Aur nahi bas aur nahi

6 months, 3 days, 29 hours and 18 seconds

This much time had passed since HE entered in this very office and her life. Yes, she had been counting, and how can she not? even before he had entered in here, her life was moving according to him, her every breath, her attention, her every heart breathes, even her sighs, all were for him. She was here for him, is not she?

The first drops of rain started to pour on Mumbai and like everyone in the city, she also soaked herself into it. She leaned more onto the railing of the terrace, more like surrendering herself into fate, and soon enough she was fully drenched, the dress sticking to her body like a second skin. There was something heart breaking about the scenery, a girl leaning on railing soaking herself in the first rain of monsoon. It was not a happy sight, it was melancholic and sad.

She sighed, and soon tears started to come out of her eyes. It mixed with the rain drops but the inside tingling feeling didn't pass. She thought to herself, how can someone choose one among the two most important things? How can she choose one loved ones to another?

It was impossible, still she have to do it.

Why life is so unfair to her?

His attention broke due to sound of rain drops outside and a murmur among the office workers. He removed his gaze from the file he was reading all this while and noticed most of the office workers gazing outside the window, maybe hoping to get out right now and get drenched into the first rain of the monsoon. He looked outside, and felt his heart getting light all of a sudden. Whats with rains and human hearts?

His eyes ran over the office workers one more time, and this time he noticed SHE was not there. Her friends were together, like always, talking excitedly about something and also doing there work. He still didnt understand how can they do two things at once, chatting like that and doing work as well? He shook his head, and tried to find her one more time but of no use. Frowning, he ot up from his seat and walked out of his cabin.

As soon as the office workers saw the angry young man Second in command stepping out of his cabin, they nearly ran toward their own desks and started to work, hoping not to get some scolding because of their distractions. However, he was too busy to searching someone, they sighed and thanked their stars as he walked past the desks toward outside.

Where is she? He thought frowning, this time deeply. She was unwell and she was not inside. Had she already left for home? No, she is not the kind of girl who take off without asking for permission from her boss. He dismissed the idea, and looked around again, hoping to catch glance of that black hair or that mischievous brown eyes.

well, she was not the mischieevous anymore, was she? He thought to himself, ever since she was back from hospital he was watching herself, and seems like she didnt even notice his over attention to her. She was so busy in her own thoughts, she was so sad too, her smiles didnt have the earlier energy neither her eyes had the spark. He initially thought its about health issues and even forced her to not come for some days (of course in his sarcastic mocking way) but she didnt budge. In front of his very eyes, the girl transformed slowly, and he could not remember anymore the last time he had met the original Riya Mukherjee, the girl who attacked him on the very first time they met.

its been nearly  6 months he had entered ETF and its been 1 month after she gulped that bacteria during a case. He clenched his fist remembering the case, how she tried to be heroic and gulped down that bottle, or how she had said she finally completed her last mission, like she was going to... he could not bring himself to say that. He cant even imagine her getting hurt anymore. and the surprising part, he was not gonna deny that he has started to care deeply for his junior, and its not because she works with him. She made a place in his heart, he not gonna fight it anymore.

he snapped out of it and searched for her one more time, then realised if she is not inside the office, then she must be . . .

He knew exactly where she is.

And its raining.

Damn it, Riya!

Her mind was replaying the memories she spent with him, in this very office. Their first meeting, his sarcastic replies, his brilliant detection skills and how it impressed her deeply, how he had made her realise she didn't kill someone but save instead, or how love is a very deep feeling, she will understand once she feel like that for someone. What she did, what she said, what she felt for him, everything was right, true, pure in her part, but everything was lie, a big conspiracy, it was all pre planned. She was cheating him, cheating her friends, cheating everyone.

Should she run? Where will she go? SHE will find her anyway. . .

The door of the terrace opened with a sound and she snapped out of it, turning her head slightly toward that side. Her heart skipped a beat (when it didnt?) when he entered through the door and hurriedly walked toward her.

"What are you doing here? Trying to get sick?" He glared at her and shout, his voice audible over the rain. She was busy just to look at him, thats why she missed the underlying tone of concern in his voice.

"Come!" He hold her wrist and pulled toward him, trying to get them inside, but she didnt move a bit. He frowned, and turned to her again.

"let's go!" he pressed, but all she did was to stare at him. He felt weird, and the concern was changing into anxiety, nowadays he just dont understand her anymore, what is she upto, why she is so upset, he just dont get her.

"Riya?" he asked, this time low and deep, he didnt even bothered to hide it with sarcasm or anger. initially she made no move, then slowly she started to walk away leaving him completly baffled.

Both of them didnt realise that till now he was holding her wrist. She may have taken one step or two when she felt his grip on her wrist, effectively stopping her. She stopped, and closed her eyes, preparing herself for facing him. then she turned to him.

"Please leave my hand sir." She said quietly.

"What is up with you?" He asked curiously, "Is something bothering you? you can tell me about it. . . I am here for you."

