Sanyukta peeped through the door sneaking in like a mouse, Jerry style ! Her mission : sneak in and grab the cheese before Tom spots her. Because Tom, in her case Randhir, won't be particularly excited to see her today as she was really really late on her given schedule. And, if her stars weren't aligned good enough then he must have heard Vardhan Sir in background before the line went dead... god knows what he might be thinking...she sighed.
The lobby was awfully silent... if a pin was dropped on planet Pluto, you could have heard it, it was that silent ! ...Even the cars weren't there in the courtyard. Maybe they were all away and Tom was sleeping... sure...maybe...hopefully !
Entry, clear.
Corridor clear.
Sanyukta was about to celebrate the success of her mission when she heard a glass kept down somewhere behind her...already guessing who it was. ...Shit !
Tom was clearly not sleeping and he had obviously spotted her, mission failed... game over ! Unfortunately, unlike video games, you couldn't go back and start the level again... you had been spotted by the evil creature guarding the access to the next level and you had no other option than to face it... with the alarming half a heart of life that was left ! ...Piece of cake NOT !
"Sanyukta..." she heard his deliciously husky voice.
"I think the clock's broken... What time is it?" came his calm voice. ...disturbingly calm. Wasn't he supposed to be going all gorilla over her ?!
Even before she could turn around he was right behind her.
"Sanyukta...I asked you a question... " he said. She was tempted to reply "and I heard you the first time...repeating the question isn't going to speed up the reply" but the dangerous edge in his voice dissuaded her from doing so.
"F-Four...pm" she stammered, feeling his arm snaking around her waist, holding her flat against him. ...Was it normal that it felt more like a grasp of a boa constrictor instead of a gesture of affection ?
"And...you were supposed to be here yesterday, right ?" he spoke huskily on her ear, while his grip tightened on her waist making her back hit his strong chest.
"I was busy... with Tara..." she spoke up, trying to gain back some of her confidence. Liar liar pants on fire !
"Is that so?" he questioned, moving her hair on one side, freeing the access to her neck.
"I...I was... " Sanyukta tried to come up with something logical enough to calm him, but his nearness wasn't letting her think straight.
"Who was he ?" Randhir sharply cut her off. There the bomb was dropped.
Randhir had been furious since that call...he could not tolerate any male attention on her, but not only had it happened, but Sanyukta had also literally dismissed him saying she was f*cking busy... she had ignored him as her attention had been solely on the man in her house and that he could not tolerate ! He had already declared it, she was his and only his !
Sanyukta was about to reply when his mouth found her neck, lying light kisses, causing her to close her eyes in anticipation. ...Not helping ! She was trying to prove her innocence while he was luring into committing another sin...At this moment, she found herself in the same situation as Sonam Kapoor in the movie khoobsorat when she said to the prince : "Tumhe dekh k gande gande khyal atey han yaar viku..." ...yep right now she was definitely having gande gande khyal !
"You said you were busy" Randhir's voice brought her back to earth, his hands slowly caressing her elbows.
Sanyukta's lips parted again but his words came out before hers, frustrating her."I kept waiting for you..." he told her nipping her ear lobe, his fingers digging deeper in her waist, contrasting with his calm voice.
"Look it's not what you think it is, I can explain..." she said... before realizing how wrong that sentence sounded... way too clich ! Usually this sentence always came after the girl caught his boyfriend cheating on her. ...But in her case, she could really explain !
"I was waiting you'd come but seems like you were busy...socializing..." he said.
Sanyukta felt the change in his tone, it was sharper now...angrier. She felt him entwining his fingers with hers. His grip tightened with each question he asked. And with each passing question Sanyukta's frustration also grew...He was not even letting her utter one word for god sake...and he was using his alpha male charms to cloud her senses, that was a low blow !
Suddenly, he turned her toward him, her hands trapped behind her in his grip.
