"Kuch raaz aaj khul jaane do"

~ Kabir ~

Mumbai, India

The moment I saw that message, all the warning bells started going off in my head. I snatched the phone from her hands and tried to check for the sender but the number was unknown.

"Send me this number and a screenshot of this message, right now."

"W-What is it, Kabir?" She looked baffled by my response.

Should I tell her? I was conflicted about telling her, it wasn't supposed to come out like this.

"Kabir," she held me by my shoulders, jerking me to bring me back from the trance. "What are you hiding? This isn't the first time, is it?"

Oh, it was for sure not the first time.

"Tell me, Kabir!" She almost yelled, turning a few heads towards us. Looking around, I grabbed her hand, dashed out of the banquet hall and went down to get to my car.

Once seated, we hit the road, driving towards our house.

"Kabir, are you going to tell or should I jump out of the car?" I didn't bother to listen and kept on driving. "Kabir fucking Raizada, stop the fucking car!" She screamed, leading me to pull the brakes, and making the car stop with a loud screech.

"What?" I yelled back, unable to control myself.

"Kabir," her voice dropped dangerously low and measured. "It's about Sahil, isn't it?" My head whipped towards her in surprise trying to figure out how she had an inkling towards it. I averted my gaze from her and was about to start the car but her hand held my arm, stopping me from doing so.

"Kabir, remember the deal. You give me answers, I will give you the power. Tell me," her voice broke in the end. I glanced at her for a moment until I finally decided to tell her. "This one's going be a long one."

"I have all the time in the world."

"Months ago, when the news of the government project came out, many companies had applied. We had four rounds of bidding, where some companies got eliminated at the end of every round. The AV Group was thriving in that messy competition and I think that it garnered attention." This project was a stepping stone for a new tomorrow. Being involved in it meant a guarantee of the future.

"So what happened?"

"A threat happened," I answered. "Long before you came back from the US. Someone threatened to hurt the ladies of our family, including you, if we didn't back off from the deal."

"Which, clearly you did not." She finished.

"Correct, which now brings Sahil to the picture."

That damn sly bastard.

I still remember the day when he had casually sauntered into the office and barged into my cabin. The smirk on his lips, his rugged hair and his casual attire had thrown me off guard.

"Who are you? What are you doing in my cabin?" I rose from my chair and looked at the man in front of me. Unfazed by my anger, he casually strolled inside the cabin and then took a seat on the couch which was placed in a corner.

"Nice cabin, Mr. Raizada, I am impressed." I was too stunned to see this random guy casually looking around my cabin. I picked up the intercom when his voice echoed in the room.

"You don't have to do that, you know. Because I have help for all those threats." He said, walking towards me. He sat in front of me, not a per cent scared that he might be thrown out of the office. I was alarmed when he mentioned it, I hadn't told that to anyone as of now, not even Aryan.

I wasn't even planning on sharing it.

I narrowed my eyes on him, "What is it you know and how do you know so much?"

He shrugged. "Well, I was investigating a case which led me to this government project, and upon further investigation, I found this—" he pulled out a picture from the bag, slipping it towards me. My jaw clenched the moment I saw the picture, it was Arya's picture clicked at different locations, with the same black sedan without a number plate moving around.

This meant the threat was real.

As I was deeply thinking about it, another picture slipped towards me. It was Meher, I recognised immediately— who was going to work, gym and behind her, a familiar white sedan was following her everywhere.

They had even reached the US.

"Seems like the US one is going to fall more in danger, considering the fact that she is all alone there," he seemed to read the words in my head. Meher as much as I hate her, I can't let her fall in danger for a deal otherwise Vikas Uncle would have my head for dinner.

I chose not to answer to him anything.

"How did you find these pictures?" I asked, "And these," tapping on Meher's photographs.

"A true journalist never reveals his sources," he winked. I wanted to wipe that smirk off his face. He was damn annoying.

"What do you want?" I did not beat around the bush and came straight to the point. Sahil chuckled and nodded, probably appreciating it.

"A deal," he clasped his hands together and rested it over the desk, leaning forward. I looked down at him, slowly sitting down. "What?"

"A help for a help. I will help you with something and you will help me with something. A two-way deal. Isn't that great?"

"Why should I help you when I can easily get help from the police?" I narrowed my eyes on him, trying to understand his intentions.

"You desperately need answers and I am the best one to help you out. It is the Indian Police and not the US ones," he specified. "Who will spare the other one?" Damn, Meher was abroad clearly not with any security. "If you're not satisfied, I am outta here," he raised his hands in surrender and got up to leave when I found myself stopping him.