She looked into his eyes surprisingly, and her inside cursed herself for betraying this man, who saved her life god knows how many time, once he knows the reality, he will kill her.

And maybe she wont mind it too.

"Nothing." She replied, and jerked her hand slightly. He let her go, and watched as she vanished behind the door of terrace.

"You were never been a good liar." He said to himself, still frowing.

He was late to follow her into the office, but when he finally arrived, he saw she was walking out of the main door with her bag. She didnt even pause to meet him, just continued to walk and soon vanished before his eyes. he heard the juniors whispering that she took an early leave suddenly, and was worried that maybe she was not feeling very well.

Physically, maybe she is fine, but not mentally. Something is definately up, and its not about her family he was sure. If it was the case she surely would have shared with her set of friends and he surely would have known about it (considering his eavesdropping habbit), but she did not.

What is it you are hiding from the rest of world, Riya?

"I cant do this anymore. Please." Riya spoke quietly into her phone, her voice trembling with the unshed tears. She had barely reached into her house when she started to dial a number urgently, without even bothering to change.

"I am sure I didnt give you any option to back out," The silky velvety voice replied softly, ''Did i?"

"Please, I just cant. . ." her voice choked in between and to stiffle her cries, she put a palm on her mouth. The other side sighed.

"Why are you making this so hard Riya? For both of us? You know, I dont like to repeat myself, or to threaten you again and again with the same line 'i will kill your family'." The voice on the other side answered sadly and Riya cried harder, the palm still on her mouth.

"Its important for both of us. In order to survive, we have to eleminate our companion. Its the rule of nature." The voice relaxed and started to explaining like it was a science class, "If you dont eliminate others, you will be soon dead. Its the rule to survive."

"I am not a killer!" Riya finally got her voice back, "I am just not a killer! You. . . you hire someone else. I just cant. . ."

"Ah," The voice sighed again, "Didn't he give you some mantra regarding killing people? You are not taking a life, but saving one."

"Who's life I am saving?" She asked hotly, now tears finally making their way through her cheek.

"Imagine he is pointing a gun in your head. Then you have to kill to save yourself, dont you?" The voice emphasised each word and all of a sudden it was sounding menacing. Her eyes widen at it.

"Now what do you want? He knows it all and then die a painful death, or he dont know anything, you just kill him and go on with your life?" The voice continued in the same menacing tone, "in either way, he is going to die, so what is the point of even thinking Riya?"

She could not answer, but she could not kill too. . . not him.

"With the first option, with his death your family will die too." The voice was back to its normal self and was speaking softly, as if talking about killing and death and equal to a chit chatting with friend, "with the second option, you will continue to live your life like you used to be, no harm will be done to your family, and I wont be a bother for you anymore."

Which way to choose from two worst ways? Its not even possible for some human to answer that.

"Tell me, what are you afraid of?" The voice asked with curiosity, "He wont even anticipate your attack, and I will personally make sure no harm will be done to you, then what is the problem?"

"Are you horbouring feeling for him, Riya?"

She stood there, dumbfounded by the question, but in the back of her mind she knew it was a dangerous question, it doesn't matter if she answer it or not.

"So, shall I take your silence as a yes?" The voice sounded more curious. Riya shook her head but still no word came out of her lips.

"Well well," The voice chuckled slightly and a drop of sweat (mixed with rain) ran down from her forehead to cheek, "I heard that the ACP is very charismatic person, and from the photographs he appeared to be handsome too. I am not surprised by your feelings."

"Its not the case!" She panicked and started to talk hurriedly as the words flowed, but the voice cut her.

"Take 2 days off and visit your parents." The voice continued in the same amused tone, "We shall meet again, Riya, I would like to personally meet you and see yourself."

And the line went dead. Riya stared widely into nothing for some seconds, then her knees gave away and she crashed on the floor, the phone so tightly entertwined by her fingers that it might just break.

Arjun stared at his so called Boss as he informed the rest of team that one of their member, Riya, won't attend office for 2 days as she had to go visit her family. They murmured for a while, but then went back to their works.

So maybe he was wrong in his guess, may be it IS some family problem. He sighed and wished this time the real Riya come back after her leave, not the melancholic person who was residing into her body ever since that case. If she don't appear normal he might even throw a tantrum and drag her all the way to hospital for a health check up.

He shook his head, amused at his own weird thoughts, before heading toward the door with the rest of the team as a new case just came in the hands of ETF.

"Eat your food, beta, where are your mind?" Riya's mother scold her mildly as she saw the breakfast is still on the plate and she didnt even touch it. She smiled slightly, before going to the food and started to chew it.

She will go back to Mumbai tomorrow, and she had barely spent 27 hours in her parents house. All appeared to be normal, but like her mother pointed it out, seems like she had left her mind somewhere else. Since her arrival she was expecting a call from an unknown number, and till now no luck as of such. Its ironical, she should have been relaxed that there was no call, but she was all but calm at the moment.

The day passed and she started to count the hours she had before heading for the train station for catching the Mumbai train. Her mother complained about her hectic work schedule, said she looked pale and lost a lot of weight, and asked her about her office friends. For some time it took off her mind from the caller and she was happy, relaxed after many, many days.