Sanyukta's chest heaved in rage at his actions. She was not a bag of potatoes he could manipulate at his convenience ! Knowing very well she was not at fault here, she didn't turn her gaze down at his anger. If he was angry and worried she too had a reason ...and instead of letting her explain he was playing with her ! Like hell she was going to just let him do !
She matched his heated gaze with equal fervor...both glaring at each other. Seconds turned into minutes but no one uttered a word. Having enough of this silent eyes' swords play, Sanyukta spoke up.
"If you are done playing glaring-glaring, can we switch to more important matters ?"
Instead of replying, Randhir pulled from her elbow in a swift movement dragging her toward the staircase.
"What the freezing hell ?!!! " exclaimed Sanyukta.
"Randhir...what the hell are you doing ?!!! Leave me...Randhir" she kept whining and trying to free herself from his grip but he didn't pay heed to it.
Randhir halted once he was back to his room.
"Randhir !!!! God help me if you don't leave me this instant..." she shrilled while pushed her inside and banged the door shut.
Sanyukta took this opportunity to increase the distance between them for safety purposes.
"Randhir... I hope a have a good explanation to your barbaric behavior" she said sternly, crossing her arms in annoyance. She didn't take disrespect very well !
"Where were you?" came his rude, harsh tone, cutting away her rants.
Sanyukta looked up, his fists curled in rage, eyebrows meshed together, lips thinned up. IF he was angry, so was she. Being angry was one thing, that she could understand but manhandling her like she was his personal breathing toy, that she was not going to tolerate.
"Excuse me... That is not my answer" she told him maintaining her confidence.
"Where were you?" he yelled again almost trembling her in her place.
Sanyukta huffed at his demeanor, things were going way out of hands ! Why was he not ready to give up on his ways. She had no problem in telling him what he wanted to know but his way of asking and rude behavior were riling her up. Couldn't he ask the same thing settling down in the balcony over the cup of coffee she would have happily shared herself. But no Mr. Gangster won't sudharofy ! He won't give up on his rowdy ways, he won't amend his tone, he won't stop his rule.
She had her self-respect and she gave no one the right to toy with it.
"I was at home" Sanyukta spoke back holding her voice, "I already told you I was going..." she trailed off.
Randhir kept looking at her scrutinizing her answer, sure she told him but still she didn't inform her the true reason and moreover she didn't return yesterday.
"You said you'll be back in the morning...It's 4 pm now..." he question her again.
"Aaand ?" she urged him to continue.
"What were you doing ?"
"Obviously not discussing baboons breeding pattern..." she muttered under her breath."I had some stuff to take care of...important still" she added loudly.
Randhir's jaw clench at her answer.
"What took you that long ?"
OOOhh now he was seriously getting on her nerve ! "I can't believe it ! What are you? Some biometric attendance system?! " Sanyukta scoffed in surprised... he was fighting for not being on time? ...Like who does that? It's India man !
"You know you actually remind me of my school teacher, Mrs. Sharma! Always on the lookout for students coming late to school and then ordering them to run rounds in ground" she rolled her eyes at him while he just narrowed his gaze in anger not willing to hear anything more from her.
When he didn't reply she was furious, what was this exactly, what were they doing exactly ? It was like they were playing table tennis with questions. But while Sanyukta was playing with smooth, perfectly shaped, round, polite balls, Randhir was playing with dirty indented balls... flying at one hundred miles per hour... directed toward her head. Not very nice !
"You know what ? this is preposterous! ...When you get to know how to have sane conversations... call me !" she told him and turned to walk away. This was going nowhere !
Before she passed the door, he grabbed her back caging her between him and the wall.
"Don't walk away when I'm talking to you" his words harsh, strict, intimidating.
Sanyukta looked up at his eyes with raised brow, "We were talking? When? I didn't notice... all I heard is yelling and grunts !" she snapped at him.
"What took you so long?" he asked her ignoring her rant yet again.
