(Not Edited! I repeat not edited!)

Avni's POV

"You, my little tigress.", Mr Khanna whispered against my lips. It took only 4 words for him to make my heart skip a beat, blast him. Blast this block of ice for having so much effect on me. He pulled back and kissed my forehead gently. My heart tugged. How does he manage to flood my chest with so much warmth?

He rested his forehead against mine and closed his eyes probably savouring the moment just like me. For the first time, I saw an actual satisfaction on his face. He didn't have a cold look that had people running for hills. He looked stable like an atom who had its octate complete.

"Oh look, what do we have here?", a voice which I knew very well disrupted the hanging peaceful silence between us.

"Mr Khanna?", he hummed as a response, his eyes still closed.

"Mr Khanna.", I whispered to him, my cheeks were flaming. How does she always manage to catch us whenever we are close? Damn her detective senses.

"Mr Khanna let me go.", I muttered trying my best to escape his hold but in response, his grip on me just tightened.

"Never. I'm never letting you go.", he declared opening his brown eyes which were filled with pure determination. A smile tugged at my lips which was immediately vanished when I realized there's an audience.

"Mr Khanna. Liza's here."

"You are lying.", he cocked his head to his left making his soft hair fall on his forehead and boy did he look,

'Hot.'

I really wanted to-

'Run fingers in his hair?'

'Shut up Conscience.'

"Who knew the big bad piece of ice would be such a big softie.", Reece's voice brought me back to my senses and I gasped in horror. Oh, my holy stars, that means it's not only Liza but there's Reece too.

Almost instantly Mr Khanna's eyes turned cold. He turned his head to the left and I enacted his actions and next moment I wished I never came here. 

Mr Khanna's little gang was standing with their cameras along with Naina di who had a mischievous grin on her face and to my further embarrassment Mr Khanna's mother was also standing, her face adorned with a small smile.

I stomped on Mr Khanna's foot but he didn't even flinch. Definitely Iron Man.

I hurriedly unwrapped his arms from around me and smiled at the public we had.

"What are you all doing here?" First time. I repeat it was the first time when Mr Khanna's cold eyes didn't affect them, all it did was widen their grins.

"My son has finally grown.", Ivan gushed with excitement, a stupid grin on his face.

The embarrassment was something I'd never experienced. I stomped on Mr Khanna's foot again earning a pointed look from him. He raised his perfectly plucked eyebrow at me.

'Not the time to swoon Avni.'

"I-uh I- we were just discussing an important thing."

"Sure you were Avi.", Naina di smirked at me making my cheeks redden darker."We all saw what important thing was being discussed?

"How much?", I blurted and mentally facepalmed at my stupidity.

'Great going Avni. Very good.'

What followed was laughter. Embarrassing was the most understating word to express my situation. I looked at Mr Khanna's face and he was already looking at me, amusement dancing in his eyes. Great! now he was also finding my awkwardness funny.

"I uh I think my stars are calling me.", I rushed out of the study as if my tail was on fire. Behind me, I heard Liza's voice that it was still daytime.

'Proud of you my top-class certified stupid.', my conscience exclaimed and for once I couldn't shut her up. I really am an expert in setting benchmarks of stupidity.

I walked to the garden and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Ma'am you shouldn't be outside. Mr Khanna sir told us not to let you step out of the house.", he spoke with utmost sincerity, his eyes glued to the ground. What's up with the ground?

I looked down and then at the guard's face."Is there something on the ground?"

"No Ma'am. We are not allowed to look at your face.", he said and scurried off to his position, near the big golden gate of NK Villa. I pondered over his words but couldn't contemplate anything.

Did Mr Khanna order them not to look at me?

'Of course you dumbo.'

"Avi.", Aarav said bringing me out of my thoughts. From the moment he heard Naina di calling me 'Avi', he has been addressing me with the same name. I smiled at him gesturing him to come to me.

"Hey, Aarav. What are you doing here?"

"Cricket. Will you join me?", he asked passing the ball to me. I nodded eagerly, of course, who would refuse to cricket?  

~

Only 10 minutes had passed and Mr Khanna's messenger had come with a note in his hand.

Miss Mehta

Inside, now.

-Neil

Definitely my man! a stupid grin plastered on my face, only he can manage to show concern while ordering.

"Do you have a pen?", I asked the staff member and he handed me a pen. I grinned evilly and flipping the note I wrote.

Mr Khanna

No.♡

-Your dear Avni

Handing the note to the man I turned to Aarav, "Let's finish the game before your uncle comes."

~

I threw the ball at Aarav's side and he swung his bat and the ball flew God knows where."Six.", he yelled. I smiled looking at the kid's happiness.