The day passed too and soon it was time to go back. She was with her parents at the station, her father and mother bid her a tearful goodbye and she was still checking her phone. Something was not right, SHE ordered her to come here and now no contact from HER side? How come?

With the uncertainity she went inside the train as it started to move. She bid her parents bye as she saw her mother crying and wiping her eyes with her dupatta, her father consoling her. She smiled sadly, her own tears ready to spill. She sighed as the train left the station and she no longer could see her parents. She headed for her barth, when she noticed it.

She was all alone in the train barth.

How much ridiculous or impossible it sounded, it was the fact. None else was in the compartment, it looked like she was in wrong compartment or someone had booked an entire compartment. She rechecked her ticket and frowned, she was in right place, then. . .?

Her eyes widen as a familiar female figure's head hung over the passage from one of the barths, smiling slightly, and then she waved at her.

Now she knew why the entire compartment was empty.

She could not walk, and suddenly she saw two men appeared out of nowhere besides her. One of them took her luggage and the other signaled her to walk ahead. She did so, her heart thumming loudly in her ribcage.

"I always love train journeys." The owner of the voice was in front of her, after many many months. Riya still remember the first time she had met her, nothing was out of place. The sophisticated beautiful woman, her eyes so innocent in one moment and cold threatening like in another, well groomed with costly dressings, she carried herself with such an elegance that the first time she felt very much jealous of her. But now, she was anything but jealous. SHE scared her.

"Ah, seat seat. So impolite of me not to tell you earlier." Her voice was apologetic and Riya did so, sat on the opposite seat and looked down. The lady leaned back, her one hand under her chin as she observed Riya with an amused expression.

"You look good. Is this the effect of falling in love?" She chuckled at her own statement aas Riya's eyes widened.

"Its not like that, please do not misunderstand me." She spoke hurriedly. The lady was still looking at her with the same amused expression.

"I cant do this. Please, get some assassinator or something, you are very much powerful and am sure you can get. . . please leave me alone." Riya was now crying, "I am a very simple girl, why you need me?"

"Hear, take some tissues." The lady handed her over a box of tissues and she took them, getting choked up all of a sudden. The lady continued to stare at her, the earlier amused look gone and the cold calculative side was coming back.

"Do you remember Our first meeting, when I informed you that my men were keeping an eye on you since the day you entered ETF?"

she nodded, not getting where is the heading.

"You must be curious that why you. . . like you just inquired." The lady sighed and stared at her hard, "You are right, I could hire an assasinator. I could get him killed in some stupid car crash or a bullet, it is so much easier."

Riya didn't like the way she was talking about killing him, how can she talk with so much easiness about killing someone?

"But where is the fun if kill him so easily?" The lady smiled and she gaped at her, stunned, "I want to make him suffer and die, not so much easily."

"Why?" she could not help but wonder. The lady chuckled, but then gave her an icy look.

"Its none of your business, so I wont bother you talking about that." She spoke, "The main thing you need to remember, is to kill him, and make sure he is very much hurt. I am talking about both physical and emotional hurt."

"Emotional?" She frowned. The lady laughed this time.

"Well well you will be surprised," She smiled, and Riya felt the piece of information she was going to hear might not be that much funny, "Looks like your Sir return the same feeling like you!"

"What?" She could not understand. The lady stared at her like its so obvious.

"My little birdie informed me that he was very much worried during the time you were in hospital, more than an senior or just an colleague." She said dreamily, her eyes lost somewhere, "looks like he had taken an liking for you."

This was bad, very bad. Not this Lady thinks she likes him (which obviously she does but DUH, she is not going to confess) but also thinks he share the same feeling. Its insane!

"Its not right." She spoke more to herself. The lady's eye brows rose up in surprise.

"What is not right? His feelings?"

"This piece of information." Riya emphasised, "He cant like me or anything, he is very much in love with his dead wife."

"And what else you know about your Arjun sir?" The lady narrowed her eyes in a playful manner as Riya's heart stopped for a while, "apart from his liking of cutting chai or his lack of sleep?"

She gaped at her once again, stunned. How does she knows?

"My dear, you will be surprised." Like she had somehow heard her unspoken question and answered this. She chose to keep silent.

"Ah this love!" She sighed to herself happily, "such beautiful feeling. You should be happy, Riya, not everyone's love story become history, you know."

Like half the things she keep saying to her, this one also went over Riya's head and she frowned at her.

"You know which love stories are become epic and legends? Tragic love stories, of course, Romeo and Juliet, Heer Ranjha. . . sadly, the pair of lovers always dies. so sad." She sighed to herself once again.

"I will make sure this time, at least one get spared." She murmured to herself like its some kind of promise and Riya's eyes widen, once again, her heart thumming more loudly this time.

"So you choose me to get near him?" Riya get back to her original doubts. The lady nodded, smiling.

"Precisely. I thought how wondeful it would be if ACP gets killed by one of his close people."

