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Priyanka sighed as she watched Anurag leave the house along with Sana. She knew for a fact that he was still angry. She realized that he was tense and concealed his true emotions. She wanted to follow him and ask him what was wrong but she knew that doing this would only push her further away from him.

She grabbed her book back from the coffee table and continued reading meanwhile Nyra went to her room to attend a meeting. Priyanka tried to focus on the book but she could barely read a few pages. Her mind kept going back to Anurag. She wanted to know if he was okay. "Stupid Giraffe didn't even bother to reply to my text." She muttered under her breath.

She contemplated if it was a good idea to text him again. She didn't want to be pushy but she was genuinely concerned for him. She knew that he carried a lot of burden, there was more to him than the strong exterior that he portrayed to the entire world.

He was hurt and wounded, she knew that some scares would never go away. Even though they are healed they'll always be there as a reminder of everything that you have fought.

Priyanka sighed and hoped that Anurag would trust her enough to share his feelings. She swallowed the lump in her throat, she felt as if something was about to happen. Before she would overthink and go into the endless loop of weird and somewhat scary scenarios she shook her head and grabbed her laptop.

She sent out a quick meeting link to her team to get some quick updates about how the Foundation was running. She made sure everything was up to date and also asked Tripthi to schedule some meetings with the NGOs they were working with.

Priyanka sighed when she found an email from her father. No matter how hard she tried to establish a relationship with her father that wasn't business related the more it turned to be that way. Her father had a meeting scheduled for tomorrow along with Ram Uncle and Revathi Aunty. The approvals for the start of hospital construction were almost done. Only one more left after which the construction would begin.

She sent him a quick reply saying that she would join. She wrote some articles, and by the time she was done with her work, it was almost nine in the night.

Nyra prepared some ramen for the two of them. They sat down on the balcony, and as the light, pleasant breeze hit their faces, they continued to slurp on their noodles and chat about random things.

"So, I have to tell you something," Nyra said and moved the noodles with her fork. Priyanka turned to face her friend and nodded.

"I spoke to my parents about pursuing the painting course." Priyanka placed her bowl on the small table that was between their chairs and wiped her lips with a tissue.

"What did they say?" She screamed eagerly waiting for her best friend to give her an answer.

"As expected they think it's a crazy idea but they are willing to support me if they think that's what I want to do." Priyanka let out a squeal and hugged Nyra who laughed.

"I'm so happy for you!" Priyanka screamed and the two of them hugged. They clinked their juice glasses together and gulped them down.

"Have you started researching for colleges?" Priyanka asked her. Nyra took a hearty bite of her ramen and nodded.

"Yes, I still have a few months left in the company after that I'm thinking of participating in an exhibition. Sell a few of my paintings and also create a better and stronger portfolio for myself." Nyra said, Priyanka grinned and nodded.

"That'll be amazing! I can't wait for it! I'll help you with everything! Oh, I can even tell my followers about it! Not that you need it since you have a fan base of your own. But I'll still do it! I'm so excited Nyru!" Nyra chuckled as Priyanka rambled.

"Calm down Priyu! There's still time for that!" Priyanka chuckled and nodded but she still couldn't contain her excitement.

They chatted for a couple of more hours. This kept Priyanka's mind occupied away from Anurag but the concern for him kept playing at the back of her mind and constantly reminding her that something was not right. She sent him a quick text and hoped that everything was okay.

***

Priyanka groaned when her phone vibrated next to her head. She pushed it away from her and turned to the other side. She had finally fallen asleep after a lot of tossing and turning. She was about to fall asleep again but her phone buzzed again.

She opened her eyes and grabbed the phone. She blindly swiped the green button without looking at the caller ID and muttered a soft hello.

"Hey, Red. Sorry for disturbing you but did Anurag meet you today?" Priyanka opened her eyes immediately and sat up. Her head rushed because of her quickness. She swayed for a moment as it took her a minute to realize that Aarav was on the other line.