"Arrrgghhh are you crazy...?!!!" She was going to strangle him if he said that sentence one more time.
"Just answer the damn question !" he roared.
"Am I supposed to be reporting to you about my daily schedule and whereabouts ? ...what I do every hour of the day ? when I wake up, when I brush my teeth, when I go to the f*cking toilets ?!!" Sanyukta looked back at him.
Today she was seeing glimpses of the barbarian in all its majestic glory : primal, angry and stubborn.
They kept staring at each other, deciphering the unsaid restlessness in between. Minutes later she felt his slow words slip out, "You're mine!"
Sanyukta felt his clasp getting softened upon her wrists pinned behind her. She sighed, her eyes lowered down. He leaned in to whisper harshly over her ear, "Whether you like it or not" his fingers pressed more into hers.
"You are mine! Get that straight!" his words and closeness may numb her senses but not her sanity.
Sanyukta whimpered in his grip, looking back ferociously at him. She was a proud woman, a woman of rules and principles...and right now Randhir disrespecting her...crushing those fundamental concepts... turning her into his puppet... The inner feminist in her was seeing red and boy did she want to smash some plates on his head !
"I'm not a commodity you'd own. " she declared with her words seeping out her clenched jaw.
"What do you mean?" he looked at her, searching her eyes.
"I'm a person with my own will. You're no one to rule me!" She clarified.
"All that happened between us in the past few days doesn't hold any value ?" He asked, a hint of vulnerability in his otherwise angry tone.
For a second Sanyukta's heart melted seeing the hurt in his eyes... and realization dawned upon her ...he was insecure. Omg omg omg, all this drama because he was being insecure ! ...And here they say woman's mindset is complicated !
"That has nothing to doing with this" she told him calmly.
"It has everything to do with this!" retorted Randhir.
"Those events don't give you authority to rule me" she told him raising her brow. There was no denying what they were to each other, but along that she was also a self made proud woman. This was the one and only thing she was never going to trade... her life she could, herself respect she couldn't.
"Your actions have consequences...Whether you like it or not!" he told her sternly.
"Are you out of your mind or what? What actions and consequences are you relating here?" she was mightily bewildered at his words.
"We didn't signed a contract for f*ck sake !" she let out utterly annoyed !
Before she could complete her lips felt his, he kissed her fervently pouring out his burning rage. His actions only one emotion to her, hurt. She was bewildered at his inconsiderate self. Why was he back to his old ways ...after they had shared so much?
He felt her not responding and moved apart, Randhir rested his forehead upon hers. Their eyes closed, his next words broke her barrier. "You.are.mine!" he whispered against her lips.
A lone tear escaped her eye.
Yes she was his...but not like that !
With that forceful kiss he had crushed the little respect that was left... What wrong did she do by just expressing herself? ...The irony was that for the past few days, she had been envisioning her future with him... but all her hope came crashing down, he reminded her how much of a monster he could be...
Sanyukta turned her face away from his, he brought his hand to turn her face but instead she did the only thing that had chances to lift up some of the anger and hurt she was feeling at the moment. She planted a tight slap right across his cheek!
That felt good !
"Don't.ever.do.that.again..." she clenched her jaw.
Randhir backed away from her, his eyes wide and thoughts halted. The slap had sobered him up, dissipating the clouds of rage that were blinding him. He looked at her...red puffy eyes, tears strained face, looking vulnerable.
Randhir panicked seeing her in this state, had he gone too far once again ?
Sanyukta turned away and faced the other side, no longer wanting him to see her state. When she had stepped in this relationship she knew she knew she would have to be patient, she knew she was going to be the wise and calm one out of the two. And she had been to some extent... But he also had to learn that things weren't always going to go his ways...
She will never leave him, she knew that, he had already given proof of his love and she was basking way too deep into the feeling to dream of coming out of it... so yeah, she will never leave him, but neither will she stop from reminding him that they were both equal in this relationship, and she was not going to settle for less !
