AsYa FF: Silk Ribbons - Chapter 3-10 Updated 10/26 P.11 - Page 9

              Asad smiled at her and held out a hand for her. She took it and was pulled close to his side as he turned his head to look at the two men that were standing.

              "This is Zoya," he said, stopping himself from adding "your Bhabhi" to his sentence.

              "And this is Sameer Damsingh Rathore, Chief of the Emergency Task Force and Arjun Suryakant Rawte, the Second in Command of ETF," Asad said after introducing everyone to her. Zoya smiled at the two men politely, noticing how one of them stiffened slightly.

              "Mr. Rawte, are you okay?" Zoya asked, her smile faltering.

              Arjun's mind had gone hazy when Zoya had smiled at him. Immediately a girl's face had erupted in his mind's eye, the face of a girl who was smiling and laughing with Shree, her dimple appearing on her cheeks and acting predator to anyone who dared to look upon her smiling.

              "Goddammit," he hissed as he turned his back to her. Sameer knew the reason for his reaction; even he had been surprised to see a smile that reminded him of a certain dimpled doll.

              "We've come here for work, Mr. Khan, it's best that we get what we need," Arjun said through gritted teeth. Asad felt a pang in his heart when he heard himself being referred to so formally from one of his best friends and he pulled Zoya closer to him, drawing her strength in him.

              "Mr. Khan, why are there police officers here in the first place?" Zoya asked looking up at him. Zoya was shocked when she saw his broken expression that soon morphed into the stoic mask of the businessman that she had often seen. She entwined her fingers with his and looked up at him.

              "Zoya, they're here to ask you about what you know about JD and Danish," Asad said. Zoya's eyes widened a fraction before she turned to look at Sameer and Arjun's back.

              "Why?" She croaked.

              "Look, Mrs. Khan, ple-."

              "Ms. Farooqui, actually," Asad corrected Ayesha as she spoke up. Ayesha faltered but composed herself and cleared her throat again.

              "Ms. Farooqui, please don't hesitate. Whatever information you have for us will only help us catch those killers," Ayesha said warmly. Zoya looked at Ayesha then at Asad, who gave her hand an encouraging squeeze. Zoya sighed and then took a seat on the couch.

              "Ask," she said. Arjun turned to her and made his way towards her.

              "How do you know them?" He asked.

              "My mother used to be their teacher," Zoya replied. Arjun cocked his head to the side and narrowed his eyes at her.

              "Your mother?" He asked. Zoya glanced at him then grinned weakly.

              "Don't tell me you've never heard of Zainab Farooqui," she said. The entire ETF team suffered a second of shock before Arjun spoke again. Who hadn't heard of the brutal murder of Zainab Farooqui? JD and Danish's first ever killing that they never had been charged for.

              "Did you see the murder?" Arjun asked.

              "Arjun," Asad interjected and the rest of the occupants looked at Asad, who had spoken in a firm tone.

              "I'm doing my job," Arjun replied to Asad.

              "Then do it by keeping in mind that you are talking to a primary witness of a traumatic experience," Asad snapped at Arjun, who glared back at him.        
              "Mr. Khan, relax. If I don't feel comfortable answering a question, I won't answer it," Zoya reassured him, her suspicion about Asad and Arjun knowing each other was confirmed.

              "What were Danish and JD like as people?" Arjun asked sitting down from across Zoya.

              "I wouldn't know. They were older than me and I hardly spoke to any of my mother's students," she replied.

              "So out of all your mother's students, what was so special about these two that you remember them so vividly?" Arjun inquired. Zoya smiled at him humorously.

              "Would you forget the person who killed someone close to you?" She retaliated. Arjun felt like somebody threw a bucket of ice-cold water on him and his gaze hardened while he shot up from his seat.

              "Stay in your limits and tell me what you know about Sikander," he hissed at Zoya, who blinked at him in surprise before her eyes flashed in anger. But before she could do anything, Arjun found himself face to face with an angered Asad.

              "Stay within your limits. Roshni's death has nothing to do with this so keep it separate from your work," Asad growled. It was enough, Asad knew Arjun had changed but to the extent where he would burst on anyone was irritating and discerning. Shree and Chhotu were standing behind Arjun holding onto his shoulder while Sameer was standing a few feet away watching the scene with a stern face. He knew Asad never blamed Arjun for Roshni's death but in Sameer's eyes, Roshni's murderer was only Arjun Suryakant Rawte.

              "Sir," Shree said trying to calm him down. Sakshi made her way over to Arjun and placed a gentle hand on his arm.