"How could have been you so sure that I could get close to him?"

"I didnt give you any other choice, did I?" The lady gave her an chllenging look, then laughed, "You didnt have to do much hard work too I guess, He looked smitten by you on the very first meet. You attacked him on the first meeting, didnt you?"

Riya didnt even bothered to look stunned at this revealation or thought how she knew it. SHE just happens to know everything, she accepted it finally.

"Tell me, which part of yours attracts him?" The lady bored hole into hers as she stared at her dumbly.

"Huh?"

"Why he is attracted to you? Which part of your attracts you? Is this your smile? Or the way you speak to him, all submissive type? Or you did some secret seduction trick on him unknown to me?" The lady laughed at her own joke in the end, but her eyes never left Riya. In reply, she only stared at her, her mind totally blank.

"He is not attracted to me." She spoke quietly, this time little more firmly. The lady sighed and looked away from her face to outside through the window.

"You should see more clearly then." She spoke to herself.

She was back, but she was not fully back yet.

It was 3 days since she had 'come back' but she looked worse than earlier. It took all his self control not to corner her in somewhere and ask about her problem, but he just cant handle it anymore. The days passed fast with the urgent cases and work, and finally it was an evening when they finally got a chance to go home at the correct time.

The other juniors Shree and Chotu hurried toward door and talked about getting a drink. The office emptied, and it looked a perfect opportunity to speak to her. He went over to her desk as she was gathering her bag, preparing himself to offer her lift, when his eyes fell on a white paper. actually, it was a particular underlined line, which was something like. . .

Resignation letter

His brain stopped working for a while, then he was suddenly furious, so much furious that he might just punch into something to let off steam. He stared at her murderously as she gathered her bag, unknown to his wrath.

How dare she? How could she?

She sensed someone's presence near her and looked up. Her boss was staring at her. . . correction, he was glaring at her, and she wondered what happened all of a sudden, did she goof up in some reports?

"Sir?" she asked tentatively and then took a step back as he started to walk toward her, it appeard as if he was a predator who was cornering his prey.

"Sir?" She repeated herself, and then jerked as she realised finally, she was cornered in real sense. Her back hit the wall and there was no way out. He walked fast toward her, and soon she was effectively caged between his strong arms which he kept beside her frame on the wall. He continued to glare wordlessly at her, and for a while she forgot all her worries and stared back at him in wonder.

"How dare you?" He whispered menacingly.

"Huh?" She snapped out of her dreamy state and asked not getting him. His jaw clenched and finally she felt the emotion she should have feel since the time he started to glare at her like that, Fear.

"How dare you resign?" He rose his voice little and leaned over her, his self control taking a toll as all he wanted to do was to grip her shoulders, pull her to him and shake her frame to put some senses into her.

She suddenly remembered the letter she was writing in her spare time, and said in her mind CRAP. Of course, she cant resign, not when some maniac lady was out threatening to kill her family, but she cant tell him, and very soon she have to cook up a decent story to convince him.

Why he is so angry in the first place?

Arjun saw her confusion in eyes changing into curiosity and prepared himself to answer the million doller question, the question he should have dreaded to answer, but he was not.

"Why do you care?"

"Because I want you here, by my side. Always."

His bold confession left her dumbfounded, but her mind did a quick calculation. Finally, she had got her answer, which way to take when the two ways were equally worse?

You chose the third way.

"But I dont want to stay here." She didnt even think before speaking. Her mind was doing all the talks and her heart chose to keep quiet, too afraid to take the lead as it didnt know how to deal with it.

His eyes widen, "Why?"

"I dont want to stay here anymore." The words came out quick and clear. His eyes widen once again, and then his eyes hardened.

"I thought you liked it, staying beside me?"

"What made you think like that?" She counter argued. He was getting frustrated with her replies, so he did what he wanted to do all this while- gripped her shoulder and pulled her close to him.

"What made me think like that? Let me guess, maybe your eyes, which were always on me, be it field work or even we are all alone? Or maybe its behavior, which is so different with me? Or maybe its your body language, whenever I am in discomfort you feel it too, are not I right?"

Yes, he was observing her all the time.

This only means The Lady was right, he was interested in her.

Her mind did the second calculation.

"You are guessing it all wrong." She spoke in the same emotionless tone. He pulled her, if possible, more close to him.

"Did I?"

"Yes."

"so you have no feelings for me?"

"Absolutely not."

She freed herself from his strong grip and he let him do so, he was taking his time to register her words. She never felt anything for him, he mistook it all wrong.

Did he? Since when he become so blind? So idiot to mistook her behaviors?

Riya Mukherjee, you are a rotten liar, but this time you actually were successful to make me confuse, for a while. . .

He ran behind her as she walked outside and was getting into the lift. Before the lift close he was successful to get inside, and she gasped seeing him.

Well it was not helping, for starters, it was a lift, very limited space, he was angry and she just said some craps back in office. The possibilities of what could happen here were endless. . .

But she cant screw this up. She just cant.