"Hey, Aarav. I uhh actually saw him when he came to pick up Sana from the painting classes. But that was hours ago. Is everything alright?" She frowned and waited for Aarav to reply, she heard him mutter something under his breath.

"I figured that much but did he meet you after that?" Priyanka's heart sped up slightly at Aarav's questions. Her worry for Anurag increased. Why was Aarav asking her all of these questions? Did something happen to Anurag?

"No, I didn't meet him after that. What happened Aarav? Is Anurag okay?" Her voice trembled slightly, she pushed the duvet away from her legs and paced around the room waiting for Aarav's reply.

"He did seem kind of angry." She added and waited for Aarav to reply. Aarav sighed and rubbed his face letting out a frustrated breath. He rang Anurag's bell about five times and there was no answer.  That was unusual, so he called his brother which led to him not answering his phone.

Aarav figured he would have gone for a run. He knew that Anurag tended to do that when he was angry or wanted to blow off some steam. He waited for Anurag to return but that hadn't happened.  Aarav sighed as realization struck him. His brother had gone back to the underground ring. This wasn't good, he was worried for him. The last time things had gotten heated with his opponent. It was only a matter of time before something would happen there which would cause more problems, it could even be the end of his career.

"Hello? Aarav? I'm starting to get worried now. Is everything okay? Where's Anurag?" Priyanka asked her voice laced with anxiety.

Aarav snapped out of his thoughts when he heard her questions. "Uhh don't worry about it. I'm sure he's fine. I'll talk to you later Red. I'm sorry if I disturbed you by calling you. Take care." Aarav said and was about to cut the call but Priyanka's reply made him freeze.

"No way! I want to know if he's okay. I'm coming with you. Tell me where should I meet you?" Priyanka stated firmly and grabbed her jacket from the closet. She wore and grunted still waiting for Aarav's reply.

"Seriously Priyanka that's not necessary. I'll ask him to call you later." Aarav said and scratched his brows. He knew that it wasn't a good idea to take Priyanka to the underground ring but for the next ten minutes, Priyanka didn't let him cut the call until he agreed.

"Try to understand Priyanka. I can't take you where I'm going! Just wait until I get back!" Aarav gritted out, this woman was driving him to the wall.

"I don't care, Aarav! I need to see him and make sure he's okay!" Priyanka argued and grabbed her shoes from the shoe rack. She let out a frustrated breath when Aarav didn't reply.

"Fine! Then if you don't take me I'm setting up Nyra with a guy I know! He's quite a catch and has the entire package and they have a lot of things in common. I wonder how it would be if they got married." Priyanka smirked when she heard a growl.

"Are you blackmailing me Red? That's not fair!" Aarav screamed and kicked a stone.

"Maybe! So take me! This isn't an empty threat!" Aarav groaned and clutched his hair in frustration. He didn't know if she was bluffing but she was Nyra's best friend.

"Fine! Meet me near the north gate. Also, you will do as I say. No questions asked. You need to follow me at all times and don't talk to anyone until it's necessary." Priyanka hummed at everything he said and locked the front door slowly. She didn't want to disturb Nyra. She decided to tell her everything once she came back.

"Okay! Meeting you there in a few minutes." She cut the call with that and went to meet Aarav at the gate. The moment she sat in the car he passed her mask and instructed her to wear it.

"Where exactly are we going?" Priyanka asked softly.

Aarav let out a breath and stepped his foot on the accelerator. "We're going to a nightclub where underground matches are held." Priyanka sucked in a breath at his reply. She took deep breaths and tried to control her thoughts which were going haywire.

For the rest of the ride, none of them spoke a word but the tension and worry filled the air. They were worried about Anurag.

***

Anurag bounced on his feet and felt the adrenaline pump through his veins as the crowd cheered when they announced his name. From the other side of the ring, it was "The Iron Fist." Anurag narrowed his eyes at his opponent. The two of them were now inside the ring and stood on opposite sides.

The crowd cheered when they announced his opponent's name. It wasn't as loud as a cheer when his name was announced. This seemed to have pissed off his opponent as he snarled at Anurag and bared his teeth.

