*Anusha Pov*

"I don't have any energy to travel, Satvik." I said for the tenth time while he continued to sort out the files before we can leave.

"You can sleep in the car." he mumbled, not giving much thought.

"No! I have to behave like a proper daughter-in-law, right? Otherwise, there would be something else that will hurt your Mom and you will get upset with me." I mumbled back and he immediately straightened.

"I never got upset with you." He pointed out.

"Yeah? You see everything I do with black shade whenever you feel upset about your Mom's indifference." I pointed back.

"Yes! I have made mistakes, but I don't know what else to do. I have only you, Sha. I can't go near our neighbors and inform them I am sad, right?" he asked frowning.

"I will be there with you through as many downs as present. But that doesn't mean I have to feel down for you to feel up." I mumbled knowing well I don't know how to explain and he doesn't know how to understand.

"Anyway, I want to stay here for the night because I really can't be at my best before your family with this tiredness." I added to which he shook his head.

"Sha! I can't let you stay alone here." He said, frowning and the words were there in my mouth the next second but I know I can't utter them.

How can I ask him to stay here too when he already said he will not enter this flat at all? It's been one month and he kept to his promise. The sad part was I modeled it with both of our interests in mind except the guest rooms but he will never see them.

"Listen, if you stay here there will be other questions also. You staying here to skip something will not have a stand before such." He mumbled breaking the silence.

So, we come back to the point where I have to do something again thinking what would his family think if I take some step? I shook my head and took a step back.

"I got this flat to use it whenever I feel tired to make it home. Now, that is the case and if I don't, then what was the need for it in the first place?" I asked reaching the door.

"You reach home and give me a call. I won't be able to sleep until you tell me you reached safely." Saying that I walked off after opening the door.

I just fell on the bed feeling my legs numb with all the rushing. Everything started one month back when we got to know Laksh started a company to be our rival.

We all pushed ourselves so much that the target we placed for three months, we reached last week only, but still we didn't stop pushing ourselves more.

Even with not much hard work like ours on his side, he has the brand of his Dad's because of which he is still our competitor. But I have a feeling we will reach far from him.

The atmosphere at home involving Aunty completely ignoring Satvik but everyone still show expressions when something happens which they don't think should like the present one where they expect me to reach home but today I don't want to live up to their expectations.

To that headache this Laksh became another problem for all of us. I wish my Dad never got that proposal for me and then everything would have been fine.

Because I know all this is stressing our relationship as at present not only him, but I am also taking my frustration to a large extent. But I am tired of all this and I just need some peace.

My thoughts got interrupted when I heard my phone ringing and I immediately lifted it asking, "Reached?"

"Yeah! Have some food before sleeping and lock the doors properly." He replied.

"So much concern? Should I stay away like this frequently to get such attention?" I asked and he didn't say anything.

"No matter how the present situation is and no matter how many times I acted like stupid, I love you. And if something happens to you then I will go mad." He mumble and his voice literally shook.

"Why are you so nice when I am away?" I asked, groaning and heard a chuckle.

"Go to sleep." He whispered and hung up while I smiled shaking my head.

This is what he does all the time no matter what is the reason. I go mad at him and the next thing I know I am mad about him.

I closed my eyes and drifted off into sleep smiling, but there was this fear that something is wrong and I wish I can stop it.

After a few weeks, I know I still wish I have the power to stop something bad from happening.

"He just sent his friend to us to make sure we dance to his tunes before he takes off other clients." Satvik slammed his hand on the desk uttering those words.

"Satvik!" I whispered hoping he will calm down.

He was the calmest person I have ever known, but because of this Laksh he is losing his temper too fast with a small snap of fingers.

"Why don't we meet him once? Because we will not be able to survive in long term if this continues. Now, we will think who is genuine and who is not whenever a client approaches us." Yash mumbled.

"Now onwards one of you will talk to the client before Anusha can approach him." Suddenly Satvik stated making me frown.

"But why? If they are acting even they will be unable to know about it. Now, these many times will waste our valuable time." I said looking at him.

"No! If with proper attention we meet the client first, then this will not repeat." He uttered the words and there was complete silence.

"Are you suggesting I was not concentrating?" I asked and he immediately glanced at me before gesturing the others to leave.

"Sha! I know you are irritated because of the situation at home. Maybe it will be better if they get involved." He suggested.

"The situations didn't start today, Satvik. When I can work all these months then why not now? We didn't imagine a situation like this and now we will be more careful." I said and walked to the door but his voice stopped me.

"I also don't want you to be in danger. Do you know how it felt to know you had met this client alone who is Laksh's member? Anything would have happened and we wouldn't have known." I closed my eyes sighing.

"Couldn't you have said this first?" I asked, turning around and walked near to him.

"I didn't think of saying it." He replied and I shook my head smiling.

"Start talking what you really think or feel than turning the conversation into another direction." I mumbled and leaned over to hug him.

I am still pacing around his cabin like for the last half an hour waiting for them. I just hope the meeting will be succesful and everything returns to normal.

