Third Person's View

Neil didn't sleep a blink last night. He was thinking about Vidyut and Avni. He was sceptical about Avni's connection with Vidyut.

"What is she to him? Does she possess the same amorous affection towards him, if yes Why did he kidnap her the last day and if no, why was she letting him exploit her? Is she Vidyut's trap for him?", he asked these questions to himself.

"Can I trust her after I know that she is acquainted with my biggest nemesis?"

"Do I want to trust her?"

He was busy thinking about all the possible possibilities when a knock at the door of his study interrupted him.

"Come in."

"Sir.", DD greeted Neil and passed him the day's newspaper." Sir, you need to see. There's a whole ruckus due to this article."

Neil opened the newspaper and his fist clenched with sheer anger, but the anger didn't flash on his face.

"Sir there's a whole army of news reporters from every inch of media, what are your commands?", DD asked patiently.

Neil didn't reply to him and marched towards the mansion's entrance.

NK Villa's entrance was packed with reporters, journalists and news writers. Reporters were less concerned with investigative journalism but more enthralled to make their story more dramatic, hence the ruckus. All pairs of eyes were waiting for just a glimpse of the billionaire, so when Neil Khanna graced them with his presence the noises doubled. 

Hundreds of people were asking questions simultaneously, even though the questions were almost the same.

"Mr Khanna, you were being engaged to Miss Shekhawat then who's this girl?", a reporter yelled flashing Neil and Avni's pictures that were captured with an angle making them look highly intimate.

"Mr Khanna, who's she to you?"

"What relation does she have with you?"

"What about Mali Shekhawat?"

"Was it just a business deal?"

"When did you break up with Miss Mali?"

"Are you cheating on her?"

"Enough", Neil's voice was deep, high but dominating. His one-word sliced the chaos like a sharp Katana. "What I do in my life is none of your concern and I won't appreciate other people's noses in my business. I don't have time to answer your frivolous questions so you may leave."

"You're afraid to answer our questions, Mr Khanna, they aren't frivolous.", a reporter exclaimed.

Neil glared at him icily and crossed the barricade which was placed to stop the media from entering NK Villa.

"You think this reverse psychology to enrage me and get answers will work pretty boy?", Neil said raising his eyebrow. The coldness in his tone made the young reporter shudder with fear.

"If you are so cool about this whole situation then why don't you give us the answers, Mr Khanna?", he blurted though his insides were churning with nervousness.

"Very well.", Neil said and turned to DD," Hold a conference at sharp 4 pm and clear this space, now.

Neil entered Khanna mansion only to see Avni standing there in his clothes.

Avni's POV

Noise.

Noise.

And more Noise.

Silence?

"Enough.", I heard a cold voice. I tried to listen more but this throbbing headache wouldn't let me concentrate. With a lot of courage, I opened my eyelids only to shut them off again. Why the hell was my head paining as if it was being hit by a freakin' hammer.

I forced my eyes to open again and let them adjust to the brightness and that's when my foolish self realized I slept in Mr Khanna's room, the whole night.

My phone was phone pinging with message after message, its sound was making me go mad with anger. Memories of last night flashed in my mind

"Who is my Chauvinist-Nirdayi-Hypocrite-Arrogant-I'm-the-block-of-ice-Khanna?", last night's moments flashed in front of me.

Oh, my stars!

Did I say that to Mr Khanna, someone tell me I didn't do that.

'Sorry to say, Queen of Jhansi, you did. Why do you do this Avni. Now that Devil-Khanna will do something which will make me die.'

'Please shut up. My head is paining a lot right now.'

'Did someone invite you to drink that glass?'

"If you are so cool about this whole situation then why don't you give us the answers, Mr Khanna?", a third voice made me halt. Who's he and what's this whole noise outside?

'Shut up drama queen and let me concentrate.'

"You didn't tell me you are a witch. Where are your grimoires and other paraphernalia? Tell me, tell me?"

"Are you drunk conscience?"

"Let me think..umm..no....Why?"

"Then stop this nonsense and let me focus."