"Wait," I pushed myself to say, knowing that he was moving so slowly waiting for me to give in. "It's a deal, but I will pay you additionally if you help me protect my sister."

"What about the other one?"

"You don't have to worry about her, I will see to it."

"How much do you want?" I didn't want to be in a position where I had to deal with someone who barged inside my cabin completely unannounced. Paying him would make me have an upper hand on him.

"I don't want money," he said, running his hand through his head and shaking his hair. "I will tell you what kind of payment I want when the right time comes."

I carefully nodded, still thinking about if I was doing it right. "What's your end of the deal?"

"I want the resources from your news and  company." I blinked, confused at his strange demand.

"What? Aren't you a journalist? You must be working with some company already."

The guy clicked his tongue. "My position is not that high to use things meant for investigation. Perhaps, this is the way."

"What do you want to investigate?"

He shook his head. "That's not something you have to worry about, Mr. Raizada. Don't worry it's nothing illegal."

He pushed the chair behind him as he got up. "So deal?" He put his hand forward.

I clench my hand, thinking over and over if I was putting myself in a situation where I'd have to regret later on. But, the safety of my family came first.

"Deal," I shook his hand, "Find me who is behind all of this and you get the access to the resources. And additionally, tail my sister around. I don't trust the bodyguards."

"Done."

"I forgot to ask, what's your name?"

The black eyes stared at me, glinting even in the daylight. "It's Sahil, Sahil Vashisth."

"So Sahil was helping you with this case?" Meher confirmed, her eyes held uncertainty over my words and I nodded.

"A-And the accident?" She paused, opening her mouth to say something but couldn't.

"Yes," I mumbled, not looking at her. "It might be those people. He had found something but couldn't send it to me. He said he would personally deliver it to me because his electronics had gotten corrupted the day before the accident and he had no way he could transfer it to his phone as it was in a flash drive."

"Did the details contain the identity of the culprit?"

I shook my head. "When we had our last conversation, Sahil told me that he had an inkling that his phone activities were getting tapped somehow which is why he couldn't tell me on the phone. But he had clearly said, that whatever he had would eventually lead them to the culprit which meant that he hadn't found the identity yet. But—"

"But the accident happened and everything went down," she finished for me. I hummed.

"Do you still have no idea who did this?"

"If I would have, you wouldn't have been receiving those messages," I was visibly frustrated and irritated to the core.

"I am just asking Kabir you don't have to get irritated," she fired back. "Remember anything related to Sahil you have to tell me."

I clutched the steering wheel tight. "You don't have to rub the contract on my face every time you want an answer. I know what and when to say things to you."

She crossed her arms, propping one leg over another. "Earlier, it didn't seem like you were willing to tell me." Her tone was accusatory. I banged my hand on the steering wheel to which she jumped.

I slowly leaned towards her, caging her between the car and myself. Placing a hand on the window, I leaned closer to her face, my breath falling over her cheeks, we stared at each other intently. "If I wanted, I wouldn't have told you, Mini Mathur Raizada. I always keep my end of the bargain. Understood?" I whispered. Meher didn't say anything. "Understood?" I asked her a bit louder this time and she bobbed her head up and down in yes.

I finally left her and started off the car, heading towards our penthouse.

*   *   *

As I walked towards my room to get changed, I stopped after hearing Meher's voice.

"Wait," she panted, as she ran from the hallway to my bedroom. "One last question," I gave her time to breathe, patiently waiting for her.

And when she was done, she straightened herself. "You said, that you would provide additional payment to Sahil if he protected Arya. But you said nothing about me," I knew where this was going. "Were you going to risk my life?" the amount of distrust she possessed for me, made me want to laugh at her.

I walked closer, invading her personal space, towering her. Crouching down to her level, I felt myself smiling slyly. "I did wish that, you know pushing you for the damage— what a revenge it would have been. But I realised I am not like you" I jabbed, watching the colour on her face drain. "I have known William way before you even worked for him. Think about how you decided to come back. No one can protect you if you are on some other continent." leaving her to think about my words, I walk into the room, closing the door behind me.

In the confines of my room, I finally breathed in peace. I loosened my tie and lay on my bed, closing my eyes. The threat wasn't a threat anymore. It was pure blackmail, dangerous and bloody. Without Sahil by my side, I felt like I had nothing in my power to gather information. The private detectives were useless, the police could be bought with money.

