Published on:- 29/4/24 [Wednesday]
...

"Roses with thorns are
always the most attractive"

AVYAAN

...

Tarana had taken only a few steps forward when she suddenly found herself being yanked back by a hard grip on her hand.

She stumbled slightly and while collecting herself, she turned around and found the source of the grip on her hand and also the owner of the force whose eyes were burning with a mix of anger, confusion, and desperation.

"Tsk."

Avyaan's tone was full of restlessness and hostility.

The atmosphere seemed to freeze in an instant.

The storm was raging in his heart, and the thunder was rolling in his light brown eyes.

Tarana didn't say a word because there was no expression on his face.

Avyaan looked at her so quietly. Suddenly, his eyes became dull, and his emotions turned dark.

Tarana found Avyaan standing on his feet. She licked her lips which were trembling slightly under his hard gaze.

For the first time, she saw Avyaan's different expression.

His eyes were sharp like knives and the anger on his body spread uncontrollably, and the oppressive aura made her chest sink suddenly.

"What are you doing?", Tarana cleared her throat and questioned him.

Her hand was still under his grip and the heat of his palm was burning her skin.

Tarana felt hot all over her body because of his touch.

"Do you think I can believe your nonsense?", Avyaan spoke and this time, his voice was unexpectedly calm, like a spring breeze that gently rustles the leaves.

There was no coldness or harshness in his voice, yet Tarana felt as if thousands of chilly needles were poking into her body.

The contrast between his calm demeanor and the impact of his words was unsettling and left her with a sense of deep uneasiness.

"Mr. Khadka! I never lied to you. It depends on you to believe it or not. Please leave my hand. I have to go now", Tarana said her voice was steady despite the tension in the air.

She looked him in the eye while gently trying to free her hand from his grasp.

"What do you mean, Naina told you all this?", Avyaan demanded as his voice was a mixture of frustration and urgency.

"Why would she know about the accident and the car blast?", Avyaan continued to ask her.

Tarana looked up at him and her eyes reflected the turmoil she felt inside as she responded, "I told you everything I know, Mr. Khadka. Naina was the one who directed me to the accident site and warned me about the blast. If you want answers, you need to talk to her."

Avyaan's grip on her hand loosened slightly, but his gaze remained intense.

"I don't understand any of this", he muttered as his voice broke slightly.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?", Avyaan questioned her.

Tarana sighed as her own emotions threatened to overwhelm her.

"Because I was trying to protect you from your enemies", Tarana replied honestly.

"Thank you", Avyaan said in a blank tone, and with that, he turned and walked away, leaving Tarana standing there.

Her heart was heavy with the weight of everything left unsaid.

Abruptly, Avyaan stopped in his tracks and then turned around only to look at her.

She looked at him and found him walking back to his wheelchair and sitting down on it.

Tarana was puzzled by his action but did not voice out.

Then Avyaan lifted his head and looked deeply at her. There was a turmoil in his devilish eyes.

"You are coming with me to the BASE", Avyaan spoke and his words caused her to stiffen slightly.

Kian and Shark with other members of scorpion Satan stared at the King and Tarana back and forth.

She blinked her eyes and stared at him. She wanted to ask the reason for this decision but she could not ask him as she stood there like a culprit.

Avyaan neither repeated himself nor spoke another word. There was a smile in his fox-like eyes.

Although he didn't say anything his cynicism and dissoluteness were all engraved in his bones.

At this moment, Tarana remembered what Sunaina had told her in their early days of friendship and whatever Sunaina was right in what she said.

'Although my brother looks cynical and bohemian, no one regards him as a playboy because of his devilish cold eyes', Sunaina told Tarana in a laughing tone.

Tarana was bewildered by these words. Sunaina continued to speak, 'This kind of person with a smiling face, is a lion who eats people without spitting out their bones'.

At that time, Tarana did not understand these words of Sunaina but now, she could understand it clearly.

Avyaan was indeed the kind of person who was so handsome that not only his words but also his actions could kill anyone and one day, she would get a heart attack because of his irresistible charm.

Tarana's heart was already broken by his ruthless rejection and she did not get any chance to shed tears or console her aching heart and right now, his commanding words proved to her that Avyaan did not trust her.

"I can't, Mr. Khadka. I have to return home. My parents are waiting for me", Tarana spoke after gathering her confidence.

Avyaan's eyes clouded with danger as stated in only two words, "Be obedient", leaving her speechless.

And the next moment, she found herself sitting beside Avyaan in his car, leaving for the BASE.

***

On the other hand, Sunaina's brows raised questioningly and T-Rex said, "King is solving the puzzle of Miss Tarana's presence at the accident site".

Sunaina stared deeply at T-Rex as her heart stumbled with shock at his words.

The unexpected revelation left her momentarily speechless, as she tried to process the implications of what he had just said.

"Bhā'i?" (brother), Sunaina murmured under her breath as she immediately asked T-Rex, "Do you think Tara will reveal everything to my brother?".

T-Rex blinked his eyes and said, "No one can handle the pressure of the King's menacing look".