              "Arjun please, relax," she whispered to him softly. Arjun didn't know why but he loosened up and forced his anger away, but his glare was still fixed on Asad.

              "You two know each other," Zoya said, her words more of a statement than a question. Asad stepped back and wound an arm around her shoulder.              

              "I think I do," Asad said softly. How wrong he had been thinking that Arjun would have changed after so many years. He had misinterpreted Arjun's agreement to help him as an act of an old friendship when the truth was that he was only looking for his wife's murderer.

              "That's enough," Sameer spoke up form the side and they looked at him.

              "Ms. Farooqui, could you please tell us what you remember from the night your mother was murdered?" Sameer asked more gently as he came and stood in front of her. Zoya smiled a small smile in relief and nodded before proceeding to tell her tale.

              Riya bid goodbye as the three of them exited the house after the Qur'an Khawani finished. Although Riya was not practiced in reading Arabic, she busied herself with helping in serving the drink and attending the final dua'a that was recited at the end.

              "Phuppi, how long is the drive back home?" Riya asked.

              "Around twenty to twenty-five minutes," Dilshad replied.

              "Phuppi, I have to be somewhere in five minutes so is it okay if I hail a cab and head out?" Riya asked.

              "But Riya, why take a cab when we have a car and a driver?" Najma asked.

              "I prefer to take the cab and plus you both must be wanting to get home too," Riya replied. After a bit of persuasion, Dilshad finally agreed on letting Riya go and Riya turned and made her way towards the main road to hail a cab.

              "ETF Headquarters, Versova," she said to the driver. He revved the engine and as the car started to move, Riya's heart started to hammer. It had been a few days since she'd been in Mumbai and she'd only been frolicking and doing nothing of importance, more specifically, she wasn't doing what she had promised to do and that was finding out about JD and Danish. She had to meet Rathore Sir and she had to do it immediately.

              "Keep the change," she said as she handed the money to the driver and turned around to face the building that she had worked at. Her brows furrowed when her eyes fell on the building.

              "What?" She wondered as she stared at the billboard reading "Casimir Fisheries" instead of "Emergency Task Force".

              Riya quickly fished out her phone from her purse and dialled his number. But much to her misfortune, he did not pick up. Riya tried to call him but to no avail. She knew she couldn't call anyone else; it was against the orders she had received from her senior.

              She stood in front of the building staring at it, wondering where her office had been moved to before sighing dejectedly and turning around to hail another cab to head home.

              Riya kept on checking her phone, waiting for him to call her back so that at least she could ask him where the new office was located now. But nothing, no calls, no messages.

              "Yeh lo Madamji," the taxi driver said as he stopped the car in front of Khan Mansion. Riya got out and bent down to face the driver through the window to hand him the money.

              "I don't know of how much help this all will be but it's all I have to say," Zoya said as she finished. Sakshi stood up and quickly walked up to Zoya to envelope her in a warm hug.

              "Trust me, Zoya. I know what it feels like to not have a family," Sakshi whispered in her ear. Zoya was stunned but she returned the hug just as warmly.

              "If we showed you pictures would you be able to identify them?" Sameer asked.

              "Of course, but Mr. Rathore, I remember them as teens. Faces change a lot over the years," Zoya said.

              "They do indeed, but it will give us something to start off with for sure," Sameer replied before turning around to face Arjun who was staring at Zoya in wonder.        

              "Rawte, what does you incredibly sharp mind have to say about this?" He asked, almost in a mocking tone. Arjun glanced at him with an annoyed expression on his face.

              "My area of expertise tells me that there is more to this case than meets the eye," he replied before he pulled on his Ray Bans again and then looked at Asad.

              "What about the other thing we talked about?" Asad asked, causing Zoya and the rest of the ETF team's heads to turn to him, excluding Sameer.

              "Zoya's protection is in our hands, don't worry about it," Sameer said as he walked to stand in front of Asad.

              "Thanks Sam, Juno," Asad said addressing them respectively. Zoya stood up and then looked at Arjun and Sameer with a surprised expression on her face.

              "Wait, these are the Sam and Juno you told me about?" She asked Asad incredulously.

              Asad nodded positively and Zoya's face broke out into a huge smile before she pulled the two senior ETF officers into a hug, surprising the three men and the ETF team.

              "It's so good to finally meet you again. Pata hai, Mr. Khan never stops talking about you guys. It's always "Sam, Juno, and I this" and "Sam, Juno, and I that". It's such a pleasure to meet you two," Zoya said as she pulled back. Asad chuckled and wound an arm around her waist and pulled her against his side.

