-• r in his name stands for rescue •-

I don't even get the chance to show my panic, because the poor driver is doing enough for the two of us. He's going to crash the car into something at this rate.

"Will you please focus on the road!?" I screech as we almost hit the bumper of a car in front of us, missing it by a mere graze. Whew, that was a close call.

He begins to sob. "It's only a week I started this job. I can't die so soon! I've a family!" He slams his foot down on the brake. As though that'll make it work. I rake a hand through my hair, regretting getting out of Agastya's car. I should have just went home.

What would I even get by playing cop? What was I trying to achieve?

Quickly putting on a seatbelt, I search through the backpack for my phone. I remember keeping it in the front zipper along with the cash Agastya gave me. "Found it!" My hand grips the back of the driver's seat as the cab swerves sharply, almost throwing me to the other side. I unlock the device with shaky hands, my eyes blurring due to fresh tears.

No, I can't cry.

I've to keep my head straight.

This time I've no one to rely on unlike before.

Fear knows how to paralyse a perfectly capable body. My thoughts, along with my actions, are scattered like a mess, scooped up with trembling hands that belong to me. I feel my heart climb my throat, and I forcefully swallow, my mouth completely dry. The car hits the air like it's a solid barrier, causing no physical damage, but pushing us closer in the face of death.

Finally, I find Yuvraaj's number. As I go to press the call button, my screen switches, displaying an incoming call. I feel a rush of relief pass through my body reading the name.

"Rudra! Rudra, I'm in this cab-"

"I know. I know. Calm down." He tells me, and for some reason, his serene voice puts me in a state of stability. "I'm here. Nothing is happening to you."

I nod.

"Now listen to me carefully, in less than five minutes, take a left and you'lll pass a flyover. Ask your driver to bring the speed in control as much as he can, I'll take care of the rest."

I nod hurriedly.

"I need to hear you, Taranya. Tell me you understand."

"I- I do." I whisper.

"Good, Princess. Keep me on the line and relay my message to the driver." He states.

"Driver, in less than five minutes take a left, we're passing a flyover. I need you to control the speed as much as you can."

"Why? Is a Superhero coming to save us!?"

"Shut up and do as I say if you don't want both of us to die!" I screech. We're ought to take all the chances we can to survive. I can't believe his fear still has a room for temper.

"Okay, fine, don't scream!" He growls and grips the steering wheel tightly, solely focusing on the road this time. I can see the hope in his eyes revive despite the lack of confidence.

"Rudra," I pant softly into the phone. It's strange how terror can control your body functions just as expertly as a five minute run can. This is how I felt when I went on a jog with Agastya for the first time. My limbs felt tired, head felt light, thoughts were mushy, and a buzzing sound kept ringing in my ears constantly, depriving me of the strength.

"Take a deep breath for me, Princess. What did I say to you?" He is weirdly calm.

"What?" I breathe out.

"I've always protected you." He says. I feel a sob build up in the back of my throat. I've never felt so reassured because of someone's words before. Even if I die today, I know I was worthy enough to be saved. "And I'll always protect you."

Just as he says that, we reach the flyover and something heavy slams down onto the roof of the car, shaking it violently. The driver and I let out shrieks of shock. Dropping the phone to the seat, my hands fly to my ears to protect them from the piercing noise.

The car loses its momentum and we nearly cause an accident but thankfully, the driver regains the control.

"What was that!? What was it!?" His horror induced voice booms through the car. The question is answered by a harsh slap of hand gripping the open window of the backseat. I gasp and try to scramble away, but the seatbelt holds me in place.

"Open!" I hear through my phone, and the hand around the window clenches tightly. Undoing the belt, I open the door but it slams shut because of the speed. At least we're on an empty road right now. So I push forward myself with courage and slide down between the seats, unlocking the door again and holding it open.

"Is this really a superhero!?"

"Rudra!?" I shout when he doesn't come in. Then again, it's not easy to get in the car from the roof while it's racing beyond the speed limit on an empty highway.

"I need you to break down the door, Tara!" He says through the phone.

"What!? No!" The driver screams in protest. "This is not my cab. I've only rented it out!"

"Do you want us to die!?" I ask sharply.

He shakes his head.

"Then we need to get rid of the door." I command him.

