to drop her at home and go somewhere together.


    So, she stubbornly refused to get out of the car and of course, Shreya did not really have the heart to be forceful or harsh with her�� not that she ever been like that with Akira.


    But Akira had never been stubborn with her either before�� but this time she just wouldn''t budge.


    "Baby, I will bring you back the biggest teddy bear possible when I get back, I promise!!" Shreya tried to coax.


    But Akira just shook her head resolutely as she said, "I do not want any teddy bear. I just want to be with you�� I am not leaving you!"


    Shreya was getting a headache�� she looked at Charan helplessly while he just gave her an "I have no idea what to do here either" look.


    Right then, Harsh called her. Shreya left the father-daughter duo to attend the call.


    "Shreya, where are you?? I have been waiting for you here for about half an hour now!!" His voice came from the other end. But more than being annoyed or anything, they actually sounded concerned. Especially given what had happened a few nights back, it wasn''t really that surprising.


    "Yea, about that��" Shreya trailed. Because she really did not know where to begin explaining. She looked back at her car where two great Bhudha''s were sitting not budging.


    "I might be a little later than our schedule�� can you stall for a while? I will be there as soon as possible��" Shreya answered. There was awkwardness in her voice when she said that but she still refrained from explaining the exact reason why she was late��


    "Okay�� I will inform the inspector��" Harshad said and hung up. As long as she was okay, it was not a problem to stall. Anyways, it was not like they were making the police wait at her house��


    When Shreya decided she was going to show herself today, they decided the best way to do it will be at the police station. They had already leaked to the media she would be over this afternoon to give her statement about the accident.


    After all, the police had just laid eyes on her from a distance so far after the accident. They had stalled till now from Shreya from actually talking to them face to face in the name of treatment. And since she is supposed to give the statement anyways, she decided to do it today and in the station itself.


    And with the media and her state, she would be able to get the maximum effect.


    Shreya took a deep breath before going back to the car. If it cannot be done, she would just take Akira with her and let her stay in the car at a distance. If it were any other place, Shreya wouldn''t have minded taking Akira with her�� but this place was the police station and with the media presence, it is bound to be chaotic and dramatic. And Akira is not used to such kind of environment. It might scare her.


    So, thus deciding, Shreya made her way to the car. But to her surprise, just as she reached for the car door, it opened from inside startling her. But when she stepped back, Akira walked out with puffed-up cheeks and blazing eyes.


    But she did not walk away from the place.


    She looked at Charan still sitting inside the car and said authoritatively, "You better get me the biggest one!! Or else don''t think about coming back home!" She ordered her dad, looking absolutely entitles as well as overbearing. But her frowned brows suggested that she was really pissed at him. It was just, in her small face, these things looked cute as well as scary at the same time.


    Akira then turned her attention towards Shreya��


    Shreya could help but freeze in place. She was startled by the look Akira gave her. Akira had never been angry with her�� period. Nor was she ever demanding of Shreya. So, Shreya did not know how to react to that face.


    "And you, you better come back soon�� you have a maximum of 4 hours�� if you don''t come back by then, I am never talking to you!!" Akira ordered once again.


    Shreya subconsciously nodded her head looking very obedient.


    Akira looked instantly satisfied as she gave Shreya a flying kiss before entering the house while Shreya just stood there stagnant until she heard someone laugh from behind her.


    "She sure is bossy when she wants to be, just like someone else!!" Adam chuckled from behind her looking delighted.


    Shreya came back to her senses and rolled her eyes at Adam as she said, "Drive�� we are getting late��" She quickly got into the car and asked.


    "Do you want to tell me what just happened?" Shreya asked Charan who looked amused out of his head.


    "Nothing�� I just said she was being a pain in the a.s.s to you by throwing unnecessary tantrums like an imm.a.t.u.r.e kid!!" Charan shrugged.


    "She is a kid!!" Shreya empahsised.


    But Akira hated being called a kid. For her, she stopped being a kid when she reached 10 years.

 Chapter 360 - I will come,

    Shreya''s expression became very solemn as soon as they neared the police station.


    "There is going to be media present there�� you want to come or stay in the car?" Shreya asked looking at Charan. There was no warmth in her statement. Nor was there any indication whether she herself wanted him to come or not.


    Charan knew this is a detachment that came when Shreya''s preoccupied with something. And given where they were and what they were here for, he could clearly guess what she was thinking about.


    "I will come," Charan answered not interrupting her or asking her anything else.


    Shreya just nodded her head without much change to her mood.


    As soon as they reached the police station, she did not get out immediately. But instead waited patiently. But she did not have to wait long before half a dozen guys in a suit surrounded her car and Harshad walked approaching the car leisurely and opened the doors for her. He was slightly surprised seeing Charan in the car but wisely did not comment on it.


    "Adam, you can go back. I will ride with Harshad��" Shreya said and alight the car without looking back.


    Charan did not mind as he quietly followed her.


    The guys in suits created a perimeter around Shreya making sure nobody came near her. But it was not really exaggerated as media people started cl.i.c.k.i.n.g away endlessly as soon as they spotted Shreya. They pushed and pulled to get near enough to ask her questions. But the guys did not let them anywhere near Shreya while Harshad stepped forward and announced, "Please stand back�� Ms. Srivastav will take questions once she is done giving her statement to the police.


    Media people did not get too excessive either. For one, they were afraid of Shreya, obviously. Who wouldn''t be? After all, she single-handedly took out three big corporations in a matter of a few months. And consequentially, she owned almost most of the business in town and the majority of the business in the country. There were very few people who could actually go against her without any fear.


    And secondly, Shreya looked bashed. They did not want to accidentally injure her some more�� they wouldn''t be able to afford the consequences.


    Shreya, today wore a sleeveless tank top with a high neckline and cropped edges. It was loose and also showed all of her injuries. And her shorts also did nothing to hide her bruises. Her left hand had a sling to keep her casts in place.


    Her eyes were frowned looking serious and stern. Her whole body excluded a ''don''t get near me if you know better'' kind of an aura.


    So, once they heard Harshad, they all took a step back obediently and stopped shouting questions while the photos kept cl.i.c.k.i.n.g endlessly.


    Charan stepped forward and silently took her hands in his�� more than the photographers, he did not like the cold face Shreya wore�� she eluded a reclusive feeling as if she was a sole entity on her own�� several feet above from everyone else in the world.


    Even when he walked just behind her, she seemed unreachable. It was not the first he had seen her like this�� but like every other time, it still bugged the hell out of time.


    Shreya''s blinked surprised and confused when felt warmth on her uninjured hands and looked up. She was met with a smiling Charan giving her a gentle look as if comforting her without words.


    Shreya naturally smiled back without holding back. She even gave him a small smile back reassuring him.


    This did not escape the eyes of the crowd around. There was dead silence for one split second.


    You should know, Shreya was the famous heartbroken princess in the circle�� Who did not know she had been battling depression since her divorce from her ex-husband? Even when she claimed she was not depressed, nobody believed her.


    And except for her staff, there was not a single male around her from the time she came back to being in the limelight. So, it was not a wonder they will be perplexed seeing this scene�� somehow, just the two eluded a harmonious scene in spite of the chaos all around. Even when they took pictures, they did not dare publish them or ask questions about them.


    Before any of the media people can react, Shreya along with Charan and Harshad had already entered the station while the bodyguards stopped them at the doors.


    Half an hour later, they were sitting in a well lite conference room.


    Shreya is a witness and not an accused. Moreover, she is the victim. So, nobody dared treat her lightly.


    So far, all the questions were very generic�� Shreya answered honestly�� including the part of Zeenath being her driver, of course.


    "Why did you shoot them in the head, Ms. Srivastav? You could have simply disarmed them and tied them up?" The inspector asked nonchalantly.


    "Tied them up with what? Do you see this?" Shreya gestured her injured hands and continued, "You want me to spare a murderer''s life at the risk of my own? Especially, the very people who were trying to murder me? They were 6 big guys and I was a single wounded girl!! If I hadn''t caught them off guard, you will not be investigating an accident but a murder case!" Shreya answered with a straight face��


    The inspector couldn''t help blush slightly embarrassed. Shreya''s logic hit the nail right on spot.


    "I was just asked for the sake of it�� I was not trying to suggest or accuse you. Sorry, ma''am. You can go now!! That is all��"


    They did not even bother asking her about the bomb that went off in her office.


    Shreya walked out of the station without any hitches.


    As soon as she walked out of the station, she was once again surrounded by media where she patiently answered all their questions. She was very diligent and honest in her reply.


    But before going away, she did say one sentence��

 Chapter 361 - I only have half an hour for the end of the curfew.

    Shreya had already guessed Yash would not make things difficult for her�� at least not in this incident. After all, it is a covet operation taken down by his private men.


    And Yash already has enough enemies as it is.


    If word got out that he had tried to kill Shreya, the whole nation would revolt.


    Even without knowing that Shreya was behind bringing down the syndicate, Shreya had made a name for herself in the past half a year since she came back into the limelight.


    Especially, given the market conditions, there is no count on the number of people who are thankful to Shreya�� She did not give away money or charity, but she gave jobs. Which was more gratifying than anything else.


    And if the reason is leaked, Yash wouldn''t be able to wash his hands off and he can say goodbye to his political career.


    So, the best way to handle this whole situation is to wash his hands off as if he had never been a part of this whole situation once it was done. So, he never gave anybody any instructions as to how to handle this whole thing��


    And given Shreya''s status and her explanation, there was really nothing that they can say about it�� especially given how bloody the scene was�� Some policemen who had been there couldn''t help but shudder at the memory.


    They feared Shreya herself more than her status��


    Shreya could do so much damage with her injured battered body, they did not want to imagine what she can do if she was hail and healthy.


    And the police officer who had taken her interview was one of the first cops on the scene�� He had served in the military before. So, he had seen gunfights��


    But from the scene, he could say Shreya''s opponents did not have a chance�� each and every shot was precise and swift. Even if Shreya''s dominant hand was not injured, he could imagine the pain she must have been in when she got out of the car. It was amazing she was conscious let alone fight 6 men in a gun battle.


    What really surprised him was how quickly each shot was delivered. Those men seemed professional. Even if they say she had caught them by surprise, they would have been dumb for two shots for maximum. But somehow, Shreya had actually managed to catch two more off guard is nothing short of a miracle or mad skill.


    So, he did not dare to make it difficult for her�� that one question that he had asked absentmindedly�� hearing Shreya''s answer and being in front of her�� he almost pissed his pants.


    Also, this time around, Shreya did not hide the presence of Zeenath in the car with her�� she also clearly stated everything as it happened and provided them with her dashcam recordings too. Shreya also explained how Zeenath was severely injured and in a coma�� and how she did not want to take any chances while it was critical for her to heal.  And that is why she had hidden it in the first round of investigation.


    And given the dashcam video she had brought, there was really nothing they could ask or do that can change the situation.


    So, the police officer was very grateful when nobody pressured him for anything and was able to easily proceed with the case straight away after logging Shreya''s statement along with the relevant evidence.


    Shreya got into the car and her whole demeanor changed all over again as she impatiently said, "Let''s go�� let''s go. I cannot be late�� I only have half an hour for the end of the curfew. I will be royally screwed if I am even a minute late!!" She tapped on the seats impatiently urging Harshad to drive off.


    She looked like a child who was impatient to get to kindergarten on time��


    "Where are we going?" Harshad asked smiling.


    Harshad is pretty familiar with Shreya even if they were not as close as other people. It was mainly because Harshad never got to spend as much time with Shreya as his other colleagues.


    But Harshad also knew Shreya like the back of her hand. They did not grow up together but he had seen her grow up.


    Before him, his father had been the legal aid for Adithya�� So, Harshad had been a guest in Shreya''s house more often than not�� but since he was a good 10 years elder to her, they did not get to get that close when they were kids. But both had pretty warm feelings towards each other.


    He expanded his own business but he still gave his priority to Sri corp.


    So, looking at Shreya�� he couldn''t help but remember her growing up. Nothing much had changed from then and now�� she was the same mischievous bratty self who did not listen to anyone. But at the same time, he knew everything had changed for Shreya in a blink of an eye.


    Shreya quickly gave him Charan''s parents'' address but got interrupted by Charan who said, "Shreya, I need to get a teddy bear, remember?"


    "Well, that is not my problem�� did you see your daughter''s face this morning�� I do not dare mess with her after all." Shreya shook her head exaggeratedly as she said.


    Charan couldn''t help but gap at her as he murmured, "Heartless brat!! I shouldn''t have helped you at all today morning!!" He couldn''t help sulk as he resigned to his fate of facing a very angry Akira.


    Akira usually will not get angry, but when she did, it is not easy to coax her at all.


    "I never asked you for help!! Idiot�� I could have coaxed her patiently�� but no, you just had to piss her off!! You reap what you sow�� I am not letting you pull me under the bus with you!!" Shreya said making a sulky face towards Charan.

 Chapter 362 - It’s a trap…

    In contrast to the dilly dally bantering in the car, in some other part of the country, the atmosphere was not so smooth.


    Yash''s face looked like his brain was going to explode like a freaking atom bomb any moment now��


    He planned and sketched everything so perfectly. He had backup plans if anything went wrong too. But he could not have guessed how things went so wrong��


    Even though he had anticipated not getting the information on the server, he had not anticipated on Shreya walked out of it alive and peachy�� that too just in time for the trial!!


    If Shreya had either recovered last night, he would have changed the whole play in the court. And if Shreya had woken up after the whole trial is done and dusted, he could have dealt with it�� but Shreya had to show up on the day of the trial.


    Yash had been pretty confident with himself when he saw the accident pictures. There was no way one can survive that crash�� even if they did, they wouldn''t have made any short recovery��


    And as far as the server was concerned, he knew Shreya wouldn''t keep multiple copies of s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e information. Especially the list of contact on her network. And given the amount of security for the server, he was pretty sure this was her primary stash of information��


    And a cautious person like Shreya wouldn''t allow copies lying around��


    Even though he did not get anything, he also made sure nobody else could.


    And as far as blackmail material Shreya had in her hand, he figured as long as Shreya was out of the picture, nobody else would dare�� on top of it, he would be unreachable by the time they could recover from the grief of losing Shreya��


    Everything seemed perfect in his head when he rationalized it�� but everything went wrong the minute Shreya showed up.


    Now he cannot move forward nor retreat. Because he knew as long as Shreya was around, she can always come up with something�� she was wicked.


    "It''s a trap��" Yash mumbled. Shreya had dug a pit for him and she had coaxed him to go in willingly��


    The court session was on the way�� now he cannot do anything at all.


    Without the court session today, his involvement in the whole matter is pretty superficial since he did not send any of the guys. But today''s court session was completely fabricated by him��


    He completely changed the whole of the judges'' panel�� They were not the same people who were in charge of the session prior to this�� And he had flipped the whole case.


    As long as no power figure steps out, he could have gotten away with it. But Shreya wouldn''t sit still�� he was pretty sure of it. And he had already attempted to kill her once and miserably failed. He did not have the guts to try it again.


    So, he was like a bloody sitting duck now waiting for slaughter.


    "Shreya was sitting in the passenger seat�� driver was a different person. She is in a coma as per the information!!" His secretary explained.


    This was what they had missed. That there was another person in the car.


    Yash never thought the goody-two-shoes Shreya would not follow his instructions.


    But more than that, in all the investigation, there was never a trace of any second person on the scene�� And every guy sent there was killed!


    So, there was no way of confirming anything�� And no matter how much they tried pulling the strings in the name of authority or how much they searched, they just could never find out where Shreya was admitted.


    None of the guys around Shreya heed to any sort of authority or goodwill. Now he knew the arrogance probably came from Shreya herself.


    And he personally knew how arrogant Shreya can be�� if not for her arrogance he wouldn''t have started this whole mess in the first place.


    "Do you still have Abishek''s daughter with us?" Yash suddenly asked.


    This was the last bargaining chip he has. With all her arrogance, Shreya still showed up to a place in the middle of nowhere because she prevents an innocent bystander from getting hurt��


    If that worked once, it should work again. As long as he could play his cards well with Abishek''s daughter, maybe he can still change the situation.


    If he can make Shreya and Abishek fight against each other, maybe they will play right into his hands.


    AS long as he had his daughter, Abishek will sing to his beats. And as long as he had his daughter, Shreya will not do anything too much out of line�� He can use that to his advantage��


    "Yes, Mr. Prime Minister�� Naren was in contact with his guys there till this morning�� He made sure Abishek wouldn''t cause any scene in the court��" His secretary answered once again.


    But he knew with Shreya around, he would never be able to walk out of this one��


    Having her alive was like leaving a knife just above his head. It was the same before this incident��


    He needed to get rid of Shreya and fast. This was no longer a scheme but something paramount.


    Yash knows that now�� But he cannot think of a way he can do it�� he thought he had it the first time�� And this time he cannot afford the risks of it failing�� he was afraid he cannot afford the failure of the first�� but he is pretty confident with his own resources.


    And with Shreya''s resources crippled, she probably wouldn''t do anything drastic without preparation. And within that preparation time, he should be able to come up with something or the other.


    But then something flashed in his head��


    Even though Shreya did not specifically bow down, she did not stomp on him until�� that family was involved!!! She went berserk the first time when they were put in danger��

 Chapter 363 - Zack, break him out of there…

    "What happened?" Shreya asked on the phone.


    Shreya had to work, Charan knew that. But given Akira''s tantrum, he knew he couldn''t keep her away. And his parent''s house did not provide much privacy to work.


    So, instead, they picked up Akira from his parent''s house as soon as they came out of the police station and reached Shreya''s apartment.


    So, now Shreya was in her study having a video conference with the others who were in Sri corp.


    With the absence of Zeenath and Akash, everyone else was present.


    Akash was helping Anand with the company work�� now that Shreya was okay, Anand felt relieved to go to work.


    "They flipped the whole shit up�� They provided doc.u.ments saying Naren had been an undercover working for the government all this while�� and that he had been giving them ''valuable'' information which led to the downfall of the syndicate!!" Adam sneered as he replied.


    When he got the news, he couldn''t help wanting to punch something.


    "The central bureau claimed, without Naren''s support, they couldn''t have succeeded in the whole operation!" He continued explaining.


    But suddenly Pritham thought of something and interrupted, "Oh, yea�� the chief of central intelligence bureau�� Mr. Rudra�� the guy we have first approached. He was sacked�� they found evidence he took a bribe from a terrorist group or something!!". This news had been sealed off at the highest level of the government. So, he never got it until he started digging around what Yash had been up to in the past few months.


    "He is in custody�� for two full months now�� He got arrested around the same time you last saw him. The new guys appointed in his place�� he is the Minister''s lackey�� He did a lot of dirty stuff to give Naren the status as a spy. The new judge''s panel, they were also appointed by Yash. They did not exactly do anything excessive but they just turned their heads the other way when there were any discrepancies with the case!" He elaborated on everything he had learned. More like, everything Alice had learned after he had hacked into one of the government servers.


    Alice was so fun to use since he did not have to read mountains of data to find the thing he really needed. And on top of it, Alice was good with accounts. How cool was that!! He did not have to break his brain to make sense of all the numbers everywhere.


    "Zack, break him out of there�� tonight!" Shreya instructed suddenly.


    All the guys frowned confused.


    "We do not have enough to prove against Naren''s contention without him�� Yash is not a fool. He will get rid of the loose ends�� soon. Mr. Rudra probably did not play ball like me and got into trouble�� But Yash cannot just kill him after all, he held a position�� it will be troublesome. But now, keeping him alive is more troublesome�� Move as quickly as you can�� take him out of there�� we do not have the kind of time to move legally in getting him out just yet�� He will end up in a body bag before we could make the move��" Shreya explained.


    Zack instantly left the conference room��


    "Adam, you can continue!" Shreya said once he left.


    "Yea�� so, the judges bought the story and Naren walked free��" Adam finished briefly.


    "What about Abishek?" Shreya asked.


    "Well, he was not charged as an informant or a witness but as a culprit and is sentenced to death sentence along with Abhimanyu�� As far as the court is concerned, every piece of evidence that they have had come from Naren!"


    "And how did he react?" Shreya asked.


    "He did not�� they probably levered with his daughter�� and since we asked to not reveal about her safety, he stayed quiet. But in my opinion, he wouldn''t have contested even without the leverage. It was Abhimanyu who made the scene in the court when this got out�� but he did not have any evidence or anything for this contention and got dismissed by the court!" Adam said.


    Shreya did not react for a long while after that��


    "Where is he held?" Shreya asked suddenly.


    "The same place Naren had been held�� he was taken there as soon as he walked out of the court!" Srinivas answered for the first time. He is already a quiet guy but today, he was extra quiet. And Shreya knew he was probably not in a straight headspace.


    "Can you arrange for a meeting with him? Tonight?" Shreya asked.


    "Night? You do not want anyone to know?" Srinivas asked looking up at Shreya��


    "Yes�� just the two of us. Not through legal means�� is it possible?" Shreya asked. If it were just the guys, they could�� but to take Shreya in, especially with her injuries�� she did not know.


    That prison had one of the best securities in place��


    "I will give it a shot!" Srinivas answered.


    "You do not have to be pressured. If it''s not possible, you can just take a message for me�� anyways, come to my apartment at around midnight�� I will be waiting!" Shreya said.


    Srinivas stopped in his track and nodded his head before leaving as well.


    "Keep an eye on Naren�� I need to know every single step he takes. Also, keep one of our people on Yash. If need be, follow his family�� he will not sit still�� Also, smuggle Abishek''s daughter out of the country�� we cannot take the chances anymore with Yash looming around! Also, I need security on every single person around us�� and I need regular check-ins. I do not want a single person unaccounted for until this whole this is going to be wrapped up��" Shreya instructed and cut the call.


    She then sat back and pressing on her head. When she went out, she was met with Charan begging with Akira��


    Her face lost its vigor instantly as her lips twitched.


    Seeing her smile, Charan growled at her. But then, the doorbell rang while Shreya gave him a twinkling look.


    Without any surprises, a human-sized teddy bear was delivered.

 Chapter 364 - And obviously, Shreya fell flat.

    The day went by just like that for Shreya��


    But as evening fell, Shreya looked at Akira nervously.


    She had a meeting with the chairperson of the W corp. in a few hours and she cannot be late nor miss it. This was very important in nailing Yash�� and she wanted to do it face to face.


    She impatiently tapped on her legs as she tried to muster the correct words to let Akira know about the meeting.


    "Baby, I have been good all day, right? I even came on given time�� don''t you think I should be rewarded??", Shreya shamelessly curry-flavored as she picked up Akira and sat her on her l.a.p.s.


    Akira frowned confused before leaning over and pecked on Shreya''s cheeks very diligently.


    Shreya''s face brightened while her whole heart fell into a puddle of mess. She was speechless. She did not have the heart to tell her anymore that she needed to leave.


    But seeing that Shreya did not react, Akira thought the reward was not enough and leaned over to peck on her other cheeks.


    And obviously, Shreya fell flat. She almost forgot about the whole meeting in an instance until Akash called to remind her of course.


    Shreya was stuck for a moment before making a decision.


    "Baby, get dressed. We are going to go out for dinner�� my treat!!" Shreya said brightly while Charan arched his brows.


    Just as Akira went to get ready, "I have a meeting with a client, and given how Akira is, I do not have the mind to leave her behind. Let''s just go�� all of us. I will spin it around somehow. You can just take her for a walk when we are talking business��" Shreya explained.


    And thus, all three got ready and made their way to the Imperial.


    By luck when she was looking to meet up with him, he actually came to the city for a meeting. And Shreya jumped on the opportunity and booked him a room at the Imperial and made an appointment to meeting up with him.


    Thus all three got ready in no time and left her apartment.


    Andrew was waiting for them in the lobby with three cars. Since the accident, the security around her was notched up a little. And since the parade.


    Shreya held Akira''s hands on her uninjured hand and led her to the car in the middle.


    All three were Land rovers looking identical.


    Because of the coordination with three cars, it actually took them almost half an hour to reach the Imperial.


    All three made their way into the lobby with her fanfare following her. They did not leave her until they had settled down on the tables. Only then did not give them some privacy.


    "What do you want to eat?" Shreya asked looking at Akira��


    Obviously, the staff was very respective to all the three present.


    Food filled the tables in no time as both Charan and Akira started digging in.


    Shreya had brought them here before time so that she can let Akira have her dinner to her fill. Anyways, she would have to eat with the chairman. So, she refrained from having anything.


    Both of them finished their dinners just as the time reached for her meeting.


    "Akira�� baby. I have to talk with someone now�� so, go on and play around with your daddy for a while. I will be quick. Once we are done, we can go home!!" Shreya said softly.


    But just as they cleared the table and were about to go out, the Chairman also reached the meeting place.


    Shreya shook hands with him politely. He was a middle-aged man with a stern face. He was lean and with salt and pepper hair.


    "Hello, Ms. Srivastav��" He shook her hand and smiled amiably.


    "Hello, Mr. Walia." Shreya greeted him back and politely introduced around, "This is my family. This is Charan and the little one is Akira��"


    Charan shook hands with Mr. Walia while Akira cutely said a firm but shy ''hello''.


    Shreya pecked both Charan and Akira before sending them off and quickly joined Mr. Walia at his table.


    "Sorry about that!" Shreya apologized politely and sat back in her seat.


    Mr. Walia was someone who started his business just about the same time Adithya did�� and both of them respected each other greatly. Adithya looked up to him in a way. But their interests were varied.


    While Adithya developed in computer and technology, Mr. Walia was someone who started with the manufacturing sector. Even though Mr. Walia came from a well-off family, he started the business from the scratch and integrated everything very later in his life.


    His kids have just entered the business market from the bottom up.


    Sri corp and W corp had always kept a respectable distance from each other.


    Both of them kept themselves informed of each other''s progress and co-operated when needed. But never got too close nor had any animosity with each other.


    It had been the same since Adithya had headed the company and Shreya followed the same.


    This was the first time Shreya had actually met Mr. Walia�� even though they had attended mutual business meetings, neither had ever sought the other out so explicitly before.


    So, Mr. Walia was pretty shocked when he heard Shreya wanted to meet him in person. Since he had immense respect not only for Adithya but also for Shreya, he agreed.


    He knew how hard is the responsibility that Shreya had heaved. He knew it from experience��


    Even when he had already been in the business for several years before his own father had retired, he still struggled to keep everything together and integrate it. Obviously, the scale of things was exponentially larger than he had anticipated�� and the number of people he needed to deal with in the integration was countless times higher. And the more people involved the more complications and more stress.


    As someone who had been there, he really admired Shreya for handling things so naturally in spite of being thrown into the den full of wolves all of a sudden without any prior notice or preparation.

 Chapter 365 - Mrs. Srivastav.

    "It''s okay, Mrs. Srivastav. You have a nice family�� Your daughter reminds me of my granddaughter!" Mr. Walia answered amiably.


    Shreya blinked for a second shocked when she was addressed as a Mrs. And when she called Akira her daughter�� but then, she did not want to deny the title either. Even when the title made her embarrassed slightly, she was not repulsed.


    So, after giving it a quick thought, she did not correct him but instead said, "Thank you, sir. And please, you can call me Shreya��" She gave him a warm smile as she said that.


    Mr. Walia did not hold courtesy and straight-up called her out by her name once Shreya asked for it. He did not feel it was anything inappropriate given their age difference.


    "I have known you dad. He was an admirable person, just like you��" He smiled.


    "Well, I try to be��" Shreya answered modestly. But she did not take up a humble stance. There was pride when she said it.


    "You want to tell me why you have asked me here today, Shreya��? I don''t think it is just for polite exchanges or to share a meal together!!" Mr. Walia got right to point without beating around the bush anymore.


    Anyways, the pleasantries were done. Before that, it might have looked rude�� and now, it was useless to waste any more time playing tag with each other. Neither of them was people which such kind of free time.


    "I know you have agreed to sponsor Yash''s next campaign!" Shreya said getting straight to the point.


    "And?" Mr. Walia asked looking puzzled. After all, even when politics and business were different circles, they went hand in hand with each other. It was not the first time he had done something like this��


    Most of the business community with an extended history in the country was the same. The only exception was probably Sri corp. and the Srivastav''s. They did not involve themselves in politics. That too only after the demise of the late Prime Minister Mr. Girish that they had washed their hands off politics.


    "I want you to withdraw the support�� you can choose someone else," Shreya went straight to point.


    Mr. Walia looked at Shreya shocked. The confidence with which Shreya said this, kind of baffled him to speechlessness for a minute. But then he asked, "You seem awfully confident you are going to get your way!!" He couldn''t help comment looking at her for an explanation.


    "Don''t get me wrong, but Yash wouldn''t be able to keep his position now�� let alone be re-elected! I am doing you a favor and saving you money actually��" Shreya said smiling at him.


    Her eyes were clear when she stared back at him.


    Even when the official campaigning had not yet started, the money had started moving already. And the amount is not small either.


    But the confidence in her voice bugged him. She did not seem like a person talking about a hypothesis but like someone stating a hard-cold fact. And Shreya did not strike him as someone who would brag unnecessarily given how low a profile she maintains in the circle. Barely anyone knows her at all.


    So, he couldn''t help but subconsciously believe Yash would fall invariably.


    "Why?" He couldn''t help ask.


    "Well, because he was stupid enough to try to kill me!!" Shreya said looking as arrogant and cold as ever as she pointed at the cast on her hand.


    Mr. Walia stared back at her shocked.


    "He�� he did that?" He asked looking at her injured hands with more detailed vision.


    "Yup�� the accident was not a terrorist attack�� he did it. It is just a matter of time before I can prove it��" Shreya said confidently.


    "Oh!!" He did not know what else to say to that.


    Silence prevailed for a while before Mr. Walia''s brows frowned as he asked, "Why are you telling me this? You did not need to!"


    "I know�� but you were someone my dad had looked up to. But more than that, once Yash''s financial support stops, he will come back begging to me�� He dared to do this because he thought he wouldn''t have any use for me after this�� he thought he can trample me just because he had gained some backers for him. And I want to prove him wrong and I want to see him beg! I want him to see he messed with the wrong person��" Shreya answered. She did not make effort to hide her malice when it came to Yash. She did not seem bothered to look good for others. Her eyes flared with contempt when she talked about Yash. She could have easily just given the former reason and reap the favor to Mr. Walia but she did not�� She cannot be bothered about favors because she was doing this mainly for her own satisfaction of seeing Yash panic and piss his pants.


    Mr. Walia just stared at Shreya gapping.


    "You do not have to reply to me�� you can wait for two days and see the progress and decide. Things are going to get too messy too soon. You do not have to pull the money from the whole party, just stop supporting him��" Shreya continued seeing as Mr. Walia did not have an answer for her.


    "You are very different from your father!!" Mr. Walia couldn''t help but say. They might not have been close, but they did know of each other and he knew the kind of person Adithya was.


    "Of course, I am me. I am not my dad. Being like him made people think they can kill him and get away with it�� being his daughter, I cannot make the same kind of mistakes�� I cannot just let a person who tried to hurt me go just so I can look like an angel. I would rather be a bitch if that means I can keep myself and people around me safe��" Shreya answered and shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly.


    For some reason, Mr. Walia just found her reason endearing��


    So, they had a good talk and a happy dinner before calling it a night.

 Chapter 366 - how is it fair??

    Shreya carefully got out of her bed and walked out after making sure Akira was fast asleep. But just as she walked out of her room, she was met with Charan sitting there on the couch�� he looked like he was waiting for her.


    She couldn''t help stop on her track looking guilty. But then she put up a smile and asked, "You�� you did not sleep yet?" Shreya''s voice slightly stammered because of embarrassment.


    "You are going out somewhere?" Charan asked with a straight voice. His voice did not seem angry or anything�� but more resigned.


    Shreya blushed but still nodded her head.


    Right then Srinivas called her. Shreya stared at her phone and then at Charan for a minute.


    It was not like she can take Charan to jail�� so, she was torn. She had promised him to let him be with her all the time until this was all over but she was breaking it by sneaking out in the middle of the night the very first day which was not nice.


    "You can go�� I will wait for you here�� just get back soon!" Charan resigned to his fate as he whispered against her ears giving her a hug.


    Shreya couldn''t help snuggle in as she whispered back, "I''m sorry�� I did not mean to deceive. I just��" She did not know how to continue.


    "You just got to do what you got to do��" Charan finished the sentence for her. "I just really feel useless sometimes��" He added after taking on a frustrated breath.