              "Haila, Arjun Sir and Rathore Sir were best friends?" Chhotu asked surprised.

              "So? Aren't you and Shree best friends?" Ayesha asked.

              "Chhotu, if my wife is killed, promise me you won't break your friendship with me," Shree said.

              "Arrey nahi yaar, if your wife is killed then we'll just buy you another one. After all, we've got so many different companies making laptops nowadays," Chhotu replied. Sakshi and Ayesha stifled their laughter as Shree glared at Chhotu. After all, Chhotu was right. Shree's first and only love was his Laptop, or his "Lappy" as he called it.

              Meanwhile, Arjun was glaring at Zoya while Sameer was staring at Asad and Zoya with an odd expression on his face. This was the limit for Arjun and he turned his glare on Asad.

              "Tell your girlfriend to watch her actions and what's with this "Juno" crap? It's either "ACP" or "Sir" if you want to address me," he hissed. Asad's face went from smiling to anger within a few seconds and he glared at Arjun.

               "I'm not talking to an ACP or Sir here. I'm talking to my best friends," Asad replied coolly. Arjun took a step towards Asad and the two men stared at each other in the eyes.

              "Your best friend died the day Roshni was killed by Sikander," Arjun growled before he turned on his heel and strode out the door. Asad turned his gaze towards Sameer, who gritted his teeth and turned to his team.

              "What are you all staring at? We've got work to do," he snapped. Sakshi, Shree, Chhotu, and Liza scrambled onto their feet and followed Arjun's footsteps heading out the door while Ayesha held back, watching Asad and Zoya with something close to awe.

              "Ayesha, tumhe special invitation dena hoga kya?" Sameer barked. Ayesha's gaze flickered towards him before she bent her head and turned to head out.

              "Mr. Khan, please stop him," Zoya said tugging on Asad's arm.

              "Sam," Asad said causing Sameer to halt in his tracks. Zoya moved from next to Asad and made her way to stand in front of Sameer.

              "I never meant any disrespect to anyone," Zoya said softly. Sameer looked down at her before he brushed past her.

              "It's pointless," Asad said as he sat down on the couch with a defeated sigh. Zoya wrapped her arms around his neck and he laid his head against her stomach. Zoya froze and gently pulled back to lean down and kiss his forehead.

              "Mr. Khan," Zoya whispered.

              "Zoya, please. There's no need to tell the rest of the family members about ETF and everything that took place here today," Asad said to her in a slow voice. Zoya nodded as she gently stroked his hair. Asad gripped her wrist and held onto it before looking up into her eyes.

              "That includes Riya as well," he said, his eyes boring into hers.

 

              "Arre madam, kya 150 rupee de rahi ho. 200 rupee ka bhaada hai," the driver said as he counted the money.

              "Zyaada dimaagh kharaab ho rahe hain aaj kal tum logon ke. 150 rupee rakho aur chalte bano, 200 kisi haal nahi dene waali hoon," Riya replied. Was he mad? 200 for such a short ride? The driver started to argue back and Riya being Riya wouldn't hear a word from him.

              Arjun opened the door to his SUV and sat down at the driver's sear and waited for his team to sit down. Arjun looked out the window and his gaze fell on a girl who was talking, more like arguing, with the taxi driver. She was wearing a royal blue anarkali and her long ebony tresses were falling like a curtain around her face, hiding it from view. For the first time since Roshni's death, Arjun found himself feeling an odd pull towards this girl. Why? He didn't know. A sudden desire to see her face rose within him and Arjun found himself tilting his head just to get a glimpse of her.

              "Rawte!" Sameer snapped causing him to return to reality. Arjun turned to look at Sameer before he started the car. Throwing one last look at the girl across the road, Arjun stepped on the gas pedal.

              Riya heard the sound of a car's engine being revved and she turned around to see a black SUV heading down the lane. Riya felt an eerie feeling creep over her but she shrugged it off and then turned back.

              "Nahi manoge?" Riya asked. The driver shook his head and demanded 200 rupees again and Riya growled before she pulled out her ETF badge.

              "Ab manoge?" She growled.

              "Apni hi gaadi samjho, Madamji. Itna paisa kaafi hoga," the driver said his pupils dilating as he stared at her in fear. Riya smiled sweetly before she straightened and turned around. Sometimes, the results were better if she used her ETF badge.

              "Hey guys," Riya said as she stepped into the house to find Zoya and Asad on the couch. Zoya smiled at her and moved away from Asad.