"Lemme get a new ball Avi.", he said and I agreed still searching for the lost ball. Somewhere I heard a weird sound, a metallic sound and the next moment what I experienced was a sharp pain in my head and everything turned blur and eventually black.

~~~

Tick Tick Tick! The clock was making me mad with anger. Stop it you tormenting device. The continuous ticking of the clock was worsening the pain I was experiencing in the back of my head. I squinted my eyes and the first thing I saw was a small glass chandelier, in normal days I'd have stared at it and admired its beauty but right now I was creeping out. I looked around the unfamiliar room.

And when I put two and two together I realized I'm screwed.

Oh, sweet Jesus where am I?

I climbed down from the bed and cautiously walked to the door. Please, stars don't let my guesses come true. I swear I'll never call you stupid, I'll never ever skip a single day without talking to you and I'll also make Mr Khanna apologize to you for that day. Okay the last one is a little impossible but you get the point, right? Just don't let it be him.

Just when I was about to touch the doorknob, the door swung open and all my hopes shattered.

'Deal over stars.'

'For once I agree with you.'

"Leaving so soon, Love?", his voice made me shudder. How the hell do I manage to land myself in such problems? What was my mistake, I was just playing with Aarav.

"What? What are you doing here?", I asked taking steps back.

"It's my place, love, of course, I'd be here." he, smirked taking steps closer towards me.

"Let me rephrase then, what am I doing here?", I asked pushing all my fear and panic aside. I won't let him enjoy his sadistic pleasures.

"You forgot love, I promised you that within 4 days you'd be with me.", he strode towards me and my insides churned in fear when the calves of my legs touched the edge of the bed. And in one movement he reached out wrapping his arm around my waist, my feet stayed glued to the ground refusing to step even an inch.

"H..How? How did you enter Mr Khanna's mansion?"

"Shh.", he shushed me and reached out his hand to grab my chin."Do not take his name from that pretty mouth of yours again.", he proceeded to touch my cheek and I closed my eyes in utter disgust. This was the worst feeling.

No one deserves to experience such feeling.

"Please let me go." a mock laugh resonated in the room as soon as these words escaped my throat.

"My naïve, love. Do you really think I would let you go? After going through so much pain and torment I've got you in my arms, you really think I'd ever let you go now?"

Icy horror had started gripping me in its arms. I was feeling pathetic and weak.

Stop Avni! You aren't weak. You are strong and fearless.

"That's my tigress.", his words rang in my ears. And for that moment I thought he was here, with me, by my side.

He tucked a piece of hair behind my ear and my breath hitched, he pulled me in his embrace which to me felt like a cage, a cage where neither I can breathe nor die."I don't understand why you can't see my love?"

'Hands off Mr.'

I balled my fists tightly, anger, no not anger, rage was bubbling inside me. Love my foot!

"You call this love?", a dry chuckle escaped me." Love doesn't snatch your freedom, Mr Dwayne, love provides you freedom."Just the way Mr Khanna's love freed me from the baggage of my past. I didn't say the last sentence, stars know what he might have done next.

I thrashed to move out of his tentacles and he let out a sigh before loosening his grip."No one is snatching your freedom love. Be free. Who stopped you? I just want you to be mine and I promise I won't stop you from doing anything."

A blinding fury overwhelmed my senses. Who is he to allow me for anything? 

"I.do.not and I.will.not belong to anyone Mr Dwayne. Not now, not ever. I'm my own person and not a darn thing to claim on and it'll be better if you fix this thing in that thick head of yours.", I snarled in anger. 

"Ah! This...This fiery feisty look is what got me on my knees.", his eyes sparkled."It'd be really fun to break you and trust me soon you'll be mine."

I chuckled, his words sounded like a joke to me."It'd be really fun to dissolve your illusion because trust me it'll never happen. I'll never belong to any-darn-one."

"Challenge accepted, love."

"Do not call me that again.", I snapped. I was annoyed listening to this endearment.

"Why love?", he smirked clearly enjoying getting on my nerves.

'Jerk!'

"I'll be back soon. Till then eat something. Food is on the table.", he walked out of the door and I could hear the jingling of keys.

'Bastard locked the door.'

I wish you were here Mr Khanna. I'm scared.

And done. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I hope you could imagine the craziness in Vidyut's words. I tried my best.

"I will never belong to any-darn-one.": A small message(if you've time, do read) Recently I came across few books and the male toxicity in them was freakin' unbearable, I know that it's the author's book and he/she can write anything, it's their wish but I just want to say one thing a woman is not a thing to belong to anyone, possessiveness is fine but when the feeling of 'claim' gets in between, it becomes a cage & Love is not a cage, love is a key to all cages of society and insecureness.

Now you'd say the author is such a hypocrite, in the last chapter only in Neil's POV he called her his. So listen to me, Avni would have confronted him then and there if she knew what was running in his mind. Neil is not a perfect man and soon Avni will confront him too. His possessiveness is fine but calling a woman hers is not right in my eyes. If you feel I'm wrong anywhere, you can gladly question or write to me. I'd love to hear. 

P.S. I'm a little bit upset you know I genuinely thought that you guys will break records in the last two chapters as they were the most awaited chapters but the votes were lesser than the earlier ones. *sighs*

Never mind Please vote on this ch that's the only source of motivation for us writers, it lets us know that you guys are actually enjoying the book.

Next chapter- Neil's oh sorry Mr Khanna's wrath(but after 90 votes)

Until then

Love love

Aapki seva mein sadev tatpar