    "You are not!!" Shreya shook her head frantically. "I just need to sort some things out first�� it has nothing to do with you��"


    "It''s okay�� off you go��" Charan said and sent her away with a very complicated-looking smile. He then went ahead and went to Shreya''s room where Akira was sleeping.


    Not to his surprise, he found Akira wide awake and staring at the ceiling.


    "Hey, princess!" Charan said joining her on the bed. Akira snuggled into Charan very naturally.


    "Cannot sleep?" He asked rubbing over her head. Akira was a light sleeper, especially when she was anxious like today��


    "Are you angry at Shreya?" Charan asked.


    "No�� I am not angry. I just want her to be with me for a long time�� I do not want to end up like mom. So, I know I was being childish for a few days. And I will talk to Shreya and say sorry tomorrow��" Akira said slightly sad and slightly embarrassed.


    She did not want Shreya to work in un-godly hours just to keep her company�� especially given she is injured and needs the rest.


    "Hey, you are a kid!! You get to do childish things�� Shreya doesn''t mind. In fact, she was pretty pissed at what I said to you in the car this morning��" Charan replied smiling.


    Well, he really raised a pretty sensible kid. He felt proud beyond words.


    "Well, you deserved it!! Shreya should probably beat you too for that!" Akira smirked. Maybe she can mention this as a punishment for sneaking out tonight!


    All of Charan''s pride went into the drain the next second as he complained, "Hey, that''s not fair." Charan playfully grumbled. "Little devil!" He even scolded her but then he couldn''t help but smile and hug Akira into his arms.


    "You buy me chocolates and some new dresses, I will spare you�� I won''t complain to Shreya about you!!" Akira beamed.


    Charan couldn''t help but gap with his mouth wide open as he looked at his own daughter giving him a sly yet sharp look. He cannot believe Shreya actually taught her exactly what she said she would�� to be a shrewd businesswoman.


    "Baby, you cannot learn bad things from Shreya�� they are for a.d.u.l.ts! Not little kids. When you grow up, you can use them�� not now!!" Charan educated her very seriously.


    "Shreya told me you would say something like this�� That I am a kid and I shouldn''t be bad. But she said not to fall for it�� Because no matter the age, what''s fair is fair�� you should absolutely fight for what you deserve!!" Akira answered looking self-righteous.


    Charan was left speechless. He really did not know how to reply to this��


    His future looked pretty colorful given he was going to be jammed between one little devil and one a.d.u.l.t devil!!


    "Hey, it is not fair you are teaming up with Shreya and plotting to bully your dad�� how is it fair??" Charan w.h.i.n.ed depressed.


    "Well, if you do not want to be bullied, you just have to buy me some chocolates and dresses�� I am giving you an open option. What you want, you must choose!! How is it not fair??" Akira reverted back.


    Is she really just 10 years�� he was suddenly very scared of how she was going to be when she was all grown up given how she was already carrying herself like an a.d.u.l.t.


    "Darling, don''t grow up so soon!!" Charan murmured holding her closer. There was a weird sense of nostalgia when he thinks about when Akira was born and how she was now�� she really grew up without him ever knowing how.


    "Don''t think changing the subject is going to free you�� if you don''t answer and buy me, I have more ways to make Shreya beat you up!!" Akira sassed away.


    "Really now?? Well, what are you going to do if I torture you first��? Shreya is not here to save you now��" Charan said and the next second Akira''s shrill laughter filled the room as Charan tickled her mercilessly.


    Akira giggled breathlessly before surrendering to her father''s torture. And finally, she also fell asleep with Charan''s gentle patting.


    Charan signed in relief. He did not know how many more years will he be able to distract her and make her laugh like this carefreely. How many more years that she was going to be his little girl who can laugh at his jokes no matter how silly they were�� But he was grateful to heaven for each such day even when there is a lingering heaviness when he thinks about the time when all these are going to end up being too cool for her a.d.u.l.t self.

 Chapter 367 - That’s the Shreya I know…

    Downstairs in the parking lot, Srinivas stood there leaning over a car''s front waiting for Shreya.


    Since her own car was trashed, he had prepared another car for her. It was also a sedan�� a black Jaguar. Since she had started using her dad''s custom-made car, she had stopped using the other ones in her garage. But now, she was back to switching cars every time she went out.??


    Shreya strolled down with a heavy expression. Then she saw Srinivas''s slumped shoulders.


    "Hey, there��" He called out seeing her coming near.


    Shreya did not really say anything but she simply wrapped her arms around his giving him a hug��


    "I am sorry�� I shouldn''t have taken her with me in the first place knowing the risks�� I just�� I wasn''t thinking straight and �� she turned the car in spite of what I said��" Shreya whispered. But something choked at her throats not letting her continue.


    That was the one thing she regrets more than anything�� the fact that she took Zeenath with her that night�� if only she hadn''t.


    "Hey, it is not your fault. None of it is�� it is the fault of the bastards who did this�� I want you to know that very clearly!!" Srinivas said pulling away from the hug. He took her face in his hands and stared straight into her eyes as he said, "And it is her choice to protect you, Shreya�� her independent choice. Don''t slight it by regretting it!"


    He did not know if Shreya had understood what he was talking about. But she still nodded her head completely pulling away.


    "How are you doing?" She asked instead dropping the subject completely.


    "I am fine�� and besides. She is alive�� she is a fighter. She survived all this while, and she is not going to get knocked out by something small like this�� she is going to be kicking your a.s.s in no time�� trust me!!" Srinivas said ruffling her hair.


    Shreya did not reply but she leaned in and gave Srinivas another comforting hug before getting onto the car.


    AN hour or so later, both of them were standing in front of prison bars staring at a sleeping Abishek. He did not seem distressed or anything given how soundly he was sleeping.


    "How did it go so smoothly?" Shreya asked Srinivas. She thought they would have to sneak in�� but Srinivas actually brought them through the front door. It was just the number of people in the jail seemed very meager than normal. And he insisted on Shreya completely covering her face�� she wore a disguise of a sort if wearing a suit was going to make her look like a guy suddenly with a lot of hair.


    But then, Shreya figured this was probably because Shreya did not want to be involved with the case at hand.


    "Well, I bribed the warden of the jail�� He was very cooperative and he arranged for the whole thing. But you have only about half an hour before shift changes and there are going to be a lot more guards around then�� so, better make this one quick!" Srinivas explained and tapped on the metal bars waking up Abishek.


    "Who are you guys?" Abishek asked startling awake.


    "You seem comfortable enough Abishek for a person on death row!" Shreya voiced out. In the empty corridor of the old wall, her voice echoed multiple times.


    Abishek instantly recognized Shreya''s voice. He blinked several times before asked her, "What are you doing here?" But then something else hit him as he got up from his place and approached her as he asked anxiously, "My daughter? Is my daughter okay??? Did something happen to her?" He did not find any other reason why Shreya would visit him in the middle of the night.


    "Relax, big man. She is fine�� I have sent her and your whole family abroad with new doc.u.ments�� nobody will be able to find them." Shreya answered nonchalantly.


    "Then what do you want?" He asked confused.


    "Do you want to get out of here? Do you want me to help you be re-tried as an informant again?" Shreya asked. This was the only thing she came here to ask. And she wanted to see him in the face when he answered.


    Abishek was utterly shocked to hear this�� This question was really unfair coming from Shreya given what he had been a part of when it came to her parents.


    "I thought you would be happy for the outcome�� at least, the outcome I have got��" Abishek wondered out loud.


    "I won''t say I am happy�� but I am not that inclined to help you either. Frankly, I don''t want to�� you don''t get to go around, sleep and eat and have a life when my parents don''t anymore�� but it is also true you were wronged�� so, I came here to ask you if you want to fight it! If you don''t want to, I will be out of here just like that��" Shreya answered shrugging her shoulders as if she was talking about a meal or something.


    Abishek chuckled as he said, "That''s the Shreya I know�� anyways, you don''t have to do anything more�� I am okay with the way things are. As long as my daughter is safe�� It doesn''t matter what I get. I deserve this��" He did not want to feel guilty anymore�� he had had enough of those all his life. Now that he got the chance to pay for those, he was pretty relieved than wronged.


    "Fine by me��" Shreya answered back not flinching.


    "Thanks for what you did for my family�� if there is an afterlife, I will try and pay you back��" He said earnestly. Anyways, his life is his way of paying her back for her parents and countless others.


    Shreya did not reply. She just turned around to leave when Abishek suddenly called for her.


    "What is it?" She asked.


    "I just�� if this is the last chance I am going to get, I wanted to convey something��" Abishek started talking.  "I did not say anything before about this because it was not relevant to the case... but I thought you would want to know this..."

 Chapter 368 - Shreya is sleeping…

    By the time Shreya reached home, it was just before dawn.


    She tiptoed into her room. But just the sight of Charan and Akira sleeping, she never even got to move past the doors. She just stood there staring at them. She did not even want to blink��??


    She just loved the tranquility of the atmosphere��


    She liked her home like this with them�� it was pure and serene, a stark contrast to the kind of ugliness she had to deal with outside�� or at her work.


    She took silent steps inside and sat on the bed beside Charan. Her bed was actually pretty big�� the space they had occupied was just a small portion because of cuddling. Shreya sat with her legs crossed in front of her and just stared�� quite creepily so. But she did not have the heart to close her eyes.


    "I really love you guys��" She whispered in the quiet room.


    She extended her hands and c.a.r.e.s.sed Charan''s head softly. Akira was completely enveloped by Charan, so she couldn''t reach for her. This went on for a while until it stopped suddenly and her eyes drooped without her knowing. Her head fell to her knees as sleep took over.


    For someone who was sleeping, Shreya actually did not fall at all for some reason. So, that exact posture of her sleeping while sitting, with her head resting over her bunched knees, was how Charan found her the first thing when he woke up the next morning.


    And Akira was not beside him either.


    "Idiot!!" He couldn''t help scold but he did not disturb her. But instead, he carefully untangled her and laid her properly on the bed. Thankfully, she did not wake up.


    When he went out, he found Akira all dressed up for school while Zack was making food in the kitchen��


    "What are you doing here so early?" Charan asked Zack as he reached for the coffee.


    "Well, today, it is my duty to take the little princess to school!!" Zack said just as he finished packing Akira''s lunch. He went out leaving Charan in the kitchen.


    "Come on, baby. Let''s go�� we are getting late!!" Zack said taking Akira''s hands in his. Akira jumped down from the barstool and gave Charan a flying kiss.


    "Have a good day, baby��" Charan said returning her kiss. And the apartment went back to being silent.


    And it remained the same until Shreya woke up a couple of hours later.


    "Where is Akira?" Shreya asked coming to the study where Charan was working.


    "You woke up. Akira went to school with Zack��" Charan answered putting down his files.


    Shreya just nodded coming in. She very naturally went ahead and sat on his l.a.p.s not really bothered whether she was interrupting his work or not. She very comfortably snuggled into his c.h.e.s.t and fiddled with his sleeves.


    "You do realize I am working right?" Charan asked smirking. But he still c.a.r.e.s.sed over her heads.


    "I won''t talk�� I won''t disturb you!!" Shreya said keeping a figure over her lips.


    Charan just chuckled.


    But he did not really move from his place�� he was afraid he would disturb her injured hand.


    "I so could use a shower!!" Shreya exclaimed but then she looked at her cast dejected. She can do many things because her dominant hand was not injured, but the shower is still a problem since she cannot move her shoulders. And since everyone in her family knew how juvenile Shreya can be, they asked the doctors to put the cast in such a way that she wouldn''t be able to move her hand even if she tried to. She had two belts�� one held her shoulder in place while the other held her arm in place. And of course, the cast cannot get wet. At the hospital, nurses helped. So, it was fine�� but now, after almost 24 hours of going around, she needed to clean.


    But given how she had been jumping around after just one day of being discharged, Charan was glad her cast was indestructible.


    "Where did you go yesterday night? It went well?" Charan asked.


    Shreya simply shrugged. She did not really want to talk about it��


    But before Charan could ask anything else, Shreya''s stomach grumbled loudly.


    It was almost noon and she was up and running almost the whole night, so of course, she was hungry. But Shreya did not really budge.


    "Come on. Let get you cleaned up and get you something to eat��" Charan urged. But Shreya did not move.


    "I don''t want to move!!" She grumbled pouting.


    "Shreya�� you get up. I will help you freshen up and eat something. After that, you can rest all you want." Charan convinced her kissing her temples.


    Shreya reluctantly got up. After freshening up and eating something, Shreya slouched on the couch.


    Charan came to her with a bunch of tablets she had to take��


    Shreya rolled over burying her face on the far side of the couch and mumbled, "Shreya is sleeping�� cannot wake up!!"


    Charan rolled his eyes��


    "If you don''t like medicines, then you shouldn''t get hurt!!" Charan said sternly.


    But Shreya did not budge�� she just answered back without turning, "I am fine�� I do not need medicines��"


    Charan let out a sigh.


    "Shreya, if you are not going to be obedient�� I am going tell about it to Akira when she comes back from school�� then don''t come to me saying you are bullied!" Charan resorted to blackmail.


    IN all the time they had been in the hospital, Akira was the one who gave her the tablets. And even when Shreya would look torn, given how serious Akira had looked, she would just silently take it. Charan figured this trick should work just fine now�� and it did.


    Shreya got up from her place and looked at Charan furiously as she took the tablets.


    Charan just smiled back and let her be�� he went to the study to continue work while Shreya just took her tablet to look for updates on everything going on around.

 Chapter 369 - I won’t ‘get in the way

    Shreya''s people got to work pretty quickly and their efficiency was top notch. While Shreya was bickering with Charan on a daily basis, the outside world was going bonkers.


    Yash never even got the chance to breathe. That very morning she went to meet Abishek, Shreya made her first attack. She did not really bother hiding herself this time around. Nor did she trust the legal system.


    She straight up took control of the media and released everything to the public.


    When the economic crisis was happening, she took advantage of some higher management people falling and took control of a couple of media houses in the country. They were not huge�� but then she took over a couple at a time�� All of them were local news outlets that have a far reach in each of their own states. She did not touch the national outlets. Taking over something like that took a lot of effort and also would give her a lot of publicity�� and Shreya wanted to establish this under the radar.


    Individually, the companies she took over did not have much of a market share on a grand scale�� so, they could easily be overlooked. But when you put them all together, Shreya controlled slightly more than half the market share of media in the country, both print, and television.


    So, with just some small orders, all of them flashed everything she had on the Prime Minister. From his misappropriation of campaign funds to his under-the-counter dealing of handing over some major tenders of the government to his relatives or taking bribes. And some of the tenders were over quoted by at last double the actual cost�� and he did not pay them with his own money but public money. So, obviously, it gave rise to public outrage.


    All these were things Shreya had found in the initial sweep of Yash. But since this was something that is normal and nothing too immoral, she did not take it into account. It was just money�� he just filled his pockets without really stomping on anyone too much�� so, she did not bother. But they came in handy.


    The whole country was boiling up�� even when subconsciously people knew this happens all the time, when presented with solid evidence, they couldn''t help be enraged.


    And of course, Harshad took the evidence to file cases against him for corruption in the court.


    And before Yash could even think about setting it right, W corp. pulled their support publicly too��


    So, all she had to do was just show them the direction, Yash''s enemies rowed the boat through the rivers without her intervention. And without Mr. Walia''s support, he became a sitting duck. The very people who had put him on the top of the food chain had worked so hard to pull him back down just for a little benefit.


    But Shreya was not finished�� in fact she had just started. The crown jewel of her blow against Naren and Yash was still pending. But she was bidding for some time.


    She was just playing a rat and mouse game with them�� Even though she wanted to be done with them as soon as possible, she still kept her patience and waited for the right time to give them the final blow to maximize the effect.


    Because of her hands, Shreya was inconvenient to do much of anything. And on a rare occasion, Charan was free today after a week.


    Adam and Preethi had taken Akira and Akil to play today and hence Akira was bound to stay over at Charan''s parent''s place��


    That left Shreya and Charan.


    Charan had come from work earlier as did Shreya�� Shreya more like abandoned her work and came here but then who is going to ask her? Especially given Shreya was injured.


    With a thud, the pan fell down from the counter crash-landed on the floor. Thankfully, there was nothing on the pot. Shreya was just trying to help by washing them for Charan but then for a person who was already very clumsy with the kitchen, washing proved to be very difficult with one hand.


    Shreya stopped to stare at the pot as if it had committed an unforgivable crime to her. Her lips pouted and her cheeks puffed up.


    Not that he hadn''t tried before�� but Shreya being the stubborn person she was insisted that she was going to help him saying she still had one fine hand to work with. And seeing as she was not going to listen to him, he just let wash up the veggies and pots he needed while he prepped the other thing. But just as he turned his back, he heard the crash.


    "You sit here�� and don''t move from here�� I can handle it just fine as long as you do not get in the way!" Charan said sternly pointing his index finger at her seriously.


    Shreya''s eyes looked at him pissed. She really couldn''t resist biting down on his finger when he was she was getting in the way.


    "Shreya��" Charan pulled out his fingers and exclaimed in pain.


    "You do whatever you want�� I won''t ''get in the way''" Shreya sulked turning her face away from him.


    Charan just chuckled as he pecked on her cheeks and said, "You just wait a bit�� dinner is going to be ready in no time!!"

 Chapter 370 - Aren’t you the perfect little princess!

    But Shreya''s anger did not last long as her eyes landed on Charan cooking. Everything else flew out of her head as she stared at him.


    "Would you stop staring at me?" Charan asked rolling his eyes.


    Charan had left some files in his home�� so, he came back and for the convenience of it, they just decided to stay over for the weekend.


    Charan was making them dinner while Shreya was sitting over the counter and kept staring at him�� Her eyes were bright and almost obsessive when she looked at him.


    "Have I ever told you how delicious you look when you cook!!?" Shreya blurted out the first thought that came out of her head.


    Maybe it was her kink�� a fetish. She just really liked Charan when he cooked. In his formal white shirt tucked to his elbows, his hands swiftly moving around�� he was almost like a bu??erfly gliding through the flowerbed when he was cooking in the kitchen.


    Charan couldn''t help but look back at her as he said, "I am not a food, Shreya��" His lips formed into an unnatural arch.


    "I know you are not food! I will not eat you, don''t worry��" Shreya said righteously but her eyes never deterred far from him.


    "Are you sure about that? Because your eyes are telling me otherwise!!" Charan said turning around giving his attention back to making dinner.


    "I cannot eat you even if wanted to�� I am a vegetarian!!" Shreya pronounced proudly.


    Charan just rolled his eyes as he mumbled under his breath, Well, who was the one who had tried to bite off my fingers just some time ago!


    "Hey�� I was not trying to eat your fingers�� I was just making a point!!" Shreya protested defensively.


    Charan put everything on simmer and turned back once more as he asked, "And what point is that?" He stood right in front of Shreya stranding her.


    Shreya slightly moved back startled when Charan suddenly decreased the gap between them but then when she heard his question, she leaned over and said wither head held high, "That I am the boss�� and you do not get to scold me in front of me!"


    Charan couldn''t help but give her an amused smile as he asked, "So, what should I do when you are misbehaving?"


    "Hey, I am a good girl! I never misbehave!! Ever!" Shreya practically beamed when she said that.


    Her smiling eyes were like a switch for him that made his heart swirl to her whims.


    "Aren''t you the perfect little princess!!" Even though he wanted to make it sarcastic, he failed miserably. So, when he said it, it came out more adoringly than being cynical.


    "Obviously!" Shreya confirmed nodding proudly.


    But before she could add anything to it, Charan captured her red shiny lips for a long sheering kiss. Shreya was caught off guard but she did not resist as she reciprocated enthusiastically.


    Charan did not fully pull away though. He rested his forehead on her as he whispered, "A very good girl indeed!! Very obedient!" Even when there was a slight amusement in his voice when he said it�� there was also a lot of sincerity in them��


    And this time it was her heart''s turn to misbehave. She did not even know where the shyness came from. For someone who was immensely thick-skinned, Charan''s compliment made her blush�� For a bratty person, she had never been called a good girl�� and she was defiantly not obedient. So, obviously, she had never been called such from a very young age. Not even from her parents.


    So, even when she knew he was probably teasing her�� she couldn''t help herself from being happy.


    "Come on�� dinner is getting cold!!" Charan said beckoning her to the table.  While Shreya was immersed in sweet honey, Charan had already taken their food out of the kitchen and set up the table.


    Shreya got down from the counter and reached the dining table and sat down looking obedient. But you can see she was biting the corner of her lips to prevent herself from smiling too much.


    But as soon as she saw the food in front of her, she gave them her full attention and gobbled away.


    "Charan!" Shreya called out once she was out of the shower.


    In the past few days, she figured out a way to go around her injuries and actually have a shower without much fuzz. She wrapped up her injured hand on the whole tightly before going in. Charan was the one who inquired around.


    But she can do only so much with one hand. So, Charan had to help her dress up�� the first time it was awkward as hell. But with Shreya being Shreya�� he got used to it by now. But mostly she would have already worn her inner wears.


    The same was true for today�� she had worn her shorts and bra�� but her sweatshirt was stuck over her head. She had shirts in her own apartment but she as usual forgot to pack and was stuck with t-shirts and hoodies and it just wouldn''t fall past her neck no matter how much she tried. And now she was stuck in a very awkward position where she cannot move.


    Charan did not bother with the t-shirt. It was very inconvenient to wear it for her even with someone''s help. So, he pulled the t-shirt over her head and discarded it over his bed and reached for his own cupboards, and took one of his shirts.


    "Thanks��" Shreya sighed in relief once the t-shirt came off.


    Once she was done, Shreya instantly curled up in the bed�� because of her arms, she really couldn''t sleep on the couch even if she wanted to. So, she did not bother.


    Charan just ruffled her head and went to take a shower.

 Chapter 371 - I am not that proficient in cleaning just yet!

    Shreya was startled awake when she heard a loud noise�� the banging noise was loud and almost felt as if someone had forced the doors open�� she blinked her eyes to look around but it was pitch dark��


    "Charan��" She called out moving her hands to feel around. But to her surprise, she found the bed to be empty and she heard footsteps�� a lot of them. IN a minute or so, the light in the room came back on. Shreya blinked her eyes awake and got down from the bed when she heard footsteps on the other side of the door and she saw shoes make a shadow through the ridges.


    Shreya''s spines tingled as she reached for her gun and walked out as quietly as she can with her gun pointed out. But as soon as she opened the doors to the bedroom, she was met with a big wall of guys back blocking the room. And with Shreya''s height, she cannot even look over what was happening.


    Just when Shreya tried to pry forward, she heard someone command anxiously, "Shreya�� stay back�� there is a breach and the ?ssailant is armed!! It is not safe here��"


    Shreya stopped on her track�� but she still moved slightly to look around at what was happening. Charan was stuck behind some of the guys just like she was.


    There were about 5 people in the room. Two in front of Shreya, two in front of Charan,  and Andrew was facing the culprit.


    Shreya first made sure Charan was okay before giving her attention to the culprit. Her eyes frowned. The culprit was actually facing away from her so, she could not get a clear look. But the structure looked awfully familiar. Just the side profile was very familiar.


    Everyone had their guns drawn except for Charan. The culprit even had two guns drawn. She was careful not to let any of Shreya''s guys to her back�� she kept moving and pointing her guns in such a way that she had all of them in front of her.


    The whole house was very tense�� nobody even dared to breathe loudly as they focused on the situation at hand. The air became stagnant.


    Until of course, Shreya opened her mouth��


    "Hey there�� can you go back and come again in the morning maybe��? it is in the middle of the freaking night and I need to be in a meeting tomorrow morning?" Shreya asked away annoyed.


    Coming face to face, Shreya instantly recognized the person�� not that Delaney was trying to hide anyways.


    After all, like Aleesha, she was also a dead man walking. So, nobody will ever recognize her or will be about to let her be accountable even if she was caught in cameras. Especially in this country. She was all geared up but she had never bothered to cover her face anyways. Even without any support, with just her skill, Delaney will disappear from the country without anyone ever being able to find her��


    "Long time no see, Shreya��" Delaney greeted taking a step back and pushing all the guys in front of her with her back to the window�� She was careful not to be fully cornered. For a person so completely overwhelmed by the number of people against her, Delaney actually looked calm.


    "Not long enough�� You are pretty far from home! I was not exactly looking forward to seeing you ever again when I left T country." Shreya said casually. She was talking as if she cannot see all the guns around. With her tone, people are going to think they were talking over a bottle of beer or something.


    "Just running an errand�� If you can just come with me, things can go easier for me�� and I can leave this place and your boy toy intact��" Delaney smirked giving Shreya an icy look.


    Instinctively, Charan brought Shreya behind him as he looked at Delaney��


    "He has some guts�� I will give you that!!" Delaney mocked looked at Charan''s reaction.


    "Oh, he has more than guts�� and are you sure you are not just being jealous?!!" Shreya replied back beaming at her not really bothered by anything around. She even peeked out from behind Charan and stuck her tongue out.


    Taking advantage of Shreya''s distraction, the other guys moved closer to Delaney very slowly. But Delaney noticed it immediately as she gave the guys a fierce look and said, "Stay back�� or else this place is going to get an awful lot noisier!!"


    "Stand your grounds!" Shreya commanded. She was really not looking forward to spilling blood here��


    "Oh, and by the way, you won''t be able to get out of through that window�� you are surrounded. Just saying you know�� I am not looking forward to dirtying this place�� You see, I am not that proficient in cleaning just yet!! And I am still injured��" Shreya shrugged and commented casually.


    "Fuck!! How many guys do you have in this place!?!" Delaney exclaimed. When she came in, the place was deserted and the front door only had a freaking latch and an old rusted lock�� But who knew as soon as she stepped into the house, the power went out and the next thing she knew, there were an awful lot of guys with guns surrounding her�� she never even got to take a step.


    "More than you could imagine�� So, unless you want to end up being dead, you better surrender now��" Shreya said but before she could finish, Shreya''s phone buzzed. Shreya patiently listened to the other end before saying, "It''s okay�� just take them away. We will deal with them later��"


    Even though Shreya said that she knew Delaney was not one to go down without a fight.


    If she was really cornered, she might start shooting randomly. So, Shreya did not know what to do about this situation�� if it was anyone else, her guys can handle it without much fuzz. But dealing with Delaney was quite trickly. She is someone cruel not only to others but also to herself. She does not fear anything or anyone which makes it impossible to control her.

 Chapter 372 - House cat

    Time remained the same inside to house�� but with every minute passing by, the situation was getting volatile and out of control.


    "Shreya�� it''s time you take Charan and leave this place�� we can handle it��" Andrew whispered to Shreya.


    Without having to worry about protecting both of them, the guys will actually be able to handle this better. And without Shreya here, Delaney actually will lose the leverage.


    But Shreya also knew Delaney would never let them leave. The minute she tried to take a step out of the living room, Delaney is going to go ballistic. She might not care about herself, but Shreya cannot blindly take such a chance. So, she decisively dismissed Andrew''s idea.


    "Since it seems like we are going to be stuck here for a while, why don''t we talk? Are you so short of money that you started taking ''errands'' now?" Shreya asked walking from behind the guys.


    Of course, Charan tried to hold her back but Shreya never gave him the chance to stop her as she slyly slipped past him. Now she stood facing Delaney unarmed.


    Delaney sneered.


    "Do you really think I would need money? Balls. I came here for you of course��" Delaney said smirking.


    "Well, I am flattered but I don''t feel honored," Shreya dryly answered rolling her eyes. "Anyways, you got caught just like that even before you could lay a finger on me��"


    "Don''t be so sure just yet��" Delaney smirked.


    "Oh! Did I fail to mention it before? You are out of luck today�� your getaway car just got towed by our guys�� you are a sitting duck here Delaney�� So, unless you want to really end up being dead, I would advise you to put down your guns now��" Shreya said sharply. As soon as the words left her mouth, Shreya knew things were coming to an end.


    Just when she was looking around for an opportunity, Shreya noticed something from the corner of her eyes, and her eyes widened alarmed in spite of herself.


    Between her talking and bickering with Delaney to distract her�� somehow, Charan had slipped away from the group and was almost beside Delaney by now.


    "Charan!!" Shreya called out panicked. But by the time Shreya called out, Charan had already made his move.


    Charan tackled one of the guns in Delaney''s hands and pointed it straight to her head while Delaney recovered pretty quickly and pointed the gun back at his head. Both were facing each other.


    "Seems like you were not such a simple boy toy after all!!" Delaney sneered looking at Charan furiously.


    "I never said I was�� You just ?ssumed." Charam smirked back. His hand on the gun was steady and his eyes straight. There was no trace of fear in him as he faced Delaney�� That was not something any ordinary guy can do�� The ease with which Charan was holding the gun was not like someone who is seeing it for the first time��


    Delaney never gave Charan any attention from the start because as far as she was concerned, he was unimpressive. A normal family man�� She never put him in eyes.


    Even though Delaney might not have anything else�� she has a lot of pride in herself�� she had a lot of arrogance when it came to her skill. So, for her, using a loose end to catch her prey was beneath her. And as far as she was concerned, Charan and his whole family was just a loose end for Shreya�� nothing more. That is why her eyes never deterred from Shreya�� her eyes never stayed on Charan.


    So, she never thought of using anything like that against Shreya in the first place�� she wanted Shreya and she came here to get her�� straight and simple.


    But looking at Charan now, she knew she probably made a mistake�� He did not look like an ordinary house cat.


    Maybe on a normal day, he was an ordinary house cat�� but if he was put into situations, Charan was a fighter�� a survivor. He was not someone to give up that easily��


    "You want to challenge me?" Delaney asked giving him a fierce look. But then she had a mocking gaze as she challenged him. She looked as if she was daring him to take up the challenge. You can see the excitement in her eyes�� anger subsided into elation. This feeling was what she lived for�� facing the danger and being able to overcome it. But her excitement froze when she met Charan''s unflickering eyes.


    "No�� I do not want to fight you�� I am not that skilled. I just do not like people breaking into my home! So, can you just do me a favor and leave us alone��! Anyways, you do not have anything personal with any of us." Charan replied very calmly without flinching.


    Delaney was slightly surprised by his answer. She is a wanderer�� no human attachments. Full of pride and ego to last a lifetime�� And when she was facing Charan, she can see he was determined and stubborn to protect himself and Shreya but he did not have any arrogance or ego��


    After all, no man is ever going to be able to not boast himself when a woman is going to so blatantly mock you. So, as far as she was concerned, he was an alien creature.


    Before anyone could react to anything, a gunshot went out and the next second, the window glass behind Delaney shattered and the gun in Delaney''s hands fell with a thud with blood splashed all over its handle.


    "Fuck!!!" Delaney cursed out loud in pain. She trashed her bleeding hands to get rid of the pain.


    But the people around her never gave her enough time to recover. Everyone around moved pretty quickly after that as Andrew restrained Delaney�� And once again Charan ended up being surrounded as one of the guys pulled him behind them.


    They even made sure to take away his gun��

 Chapter 373 - Do I look like I care…?

    The next thing Charan knew as soon as he handed over the gun, he was punched in the gut�� pretty hard only to be left to face a very furious-looking Shreya staring down at him as he clenched on his stomach in pain��


    "Ouch, Shreya��" Charan exclaimed unconsciously. But he never got to say anything more as Shreya practically squeezed him inside out in the name of a hug.


    "You scare me like that one more time, it won''t end with just a punch!" Shreya threatened. Her heart almost stopped when he was facing Delaney�� Thankfully, Zack came in time�� or else she did not even want to think about the consequences.


    Charan simply wrapped his arms around her rubbed her back soothingly. Her whole body was slightly shivering. He could almost hear her heart beating out of her ribs.


    "Hey, I am fine�� it''s okay. I knew what I was doing�� she never put me in her eyes�� She never wanted anything to do with me." Charan said gently as he held her back. His hands rested on the back of her protectively as she tried to calm herself down.


    He was not really foolish enough to put his life at stake to play a hero�� he knows what''s at stake. But he also saw that from the moment Delaney broke in, her eyes never stayed at him even for a second.


    He was in the kitchen getting some water when she broke in�� and before he could react, the whole living room was filled with people in a blink of an eye.


    He knew Shreya had guys guard the house, but he never thought it was this extensive. He was amazed and at the same time felt complicated. But he saw that even when Delaney was surrounded, her eyes searched for something and that something was not him�� she was vigilant toward all the guys around�� but not him.