To make the matters more worse, he pressed the stop button and the lift stopped moving. Riya cursed the technology and wondered what the hell is that stop button doing inside anyway.

"So," He started obviously continuing the earlier conversation, "You have no feelings for me?"

"No." came her emotionless reply. He leaned near the door and tilted his head to her, crossing his arms over chest like always, and it didnt quite help the situation.

"I mistook it all?"

"yes."

"Do I look like an idiot?" He asked and she stared at her, dumbfounded. He took several steps to her, and this time she didnt back away (because she cant, its a lift and there was no place). he towered over her, making her breathless though he was really not doing anything, except for boring holes into her of course.

"Why are you lying? After what I just confessed?" He asked uncrossing his arms, "You know it took an inhuman amount of strength to realise it and speak it so aloud? still. . . why?"

"You should stay away from me." Came her emotionless reply. He glared at her once again.

"And why is that?" He asked icily.

''I am not what you think I am."

"Really? Are you a vampire? or Demon?" He asked sarcastically, his eyes still glaring at her. Her eyes soften at his comment.

"I am worse."

"I refuse to believe it."

"You should. . . because when you finally believe it, you will want to kill me, in ugliest possible way."

Her words scared him. The angry emotion vanished from his face and now he was looking at her with full of concern. What is she saying?

"I wont even think of doing that." came his sincere reply.

"You will be surprised." She chuckled, and then looked straight into his eyes. This made his heart skip a beat.

"Its for your good, please stay away from me." She continued, speaking slowly but with firmness to make her point, "I will be as away from your eyes as possible, I will try not to be a liability to you. I will soon think something about. . .this." she paused, shifting her eyes from his face to the floor, "I have to."

"What is going on?" He asked, his voice trembled little. She looked at him and smiled sadly.

"Wish I could tell you. . ." She let the sentence unfinished, making him more scared than ever.

The perks of having millions in your bank account and much power as a person is that you can aquire acres of area even if its a city where the main problem is the lack of place for its citizen. In between the beautiful and crowdy Mumbai, here was a private property of 3 acres with a big empty lawn behind the gigantic mansion, and we can see two women with some butlers and many body guards were standing there in the sun.

The Lady was adjusting her gun to shoot at a target approximately 8 feet away from her, while the other woman was looking at her and talking stimultenously. The butler were ready with the beverages and for any orders, while the guards were looking away, though it appeared as if they are not paying any heed to the conversation between these two lady but their ears were on it all the time.

"I seriously cant understand what you are upto." The other lady, who was dressed in salwar with her covered with the dupatta, asked the The Lady who was now targetting. She chuckled softly.

"People should not try the impossible task."

She huffed in annoyance, "Why you are risking everything just for that mere ACP? Cant you just give him up?"

"I dont just give up my enemy, do I?"

"Be reasonable." She scolded mildly. The Lady now lowered her gun and turned full 180 degree to her, her eyes staring coolly at her.

"And explain the idea of reasonable, Please."

"That person is not posing any threat. Besides, somewhere I think you are taking it too personal, like its the matter of your ego." The other lady looked at her squarely.

"Yes, its the matter of ego, now satisfied?"

"No, I am not. I dont know why you are behind him nor I want to, but keep it in mind, you just cant risk so much only to kill a mere police officer. I am sure Sikandar. . ." The other lady never finished her words as The Lady glared at her wordlessly, suddenly the heat appeared unbearable.

"Asmara." She spoke in dangerously low tone that sent shiver down her spine, "you are my sister, and you are into my most inner circles, but I give no one to speak against me or question my decisions."

Asmara opened her mouth to argue but The Lady raised her hand signaling her to stop, "Who I want to kill, what risk I undertake, is none of your concern. As far as Sikandar is concerned, have faith in me. But never, never question my decisions, is that understood?"

Asmara nodded wordlessly, and The Lady smiled, and just like that the danger passed.

In the evening, The lady was all alone in her room like most of the time, her one hand holding lightly a glass of red wine while the others were busy to twirl a pen in between her fingers, much similar like ACP Rawte.

"Arjun Rawte." She spoke to the room in low tone, "Am sure you don't remember me, but we have met so many times." She leaned back, smiling to herself as she remembered something pleasant, but her face twisted in the next second and she threw away the pen, her hold on the red wine glass tightened.

"The two most dangerous way to piss a woman, you break her heart, and, you cross her path. You did both, and now. . ."

"its payback time baby." She whispered to herself and gave a dangerous smirk, her eyes shining in the low light of her extra large room. She picked up her phone and dialed a number.

"I am sending you a picture, and you know what to do with it."

Its been 3 days since the fatal confrontation in the elevator between the second in command and the research specialist of ETF. They both didnt talk all these days, all thanks to the hectic work schedule. Riya was relieved that she didnt have to face him after that night, and hopefully she will get a way to get out of this mess.

The first idea that came to her mind was to talk to her boss, Chief Rathore and tell him everything. She dismissed the idea after thinking what the man will think of her after she confess everything, that she was a liar, a cheat (which she was) who faked everything about her and was here as a mole by some mysterious criminal Lady.