Anurag rolled his eyes and tightened the bands around his hands. His mouthguard was already in place. The anger inside his veins had only increased since the time he had entered the bar and the ring.

The way Max nagged him for not contacting him irritated him to no end and put his patience to the ultimate test. He wants to ram the short sleaze ball into the wall just to make him shut his mouth. He knew that Max was bothered about the fact that he hadn't informed him earlier about his participation in a match, Anurag knew that this made him lose some amount of money.

The commentator introduced the two of them. Anurag cracked his neck a couple of times and walked to the center for the ring, his opponent followed him. The referee blew the whistle, the crowd went ballistic.

Anurag had heard about "The Iron Fist" a couple of times. He knew that he could conjure up a very mean and powerful punch which made him earn the name. Not only that sometimes "The Iron Fist" used numerous dirty tricks to win the matches.

Anurag ducked down when Iron Fist threw a punch directly towards his face. This frustrated iron fist let out a snarl, at that moment Anurag took advantage of his frustration and punched his stomach. Iron Fist stumbled back at the force, and the crowd cheered.

Anurag smirked and tilted his head. For the next few minutes, they threw some synchronized punches at each other. Anurag got a few scratches, he scowled and grunted. This was getting boring for him.

Iron fist snarled and aimed at Anurag's stomach, Anurag blocked it with his hand and threw a powerful counter punch right at his gut. Iron Fist stumbled and coughed. The crowd cheered, and within seconds he recovered and took a leap toward Anurag who blocked the punch immediately and threw a powerful punch right at his torso that sent him right on the ground.

The crowd began chanting "The destroyer" over and over.  Anurag felt some of the frustration dissipate but the anger was still there.

A minute later Iron Fist stood and this time something glinted in his fists. An iron-like chain which had tiny spokes on it was wrapped around his fist. Anurag tightened his shoulders. He knew that there were no specific rules while one played in the underground matches but it still pissed him off to no end when people used the wrong means and extra weapons to win a match.

Anurag ducked and moved to the side as the iron fist threw a punch. He moved back skillfully and threw the most powerful counter punch that aimed right at Iron Fist's jaw. The crowd cheered, Iron Fist spat blood and a sinister laugh filled the air.

"I'm going to leave scars so bad that you are going to have nightmares about them for the rest of your life." Anurag scoffed, he had heard such threats and worse from his opponents that did not scare him one bit.

A time-out was announced which angered him further. This match was simply being dragged. He turned around and narrowed his eyes at Max who was talking to some of the event handlers. He knew that the asshole was making money out of him.

Anurag stood at the end of the ring and took a few sips of his water. The referee blew the whistle again and the commentator's voice filled the space. The match began again.

"You are filth and a fucking waste of space!" Iron fist howled. Anurag gritted his teeth as rage surged through his veins. This asshole was goading him. He leaned forward and threw a punch directly at his face a crunching noise filled the air and blood spluttered out of Iron Fist's nose.

Not caring about the blood Iron Fist recovered immediately and lunged forward, Anurag stepped aside but the spokes on the iron chain scratched his arms. Anurag gritted his teeth as his opponent cackled. The crowd briefly went silent as the two of them circled each other.

Anurag narrowed his eyes when he spotted someone familiar in the crowd. His eyes searched the crowd and he spotted a pair of shocked and terrified brown eyes staring at him from the first row. His breath hitched for a second. Her eyes were covered with a black mask and she looked concerned and scared. What was she doing here? How did she come here? She shouldn't be here in the first place! Various angry and frustrated thoughts filled his mind.

That one moment of distraction was enough for Iron Fist to get the upper hand. He growled lurching forward and punched Anurag in the stomach. Anurag groaned and stumbled back, he lost his balance but didn't lose his balance. His legs cramped with the amount of pressure he put on them to stand upright but nothing he couldn't handle. The crowd gasped.

"This is the first time I have seen the destroyer being pulled down so hard." The commentator's voice filled the arena. Anurag panted and gritted his teeth.