    Initially, Charan was also paralyzed to place�� after all, training is different from experience. Only when he saw Shreya did he come back to his senses. He could sense Shreya was anxious. Not that he hadn''t seen her anxious before but this time she also seemed lost somehow as to how to deal with the whole situation. Her agitation was pretty obvious when he held her hands even though she had strived to keep her voice as casual as possible.


    He also saw a sort of craziness in Delaney''s eyes. Shreya had long told him about Delaney and Darcie�� so, he knew the general things about them�� So, he knew unless someone was going to step in, the situation was going to get bad real soon.


    So, when Shreya started talking to her�� Delaney completely focused on her and even her guns were unconsciously converged on Shreya�� So, he knew if Delaney felt threatened, the first person she was going to take a shot on was going to be Shreya and he couldn''t let that happen�� so, he sneaked in behind the guys.


    Even though he was not a short guy, compared to him, Shreya''s guys were practically giants. So, it was easy. So, he was able to reach Delaney under their cover completely concealed until he came into Shreya''s line of sight��


    Almost most of his free time was spent with Zack when they were separated�� he trained and Zack co-operated given he was going to have to be around Shreya for a long time�� even if he did not protect Shreya, Charan needed to be able to protect himself.


    And given he had an element of surprise, he was able to tackle on gun out of her�� but Delaney''s speed was still unimaginable. So, they once again came to a stalemate. So, he once again did what Shreya was doing�� stall for time, and distract her. He kept calm because he knew panicking was going to be of no help.


    "I don''t care�� you just don''t get to scare me like that again!!" Shreya mumbled back in a weak voice.


    "Okay�� I promise. I won''t��" Charan answered and simultaneously took her back to their room. She did not look like she was going to be able to stand on her own two feet for very long in the state she was in right now.


    He sat her down on the bed and went out a get her some water. But just as he pulled out, Shreya asked alarmed, "Where are you going?"


    "I am going to get you some water��" Charan said and left her in the room and went out.


    Just as he walked out, he ran into Zack.


    "Where is she?" Zack asked.


    "Inside�� I just sat her down��" Charan replied and went away.


    As soon as Shreya heard someone opening the door, she looked up but then got slightly disappointed when she saw Zack instead of Charan.


    Zack couldn''t help roll his eyes at that��  Shreya was such an open book sometimes that it was not even funny anymore.


    "Are you okay?" He asked. Even he was taken aback when he saw the scene.


    "Yep�� your timing was perfect," Shreya answered slightly smiling.


    Charan came back in and handed Shreya some warm milk�� Shreya obediently took it without any protest.


    "Are we still waiting?" Zack asked. Even though it might look like he was being cryptic�� he actually was not because both of them in the room instantly understood.


    "Nope�� Call everyone up�� I do not want Yash and Naren roaming around anymore�� We will meet with them in an hour��" Shreya instructed.


    Zack nodded her head and left the room.


    "You want to change before going out?" Charan asked. He knew this would happen. After what happened, it was inevitable. So, he did not even bother to ask anything.


    "I will change�� you should to�� don''t think I am going to leave you alone here. You are coming with me!!" Shreya said downing the milk.


    "Shreya�� I have a client meeting in the morning�� I cannot just up and come with you��" Charan wh?n?d.


    Shreya just looked straight at him giving him a dry look as she said, "Do I look like I care��? I am not leaving you alone here��"

 Chapter 374 - Dad will be sad…

    Charan crashed on the couch and closed his eyes��


    Everyone was there. Zack, Srinivas, Akash, Adam, Anand, and Harshad. Shreya as usual sat on the head of the table as she organized everything that had to be done tomorrow.


    This time around, they took after Adithya and asked for the help of Aaryan- the police officer who first came to Shreya and explained about her parent''s case.


    It would have been a headache to get Yash arrested when he still had his position�� but after he lost the position, he became a common man.


    But Shreya really cannot take all the credit for stripping Yash of his position so completely. His own party pitted him�� and on top of that, Yash had pissed a lot of his sponsors because of the bringing down of the syndicate.


    Shreya just had to give them the courage and strip him of his public image. Like a domino effect, everything came tumbling down one after the other.


    "What are you going to do with Delaney?" Zack asked.


    Shreya was having a headache with this one�� She really did not know what to do with her.


    "Just hold her with others for now��" Shreya said after struggling with it for a while.


    "Are you going to hand her over to the police?" He asked again. After all, this was not the first time Yash or Naren had tried to take a swing on Shreya or Charan and his family�� they just never made it anywhere near the actual people for anyone to know, until Delaney of course.


    "No�� putting her in jail is of no use�� leave her be for now. I will come up with something�� anyways, we have enough against Yash and Naren even without her��" Shreya said. "But be cautious�� she is more slippery than Aleesha�� and she is not alone. There is a possibility of someone is going to try to come and rescue her�� if that happens, just let her go. Anyways, she was just going to go back to T country. If we want, we can always find her back�� It is not worth the fight."


    Shreya can say that mainly because Delaney never ended up doing any damage to anyone. And she also sensed, even though it seemed like she was there to kill her�� but the way she behaved, it was more like she came to pick a fight with her.


    So, Shreya did not want to make an enemy out of her for something like that�� it was not worth it. Delaney was better an ally than a foe. Making her an enemy might end up being a bigger headache than beating the syndicate. And Shreya did not want that�� what she wants right now is to be done with this shit. It was already one too many enemies than she already planned for�� she was not looking forward to extending that list. One Yash was enough.


    Once everything is done, everyone started leaving.


    "Anand uncle��" Shreya called back. She extended a file to him biting her lips. You can see her hesitating.


    "These were things you asked me to find on Uncle Ram��" She explained.


    Anand took it over and flipped it open. He gave it a quick skimming before nodding his head. You can see all the complicated emotions racing through his head.


    "Are you sure you want to be the one doing this? I can just do it�� anyways, there is not going to be much love lost between us!" Shreya offered. Normally, she can let it go�� but Zeenath was still in a coma because of what he did. And she can never forgive him for that�� and she cannot stay back and let them stab her in the back just because she keeps turning blind eyes towards them. They had already tried to kill her twice�� and she was not looking forward to the third time�� and what if Akira or someone else was with her when that happens? She cannot take that chance. Family or not, they need to go away�� She was done tolerating them.


    But what she did not want was Anand to do it��


    After all, Ram had an animosity was with her but Ram and Anand grew up as brothers from their childhood. She did not want to ruin that relationship.


    "There is not going to be any love lost between us either�� he stopped being a family and my brother the minute he sided with people to harm you�� So, you don''t have to feel sorry for him or me�� he had lost that right!" Anand said sternly. He then pulled Shreya and gave her a warm hug.


    "Dad will be sad��" Shreya mumbled. After all, even if they did not have the same parents�� until Adithya was around, all three of them got along as closest siblings. And now, Adithya was no longer here�� Anand had only one other brother�� she did not want to take it away from him. But it did not work out.


    "Nope�� if I knew your dad at all, trust me�� he is not going to be sad but furious�� at Ram. He would have probably put him on a chopping board and minced him by now�� nobody touches his baby girl!! Ever��" Anand answered with conviction.


    "I should have done this a long time ago��" Anand commenting regrettably looking at the documents in hand. But just like Shreya�� even he endured because he was family��


    He thought if it was just a few hurtful words, as long as he can keep Shreya away from them�� things will be fine. But he never thought their jealousy and hatred towards Shreya was so deep to the point they will stop seeing reason altogether��


    "Don''t think about it too much. Go and get some sleep�� we will do the rest��" Anand said pecking on her temples before leaving the room.


    Shreya looked around at Charan''s peaceful expression. She quickly switched off the lights and joined him.


    "Are you done?" Charan mumbled when he felt Shreya lie down beside him. This couch at Shreya''s office was actually pretty spacious given how many times she crashes in here.


    "Yup��" Shreya answered and let out a yawn.


    "Go on�� get some sleep��" Charan said patting her back holding her tightly.

 Chapter 375 - Looking pretty as a doll as she slept.

    "Yash- aiding and abetting terrorists!! Was this the only isolated incident�� or was he a spy for a foreign nation!?!"


    "Naren- was he really a double agent working for the government or against the government?"


    Such colorful headlines flashed the next morning.


    Shreya''s media houses broke the news at first before the whole nation followed course. Not just the news media, even the social media had similar breaking exposures with solid pieces of evidence. Shreya''s people, of course, gave the originals to the police along with the guys they had caught in the act�� and there were a lot. And most of them had turned into informants and confessed to their crimes in the police station which made their jobs so much easier.


    Because of the original ?ssassination attempt on Shreya and the robbery on Sri corp. was actually publicized as a terrorist attack on domestic soil, Shreya made use of it.


    Even though Yash had originally done this to stir clear from trouble, it actually helped Shreya in corning him. Yash might have thought he was being clever about it by washing his hands off of the whole event by pointing fingers in a completely opposite direction�� but it came to bite at his ?ss.


    With the help of Rudra- the ex-chief of the intelligence bureau, Shreya first proved that Naren was never an informant. After all, in order to make it look authentic for the court, Yash had produced physical documents. And since all the documents that pass through the bureau should have been signed by the chief, Rudra''s signatures were forged along with the documents. And Yash had also signed in those documents as the Prime Minister.


    Even when he was no longer working there, he still had some people who were loyal to him. They had long wanted to help him when he was framed but did not have the means or the strength to go against the Prime Minister. So, when they got the opportunity, they came forward to help. With their help, Rudra was able to prove that he was in fact framed and that he never took any bribe whatsoever in his career. And his lifestyle spoke for him.


    Rudra did not even have a family. His whole life was dedicated to his work�� His work was his life�� so, when Yash took that away from him, he no longer had anything to lose. So, even without Shreya, Rudra was planning on fighting back�� with Shreya''s support, the whole thing was just a lot more smoother.


    So, when Rudra testified that those documents were forged and he was framed, Yash became the obvious culprit with physical evidence.


    And when Shreya proved that the person behind her office bombing was actually Naren, he became a terrorist and Yash became someone aiding a terrorist.


    It is not only dramatic but they are also disgusted upon. More than that, terrorists have lesser rights in the country even as prisoners. And the cases are also handled more strictly and swiftly than any. Nobody will be able to save them now�� nobody wanted to either.


    So, when the whole thing came out, the whole country went into an uproar. After all, even if they could overlook Naren being a terrorist, the public couldn''t digest the fact that Yash- someone who had been the leader of the country was actually aiding him.


    If they had scolded Yash for his previous exposes, this time they were outright cursing him.


    But the person who created all this uproar was actually sleeping peacefully at that moment in her office.


    The media was going crazy to get a glimpse of Shreya to ask her what was her thoughts on all this�� after all, the attempt was on her office and on her life. But at that moment, Shreya was snuggling into Charan looking pretty as a doll as she slept.


    Charan woke up when the lights came on followed by a surprised shriek. He blinked his eyes open only to find Anne standing at the entrance startled.


    The speed at which Shreya was able to rebuild her office was exponentially impractical. But she did it anyways. Today was Anne''s first day in office after that incident. Just being here made her on edge��


    But when she entered the office, she was not looking forward to seeing anything moving at all. So, when she saw Charan sit up, her body panicked even before her mind could register what she was seeing.


    Charan kept his finger over his lips gesturing her to keep quiet. And Anne instantly froze in place�� but after a minute, she came back to life and left the office.


    Shreya stirred in her sleep but did not wake up. Charan woke up and checked the time.


    It was only 10''o clock. By the time Shreya actually went to sleep, it was almost 6. So, Charan did not wake her up but quietly exited the office.


    He first went into her lounge to get freshened up before going to get some coffee for himself.


    "Hey, Anne�� Shreya is still sleeping�� unless it is absolutely necessary, try not to disturb her. She did not get much sleep all night. And if she wakes up before I come back, inform her I will be back after I am done with the meeting��" Charan said knocking on Anne''s office.


    Anne nodded her head diligently. Even though she had recovered, Charan could still see some bumps and bruises on her hands and face.


    "It''s good to see you recovered��" Charan added smiling at her.


    "Thank you, sir. You have a good day��" Anne smiled.


    Charan left for office. But to keep Shreya''s peace of mind, he did not forget to inform Zack and took his bodyguards with him.

 Chapter 376 - He died out of guilt.

    Naren and Yash were arrested that very afternoon and were sent to the maximum-security prison straight away. No matter how much they tried to explain that they were not foreign terrorists, it went into deaf years.


    After all, none of their enemies can leave such a good opportunity to go to waste. So, even when they knew Naren and Yash were in fact telling the truth, nobody came forward to help.


    Yash knew too many secrets about the political party and its members. So, finishing him off as early as possible will benefit everyone. So, this time, Shreya did not even have to push or say anything to anyone�� the whole government worked tirelessly and very efficiently. Yash never even got a chance to fight back�� any and all communication with the outside world was blocked. Terrorists do not have the normal privilege other prisoners get.


    The verdict for the case actually came out at record speed. Even the public opinion fell drastically as the people started to speculate that Yash had worked so tirelessly to eliminate the syndicate, not because of the good but because he wanted to get rid of the competition.


    Not only Rudra�� even Dhruv had testified against Naren this time�� With all the evidence he gave and his testimonial, it was proved that Naren was absolutely behind the bombing.


    Just before the day of the verdict, Shreya went to visit them.


    In the tattered gloomy-looking room, she sat there opposite a chained and battered-looking Naren.


    "Do you really have to push me to no return?" Naren asked the question looking frustrated.


    "Well, you were the one who tried to kill me and you had killed my parents�� so, there is no reason why I should show mercy to you!!" Shreya shrugged off.


    "Your dad was the reason why my dad died�� So, killing your parents was justified. I cannot just sit back after seeing my dad die��" Naren flared up. His eyes went red with the chained clinked as he tried to pull on them.


    Shreya was slightly startled when she heard that��


    "My dad never even came near you dad.. do not sprout nonsense." She replied indifferently once she came out of her shock.


    Naren let out a sneer before saying, "I am not the one who is spouting nonsense. Your dad died because he was being a nuisance. He just couldn''t let it go�� it had been years since Girish died�� why did he have to dig it all up all over again after so many years�� if only he hadn''t done something like that, my dad wouldn''t have gotten afraid and killed himself�� if only your dad had let it go, none of this could have happened�� If my dad hadn''t died like that, I wouldn''t have even joined the syndicate in the first place and killed him. So, don''t say your dad is innocent�� he is not. I will never forgive him��"


    If Shreya was startled before�� she was absolutely speechless now.


    She couldn''t help let out mocking laughter as she said, "You cannot keep blaming others for your ignorance�� your father''s suicide never had anything to do with my dad�� ever." Her voice was confident and absolute.


    "Liar�� my dad committed suicide just when Adithya started investigating Girish''s death all over again after so long�� So, it is he who killed my dad." Naren justified. You can see his emotions on point. Agitated and wronged.


    Shreya said looking at him sharply, "Your dad did not die because he was afraid of being convicted�� he died out of guilt."


    But she can see that Naren was not going to believe her with just the sarcastic look he was giving her. So, she started talking.


    "I know you are angry with me because I brought down the syndicate�� but the first person to start the whole process was actually your dad�� Have you ever wondered how in spite of all the secrecy, How Girish was able to know about the syndicate in such great detail��?" Her brows arched with her question.


    Naren looked up surprised for the first time�� because this was something he never could find out. How at all Girish was able to infiltrate into the syndicate so accurately. Because their structure is such that there was no specific place or specific location with which they were ?ssociated. So, nobody can get in touch with them so easily unless they themselves want to.


    Shreya gave him a mocking smile all over again before continuing, "It was your dad who sent him all those information anonymously. Even though he wanted it to stop, he did not have the courage to fully come forward in public�� He did not want to be called a traitor. He wanted to share the same fate as his friends and not be able to get away with it by being a witness. He was the one who gave Girish the information needed to infiltrate the syndicate!"


    Naren looked at her utterly shocked. He was speechless for the longest time when he tried to digest the things Shreya was saying. But when he did comprehend what she was saying, he shook his head frantically as he exclaimed, "No�� you are lying�� my dad would never do that�� He is not a traitor�� he would never betray his friends like that. Do not spout nonsense here just because you can say anything."


    "I am not spouting nonsense. And he did not want to betray his friends but he wanted to put a stop to all this�� he could not continue doing this�� SO, he did the one thing he could�� he gave information to the outside�� to someone who had the power and the integrity to bring them down. He gave it to Girish." Shreya said sitting back.


    "He would never do that!!" Naren repeated all over again.


    Shreya said looking straight into his face, "He did�� and he did it because he cannot live with the guilt anymore�� one of the operations he had brought forward had gone wrong�� terribly wrong. He was the one who proposed the job�� but because of technicalities, a bus full of kids were killed by accident�� from then on, your dad couldn''t bear the knowledge of it and tried to take responsibility by sending Girish the evidence�� But he did not have the guts to say this to his partners and they got Girish killed. So, when Adithya started digging up again, he took his chance and actually helped my dad get some of the evidence��"


    She paused before continuing, "He was holding on for so long because he wanted to make sure Adithya had everything he needed to bring down the syndicate before he took his own life�� the day he died was the 5 year anniversary of those kids."

 Chapter 377 - For him, his father was everything.

    Naren became absolutely silent as he heard Shreya�� he did not know what to think anymore as everything he had perceived real was suddenly said to be something in his own head. He did not know how to react anymore. His mind froze in place.


    For him, his father was everything. Even when he wasn''t around him much when Naren was growing up because of his duty in the army, his dad made it a point to let him know he loved him. His own mother was very vain in nature�� She wouldn''t stop complaining about everything and anything while his own father was a person who was very humble and down-to-earth kind of person. All his mother ever cared about was going to parties and showing off her bags to her friends in society while he grew up with nannies. No matter how much his dad earned, it was never enough for her mother and his father actually earned quite a lot for leading a comfortable enough life�� after all, he was a senior officer in the army. But his mother was not someone to be satisfied with. Just when she got one thing she wanted, her eyes will always wander around all over again.


    His mother was someone who was incapable of caring for anyone or anything other than herself. She never bothered to think about anyone at all�� Her own d?s?r?s and her perceived sufferings were above all else�� she never ever stopped think if at all others around her might be suffering more than herself.


    So, the result was, of course, his mother fighting with his dad everything time he came back home from the army�� they fought so much that Naren would prey his dad would work more rather than coming home. And when he retired, things just got so much worse�� So, you see�� whatever emotional support he got from his childhood, it was from his father.


    So, Naren was someone who looked up to him�� his father was his aspiration. Naren never knew right or wrong�� he just knew his father. He did not particularly care or gave a damn about anything else at all. So, when that was taken away from him�� his whole world became colorless�� he was filled with hatred. And then he was surrounded by his mother all the time and all the baggage that came along with filling his father''s shoes in the syndicate. People vain praises filled up the hollow of his heart�� people boasting him became a high he lived for and he did anything for that. Being in the noise�� being in the center of attention filled his emptiness a bit.


    "Your dad died to make up a mistake�� and he never wanted to involve you in the syndicate in the first place but you were too stubborn�� You thought he was trying to deprive you of your inheritance and looking down on you�� so, in a way, he did it for your own good too��"


    His father did do it for him in a way�� After all, he knew his own son and he couldn''t bear to see Naren being shaped into someone like him. He wanted to pull down the syndicate with when he died. His father thought as long as he was not in the picture and the syndicate was down, Naren could turn a new leaf and follow his heart instead of following him around. But the problem was, he actually turned up just like him�� And Naren ended up being the person who made all of his efforts to naught by killed Shreya''s parents.


    "You can ask around to know whether I was lying or not�� you can ask Abimanyu�� he knows it better than I did. If you ask him directly he would not lie to you�� They came to know of it only after your dad had already died. They found out what he was up to when they tried to find out why he took his own life as he did�� Your dad also wrote a letter to them before he took his own life asking them to stop all this nonsense�� But they were too angry with his betrayal and never heeded to him. And then you joined them with a whole lot of anger and stubbornness of your own and they simply let it go because they understood why he did what he did when they saw you."


    "They hid it from you because they wanted to protect you��" She emphasized each and every word.


    Only after seeing Naren did Abhimanyu and Abishek decided to keep their own children as far away as possible from the syndicate.


    Naren became someone completely different after his father''s death��


    Till then, he was just a spoilt brat�� he got into a lot of trouble just so he could have the attention of his parents. And his father for most parts indulged him�� and it slowly became a habit and his personality. But after his father died, he became downright evil�� and vain even. He became the very thing he hated in his own mother. Even when the reason why he became the person he was, was completely different from her mother being completely callous to any or every human emotion.


    Shreya then took out an envelope and extended them towards Naren.


    "This is your father''s will�� he never left his inheritance to you�� He actually donated everything to a charity. He never wanted you to live off of the money he earned from the syndicate�� only thing you got was the house he bought when he was still in the army. But you were like a mad bull back then, so his friends actually covered it up. You can see for yourself��" Shreya said.


    "So, if you really are your father''s son, and just shut up and silently die in here and pay for your deed!!" Shreya said coldly and walked away. She did not bother to wait for his reply even. And she did not need it either because she knew even if he did not want to submit, he did not really have any other choice at this juncture.


    But more than that, the minute she saw his face�� she knew more than the pain of the body, his heart is in more pain at this moment knowing about his father.


    It was just such a shame�� if only Abhimanyu and Abhishek hadn''t hidden it from him from the start�� if they hadn''t made the choices for him�� Naren might have actually turned out to be a different person altogether.

 Chapter 379 - You wake up already okay?? I am your boss…

    Shreya walked through the deserted corridors with her sneakers making almost no noise�� the smell of disinfectant hit her strongly as soon as she entered the corridor. The smell still repelled her�� Her brows couldn''t help frown unconsciously. Her sneakers squeaked every now and then as she walked over the sparkling clean floors.


    Her cast was still there but it was not as extravagant and as restraining as it was when they first put it�� last week, the doctor changed it to a more convenient model. SO, now she can move her hand very slightly but still not by much.


    Even when she walked confidently so far, as soon as she reached the room, her steps faltered. She stood there not daring to move even an inch for a long time.


    She had vowed that she would come to see Zeenath only when everyone responsible for her state had been dealt with�� and today she had fulfilled that�� but now that she can see Zeenath, she couldn''t help being scared. She had flashbacks of seeing her parents all wrapped up in a room very similar to this one��


    She had not lost both her parents to something so illogical as a ''freak accident''. She could never get over that scene in her head�� The way she saw her parents after two whole years was actually in a body bag�� Life never felt more cruel to her than at that moment. After two years of not being home, she came back to a funeral!! She lost herself completely with no one there to catch her�� her whole life flipped upside down in a matter of few days. She lost her smile that day�� and she was afraid to lose it again when she had just found it all over again.


    She cannot afford to go through something like that again. She did not have the confidence to get back up if history repeats itself. She did not want to lose another person around her to death.


    But unlike the last time when life put her in a hopeless and helpless situation, this time she had hope��


    That hope is what was pushing her to get around without falling down yet�� the fact that Zeenath was still alive helped pushed her demons so far�� But being here in the deserted corridor with the stench of disinfectants suffocating her, she couldn''t help the demons coming back�� suddenly Zeenath being hurt became a reality that stared righted at her eyes rather than a piece of news she heard over a phone!


    Shreya took a deep breath before reaching for the doorknob. Her hands couldn''t help shake as she reached for them. She slowly pushed them and entered, willing herself not to run away.


    She had been closing her and saying she cannot see anything so far�� but the minute she opened her eyes, she had to face the colors�� she had no other option.


    The first thing that hits her is the steady beeping sound from the machine monitoring Zeenath''s heart beating�� even when it was scary, it also gave her a strange sort of comfort.


    But that comfort flew out the window when she actually laid eyes on Zeenath��


    In spite of the beeping, she looked lifeless in contrast to her usual bratty self. The whole of her right side still had cast. Her head was wrapped around like a mummy. She had incubators covering half her face.


    Shreya''s face paled instantly�� her sockets watered instantly. Her breathing hitched�� She had to lean her uninjured hand on her bed to keep herself from falling�� but when even that did not help, Shreya did not bother standing as she sat down on the floor.


    She sat facing away from her�� Shreya did not have the confidence to stay here staring at her face.


    "Hey," Shreya spoke. Her voice croaked but she continued. "I got those guys�� I got the bastards who did this to you. It is just a matter of time before they stop breathing altogether�� how long are you going to keep lying here? Didn''t you want to go on a date with Srinivas�� if you keep lying down here, I will set him up with someone else!! Don''t blame me then�� it is not my fault. It will be yours for sleeping too long!!" Shreya blabbered. She did not know what she was talking about half the time�� she can see the panic rise in herself but she did not stop talking.


    Shreya''s eyes kept spilling water without stopping as she talked. She forcefully wiped them away as she continued talking��


    "This is all your fault for being the biggest idiot!! You know that!! You idiot just had to turn the car around even when I clearly asked you to drive straight! What the hell were you thinking? That you can just sacrifice yourself and I will raise a statue in your name? Fat chance!! It will be just a waste of time and space to do something like that to an idiot who cannot even understand one simple instruction. Since this is all your own doing, I will not cry for you either!!"


    By that time Shreya stopped caring about what was coming out of her mouth as she said absolute nonsense. She just poured out everything she had been holding back all these days�� in her stupor, she did not even realize Srinivas coming into the room.


    "You wake up already okay?? I am your boss�� so, you have to listen to me if you want to get paid!! Or else I will just fire you and look for a replacement!" Shreya said.


    "You just don''t get to die on me, Zeenath. I will never allow you to��" She mumbled the last part as she rested her head over her knees looking exhausted and tired.


    "You do not get to do this to me�� not after everything!! So, you better wake and quickly before I lose my patience" She whispered with her head still buried between her knees.

 Chapter 380 - Ungrateful brat!!!”

    "Ungrateful brat!!!" Srinivas spoke scaring the crap out of Shreya. Even when his words seemed to criticize, he actually had an almost teasing mischievous look in his eyes when he said it. You can clearly see he did not mean his words literally.


    "You scared me!!" Shreya whisper exclaimed. She couldn''t help wonder how did she not notice him when he sat down so close to her. Her brows frowned inexplicably. But when she comprehended what Srinivas had just said, she couldn''t help but glare at him.


    "And she did what she did to save you�� instead of scolding and grumbling about it, you can just say thank you. She did it because she cares about you�� and it was her choice and she did it for your sake! So, it was not your fault whatsoever!" Srinivas continued not giving heed to Shreya''s sarcasm or glares.


    Shreya just snorted as she said, "Who asked her to do anything for my sake!! Hmph!! See if I pay her for this month�� she actually dared to defy a direct order!" She pouted looking angry.


    This was Shreya by the way. She never faced her grief head-on because it has the ability to paralyze her. So, she always delt it by diverting it�� she channeled it as anger. She did not mind if she looked conceited or petty while doing so��


    "Like I said, ungrateful brat!!" Srinivas repeated himself but did not add to it. But he couldn''t help flick his fingers on her forehead earning himself another glare from Shreya.


    "I am not ungrateful!!" Shreya stubbornly pouted rubbing over her forehead. Not that it hurt in the first place. Srinivas flickered very lightly. But subconsciously, she still rubbed over the place.


    Srinivas rolled his eyes but then asked, "So, you are agreeing you are a brat then?" He couldn''t help smirk at his own question.


    Shreya just gave him a dry look and did not even bother to respond this time.


    "Doctor said the swelling in her brain had reduced completely�� they can pull her out of the coma in a couple of days�� if she obediently accepts treatment, she is going to be good as new in a few more months!!" Srinivas said after a long time of staying silent sitting there.


    Shreya actually already knew of this news. Obviously, the doctors contact her first when they have any update on Zeenath�� so, she already knew of this news as soon as the doctors knew of it.


    Part of her was really glad and relieved. But another part of her was scared shitless�� because doctors said that after such a long time, there is also the risk of Zeenath going into an actual coma.


    "I know�� I am just scared!" Shreya whispered resting her head over her knees while her eyes lost their focus just the way he had found her in the first place.


    "She is tough! And she is not going to miss the chance of gloating to you anyways. She literally saved your sorry ?ss�� you think she is going to miss the chance to flaunt it?" Srinivas asked sarcastically.


    Shreya knew he was trying to lighten up the atmosphere a little and distract her and it worked too.


    "She did not save my ?ss!!" Shreya said resolutely.


    "You can keep telling yourself that!!" Srinivas rolled his eyes.


    Shreya once again pouted and turned her face away from him.


    "I met with my sister last weekend!" Srinivas said out of the blue.


    Obviously, Zeenath''s accident not only affected Shreya but also Srinivas��


    He realized how much fragile a person''s life can be. Not that he did not know of it�� he knew that better than anyone when he was still in the army. That is what drove him crazy in the first place�� He had seen one too many lives perish meaninglessly while he was on a mission.


    But he had forgotten it for a while when he had started living a more stable life. With Zeenath and everyone around, he had been looking forward to living his life actually. But this accident actually brought him back to the time when life gets lost with a snap of a finger.


    Facing things like that, he suddenly had the courage to face things�� he did not even know where the cowardice had actually come to him all this while.


    And like Shreya had said. At most, he is going to get punched in the face. And in this line of work, it will not be the first time it had happened nor would it be the last time! But death is something absolute and you do not know when you might lose the battle of life�� it is not in your hands�� and he did want to be with his family before he lost it.


    "Did she punch you in the face?" Shreya asked completely forgetting everything else for a second. You can see the gleam and excitement on her face when she asked it.


    Srinivas just stared at her speechlessly for a while. He couldn''t really say anything about her interests.


    "That is not the main point here, Shreya!!" Srinivas answered sarcastically rolling his eyes at her.


    "For me, this is the main point!! Did it hurt??" Shreya asked once again��


    Srinivas chuckled helplessly.


    "She did not punch!!" He answered.


    Shreya''s face fell instantly which actually left him speechless once again.


    "I should call your sister and teach her some things first�� If I were there, I would have first beat you blue and purple before even letting you into the house!!" Shreya mumbled under her breath.


    He once again flickered his fingers at her forehead earning a glare from her.


    "Don''t teach her bad habits!!" He scolded her.


    "This is not a bad habit�� this is standing up for oneself!!" Shreya said self righteously.


    "Standing up for yourself does not have to be violent like you said��"


    The bickering continued until the doctors came and interrupted them. But because of Srinivas, Shreya''s mood was not as heavy as it was when she first came in.. Except for her red eyes, it is hard to tell if she had cried.

 Chapter 381 - You guys have a nice weekend!

    "You see that? I can do this now!!" Shreya said gloatingly as she flexed her arm at Zeenath.


    After one full month of being cramped with cast and another two weeks of physical therapy, Shreya was at last healed and free. So, she had been ecstatic all day and the first person she came to show was of course Zeenath.


    Zeenath had woken up for weeks now�� of course, being her, she had to be dramatic and scare them for almost a week before waking up. That one full week had been literal hell for people around. Shreya had been camped up in her room for almost most of that week along with Srinivas.


    But thankfully, she did wake up. But that does not mean she can get out of bed anytime soon anyways.


    Her whole right side was crushed. After the first few days of bossing everyone around taking advantage of being hurt, it became old and Zeenath started getting restless and irritated not being able to get out of bed. She cannot even move her hands or legs just yet let alone get down from her bed.


    So, when Shreya gloated around moving her arms around all over the place, Zeenath couldn''t help glare at her with a sense of vengeance.


    "YOU!! You have no conscience!!" Zeenath scolded frustrated as she threw the apple in her uninjured hand aiming straight at Shreya without scruples.


    Shreya, of course, easily caught it and bit into it as she leisurely moved about in the room and sat on the couch in front of Zeenath and crossed her legs.


    "What this got to do with my conscience?? Did the accident damage your brain or what? I am just being a diligent friend here. I was concerned that you would be worried about my injuries and came here to sincerely show you that I have healed and tell you not to worry about me!!" Shreya babbled utter nonsense with a straight face looking at Zeenath with a smug smile on her face.


    "Worried about you, my ?ss? Why would I be worried about you when I am in this state because of you in the first place!! You ungrateful woman!!" Zeenath sneered at Shreya sarcastically.


    Shreya narrowed her eyes and replied nonchalantly, "Hey, that''s not right! I did not ask you to stupidly crash the car on your side. That was your own fault! I had no hand in it�� in fact, I explicitly asked you to drive straight! It is you who idiotically did something to yourself�� so, you cannot blame me for that! At best, I am responsible for letting you drive me there�� and I have long paid you for that! Didn''t I send your future husband to you on a silver platter!!? And anyway, you did not die!!"