The second idea, which made much more sense, was to put her family under security and break every contact with The Lady. She changed her number and applied for security for her family, hoping in this way she can get spared, though in the back of her mind it didnt sound good at all.

It was the 4th day since the fatal night meet between her and her Sir, and since then she dreaded everyday to go to office and see his face. Nevertheless, today also she dreaded for a while, then get ready for office. She was on road hoping to get a taxi as soon as she can, when a Mahindra Xylo stopped right in front of her and the door opened.

She frowned, and then her face was a ideantical mask of horror as she saw the person inside the SUV.

The Lady.

She gave her a sweet smile, and gestured her to get inside, only if she knew Her whole body was paralyzed.

"Come inside, Riya, you dont want to make a scene, do you?"

Riya for a fraction of second considered the idea of running away and shout for help, but then dropped it and got inside. A man closed the door behind her and she noticed it was only her and The Lady inside Xylo, apart from the driver and another man in the front. The SUV started to move and she found The Lady was staring at her coolly, that smile still on her lips.

"Something wrong with your phone? I tried so much but could not reach you." She asked, and Riya gulped, suddenly her throat dry.

"N. . .no."

"then why I could not reach you?" The Lady frowned, and then glared hard at her, the smile vanished in a fraction of second, "Or, maybe you changed your number, did not you?"

Riya gaped at her, stunned. The Lady then dialed a number in her own blackberry and the SUV's air filled with the unmistakable ring tone of Riya's phone.

"If you are still thinking you can get away from me, drop the idea." She stared at her, cutting the call and leaning on her seat. Then suddenly, she started to laugh.

"What are you thinking, really?" She was still chuckling, "You put your family under police security, honestly, you think that will change anything?"

No, it wont change, and by now Riya knew it. It felt like she had known it all along.

"You cant get away from me, but of course, if you just finish your task."

"I cant." Riya said quietly.

"Pardon me?" The Lady was still staring at her in an amusing way.

"I cant finish your task." She quoted her words, "I am not a killer and I cant kill."

"Are you refusing to do the task?" The Lady asked. Riya nodded.

"Its unfortunate." The Lady sighed, shaking her head, and Riya felt the temparature inside suddenly rising. It was not right, SHE cant be this normal after she refused to obey her.

"Remember what I told you about ACP's feelings for you?" The Lady, who was till now staring at the floor of SUV, now suddenly looked at her face, her eyes telling she was up to something. Riya stared back, confused, and then realisation drawn upon her.

Out of nowhere two hand gripped her head tightly and she smelt chloroform in the hankerchief which was pressed on her mouth. Slowly she drifted into a state of unconsciousness, unaware of what will happen with her after this.

When she opened her eyes god knows how much time, she found herself in a hospital bed surrounded by saline bottles and doctor- nurse. The doctor hurried as he noticed she finally opened her eyes and checked her pulse.

"You seem fine."

"How I reached here?' She wondered. at the same time the door burst open and her team mates entered, concern dripping from their face.

They asked her if she remember how she was kidnapped, but she lied and said she cant remember anything. They informed some criminal kidnapped her to free his brother from jail, but ETF managed to rescue her in last moment and shot that bad guy.

The team left the room, and she found herself staring in the ceiling. Why The Lady is doing, what she is doing, and how on earth she managed to drag her into this mess was out of her logical mind, but it was turning her life outside down. There is a limit of how much stress a person can take and how much secret a person can keep, she was outnumbering them all. She was not sure if she was sane anymore.

The door opened one more time and she groaned inwardly. Honestly, This man's timing sucks more than anything right now. He closed the door behind him and sat on the stool beside her bed, staring at her warmly.

"Are you feeling alright?"

Wrong question, she was feeling anything but alright ATM.

"yeah." Only this she managed to say. He sighed.

"I was so worried when you didnt enter office yesterday."

Her eyes popped out of socket. "yesterday?!" She spoke a bit too loudly. His eyes widened, then he nodded sadly.

"Its been 24 hours."

Damn you, Lady.

"Thats it. I have decided, I will pick and drop you from the next time." He ordered, getting back to his no nonsense persona. She frowned.

"Excuse me?"

"Do I have to repeat myself?" He said as if she was challenging his order.

"There is no need."

"I didnt ask your opinion." he glared at her slightly. She clenched her fist, holding the duvet in between her palm.

"I do not need it." She spoke firmly. He inhaled sharply.

"Is it necessary to contradict me in every step?"

"You being unreasonable."

"Unreasonable?" He raised his voice in disbelief, "You just got kidnapped! I cant take anymore risk."

"Everyone is in danger with each moment they spend on this earth."

"I care a damn about others." He concluded.

Honestly, after this what can anyone say to argue back?

"Stop fighting with me Riya." He sighed in defeat, giving her a soft look.

"Stay away from me."

"I cant. Deal with it." He again got angry and got up, exiting her room as he banged the door behind him. She sighed in frustration, suddenly a violent urge to throw something overpowering her. a single drop of tear ran from the corner and she closed her eyes, trying to block everything for some time.