"That was easier than I thought. Maybe they should rethink about giving you that name. I'll destroy you!" Iron fist spat with malice in his voice.

Anurag's rage increased with each passing second. He wanted to finish off this match. He panted and clenched his fists. He threw a punch that aimed directly at his opponent's stomach. Iron fist moved but it was too late by then. Taking advantage of this Anurag threw a series of punches. The last punch was so hard that Iron Fist fell on his knees and coughed blood. The crowd gasped and went silent again. Anger was gone for the time being but Anurag was now ansty. He kept looking at the crowd but he could not spot her again.

The referee blew the whistle, the countdown began and the referee raised Anurag's hand in the air. The crowd cheered and shouted.

"Nothing surprising here! The Destroyer yet again has bought someone down."

Anurag was distracted as he scanned the crowd again. Max was there to greet him. He blindly nodded at everything that he said and grabbed the money from him before leaving. "Think about the offer again," Max said with an evil glint in his eyes. Anurag shook his head and walked away.

He grabbed his belongings and walked around but he couldn't find anyone. He was still in the basement so his facemask was intact. He cursed under his breath and grabbed his phone. He exited the bar and unlocked his phone. There were numerous notifications from Aarav and Priyanka. He cursed under his breath and rotated his arm as it hurt.

"Are you out of your mind?!" He heard a scream behind him. Anurag turned to find Priyanka who looked livid. He had never seen her this angry.

She walked closer and pushed him slightly by his shoulders. Aarav let out a chuckle, he stood a few feet away from them not too close but close enough to hear the conversation. He would give his choice of words to Anurag after a while but for now, he was enjoying watching Priyanka scold his brother. He once again was proud of the nickname he had come up with, Red was truly turning red with rage.

"That was insane! What if something had happened to you? That iron fist or whatever! He had fucking spokes on his fist! Are you stupid? Why would you do this? Seriously! Aarav said that you do this when you are angry! But why this? There are so many other ways to vent your anger! That certainly does not include these stupid fights with dangerous people in a dangerous place!" Priyanka screamed and tears ran down her face.

Anurag's heart once again did the weird thing. He had only a few people who cared about him so much, he never expected her to be one of them.

"How does it matter to you? First of all, why are you here?! This is none of your business!" He shouted and scowled at her so that he could focus on being angry with her.

Priyanka's anger increased. She pressed her finger into his chest. "Oh, here we go that stupid question! Who am I? You are such an asshole! I want to punch you but that stupid iron fist has done enough!" Anurag grunted and ran his fingers through his head.

He didn't know how to stop her after this, she kept going on and this was driving him insane. Anurag grabbed her face between his hands, Priyanka let out a soft gasp and stopped talking. Her heart raced as she felt a zing running down her body.

"Shh, you are talking too much. I need to think, be quiet." Anurag whispered, their breaths mingled. They leaned closer, only an inch between their lips.

"I'm fine," he whispered and swiped his thumb over the tears that dropped on her cheek.

They pulled away when Aarav cleared his throat. Priyanka cursed in her mind and turned to glare at Aarav. She couldn't stop thinking about what would have happened if he hadn't interrupted them. Anurag shook his head and clenched his fists again. What was he thinking?

"I have a few things to say to you and Red you can continue your shouting match with him later," Aarav said and smirked at her. Priyanka rolled her eyes and pulled her jacket closer to her.

"But before that let's get out of here. The cab is here." Aarav said. The three of them sat silently as the car moved. Although Anurag wasn't angry anymore, he felt disappointed for losing control and playing at this underground match. In addition to that he lost control with Priyanka as well. What was he thinking? How was he going to be in her presence now?

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A/N: That was definitely an intense chapter! Haha I'm sure you guys are frustrated with me for not letting the kiss happen. But phew! The chemistry between Anurag and Priyanka!

Will Anurag accept his feelings for Priyanka? Or will he fight it further?

Hope you liked this chapter! If you did please do vote and comment! I would love to know what you guys think!