However, when the door slammed open I know for sure everything turned to worse. After that eventual way of opening the door Satvik stormed inside with his friends following him before he threw the things on his table on the floor.

"Satvik!" I screamed when he got a cut on his hand because of the paper blade on the desk.

"Control your anger, Satvik." Saying that I pulled him to the couch and took the first aid box Jay passed me.

He just sat there fuming while I cleaned the cut and covered it properly. I felt scared to even ask them about the meeting.

"He is doing all this for you, Bhabhi." Jay whispered and Satvik's hand stiffened in mine.

"Should I die to make him understand I will never be his?" I asked myself groaning feeling guilty.

All this is happening because of me only and they need not have this meeting at all. I suspected it way back and I don't know what to even do.

"That bastard said he will liquidate his company the moment, you be with him." Satvik spatted and the anger returned.

"We will fight it, Satvik." I assured him, hoping I don't let the tears out before him.

"Damn right we will. I have made a plan for the next two months and if we still won't be able to beat him, I will sell my share to Jay and Yash so that they don't suffer because of this." Satvik explained.

"No chance, Satvik. We entered this for you and we were earning very little before this and now we have more than needed. We will fight even if it will take years." Jay assured him.

And that's how everything turned to worse, but not for the company. Like Satvik planned, we worked more and more making it huge, but we lost the peace also.

"If you both are not going to come for dinner it would be better if it is informed." After one month his Mom commented one day when we returned late to home.

This one month our dinner involved with snacks and that too if our receptionist brings such by herself otherwise we wouldn't even think.

"Fine! No need to cook dinner." Satvik said sharply and I stared at him in shock along with his mother.

"Satvik!" I whispered, looking at the hurt look in her eyes.

"What? I think the accusations are finished. Now, we can leave for our room." Saying that he walked off while the whole family stared at him in shock not saying a single word.

"Aunty! He is... he is just stressed about work." I mumbled and moved my hand to hold her, but stopped thinking she may not like it.

"You are also stressed, right? Then why is he only the one who is behaving rude?" she asked, taking a deep breath and this time I couldn't say anything.

"You go and take rest." She added and walked off while I frowned at her.

After her everyone walked off except Manvi and I stared at her confused to which she shook her head before walking near to me.

"We all are kind of admiring you for bearing him during his bad moods." She started making me frown.

"Do you think we didn't see his changed behavior? We all saw it, but you are handling him with such effort that everyone is praising you." She added and I felt bad.

"Manvi! He didn't change and he is like this because there is lot of stress on him right now. He is not taking rest properly and he will be fine when the problem gets solved." I said, hoping they will not think bad of me.

"What is this? You both will always defend each other or what?" she asked, laughing but I just gave her a smile worried about the situation.

I turned to leave, but saw Aunty standing near the steps holding the empty bottle. I don't know what to say and just walked off feeling more guilty.

"Sha!" he whispered the moment I entered into the dark room.

I switched on the light to see him sitting on the bed holding his head. I sighed and walked near to him and hugged him, pressing his head to my ribs.

"What is happening to me?" he asked, hugging me back.

"Shh!" I whispered and his hold tightened.

"I told them that you were just stressed. Just apologize to her tomorrow." I mumbled and he just stayed silent.

"If not for me then all this wouldn't have happened." I added and he shook his head in negative before moving back and pulled me down onto his lap.

"We will win, Satvik." I mumbled, closing my eyes and tried to ease my guilt.

Next day he apologized and everything went back like before. They didn't say anything to me, but I still feel like they blame me for this also. Why am I feeling that I don't know, but I am feeling it.

I sat at my desk, smiling reading the mails and rushed out of the cabin to reach his before shouting, "We got them, Satvik."

"The ten deals?" he asked with a shocked look and I nodded grinning.

He stood up and walked near to me before lifting me up making me laugh seeing his excitement.

We immediately shared it with his friends and started working on them together not leaving any moment idle.

"Satvik! You go and take rest. Today I need to stay back longer to send all the information to our clients." I suggested looking at his tired face.

"Are you sure?" he asked and I nodded.

"All the work is done and we beat him yesterday. Now, he can never touch us." I added and he grinned.

"I feel so relieved now." He whispered and hugged him before stepping back.

"Now, go and spend time with your family." I mumbled, still feeling the tug that I can never be part of that.

"No! I will just go and sleep today. Tomorrow I will make it up for them for being so rude these days." Saying that he left smiling while I returned to my desk to finish the work.

Finally, I stood up logging out and started leaving the cabin to reach the flat but my phone started ringing.

I smiled, lifting it up looking at his name before saying, "Hello! Already missing me?"

"Anusha! That... Mom..." he trailed off with a stress filled tone and I frowned thinking what happened now.

"Oh god! Now, what is she complaining about?" I asked, groaning and met with silence.

"Laksh kidnapped my Mom!" I froze hearing it andmy phone fell from my hands. 

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i thought of updating this week at least two times but the whole week was packed...

so very late update...

how is it???

comment plz and vote...