"I need a drink, man." I groan massaging my temples in circular motion; my head is throbbing from headache. We just checked in to nearby hotel after argument with Aastha. The whole family drama has nearly killed me so I left right away when they all started crying like someone has died.

"Where the f**k is your phone?" Arun asks suddenly. I check my pockets and sigh, "I think I left it in my car and my Pistol too."

"Aunty is calling me." He says extending his phone to me. I made a face like to manage that call but he looked sharply and placed the phone to my ear. Shit, I mutter holding it to my ear. God, I have to say them soon but not now. I look at Arun who is taking a seat on couch. I sigh, closing my eyes when I listen Mom's voice.

"Hey Mom." I greet.

"Anand, where are you, honey?" She sounds worried and before I can answer she started her interrogation. After two minutes of convincing her that I was okay, her voice sounds relaxed.

"I came your apartment last night but you were not there." so that is how she knows.

"No Maa, I came to Guntur for...friend's marriage." I glanced at Arun, his eyebrows shot up and he mouthed, really?

Shut up. I reply him.

"You could have said a word to us, honey. Here, Dad wants to talk to you." I groan inside, I don't want to talk to anybody now.

"Anand, when are you coming, son?" he asks softly.

"By tomorrow, Dad." I hear him exhale. "Don't worry about the business, Mom can handle for few days. Take a break and enjoy but come home safely, okay?" I breathe in relief listening to this.

"Love you, Dad!" I grin saying that. I hear his chuckles and we end the call.

I'm glad I have my parents support in my every move, they won't be like this if they know about my marriage now. I toss the phone aside on bed and fall back, closing my eyes. Aastha's crying face is still lingering on my closed lids.

I still didn't get it why I got that urge to protect Aastha from her mom when she started to slap again. Her parents want her to be married and she was married then why slapping her like that?

Shit, why do I care anyway? Why am I even thinking this? I shake my head to clear those thoughts. I have to head back to Hyderabad tomorrow. With my wife. F**k.

"Why did you come here, Anand?"

I totally forgot that I have guests in the room. I sit up and turn to him with no expression, "You know why."

"I'm not asking about that dammit! You came here to stop the marriage! But what I heard from the functional hall is not I wanted to hear. Why did you appear like you are her ex? Why appearing like that, man? Oh, for the God's sake you married her all of sudden!" he finishes angrily.

We are best friends since we were 9, we are practically like brothers from different parents. Say it as Blood Friends, Arun - Anand. Gosh, I still miss our college days, thought he is not a bad-ass like me but every person needs a friend to save his ass from fights. He is that guy, who is always there for me. He will do anything for me and I would do the same for him. He never get angry easily but he is angry now. I grin at him to change his mood. I can't see him angry, it kind of funny to see him with that stony stupid face.

"Don't make that dumb face, Anand! I will kill you, stop smiling like that!" he scolds pointing a finger to me.

Okay, he is really angry. He won't give up until he gives me class so I look away from him, waiting for him to say whatever he wants.

"Do you love her?" he asks after few minutes.

"What the f**k man?" Love? There is no such word in my life.

"Then why did you marry her, Anand? Don't you love her?"

"I don't love her!" I bark at him and strode to huge window facing the city.

What the hell is he talking? I don't love her, she is nothing to me. Yes. I come here to stop her marriage because that bastard, Sandeep is a fraud! His ex-girlfriend is Arun's sister, Manasa. He is a player and cheated her. Aastha was thinking that I came here to prove myself for my bet. F**k with that bet. I don't have a f**king clue at that time that I would check her fiancé's background and rescue her like this.

8 - M o n t h s - a g o

I'm in my Hotel, The Luxuriate to sign few cheques. I feel proud whenever I step in this one. This one is my favorite Hotel out of remaining three and this is huge one compared to rest. Mom is in Business field before I came to this world. She is my role model, of course my Dad too. Dad wants me follow his path but I'm not at all interested in studying that boring Law so I did MBA, finance and followed my Mom's path. I took hold of this Hotel and part of our Samhitha Groups when I got my degree.

With her idea, Arun and I started Saloon and Spa centers a year ago. It is a huge success business and we have five branches is the whole city. People, especially woman can't live without a saloon nearby; they would go crazy if we put an offer for some occasions.

"Anything else?" I ask, handing over the cheques to my manager.

"No Sir. As you asked for, an Architect is waiting to meet you."

"Yeah, send him in."

After two hours of discussion with Architect, we are finally making our way down to the lobby area. We are going to renovate few rooms in this floor into a conference hall for Business meetings.

My phone starts ringing when we are in middle of discussion. "Excuse me," I mumble, taking out my mobile. It's my girl, Taruni so I ignore the call and continue my discussion.

"Okay, Mr. Anand, I will come with revised plans in a week. Is it okay sir?" he asks gathering his charts and laptop.

"Of course, Subash." I replied sternly and we shook hands, he nodded politely and went. I turn to my Manager behind me and start walking with him to the elevator.

"Is there anything else I need to do here?" I ask him. I need to head to my office in afternoon.

"No sir." He replies so I dismiss him with a nod and step into elevator. My phone starts ringing again, shit. I totally forgot about Taruni's call so I pick up this time.

"Hey baby," I greet her.

"Anand! Where are you? Why did you reject my call? I'm in your hotel now." What? She is here?

"Wait in the lobby, babe. I'm coming," I was about to hung up but stop when she started complaining.