              "Where are Ammi and Najma?" Riya asked looking around.

              "Not here yet, they stopped at Rukhsana Aunty's place," Zoya told her. Riya nodded and looked at Asad who was staring at the floor with a pensive expression. She looked questioningly at Zoya who just shook her head at her.

              "Why don't you change?" Zoya suggested. Riya nodded and then headed to her room, once she was at the foot of the stairs, Riya turned to look back at the two. Something had happened in her absence.

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              Sameer checked his phone and was surprised to see two missed calls from Riya. He quickly dialled her number and waited for her to pick up.

              "Hello?"

              "Are you okay? What happened? Why did you call?" Sameer fired instantly. Riya chuckled and told him to relax.

              "I decided to come see you today," Riya said. Immediately he started to protest but she silenced him before continuing.

              "I decided to come see you today but when I came to the office, it wasn't there anymore. Did they shift?" Riya asked. Sameer sighed thankfully before he replied.

              "The office was re-located shortly after your, ah, accident," Sameer replied as he rubbed his temple.

              "Makes sense, no wonder I couldn't find it," Riya replied as she changed into black jeans and a purple button up t-shirt.

              "Riya, even if you were able to find it, it wouldn't have mattered anyway," Sameer said. Riya stopped and her brows furrowed in confusion.

              "What do you mean?" She asked.

              "I wasn't in today. None of the team members were in. We were out...investigating," he said. Riya noticed how his voice had gone stone cold when he said the word "investigating".   

              "Sir, is everything alright?" She asked worried. Sameer sighed before he assured her everything was fine.

              "I will come meet you tomorrow," Riya said, "just give me the address."

              "No. You are not to step foot back into the office until you are fully recovered," Sameer said firmly. He had been present when the doctor had told him that she was weaker than ever. It would take her well over twenty-four months to fully recover and another six to slowly get back into her normal routine.

              "But Sir, I will only come to meet you. No one else will know about my return," Riya assured him. Sameer leaned forward in his chair and placed his elbows on the table-top before tightening his grip on the phone.

              "Think like an ETF officer Riya. You're talking about walking into the Emergency Task Force Building that has CCTV cameras installed at every corner under the assumption that no one will find out," Sameer growled at her. Riya opened her mouth to protest before she closed it. He was right; she couldn't just walk in and out of the building.

              "Not to mention that my second in command has a brain that works at high speed and it won't take him more than a snap of his fingers to locate you," he added. Riya swallowed before the perfect image of the hot headed second in command conjured in her mind's eye.

              "Listen, if you really need to meet me, then meet me at the South Brock's Cafe."

              "Riya!" Zoya's entrance caused Riya to hastily reply in affirmative and disconnect the call.

              "You could've continued talking," Zoya said as she came and sat down next to her.

              "Wasn't really anything important," Riya said as she folded her legs turning to face Zoya.

              "What's up?" She asked when she noticed how Zoya was looking slightly tense.

              "Ri, you know how you said you would always be there for me if anything went wrong?" Zoya asked, chewing on her bottom lip. Riya nodded and urged Zoya to continue.

              Zoya looked at Riya with something that could only be defined as gratitude and genuine affection before she hugged her tightly. Riya was surprised at first but she returned the hug and patted Zoya's back soothingly.

              "Tell me, what's the matter?" Riya asked. Zoya pulled back and spilled the beans on how everyone is suspecting JD and Danish's return. When they were younger, Zoya had told Prachi Maasi her entire story and although Riya wasn't too mature back then, she still understood and remembered the whole story. That was the number one reason why she had flown back to Mumbai when she had seen the news. This was something that was connected to not only Zoya but now to Riya as well because this was when she had found out that Zainab Aunty's murderers were also linked with Sikander.

              "Shh, nothing will happen to you," Riya assured Zoya who was now hugging her knees close to her chest.

              "I can't help but feel this odd fear Ri, as if something bad is going to happen," Zoya said as she looked up at Riya. No matter how close Riya was to her, Zoya couldn't bring herself to break her word to Asad about not letting anyone know about the visit from ETF. She wanted to, she really did. But even then she couldn't. 

              Riya watched Zoya's face, she could sense some sort of inner battle that Zoya was fighting but Riya didn't intervene. Yes Zoya was the closest she had ever had to a sister but even then, Riya had never told Zoya about her police academy training or her affiliation with ETF. In Zoya's eyes, Riya was just an ordinary researcher and journalist, hence her statistical knowledge. Riya had planned to tell Zoya about her police training a year ago but before she could do so, Riya was landed in the hospital as she fought between life and death. Needless to say, both friends were as close as they would come but even then there were secrets that were forced to be kept between the two, much against their wishes.