'My very genius Avni, go and see by yourself.', my conscience dared to scold me, she's getting out of my hand now. But what can I do, I'm her and she's me.. dammit you get it right, it's difficult to explain.

I picked my phone and there were 38 missed calls, 23 by maa and 15 by Mr-Psycho. But what caught my extra attention was a picture or to be precise a news article's cut-out image. It had an image of Mr Khanna and me.

What the...

Below it was a voice note. I played it with unsteady hands.

'Hello, love, I got to know you didn't come home last night. You messed up bad this time love but don't worry... I know how to correct your mistakes. You see this article, by tomorrow morning every business newspaper will have this photograph published on their front pages. I actually hate doing it but you know what love I can and I will go to any limit to keep you away from Neil Khanna. See you love and don't you dare cry, I hate seeing you gloomy love.'

It happened.

What I dreaded the most happened.

He did this intentionally knowing Mr Khanna won't let anything happen to his power and reputation. Oh, my stars! What will he do now? Should I show this voice note to Mr Khanna?

I looked at my phone and saw another voice note just below the first one.

'Thinking to expose me in front of Khanna love? Do it, it won't amend anything but I can't guarantee Sasu maa's life thereafter. Little insecure and possessive for you, what to do you're so gorgeous.'

Why?

What did I do to deserve this?

I need to leave, I should run from here, I'll leave, yes that's right, I should leave.

'Where will you run Avni? Mr-Creep-Smirk-face will find you, you know na how powerful he is.', my conscience reminded me that I'm trapped.

Curse that man to hell.

'Avni you need to tell Mr Khanna every single thing.'

'I can't. What if he did something to maa? What's the guarantee Mr Khanna will believe me? How can you be sure even after knowing the whole truth he would help me?

'How can you be sure he won't?', my conscience sighed.

Her question caught me off guard.

Maybe once in life, he'll help me, not me but my maa.

I have to tell him.

I'll tell him everything, because of me he's also involved in this mess. No matter how much he hates me, he'd go to any extent to save his reputation. I closed my eyes and one more name came to my mind.

Miss Mali?

What will be her reaction when she comes to know about all this? She doesn't deserve this. She loves him, I've seen in her eyes and now she'll think of him as a cheater just because of me.

"You break everything. You are an abomination to our family.", once again my father's words rang in my ears.

He was right.

He was always right.

I ruin everything.

It's always me: the destruction.

'Avni stop thinking all this, you're not an abomination, he was the monster, he was just a dark chapter of our life and he's gone, so for god's sake stop thinking this nonsense.', my conscience yelled at me. 

'Do you think he'll help?'

'For God's love, I'm not a psychic Avni just go and ask.'

I sighed and moved out. The indistinct chatterings and yelling seemed to low down, I sighed, I have to ask him. Power=Money. The richer you are the more power you possess. It's the truth of today's life and can't be denied.

I saw him marching inside, I rethought my choice, should I or shouldn't I.

His eyes found mine and our gaze locked with each other. His eyes were dangerously dark but still managed to send chills down my spine. Without any warning, he wrapped his fingers around my wrist and dragged me towards his room.

I let out a defeated sigh, this means he knows about this article, now I give any explanation to him or not, he won't believe.

He shoved me inside the room almost gently and locked the door behind him.

Oh, my stars!

Is it my end?

"Mr Khanna, I-.", words died in my throat due to his proximity.

"Don't.", his one word crushed all my hopes. His voice wasn't loud but not calm either. He won't believe me at all. He brought his hands to my neck and adjusted my collar.

Huh?

What is he doing?

He pulled the lapels of his white shirt which I was wearing and straightened it. Next, he closed the 2 opened buttons. My cheeks burned with embarrassment. I was confused was an understatement. It's declared Mr Khanna is the most difficult person to understand.

"How are you feeling?", he asked.

Huh?

Note to self: see an otolaryngologist.

He shook his head," You don't need to see an otolaryngologist and yes I asked you how are you feeling."

Did I say that loud?