    If outsiders are going to hear them speak, they were really going to take Shreya for a heartless bitch.


    Srinivas couldn''t help look at both of them bickering away speechlessly. And each time this happened he was as shocked as he had been the very first time he saw this��


    Shreya had been extremely sarcastic from the moment Zeenath woke up.


    If he had not seen her waste away for the period of time when Zeenath was in a coma, he himself would think Shreya was really an ungrateful brat instead of teasing her as such.


    But thankfully he had firsthand witness Shreya''s state when Zeenath did not wake up. Even he had a better composure over himself than Shreya�� Shreya practically started catching mold from sitting in the room the whole time�� she b?r?ly slept or left the room at all for one straight week. And thankfully, Zeenath actually woke up after that�� He did not know what would have happened to Shreya if she did not.


    "Can you guys get along like normal people rather than fighting like cats and dogs every time you meet!!?" He couldn''t help but ask exasperated. On normal days, he would just ignore the bunch altogether. But today, for some reason he had the urge to ask this out loud after all.


    "We are not fighting!!"


    "We are not fighting!!"


    Srinivas was left speechless once again.


    This was also another thing he had long since noticed about the two of them.


    As long as it was just between them, they will argue and bicker and fight until they can drive both of them and everyone around them crazy�� but the minute someone else tries to interfere, all the bickering and fighting will be long forgotten as they both start attacking the one trying to make peace.


    It doesn''t matter what their intentions are�� both of them will just suddenly join forces and attack them without any scruples or conscience.


    "OH!! By the way, Zeenath just agreed to marry you!" Shreya said out of the blue shocking both the people in the room. She looked utterly serious.


    Srinivas''s eyes snapped at Zeenath astonished. Not that he hadn''t heard Shreya joke around like this before�� but what she said still took his rationale away for a minute letting him not be able to think straight.


    Zeenath stared back at Srinivas for two straight minutes before regaining her ability to speak as she said, "I did not say anything like that!!"


    "You might not have said it straight�� but you implied it when you did not bother to correct me when I called him your future husband!!" Shreya smirked as she said it.


    Srinivas''s eyes once again went towards Zeenath automatically. Zeenath''s cheeks reddened instantly under his scorching eyes.


    If it had been only Shreya, Zeenath could have come up with a come back�� but having Srinivas in the room and having him stare at her as if he was going to swallow her whole was not helping her cause.


    "I�� I��" She stammered but nothing coherent came to her mind to justify anything.


    Shreya gave them an amused looked before getting up from the couch and leaving the room after bidding them goodbye.


    "You guys have a nice weekend!!" Shreya said before leaving.

 Chapter 382 - I can live with that…

    The door closed behind Shreya with a click. Once Shreya left, the whole room was utterly quiet.


    Zeenath just sat there staring back at Srinivas.


    Her bed was reclined to support her in a sitting position without her effort�� her head was still wrapped up partially while her hands and legs sported casts. She was in a state where she couldn''t move even if she wanted to�� but her eyes still fluttered away like a bu??erfly while meeting his.


    His eyes weres something that she never dared to meet before her accident. Especially when they scorched her like now�� but for some reason, she had that courage today. Being that close to being dead gave her the courage to face herself and him.


    Growing up, she had it tough but she survived with sheer grit. She grew up like an abandoned lone island without letting anyone near enough to her.


    But more than that, she was someone who had never experienced the warmth of the world for most parts of her life�� But she had experienced its coldness first hand. For her, all the warmth she ever received came from Shreya�� but it was also breezing. She was a friend�� that is all.


    So, for most parts, she always viewed the rest of the world with a sense of disgust. Because of this, she never wanted to be part of it. She was like a lone wolf abandoned by her own pack. She was someone who fought with the world standing alone.


    So, in all honesty, she did not know how to receive Srinivas''s feelings for her.


    His feelings for her were intense. She knew that from the minute she laid eyes on him. She was even afraid to explore the depth of them. So, she never had the courage to meet his eyes that always seemed to want to swallow her whole.


    She still did not know if she had the courage to accept everything that came with Srinivas�� but now, she was not so very terrified anymore.


    Her whole life�� she had survived because of only one single thing�� that was her stubbornness to not give up. She hated being the victim�� she hated being weak. She hated everything that represented her own mother�� so, she stubbornly stood on her own two feet and refused to give up until she made it. She refused to depend on someone else for her life like her mother did�� she vowed at a very young age that her life wouldn''t depend on a man''s whims.


    Her hate for her mother''s lifestyle was the sole anchor she had to her life�� but when she actually made it out of there, she lost that anchor�� she started drifting�� she filled her life with so much noise that she never heard her own lonely cries�� she drove herself wild until she was exhausted because she couldn''t sleep otherwise.


    That was all until Srinivas crash-landed of course. At first, it scared her�� If she had been adrift on sea her whole life, he was like that solid land at the end of her sight she found. She had been on the sea her whole life and land scared her�� it still does.


    But if she was going to die one day, she did not want to ask "What if?" She wants to take her chance on the land. She wants to find her anchor back. She was really tired of being adrift. She wants the silence and the peace�� and for some reason, she just felt Srinivas was going to be able to give it to her.


    With some difficulty, Zeenath actually moved over to one side of the bed�� the bed was huge by the way.


    "Hey, hey�� what do you think you''re doing?" Srinivas asked anxiously crossing the room in one swift move.


    Zeenath did not reply. She just gestured him to side beside her. He gave her a questioning look�� but she did not budge, he sat down. He couldn''t help but fidget a bit seeing her look so serious. He always gets nervous when Zeenath becomes serious.


    "Hey, don''t worry about it. I know Shreya was just joking around. I know how she likes to pull your legs��" He started blabbering but then stopped when he felt her lean on him. He stiffening instinctually at first from surprise but then relaxed.


    "You okay there?" He asked softly when he saw Zeenath was not saying anything.


    Zeenath just nodded her head��


    Silence ensued and this time Srinivas did not feel the need to break it until Zeenath herself started talking.


    "You know, these past few weeks here�� I have been thinking and came to a decision. No more running away�� no more playing around!!" Zeenath said with a proud smile on her face.


    Srinivas froze as his eyes widened. He looked down at her�� Their eyes met with their faces inches away from each other. Zeenath gave him a dazzling smile�� somehow, it looked free at that moment. He had never seen her smile like that ever��


    Srinivas leaned over her forehead and just stayed there for god knows how long. And Zeenath did not dodge�� She just nuzzled into his warmth.


    "Family�� commitment�� Marriage�� I will give it all to you. At least, I will try my best to give them all to you��" Zeenath continued without moving. Her breath tickled over his face. But her words�� he really did not know what to do with them.


    For others, these may be normal things�� but to Zeenath�� he knew exactly what kind of effort it took for her to take such a step. He closed his eyes as a myriad of emotions bombarded him.


    "I will give you the same��" Srinivas said after composing himself a bit.


    "I can live with that��" Zeenath replied back beaming.


    Srinivas took her face in his and just stared back at her for a minute before leaning in to give her a chaste kiss over her forehead.

 Chapter 383 - Meeting adjourned.

    Akash was seriously listening to his manager presenting the report with regard to S corp. The meeting hall had a solemn atmosphere where nobody even dared to cough.


    But such atmosphere broke when Akash''s phone buzzed. It did not ring since he put it on vibration but then he was scared to be without his mobile after Shreya''s accident. But the meeting did not pause�� he just slightly glanced at the phone��


    It was a text from Bhavna. Just a photo�� so, he did not bother with it. But then, his phone buzzed once again. This time it was a message.


    Akash frowned and opened to read��


    Nautanki: She looks soo fu?k?n? hot!!


    Note: Nautanki is a Hindi term that describes someone when they do something overdramatic to seek attention from people around them. I just felt this was perfect for someone like Bhavna. After all, she is a drama queen.


    Nautanki: There is a lot more where it came from but of course, you are going to have to pay up for it, as always ????


    Akash had a bad premonition when he opened the photo.


    And his premonition came true�� he froze when he saw the photo. He was already restless with the engagement coming. He was having anxiety of sorts. He did not like the feeling of staying away from Madhu�� he became restless and grumpy when Madhu was not with him�� When Madhu was still working, he made sure to keep her with him for as long as possible but since she was not coming from today onwards, he was already on the edge. On top of it, Bhavna was torturing him.


    It was a photo of Madhu wearing a white floral jumpsuit that b?r?ly reached her th??hs. And on top of it, it had a deep neckline. It had laces and was flared up like a frock in chiffon. The point was Madhu''s whole leg was on complete display�� and they looked long. And her eyes�� her eyes looked so freaking innocent when they looked at the lenses.


    Akash couldn''t even describe how beautiful she looked at that moment. He couldn''t even blink when he looked at the photo�� but with admiration also came possessiveness�� He did not like others seeing her like that. He knew it was irrational�� but he couldn''t control himself. Impulse got the better of him as he stood up from his place surprising the room.


    "Sir��?" One of the guys in the room called out tentatively. They can see that Akash was preoccupied with something else.


    Akash at last came back to earth and realized he was not alone and that he was in the middle of a meeting. But then he cannot be bothered about it right now. All he saw was Madhu at the moment�� so, he simply said, "Meeting adjourned. I will notify the timing of the next meeting through my secretary��"


    He quickly left the office after that. People in the meeting room couldn''t but smile at his back��


    His engagement was not exactly a secret. But in fact, it is the most happening news in the city now�� the buzz around it was not short. But Akash strictly kept it within his immediate circle of friends and family�� He did not want to make it into a business affair by inviting everyone even though the ceremony itself was arranged to be as grand as possible.


    People are really excited about the day�� but nobody was more excited and nervous than Akash himself. He was like a hyper kid who is anxious about his candy being stolen when he was asleep. Of course, Shreya and Bhavna were having their fun driving him crazy endlessly at every chance they got just like today. Somehow those two brats just seem to know what bu??ons to push when it came to him and he was helpless against them.


    In this one week alone, he had lost more to Bhavna than he did in past few years. Of course, in the past few years, things had been mild for him since Bhavna was busy with her university and rarely came back home but still, he had been paying her for one thing or another in the past few days almost daily.


    He can see Bhavna likes Madhu�� In spite of her being younger than Madhu, Bhavna was actually spoiling towards Madhu�� She almost treats Madhu like Shreya treated Bhavna. The only difference being, instead of going wild and crazy like Bhavna usually does because of Shreya''s backing, Madhu was helpless�� She did not know how to accept her favors half the time��


    But you can see that she was happy�� You can see the difference with just a glance�� Madhu was glowing under the care and attention of his whole family�� especially from Bhavna. This feeling of being loved for just the person you are was exhilarating and giddy for her.


    So, Akash was partially grateful for Bhavna even when she drove him batshit crazy almost every other day�� One look at Madhu smiling and giggling away, all his anger gets extinguished just like that. Not that Bhavna did not take advantage of it�� but then he was really helpless.


    But everyone was over the moon with the coming engagement that was for sure.


    Bhagya had been busy with the whole preparations. Akash left everything to his mother to save himself a lot of headaches.


    Akash drove his car like a maniac as he exited the office building�� He made his way towards their mall where Bhavna took Madhu today��

 Chapter 384 - Will Akash like something like this?

    Akash parked the car and quickly made his way towards the shop they were in. He called in Nakul on the way to know their whereabouts. By the time he got there, he was slightly out of breath. After all, he half walked and half ran over there in a hurry. He did not even know why he was in such a hurry to see her�� It is almost like a dam had broken inside him when he saw the picture. He just couldn''t hold back anymore. He just wanted to see her immediately.


    The thought that others can see her like that and not him did something weird to him��


    But nothing could have possibly prepared him for the sight that greeted him. He froze in place with his eyes wide open��


    Unlike the photo where Madhu had tried out casual everyday office wear, she was wearing a dress��


    Madhu was looking at herself in the life-size mirror kept outside the trial area. She was fidgeting with the dress so nervously that Madhu did not even notice Akash walking behind her.


    She was wearing scarlet-red full-length party wear. The dress actually trailed behind her touching the floor. But that was not what shook Akash. The dress actually hugged her body in all the right places with a mermaid cut. And it was completely backless.


    A shiver ran through him when noticed her biting her lips nervously looking at herself in the mirror. Unlike her usual plain colorless moisturizer, her lips were painted red today and her hair was actually pulled up into a casual-looking bun.


    Madhu kept fanning out the helm of the dress looking at herself�� her eyes were curious and cautious as they looked at herself.


    Madhu was conflicted when she saw herself in the mirror.


    When she was in school or university, she only had enough time for studying and then going to part-time jobs. She did not have friends to go shopping with anyways. So, she never really thought about these things before today.


    But with Bhavna�� she did not know why but she couldn''t help but be drawn to this type of thing�� especially given what Bhavna said.


    At first, when they came out today, Madhu was resisting Bhavna at every turn. At first, Bhavna slowly tried to persuade her�� But seeing the prices of things here, Madhu resolutely refused to even touch them let alone try them out.


    But then Bhavna said with a stern voice, "Don''t you want to look pretty for my brother? Are you sure you want to deprive him of seeing you in pretty dresses?"


    That shut Madhu up completely��


    After all, her insecurities when it came to Akash had no bound. She always felt she never did enough for Akash.


    "He�� he will like it when I dress up?" Madhu couldn''t help but ask tentatively.


    Bhavna gave Madhu a firm confirmation. And hence, Madhu never protested anything else the whole day.


    Bhavna even took her to a salon and did a makeover�� She casually styled her hair and make-up too. And Madhu very obediently tried every dress Bhavna gave her. And as time went by, she couldn''t help feel complicated in her heart. Because what had started as something to do for Akash, she actually found she actually enjoyed wearing them for herself too�� and she did not know whether she should indulge in it as much as she was doing. She did not want to become a greedy person. And somehow indulging herself with Bhavna seemed like she was taking advantage of their good intentions. She just wanted affection from them, nothing more. So, her temptations put her in a complicated mood.


    When she was in deep thoughts, her brows frowned.


    "Will Akash like something like this?" Madhu whispered to herself unconsciously batting her eyes at the mirror. But her eyes widened in shock when she felt the familiar warmth from behind her.


    Her eyes snapped and met with Akash''s eyes in front of her in the mirror. Her eyes stared at him innocently while his darkened with every second he stared at her. Her b?r?back flashed in front of him was not really helping his cause in any way. Her fair skin was really testing his limits to the maximum�� and he still lost his battle as he approached her.


    He did not want to scare her off�� so, each step he took was slow and cautious. He came and stood leaving just an inch gap between them.


    His warm breath made her shiver. Her back was b?r? up to her torso except for a thin strip of fabric running in the middle holding everything in place. God knows how much restrain he was using to not go ahead and just ravish her at this moment.


    "The word ''like'' is not going to possibly be enough to describe how much tempting you look at the moment, baby girl!" His voice was impossibly husky as he whispered just against her ears and leaned down to place a kiss on her neck once he was done. His hands circled around her torso hugging her from behind.


    Madhu couldn''t help but get lost in his eyes as they stared at each other in the mirror.

 Chapter 385 - What are you doing here?

    Madhu usually loses her ability to think when he was around�� and today was no exception. Her whole behind got lost in his embrace until she felt his lips against her b?r? skin.


    That is when the realization hit her that Akash was actually here in person and that she was standing there in front of him wearing something so revealing.


    She couldn''t really help but yelp in shock surprised as she jumped away from his embrace and turn around trying to cover her back.


    The keyword is of course ''trying'' here. Since she was standing right in front of a mirror, her turning around actually failed to achieve anything but instead, she actually showed him her plunging neckline that was attached to a glittery chocker on top of her neck.


    No matter how much he tried to, Akash''s eyes still went down to her visible cleavage. Those necklines were to die for. He was gripping on to a thin thread of rationale at the moment as his breathing became heavy.


    "Y-y-you�� what are you doing here?" Madhu stuttered away while her eyes darted around agitated. She had no place to hide after all.


    But Akash was in no place to actually answer her question. And when she never heard his answer, Madhu followed his line of sight and once again realization struck how revealing this dress actually was.


    When it was only Bhavna and her, it did not look so outrageous in spite of Bhavna''s hooligan-like comments. Bhavna would hoot and make a scene every time she changed. But then again, both were girls. So, Bhavna would just blush embarrassed, and let it go. But suddenly being in front of Akash wearing it, her whole being flushed instantly. Her cheeks turned crimson in seconds. She fidgeted not knowing what to do. She looked like a deer caught in front of a headlight.


    Akash pulled her back into his embrace and his hands came to rest over her b?r? skin on her back sending shivers down her spine. He resting his head over her shoulders breathing in on her scent. He tried to control his hands but to no avail.


    One of his hands trailed a path down her spine so slowly making both of their breathing ragged. His other hand held her in place firmly.


    When he couldn''t calm down, Akash pulled up and crashed his lips onto hers�� This time, the kiss did not have any gentleness�� It had only one thing and that was pure ?ust. Her moist lips quivered under his. Akash pretty much swallowed all of her lipstick by the time he actually pulled away from her lips and Madhu''s legs gave out. But she did not fall down thanks to Akash''s firm grip but she still leaned on her weakly for support taking ragged breaths.


    Her arms circled his neck and held tight as if she was hanging on to him for her dear life.


    Akash practically molded her against his body as he started ?ssaulting her neck with open-mouthed kisses. And when he hit her sweet spot, Madhu let out a throaty m??n�� and her nails dug into his skin making a blood trail behind his neck. Her newly done nails were actually sharper than her own.


    With pain, some semblance of clarity came to Akash�� it hit him just then where he was and what he was doing!! His whole being froze in place�� he was afraid he had scared Madhu with his behavior�� more than that, they were in public right now.


    With that thought, he pulled his hands away from her body instantly as he looked at her�� Her eyes were confused beyond reason as they looked at him. Her eyes darted around helplessly until she calmed down after a while. Even then, she felt weak.


    "I-I-I�� I will go change now��" Madhu b?r?ly managed to stutter out as she took a step back��


    But of course, we are talking about Madhu here��


    She had the ability to trip over nothing let alone with a trail of clothing and weak legs�� that too wearing high heels.


    "Ouch!!" Madhu wailed as she stepped on her own dress and fell down. Her eyes widened in surprise as she waited for the floor to hit her hard. Thankfully, there was never any gap between the two, and Akash caught her in time holding her close.


    "Careful!!" He called out helplessly.


    Madhu leaned on his shoulders to subside her shock and panic just now�� When she tried to move her legs, she couldn''t help feel the pain in her ankle and let out a cry, "Hisss��"


    Akash sobered up instantly as he lifted her up instantly and carried her to the couch placed outside the trail room.


    Akash had asked the people in the shop to clear this one section when he entered. After all, he came here because he did not want others to see her when she looked practically like a Goddess.


    "Can you walk without tripping for one damn min��?" Akash asked frustrated looking at her reddened ankles but he never got to finish his sentence as he looked at her welled-up eyes. He knew she was silently enduring the pain as she always does and he had seen it time and again this time was no exception. He had actually converted his house into a childproof house because of this.


    "Can you get me some ice or a first aid box, please?" Akash asked one of the attendants who had come in after hearing Madhu wail in pain while his hands rubbed on Madhu''s cheeks soothingly as he said more softly, "Just a second okay�� the pain will go away!!"


    Madhu nodded her head but she was still biting on her lips to stop herself from hissing in pain.


    Thankfully the sales attendant worked quickly and gave Akash the spray that can relieve her pain. In no time, her muscles numbed and the pain went away.


    "Is it better now or should I take you to a doctor?" Akash asked looking distressed.


    When she was in his house, he had an ointment that was most effective for sprains but he did not know how effective the spray was going to be.. So, he couldn''t help worry.

 Chapter 386 - I will help you…

    "No, it''s alright now!" Madhu answered but she did not stop biting on her lips. But then she was biting for whole another reason this time around.


    Once the pain subsided, Madhu actually gave attention to their posture. She cannot help be shy and embarrassed.


    She noticed that the dress not only had a very revealing back but also had a very long slit to the side. When she was still standing in one place, all of her legs were covered since the circumference of the helm was generous. But now that she was sitting down and one of her legs was stretched out, the slit became very obvious putting the whole of her legs to display and her injured foot was actually resting over Akash''s suit pants while he was sitting on one knee in front of her. He was busy rubbing on her ankles looking distressed not really noticing the effect his actions were having on Madhu.


    Madhu''s cheeks burst into flames all over again.


    "Akash!?" She protested meekly trying to get her legs away from his hands�� but it came out more like whining. And Akash thought she was still painful.


    "I will take you to the doctor, wait��" Akash said and reached out to lift her up.


    "Wait�� I don''t need to go to the doctor. I am fine�� I just�� I just need to change!" Madhu hurriedly said before he could airlift her. But then Madhu looked down with red cheeks not meeting his eyes and fidgeted to keep the slit from revealing her legs as best as she could.


    That is when Akash actually noticed what she was trying to say and got up instantly as if someone was burning his bu??. His eyes darkened instantly. But he still stopped her when she tried to get up from her place.


    "Wait�� I will help you." He said and very diligently took off her other heels and placed them in front of the couch and lifted her up princess style.


    Madhu buried her head against his neck embarrassed as she saw the sales attendants give her a knowing smile.


    Akash did not bother with them�� he just walked her to the trial room and carefully placed her on her feet and asked, "Can you stand?"


    Madhu just rolled her eyes as she said, "This is not the first time I tripped Akash�� it is fine.  You go out now�� I will change��" But she did not know that she would have to bite her words so soon as she did not know how to actually get out of this dress��


    There seemed to be zips and hooks on the back and she could not reach it no matter how much she tried. More than that, she was also dead afraid she will do something harsh and end up damaging the dress. Obviously, when she wore it, one of the attendants helped.


    "Madhu, are you done? Do you need help?" Akash asked seeing as she did not come out for a long time. He was standing right in front of her doors not really ready to take any chances with her history of being able to trip on air.


    God knows how many times she had fallen today�� but it was just, so far, there was no one to make a fuzz about it like Akash.


    Madhu stuck her head out looking distressed as she asked, "Can you send in the attendant��? I don''t know how to get out of this dress. And I am afraid to damage it without knowing."


    Akash obediently went out to look but there was really no one on sight. He knew they probably decided to give them some privacy. They should have already guessed who Madhu was. Even when her face was not publicized, it is public knowledge that he had a fianc��. More so, this was Sri corp. owned place. Obviously, they knew who Madhu was.


    He could call out for them pretty easily but then his eyes gleamed with mischief as he came back and said, "There is no one there�� If you cannot do it, I will help you��" You can clearly see that he was enjoying himself. He was just teasing her a bit.


    Madhu, of course, blushed furiously at his suggestion. But with her state, she did not really have any other option. So, she let him in after hesitating for a long time��


    The trial room had mirrors all around making it impossible for her to hide anywhere at all.


    She turned around showing her back towards Akash. Whatever mischief he had in mind flew away completely in few minutes. The room was filled with tension all over again.


    His eyes never flickered away as he stared back at her eyes on the mirror in front of them. His eyes were scorching hot and turned pitch black all over again. All the boyish gleam he had when he was on the other side of this door was nowhere to be seen. And given how they actually have privacy now, he couldn''t control himself. His eyes held her captive as he closed the distance between them. His palm invariably fell on her lower back circling her waists.


    "Do you have any idea how crazy you are driving me right now?" Akash asked hoarsely as he dipped down to kiss the back of her nape just below her chocker. His lips felt electrifying against her skin.


    Madhu shuddered involuntarily. Her nape went red as blood rushed to her neck when she felt Akash kiss her. Since she did not have the heels now, she was a good shoulder lower than Akash and looked so much more smaller. Akash did not stop there�� he kept peppering her with kisses all over her exposed back and shoulder blades. His warm breath and lips brushed against her soft fair skin seamlessly fueling the atmosphere more.


    She weakly leaned over the mirror when she felt his knuckles gently brush down her spines�� His hands slide down without any obstacles until he reached the back of her waist. He kept drawing circles. It was almost as if he was addicted to touching her skin�� it was almost like a drug. Intoxicatingly sweet. He couldn''t stop his hands from touching them.


    Madhu did not know what was happening to her�� her body felt as if someone had lit them on fire and Akash''s touch seemed to be the only thing that can cool them down. She heavily leaned on the mirror in front of her subconsciously keeping her weight off of her injured legs.. But more than that, Akash supported her and held her in place preventing her from falling down.

 Chapter 387 - You have a zip there…

    In the enclosed room surrounded by mirrors�� Akash got high on Madhu pretty quickly. He felt like an addict looking for a fix when he brushed her skin��


    Her every whimper�� each m??n just made him more drunken than he already was.


    His hands very naturally slipped to her lower back and pulled on the knot�� the dress did not come down fully since its upper body fabrics were actually held in place by a choker around her neck. But it still gave him better access. His hands slipped around her waists pulling her towards himself��


    Madhu''s legs almost gave out when his fingers played with her belly bu??on under the fabrics of the dress. Slowly, several parts of her nape sported ambiguous patches.


    Amidst his drunken state, Akash reached for a sense of calm as he leaned over her skin and just held her close�� his heavy breathing slowly subsided. He knew he cannot go any further or he will lose all sense of reality. So, he controlled himself and looked up at Madhu��


    Their eyes instantly met��


    Akash carefully observed her. He wanted to see if he had scared her�� but her eyes only looked dazed and delirious. He cannot see anything else in there�� she seemed just as much drowned in ?ust as he was. But he still voiced it. He slowly circled her around and made her face him. He lowered his stance to meet her eyes as he asked, "Me being like this�� is it scary?"


    Even when he was pretty confident Madhu was not, he couldn''t help be a little nervous when he asked this�� This was the first time he lost it this far�� and she was wearing the signs of his onslaught all over her body�� from her disheveled hair to her pink skin to her ruffled clothes. And it was as if a dam had broken in him�� he had a feeling he was going to lose it more often from this point forward. So, he wanted to know whether that was okay with Madhu��


    He really did not want to do something she was not comfortable with. He will wait�� he will wait as long as she needed. He will control himself even if it was going to kill him��


    He did not want to disrespect her wishes in anyways. He wanted to give her the freedom to choose for herself�� something she did not seem to have had growing up.


    Madhu''s eyes snapped to look at Akash when she heard him�� the sincerity in them when he asked her the question left her feeling weird on the inside.


    You should understand�� Madhu was someone who is solely dependent on Akash for love. Even when she sees others now�� Even when she knows his family loves her too. Akash was her rock. And like she had said before�� if it was Akash, she really did not have a bottom line.


    But none of her preparations�� none of her speculations can come close to the reality of the situation.


    When she decided to accept it, it was for his sake and because it was inevitable�� as always. But she was nervous, shy, and embarrassed.


    But when she got lost, she forgot everything else�� she completely forgot who she was or where she was�� she even did not remember to be scared. All she could feel was the delirious sense of joy from his warmth. Instead of evoking fear, his every touch, each brush actually gave her a sense of peace and security.


    That is when she realized�� she belonged to him. Completely�� body, soul, and mind�� and her need to please him was very absolute. Without any reservations.


    So, she looked at him and answered, "You can never scare me Akash�� It is not just you�� even I want to be able to be close to you��" She did not even know where she got the courage to say it�� it might be because of the making-out session they just had and her mind was still recovering from the daze. But she still smiled at him sincerely as she said it��


    After saying that, she very naturally hugged him burying her face against his ?h?st. She can hear his rapidly beating heart�� His hands kept drawing soothing circles behind her back to calm her down.


    Once both of them calmed down, Akash pulled away. He took her face into his hands and made her look at him as he said with a serious tone, "I just want you to know�� you do not have to compromise with anything. Just as much as you want to please me, I want to cherish you more. So, you need to tell me if you feel uncomfortable with anything�� I do not want to hurt you in any way."


    Madhu diligently nodded her head. But Akash did not stop there, "We are in this together�� one cannot keep compromising with the other. One person has to give somewhere while the other has to take somewhere. So, I really want you to stop overthinking about everything. I want you to stop holding back on things�� I am going to be happy only if you are. I need you to remember that!" He said and leaned down to give her a slippery kiss over her head.


    Madhu beamed with joy. But then her cheeks flushed all over again when she felt Akash''s hands over her bu??. Her eyes widened exponentially as she looked at him flustered.


    Akash just let out a chuckle as he said, "I am not feeling you up this time�� you have a zip there�� and a hook behind your neck�� You said you needed help with getting you out of the dress remember?" His teasing eyes were back while Madhu''s cheeks resembled ripe tomatoes.


    With some difficulty, Madhu actually shoved Akash out of the room and closed the doors behind her. She stood there leaning behind the doors to calm herself down.


    Her eyes landed on herself in the mirror. She looked like a royal mess�� but then again, she also looked happy. She cannot bring herself to actually look at all the spoils of the makeout session. If she did, she felt as if her cheeks would go on fire.


    But in spite of all the shyness, her lips wouldn''t stop grinning.

 Chapter 388 - End of discussion!

    "What are you doing?" Charan asked looking bewildered. He just came from the office. He was early today since the last appointment got canceled and when he entered his house, he found Shreya in the kitchen trying to cook.


    Here, ''trying'' is the keyword. He was shocked out of his mind�� after all, Shreya was supposed to be working right about now and not be making a mess out of his kitchen. Shreya said she was going to be very busy this week and not know when she was going to be able to be home and that was the whole reason why Shreya convinced Akira to stay with his parent''s place today. So, he couldn''t figure out what she was doing here in the first place�� he dropped by to get some files and was going to head over to his parent''s place too.  But most of all, Shreya does not cook�� period.


    But he couldn''t help the amused grin spread on his face at her state. When he came in, he was met with Shreya who was struggling to get the shove off but fail. Her face was covered with black smoke. She looked comical.


    She looked cute. But his smile died when she winced. He saw her brows frown as she accidentally burnt her fingers but other than that she did not even bother to stop what she was doing as she concentrated on the pan. But the pan was a whole new level of disaster in itself.


    Vegetables were scattered in them at all sizes and at different stages of cooked state. Some were brown and some were raw�� and some others were mushed up. Shreya was moving them around looking confused. She was so focused that she did not even realize Charan had already come and was asking her something.


    When she moved around her spatula, oil splattered and burnt her skin. Shreya once again frowning slightly but otherwise did not bother with it.


    Charan couldn''t take it anymore and moved into the kitchen keeping his bag in the entrance.


    "Shreya?? What are you doing?" He asked straight up pulling her away from the stove. He pulled her by her arms and made her stand a safe distance away from the stove.


    "SHIT!! YOU SCARED ME!" Shreya exclaimed keeping her free hand over her ?h?st. Normally, she has a better sense of her surrounding but today since cooking was not exactly her strongest trait, she had to give her 100% concentration. So, she did not realize Charan coming in.


    Charan did not bother to answer her but instead took her hand on his to check on them.


    By then, Shreya had recovered from her shock and gave him a bright smile as she greeted him, "HI! Welcome back home��"


    In addition to burning her hands and elbows, she actually has a few cuts here and there on her fingers. The biggest cut was at the tip of her thumb that she had never bothered to tend to.


    Charan''s lips pursed in anger when he saw that�� He did not respond to her greeting as he took the spatula from her hands and kept them back on the pan and switched off the shove. Anyways, the things in the pan were long gone from being edible.


    "Hey, what are you doing? I am not done yet!!" Shreya protested but that never entered Charan''s ears as he lifted her up like a kid and placed her on the kitchen island. He would have taken her out but the kitchen was a mess and he could knock on stuff if he did not mind his steps carefully and he wasn''t sure he can do that while carrying Shreya.


    So, he let her sit on the island where it was actually empty�� Island was probably where Shreya had initially kept all her groceries which were used up leaving the place empty.


    "You sit there and don''t move!!" Charan said sternly and walked out of the kitchen.


    Shreya pouted her lips and hung her head down looking depressed.


    Shreya could not figure out how she could follow the steps to such precision and can still fail so miserably.


    When she was still contemplating whether to continue as it is or to start over from scratch all over, after all, she had bought twice the quantity of everything as she knew her own skill in kitchen, Charan came back with the first aid kit.


    "No�� I am fine. These are not that serious. These are just tiny cuts and burns. It will go away in a few days on itself!" Shreya protested when Charan took her hand on his.


    "Shut up��" Charan said pissed off without giving her a chance to continue as he started patching her injuries up.