              "Hush, you don't say stuff like that," Riya admonished as she placed a comforting arm around Zoya shoulder.

              "Zoya, Asad is here with you. He won't let anything happen to you," Riya told her, breathing a sigh of relief when a small smile appeared on Zoya's lips. She watched as the old twinkle returned in Zoya's eyes as she thought about the handsome architect.

              "You're right, Riya," Zoya said at the end.   

              "I'm always right," Riya said as she waved her thanks off. Zoya and Riya laughed heartily, attracting the attention of the passer by who peaked into the room to find the two laughing amicably.

              "What are you two laughing about?" Asad asked as he pushed open the door. Zoya flew into his arms and he stumbled slightly before he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and cocked his head at Riya who just smiled at him brightly.

              "You're the best, you know that?" Zoya asked as she looked up at him. Asad looked down at her before he smiled and captured her lips in a soft kiss. Zoya fell into his kiss with a soft sigh. She melted in his arms and pressed herself against his hard body. The feel of his rock hard chest pressed against hers while his hands had sneaked under her shirt to gently swirl around the flesh of her hips was enough to cause her to release an almost inaudible moan.

              "Oh yeah, let's just forget that I'm here too," Riya said before bursting into laughter when the two lovebirds jerked away from each other and blushed.

              "Sorry," Asad muttered before he turned on his heel and headed out the door leaving a blushing Zoya to deal with a hysterical Riya.

              Ayesha made her way to Sameer's cabin and knocked. When she heard him reply she entered the room after heaving a shaky sigh. Sameer looked up and his eyes narrowed before he turned the chair around so that the back was facing her.

              "Sir, I..." Ayesha trailed off not knowing what to say. She wanted to apologize for earlier as well as to make sure he was okay after the whole scenario at Khan Villa.

              "What?" He asked, refusing to face her. Ayesha gathered her courage and walked around his desk and chair to stand in front of him. Sameer was surprised when he saw her come around to stand in front of him but before he could turn his back on her she reached up to hold both her ears and looked at her shoes guiltily.

              "Sir, I'm sorry. Woh, uss waqt, Sakshi ne kaha toh, I answered the phone. I promise I wouldn't have done anything if she hadn't said anything," Ayesha said quickly. Sameer wanted to smile at her childishness but his anger got the best of him where he stood up and glared at her.

              "Let me get this straight. Sakshi told you to answer the phone, so you answered it?" Sameer asked. Ayesha nodded slowly.

              "So tomorrow when she tells you to jump off a cliff, you will jump off a cliff?" Sameer asked. Ayesha looked up at him shocked and was about to say something but his eyes flashed dangerously and she fell silent.

              "You are an ETF Officer Ms. Ayesha Kapoor. You should know better whose orders to follow," Sameer snapped before he turned on her heel and stormed out of the cabin as Arjun was making his way into it.

              Arjun watched his retreating back before he turned to look at the Ammunition Expert standing at the desk with a blank expression on her face. He sighed before he went and dropped the files onto Sameer's desk before turning around and walking back to the door. Once there he stopped and looked back.

              "Rathore can never say no to Gajar Ka Halwa," Arjun informed Ayesha before he disappeared through the door. Ayesha stared at the door before a smile crept onto her face.

              "Thank you," she said to no one as she headed out to where the rest of the team was.

              Arjun watched her go before he turned and sat down at his own desk. His phone began to ring and Arjun answered it.

              "Arjun Sir," it was one of his informers, Aashish.

              "Bolo," He replied.

              "Sir, we've received information that JD and Danish were spotted in Kherwadi," Aashish told him.

              "Confirmed?" He asked.

              "Well, Sir," Aashish hesitated, causing Arjun's anger to flare.

              "Has this information been confirmed?" He asked.

              "Sir, the woman who gave us this information is Aakanksha Oberoi," Aashish told him.

              "You're lucky that she's one of the past victims," Arjun told him before disconnecting the call and making his way to the Conference Room.

              "They've been spotted at Kherwadi by Aakanksha Oberoi, let's go," he told the team.

              "Who?" Sakshi asked. Arjun stopped to look at her.

              "Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone," Arjun replied sarcastically.