If we were powerful, so were the enemies.

And the scariest part? They were still unknown.

Now that we had signed the deal, this was for sure not going to end well. I think I need to hire some professional bodyguards for everyone.

My thoughts went back to our conversation when Meher questioned me if I was going to let her become the collateral damage to seal the deal. What I said earlier was anything but the truth. I would never ever jeopardise anyone's life, even if that person was someone I vehemently disliked.

But the distrust I saw in her eyes irked me. So, I did what I was best at— spite her. Sahil and Meher were truly very alike. I could still picture the surprise he had on his face when I asked him to protect Arya and not her. But when I thought that I had figured out Sahil Vashisth, the man always managed to surprise me.

I remembered the payment he wanted.

"I need my payment," Sahil breathed hard, walking past Maan, "Now."

Confused, I get up and watch him puff out his breath. "What is it?"

Sahil was furious. He took heavy strides towards me and held me by my collar pulling me up. "Hey!" Maan walked over to separate us but I stopped him, letting him speak whatever he wanted to. "I understand you don't like Meher but how dare you put her in such a position?" his raged voice echoed in the house and I blinked in confusion. "What happened?"

"What happened?" his hands left my collar and he laughed, mocking me. "What could have happened, Kabir, what could have happened if I didn't come to know that those bodyguards hired for Meher were fake!"

"What?" I whispered, "but how?"

"How? You are asking me how?" I had never seen Sahil so enraged. How could the bodyguards be fake when I had clearly seen their profile?

"They were legit, I had Aanchal check their company," I tried to clarify and pulled my phone out to call Aanchal but he snatched it from me. "Do you think a fake company would keep their social profile on after I caught them red-handed?" I had nothing to say.

"Your lapse in judgment could have put Meher in danger. What would you do to rectify it?" he waited for my response but I said nothing.

"Of course," he scoffed, moving closer to me. "That's why the payment," he gives an evil smile. "So hear me out Raizada," he pulls out his phone and switches on the recorder. "I Sahil Vashist ask Kabir Raizada for the additional payment that he would protect my friend and the heiress of the AV Group Meher Mathur with his life. If any day a situation arises where his own family's and Meher's lives are in danger, without any second thought he should protect Meher first. If he fails to fulfil his payment, Kabir Raizada should promise to give up everything he has earned up until now, including his position in the company."

He keeps the recorder near me, nudging me to say yes. I clench my teeth, angry at the situation. Just when I had thought I had an upper hand over him, Sahil came up with his payment. And the worst thing was, I had signed to pay him whatever he wanted, cash, kind of favour. I, Kabir Raizada cannot refuse the payment.

A web of games, where I was the one who got played.

I believe he was already pissed about my equation with Meher which made him feel that I didn't do enough for her. With heaviness in my heart, I had mumbled a yes, after which Sahil pulled out the contract stating the same. That bastard had come well prepared.

When he had come to know about my proposal to Meher, he was pissed at me for two reasons, one— he felt I was using her and second— he thought I was trying to fulfil the payment, by keeping her close to me.

This was one of the reasons why I signed the contract after the accident because things had gotten serious from then. I felt guilty for not providing Sahil protection just because he had refused to. I should have still sent someone behind him. The realisation dawned upon me that both Meher and Sahil were the targets and one of them was the target that day. To date, I had no clue who was being targeted that day.

Before the accident, the sole reason to marry Meher was to get the position but now, it was her protection that became my priority. I had no idea what Sahil did to keep Arya protected considering that she wasn't being tailed even after the accident.

But I can't fail.

Meher was not just anyone else, she was my responsibility both by contract and by marriage. If I couldn't protect her, I am not worried about losing everything. I would fail as a human being, as a  friend because Sahil was a friend to me, over the past few months that man had grown on me. He wouldn't entrust someone's life with you knowing you don't like the person. Sahil was aware that Meher would be safe around me.

And lastly, Meher was family.

For Kabir Raizada, good or bad, family was everything.

Switching between the past and the present, new revelations turn up. Missed Sahil? A little insight into his life and his dynamics with Kabir. Interesting right? I am thinking of keeping an updated schedule but I can't promise anything I want to be regular with whatever I am doing.

Comment your favourite part from the chapter.

I know you guys love Kabir's POV, here's a treat for you all. Finishing this chapter on a Sunday and this may go up two weeks from now. Till then, take care y'all.

Also, don't forget to VOTE, COMMENT and SHARE. Comment a heart if you enjoyed reading this chapter.

With Love,

Akii.