    Shreya pouted aggrieved but she did not dare say anything more about her injuries.


    "Sorry, I just wanted to cook something nice for you, for once and I did practice at home with Ramani. And followed everything perfectly except for the cutting of vegetables, of course. Back home, Ramani had something that helped me cut the veggies in perfect sizes�� since I did not have it here, I had to improvise�� I thought I could make it but still, I seemed to have royally screwed it up somehow." Shreya confessed looking defeated.


    "You don''t put the bandage just yet�� it will be useless if it gets wet and I have to clean the mess I made," Shreya mumbled under her breath watching plaster bandage around her fingers.


    "You are not doing anything here. You are going to just shut up and sit here while I clean up all the mess and make us dinner!! End of discussion!" Charan said sternly.


    Shreya looked like an aggrieved puppy. She kept her head hung down as she protested very weakly, "It is not fair. I made the mess�� I should be the one to clean it up��"


    Charan did not bother looking up at her as he said, "Well, you should have thought about it before you decided to hurt yourself and make a mess in the process��"


    Charan does not really mind the mess but he was more worried about Shreya being injured and his anger stems from the fact that Shreya was very clumsy when she was in the kitchen. If something happened, he couldn''t even imagine.. With her track record, the damage could have been worse if he was not home early by accident.

 Chapter 389 - Damn it,

    "You just got out of casts a week back and you are already jumping around. DO you want to go back to the hospital so soon? You know too well that you cannot cook to save yourself�� SO, why bother?" Charan scolded her frustrated as he cleaned up the mess she had made. He was really not looking forward to taking her back to the hospital over her stupidity. So, his voice was actually louder than he usually uses with her. He was practically half yelling at her.


    Shreya did not talk back as she sat on the counter with her head hung down low. She quietly listened to him scolding very obediently. She looked really down but Charan was too preoccupied to notice it at the moment. She looked like a battered abandoned pup.


    "Sorry�� I messed up. I did not mean to upset you. I just�� I just wanted to do something special for you. I know if I bought you a gift or something, you wouldn''t like it and you will be with the whole family tomorrow�� so, I thought maybe I could cook for you today�� but obviously, that plan ended up being a disaster." Shreya muttered in a low voice. Her whole being looked defeated and aggrieved when she said that.


    Charan stopped on his track when he heard her. He did not really understand what she was getting at initially but when he realized it, he couldn''t help but look up at her surprised.


    With everything going on he completely forgot that it''s his birthday tomorrow. His eyes snapped towards Shreya surprised and shocked.


    "Damn it," He let out a curse under his breath when he saw the look of Shreya. She was sulking away pouting her lips without looking up at him. She was fidgeting and playing with the band-aid he had just worn on her thumb with her head hung low.


    Charan quickly cleaned up the mess and came to stand in front of her. He had a towel in his hands. He damped it underwater before going to Shreya.


    She was busy biting on her lips. You can clearly see how upset she was. After all, Shreya was someone who likes things going her way�� and this was something she had planned for a while and put a lot of effort into. This whole week, she was really not working. She practiced but she was just impossibly handicapped when it came to cooking. But even then she had successfully cooked something edible in the last few times. But the problem was, her apartment was differently equipped from that of Charan''s place.


    Her place actually had an electric stove and Shreya failed to calculate the difference in temperature between the two. Since she practically gawks on Charan every time he cooks, she knew how to switch it on but everything else after that went downhill pretty fast. Especially, given Shreya was pretty efficient when Ramani was giving orders�� but even with excellent memory, Shreya had to think twice before doing anything here. So, all the timings were off by a mile.


    She couldn''t help beat herself upon the failure. She should have just did it over at her own apartment�� it was just she had to pretend to be too busy to meet up with him the whole week and secretly practicing at her place and thus they had been staying at his place at night and if she were to surprise him without her getting suspicious, I had to be in his place.


    Charan lifted her head up by her chin as he whispered, "Sorry�� I shouldn''t have yelled at you."


    Shreya shook her head still not meeting his eyes as she mumbled back, "No�� I am sorry. I messed up. I just wanted to do something�� and I seemed to have come up with the stupidest of ideas."


    You can clearly see her mopping around. She was beating herself up for this��


    "I should have known this would happen�� who doesn''t know how disastrous I was in the kitchen�� but I just had to plan something so stupid after all." Shreya started lamenting to herself. But did not stop even when she felt wet on her face.


    Charan was wiping the smoke off of her face with the towel. He made sure he was being gentle. The white towel came back stained.


    "Now, not only did not fail to give you a surprise�� but you also had to clean up the mess I left behind and now you would probably even make us dinner too!!" Shreya mumbled looking defeated.


    But before she could continue, Charan clamped her lips with his fingers not letting her talk anymore.


    At last, Shreya''s eyes snapped up where she stared back at Charan looking annoyed. She hated being manhandled like this��


    "Thank you. If not for you, I wouldn''t have even bothered to remember my birthday in the first place��" Charan said looking at her solemnly.


    This should actually be his second birthday since she met Shreya�� After all, the first time went when he was still working hectically on the mall project and it completely slipped his mind as always. And since Shreya never did any checking on Charan, she never knew about it until Bharath mentioned and Shreya felt really bad about missing it.


    But Shreya did not seem convinced. She looked behind at the filled-up sink with dirty dishes�� she looked at them with vengeance. You can clearly see the resentment in her eyes when she looked around.


    Charan obviously saw her antics. He really couldn''t help but smiled at her amused as he swatted over her forehead with his fingers saying, "You do not have to try to burn my vessels with your eyes�� they are already burnt pretty badly as it is!! You do not have to make it worse��"


    Shreya averted her eyes with drooping eyes. She really looked down. Her brows never straightened once since he got here and her lips sported a permanent pout.


    And she did not know how to come out of it.


    After all, this was her first birthday with him after knowing and she wanted to let him remember it with a positive note and not as a failure.

 Chapter 390 - She really was raised as a spoilt brat after all.

    CHaran''s eyes stared at Shreya intently.


    Her face was actually crunched down with a frown�� but for some reason, it looked cute on her. Her lips were being abused by her teeth as she sulked away still.


    Charan prepped everything for dinner and simmered them and turned towards her. He had long called his office to inform them that he wouldn''t be coming back anymore. And Shreya was still the same�� looked extremely upset as if the world had turned its back on her.


    He couldn''t help chuckle at it. It was already an hour from then and there was no change in her mood no matter how much he said that it was okay.


    Charan felt funny seeing her like this on one side�� after all, she looked like a kid who dropped his candy on the floor.


    But on the other hand, he felt complicated. Because he knew her resentment was not even because she couldn''t do it but mainly because she couldn''t do it ''for him". She was mainly upset that she had somehow ruined his birthday surprise�� a birthday he himself had completely forgotten about.


    Every time he thinks he knows her�� every time he thinks he knows the depth of her feelings for him, she proves him wrong. It still shocks him how pure and passionate her feelings were for him��


    And Shreya always showed it in the most simplest and straightforward way. She does not make a fuss about it. She just does things quietly and stands back��


    He could already guess how much she must have practiced cooking in the past week if she was confident enough to actually attempt it on her own. Because, since the time they have known, Shreya never dared to cook for herself let alone for Charan. She had offered to do dishes and other things but not cooking�� never cooking, especially not something that involves anything more than popping bread into a toaster.


    So, he can already guess how much effort she must have put into it if she had actually attempted to cook for him on his birthday.


    This person�� the Shreya Srivastav. She was someone who was pretty much envied by almost every single person in the country. She was looked up to and admired by everyone. And god only knows how many people will come and do to her bidding if she called for.


    He did not even dare to quantify how much her time was valued.


    And such a person had spent so much time just so she can make him a meal on his birthday!!!!


    Somebody tell him how was he supposed to digest something like that without feeling overwhelmed.


    Charan''s thumb traced over her face with his eyes going dark.


    Shreya on the other hand was actually beating herself up at that moment. She knew she had no talent for cooking but she still had to choose that one thing to do�� someone tell her,  how can she be so stupid?


    So, both of them had their dinner deep in thoughts. Shreya b?r?ly ate. But Charan did not force her. Once both of them were done, Charan just left everything in the sink and did not bother with the clean-up.


    He found Shreya sitting on his bed. As soon as he came in, he heard her mumbled under her breath, "I am not very competent as a girlfriend, am I?"


    Shreya said this with a self-deprecating tone.


    Charan was taken aback listening to it. Shreya was the most self-assured person he had ever seen. She knew what she was and she was never humble about it.


    But what he did not know was that all this time when she was hurt and resting, Shreya had done a lot of thinking about the future.


    Till she was not done with her revenge, she did not have the energy for thinking about all this�� she never allowed herself to because her future was hung on delicate balance�� she did not want to give herself hope and later be disappointed. But now that everything was done, she knew she had the freedom to think about her future�� and she was looking forward to a laid back peaceful life going forward.


    She wanted to settle down�� she did not want to involve in high-intensity activities anymore. She wanted to just go to work and come back home for a leisure night.


    She hadn''t experienced something domestic like that for a long time��


    She had long started learning other things but she was far from being proficient in anything till now. But that was all okay�� the key part was obviously cooking��


    Making food and eating together is what makes a family warm. She knows that�� and she missed that warmth for a long time now. So, she wanted to nail it�� even when she knew she was going to be disastrous, she thought she could at least be plausible.


    But she never thought she would fail in it so miserably.


    Even though Shreya worked really hard when the need arises�� she was actually pretty lazy and she had never had to make too much effort into learning anything to this point in her life. Things came easily to her. So, she always thought that she did not know anything about cooking and other stuff because she never bothered to learn them and that as long as she puts the effort, she can nail them as she always does. So, it never crossed her mind that she might lack talent until that moment. But knowing this made her feel even more depressed.


    Because in a household like Charan''s, the only way to share his burden is by doing simpler things like this. Her grandiose and fame meant nothing to him�� Her professional achievement does not help in daily routines.


    So, she really couldn''t help but feel like a failure. After a year of effort, she still su?k?d being homely.. She really was raised as a spoilt brat after all.

 Chapter 391 - And Shreya Srivastav never cheats!

    Charan came to sit beside Shreya and asked looking confused at her, "What do you mean by not being a competent girlfriend?"


    He did not know whether to laugh or cry at that��


    What was she even talking about in the first place?


    "Other than being good at making money, I don''t seem to be any good at much else, where it actually matters!!" Shreya mumbled in a defeated tone.


    Charan couldn''t help look at her dumbfounded. Before her words could even register fully, Shreya continued.


    "In spite of all the efforts, it seems my dad still raised a spoilt rich brat after all. I really thought I could do it. I thought as long as I try, I would be able to share things with you at home. But in spite of months of practice, I still break plates every now and then�� and I still seem to have the talent to burn water if I put my mind to it! And don''t even start on laundry�� I b?r?ly even know the difference between a dishwasher and a washing machine." Shreya ridiculed herself.


    Charan really had the urge to open up her head to see whats going on with her brain��


    "When you put it that way, it seems to be true�� you really suck at being a girlfriend!!" Charan said rolling his eyes sarcasm dripping at every word. But Shreya was too disturbed to even notice the change in his voice and took his words at face value and became even more depressed.


    "I know�� I will try to change�� I promise." Shreya mumbled under her breath but she did not have much confidence when she said it.


    Charan could take it anymore and had to swat over her forehead before scolding her, "Idiot!!"


    "Ouch" Shreya rubbed her forehead in pain and at last, looked up. Her brows frowned from pain and confusion as she stared back at Charan.


    Charan did not stop there was he pulled on her cheeks and continued scolding her, "Do you even realize how much crap you are talking right now?? If I needed help doing my chores, I would have gotten myself a maid a long while ago. Not a girlfriend. It is not like I cannot afford one! I chose not to because I like taking care of these things for Akira�� and it has nothing to do with you or your lack of domestic skills. It is really amazing how you can still run a company and be so stupid outside of the company!! You got one part right though!! You are really stupid outside of making money��!!"


    "Hey�� I am not stupid!!!" Shreya exclaimed defending herself.


    "Yea��? news to me. Who was the person who just said she was not a competent girlfriend just minutes back?" Charan asked rolling his eyes.


    Shreya pouted without replying for a while but then said, "It is just�� what is the point if you are going to be doing the same amount of work at home with or without me�� what''s the point of me being here? So, I just wanted to share some of these things with you�� but��" Shreya did not know how to continue that sentence.


    "It is the thought that counts�� but more than that�� you can still share but it takes time. You can slowly learn�� you just tried cooking for the first time�� you should have seen the mess I made the first time I cooked!! I had to paint the walls!! Are you going to give up just like that already after just one try? That is not the Shreya I know!" Charan said staring down at her.


    "I just want to cook for you on your birthday�� I wanted today to be perfect. But then, you had to cook for yourself just like always!!" Shreya answered frowning.


    Charan did not answer straight away but instead, he pulled Shreya on top of him sitting her on his ??p straddling him. He reached out to tuck in stray hair behind her ears as he whispered, "Today was perfect as it is�� as long as I have you here, it is going to be perfect for me. And the effort you had put into today�� that''s the best gift you could have given me!! The result does not matter��" His hands kept rubbing on her back soothing her.


    Shreya let out a defeated sigh. Anyways, she cannot do anything about it now�� Holding on to it was not going to solve much. So, she decided to let it go. She can always plan other surprises some other day. And she knew Charan was right and she was no quitter. So, she can always just practice. It was not like she had many other options��


    She was not unwilling either. It was just, it was weird for her�� she never seemed to have ever struggled to learn anything since birth. Everything she had to do, came naturally to her.


    Even when she lost her father and the whole shit came crashing down on her, she did not struggle much.


    She had to work hard�� and she did too. But leading the company came as naturally as breathing for her. She never had to stress or be nervous about it. She never had to think about failing in it�� because she knew she would win. She had that confidence in herself when it came to business.


    "I will do it!! A few frying pans are not going to knock the Shreya Srivastav�� if it got out, I would lose my face. I cannot let that happen!! How hard can it be?" Shreya suddenly said looking very determined and vigorous but there was a childish stubbornness to it that made Charan chuckle helplessly.


    He reached out to ruffled her hair as he said, "You know�� as long as you know how to make money, you don''t need to learn anything else in this world? The money you make can buy you pretty much everything else!! And they are just chores�� you can always hire a maid!!"


    "But that will be cheating!! And Shreya Srivastav never cheats!!" Shreya replied stubbornly.

 Chapter 392 - I love you more…

    Shreya leaned over hugging him around his neck. Charan quietly held her in his embrace. Both of them did not talk�� there was no need for words anyways.


    The peace that they found in each other was evident from the tranquility in the air.


    Shreya was still sitting on his ??ps lazily leaning over his ?h?st. She kept playing with his shirt collars and bu??ons. She kept flickering and circling them with her fingers while Charan rubbed over her head gently. Slowly, Shreya''s eyes got droopy with sleep.


    Charan pecked on top of her head and asked breaking the silence, "You want to go to sleep?"


    Shreya blinked and shook her head stubbornly. But she did not stop there�� she even blinked her eyes several times while rubbing them with the back of her knuckles trying to stay awake.


    Charan frowned at her confused.


    "Sweetheart, it is getting late anyways. Why don''t you go to sleep��? It is fine�� you are still taking tablets!" Charan tried to convince her.


    Even when she was healed completely, she was still on some antibiotics and painkillers. And obviously, painkillers tend to make her drowsy more than normal.


    "Just for some time�� let''s stay like this!" Shreya mumbled not really bothering to move a muscle.


    Charan did not try to persuade her anymore and stayed in place. As time passed by, he got to know the reason.


    At exactly midnight, Shreya''s phone went off with rapid beeps and stopped.


    Shreya''s eyes snapped open instantly. All her laziness seemed to be driven away in just seconds and she pulled away from his ?h?st and stood up on her knees. She leaned over to give him a hug all over again with a bright smile.


    Just when Charan was about to ask what was going on, he heard her whispering against his ears.


    "Many more happy returns of the day. Happy Birthday, Charan��" It was simple, straightforward, and sincere, just like her.


    Charan''s heart trembled at the affection in her voice. Her wish sounded almost like a payer. His hands tightened around her unconsciously as he whispered back, "Thank you��"


    Shreya gave him a long warm hug with all the strength she had. But Charan did not mind.


    She pulled away. She gave him a bright smile meeting his eyes.


    "I wish you all the happiness in the world!" Shreya said sincerely taking his face in her hands.


    More than sincerity, there was a conviction in her voice that seems to want to defy the world. It almost felt like a vow rather than a wish. It was almost like she would do anything to make that happen.


    Her thumbs rubbed on his cheeks looking at him gently before moving in to give a chaste kiss on his temple.


    Shreya stayed there for a couple of minutes with her lips against his skin while Charan''s eyes closed involuntarily leaning into her touch.


    Shreya''s love�� the feelings she had for him. It was so overwhelming that the only thing that he could possibly compare it to was the love that a parent has towards their children. That love that was so pure, protective, and selfless but also stronger than anything else. And at that moment, Charan felt all of that from Shreya�� and it felt overwhelming. His eyes couldn''t help but turn red as water gathered just shy of the socket.


    Charan''s heart was in complete disarray�� his feelings were in a complete mess. His heart was beating so fast against his ribs as if they would pop out of his skin any moment.


    Just as Shreya was about to pull away, he did not let her go. Instead, he pulled her closer and hugged her. He buried his head against her ?h?st as he tried to sort out his messed-up heart.


    Charan''s hands were circled around her waist holding her in his death grips not letting her move an inch. But Shreya never struggled in the first place. She just ran his fingers through his hair and peck on top of his head while still hugging him close.


    After a long time, Charan pulled away from her and looked her up straight in the eyes, and said sincerely, "I love you, Shreya�� I really really do!!"


    "I know. I love you more��" Shreya smiled.


    Charan stopped for a second. After a pause, he replied, "I know��"


    And at that moment, he really did. Her love for him had long surpassed his.


    He never knew a simple wish can move him so much. He never knew a simple wish can have so many emotions in them.


    She made sure he was comfortable and she did it so seamlessly too�� He never once got to know any sort of adjustments she had ever made to fit in with him�� she never complained about it.


    More than all else�� she was transparent. Not just with her feelings towards him and Akira but she had been transparent about just about everything about herself. He never had to ask anything from her�� she gave it without him ever having to ask. Every piece of information he had to know or don''t know about her always came from her first��


    He never experienced a moment of doubt about her when he had been with her�� not a single moment where he could even remotely distrust her. She had always been almost meticulous straightforward.


    It still amazed him that she gave all that to him of all the people in the world.


    And he knew at that very moment, he was screwed. She had him�� all of him. She had all of his heart and soul. Little by little�� inch by an inch. She had scraped him dry.. She could very well play with him like a puppet and he could do nothing about it whatsoever.

 Chapter 393 - You are happy, right?

    "Shreya�� I just want you to know that you are the best thing that ever happened to me in my life after Samantha died�� I am really grateful to God or fate or destiny or whatever it may be called that made my boss be held up that day and made me fill in his place. And because of that, I got to meet you and have you in my life�� because, without that, I feel like I would have ended up being absolutely miserable for the rest of my life�� you have no idea how much happiness you brought into my life." Charan said looking at Shreya.


    Shreya''s face visibly lit up like a Christmas tree right in front of his eyes. She gave him a joyous but almost shy smile. She seemed extremely pleased with herself. But before she could open her mouth to say anything, Charan continued.


    "And thank you�� I am immensely grateful to you for barging into my life uninvited!!" He leaning in to give her a chaste wet kiss over her cheeks. His day-old stubble slightly abrades her soft cheeks. He did not pull away immediately. He simply rested his cheeks against hers and nuzzled in. His hands were holding her as if she was the most precious thing there is�� and she was in many ways.


    Shreya could feel the barrage of emotions in his voice when he said the last part. She suddenly felt complicated. After all, she was someone who felt deeply for people around her. And whatever she does, she always does it out of selfishness because she wanted to keep the people she likes close to her.


    She was an intensely possessive person. She could not swallow anything coming between them. Especially given the nature of the relationship between herself and Charan, obviously, she always had to take that extra step of additional care�� But she did all that for herself and not for anyone else''s sake as far as she was concerned�� so, Charan saying such words with so much emotion�� she was really clueless about how to react.


    "You and Akira are my family, Charan. And for me, family is worth everything. Simple as that�� there is nothing for you to be grateful to me for�� You guys being happy brings me so much more joy�� more than you can imagine." Shreya explained helplessly.


    Family is worth everything��


    Charan couldn''t help stop when he heard her. This phrase stuck Charan in a place he did not know he had�� When he heard Shreya, he felt guilty and ashamed suddenly.


    At the moment, the truth felt like a slap on the face. With his paranoia to protect Akira and himself from any sort of perceivable risk, Charan always had an invisible glass of wall between them and Shreya�� he never staked his all with Shreya�� That is why she was able to love him so much more than he ever could.


    At the first notice of trouble, his mind always goes to protect Akira�� but then at that moment, it felt like an excuse... He seemed to have taken two steps forward but one step backward with Shreya always�� maybe he was more afraid of himself getting hurt than his daughter getting hurt. He never invested a full 100% with Shreya till now�� he always held on a teeny tiny place in his heart as insurance, just in case. A place he could go to in case things didn''t work out between them.


    But Shreya had always staked everything with them�� she never bothered about self-preservation. She felt whatever comes from their relationship was worth the pain and the risks. That is why she was able to love him and Akira so much more than he could ever muster with her.


    The point was that in case of heartbreak, Shreya can afford to fall down Charan did not have that liberty�� but will Shreya give that chance between them?


    But the key factor that was driving him seemed to be the difference in their status.


    At that moment, he understood, deep down he always felt overwhelmed not just with her feelings, but also with her power. Even when he pretended it did not bother him, he had always been afraid of the troubles that power could bring to his family. And he knew he wouldn''t be able to handle that! None of his family can�� but that was the point�� Shreya was family too. He did not know how he forgot that�� He shouldn''t have been holding back from her but instead protected her��


    With the guilt and shame�� a lump formed at the base of his throat. He felt as if he had failed her royally. In spite of everything, he seemed to have treated her very cruelly this whole time��


    His hands around her unconsciously became tighter.


    "I''m sorry. I will do better in the future�� I promise!!" He mumbled as he determined to change his mindset about the whole thing. He would treat her better�� and he would give it his all, this time.


    What''s the worse that could happen, right?


    Anyways, there was Shreya�� if there was something he couldn''t handle, she was going to pitch in without him ever asking for it and he is yet to see a problem that Shreya couldn''t handle. Unless of course, if it involved the kitchen! Then, she was hopeless. Thankfully, he could cover her in that department to make sure she doesn''t starve.


    "What are you talking about?" Shreya asked confused. He did not know what he was saying sorry for all of a sudden.


    "Nothing�� I was just doing some self-reflecting." Charan mumbled hugging her close.


    Shreya obviously did not get it but she did not pry.


    "You are happy, right?" Charan asked looking at her after a long time.


    Shreya beamed as she nodded her head without thinking about it even for a second.


    Charan smiled back as he said, "Well, if you are happy, then everything is fine." He can slowly make up for things.


    But before Shreya could ask why he was asking weird questions, her phone beeped, again.


    "Another alarm?" Charan asked.


    Shreya shooked her head as she reached for her phone and her whole body stiffened when she read Zack''s text.

 Chapter 394 - Are you sure you want to do this, Shreya?

    "Of all the freaking days in the year, why do you have to do this today?" Shreya asked frustrated to no one in particular as she stood there in an abandoned construction site just outside the city.


    They had been waiting for Delaney to make a move for a few weeks now but then she had to try to escape today of all the days. Shreya really wished she could really punch her in the face right about now.


    They had lured her to one of their sites. Anyways, with Shreya''s resources in the city, it was not like Delaney had much choice. If Shreya itself did not want her to escape, she probably wouldn''t have ever gotten out of the captivity they were keeping her in.


    Shreya just needed to confirm and say something to Delaney before she goes�� she wanted her to understand she might not get another chance like this.


    Anyways, Shreya started expanding in T country.


    T country had a hostile environment�� just the right kind of place where a capitalist like Shreya can thrive. She just never had to reason to venture there before Darcie. But when she handed over Darcie to Delaney, she already started making her moves as an insurance policy. And thanks to Mithun and the stupid person he hired, she got a lot of resources without ever looking for them. The guys she had hired, were all native kids and their boss was too�� so, combined together, Shreya came to know about a lot of people in T country in record speed. And you know Shreya, she always knew how to use a piece of information to her advantage.


    So, with just the right push and enough money, she really expanded leaps and bounds when it came to T country.


    Because of the volatile environment in the T country, people like Delaney were running around unchecked for a long time which made them so much more powerful than the government itself. The government couldn''t even touch the tip of the iceberg.


    But Shreya provided her resources to the government and with the right use of the government, she was able to put some pressure on Delaney''s organization. Especially in the past few weeks when Delaney had attacked and was held captive.


    So, even when Delaney is going to go back, she was going to have a lot of cleaning up to do. And since Shreya did everything off-grid, she would never be able to get to Shreya. But even if she did, Shreya was pretty sure Delaney was not such a petty person. But of course, she had a plan in place just in case she was.


    Before long, a car came to a standstill in front of Shreya abruptly almost running over her. And about 5 other cars chased and reached the clearing in quick successions.


    Shreya did not even bother to flinch. She just stood there leaning over the front of her car with the headlights on and stared into the person sitting in the passenger seat of the first car. Not to anyone''s surprise, it was actually Delaney.


    Shreya just stared back at Delaney with a steady gaze. Her eyes never flinched. She stood alone in the center.


    Delaney''s driver got down first but he was quickly surrounded by Shreya''s men.


    Neither Shreya nor Delaney moved from their places for a long time until Zack went ahead and opened the doors for Delaney.


    Delaney did not lose her momentum as she got down from the car and walked towards Shreya not losing a single ounce of her arrogance in spite of being surrounded by the enemy. She had thinned down several rounds in the past weeks because of malnutrition just like Darcie. Shreya kept her in the same facility as Darcie. It was just she purposely leaked some information about Dalaney to T country facilitating her people to come for her.


    Anyways, she never kept any of her people in that facility. She always refrained from causing unnecessary casualties. And this time, she herself wanted Delaney to escape. So, it did not make sense to keep her people around for them to be slaughtered. There was just remote monitoring in the place.


    Even when the sensors were tripped, they just followed and softly guided them towards Shreya''s location.


    "Are you sure you want to do this, Shreya?" Delaney asked breaking the silence. Her eyes were fierce in spite of her conditions.


    "I am not going to do anything. If I did not want you to escape, you wouldn''t have gotten out of the building at all in the first place�� I just wanted to talk to you about things before you leave. The favor I asked you in T country, I have paid it in full with this�� so, if you do something so stupid once again, I wouldn''t have any reason to be so hospitable the next time." Even when Shreya''s voice was nonchalant on the surface, one cannot really miss the sternness and the warning in her voice.


    A coldness flashed on Delaney''s face. She hated being challenged. She did not care about her life but she cared about her pride.


    "Are you threatening me?" Delaney asked icily taking a step forward.


    "I wouldn''t dare�� I am just saying I am better an ally than an enemy. You and I both know I am usually too lazy to go making enemies. Just with the fact that I am letting you go after you tried to kill me, you should know how lazy I am�� But that does not mean I am useless which you can see just by looking around. So, it does not make any sense to make things worse for both of us by trying to hold on to a grudge that does not even belong to you�� after all, if anything I should be the one who should be holding a grudge after what you did. And since even I am saying I will let it go, don''t make things hard.." Shreya said in a matter-of-fact tone.

 Chapter 395 - It was a rhetoric question.

    "And why should I listen to you?" Delaney asked arching her brows.


    Shreya smiled cheekily as she replied, "Because I am being nice and sending you away in one piece after you tried to kill me!! Mind you, I am sending you away because you tried to kill me and not someone else�� if it had been someone else around me, you would be rotting in hell by now!" Shreya''s eyes obviously went fierce when she said the last part.


    "And you are telling me this because?"


    "Because I want you to be smart the next time someone pays you to do something stupid," Shreya said shrugging her shoulders.


    Delaney''s eyes darkened. No person had ever lived to insult her like this and still live��


    "Should I be thankful for your education?" Delaney asked gritting her teeth. A fierce murderous intent spread around her. The only person who was unaffected was Shreya and Zack. Her smile didn''t slip as she chuckled amused looking at Delaney.


    Delaney''s anger reached its peak suffice to say. Before anyone could react, Delaney crossed the distance between herself and Shreya and pinned Shreya by her neck against the bumper of Shreya''s car.


    It took a minute for people around to react but when they came to their senses, it was already too late.


    "Mock me one more time, you have no idea what I can do to you right here, right now�� your little goons squad won''t be able to save you�� period. Not from me?" Her eyes were blood-red with anger.


    But Shreya still looked calm and as amused as she was minutes go. Her lips twitched at Delaney''s thread as she asked, "Really? But who is going to save you from the bullet that''s about to shatter your brains out any minute now?"


    Delaney stopped on her track as she looked up vigilantly only to find a red dot aims right at her head.


    "Did you forget this is my site? I lured you here and you think I am stupid enough to arrange it without proper preparations? You know what your problem is��? you are too prideful and arrogant with your skill and abilities that make your judgments biased at best. Maybe all your past enemies were spineless brainless wimps�� but make no mistake, I am not. I am not one of those people who is going to shake at your sight and it is not because I underestimate you but because I am prepared. As I said, I am lazy but not useless�� You won''t be able to leave this place in one piece without my permission, I promise you that!" Shreya sneered not really making any move pull herself away from Delaney. Her eyes at last had something other than nonchalance. She looked angry but her anger was ice cold as always.


    Delaney matched her moment to the tee. Even she did not back down as she looked into Shreya''s eyes and said, "Who said I want to leave this place? Like I said I neither care for myself or other''s life�� so, as long as I can kill you here, I don''t particularly care how I end up!"


    After all, it had been long since she had such a rush of adrenaline. There was no one that had the courage and the means to challenge her so blatantly for a long time now�� as soon as the word got out that she had come back from the dead, everyone started to be even more scared of her than before.


    That was the whole reason why she took Shreya''s ?ssignment in the first place�� Shreya was the first person to not look at her with straight steady eyes without fear in them. That reminded her of the rush she craved for a long time��


    Delaney moved swiftly when she felt her blood pumping and flipped their positions as she used Shreya as the cover. But the problem was, she had no weapon whatsoever. Zack very thoroughly frisked her before letting her anywhere near Shreya. But then, if she had, it will be too easy�� and if she wanted easy, she wouldn''t do something this reckless in the first place.


    "I can snap your neck as easily as snapping a twig��" Delaney warned.


    Shreya did not even move a finger before a gunshot went off and just about grazed Delaney''s shoulders making her hands around Shreya lose. Shreya quickly got away from her grip.


    Shreya just smiled as she stood in front of her with a smile and said, "As I said�� this is my location. You cannot do anything to me��"


    "God damn it!!" Delaney could help but curse covering up her shoulders. The bullet never aimed to do much damage in the first place but it still burned and hurt like hell.


    Delaney took that step in the first place because she was pretty sure there was not going to be anybody behind her since it was just a vast empty space. The side she had covered with Shreya was the one that had all the high rises that were perfect to hide a gunman. But Delaney failed to take into account the darkness of the night all around in spite of all the fled lights being on in the construction site which made it easy to hide a man or two in plain sight.


    "Are you going to go in peace now or do you want to make it harder?" Shreya asked looking at Delaney crossing her hands in front of her.


    Delaney couldn''t help grit her teeth. She was really cornered. If she had the slightest chance of taking down Shreya, she would have taken it�� but she did not have any chance at all. Taking a step forward is like putting her head on to a chopping board voluntarily for Shreya to slaughter her. And she was not stupid to do that��


    "I want a fight�� with you. Just the two of us�� a fair fight! If you win, I will go in peace��" Delaney said looking straight at her.


    Shreya never even paused for a second as she said, "Sorry. Not interested. I have a date tomorrow�� I go back badgered, I would never hear the end of it!!" Akira most probably would bury her alive with her silent treatment if she hurt herself once again.


    "And anyway, it is not like you have much choice here�� it was a rhetoric question. So, just go back to T country and forget about everything here," Shreya said and walked to her car without giving Delaney any more attention and drove off.


    Delaney couldn''t help but punch on her own car as she breathed in the smoke exhaust of Shreya''s car.

 Chapter 396 - Shreya will like anything as long as I select it!