              "What? Really Arjun? Oh my gosh, Arjun! You're telling me this now! Pehle nahi bataa sakte the!" Sakshi exclaimed as she pulled out her mirror and frantically started to brush her hair together. Shree smacked his forehead while Chhotu and Ayesha shook their heads.

              "Sakshi, he's being sarcastic," Shree hissed in her ear. Sakshi stopped her fussing and looked at Arjun who was glaring at her icily.

              "JD and Danish, Sakshi. Who else?" He asked before he picked up his gun and headed out the door.

              "Ayesha inform Rathore," Arjun called over his shoulder.

              They reached Aakanksha's house and Sameer rung the doorbell. A girl with black curly hair and an oval face opened the door.

              "Yes?" She asked.

              "Aakanksha Oberoi?" Sameer asked, the girl nodded and inquired who they were.

              "Sameer Rathore, Emergency Task Force. We've received news that you were the one that spotted JD and Danish in Kherwadi?" Sameer asked. Aakanksha's face drained of all colour but she stepped back and allowed them entry in her home.

              "I wasn't the one that spotted them. I was told it was them there," Aakanksha said as she sat down on the couch. Arjun and Sameer looked at each other before returning their gazes to Aakanksha.

              "Told?" Shree asked.

              "I was told it was them," Aakanksha repeated.

              "Who told you?" Arjun asked. Aakanksha looked at him blankly before she looked own at her hands.

              "They tell me all the time. They tell me everything," Aakanksha muttered.

              "Oh!" Shree said softly as he quickly dialled Liza's number and headed to a corner.

              "What's up, Specky?" Liza chirped when she picked up. Shree made a face but wasn't in the mood to argue much.

              "Search the database for Aakanksha Oberoi," he told her. He heard Liza's let out a whistle before she chuckled.

              "Why Specky, don't tell me that you've forgotten that you're the ETF Whiz Kid while I'm the forensic expert," Liza mocked.

              "Just do as you're told," Shree snapped. Liza chuckled before there was some clicks and silence.

              "Liza?"

              "Relax, Specky. You're not getting rid of me that easily," Liza replied causing Shree to roll his eyes.

              "Here it is. Aakanksha Oberoi, age 26, and..." Liza trailed off and Shree called her name a few times.

              "And she's JD's rape victim," Liza whispered.

              "Medical history?" Shree asked.

              "She checked in with Dr. Mehta for treatment of Schizophrenia," Liza replied. Shree disconnected the call and made his way to Arjun and Sameer. On the other hand, Liza looked at her phone when the line went dead and scoffed.

              "Idiot. Can't even say a simple thank you, hmpf," she said to the phone before turning her chair back to face the microscope.

              "Sir, a minute please. Both of you," Shree said as Sameer and Arjun moved to the side with him. Shree looked at Aakanksha before he turned his gaze back to Sameer and Arjun.

              "Aakanksha is a schizophrenic. The "they" she keeps on referring to is the voices in her mind," Shree informed them. Sameer gritted his teeth before he punched the wall next to him angrily.

              "Dammit!" He growled.

              "Information's faulty Rathore," Arjun said, equally frustrated.

              "And Sir, she's also JD's rape victim," Shree informed them.

              "Aakanksha?" A voice said. They turned to face an elderly woman come into the room. She was surprised seeing them there but then she went to Aakanksha and placed a hand on her shoulder.

              "Who are you people and what do you need from my daughter?" She asked sharply.

              "Emergency Task Force. Mrs. Oberoi, you're daughter suffers from schizophrenia and yet you allow her to contact the police with false information?" Sameer asked with displeasure. A look of guilt passed over her face but she quickly masked it with irritation.

              "My daughter's health is my concern only. I request you to leave immediately," she said to them.

              "It's funny how you say it's your concern yet you leave her alone at home," Sameer said darkly. Mrs. Oberoi looked at him before she turned her back to them and took Aakanksha inside.

              "So irresponsible," Sakshi muttered.

              On the other hand, a man stood at the large glass window with his back to the door. A crisp black suit adorned his body and a single signet ring was worn on his right hand. The diamonds that created the letter "S" on the ring glinted in the moonlight. The door opened and he looked back at the guests through the corner of his eye.

              "Well?"

              "ETF has been assigned the case," one of them replied as the other strolled over to the sofa and stretched out on it.

              "Excellent," the man whispered before he turned his gaze back to gaze out the large window.

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              A few hours later, Riya walked down the steps and then leaned against the wall breathing heavily. She had missed out on her afternoon medications and she had walked around a lot. Now she was suffering the consequences. Taking a few deep breaths to clear the dizziness she quickly made her way to the kitchen to drink a glass of water.