She had not realised when she drifted into a sleep, but when she did, she felt as if someone was sitting on the bedside stool, where some time ago HE was sitting. She opened her eyes properly and looked, and suddenly the temparature of the room dropped.

"Hello." That unmistakable sily velvetty Lady voice. Riya felt an incredible urge to shut her eyes, thinking its an nightmare, or just shout her lungs out so that people burst inside the room and she can tell the truth to everyone. Instead, she just kept quiet, like she mostly do and let The Lady talk.

"You were sleeping so I didn't disturb you and decided to read this instead," She showed her a magazine she was reading all this while, "You heard Brangelina are getting married? How wonderful, I always used to adore them, though I still think Brad is a asshole to ditch Jennifer."

Riya continued to stare at her, suddenly thinking where the hell are her team mates. The Lady made an apologetic face.

"Am I bothering you? Pardon me if I am. . . I just came to check on you. My man must have applied extra dose of chloroform than necessary. How are you feeling?"

"How you covered it all?" Riya wondered, asking in low voice, "My team informed me. . ."

"that some criminal kidnapped you to get his brother out of jail?" The Lady laughed, "trust me when I am saying this, I am a lot more than I pretend to be."

"You can congratulate me now." The Lady kept the magazine back on table and leaned on her, her eyes never leaving her face, "What I tried to establish through this act, it actually turned out right. Your darling boss is head over heels for you, how amazing it will be when his 'lover' will be the reason of his death!"

"I am not killing him." Riya repeated what seemed like for the hunderd times and The Lady rolled her eyes.

"Oh come on. How many time will you keep repeating it and how many time I have to threaten you?"

"I just wont."

The Lady stared at her for a little bit longer time, then asked in somewhat surprised tone, "Something telling me you are very much adamant this time."

"I am." Riya replied quietly but firm on her decision. The Lady leaned back, still surprised.

"And how you are planning to leave me behind?"

"I will tell the truth to Sir. He can take care of himself. I am even ready to go to jail if he sends me."

"How touching!" The Lady murmured, the surprised expression changing to amused, "And what about your family? No regards for them?"

She didn't reply. The lady chuckled softly and shook her head.

"And what gives you the impression that Your Sir will listen to you? What will you say, some psychotic lady is behind you who wants to finish him off? Why anyone will believe you?"

"He will. They will." Riya sounded confident on voice, but inside she knew The Lady was right. This whole thing is as ridiculous as it sounds.

"Ah, silly, silly girl." The Lady shook her head yet again, "Is this so difficult to accept that I got you fully covered in my trap and there is no way out?"

Riya looked away, don't want her tears to come out in front of HER. She loathed this woman in front of her, and she hated that whatever SHE was telling her was absolutely right.

"take rest." The Lady finally got up and left the room, as soon as the door was closed Riya started to cry, hiding her face into the pillow.

The Lady came out of her room, still chuckling that the foolish girl even thought there was a way to get away from her. She was in her own world, but suddenly she snapped out of it as she banged into someone.

"Sorry Ma'am." The curly haired guy with specks who just ran into her, adjusted his specks and mumbled an apology. She rose her eye brown as she recognized this person, an member of ETF, and nodded, that amused expression still on her face. She came out of the hospital and out of nowhere, a Mahindra Xylo stopped right in front of her and the door opened from inside. She went inside it and the SUV started to move.

"You need little bit warning, though." The Lady spoke to herself as she took out her phone and pressed some numbers into it, "I am hating to do it," she sighed, "but well, its your fault, you should not have to be so stubborn about it, Riya."

"Irfan." She spoke to the other side, "What happened to my last order?"

The person said something, and it had to be good (or bad) as she smirked hearing this.

"Good job. Now, I guess its time to send him to hospital, but be careful, " She warned, "no life threatening injury, got it?"

She cut the call and stared outside the window, obviously pleased with herself.

"Don't worry beta, your father will be fine. No, you don't have to come to see him, he is fine, Doctors will discharge him in some days, not much injury, all is fine. . ."

Riya's mother was having a hard time to make her daughter realise that her father is fine and there is no need for her to take leave again and come back to home. Yesterday he had an accident, some stupid driver ran over his car on him, leaving him with a head injury and some broken bones. Her Daughter cried hard in the phone, but finally she convinced not to come back.

After the news and this conversation, Riya could not stop crying. She so wanted to visit her father but she cant take any more leaves, and also her mother forbid her to come too. In the back of her mind she also felt The Lady had done this to her father to teach her a lesson, and she felt sick that because of her, her family was in danger. with her red puffed up eyes and this sick feeling in heart, she went to office. Her team member worried with her about her Father and consoled her telling all will be fine, and she also tried to appear normal, engrossing herself in work.

In the evening after their boss called it off for a day, she called her mother and spoke for a while, walking toward the lift at the same time. After she ended the call, she noticed there was an sms.

Head injury and 6 broken bones. . . still being stubborn?