    Charan did not know what to say�� he did not know where to even start saying about everything Shreya was making him feel at that moment. He really hated himself for it at that moment as he stared at the ring in his hands.


    Since Shreya had to leave in a hurry and she needed to take the guys with her, she actually dropped him off at her apartment before going. Anyways, the security in the apartment was much better. He wouldn''t need so many people to watch over him. His own house was really awkwardly placed that required too many people to cover it from all sides.


    When he came to Shreya''s apartment, Andrew drove him over. Charan was met with an empty apartment. He did not bother switching on the lights as he made his way to the bedroom. He looked around aimlessly. He knew he could not sleep until Shreya comes back in one piece.


    Shreya resolutely refused to take him with her when he offered. She gave him some bullshit about how he should look fresh for his big day�� But he knew that if Shreya was not taking him, she was probably going to do something risky in which she was not 100% sure of the outcome. But since she seemed to be in a hurry, he did not bother her at that time and let her go.


    After all, even when she took risks, Shreya always had a measure. Even if she was not scared for herself, she was scared of Akira. After what happened after Shreya''s accident�� after seeing Akira''s reaction, Shreya really had been extra cautious about everything. She did not take any unnecessary risks.


    So, he can be rest-assured to some extent even if not completely knowing Zack was going to be with her.


    So, in order to distract himself from overthinking, he poked around aimlessly. Not that Shreya had anything new here��


    Her desk had all her staples. Some files were scattered around with the ??ptop sitting in the center. She had a photo frame of him and Akira in one corner. There was another flip photo frame of the whole of Anand family on one side and her own family with herself, Adithya, and her mother on the other side. She had a pen stand attached to it.


    When Charan was aimlessly flipping around some book from her bookshelf, something caught his attention. It was not so much that it caught his attention, what actually drew his attention was the fact that he hadn''t noticed it before.


    He had been running around busy from the time he came back from the island. So, he was not surprised he never noticed it.


    He kept the book back in place and took the box from the place. It was actually slightly hidden away. If he was not standing right in front of the bookshelf, he couldn''t have seen it with the book blocking his view.


    It was a small jewelry box. The box looked neat and simple. Nothing extravagant. Charan couldn''t help open the box. There was a very simple men''s ring.


    The ring was a simple band of silver with a very simple carving.


    For a second, Charan thought maybe it was Shreya''s dad''s ring. But the ring looked polished and unused.


    Charan took the box near for a closer look. The ring actually had shallow carvings outside. Even that design was simple�� nothing too extravagant.


    But then, something else caught his eyes.


    He moved around and sat on the table chair. He reached out and switched on the table lamp and looked intently at the ring. He took out the men''s ring and showed it towards the lamp.


    But what he saw made his breathing itch at the base of his throat. He kept staring at the ring shell shocked for god knows how long before coming back to his senses. The ring was carved on the inside.


    The ring had "Shreya''s Charan" carved into it in very elegant letters from the inside. It was crude and arrogant but effective�� and it was just in line with something Shreya would do.


    But what caught him off guard was the significance of the ring she had bought.


    If it was just any ring, Shreya would have given it to him a long while back�� If Shreya had held back from giving it, it means the ring had more significance. And he can also see that even when it looked very simple on the surface, the metal itself looked sturdy and rare somehow.


    Which all led to only one conclusion, Shreya had bought it as a wedding band for them��


    When did she even buy something like this in the first place?


    From the dust that had collected all around it in the bookshelf, Charan knew the box had been there for a while now�� which means she had bought it and kept it with her for a while now��


    But more than that�� one thing that caught him absolutely off guard was the fact that�� if she had bought it, it means she was planning on proposing to him��


    Not that he hadn''t thought about it. He actually thought about it too�� very seriously. His hands unconsciously went to his wallet and took out the ring he had bought for her. It was a platinum band. Knowing Shreya, even he selected a very simple one�� it was a very thin band with small diamonds embedded all around it.


    If he had selected it by himself, he wouldn''t have opted for something with diamonds in the first place��. He always felt Shreya would find it too glittery for her taste�� He probably would have stuck to a plain band like Shreya, but he took Akira with him, and obviously, to his 11-year-old, glitter was everything. And no matter how much he tried to convince her otherwise, Akira did not budge. She absolutely refused to select anything that did not sparkle.


    Akira shut him up by saying, "Shreya will like anything as long as I select it!!"


    He bought it, but with everything going on, he had been waiting for the right timing�� there was also a part of him that was holding back.


    But after what he vowed himself today, Charan decisively took out the men''s ring from the box and replaced it with the one he bought for Shreya.

 Chapter 397 - Good morning, Princess…

    Shreya leaned over and gave Zack a bear hug as she bid him goodbye.


    "Good night, Zack. Sweet dreams��" Shreya''s voice sounded extremely droopy as if she might fall asleep right there on her apartment corridor if not for him. Zack returned the hug as he leaned down to peck over her head and said, "Good night, baby girl. You can get some sleep, now��"


    Shreya reluctantly let go and went into her apartment. It was 3 freaking a.m. in the morning. So, she made to not make a single sound as she went in.


    She struggled a little to close the door behind her without making any noise but all her effort came to naught when she found Charan still sitting on her couch, looking droopy but still wide awake.


    "Why are you still awake?" Shreya asked moving towards him.


    Charan did not reply. He just took her hands in his and led her towards the bedroom.


    "It told you not to wait up for me, didn''t I?" Shreya scolded glaring at him.


    Charan never bothered to reply to her as he pushed her towards the bath.


    "Quickly, change and come to bed�� You look tired." Charan said. Resigned, Shreya heeded to him without any more protest. She was really tired after all. She did not even know how she got to bed. Before her head could even hit the pillows properly, she was fast asleep.


    Charan laid her down properly and tucked her in before joining her beside her.


    Charan woke up when he heard his phone ring the next morning. Seeing Akira''s name, Charan untangled himself from Shreya and walked out of the room.


    "Good morning, Princess��" Charan greeted closing the doors quietly behind him.


    "Morning, daddy. Happy birthday��" Akira said in a high-pitched voice. Her excitement was pretty apparent in her voice.


    "Thank you, baby." Charan couldn''t help beam. His lips spread into a joyous grin.


    "Okay. I am getting late for school Andrew is here�� bye. I will see you in the evening��" Akira said hurriedly.


    "Okay�� have a nice day at school��" Charan said and hung up.


    But before he could turn around, he felt a pair of hands circle and hold around his waist.


    "Why didn''t you sleep some more?" Charan asked.


    Shreya did not answer but instead just leaned on his back and closed her eyes. She was not fully awake yet. So, she tried to catch some sleep by leaning on him��


    So, when Charan turned around when he did not get any answer, she swayed precariously. Charan caught her by her arms just in time.


    He picked her up princess styled giving a helpless sigh as he took her to bed.


    "Why did you get up if you are so sleepy?" Charan murmured helplessly tucking her in. Just as he was about to go out, Shreya stopped him holding on to his arms.


    "Hey, it is not time yet�� sleep some more. I will wake you up after I am done with the breakfast��" Charan said gently ??r?ssing her cheeks. But Shreya was never really awake enough to hear him in the first place. All he heard was her even breathing. He pried her hands away from him and quietly exited the room.


    But then again, he was in the kitchen for not even 5 minutes when he heard her door open and Shreya walked out with her eyes closed. Walking will be overstating what she was doing though�� to be more precise, she stumbled around with her eyes closed.


    Charan helplessly walked to her and picked her up once again. But this time around he did not bother taking her to her room but instead, he took her to the kitchen and sat her down in one corner on the counter. She leaned over his shoulders and snuggled into his neck.


    "Why did you get up if you are still sleepy??" Charan asked once again.


    "You were not in bed�� I cannot sleep when you are not in bed. It is too cold��" Shreya mumbled back. Her hands remained limp beside her on the counter as she leaned most of her weight against Charan��


    Shreya herself did not know when she got used to having him when she slept. For a person who cannot fall asleep with people in the house, she really changed in a matter of a year.


    Somehow she just seems to wake up when he leaves her side without any conscious effort from her.


    She no longer had the ability to sleep on her own. Within just a few weeks'' time when she got injured, she actually got used to having him beside her. It became a habit by now.  A dangerous habit�� but she couldn''t get over it.


    Charan started sleeping with her mainly because her sleeping posture su?k?d and he was afraid she was going to end up injuring her already broken arm or shoulder. She actually made it worse once in between when she woke up with pain when she rolled over her injured arm in the middle of the night. That is when Charan started sleeping with her to keep an eye on her. But after she got better, neither of them bothered to point it out or change it��


    Charan helplessly picked her up all over again and walked back to her room. He laid her down and joined her. He made sure to draw all the curtains. It was early now and so, there was not much light coming into the room. But pretty soon, it would get hotter.


    Anyways, he did not have anything in the morning. He had to bring Shreya over for dinner at his house�� And Shreya needed the sleep. But then, after a while, even his eyes closed. In a matter of few minutes, sleep took over.


    By the time they both woke up again, it was already well into the morning.


    Shreya was the one who woke up this time around.. She blinked awake rubbed her hands over her eyes and yawned.

 Chapter 398 - You still look good… Why?

    Shreya was busy playing with his face when he woke up. Her fingers were literally playing with his eyelashes as if they were a brush. Her fingers slide down his nose and came to a standstill over his lips.


    "Are you awake?" Charan asked blinking awake. He rustled around bringing Shreya closer as he snuggled against her neck.


    Shreya smiled as she greeted him, "Good morning, birthday boy��"


    Charan''s lips stretched automatically, but he did not budge. If it was even physically possible, he actually hugged Shreya closer. Their legs were an intertwined mess while his hands hugged around her neck and torso.


    "You know�� yesterday, you wished but you never gave me any gift!! Where is my gift?" Charan mumbled against her neck.


    Shreya couldn''t help but blush as she mumbled back, "I did not buy any gift�� the dinner was supposed to be it�� but you know, that never happened!!" Her voice was embarrassed when she said it.


    "Not just that�� you also owe me for loss of pay�� because of you, I couldn''t go to office today��" Charan added.


    "What do you mean?" Shreya asked confused.


    "You refused to go to sleep without me this morning�� and so, I had to accompany you for a nap after I woke up�� You did not even let me make breakfast. So, you better pay up��" Charan answered. He was so close when he said it that his lips brushed against her skin making her shiver slightly.


    Shreya tried to get up and create some distance between them but Charan obviously held her in place��


    "How am I supposed to pay you if you don''t let me get up?" Shreya asked frowning her brows. She puffed her cheeks as she glared at him.


    "Hm�� You don''t get to get out of here until you pay!! So, you will just have to pay with something you already have here��" Charan answered smirking. Even when he looked lazy and groggy, he was fully awake by then. His eyes gleamed as he looked at her. He gave her a very suggestive and obvious signal as he looked at her with a sly smile. His whole being had a sense of mischief to him.


    Obviously, Shreya never let herself be outdone by anyone��


    Her lips smirked as she gave him a sly smile back. Charan could see she was up to something but he never got the time to prepare as she stretched her neck over and bit on his jaws just below his right cheeks.


    "Ouch!!" Charan exclaimed in pain and surprise as he looked down at Shreya��


    Shreya just giggled away at his expense.


    "You were the one who asked for it!! Don''t look at me��" Shreya shrugged away.


    "I asked for a gift!!" Charan said narrowing his eyes at her.


    "And I gave you a gift!! You never said what the gift should be!!" Shreya reasoned back.


    "Yea�� Then you wouldn''t mind if I gave you a return gift now, would you?" Charan asked slyly but he never gave her the time to react as he tickled her.


    Her squeal and laughter filled the bedroom. Shreya couldn''t help trash against him as she struggled to get him to stop but she couldn''t control her giggle.


    "Hahaha�� CHARAN!! Stop�� stop. I cannot breathe!!!" Shreya screamed and at last, Charan took mercy in her and stopped.


    But he did not get up. He just couldn''t help staring at her. She was panting slightly but her lips were still spread into a grin. She looked lax without any worry in the world. It was as if she had no weight in her heart anymore.


    So far, even when he had seen Shreya happy�� this looked somehow different. She just looked like a little girl in a playground.


    A sense of fulfillment spread throughout his heart very rapidly at the thought that he was able to bring out such an expression from her. He really wished he could keep her like that all her life��


    He couldn''t help himself as he leaned over and pecked on her forehead. Somehow the wild teasing environment changed into something soft and gentle.


    Shreya''s fingers traced over the teeth mark she had just left�� It was slightly red. Her eyes couldn''t help but stay there for a few extended minutes. When her eyes flickered back to Charan, he was staring at her with a smile.


    "What are you looking at?" Shreya asked.


    "I am looking at you��" He answered her simply.


    Shreya rolled her eyes as she said, "Well, of course, I can see that�� I mean what are you looking at me for?" She asked again.


    "I am just admiring the bird''s nest at the top of your head!!" He teased.


    Shreya glared at him. Between her just getting up and Charan''s tickled, obviously her head would have formed a bird''s nest but he did not have to point it out, now does he!?


    Charan simply chuckled while Shreya reached out for his head and ruffled it but then, to her eyes, it still looked good on him.


    "This is not fair!!" Shreya said pouting. "You still look good�� Why?"


    Charan couldn''t help laughing. He pinched her cheeks and cooed her, "Why do you have to be so adorable right when you wake up!!"


    Shreya just glared at him.


    "And I never said you did not look good��" Charan insisted smiling.


    But before either of them could say anything else, Shreya''s stomach protested��.


    "I am hungry��" She mumbled at last.


    "Get up�� you go freshen up and come�� I will make you a sandwich," Charan said immediately getting up from his place. He even took Shreya to the bathroom and made her brush. Because, without him, in all probability, Shreya would end up just lazing around in the bed until he comes back up.


    Charan then went to the kitchen to make some sandwiches.. Shreya''s place always has some bread regardless�� because without that, she would starve, literally.

 Chapter 399 - Nameless kid.

    Once freshening up, Shreya came and sat over the counter waiting for food.


    "Here you go��" Charan said keeping the two sets of sandwiches beside her.


    Shreya took one and stuffed her mouth while simultaneously stuffing another into Charan''s mouth. Given it was noon, it did not take long for them to finish their food. Shreya practically breathed in the food.


    But before any of them could say anything else, Shreya got a call from the office. She stiffened her jaws unconsciously when she heard what was said from the other side.


    Once she hung up the phone, she just stood there gripping on her phone for a minute until Charan asked worried, "Hey, what is it?"


    "It seems Uncle Ram and his wife are at Sri corp. and are making trouble now��" Shreya mumbled answering his question unconsciously. She then frustratedly ran her hands over her cheeks and walked towards her room. She reached for some change of clothes as she said, "I need to go to the office now�� sorry�� I wanted to be with you today�� but things just seem to keep popping up somehow�� I just��" She did not know how to continue. Somehow, something always seems to come up today. Before, it was Delaney, now her own uncle. It seems the universe was against her from spending time with Charan today.


    Charan went to her and simply gave her a hug.


    "Hey, it''s alright�� in fact, I will come with you�� you just shower and change here�� I will get ready in the guest room. We will go together��" Charan said softly.


    "No, it''s okay�� I will go by myself. You go to your house or go pick up Akira�� I will join you guys whenever I am done!!" Shreya said shaking her head.


    But Charan did not budge.


    "Not happening�� you are not getting rid of me that easily today��" Charan insisted while taking his own clothes. He really was not willing to send her alone to meet with Uncle Ram or any of his family members. The last time his family met with Shreya at the New year''s party, they made Shreya into a crying mess. He was not going to take that chance again.


    Last time, he was not near her�� he would not do the same mistake again.


    So, both of them ended up in her office building in a matter of an hour. Shreya called in advance and asked her people to contain the situation and make them sit in a conference room until she can come.


    In no time, Uncle Ram and her aunt, Anitha entered the office. They obviously gave Shreya a condescending look. Obviously, Charan who was standing beside her saw it clearly. But he did not comment on it seeing as Shreya was silent.


    The room was filled with suffocation silence. Shreya did not even bother to ask them to sit down.


    "Have you lost your manners too along with your humanity?" Uncle Ram asked breaking the silence.


    "I should be the one asking you that, uncle Ram. Trying to kill your niece is a new low even for you!" Shreya replied mockingly. Even when they had fought before�� even when they had been unpleasant with each other before, Ram never resorted to hurting her�� that was why he had been tolerant of them for so long�� as long as they do not turn evil, she can accommodate their greed and jealousy.


    But then she also has a very clear bottom line and when they crossed it, she would completely disregard them as family. anyways, she never had any personal attachment with this family in recent years��


    "You were the one who started it!! You were the one who used underhanded methods to completely ruin my son''s life�� Did you think I will just sit aside and do nothing after what you did? Did you take me and my family for a pushover or what?" Ram fumed.


    "Let''s get one thing straight!! I never used any underhanded method and I never did anything to your so-called son which was unwarranted for!! I gave him multiple chances�� I even personally warned him to back off�� but he had to be stupid and provoke me!!" Shreya rolled her eyes.


    "He just spread some baseless rumors!! For that, you had to pit him so cruelly??" Anitha flared up looking pissed off.


    "Well, the center of those baseless rumors was an 11-year-old innocent kid!! If he had just done something to me, I wouldn''t have bothered about him�� but he dragged an innocent kid into the mix for few benefits without regard to basic human decency, then I can also show him how I would be when I forget about family relationships!!" Shreya replied looking at Anitha sharply. There was a special sort of ice when he talked to Anitha which was more profound than when she talked to Ram.


    "What''s so important about a nameless kid!! At most, people are going to talk some shit online�� for that, you actually sent my son into a firing pit!!" Anitha exclaimed without giving up��


    "Well, the ''nameless kid'' in your mouth is my kid! She is Shreya Srivastav''s daughter�� and I will never allow anybody to talk shit about my daughter�� not with me present! It doesn''t matter how many people stand in my way�� nobody gets to touch my daughter and get away with it." Shreya''s voice vibrated through the walls when she said it. Her voice held so many emotions when she said it�� you can clearly see the agitation in her voice.


    Shreya really hated the high-sounding voice Anitha used. As if she was above everyone. As if, only the suffering of her son was of utmost importance and somehow the suffering of others as insignificant and trivial��


    Shreya was someone who was taught to respect people and not status�� But for someone like Anitha, it did not matter how many people are sacrificed as long as she can be happy��

 Chapter 400 - Are you threatening me?

    Especially, when Anitha disrespected and disregarded Akira like that�� anger just flared up and burnt high in her heart.


    Charan froze in place hearing Shreya�� something really twisted in his heart when he heard her. This was the first time Shreya had called Akira her daughter�� he knew the reason why she never used that title in the first place was for Akira''s sake and not because she shied away from the responsibility��


    Because she understood Akira''s pain, she never wanted to be a mother to her because Akira already had a mother and Shreya was always just going to be her friend�� He understood that and he was grateful for it too��


    But hearing Shreya call Akira her daughter�� he did not know why a different kind of warmth spread. Because Shreya saying that meant that they were more than just a couple�� it meant that Shreya was more than just his girlfriend�� it meant they were her family.


    But his thoughts were cruelly interrupted by Anitha''s screeching voice once again.


    "When did anybody picked up from the street was able to enter the Srivastav''s household!?!" You can clearly see the contempt in her voice as she looked at Charan with a sense of disgust��


    Shreya''s whole body stiffened immediately. If looks could kill, Anitha will be brunt to dust by now. All her leisure was lost in a matter of seconds. The cold aura eluded from her body make the whole room freeze in cold.


    "You say another word�� one single world, trust me when I tell you�� you will never have one peaceful day for the rest of your life!! It is a promise!! I dare you to open your mouth again if you are brave enough!" Even when Shreya''s voice was low, you can see the anger in them��  The icing on her voice was enough to send shivers down the spines of everyone present.


    Without even knowing why Anitha''s whole body shivered as she took a step back involuntarily.


    You should know, Shreya always behaves like a brat�� even when they provoked her mercilessly, she always just ignored them and never really retaliated until Mithun messed up�� which always gave them the illusion that she was a soft cookie. They had never seen her have such a domineering and overbearing aura before.


    But Shreya never gave them any chance to recover from it.


    "I have let you and your family go so far just because of my dad. That grace ends here�� You mess up with me or with anyone at all, I will show you hell. It was already my concession when I did not give evidence of your involvement when it came to my accident to the police�� you took advantage of my dad''s trust in you to pit me. You have no idea how much effort I am putting into constraining myself from destroying you just for that��" Shreya paused giving Ram a look that almost looked as if she was trying to burn him alive.


    Because to Shreya, her father was a sacred existence. She worshiped him in all practical senses and her trust in his dad was very profound. She had followed everything her father ever taught to her like a bible. And Ram had destroyed that for her by doing it�� If he had betrayed her, she might not have gotten so angry but Ram had betrayed her dad''s trust in him�� which was completely unforgivable in her books.


    That is why she was able to better handle her anger when it came to Mithun�� because, what he did was with her and she was able to let it go. But she could not do it with Ram.


    "And the same concession was given to your son when he sent guys to kill me. If you think that that concession was too much, I do not mind taking it away at any time�� You just say the word!" Shreya continued. Not an ounce of emotion penetrated her face when she said it looking straight at Ram and Anitha. "Both you and your son will not be able to see the light of day again when I am done with you!"


    "Are you threatening me?" Ram asked.


    "Yes�� and you better not take me lightly!! You will never have the time of day to even regret it!" Shreya said straight up meeting his eyes.


    Ram''s whole face puffed up and reddened in anger but he had no place to vent it. After all, he never had the power to do anything to her�� not even when he was still in the company�� more so, now. After seeing the state of Yash, he can be sure that Shreya was so much more powerful now than she was when he faced her initially. You can see that her power grew more than several times in the past years while his power dwindled away in the same amount of time. BY now, apart from some money and Srivastav''s family name, he did not possess any power to make anything happen, let alone do something to Shreya.


    Just as they came to a stalemate, someone entered the office.


    Shreya looked up to see Anand entering her office. You can see the concern in his eyes as they met with Shreya''s. But all his softness went away when Anand faced Ram and Anitha. Instead, his eyes flared up with fire.


    Shreya''s eyes frowned. After all, he made it very clear to her people to not let anyone else know about the altercation this morning. She did not want to involve her uncle�� But somehow her uncle still seem to have found out and was here. She needed to have a word with her people after all.


    Anand did not greet Ram at all. He just came and stood in front of Shreya protectively. He made sure Shreya did not fall within Ram''s line of sight. With just the slightest gesture, he made clear where he stood in the argument.


    "What are you guys doing here?" Anand asked looking sternly at Ram and Anitha. You can clearly see how pissed he was with just his voice.


    "Are you going to tear your face completely with your brother who you grew up with listening to a little girl for some benefits!!? You are going to turn your back on your relatives for money?" Ram sneered mockingly.

 Chapter 401 - I was not being greedy.

    "You don''t have the right to ask those questions, Mr. Ram��? You lost that right when you tried to kill your brother''s little girl!!" Anand answered angrily.


    "She started it!! Why did she have to ruin my son''s life�� if she hadn''t done it, I wouldn''t have had to do such a thing in the first place!" Ram said self righteously. Anitha did not even dare to breathe loudly after Shreya threatened her. So, she just stayed behind Ram making herself inconspicuous.


    "She never started anything�� it was your son and daughter who started everything. They were the ones who started trouble in the company�� there is a limit to which they can be arrogant in the name of being a Srivastav and a relative." Anand sneered looking at Ram with a slightly disgusted look.


    "They were not making trouble. They were just trying to get back what was mine! They would have not had to do something like that if she hadn''t played dirty tricks to drive me out of the company! If only she hadn''t been suppressing my company deliberately all this time, our family wouldn''t have had to resort to such tricks." Ram answered arrogantly. This had been his greatest failure of all his life�� being defeated by his b?r?ly ?du?t niece. He had never been able to swallow that defeat till this moment�� Over the years this shame had turned into hate towards Shreya and had been eating him all this while�� that was his turning point.


    He had not been a saint but he had not been jealous or a greedy person before that�� not to this extent at least. Not to point of being inhuman and disregarding the family as a whole. But life hadn''t been the same since he was driven out of the company��


    Everybody he was gave him a mocking gaze for being weak enough to let his own niece defeat him�� or at least, with the mindset he was in back then, that is how it looked. This slowly ate him. He started a company of his own but he had never been able to touch the heights of Sri corp. Not even close�� that just proved how incapable he was.


    Anitha always had been blowing over his pillow adding fuel to his fire. She always said the reason why his company never flourished was that Shreya had done something behind his backs and coveted his success. She always said Shreya was a greedy person and so on and so forth. After all, as a family, they always knew Shreya was a capable person and she never hide anything from them in spite of knowing they do not have good eyes towards her. And because he had already been unstable at that time, he believed it without doubting it. But he never knew the reality of the matter was straight opposite to it.


    "Let''s get one thing very straight here�� Sri corp. was never your''s. It was never any of ours�� it always belongs to Shreya�� It had always been Adithya''s legacy that he left behind for Shreya!!" Anand answered sternly. His voice boomed across the room. But before he could continue, Ram interrupted him.


    "But I also contributed in making it�� that is why Adithya left me the shares�� I earned those shared justly and she took it away from me!" Ram argued back.


    "Oh please�� without Adithya, we both would have never made it this far�� you and I both know that. You never would have made it this far even in your dreams�� and Adithya gave you those shares not only because he was a generous person but also because he trusted you to protect his baby girl if he was not there�� he gave you those shares to guard his little girl not to try to overthrow her because you have a bigger ego than your brains!! The minute you conspired on taking over the management in the name of seniority, you lost that trust and you lost the right to hold those shares�� So, don''t justify your greed with your misplaced self-righteousness and push the blame on others�� it''s disgusting." Anand practically spat out when he said the last sentence. You can see the hate in his voice from miles away.


    "I was not being greedy. I just wanted to protect Adithya''s legacy. I did not want it to go to waste in na?ve hands�� and she wouldn''t listen�� she wouldn''t listen to anything I ever said. She ruled the company as if she was the queen of the place�� she had no constrain whatsoever!! She had been blind with greed not taking into account anything! And she even suppressed me after I went out of the company because of petty grudge�� how do you justify that!!?" Ram asked back.


    Anand couldn''t help let out a dry chuckle at his naivety. He really wished to jump into his head to look inside to know whether his brains even worked. He was baffled by how much delusional Ram was at this point. Suddenly, he understood why he had been so weird all this while.


    Anand and Ram had never been that close from small but they still got along fine. So, he knew him enough. But his actions never made sense to him. After all, even when Ram was never close to him, he had been close to Adithya�� He can always see that Ram genuinely cared about Adithya. That was why he kept giving him chances. He was waiting for him to see some sense.


    He had tried to do that back then too�� but Ram was too caught up to even listen to him and he stopped trying after that. But now, he finally understood that Ram had been too wrapped up in this head all this time�� He misunderstood everything from the start. He was wrong from the start.


    Ram had not only been lying to others but he had always been lying to himself. He was too egotistical and self-righteous to see his own mistakes and faults.

 Chapter 402 - Madam of Srivastav’s household.

    "Oh, please�� don''t talk nonsense without knowing anything! Yes, she had been slightly out of control when she first took over. She took huge risks�� but it is perfectly understandable why she will be slightly out of control back then. She just lost both her parents for god''s sake�� it is abnormal if she had been completely put together. But that doesn''t mean you will try to overrule her instead of understanding and taking precautions. And please!! She never held any grudge against you�� It was thanks to her that your company had even survived this far!! Most of your clients are Shreya''s personal companies�� If not for her you would have had to close your company a long time ago!!" Anand couldn''t help by sneer blatantly mocking at Ram. He really couldn''t swallow the fact that Shreya had done so much and instead of being grateful, Ram actually had the balls to come to her and actually question Shreya��


    Ram did not know how to process everything Anand was telling him. After all, in spite of everything, he knew Anand was not one to lie.


    Anand continued after a pause, "Do not blame others for your incapability. And the minute you conspired with the people who were trying to kill Shreya, you lost the right to be called human."


    By this time Anand had lost all his cool as he stalked towards Ram and held him by his collars as he asked, "How the fu?k did you forget this is Adithya''s baby girl!! Is this how he would have treated your kids if something had happened to you�� how the hell did you think you had the face to actually step into this office after doing all those shit!! This is Adithya''s office!! Did you forget!? And you betrayed him in the cruelest way possible�� is this how you repay all the care and trust he gave you?" He practically pushed him away when he was done.


    Ram couldn''t help stumble but he did not fall. He couldn''t accept the fact that he was wrong. He did not want to�� because if he did, the guilt that comes with it will eat him alive. So, he still wanted to argue. He still wanted to justify his actions, to himself and to Anand desperately. So, he stammered and argued back with little rationale, "I�� I�� she was the one who drove me to do it? Why did she have to send my son to jail over such a small altercation�� he just spread some gossips�� she has already gotten back at him by ruining his family and image�� why did she have to drive him to a corner with no return��?"


    Anand sneered once more as he said, "You should have asked this question to your son�� he was the one who hired people to kill her when she was in T country!!"


    "What??" Ram asked shocked. This was something he never knew.


    Anand gestured towards Anitha who was standing behind Ram as he said, "You can ask your dear wife that question!! After all, the money came from her account?"


    Anitha instantly went pale. She would never accept something like that. Because the minute she did, she will lose all his husband''s support, she knew that. That is why she argued back. She stammered as she defended herself, "I�� I�� I never did such a thing�� they are lying!! They are all framing me!! Don''t believe them��"


    Anand chuckled mockingly as he said with his eyebrows arched, "Yea�� then am I also lying about you calling Sumitha (Shreya''s mother) out on the day she was kidnapped?" Anand asked sarcastically facing Anitha��


    Anitha''s lost what little blood left on her cheeks. Her face was white as a sheet in seconds.


    "Uncle!!" Shreya called out. This little information was something she had carefully hidden from everyone because she wanted to keep the family together. Only Anand and Bhagya ever knew about it. They were the ones who comforted her when she first came to know about it and was helpless about how to go about it. Both Anand and Bhagya wanted to confront Anitha long back but Shreya convinced them not to because she knew the minute she confronted about it, their whole family would collapse.


    She had just lost her family�� She did not want to give the same pain to others. After all, Meera was still in her teens back then and Mithun and Susmitha were in college.


    While Ram looked at Anand and asked, "What do you mean?" He couldn''t help but be afraid of him at that moment. The look in Anand''s eyes told him that he was not going to like what he was going to hear. He couldn''t help eyes his wife who looked scared out of her mind.


    "Your wife is the reason why Shreya lost her parents! She was the one who called Shreya''s mother, Sumitha out on the day she was kidnapped. Your wife accepted money and lured Sumitha out of her house alone�� she called her out to the mall in the name of wanting to give you a surprise and asked her to come without telling anyone�� so Shreya''s mom left the house without her bodyguards or informing Adithya�� And she was kidnapped in the parking lot of the mall which eventually led to Adithya and her death." Anand said looking solemnly.


    Maybe, those people could have succeeded in kidnapping Sumitha without Anitha''s help also. But with her help, It went way too smoothly.


    After all, Sumitha was a star and also the Madam of Srivastav''s household. So, she rarely if not ever went out without her bodyguards. If it hadn''t been for Anitha to specifically ask her to sneak out, she never would have gotten out of the house without protection. Maybe, if she had her bodyguards, she wouldn''t have even been kidnapped that day. Maybe not ever.


    Anitha couldn''t help but shout at this point, "NO�� NO�� NO��. He is lying!! He is lying!!!!" Anitha screamed�� Because she knew, even when Ram had some greed and jealousy, he still respected Adithya�� He truly cared about them. Unlike herself who only had hate towards Sumitha.. Anitha truly hated her�� She had always been extremely jealous of Sumitha.

 Chapter 403 - Your only saving grace is you did not know…

    Anitha was actually from an affluent household. She grew up privileged. But her family fell on later years making her having to lead a normal life. She could never reconcile with it. But it had been the straight opposite for Sumitha. Sumitha was from a very normal household. But later because of her career as an actress, she grew leaps and bounds.


    After that, Adithya fell in love with her. And Adithya treated her extremely well. Adithya practically coddled her like a kid. He kept her in the palm of his hands and protected her.