              "Come on, Riya. You promised Rathore Sir you would take medicines on time," Riya muttered to herself as she returned to her room to take out her tablets. Once she had taken it, Riya sat down on the bed leaning back against the headboard. She closed her eyes and she didn't know when sleep consumed her.

              Riya was laying on the grass in a meadow, her gaze facing the sky. She felt an arm go around her waist and she smiled before she turned her face away from him. His hand trailed up from her waist to her shoulder and she felt him kiss her shoulder.

              "Are you upset with me?" He asked, his voice deep and husky. Riya turned back to him and smiled at him brightly.

              "Why would I be upset with you?" She asked as she slipped her arms around his neck. He smiled at her and bent down to kiss her forehead.

              "Then why did you leave me?" He asked solemnly. Riya pouted before she pulled him close to her and hugged him tightly.

              "I was forced to. I never wanted to leave you," she said to him. He frowned and pulled back to look down upon her face.

              "But you did."

              "So what if I left you physically. I'm always there with you just as you are always with me," she said to him softly. He smiled at her and hugged her again.

              "Come back, Riya. Please come back," he said. Riya returned his hug, her hands running up and down his back.

              Suddenly the dream changed, she wasn't laying on the grass with him but instead standing in a long hallway with him at the far end of it. Riya smiled and ran towards him but found that she couldn't reach him no matter how hard she ran.

              "No," she whispered as he looked up at her with a hollow expression. Then she saw a figure approach him from behind him, the steel blade glinted and Riya opened her mouth to scream at him. Her voice however was caught in her throat and Riya scrambled towards him again, but to no avail The hallway stretched out the more she ran and tears started to pour down her cheeks as her arms were held wide open towards him. The figure behind him held his neck back and with a flick of his wrist, slit his throat.

              "ARJUN SIR!" Riya screamed as she shot up in bed. Riya looked around the room, her eyes going wide at the peculiar surroundings. Her heart was beating frantically and it took a moment for her before reality came rushing back to her. Riya let out a weak sob as she realised that it had all been a dream before she fell back on to the bed and curled into a ball. Her tears weren't stopping and she sobbed for only she knows how long.

              "Why? Why me?" She asked as she clutched the pillow to her chest tightly. Absentmindedly, her hand reached out to her phone and her phone and she quickly pressed the call button.

              Arjun sat on his couch at Ravi Lodge with a case file propped on his leg. He was reading it when his phone began to ring. Arjun looked at the caller ID and his brows furrowed in confusion.

              "Private number?" He wondered before he accepted the call and held the phone to his ear.

              "Hello?" He asked. There was silence on the other end of the line.

              "Hello?" He repeated. But once again he got no response. He started to get irritated and repeated himself a few times hoping that someone would talk to him, but to no avail. For some reason, Arjun felt that there was someone who wanted to talk to him on the other end but couldn't. There was this odd feeling that he had answered calls like this many times before.

              "Listen here, if this is a wrong number then you're safe, but if it's not, then things aren't going to end well for you, samjhe ya samjhaun?" He asked. Immediately the line went dead and Arjun looked at his phone in confusion before he growled and placed his phone on the table, returning to his file with an odd feeling nagging at him.

              "Listen here, if this is a wrong number then you're safe, but if it's not, then things aren't going to end well for you, samjhe ya samjhaun?"

              Riya immediately ended the call as more tears sprung to her eyes and sobs escaped her mouth. He was safe! She didn't realise that her actions could have serious consequences for all she cared about at that moment was that he was alive and he was safe. Tear struck and heavy-hearted, Riya fell asleep.

              Zoya and Asad were standing in the balcony staring at the waves of the Indian Ocean. The sea was calm, but their inner turmoil resembled that of one at unrest. Asad glanced at Zoya and saw that she was lost in deep though. He placed an arm around her shoulder and drew her close to him. Zoya came willingly and allowed him to press kisses against her cheeks and forehead.

              "Mr. Khan, what really happened between you three friends?" She asked when he had pressed a final kiss against her lips. Asad sighed and looked down at her. The moon reflected in her eyes, causing them to shine much brighter.

              "Roshni," he said. Zoya's brows furrowed in confusion and she looked at him.

              "Roshni was Sameer's best friend. When she first came to College, she managed to steal Arjun's heart. Sam and I noticed the change in his behaviour. He started to spend more time with her, show her around, and take her out. Eventually the two fell madly in love with each other and after we graduated he proposed," Asad told her.