"I went to your saloon in Jubilee hills, who's the new girl there?! She can't even speak English properly, how can you hire girls like her? Tell Arun to remove her immediately!"

I roll my eyes, "Taruni, we don't hire people to fire them immediately. Keep the English thing aside, how are her skills?" She fell silent. I knew it, I think that girl was good looking and Taruni was jealous of her. I shake my head while walking to lobby, girls and their jealous.

I see her sitting on couch, she's wearing an off shoulder black dress, her eyes are fully covered with mascara and her lips are painted in blood red. Her hair is think black with different color strips in between, it reminds me of Rooster's tail. I chuckle, she sees me coming and smiles broadly. She looks hot in this dress.

"Hey, baby." she jumps into my arms the second I reach her. My nostrils are filled with her perfume. I pat her back lightly, "Don't you have office today?" I ask moving away from her. She pouts, instead of answering; she starts dragging me to the elevator. She is working in her father's software company. Taking advantage of that, she always took off from work like this. Which I don't like at all.

"What is Madam ji up to?" I tease when we are inside elevator.

"I came here to see you." she grins, leaning close to my ear and says huskily, "You have to see my hip, Anand. The tattoo is done." she says and bites my earlobe.

"Really?" I ask pulling her to me.

She grins, "And I was thinking to tattoo our names on... here." She says seducingly by drawing her point finger down her cleavage. I raise my brows and pull her red hot lips to mine. She moans loudly by gripping my hair, there is a camera in elevator but I don't care because I'm the king here.

I drag her to my office when we reach the top floor and lock us inside. We waste no time, I lift her up on to the table. In few seconds, her shiny black dress is on floor followed by my shirt.

Damn, black ink is looking beautiful on her pale skin. It's a Dream Catcher on her left side rib. I touch that area softly, she winces as it is still red and looking freshly drawn.

"Why don't you get a tattoo too?" she asks when I kiss her rib softly and make my way upto her lips.

"Nah, I'm not interested and now, stop talking." I command her between the kisses and lift her up, she giggles holding on to me.

We are panting looking at each other. We are sitting on my chair now and she's straddling me. She smiles shyly when I squeeze her thighs. "We... we.. are going to the party tonight, right?" I bit her lower lip and grin.

"Can't wait to see you drunk and f**k you hard again." I whisper to her lips. She giggled, hugging me.

~*~

Traffic sucks in Hyderabad. It is few minutes' drive to Frost Brewpub from my apartment but it is taking me like hours in this traffic! Its 8.30pm now and my friends are already waiting at the pub. Come on! I press the horn again, no use so I wait.

Something caught my eyes when I was looking around the traffic impatiently. I glance at a girl walking on footpath. Her duppatta is like rainbow colors and mirrors on that fabric are shining under lights. She is out of my sight in few seconds but I'm still waiting in traffic. I could have been at pub by now if I go by foot!

Finally! I speed up my car when the traffic cleared. I looked to side causally and did a double take when I saw that rainbow girl again. She is here? I slow my car looking at her. Well I'm a guy, I need to see her face. We can't help that. She is standing outside a closed store, I stop my car completely to side of the road and watch her.

"Turn around, woman. I need to see you, I have no time to wait here." I mutter, checking my watch.

I'm gonna give her two minutes. She is looking up and down the store. Is she a thief? Why she is looking like that? She looks hot from backside, hotter than Taruni. Shit! Taruni. I have a girlfriend and here I am checking another girl.

I groan and about to start my car when she turns around, clearing her eyes. I stop, she is crying? I frown looking around her. There are few people here and there; nobody is there with her. She is sitting down on steps of store and buries her face in her hands. My frown deepens looking at her shoulders, as they are shaking. F**k. She is sobbing.

My phone starts ringing on dashboard. It's my girlfriend. Shit. I have to go but I look at that girl again. Why she is crying in public? What if somebody sees her like this? Go home and cry girl. I start my car again and glance at her once. Whatever, I shake my head and start driving away.

F**k, man. Who is she? Why she is crying?

Something is nagging in the back of my head so I stop again. I groan loudly and back my car to same place. She is getting up now. Thank god, go home girl. She tilts her head up to see the store name and then starts walking towards my car. She can't see me as my window shields are tinted think black like my car.

My lips partly open when I see her clearly. She is damn beautiful; she has no mascara running down on her cheeks like Taruni would have. She is in long white chudidhar and that duppatta suits her so well. She is looking gorgeous even in this state, I wonder how she looks like when she smiles. She is talking to autowala and climbs inside.

My hands automatically started the car and my mind ordered me to follow her. Why am I following her? My phone starts ringing again but I'm already past my route from pub. I pick the call, "Babe, I'm stuck in traffic! Be there in few..." I said loudly and hung up. Music is blaring from her side. She will be fine, she has ton of her friends to enjoy the night but I have something to do now. I never stalked a girl before and it seems interesting to follow like this.

Auto halts to a stop after 15minutes and she is walking to a silent dark street now. There is only one street light in this path; I wait at start of road and watch take left so I quickly follow and stop my car few feet from her. She turned around when headlights beamed through the street. I smirk, driving past her apartment. Now I know where she lives. I think rents are low in this area; her apartment is looking rugged. I look in rear view mirror, she went inside already. I drove away wondering why she cried. Who are you girl? Why were you crying?

There are so many girls crying outside. Go and rescue them too, man!

My subconscious screams. Stupid rainbow duppatta! That drawn me to her. F**k, I quickly drove to the pub in minutes.

V o t e

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