His tone carried a note of caution and suggestion that Tara might not withstand the intensity of scrutiny from the Scorpion Satan; Mafia King.

Sunaina understood these words. She looked at the familiar spot and then at the door of Nilay's bedroom.

T-Rex looked at her dancing eyeballs from one corner to the other corner of the house and understood what was running in the head of the devil princess.

Her lips tilted in a wicked smile as she took a few steps towards the Nilay's bedroom. The glint in her eyes hinted at a mischievous intent and her mind was already racing with plans and schemes.

She stood at the doorstep and repeated the lines Nilay told her, "Take the last corner of the room. It's a guest room. Don't enter the other rooms and don't touch anything in this house."

Her voice echoed softly in the hallway as it was a reminder of the boundaries set by Nilay.

T-Rex heard her and understood the hidden meaning behind her words.

"Sir Nilay told you not to enter another room but he did not say not to enter his bedroom", T-Rex elaborated exactly what was running in Sunaina's mind.

His words affirmed Sunaina's cunning plan and acknowledged the loophole in Nilay's instructions.

Sunaina grinned like a Cheshire cat and said, "I will raise your salary" and by saying this, she entered Nilay's bedroom, which was engulfed in darkness.

The dimness caused her pupils to shrink uncomfortably, but she pressed forward as she was driven by curiosity and a thirst for discovery.

"T-Rex", Sunaina called T-Rex who tactfully understood her signal.

Without hesitation, he immediately switched on the lights that tear the darkness and illuminated the room.

Sunaina, whose eyes had been closed against the lancinating brightness, slowly opened them.

With fluttering eyes, she adjusted her vision only to find the black and white sketches of a school-going girl who was adorning the walls.

Not a single space was left in the room.

Sunaina sucked her breath.

Each drawing seemed to tell a story that captured the moments and frozen in time with delicate strokes of a pencil.

Her lips curved slightly in a bittersweet smile.

"I thought angels don't lie but I was wrong. Even angels lie", Sunaina spoke while her eyes were blazing in an intense fire that could burn her angel and his love for another woman.

***

On the other hand, at the exhibition center, in a private room, Nilay immersed himself in reading files while discreetly listening to the conversation between his best friend and his girlfriend, Perna.

His focus shifted between the documents in his hands and the words exchanged nearby as his mind quietly processed the information unfolding before him.

"I'm telling you, Nilay. I don't like this girl. You better stay away from her. She has a b*tchy heart", Perna said as she already narrated the entire story of Divita and Shlok's encounters.

Her words carried a warning and a protective instinct for Nilay against someone she perceived as potentially harmful.

Nilay finally closed the file and looked at his manager Vardhaan Thapa and said, "Everything is looking fine. Just don't sell any sketches or paintings. I don't want to meet anyone too".

His instructions were clear and emphasized the importance of preserving the artwork without compromising its integrity.

"Okay, Mr. Khanna but what about the meetings with the children? Everyone wants to meet the angel", Vardhaan said and Nilay shook his head negatively, "I don't want to reveal myself and my real identity to the public".

He stated firmly and emphasized his desire for privacy despite the growing interest in his persona.

Vardhaan understood and accepted the command.

Taking the file, Vardhaan informed everyone, "The exhibition is going to start at 3 in the afternoon," before leaving the room.

Nilay stretched his body and glanced over at Shlok, who was engrossed in his phone, and Perna, who sat grumpily beside him.

"Perna, I understand your point. Shlok, let's go now", Nilay said and his words broke the silence in the room.

Nilay's words caught Shlok's attention who lifted his head from the phone and looked at Nilay.

Shlok took a deep breath and said, "Divita is changed now. I can easily sense manipulation oozing out of her".

Shlok's words carried a weight of experience and intuition as he revealed his perception of Divita's character transformation and the underlying motives he detected in her behavior.

These words spark a debate in Nilay's mind. On one hand, he trusted Shlok's judgment and knew him to be observant and perceptive.

On the other hand, Nilay couldn't shake off the lingering doubts about Divita's intentions.

As the conflicting thoughts swirled in his mind, Nilay contemplated the best course of action amidst the uncertainty.

Perna sneered coldly and said, "She hasn't changed. She was always like this, only you both were blind and could never see".

Her words were sharp and cut through the air with a mixture of frustration and vindication, as she expressed her long-held belief about Divita's true nature.

"Were you there in our childhood? Did you ever see or meet her before?", Shlok asked in his calm tone but his words triggered her rage.

Her eyes flashed with anger as she prepared to respond and the tension between them escalated rapidly.

Perna glared at Shlok and spat, "If I had been there at that time, I would never have allowed her to wander around you both".

Her voice was laced with bitterness and conviction and also reflected her deep-seated resentment towards Divita and her protective instincts towards Shlok and Nilay.

Shlok chuckled softly at her remarks. He sighed weakly and patted Prena's head lovingly. His touch was a gentle attempt to soothe her anger.

"My girlfriend is the sweetest", Shlok said as his voice filled with affection.