    Even when they were married to the same household, the difference of treatment they got between herself and Sumitha was astronomical. Not that Ram treated her badly but Adithya had always been pretty excessive when it came to Sumitha. He always treated her as his Queen. He had no limit when it came to pampering her. But the facts of the matter were, Adithya had always been pretty excessive when it came to caring for people around him. And it reached an extreme when it came to his wife and daughter obviously.


    And to add to that, Sumitha was the Madam of Srivastav''s household. So, the respect she got whenever she went out was also immense. It was hard not to be envious of her.


    But none of it justifies what happened later.


    "I have text messages you sent her!!" Anand said flatly.


    Anitha was even more scared when she heard it. So, she changed her statement instantly in panic. Her guilty conscience never allowed her to even think if Anand really had such evidence. So, she just babbled on, "I�� I made plans�� yes�� I had plans with her that day but she never showed up�� yes�� she never showed up. So, I just left�� yes. That is what happened!! I did not do anything to harm her��" She was b?r?ly coherent when she said that.


    But Anand once again reversed her lies with a straight face. He looked at her sternly as he said, "You never left your villa that day�� you never even bothered to step out of the house. And I also have records of you accepting the money from that so-called ''reporter''"


    After all, in all the years Sumitha had been an actress, she had a pretty much perfect image. None of them had ever been able to get any scoop on her. After she married Adithya, public interest in her simply grew without reducing. Just Sumitha still had a clean image in the public''s eyes.


    Reporters flooded her whenever she left her house. People followed her every move incessantly. So, at one point, Sumitha stopped going out altogether unless it was with Adithya and Shreya. So, reporters asking for an interview through backdoor was not such an uncalled-for event. It was just, Anitha was the first one to actually accept it.


    "I�� I just�� they just said they wanted an interview and some scoop. So, asked me to lure her without her agent�� so, I just�� I just�� I did not know she was going to be kidnapped!! I swear!!" Anitha answered anxiously. She can see that she was cornered. So, she knew it was better to confess and accept rather than denying it.


    When she first learned that Sumitha was kidnapped from their place of meeting, she almost fainted in fright. She had always been waiting for Shreya to interrogate her knocking on their doors every minute. This fear and guilty conscience simply drove her crazy to point of coming to hate Shreya to an irrational extent. More than she ever hated Sumitha�� And she had made it a point to spread that hate to her husband and children too.


    But more than hating them, she also wanted them to stay away from Shreya. She wanted Ram to stay away from her�� she did not want him to have the slightest attachment to Shreya. After all, she was afraid Shreya would tell on her about this incident. And the only way to prevent that from happening was of course to separate them. Create so much friction between the two that Ram would never believe anything Shreya ever said. But that never happened�� Shreya never came for her.


    With time, she had completely forgotten about this incident. When no one asked about it, she almost felt as if it never happened until Anand brought it up now��


    When it was Anand who brought it up, she knew she was screwed. She could never deny it�� After all, Ram still trusted Anand more than Anitha. They still have that much attachment at least in spite of their differences. She wouldn''t be able to deny it for long if it was Anand who confronted her.


    Anand simply shook his head with a sigh and said, "We know�� that is the only reason why you were left alone�� or else you think you could have been peaceful all this time�� your only saving grace is you did not know�� But even that was thanks to Shreya�� she did not want to separate your family. So, she begged us not to tell about it�� or else you would have been done for a long time ago!"


    Anand turned his head away from Anitha and faced Ram this time as he said, "But you Ram�� you and your son knew exactly what you were doing!! Really shame on you guys... If you really have a little bit of humanity left in you, go back to jail and don''t fight it�� rot there and make up for what you did�� Because it is useless to fight it�� the minute you come out, I will send you back in�� I have evidence the last forever�� that is the only way for you to survive here on!! This is the only way you can repent to Adithya!!"


    By this time, Ram went into a complete daze. He did not know what to think or how to make sense of everything. Everything he thought was the truth turned out to be his own illusion. He did not know how to process that��


    All the resentment and hate he heads towards Shreya turned into guilt in a matter of minutes. He did not know how to face her anymore. Even when he was angry and hated her, he had the guts to face her�� because he thought he was right. But knowing he was at the wrong all this time crushed him in ways he did not know how to get up from. He b?r?ly even heard what Anand was saying anymore.


    Every last memory he had of Adithya kept playing in his head haunting him. He kept seeing Adithya''s disappointed angry face in his head asking him by his collars ''Why he did it?'' Sadly, he did not have any answers. All his emotions seemed to have left him like a pinched balloon. He felt suffocatingly empty.


    He did not even know how he left Sri corp. and got into his car. His mind was not working properly anymore.


    Even when he reached his house, he just went into his study and shut himself up�� He did not have the face to see anyone at all at this moment. He could not hear anything anybody said.


    Anitha kept babbling about something, but he couldn''t be bothered about it.

 Chapter 404 - Hey, are you okay there kid?

    Zack looked at Meera who was in a daze. He quietly dragged her towards Akash''s office and closed the doors behind him.


    Meera suddenly called him to say that her parents had gone to Shreya to confront her this morning�� she was the one who told him that they went to Sri corp to make a scene. And Zack immediately called Anand because Anand had given explicit orders to everyone that anything at all related to Ram and his family should come to him directly and not take it to Shreya.


    But the people who had dealt with Ram this morning were bottom-level employees who called up Shreya directly without consulting him. And thus the information completely bypassed him. And Shreya being Shreya had to deal with everything personally without telling anyone.


    But thanks to Meera he came to know about it and he called up Anand and Anand reached the office in record time. But it was still a little later than Shreya.


    But Meera couldn''t stay still at home and actually came to Sri corp. Zack picked her up and brought her to Shreya''s office. They arrived well before Anand ever came. So, Meera pretty much heard everything that happened in the room.


    To say she was shocked will be an understatement.


    Her surprise after hearing her mother was more than that of Ram''s shock. After all, Ram at least already knew in hindsight how Anitha was.


    But Meera never guarded against her mother. Between her father and mother, at least her mother bothered to talk to her at least sometime�� so, a person who was starved for attention like her, that little bit of conversation always meant more than anything.


    So, she completely believed everything her mother ever said. She always thought maybe, her mother misunderstood something about Shreya. She always thought Anitha''s bitterness should have a genuine reason. She always thought maybe Shreya could have done something definitely.


    After all, she can hear it in her voice that she knew of her responsibility when it came to Shreya''s mother.


    Even if she did not know at that time what was going to happen, Anitha seems to have known the aftereffect of her actions for a long time now. So, instead of feeling sorry and guilty towards Shreya, Meera couldn''t digest how Anitha could have hated Shreya��?


    If it were her, she would have felt so guilty and sorry for Shreya to even meet up with her. After all, Shreya''s mother had died because of her greed and vain jealousy. She did not know how Anitha could even do that!!


    "Hey, are you okay there kid?" Zack asked concerned coming to stand beside her. Meera just stood there where he pulled her without moving a muscle.


    "My mom�� she�� Shreya''s mother!! Did she really do that? Did my dad and brother really do that?" Meera asked in a whisper. Her voice was so low that it was as if she was scared to even ask the question. It was as if every cell in her body screaming at her to not ask the question.


    Meera had never really bothered about the spat within her family. She never bothered about anything at all after a while. Because she knew their interests never matched.


    But she never imagined they would have done things so low�� She always thought they just gossiped and talked shit behind people''s back. Maximum did some crooked things. She never thought it would be so bad to extent of trying to take a person''s life�� that too family member.


    Zack couldn''t watch her beat herself up for something her family did. So, he gently brought her against his embrace as he said, "It is not your fault kid. What they did, they did it�� You do not have a share in it! You did not even know�� you are not them. They will pay for their actions�� it had nothing to do with you! You do not have to beat yourself up for their actions��" His voice was more gentle than he had ever talked to Meera before.


    "So, that means they really did all the things that were said inside?" Meera asked looked up at Zack.


    Zack looked at the little girl''s vulnerable eyes. Even when he wanted to comfort her, he did not lie to her.


    "I did not know about what happened with your mother and Shreya''s mother. I never knew about it before�� but regarding your brother and father�� yes, they did it. I was there when your brother''s people tried to kill Shreya�� I also saw the evidence. And I saw your father talking to the people who were responsible for the accident just weeks before it happened. He gave them the specs of Shreya''s car and this floor which led to the accident and the office blowing up. Even your mother''s thing�� if Anand said it happened, it happened�� he wouldn''t lie about things like this��" Zack answered with a straight face. He did not sugarcoat anything. He gave her the fact as she asked for. Because he knew she needed the absolute truth at this time more than ever�� And he gave her that.


    Meera''s eyes went into a daze all over again.


    Zack helplessly led her out. Even though Akash was not here now, he did not know when he will be back. So, he dragged Meera towards his own office. His office was actually several floors down. He let her sit on his couch and let her be. Because he knew she needed the time to process everything. He just made sure she ate on time but other than that�� he just let her hang in his office like he always did at his apartment.. He minded his own business as always.

 Chapter 405 - Can we go to pick Akira from school?

    "You did not have to come, you know? I could have handled them�� you needn''t have torn your face with him!" Shreya mumbled to Anand as soon as Ram and Anitha left the office.


    "Yes, I did kid. I should have done this a long while ago instead of letting you take the blame. I stayed behind because I did not want to make things between us�� after all, your dad still considered him his brother�� but I never thought my silence would lead to such an extreme situation. I never thought my silence would lead to you being in harm''s way!" Anand said looking at Shreya with a sad smile.


    He still couldn''t close his eyes at night thinking of what could have happened to Shreya!! That thought still sents chill down his spines�� He would have never been able to forgive himself in this life if something had happened to her.


    Anand walked towards Shreya and pecked on her head as he said, "Now�� get out of here. I know it is your day off. It is over now�� you don''t have to think about anything anymore��"


    Anand left after saying it.


    Shreya did not move from her place. Her face was not good obviously. Charan couldn''t even see any trace of all the laughter from the morning.


    "Are you okay there?" Charan asked coming to stand in front of her.


    Shreya could help lean on his. She looked exhausted. Anyways, she did not get much sleep and she worked all night. So, she was tired obviously. But more than that, this one conversation was also mentally draining. More than being physically exhausted, she felt emotionally drained.


    "I am sorry, you have to see that!" Shreya mumbled against him.


    "Well, not everything was bad!!" Charan answered smiling slightly. After all, he also got to see her defend him and Akira like a mother cub!! "Did I ever tell you? You look s?xy when you are pissed!!" He continued thoughtfully after a pause. His lips twitched into a teasing smile.


    Shreya unconsciously blushed.


    "Stop talking nonsense!!" She blurted out scolding him.


    "I am not talking nonsense�� You look extremely s?xy when you get angry with your cheeks puffed up and flaring eyes." Charan said with a straight face.


    Shreya did not bother answering him this time. She just snuggled more against him without letting him see her ripe cheeks. Shreya was not a shy person�� or maybe she hadn''t had the chance to be shy before. But being on the receiving end of Charan''s comment made her slightly embarrassed. And with that embarrassment, she completely forgot about her previous heavy mood.


    "Do you want to get lunch outside?" Charan asked rubbing his hands behind her head.


    Shreya pulled away and nodded her head beaming at last. It had been too long since she went out. Anywhere she went, reporters followed her around. But the fervor should have reduced considerably by now.


    This was the one point that she regretted the most about going back into the limelight. She could no longer roam around as she wished. Even when she was not particularly an outgoing person, she was not used to being holed up either.


    So, she was pretty excited when she entered the Mc Donald''s near her office. She immediately ordered the largest cheesiest burger there was. Her lips grinned ear to ear as she looked at the burger served to her.


    Charan couldn''t help chuckle at her antics.


    Shreya couldn''t really be bothered about anything now. She opened her mouth to the widest extent possible and swallowed a huge chunk of the burger into her mouth. Cheese obviously dripped down the corner of her lips.


    Charan shook his head resigned. He still reached out to clean up the mess she made around her mouth very naturally as he said, "Eat slowly�� nobody is going to steal your food��" At that time what they did not know was that they were being photographed. Because she was with Charan, Shreya let go of all her vigilance and Charan was not camera s?ns?t?v? person.


    But it did not deter their lunch. They got along harmoniously as ever and were out of the door once they were done.


    "Can we go to pick Akira from school?" Shreya asked looking at Charan expectantly. It was almost time.


    So next, they went towards Akira''s school.


    "Madam, someone is following us!! They seem to be having a camera!" The driver reported to Shreya after a few turns.


    Shreya let out a groan. Because her own car was too eye-catching and since she took Charan with her today, she took one of the company cars thinking she can be inconspicuous. But it seems it was just her fantasy.


    If she was going anywhere else, Shreya would have let them be but they were going to pick up Akira�� she did not want to make a scene in front of Akira''s school.


    "Pull over and politely ask them to fall back�� If they don''t listen, tell them they will be hearing from my lawyers tomorrow! Tell them I do not need to read any nonsense about me in newspapers tomorrow!" Shreya instructed. She also gave her visiting car to substantiate herself a bit.


    Thankfully, the reporters had enough sense to back off. So, picking up Akira went without any hitch after that.


    "Shreya!!" Akira exclaimed as soon as she saw her.


    Shreya had to wear huge sunglasses to cover most of her face. But Akira still recognized her at a glance and sprinted over.


    Thankfully, the rest of the day went on without any more drama.


    Shreya went over to Charan''s house and the whole family had a nice dinner. Between Bharath, Shreya, and the kids, the dinner table did not have a single boring moment.


    Adam was also present and the little puppy he bought was the new center of attention for kids. The puppy actually stole all the attention and became the star of the show.. It was pretty late by the time everyone disbursed to their own respective houses.

 Chapter 406 - Do you really want to know?

    "You stay right there!! How dare you cheat me like that!!" Bhavna''s screeching voice echoed throughout the house.


    Tomorrow it was Akash''s engagement. So, Bhagya had invited everyone over for a fun gathering days before. It was not like she had to save space.


    So, everyone had been staying over at Anand''s mansion for a few days now.


    "What are they fighting about?" Shreya asked walking into the kitchen.


    "Do you really want to know?" Zack asked back sarcastically.


    Shreya looked up at he siblings running around like monkeys�� Akash was laughing his ?ss off while Bhavna looked about ready to kill him with just her eyes.


    So, she thought better of it and said, "Never mind!! I have enough to deal with as it is!" Shreya went ahead and took an apple for herself and left the kitchen.


    Zack also followed closely behind leaving just the siblings alone.


    Both Akash and Bhavna stopped only when both of them were exhausted.


    Both of them sat shoulder to shoulder over the kitchen island.


    "How did you get my mobile?" Bhavna asked narrowing her eyes at Akash.


    "I bribed Nakul�� You guys have been torturing him to no end by flirting in front of him�� so, he agreed easily when I said I would reassign him!" Akash smirked.


    "No wonder he did not show for a week now!!" Bhavna puffed up her cheeks pissed off.


    She was planning on selling Madhu''s photos that she took of her in the mall to Akash. He knew Akash would come to her for them�� She couldn''t really contain her smug gloating smiles around him. But it had been days, he did not show up at all. So, she was going to send some more pictures to Akash as if she was dangling treats to a pup. But to her surprise, she found that she no longer had those pictures on her phone!!


    But nothing else was missing�� so, the only culprit could be Akash. So, she came to him with her hands on her h?ps pissed out of her head.


    And thus the chasing started between the siblings. They chased each other until Bhavna was completely exhausted and could move no more.


    "Who asked you guys to incessantly flirt in front of a single dog!! Obviously, he would be pissed!!" Akash smirked looking at his sister.


    "We do not flirt!!" Bhavna answered with red cheeks.


    "Yea�� and what? You grow flying pigs to earn your living?!" Akash said sarcastically rolling his eyes at her.


    Obviously, when he knew Ayush was persuing his baby sister, he was extremely pissed. He almost went to him to pick up a fight�� But Shreya stopped him in his tracks saying he was being overdramatic. Even then, he had a very serious talk with Ayush before he let him off. And since Akash was still technically his boss and more than that, he was Bhavna''s elder brother�� so, Ayush was actually extremely polite and respectful to the point where Akash couldn''t find faults in his even if he wanted to. Shreya gave him an ''I told you so'' look. After all, nobody was more protective of Bhavna than Shreya herself. If she was okay with Ayush, that means Ayush should be a good enough guy. Or else, Shreya wouldn''t have even let him near Bhavna in the first place.


    "Do you like him?" Akash asked looking at his baby sister. Even when he was still reluctant to let her go, he wanted to know more.


    An unusual blush spread over her cheeks as she stammered, "Who�� Who are you talking about?" Bhavna might be a brat�� she sure was brought up spoilt but she was still protected very intensely. So, she was very na?ve and innocent when it came to relationships. Her growing environment was strictly managed and protected by Shreya. So, she was very pure in this aspect.


    Akash couldn''t help but tease as he pinched over her cheeks, "Look who is blushing without even knowing who I am talking about!!"


    "Akash!!" Bhavna exclaimed angrily swatting away his hands.


    Akash just chuckled as he ruffled her head.


    "I just want you to be happy, kid! That is all��" He said gently.


    "Where can I be sad with all of you guys here?" Bhavna asked gloatingly.


    Akash just smiled back. If Shreya was the queen, Bhavna was truly the princess of Srivastav''s household. There was no chance of her ever being hurt.


    "I am going to miss you!!" Bhavna whispered leaning over Akash''s shoulders. It was rare for her to show such emotions towards Akash. SO, it took a minute for Akash to actually reply.


    "I am not going anywhere you know!!" Akash said rubbing behind her head.


    "I know�� but I won''t be able to fool around with you like this with Madhu around right? You will become all m?tur? and ?du?t!!" Bhavna pouted.


    "Even you are going to become all m?tur? and ?du?t you know? Or are you planning to be as crazy as ever!!" Akash asked chuckling at her.


    "Of course I am going to drive everyone crazy around me as long as possible!!" Bhavna accepted and beamed at Akash shamelessly.


    "Well, I am going to be here for you to mess around as long as you need me!!" Akash answered smiling back at her.


    "Promise?" Bhavna asked expectantly.


    "Promise!" Akash said solemnly.


    "Then give me back those photos!!" Bhavna asked slyly.


    "Not happening�� I won this round fair and square. So, if you need additional pocket money, you are going to have to come up with something all over again!!" Akash replied not giving away.


    Bhavna turned her head pouting.


    "Ice cream?" Akash asked.


    Akash couldn''t help but chuckle as he went and got some ice cream for both of them.


    The bustling atmosphere went back to becoming tranquility at last. The siblings simply shared the ice cream without talking from then on.. Stark contract to all the shouting and noisiness, they actually quietly shared a tub of ice cream while chattering casually.

 Chapter 407 - You look dashing too…

    Madhu jumped startled when she heard locks click behind her. If it had been any other normal occasion, she wouldn''t have jumped. But it was her engagement and she was already terrified and nervous out of her wit''s end. But more than that, she was also excited. Everything she felt made her on the edge messing up with her nerves.


    So, even when the door was opened softly, she couldn''t help be antsy.


    "Sorry, I did not mean to startle you!!" Akash murmured closing the door behind him carefully. He had snuck out of his room and he cannot be caught just yet�� so, he cannot be too careful at this point. But all his caution and brain stopped working as soon as he turned around. His breath stuck on his throat as his eyes widened. He froze in place as his eyes stayed on Madhu fixedly.


    He forgot to even breathe.


    She looked�� he did not even have the words to describe.


    Bhavna had strictly deprived him of knowing what Madhu was going to wear. In his sister''s words, ''it would totally ruin the surprise''. For once, he cannot agree more with his crazy sister. He was surprised beyond words.


    Madhu was wearing a light yellow lehenga today. The skirt flared all around her from her hip and did not stop until they reached the floor. The whole skirt was beautifully embroidered with stones on it. Her blouse fully showed off her midriff with a deep square neck and her dupatta slung over her shoulders.


    Her make up minimal with a pink blush and her hair was pulled up into an intricate delicate-looking messy high bun.


    Both of them did not move for a long time.


    Madhu looked up at Akash with the same degree of awe. Even though she had seen him wear suits all the time for business events. But he still looked more than dashing in his white blazer suit. He did not have his usual tie or a bow. He looked extremely handsome. Madhu hurriedly averted her eyes when she met with Akash''s eyes staring at her blankly.


    Akash quickly checked the corner of his lips for drool as soon as he came back to his senses. Unconsciously his hands reached to close the doors behind him.


    "Akash�� You�� you? What are you doing here?" Madhu stammered widening her eyes at Akash. His eyes were unfocused. Somehow she felt shy and bashful when she looked at his dark glittering eyes. She nervously took a step back when Akash took one step towards her.


    Words completely failed both of them. They did not know what to say at all�� but then, there was no need to say anything at all. Because looking into each other''s eyes, they could see that they were both in an identical state of mind�� Completely and utterly mesmerized, and flustered and drugged with the presence of each other��


    If Madhu wearing that red dress in the shopping mall made him want to comit sin, this look on her made her look so pure and innocent. That red dress practically coerced him to be close to her�� her skin glowed and tempted him to touch her. But today, it was a stark contrast to that day�� today she looked too na?ve for the world. Little pure angel�� completely without any blemish.


    Even when Madhu kept taking steps behind her, she came to a stop when she felt her back hit the wall behind. But even Akash stopped moving�� just inches away from her.


    His hands reached for her but still stopped without daring to touch. He felt as if his touch would disrupt the picture-perfect image in front of her�� he felt as if he would somehow dirty her if he touched her.


    He let his hands down and took her hands into his hands as he whispered, "You look so damn beautiful that I am afraid I would somehow ruin it if I touched you��" He still irresistibly leaned down resting his forehead against her.


    Madhu''s whole being glowed instantly. She bloomed like a flower seeing the sun. A shy grin spread on her face making her so much more beautiful than she already was. Her face flushed pink��


    "You look dashing too��" Madhu''s whispered with a b?r?ly audible voice.


    "Hey, I wanted to do something before all the buzz starts and they call us out!!" Akash said leaning over her shoulders hunching down.


    "What is it?" Madhu asked looking confused.


    Akash let out a nervous breath. He did not move from his place as he tried to swim through the chaos in his head. He had drilled and prepared himself incessantly before coming here. But all his thoughts flew through his head as soon as he saw Madhu. His mind went blank as a sheet when he laid eyes on her.


    "I�� I��" Akash stammered as the hands inside his pockets gathered sweat. But Madhu did not rush him.


    She just stayed quiet and looked at him with those innocent eyes like an angel.


    Akash gulped as he looked at her. What little courage he had gathered seemed to be quickly fading away looking into her eyes. But he wanted to do this for her�� even when he was nervous he did not want to deprive her of the gesture.


    So, he took a deep breath and pulled away, and let her stand in front of him as he got down on his knees. He looked up at her shocked eyes solemnly as he said, "I don''t know what is appropriate to say on this occasion. I had prepared a speech but it flew over the top of my head when I saw you. So, he goes��"


    "Madhu�� I don''t even know how but I fell in love with you. When you stumbled into my office all those years ago, you seemed to have also stumbled into my heart.. I am really looking forward to spending the rest of my life with you. SO, will you do me the honor of being my bride?"

 Chapter 408 - She said yes!!!

    Madhu''s breathing hitched when she looked at the man kneeling in front of her.


    Akash did not make any extravagant promises. He never said he was going to do this or that�� he just humbled himself as he asked her to share her life with him.


    Madhu choked as tears gathered on her shocked involuntarily. Her emotions swirled around waywardly.


    You should understand, Madhu not just loved him�� somehow without herself knowing, she became dependent on him. She clung to him as if he was her last life straw. He was her hope�� her hope for being loved by someone instead of just being an orphaned abandoned little girl thirsty for love.


    Her love for him was not just absolute but also very humble. She did not need anything from him�� as long as he can be there with her and love her, she wouldn''t ask for more.


    So, Akash needed really ask her for anything at all�� she would just give without asking any questions. But it was this attitude of hers that drove Akash to give her more.


    Akash took out a box and showed her the ring. It was a simple elegant ring with a simple silver band and a big diamond to the center.


    The tear that was precariously holding on to her sockets fell down as she anxiously nodded her head.


    Akash smiled instantly but still said, "You are going to have to open your mouth and say it out loud, baby? What if I misunderstood you?" Akash teased. He knew how Madhu reacted to endearments. Madhu practically goes to being a tomato every time she called her baby. She had complained about it quite a few time but Akash found it fun every single time who she reacted.


    Madhu glared at him through her teary eyes pouting her lips. She did not open her mouth but her cheeks reddened at his teasing. She was still not used to his endearments. She even turned her head away from him showing her contempt.


    Akash couldn''t help smile as he got up from his knees and approached her.


    "Little cry baby. Are you planning on getting me beaten by Bhavna today?" Akash asked helplessly wiping away her tears carefully. He was really not looking forward to facing Bhavna''s wrath today of all days. He will lose face. If Bhavna knew he let Madhu cry after her hours of effort dolling her up, he will be a lump of dead meat by the end of the day for sure.


    Madhu did not reply. Just looked at him with even more resentment.


    "Who will want to be your bride if you keep teasing me like this!?!" Madhu mumbled.


    "Sorry�� sorry, I wouldn''t tease you anymore!" Akash compromised immediately. And he quickly slipped the ring into her fingers before she could protest as if he was afraid she would really say ''no'' suddenly.


    Madhu couldn''t help look at her own fingers in a daze. It fit just right.


    Akash took her face into his hands and make her look at him. He stared back at clean eyes as he whispered, "I gave you the ring�� you cannot take back your words anymore!!"


    "I�� I did not prepare anything for you!!" Madhu mumbled looking down suddenly. She could help feel guilty about it.


    Between the two of them, it seems she was always in the receiving end�� both materials and affection. She never seem to be taking the initiative to do anything between the two of them because she was always either too shy or too nervous.


    "You just have to be with me��" Akash started but his words came to stand still when Madhu leaned over and suddenly pecked on his cheeks.


    Akash''s lips twitched but he did not let her go just then. He simply showed her his other cheeks and said, "Not enough!!"


    Madhu chewed on her lips for a while but she still leaned over and pecked on his other cheeks. Her eyes fluttered away shyly looking at the lipstick mark left behind on Akash''s cheeks.


    Akash just beamed until he heard Madhu pointing at his cheeks.


    "You�� You��" Madhu stammered pointing at his cheeks and her lips simultaneously.


    Akash slightly tilted his head to look in the mirror and immediately found out what she was getting at.


    But instead of wiping it, he just smiled proudly. He had the wild thought of having to show off suddenly. But Madhu never gave him the chance as she took some tissues from around and wiped them away for him.


    "Come on, let''s go. It''s about time." Akash said taking her hands and walking out.


    They were in one of the presidential suits in the Imperial.


    His engagement party was actually held in the biggest hall in the Imperial.


    Akash wanted to keep it simple but Anand gave him an option�� after all, they were a big family and they had too many business partners and clients. Even when Srivastav''s stood aloof in the business community, they still cannot completely ignore all of them after all.


    Even when he was reluctant, Akash agreed. He wanted the wedding to be about Madhu and himself alone and not be a business event.


    So, as soon as he entered the hall, he was met with a hell of a lot of people in business suits and long dresses with champagne glasses�� As soon as he came in, Madhu''s hands clenched around his arms and everyone stopped talking abruptly.


    Akash was the only one who was still grinning as he exclaimed at the top of his voice and said, "She said yes!!!"


    Applause erupted out instantly as everyone came around to congratulate him heartily while Madhu pinched on his arms blushing.


    After that, it was like any other formal event where Akash went to talk to everyone with Madhu on his toes. He introduced Madhu to everyone enthusiastically.. He did not leave her side even for a second throughout the event.

 Chapter 409 - What was she holding back…?

    "Does this mean it''s a yes?" Shreya asked suddenly without context.


    They had just come from Akash''s engagement. Charan went for a shower first. Unknowingly Shreya actually reached her bookshelf and took a look at the ring she had bought�� at least, that was her original intent. She did not know why but seeing Akash''s engagement party and seeing happily grinning all day long, she suddenly thought of herself�� how things would be if she got married too.


    She did not want anything this extravagant. But that status as a wife to someone�� that solidification of the relationship legally�� She was curious how it would be. But she was also scared�� so, she did not dare to show Charan the ring till now. But seeing Akash happily announce to the world�� the way he yelled, ''She said yes��'' Shreya felt complicated.


    In front of such a joy, her own fear somehow felt meaningless.


    But her eyes couldn''t help widen when she saw that the box did not have the ring she had bought for Charan but instead had a lady''s ring in its place. It took her a minute to even comprehend and understand what was going on.


    Just then, Charan also came out of the shower in his PJs. So, Shreya just unconsciously blurted out, "Does this mean it''s a yes?"


    "What are you talking about?" Charan asked confused. After all, his face was still covered in a towel as he dried his head. But he pulled the towel down and looked up at Shreya when he heard her and as soon as he saw her looking at the box with dazed eyes, he understood what she was talking about.


    Charan did not answer her instantly. He discarded the towel on the bed and approached her. He came to stand in front of her and looked down at her. Her eyes were still very unfocused when they were staring at the ring he had bought for her.


    He quickly lifted her up and sat her down on the side of her table. The table was actually pretty empty for some reason today.


    Shreya couldn''t help run her index fingers across the ring�� cold metal came in contact when her skin but somehow it spread warmth in her heart because she knew they were real and not her delusion.


    Charan quickly got the ring she had bought for him and dangled it in front of her as he asked, "What about you? What did you mean when you bought this ring?" He asked very softly. His breath brushed against her cheeks��


    There was practically no distance between them. Shreya sat over the table with her legs wide open and Charan stood very close to her.


    So, when Shreya lifted her head up, their faces were just inches apart. Shreya couldn''t help blush when she saw Charan trace the words she had inscribed on the insides of the ring.


    "I�� I��" Shreya stammered but she did not know what to say.


    "Does that mean ''yes''?" Charan asked looking into her eyes.


    Charan knew even when she wanted to there was something holding her back or else Shreya was not a person who holds back for anything. Just the fact that she never showed him the ring told him that she was still contemplating something. And they wouldn''t be able to go anywhere without knowing what it was.


    "When did you buy it? Why did you not give it to me?" Charan asked again.


    "I just did not know if I should��!" Shreya mumbled looking defeated.


    "What do you mean?" Charan asked confused.


    "Because when I give you the ring, it would mean I would no longer be just your girlfriend but also a ''wife'' and even if it is not a mother, I would also be a guardian to Akira!!" Shreya said without explaining more.


    "And you are afraid of the commitment?" Charan asked. This was probably the only time he ever had to actually ask for an explanation from Shreya in all the time they had known each other. And the only time Shreya seemed to be actually holding back�� But Charan did not mind. He just looked at her patiently as Shreya shook her head.


    But the initial shaking stopped under his constant staring and turned into nodding very slowly. But before Charan could say anything, Shreya actually said in a low mosquito-like voice, "But that is not all��"


    "Then what else?" Charan asked. He was fully calm as he tried to decipher where she was going with all this. But this calmness also came from actually understanding her completely. And he was also m?tur? enough by now to not ?ssume anything.


    He did not want to think that Shreya was holding back because she was not sure about them because he knew she was�� and so was he. He knew they have reached the point in their relationship where they did not want to imagine a future without each other in their lives. It hurt to just imagine something like that. It felt suffocating to think about the possibility of not having Shreya with him because of any reason at all.


    The reason why he had not asked her yet was mainly that they did not have a peaceful time from the time he actually bought it. And he wanted to ask her when she was actually free of all her worries and stress and it happened for only a few weeks now.


    But he could see the Shreya had been holding on to the ring for a while now. Shreya must have bought the ring well before her accident and everything that came along with it. So, she had plenty of opportunities for him to give him��


    So, why? What was she holding back��? He cannot figure it out��

 Chapter 410 - Who else are you going to propose to?

    "I�� I just. I know that I promised to not replace your wife�� but�� but if we are married and then�� You might feel sad�� I don''t know�� I just��" Shreya stammered. She did not actually know how to even express the things in her head. It was chaotic and complicated.


    If she was married, she will not be Shreya alone but his wife too�� Wouldn''t that count as replacing her? Wouldn''t that mean she snatched the title from Samantha�� wouldn''t he end up thinking about Samantha every time he sees her as his wife�� She did not want to remain as someone''s shadow. She wanted to be in their lives just as Shreya�� she wanted to be part of their lives as Shreya�� rightfully.


    But she does not know how to do that!


    Only when she started thinking about marriage did she realize, she did not know where was her rightful place in this family�� Charan already has a wife and Akira already has a mother. And there is no correct way for her to fit in.