"From the past few past days... I've been wondering... on how to decipher things between us!" she started slowly, clasping on the table's edge.
Sighing she started off, "I kept on wondering how will things fit into place... your profession my expectations, Tara, our life... I was confused sometimes I would question myself and then again resolve it thinking about us... "
Sanyukta turned to find him clueless leaning onto the wall, his eyes closed. "But I had hope...hope that we could make it work... together" she stressed on the word.
Randhir still didn't respond, "But thanks..." she spoke a little aloud, "Thanks for reminding me what you truly are..."
She poured out her feelings...hoping they will have the impact she expected.
Now if he was smart enough he will come after her, apologizing for his behavior, for it was how it was supposed to work in a couple. You made a mistake, you had to apologize and make up for it. She was ready to repeat the cycle as many times as needed with her gangster because she knew was totally worth it !
Sanyukta held her head high and walked past him to the door.
Before seeping away, she stopped on her way.
"Just so you know... I was late because I was with Vardhan sir!" saying so she left, leaving a beyond shocked Randhir...swoosh came the bucket of ice filled upon him. She was with who ?!!...Vardhan Sir ? but how ?
Randhir felt something break inside him, hell he just ruined it all again ! He groaned and punched on the wall behind him. His fists kept knocking the wall, his brain only rationalizing thoughts new to him. What was happening to him? What was all this he felt? The hollowness that rushed when she was away, the agony that killed on being alone now. The care he felt next to her, the possessiveness that engulfed him for her. Emotions like these were an alien forte.
He was scared, had he lost her... again?
***
A knock on the door broke his reverie, the sun was down by now. Darkness filling in around him, as if his life's luminance shied away.
Pulling to his feet he opened the door to find Sahil standing outside.
"Umm..." he started looking at Randhir's disoriented state, "Sanyukta called us all for meeting!"
Randhir sighed leaning onto the door frame, muttering "I'm coming!"
This girl held so much authority over him, how he hated to admit but he felt he was being under her control, like a puppet whose strings were with his puppeteer. Clearing the recent mess he had created was now on his next agenda.
Why couldn't he control himself around her for god sake ?!!
***
Upon arriving in the familiar green room, he found everyone seated while Sanyukta's back was turned towards the door, her eyes lost somewhere on the ceiling.
"Everyone s here Sanyu..." Vidushi called out for her.
Sanyukta turned her attention toward them, "I've some news"
Her face was blank, devoid of emotions, all traces of sadness gone. If wearing facades was the way of life, here she was wearing a perfect one. Her voice calmer than usual, tone stern enough to state the ugliest lie with confidence. Randhir couldn't help but admire how strong she was...
"I met Vardhan Sir" Sanyukta announced, catching the look of surprise on the gangsters faces. She told them about her relationship with Vardhan Sir, presenting him as her mentor from her college days, she told them how he was the one whom she looked forward for guidance.
Funny how they had the same mentor but never met before, thought Randhir.
"It was no coincidence you guys, found me...Vardhan Sir led you to me." she revealed them.
"Vardhan sir wanted to us to work together, he envisioned this somehow..." she could see Sahil's jaw drop literally. It was a big thing for them to know how someone indirectly lend them a helping hand. "IT was he who preplanned our meeting."
"Raghav's damaged many amongst us however his occupations and his power might never let him end in jail" she stated the facts business like.
"Vardhan Sir entrusted us with this task, we need to make sure his facade is broken and he pays for his his deeds..." she declared strongly.
"...and dies a death cruel enough to char his soul" she finished darkly, gathering looks of approval from everyone. She felt Randhir eyes on her but decided to ignore him for the time being.
Randhir kept looking at her intently during her speech, his guilt of doubting her eating her inside. But bigger things were at stake at the moment. He had no choice but to let it be for the time being. Raghav needed a lesson for life and it was now or never.
"Wow" Sahil was the first to react.
