°o The Kill o°| AR Part 26(12/02) - Page 47

Part 24 – I kissed you first

"1.9 Crore ... by Armaan Mallik"

"What the f.uck do you think you're doing?" Adi whispered menacingly. "You think this is a game?"

Armaan's eyes turned into slits, obviously slightly agitated at the reference of 'game'.

"No, I'm here to go on my date, which I won fair and square." He said inching towards the opponent.

Riddhima watched nervously, why did she have a gut instinct that things were going to get ugly.

Unfortunately for Riddhima, she was right on point.

"Adi." She murmured quickly watching his knuckles clench, he was going to go for it if Armaan said one more thing.

"Here's what's going to happen." He began "You and friends are going to stay here and enjoy your party with your little fan clubs while Riddhima and I are leaving. Understand?"

"No."

BAM!

"Augh" Armaan mumbled tightly through his lower jaw.

"You." Adi clenched his fist.

All of a sudden, he dragged Armaan up to eye level, while clasping his collar, pulling him off the ground forcefully. As his grip tightened and eye daggers became more severe, the crowd that surrounded the stage before took a couple steps back, frightened themselves.

"ADI!" Riddhima shouted "DON'T"

However, as the whole school seemed shock from fright, Armaan's face remained ever so calm, even after being shot to the ground. However, once at eye level with Adi, a satisfied grin tugged at his lips, pushing Adi to the brink of insanity.

"Now, what the fu.ck did you say to me?!" he yelled in his face.

But Armaan simply answered coolly," I have no time for you." His gaze then turning to Riddhima standing their in shock, "I have an important date to attend."

"YOU FU.CKING BA.STARD!" he finally roared. Everyone watched as Adi's fist was mere inches away from Armaan's face, however instead of seeing the anticipated collision, they watched as he countered the attack with a mere hand.

"Is that all you can do?" he muttered venomously back.

Armaan's hands pushed into a rock-hard fist, his arms pulled back in preparation to collide with Adi's face.

"NO! STOP IT!!"

A forceful blockade came in between his fist and Adi's face. Looking at the source, he was surprised to see Riddhima's piercing gaze on him as she flung his fist away with no power what-so-ever from her side.

Ri-ddhi-ma.

What are you doing?

"Don't hurt him." She whispered forcefully then turned to Adi whose gaze remained on Armaan.

"Are you all right?" he heard her whisper then examine his hand carefully, her face full of trepidation.

"I'm fine Ridz." His mouth curved down as he watched Armaan's face. He seemed so hurt and hesitant.

Suddenly Riddhima turned around and faced Armaan sternly.

"What do you think you're doing Mallik?"

Armaan's face contorted slightly but held it in, "I'm here for my date."

"Then why are you picking a fight with Adi?"

Why did she have to use his last name? And his nickname?

"But I didn't he hit me first. –

"But you instigated him." Riddhima unusually kept defending. "Is all this to piss of Adi?" she kept to the point. "Cause if it is—

"No, it's not." He said fiercely.

"Then why –" Riddhima stopped suddenly when Armaan reached out for her and began pulling her off the stage towards the exit quietly as the student formulated an open path for them.

"What the hell are you doing! Let me go! ADI!"

Armaan's grip tightened at the name and his paces grew faster.

"H-HEY!" Adi yelled trying to keep up but once off the stage four guys immediately seized him.

"Get out of the fu.cking way!"

"Sorry, no can do. He won the auction fairly, so you gotta let him go." Akaash said.

"Like hell I'm going to let him go!"

"You better calm down." Ali said "You're forgetting –

You are in Our Territory."

----------

"CAN YOU STOP!" Riddhima yelled trying to pry his hand off of her wrist.

"Not until we get to the limo." His pace quicker as she loosened his grip.

The girl was strong.

Riddhima was swung around him and pushed into the backseat of the limo.

"Ugh." She muttered when his grip finally was lost. Looking at her arm she winced. What was up with this guy? Her arms seemed to be bitten into, the curves of his nails reflecting teeth marks, and slowly turning red as blood rushed to the site.

"What's your problem?!" she said facing his as he nodded to the driver to take off.

She watched as Armaan's head slightly turned to her, looking at her with weird puppy eyes then turn back to stare blankly at the tainted window.

So she waited, looking at her watch 45 minutes had already passed and it seemed as if they were moving out of the city.

"Mal—"

"Do you like that guy?" he flinched turning to her. "That guy with the weird earring?"

"What? Why?"

"Never mind."

…

"Malli--"

"Stop saying my name… I don't like it when you do."

.. " Fine, where are we going?"

"On our date."

"I know that, but why? We don't like each other. In fact, you were trying to get me transferred out of Lakshmi a couple days ago. Can't you just let me go home?"

"Tskk. Look." He said shoving his phone in her face.

From: Baldy

GOOD JOB YOUNG MAN!

YOU PASSED YOUR EXAMINATIONS.

TREAT MISS RIDDHIMA TO DINNER NICELY.

CONGRADULATIONS!

"You tutored me as a favor, so now I'm returning your generosity." He rolled his eyes.

"Oh. N-nothing else right?"

"No, why? You want to go out with me?" he replied scooting closer then backing away too. "Don't you remember what I said? You're not my type. So don't think of anything ridiculous." He said smugly.

From the look on his face Riddhima could tell he was trying to lie, badly at that. But to save him from embarrassment she merely nodded and turned her head to the window.

"Sir, we're here." The driver stated.

"W-what are we doing here?"

"Why? You never been in a mall before?" he replied irately.

"YES. I have. What I mean is our clothes, people come here to shop. We aren't particularly dressed for the occasion."

"So? Big bad Riddhima Gupta cares that much of what people think?" he taunted.

"No, I just don't want to attract unnecessary attention."

"You didn't mind at the auction…"

"That wasn't unnecessary.."

"Yes, it was. You know that guy started it. Yet you repeatedly kept putting the blame on me as if I forced him to punch me."

Riddhima became passive again, her face changed from easy-to-read back to emotionless. Oh how he hated it. Who was she putting on this show for?

Suddenly, Armaan's face began to beam with delight. "Well I feel bad for him, he's stuck wondering where you are.

"Do you even care how I feel right now?" his puppy eyes coming to life again. He eagerly watched Riddhima's face, hoping for some kind of reaction and when he saw her eyebrows crease slightly his happiness reflected no bounds.

With a mischievous glint, he leaned into her, surprised she didn't back away the slightest bit.

"Besides, I was the one who kissed you first."