    She felt suffocated when she thought of this��


    So, she kept postponing�� she stopped thinking about it. She was afraid to tell Charan about the chaos in her head because somewhere she knew it was because she was possessive and greedy. But she still couldn''t get over it on her own�� she wanted to compromise and let it go but she still couldn''t even after all this time��


    Charan swatted over her forehead as he scolded her sternly, "What nonsense are you thinking about with the big brain of yours?"


    Shreya frowned but then sighed leaning over as she said, "I have no idea in all honestly�� I just feel uncomfortable somehow!" It was almost like an itching feeling over her heart she cannot get rid of. She buried her head into the seams of his neck and snuggled in for comfort.


    "So, you don''t want to marry me?" Charan asked back.


    Shreya shook her head instantly looking anxious as she said hurriedly, "I do��"


    "And?" Charan asked arching his brows.


    "Hey, you will not replace anybody anywhere! I promise��" Charan answered solemnly. He then pulled Shreya away from his embrace and took her face into his hands as he continued, "When you are ready�� when we get married, you will be my wife�� one and only. As hard as it is to accept, Samantha is someone from my past. And she is not coming back. And you are my future�� not just for me. But you are the future for Akira too�� And you will just be Shreya for both of us�� you will not have to replace anyone or compete with anybody''s shadow. You are simply Shreya and we love you��"


    Shreya did not say anything in reply. She just sat there in a daze for a while.


    "One and only��" She mumbled to herself. She liked the way it rolled on her tongue. It felt nice. Unconsciously a smile spread over her lips.


    "You want to tell me about the engravings here?" Charan suddenly asked bringing her out of her trance.


    Shreya snapped out of her head. Even when she still felt slightly embarrassed, she still looked at Charan straight into his eyes and asked bravely, "What about it?"


    She really did not know why something that looked so cool when it was done can become something so embarrassing in retrospect!!?


    But she did not show it on her face. But in spite of her embarrassment, she couldn''t help be slightly proud too.


    "I wouldn''t have to bite you to show others that you belong to me anymore!" Shreya beamed suddenly losing the embarrassment.


    "Are you really going to stop biting me??" Charan asked looking skeptically at Shreya.


    "Of course not!! Let''s just say it is additional insurance when I do forget to bite!!" Shreya answered seemingly proud of herself.


    Charan just let out a helpless chuckle. He couldn''t resist pulling on her cheeks on both sides until they were pink but then she took her face into his hands.


    He just stared at her grinning eyes for a few seconds as he softly ??r?ssed over her cheeks before leaning over to give her a kiss over her temples. He really wished he could somehow open his heart to show her how much she means to him.


    She still amazes him every single time. He is completely baffled by how much considerate she can be towards him��


    After all, even if the major part is her own struggle, knowing Shreya�� she would have come to him straight. So, more than the fact that she was insecure and complicated about marriage, she must also have been afraid of him being sad and remembering things��


    After all, he had been married before, and even if the memories are good, happy memories�� once the person leaves you, everything comes back to haunt you regardless. She probably did not want him to go through that��


    Because to an extend, she is right�� just the term marriage brought back memories.


    But because Shreya was there, he is able to look back at them with a sense of nostalgia rather than melancholy.


    When he decided to get married to Shreya, he had already said his goodbyes to Samantha. He will not be able to forget her or get rid of his feelings for her�� but he moved on. Because he knew holding on to Samantha was cruel to Shreya�� he would never do that to Shreya. Not after everything she had done for him.


    But he never thought, not only him but Shreya also considered the same and had been holding back for his sake.


    "Oh wait�� I forgot something else!!" Shreya suddenly exclaimed getting down from the table. She then went to her drawers and pulled out another jewelry box. She handed it over to Charan beaming.


    "Who else are you going to propose to?" Charan asked confused but then his words stopped at his throats when he opened the box and looked into it.

 Chapter 411 - Such a good boy!

    Inside was a miniature and glittery version of his own ring. The whole ring was embedded with smaller diamonds all over reflecting light. He could vaguely see some inscriptions inside this ring too. It was so much smaller than his own ring because of the size.


    But with careful examination, he could read it.


    ''Shreya''s baby''


    Obviously, the ring was for Akira.


    "I did not finalize the design for a long time. So, this one came in later than yours. SO, what do you think? She will like it?" Shreya asked eagerly.


    "Why did you buy her a ring?" Charan asked confused.


    "Well, to propose of course!! I cannot just buy you a ring and forget about her! I cannot just ask you�� even she will have to accept me into the family!" Shreya answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.


    Charan did not know how to digest the fact that Shreya was actually thoughtful enough to buy a ring for Akira!! She wanted to ask the 11-year-old permission to marry into the family��


    "She will say yes in a blink of an eye without even knowing what you''re asking for as long as you give her this ring!!" Charan said smiling. He reached out and kept the ring on the table after carefully closing the box. He bent down to snuggled against her neck.


    Shreya beamed visibly proud of herself.


    Today she actually wore a palazzo with a crop top and a shrug. Bhavna had to practically hold Shreya down and put it. Or else, Shreya probably would have gone to the engagement in sweats and jeans.


    Originally, Bhavna wanted her to wear a saree but because of Shreya''s scar, she never wore anything that can show her waist. So, she resolutely refused to wear a saree. So, Bhavna had to get an alternative that Shreya can accept relatively easily. So, she chose a very chic-looking blouse to go with her pants but she made sure it did not look like Shreya was going to a business meeting.


    The crop top only had a spaghetti sleeve. Obviously, Shreya had already discarded her shrug. So, when Charan leaned over to hug her with his still semi-wet hair, she shivered slightly due to sudden chillness.


    "I will wipe your hair!!" Shreya said suddenly pulling away from him. But she was not used to wearing such loose pants. So, when she stepped around in a hurry, she stepped on her pants and almost slipped.


    "You also go freshen up and change�� I will dry myself!!" Charan offered.


    But Shreya looked at him with a complicated look as if he was asking her for some difficult decision.


    "Or I will wait!!" Charan offered, chuckling at her expression.


    "Then, you wait�� I will be back soon��" Shreya said and ran back in a hurry in just 10 minutes with a wet hair of her own.


    By now, Charan had stopped asking for his shirts back�� He simply made a habit to buy twice as many shirts as he usually has.


    Before he could even say anything, Shreya stood stranding him and started blowing his hair. Obviously, he had short hair. So, it did not take long. But once she was done, she did not let him go. But instead started playing with his hair making all sorts of funny hairstyles.


    "Now  I know why you were so eager to help me!!" Charan mumbled resigned.


    At last, Shreya actually tied up his hair with a hair tie forming a fountain at the top of his head.


    Shreya couldn''t help laughing at her handy work.


    "If you are done playing around, now turn around!!" Charan said at last as if he was scolding a little kid. He removed the fountain on top of his head and ruffled his hair back to normal.


    Shreya happily turned around and let him do his thing. Even her hair was not that long�� Bhavna gave her a full make-over. Now her hair was just to her nape.


    Charan stood beside the bed right behind her while Shreya sat with her legs crossed in front of her on the bed. She stayed obedient for a while�� but then she kept leaning backward with a mischievous gleam in her eyes until she almost fell back and Charan had to catch her in his arms.


    "Why do you even find this entertaining, I don''t know!!" Charan said exasperated at her grinning expression.


    "This is not entertainment!! I am just testing whether you are trustworthy or not!!" Shreya said very self-righteously. If you were not paying attention, you wouldn''t notice the teasing twitch at the corner of her lips. And without that, you wouldn''t know how much nonsense she utters on a daily basis.


    But Charan did not burst her bubble even when he knew she was teasing him playing a rogue. But he still played along with her.


    So, he arched his brows as he asked, "And, what was the result of the test?" But then again even he had a twitch at the corners of his lip. But that twitch had long become a permanent existence whenever he was with Shreya.


    Shreya grinned proudly still leaning against Charan on her back as she said, "Of course, my sweetheart passed with flying colors! Such a good boy!" She even got up from her place and stood up in front of Charan and ruffled his head as if she was petting him when she said the later part. His hair was completely disheveled by the time she let go.


    Charan couldn''t help stop for a second. He could be least bothered about his messing up his hair at that moment because his attention was drawn elsewhere. Shreya was not the one for endearments. She found it too cheesy for her liking. So, when she called him out, he couldn''t help be startled for a second. but then he recovered pretty quickly. But the warmth in his heart burned wide and spread. His whole being warmed up while a fire lit up at his heart.


    He still kept his normal face and asked, "Where is my reward then for being such a good boy?" But his eyes were not as relaxed as he tried to pretend.


    He looked eager and on edge as he waited for Shreya''s reply.

 Chapter 412 - He wanted to put it on her to show his sovereignty.

    Seeing Shreya shaking�� Charan couldn''t help panic for a second. Even when he patted over her back in order to comfort her�� He couldn''t help pull her impossibly closer to himself hugging her. Her small frame was completely wrapped by his warmth in no time.


    "Sorry�� sorry. I did not mean to scare you�� It''s okay�� everything''s going to be fine!!" Charan whispered burying his head at the crooks of her neck. He never forgot that Shreya had no experience. He had always been mindful and cautious of this fact�� After all, she was new to all of this and it is easy to get scared..


    But Shreya seemed to always have the right things to make him lose his control every single time.


    What man can tolerate and do nothing when the girl he loves to his bones was happily touching and playing with him sitting on his ??ps while he sat there b?r? in front of her?


    Shreya never heard anything Charan said though.


    Maybe she had a s?ns?t?v? body or it may be because Charan knew what he was doing or maybe because of her inexperience�� Maybe it was because of her feelings for him�� She did not know what the reason was. Whatever may be the reason but his touch made her dizzy with excitement.


    Every brush of hands against her skin drowned her in euphoria she never experienced before. It took a while to come down from it�� When she did come down from it, she found that she was wrapped around Charan like an octopus almost smothering him.


    But then she realized the problem when she heard Charan''s comforting words��


    "Who said I was scared? Do I look like a person who is so easily scared? Idiot!!" Shreya suddenly mumbled scolding him against his neck. Her voice was muffled and hoarse but you can also hear the resentment in her voice when she asked the question.


    Before Charan could say anything to defend himself, he felt throbbing over his shoulders as Shreya bit on him.


    Charan pulled away and looked into her eyes. He was met with pouting lips, blushed cheeks, and clear eyes. He never answered her. He just gently laid her down on the bed all over again and hovered over her.


    "Let''s see how brave you are!!" Charan said smirking at Shreya before reaching down to kiss her lips. But his lips did not stay there for long. He gave her open-mouthed kisses all over her face before dipping down to her neck. Just as he moved down, his eyes flickered on her scars just below her bra straps. He looked into her eyes intensely for a second before dipping down to gently kiss her scars.


    Shreya shank unconsciously when she realized she had forgotten about it this whole time�� Her hands unconsciously reached out to hide it when Charan caught her hands half away before they could reach their destination.


    "You don''t have to hide anything�� This does not show that your ex is an ?sshole�� this shows that you are brave!!" Charan said solemnly looking at Shreya. Because he knew that more than hating the scar itself, Shreya hated the memory that is attached to it�� that is why she strived to hide it.


    But he wouldn''t allow it�� he wouldn''t allow her to be disgusted about anything about herself. She was too precious for something like that�� Every part of her cannot be any more perfect than she already was. And he will make sure she will realize it one day.


    He softly pecked all over her belly until Shreya completely forgot everything else.


    His thumbs still brushed against the stitch mark very softly. He kissed them very tenderly.


    Laying there b?r? in front of him, she couldn''t help squirming in spite of herself. Now she regretted challenging him before. She was a juvenile in this regard in front of him.


    Her whole body blushed crimson. Her heart pounded against her ribs vigorously as if they were trying to break out of her body. In just a few seconds, nervousness spread.


    As if sensing her discomfort, Charan leaned down to hug her to himself. He ignored the sparks and the tingling sensation he felt as soon as her b?r? soft skin came in contact with his. He ??r?ssed her back comfortingly as he said, "Don''t worry�� I am not going to do anything you don''t want to. I just want to touch you some more�� I will stop if you start feeling uncomfortable about anything!!" His voice was gentle but firm.


    Shreya hugged him back without hesitation and said, "You�� you can do it. I am not uncomfortable�� I just�� I just don''t know where to put my hands and legs��" After all, Shreya was someone who always knows what she was doing�� that''s the kind of control she was used to on normal days. But she lost that control here��


    It takes courage to entrust yourself to another person so very completely�� She was learning about it just now��


    "No��" Charan suddenly said firmly. "I won''t do it until you are officially my wife!!" He declared. Not that he was old-fashioned or look down on premarital s?x. But he just wanted to give Shreya that little bit of respect�� especially after knowing she was innocent in this regard.


    Before Shreya could add anything more to it, Charan started kissing her�� he showed her p???sur? she had never imagined existed. He worshiped her so gently and so passionately while all she could do was lay there being a sweaty panting mess.


    But just as he promised, he just touched her and never did anything more. Instead, he went to have another cold shower before joining her to sleep.


    Shreya curled herself against him before going to sleep. Charan pecked on her temple and whispered, "Good night��"


    Thus the couple got engaged even when neither of them actually asked the question or even bothered to say yes. In the middle of the night so very quietly without any fuzz, they just quietly understood each other''s unsaid question and answer. The media will have a field day if they got to know about it.


    Charan reached out and slipped the ring on both of their hands before going to sleep. He wanted to put it on her to show his sovereignty.

 Chapter 413 - He could feel Shreya shaking in his arms…

    Shreya''s eyes gleamed. Charan could already guess what she was up to. Not that he minded. The people in his life had long gotten used to seeing teeth impressions on all random exposed places by now.


    But then he had something else on his mind right now. Just as Shreya leaned over to his level, Charan never gave her a chance to do anything more as he capture her lips in his. He grabbed her from behind her neck and held her in place as he locked on her lips.


    Shreya lost her balance and stumbled just as he held her by her waist with his free hand.


    Once out of shock, Shreya instinctually responded to his kiss without any scruples. Their lips moved in sync while Shreya circled her arms and legs around him.


    Charan carried her around the bed effortlessly as he pulled on her lips.. Shreya returned his passion with the same level of intensity. Her hands messed up his hair while her lips moved against his actively. The sound of their passion filled the air making the whole atmosphere moist and almost bewitching.


    Charan laid her down on the bed and hovered over. Her lips were moist and so very soft against his making him addicted to them but he pulled away reluctantly when she needed air.


    He couldn''t help staring at her�� she looked like a dream. With disheveled hair and flushed cheeks��


    His thumbs brushed against her now flushed wet lips. He couldn''t resist capturing them with his lips for another shearing kiss.


    Soon the room was filled with panting sounds. Both of them were more fervent than they had ever been before.


    Shreya arched her back when Charan found her sweet spot just below her ears. Pleasure made her tingle all over her body as a m??n escaped her lips.


    She wore Charan''s shirt today to sleep. From the time when she was wearing the cast, she started wearing his shirts for convenience at first�� but now it had long become a habit. But Charan''s shirt was big for her. His collars were pretty wide for her. And she never bothered to bu??on up the shirt to the collars anyway.


    He knew he was losing himself but he just couldn''t seem to want to restrain himself today. Especially given how Shreya reacts to each of his touches�� it was more like an encouragement to continue than to stop which eradicated what little sense he had at that moment.


    He rested his forehead against her and took few deep breaths to appease his own lungs. He lingered close to her as he whispered, "You are driving me crazy��" Their bodies were still stuck together.


    Just as he was about to continue, Shreya pushed him by his shoulders and reversed their positions. If anything, Charan''s eyes darkened more when Shreya sat over his stomach leaning over him.


    Her soft hair tickled his ears as her lips explored his neck with great curiosity. Just as she found his sweet spot, Charan couldn''t help groan hoarsely. He never got to recover as Shreya sunk her teeth in that exact spot leaving behind a red print of all her teeth. A shiver ran down his spines making his senses hazy.


    Shreya pulled away only when she felt satisfied with her handy work.


    Their eyes met�� both of their eyes were dazed with p???sur?. Shreya fumbled around to remove Charan''s t-shirt. He very cooperatively sat up making it easier for her as she took it off over his head.


    Not that he was ever fat, but he had been doing intense workouts in recent months�� All the workouts with Zack not only made him stronger but also gave him abs. His muscles were more defined. Shreya couldn''t help run her hands down his arms and stomach�� they were very hard to touch. For a second, all the ?ust and passion in the air left as she ran her palm down his skin�� her eyes looked like a curious na?ve kid seeing a new person. She had a silly smile on her face as her palm went up and down with the creases on his body.


    Charan couldn''t help chuckle slightly seeing her like this�� He just sat back and let her be.


    "Are you about done now?" Charan asked after a while when Shreya kept running her hand all over him. He leaned over reducing the distance between them and whispered into her ears.


    "I�� I��" Shreya stammered suddenly blushing.


    But she never got to finish her sentence as Charan said, "Now, my turn��" He quietly slipped one of his hands under her shirt holding her b?r? hip. Her skin warmed up under his palms. Shreya couldn''t help close her eyes as her skin tingled under his palm.


    Charan''s lips went back to kissing her neck as his other hand opened her bu??ons one by one at an agonizingly slow pace. When each bu??on was opened�� with every few inches of exposed skin�� his lips followed to explore very dutifully. He gently bit on the skin just about her br??sts leaving behind a strawberry patch of red.


    By the time Charan actually slipped her shirt off her shoulders, Shreya was a panting shivering mess. But she still arched into his touch involuntarily.


    Without the shirt, she was only left with her sports bra and shorts.


    Charan''s hands gripped her waists firmly as he dipped down for another kiss on her lips almost swallowing her whole. Shreya never knew what happened after that��


    Charan had long lost his ability to think as soon as his hands came in contact with her skin. He pulled her impossibly closer to himself as his hands moved freely around her body�� exploring all the sweet spots. Sparks flew as b?r? skin brushed against each other through her flimsy bra. His palms came to rest over her br??sts as he touched her over her bra earning a throaty m??n from Shreya.


    Shreya''s nails dug into his skin leaving a red trail behind when he pulled on her s?ns?t?v? buds. They got completely lost in each other''s touch. Very soon, both of them were covered in sweat and sticky but that did not frazzle either of them.


    At one point, she could b?r?ly hold herself straight. So, she wrapped her arms around his neck tightly clinging to him. Her hold was so tight that Charan was almost choked.


    He could feel Shreya shaking in his arms��

 Chapter 414 - You will… you will do that?

    Nakul knocked on Anne''s office when he realized she was late.


    Nakul was ?ssigned to Anne when he got transferred from Bhavna. Not that he didn''t want to be with Ayush�� they had been brothers all their lives. But seeing him flirting away all day long was not something he wanted to see. Ayush was almost nauseatingly sweet around Bhavna. O,


    And anyway, he knew all the danger around had subsided and he did not want to torture himself more.


    So, when Akash offered him the deal, he jumped into it right away.


    He had been around Anne for a few weeks now�� He already knew her routine by now. She was a very obedient little girl. Once the office is over, she goes straight home�� She had one girlfriend with whom she occasionally meets on weekends..


    She does her work perfectly since he hadn''t heard Shreya complain about her till now. Anne has the most contact with Shreya and Madhu. She does not know anyone besides them in the office. She was quite shy with strangers�� She was naturally introverted. But more than that, she was someone who was easily scared.


    Only Shreya seems to be able to bring her to say two extra words.


    But today was peculiar. Because of the obvious nature of her work, her workload usually corresponds to that of Shreya''s. So, when Shreya works late, Anne will have to work late too.


    But today, Shreya had already left for hours and Anne was not out.


    When he heard no reply for a long time after knocking, Nakul actually went in. To his surprise, the whole office was dark.


    "Did she leave without calling?" Nakul mumbled under his breath. After all, when Anne was in Sri corp. he did not have to follow�� he will be ?ssigned elsewhere within the building.


    Just as he was about to walk out of the room to check the monitors, he heard a whimper.


    Nakul stopped in his tracks and put on the light and looked around. He found Anne sleeping on the couch with papers scattered all around her. But she was also trashing all over the place looking pale.


    Nakul instantly went to sit on the floor beside her as he reached out to wake her up.


    "Hey, Anne�� Anne�� wake up!!" He gently shook her not wanting to startle her more than she already was.


    Anne jerked away almost hitting on his head. Nakul moved back reflexly as Anne sat up straight on the couch sweating all over.


    "Hey, are you alright?" Nakul couldn''t help ask patting on her shoulders.


    But instead of comfort, Anne actually scurried away from him and looked at him with scared terrified eyes.


    Nakul stopped in place instantly. He could guess why she was like that�� nightmares can do that!


    "Hey.. hey. It''s okay! You''re alright�� it''s just me�� Nakul�� I am not going to hurt you!!" He said softly keeping both his hands in front of her cautiously not daring to actually approach her.


    Anne had been having nightmares since the time she was kidnapped. It was always the same thing over and over�� Her waking up at the back of the car trunk�� being trapped in there helplessly for hours in the dark with her mouth gagged. She did not know where she was and why she was there�� she did not know what was going to happen to her. She couldn''t stop the tears from falling�� she was so scared of her head that she kept shaking.


    She had never felt so hopeless before and she did not want to experience anything similar again either.


    SO, even when Shreya had already ?ssigned someone to protect her, she couldn''t help being scared. Especially at that time when she had to leave the building�� her whole face will become pale. Her palms holding her handbags will sweat�� by the time she will actually reach the car, she will drain all her strength as her legs will be on the verge of giving out.


    Shreya had arranged for counseling too. But it was not of much help�� at least, they were not helping her not be scared.


    But that shadow goes away when she falls asleep.


    Tears spilled down helplessly as Anne woke up from her nightmare. She clenched her hands into a fist as she tried to stop them from shaking.


    But her eyes snapped open when she felt pair of thumbs softly wipe away her tears. She did not know what came over her as she threw herself towards Nakul�� Somehow his gentle touch just felt like her life-saving straw after being trapped in the darkness of her own nightmare. And she wanted little more of that warmth. Maybe more than a little more��


    Nakul stiffened at first startled but then he patted her back as she cried her eyes out�� After a long while, Anne stopped her sobbing and pulled away embarrassed. Nakul got her a glass of water and let her tidy up a bit.


    "How about I teach you some self-defense from tomorrow�� I will teach you to fight, that way you wouldn''t feel helpless and scared even if you encounter anything like that ever again. We can go to the gym here once you are done with your work�� you think that might work?" Nakul suggested suddenly.


    After all, he knew that people with trauma will have a hard time trusting people in general. So, no matter how many times he says that he was going to be there and that nothing like this will ever happen again, Anne was not going to be able to believe it. SO, it was better to give control to herself, that way she will be able to feel more secure.


    Anne looked up at Nakul surprised.


    Nobody really suggested this so far�� Maybe it was because she gives people that na?ve innocent feeling of a kid that they never thought of teaching her something like fighting.


    "You will�� you will do that?" Anne asked cautiously.


    "Yep�� We will start tomorrow�� you look beat today.. now get your bags, I will drop you home!!" Nakul said giving her a warm smile.

 Chapter 415 - Its okay to miss her…

    "Hey, baby. Do you want to go somewhere fun today?"Shreya asked as soon as Akira settled down in the car.


    Today, Shreya came to pick her up. Obviously, Akira was excited. It was Friday. So, even when she had homework, there is no rush. She can always do it over the weekend.


    So, Akira nodded her head henpecked.


    An hour or so later, both of them we outside a huge mansion, and you can hear the sea roaring all around.


    Shreya wanted to talk to Akira and with her status right now, she did not feel rest ?ssured to take Akira to a crowded public place..


    But Akira was over the moon as soon as she saw the beach.


    Charan took her all over the places growing up�� but he rarely took her to the beach since he had a slight phobia. They went to the beach only if her grand parents or her aunt or her uncle accompanied them which was very rare. But she particularly liked to play in the waves and the sand�� she liked building things out of the sand but Charan always found it particularly unhygienic and dissuaded her as much as he could without being overbearing.


    So, her joy was pretty apparent.


    She was very impatient as she got out of her uniform and into casual clothes. Shreya also adamantly made her drink some milk and eat some snacks before she allowed Akira to actually enter the beach.


    Akira stumbled with her short feet as she ran over the sand.


    This was a private property owned by her aunt just outside the city. Even when her aunt had been a housewife, for now, Bhagya was actually a very renowned lawyer in her days��


    When she took a case, the media swarmed instantly. She was very powerful back then. Harshad was actually her junior. She had suggested him to Shreya when she first confessed to Bhagya about what she was going to do when Shreya came to know that the accident was staged.


    So, her individual wealth was still a sizable amount and she also owned shares of Sri corp. apart from what Adithya had left for their family.


    Shreya brought Akira here since it was convenient. She wanted to take Akira away for fun but at the same time, she also did not want to take risks with her by exposing her to the media accidentally without any preparation.


    So, she simply took her here.


    All the security systems were actually centralized with her server. So, she could access the house without anyone''s help and Bhagya always gave Shreya access to the mansion even before Shreya built the server. Even the maid and the security people here knew Shreya.


    Because of her mother''s profession, this mansion was their getaway on weekends. Away from the media and the buzz. The whole family will gather here for fun. But when Shreya lost her parents and was unable to face herself, she actually hid here because her parent''s place was just so much more painful.


    These walls actually saw some of her darkest days.


    But thankfully, this was not one of those days. Their laughter and squeals filled the walls and spread the warmth.


    Both Akira and Shreya got into the water and chased the waves.


    Shreya taught Akira to swim.


    Shreya was obviously fully equipped.


    Once they were done playing in the water, they next attacked the sand.


    Shreya was pretty skilled. So, she and Akira actually built a pretty good castle�� it was pretty high and looked fantastic.


    They sat down only when they had played to their heart''s content.


    But the hardest part was not any of it�� the hardest part was actually making something for her to drink.


    When she initially came in, Shreya just gave her milk and even that was made by the maid. But since it was in the outskirts and people rarely came here, the maid was actually part-time.


    She left in the afternoon. So, after struggled for a long while, Shreya successfully made Akira a hot chocolate. It was good but she also made a lot of mess. Once she was done cleaning up, Shreya sighed in relief.


    "We will order some pizza for dinner? Or you want something else. Daddy will be here later�� he informed me he has some dinner meeting!" Shreya asked thoughtfully.


    Akira just shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. She did not mind anything.


    Akira had long known that Shreya was useless in the kitchen. So, she never made it difficult for her.


    Shreya took a beer for her herself as she walked Akira to the backyard. They both laid down on the lounge chairs comfortable as they basked on the setting sun.


    "Have you ever been to a beach with your mother?" Shreya asked breaking the silence between them.


    Slowly, Akira had come to the point where she can talk about her mother casually now. But she mostly did it with Shreya.


    "No�� mom�� mom was sick. So, she couldn''t play in water or sand." Akira answered. Because her immunity was not good, Charan had strictly prohibited from going to the beach. Even when Samantha took her to all other places, they had never been to the beach.


    Akira looking slightly sad when she said it. But it was just for a split second before she brightly smiled looking at the sky. She had long been accustomed to doing this whenever she missed her mother.


    Shreya simply took her into her ??ps and snuggled in.


    "It''s okay to miss her�� I miss my parents too. I used to come here all the time you know�� with my mom and dad��"

 Chapter 416 - She said ‘yes’- The end.

    Shreya recounted everything she had done with her parents here�� she told Akira about all the fun they had with them playing around since young to big�� Her voice was gentle but also animated as she told Akira with great detail.


    Akira listened to her eagerly and giggled away at some of the antics.


    Once Shreya was done, both of them stayed silent. Shreya had a long thinking face��


    "Is something wrong?" Akira asked. She looked slightly nervous when she asked that. Because the last time they both met alone like this, Shreya stopped coming around for a long time.


    "Nothing is the wrong baby. I am just thinking about my parents��" Shreya said honestly.


    "They will be fine as long as you are happy��" Akira said with great wisdom..


    "I know, baby. I am extremely happy whenever I am with you and your dad��" Shreya answered smiling at Akira.


    Akira couldn''t resist beaming at her.


    "And so, I always want to be with you guys��" Shreya continued looking slightly serious.


    "You are always with us anyways!" Akira answered confused.


    "I know�� But you think it will be okay if I married into the family with your dad?" Shreya asked looking at Akira earnestly.


    Akira took a long while to react. Akira had reached the age where she knew what it meant. She even had a friend who couldn''t stop complaining about her father''s new wife and stepmother. All that left her slightly insecure.


    "Will you become my stepmother?" Akira suddenly asked. She was pretty nervous about the term itself because of her friend.


    Shreya saw the shift in her mood.


    "Do you want me to be?" Shreya asked softly tucking some of her hair behind her small ears.


    Akira remained absolutely quiet. She chewed on her lips feeling stressed. She did not know how to answer that question. Even when she was scared, she did not want to hurt Shreya more.


    "Baby, you can tell me anything you know? I will never get angry at you�� ever. I promise!!" Shreya comforted her softly pulling her into her embrace.


    "I�� I just�� mother��" Akira stammered. She did not know what she felt nor did she know how to express it.


    Shreya pulled her away and let her face her.


    "Baby, you already have a mother. A very pretty, gentle loving mother. That will never change�� Samantha will always be your mother�� forever. Just remember that, okay?" Shreya comforted for Akira''s mute destress.


    "But�� if you marry dad, you will be my stepmother right?" Akira asked confused.


    "No�� even if I marry your dad, I will still be just Shreya to you�� just remember baby, you do not have to do anything you don''t want to." Shreya insisted.


    "Then what will change?" Akira asked. From her limited knowledge, marriage led to a new mother.


    Shreya pondered on how to answer that question.


    "I am, your''s and dad''s friend now, right?" Shreya asked suddenly.


    Akira nodded her head frantically.


    "If I marry your dad, I will be part of your family�� just like your grandparents, aunt, and uncle. I will be your family��" Shreya explained. "Nothing else is going to change, sweetheart," Shreya said smiling at Akira.


    Both of them went silent after that once again. Shreya gave her time for everything to sink.


    "I am okay with it��" Akira answered at last. But she looked kind of out of it when she said it.


    "Baby, you can always say ''no''. It is not compulsory for you to agree�� I can always just wait until you are comfortable�� I don''t want to do anything you don''t want to��" Shreya said softly seeing her in dilemma.


    But Akira shook her head rapidly as she said, "No�� no�� no�� I am not saying no. I do want to be family with you��"


    "But��?" Shreya asked.


    "No but. I am just happy�� I just feel relieved that people wouldn''t look at me with pity whenever I say that my mom is in heaven. If you marry with dad, I will not have one but two mothers, right? I am just happy��" Akira suddenly said beaming at her.


    Shreya looked at her shell shocked. But she also beamed back as she said, "Well, I am also happy. Now I have the smartest kid in the world!!" Shreya looked proud not only of herself but also of Akira.


    Akira leaned over and pecked on Shreya''s cheeks as she said, "Thank you, Shreya��"


    Shreya couldn''t help frown as she asked, "For what?"


    "My mom once said that someday in the future�� when I am growing up, she might send an angel-like person to us�� and she will become a part of the family. And she said she will help drive my dad''s sadness away. Mom asked me to treat her well�� to be obedient to her so that she was comfortable. She asked me not to make it hard for her and that she will be my mom too�� in her place�� I think mom is talking about you��" Akira said softly.


    When she was very young, she never fully understood it. But because Samantha had recorded everything she ever said, Akira was able to hear it over and over again over the years and she knows them all by heart by now. Even now, she did not connect everything together until Shreya said she will be part of the family with her and Charan.


    Shreya did not know where the tears came from�� But she suddenly felt distressed for a mother who had to think of all the advice a little kid might possibly need in her whole life growing up within short span of time�� Samantha seemed to have thought about and prepared Akira for just about everything that she might face in her life while she was sick�� She really wished she never let her down.


    "I will be good to you, baby! I promise��" Shreya vowed solemnly.


    After a while, the bell rang. Both the ladies ran over the open the door for Charan gleaming.


    Charan looked at them bewildered.


    Both of them showed the back of their hands showing off their rings as Shreya said proudly, "She said ''yes''"


    Charan smiled back but he also did not know whether to laugh or cry at the fact that Shreya did not seem this happy even when he said it�� well, technically, he never said ''yes'' formally. But he did convey his meaning figuratively. It still counts as a ''yes'', right? But Shreya did not seem this happy back then though��