"Yeah can't believe it !" followed a particularly excite Vidushi.
"I'm looking into his databases and collecting his deeds. His one of the private accounts will be under my control by mid night I suppose" Sanyukta informed them.
"Parth has found a file and some shredded documents, Sahil and me will be working on them tonight" Vidushi told her hopefully.
"That's a good start" Sanyukta smiled back in assurance. Either they will be the predator or turn up as the prey themselves.
Vidushi turned towards Randhir for his nod but he was busy looking at Sanyukta. Vidushi would be happy if Randhir finally got someone for himself. She knew him from the tender age they had met.
He was silent and reserved ...yet caring when time needed it. He had those hidden emotions he had concealed from everyone...everyone but Sanyukta.
Randhir kept observing Sanyukta oblivious to the rest... they had come a long way till now. From their meet back then things changed drastically, both were keen to end this Raghav chapter and look forward to their future. For Randhir and his gang till now it was their only motive, nothing beyond but recently... he felt the need to look ahead and live a better life.
One thing was sure he will make her forgive him. For she is one person he wanted to hold onto, sighing away his thoughts he stood up to resume his role as the leader.
"This is it guys !" his voice boomed in the room, catching everyone's undivided attention.
"So I guess everything's sorted and understood. Let's put an end to his chapter" He didn't look at her but knew her eyes now rested on him... just like his were on her moments ago.
"All the effort... the sacrifices... are soon going to be rewarded !" he proclaimed.
"The end is near there is no place for mistakes anymore ! " he said, his voice loud and clear, laced with authority.
He looked at Vidushi. "We have less than two days to gather all the evidences we can...Parth and Vidushi have their hands on all the cases. Sahil yours will be the legal evidences against him"
He then turned to Sanyukta, "Yours will be his bank statements and transfers" he told her without taking her name.
They all nodded while Sanyukta just ignored him.
Randhir looked at her "Sanyukta?"
"Crystal clear you highness!" she mocked him . Still, internally she couldn't help but admire his protruding aura and the elegance he carried. His determination, his suaveness. A born leader he was !
"Good, let's do this guys !" he concluded.
"What that's it ? said Sanyukta raising her eyebrow before they could dismiss the meeting.
"We gather evidences, that's it ? what if they are still not enough ?... and even if they are and then what ? ...what do we do ?" she asked. If he thought he was going to once again rush in straight ahead without thinking, he had another thing coming his way. We all know how it ended last time... a bullet in his shoulder with herself playing nurse for his highness amusement. Hello no !
Randhir turned toward her, purposely dismissing her condensing tone and questioning of his authority, instead he calmly asked her opinion "What do you suggest?"
Sanyukta barely held the surprise she felt at his new behavior.
"I suggest we plan something right away...as to what, that's your department not mine" Sanyukta taunted him. They were always belittling her marvelous plan and side lining her...
"She's right! He's under tight security now! We need a solid breach and plan to take him down" Parth spoke in agreeing looking at Randhir.
Parth agreeing with her, that was a first.
"Do you have something in mind?" Randhir calmly asked Sanyukta taking her yet again by surprise. When had he started considering her opinion ? ...The unexpected change in his behavior almost made her smile. Seems like someone was regretting his behavior. Good let him be ! If she didn't hated him, she was still a bit angry, let's just say that if he was on fire, at the moment she might consider roasting marshmallow before helping him.
He had to learn that he couldn't just take everything by force, he had to earn it.
"A plan..." she spoke in dramatic way.
"I hope it doesn't includes furry hats, silky gown and old wigs..." Sahil chuckled.
"Oh Come on...that was one master plan and there's no doubt in it" Sanyukta laughed back.
"Of course, I have faith in your wicked ways" winked back Sahil, which only made Sanyukta chuckle.
"Okay listen !" she said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zubi 'N' Seerat!!
Bade Achhe Lagte Hain
Shiv Shakti
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