Her world stopped right there as she stared into her phone, unable to move or do anything. This message was unmistakable, and she was right, The Lady did this to her father, it was the punishment not to listen to her orders.

She clutched the phone tightly in her phone and stared hard in the floor. The Lift opened in front of her with a melodious tune but she paid no heed to it.

Why her? And how can she choose?

Another voice in her mind, which is selfish and cruel, counter argued, saying what is there to even choose? Of course, none is bigger than her own parents. Family comes first, and people can do anything for their families.

But how can she kill someone? Keeping aside her soft corner for the man. . . its just wrong.

Her mind continued to duel inside, and she didn't even realise the lift was closing itself. She snapped out of it when suddenly a man walked past her in a bit hurry and stopped the lift.

"Where is your mind?" That unmistakable voice of her boss, whom she is destined to kill, said to her in anger, "Let's go inside."

Without any word, she went inside the lift, so did he. The lift closed and he pressed the button, and both waited in silence.

"How is your father?" He asked in gentle voice, looking intently at her.

"He is fine." She cut short the conversation in small tone. He sighed, but didn't bother her anymore.

Her heart beat was rising with every passing second. With every floor the lift was crossing, the voice inside her, which was selfish and cruel, was rising its power and was actually pushing her to go for it. The sweats started to form on her temple and her whole body shivered in fear as a nightmarish thought just crossed her mind.

What if next time it surpass head injury and six bones. . . what if next time its a body?

She gulped the lump in her throat in tension, a violent urge to cry her heart out overpowering her, but she could not. Maybe her voice had died inside too, maybe that selfish voice had overpowered her system.

And just like that, she took the most important decision of her life.

She leaned slightly toward the switch board and pressed the stop button, causing the lift to halt all of a sudden. It was ironical, not too many days ago she was cursing it and now, she was thank ful to it.

"Riya?" Arjun frowned at her behavior as she stopped the lift, expecting her to do or say anything. She didn't meet his eyes, but he felt whatever she was going to do or say was not going to be easy, as he saw her whole body was shivering all of a sudden.

"Hey." He called out softly and took a step toward her, his one hand on her head caressing her hairs while the other was on her waist, pulling her form close to him, "all will be fine. Your father will be fine, don't worry."

She cried in his chest, clutching his shirt while he continued to whisper in her ear, tried to make her feel better. He didn't realise when her one hand left his shirt's fabric and stealthily took out her service revolver.

"I am sorry." She whispered to him, and he frowned hearing, not getting why she is saying sorry. Suddenly his whole body froze as he felt something cold against his stomach.

It was a metal.

It was a gun.

She is holding a gun against him.

It was a confusing state. He didn't know why she is doing so, but he cared a damn about it. All he knew was the girl who made a soft corner in his heart, was holding a gun against him.

Was she really going to kill him?

So she stopped the lift because of it.

But why?

"Riya?" He whispered, his own voice barely audible in the lift. In response, she cried more into his chest.

Suddenly she freed his shirt and took a step away from him. All the blood rushed to his head as he realised maybe the time of his death has just arrived, maybe she was going to kill him right now.

Her hands shook as she tried to point as gun, it was ironical again. this very man had taught her that killing someone doesn't count as saving a life is more important. Today, killing him will ensure that her family remain safe.

But she still could not kill someone, and the possibility drops even more as the person in question is the only male who managed to evoke some alien emotions in her heart.

And just like that, she realised she cant kill him.

Torn between her family and her heart, her hands shook to the extent when it just could not handle the weight of that metal. The gun fell on floor with a too loud sound, and she leaned back on the lift's wall, one hand on her mouth to not to let her cry reach his ears. She slipped against it, and hid her head in between her knees, like she used to do when she was 5 years old and other kids used to bully her in school.

The sound of the gun falling on the floor snapped Arjun out of his trance like state. His eyes linger on that metal for a while, and then he heard her muffled sob. His eyes went to her, who was hiding her face in between her knees and crying her heart out. He clenched his fist, suddenly everything was clear to him.

This girl in front of him, she just cant kill someone. Yes, she is an police officer, but still the first time she shot someone the guilt was so much for her to take. It took her many many days to let it go and finally realise that killing that guy ensured the saving of His life. She is sympathetic to the victim's family, when they move on from case to case, she feel their pains as her own and stress herself over it. She feel disgusted that how can anyone do a crime, she accuse and shout at criminals like they did something to her. She is a good human being, selfless and innocent, both inside and out.

He knew her from exact 6 months and know so much about her. He was never wrong about anyone, and he was sure as hell never was wrong about her too. He was seeing the change into her ever since that bacteria case and her recovery from it. She walked as if she was carrying the weight of whole world, her smile didn't have the beauty like earlier, neither her eyes had the spark like they used to held. Something big was bothering her badly, and this incident in lift, it only adds in the long list.

Maybe someone is blackmaling her?

His blood bolied at the possibility at this, itching to rip apart the person who distressed her this much. He clenched his fist, but immediately frozed when he heard her sobs which was going on and on all this time.

He have to take care of her