"Yes, you did.", his lips were curled into a small smirk. Arrogant jerk!

I stretched my hand out to see if Mr Khanna had a fever or whatsoever, kesi beheki beheki baatein kar rhe hai but he held my hand in midway. The sleeves of my white shirt were hanging because of how long they were, he held my wrist and rolled them up.

"Mr Khanna, did you drink early morning?"

"No."

"Do you have a fever?"

"No."

"Are you high?"

He narrowed his eyes at me and the same answer came, "No."

"Are you Mr Khanna?"

"N-Yes. What kind of stupid question is that Miss Mehta?"

"You don't seem well in my eyes.", I said fazed.

"I advise you to see an ophthalmologist then."

I sighed, "Do you know about the new...." before I could complete the question he interrupted me.

"How do you know?"

"I-uh-I got a message."

"Was it from Vidyut?", his question left me baffled, how does he know about Vidyut?

"How do...."

"I may have received a call from Vidyut last night now give me your phone Miss Mehta."

Just when I was handing over my phone to Mr Khanna, a new message came but he didn't let me see it.

His eyes flashed with anger and I could see it. My eyes didn't leave his face. What was in there? His fists were clenched so firmly that I could see his knuckles turning white.

"Mr Khanna what..."

"Why didn't you tell me about him before?"

His question enraged me so much that I could have sworn my ears were turning pink with anger.

"Why did you ask me that question?", I asked impatiently.

"Miss Mehta I don't have time for your questions, just answer me."

"Mr Khanna, are you listening to yourself right now? You may have forgotten but not I. I still remember how you turned my Da-Maa's orphanage into a pile of dust, how you snatched my job and turned the chances of my employment next to zero. You can't even realize how hard it is to manage bills when your only job is snatched because Flash news Mr Khanna... not everyone is born with a silver spoon in his mouth.

And after what you had done you ask me why I didn't tell you, you surely are crack."

I looked at him but I couldn't see anything on his face. No guilt, no remorse, just a blatant look.

"Ask yourself, Mr Khanna, would you have believed if I had come to you with those pictures. Let me answer you.

No, you won't have believed. Your theory would be straight judging me that I was the one who snapped these pictures to coerce you. You realize how hard it is to live every second in fear, how paranoid I felt when I knew that some creep is watching me every moment. You can't and I am sure you won't believe me even now because .............

I never got a chance to complete my words because the next moment he pulled me with the lapels of my shirt(his shirt to be precise) so close that his lips almost brushed mine. A chill ran down my spine due to that.

His lips found their way next to my ear and his next words shocked the living daylights out of me.

"I believe you.", his words were just a whisper but they held great intensity.

"You do?", I asked sincerely tilting my head so that I could make eye contact with him.

"Yes.", his answer was curt and cold but I don't know why warmth flooded my heart.

"Why?"

"Because I- I tr- because I know what kind of man Vidyut is?", I don't know if I am right or not but Mr Khanna was lying, the reason was something else. Never in these all weeks, I had seen him fumbling with his words.

"Be ready at 4 pm Miss Mehta, there's a big announcement awaiting you."

He turned to leave leaving me confused.

"Next time when you wear my shirt, make sure you close all the buttons, I don't want other men gawking at you...", he paused." I meant I don't want my staff gawking at you instead of doing their work.", and with a slam on the door, he left.

That man is surely crack! What does he mean by next time?

'Avni shut up. You realize how it's sounding?'

__________________________

Ahem ahem, Things got quite cosy today & Mr Khanna is getting possessive, that's shocking my goodness!

And the biggest question are you liking his character development like is it convincing or am I going fast?

This chapter wasn't very interesting I know but the next one I promise will be filled with drama and something else. What do you think will Neil say in the press conference. Think twice because hey! here we are talking about the might arrogant Khanna.

Let me know what's running in your mind.

Till then stay safe and stay blessed.

Love love

P.S. Thank you so much for completing the target. Ek aur rakhu- come on ek aur banta hai -60 votes.

Aapki seva mein sadev tatpar