Those simple words were enough to melt Perna's anger and a soft smile replaced the scowl on her face as she immediately looked away from him, hiding her burning cheeks and red face.

Shlok knew that his words had softened her anger, and now she was fighting to conceal the blush spreading across her face. He did not tease her.

Nilay shook his head while looking at the duo. They were like fire and water, winter and summer, day and night. Despite their differences, there was an undeniable bond between them that balanced their contrasting personalities.

Nilay smiled softly at the duo before his mind suddenly drifted to Sunaina, whom he had left alone at his house.

He took out his phone to make a call, then a thought appeared in his mind, 'She doesn't have a phone with her. Let me try the landline number'.

Nilay dialed the house number as he hoped to reach Sunaina to ease his growing concern about leaving her alone.

The phone was ringing and then it got disconnected. But no one picked up the phone.

"Where is she? Has something happened?', Nilay thought and a fear erupted in his heart.

He dialled the landline number again and impatiently waited for Sunaina to attend the call but again the call disconnected after ringing for the full time.

"Did she get into any trouble again?", Nilay muttered to himself as his concern was evident.

His words caught the attention of both Shlok and Perna, who looked at him with curiosity and a hint of worry.

"What happened? Who are you thinking about?", Shlok asked as his curiosity piqued by Nilay's concerned demeanor.

"Divita! She is not attending the landline number", Nilay answered and his worry evident in his voice.

"Uff! This girl. Whenever you leave her alone she gets into some trouble or the other. Or else she disappears too", Shlok said jokingly but it hit Nilay's heart because it was the truth.

Sunaina's track record and the pattern of Sunaina finding herself in trouble, whenever left alone weighed heavily on Nilay's mind and stirred a mix of frustration and concern.

"I'm going back home", Nilay declared in an urgent tone, as he rushed out of the room.

Shlok stopped him and asked, "And what about the exhibition?".

Nilay paused as he looked at Shlok and Perna and replied, "You guys are here. Take care of everything. I just came here to check the exhibition. There's no role for me to play here".

Without waiting for a response, he ran out of the private room and left Shlok and Perna in a bewildered state.

They stared at Nilay and at this moment, his priority was clear: ensuring Sunaina's safety, even if it meant leaving the exhibition behind.

Shlok smiled softly. Looking at him, Perna wrapped her arms possessively around his waist.

Back to Nilay, who rushed out of the private room and never expected to bump into Divita who was smiling while looking at him.

His unexpected encounter with her caught him off guard and it momentarily halted his hurried steps as he tried to process the sight before him.

Looking at her face, his heart stumped shockingly and he felt uncomfortable while his mind turned foggy.

"Nilay", Divita said in a soft voice was soft and full of longingness as she clung to his arm.

Her hands wrapped around his waist as she hugged him tightly. Her unexpected embrace took him by surprise and left him momentarily speechless as he processed the sudden intimacy.

Her touches made his mind stopped working at this moment as he fell into deep uncomfortable silence.

"Divita?", Nilay whispered her name.

Divita smiled as she responded, "Yes Nilay. I am back. This time I have returned for you".

Nilay's ears rang with her words. An unexpected situation engulfed him and his body stiffened. There was an another stiffness in his heart and mind was sending another bell to remind him about the girl whom he left behind at his home.

But everything fell into a deep silence and nothing came into his mind while his waist was tightly wrapped under her arms.

While the angel was lost in the process of this unexpected situation, the Devil's eyes were glaring at the picture of him and Divita sharing an intimate embrace.

The Devil laughed coldly.

Her eyes burn with rage and revenge.

The time could not turn back. It actually happened.

Her heart was in uncontrollable pain. She tried to control the pain through her laugh but it did not work.

Sunaina looked at the clear picture of Nilay and Divita and the next second , she threw her phone so hard that the device hit the ground by tearing the silence and broke into two parts with a sharp crack.

The sound echoed through the air.

T-Rex's eyes narrowed down dangerously as he looked at the princess of the Mafia world.

Sunaina's hard eyes stared at her broken phone which was also showing the condition of her heart.

She opened her mouth and said to T-Rex in poisonous tone, "Tell Dino. He did a marvelous job by missing Divita's whereabouts and letting her meet my angel".

The rage was brewing and then she said with a chuckle, "Add a bonus in Nora's account".

Her voice was deadly cold and her words hung in the air. T-Rex understood her rage and the mistake Dino made by letting Divita slip away from his clutches.

"The flowers of love have not yet bloomed but those who pluck them have come first", Sunaina spoke and before she could destroy Nilaya's room in her anger, the ringing of the landline phone attracted her attention.

"I want blood. I am thirsty for blood", Sunaina said as her eyes were too hard and turned red due to pain and fury that was surging and pumping in her veins.

She glared at the landline phone which started ringing again.

..
..

Word count: 3035+k.
Happy?
Then make me happy too.
I'm shamelessly asking for your support by hitting the star button. 🙈 Because I need your support. 🙏

How's the chapter readers?
Thank you
ShineeSunshine ❤️