              "Sam and Juno left for police training soon after for a year and when they came back, Roshni and Arjun's wedding was held. The three of us were as close as we could get. Sam was the happiest at seeing Arjun and Roshni so happy together. But then came the fateful day when Arjun was informed they had found Sikander's location. It was all a trap, by the time Arjun came back, Roshni was captured by Sikander and in front of his eyes, Sikander stabbed Roshni to death. They beat Arjun mercilessly and when we got there, he was unconscious while Roshni's dead body lay in front of him, her lifeless eyes staring at us," he continued. Zoya now had tears streaming down her cheeks and she nestled more against his chest.

              "Then what happened?" She asked in a small voice.

              "Then all hell broke loose. Sam blamed Juno for being so reckless and not understanding fact from fiction. He says Juno is the reason why Roshni is no more. I tried to explain to him that that wasn't the case but he was adamant on his decision. Then just in a matter of twelve hours, the friendship that was as strong as brotherhood between us three was broken and we were left standing at opposite ends. Today was the day when I was seeing them again after so long, everything has changed Zoya. Everything has changed," Asad finished before he buried his nose in her hair and hugged her to him tightly.

              All of a sudden Zoya jerked back and sprinted to the bathroom. Asad stood confused for a moment before he rushed after her to find her vomiting into the seat.

              "Zoya!" He cried as he quickly made his way to her and held her hair back as she emptied her stomach.

              "I'm fine, Mr. Khan," she muttered. She was shaking but managed to haul herself up and flush the seat before sitting down on top and holding her head in her hands.

              "Zoya, what's happening?" He asked. Zoya looked up at him and shook her head.

              "I ate something that didn't sit well with me," Zoya said as she stood up.

              "And you're telling me now?" He asked, frowning at her. Zoya let out a shaky laugh before she moved to the sink to brush her teeth. Once done, she looked at him and smiled softly.

              "Don't worry, I'm fine," she said before moving out and heading to her room. Zoya locked the door behind her and swallowed tightly.

              "This isn't good," she said as her hand went to her stomach.

A Desire So Strange (Ch. 19)

              "Mr. Khan, please. Give me a chance to explain!" Zoya begged as she got to the steps. Tanveer yanked her arm back roughly and glared at her.

              "I told you, Zoya. Don't mess with me," Tanveer hissed at her so that no one except Zoya could hear. With that, she roughly pushed Zoya. The last thing she remembered was Dilshad and Najma's voice calling her name and a searing pain in her head before everything went black.

              Zoya's eyelashes fluttered open and she came face to face with the family doctor who smiled at her.

              "Welcome back," he said. Zoya looked around at her surroundings and found herself to be in her room. She turned her gaze back to the doctor and he gave her a reassuring look.

              "What happened?" She asked.

              "You fell down the stairs," he said. "But nothing to worry about, both you and the baby are safe."

              Zoya did a double take when she heard the word "baby". Her hand immediately went to her stomach and the doctor smiled at her.

              "You're five weeks pregnant," he informed her. Zoya let out a strangle sob and she quickly put a hand over her mouth.

              "Your husband will be most happy," he told her. Zoya's eyes opened and she looked at him before she remembered that she had been trapped by Tanveer's evil tricks and Mr. Khan refused to talk to her now.

              "No. You will not tell this news to anyone outside," she said. He opened his mouth to protest but she silenced him with a pleading look.

              "You will respect the doctor-patient code will you not?" She asked. He sighed but then nodded before he stood up and left. Zoya's hand went down to her stomach where her and Asad's baby rested.

              "I'm pregnant," she whispered to herself.

              Zoya gently touched her stomach and moved it around to feel her unborn child. Now at twelve weeks, her stomach was visible as long as she didn't wear tight shirts, hence her change in dressing style. She had wanted to tell Asad about her pregnancy but before she could do so, JD and Danish had escaped prison and he had become more stressed out. Zoya knew he was worried for her and she didn't want to increase his worry.

              "Ammi and Abbu love you no matter what," she whispered to her child before she gently lowered herself onto the bed, laying on her side. One hand resting protectively over her abdomen and the other tucked under the side of her face, she hummed a lullaby to her child and to herself before she fell asleep with a smile on her face.

That's all for now! Next chapter should be up within the week! Hope you guys enjoyed and yes, please please please leave reviews and tell me your thoughts because I love hearing from you all.

(c)Copyright ShieldsMistress

All Rights Reserved. No part of this written piece may be reproduced without ShieldsMistress' expressed consent. For permission requests, write to the author.