He relents after a heavy sigh. "Maybe we can try hitting it against a pole?" He suggests.

"Alright, let's do that." I nod hurriedly.

The first hit propels the car out of control, the second hit brings a dent, by the third hit the door is half crushed and fourth rips it off, throwing it onto the road.

"Rudra?" I call out again. I hope he's okay up there. I can't imagine lying on the roof of the car that's speeding above limit.

I hear a few rough grunts through the heavy noise of the engine, before a black boot places itself against the resisting air on the edge of the driver's window, shocking him to the core. The other foot kicks inside the backseat, before he throws his entire body into the car.

I heave a sigh of relief.

"Are you-" he doesn't give me the time to finish my question and leans in between the seat gap.

"I need to take the control. Shift to the other side." He orders the driver. The man obeys wordlessly, unlike how he had objected to my every command. Rudra slides effortlessly on the seat and takes the wheel in his hands, manouvering it skillfully despite the threat it has become to our lives.

For a moment, I imagine him doing the same with death, tricking it as long as time runs out, until it accepts defeat and just walks away.

I put on my seatbelt again. Rudra takes out a pair of glasses from his pocket and unfolds them with one hand, putting them on with a suave of an action hero in some blockbuster movie. What is he so fucking cool for? I swallow.

Only you, Tara. Only you can find time to thirst over your saviour while in the face of death.

He taps his index finger on the right hinge. "Yara, help me find the nearest construction site."

I frown.

Who's he talking to?

"Alright, thanks."

Rudra keeps one hand on the steering and with the other, he types a location in the GPS, his eyes glancing back and forth from the screen to the windshield. The gps tracks down the location and provides us with the directions. "Go to the backseat." He instructs the driver.

"Huh?" The man sounds clueless.

"Go to the backseat if you don't want to get face-slammed by the airbag." Rudra replies, sounding irritated for having to explain. The driver nods hastily and climbs to the back, putting on the seatbelt like me.

Soon we near the destination.

"Hold onto the seatbelt tightly and close your eyes."

I feel the gush of air slam through me when we go off the lane and enter the construction site. Immediately closing my eyes, I lower my head to my chest, keeping them shut through the ear-splitting noise of the horns. I hear people scream and shout, they must be alarmed for having a sped up car suddenly barge into their workspace. And then my body is hurled forward with a force to reckon, knocking me out of breath.

When the relief sinks in, I realise he tried to stop the car by driving it into the heap of sand. And it worked. The driver and I look at each other before his eyes move to the front and go wide in disbelief. "Oh shit!" He lunges forward between the seat and pushes off the airbag that had thrust into Rudra's chest. I gasp, throwing off the seatbelt to exit the car and rush to the front door. Just as I open it, an unconscious Rudra slides to the pull of gravity, luckily blocked by the seatbelt.

My hand quickly raises to pull down his mask but I hesitate. There must have been a reason why he's hiding his identity from everyone. And considering the crowd surrounding us right now, I'm sure he'd rather prefer suffocating from lack of air than show his face openly.

"What are you doing? Get him out!" The driver runs to my side, ready to help his saviour.

"No!" I stop him.

The man, now that I notice particularly young, probably in his early thirties, halts abruptly. "What?"

"My phone," I point to the backseat. "It's on the floor. Please get it."

"We need to take him to the doctor -"

"I'll decide that." I state firmly. "Get the phone."

"What the hell is this?" A man storms through the crowd. "What is happening at my construction site!?" I bury Rudra's face to the side, his twitching fingers feebly clutch my hoodie.

I suck in a deep breath.

I'm no longer in London, living a life of poverty, pitied by everyone above me. I'm on top of the food chain right now.

"Is that how you speak with the member of a royal family?" I slam down his temper with my authority. "Do you even know who I am!?"

He narrows his eyes, and in a split second, realisation dawns in them. "Princess Taranya," his head bows. Hearing him elicit gasps of surprise from everyone around, and their head tilts to the ground, in respect, or in fear, I wouldn't know. But the power trip feels exhilarating.

"Are you the incharge here?" I question sternly.

He nods with a swallow. I even see the trickle of sweat roll down his temples.

"Ask everyone to return home and never speak of this again." I command.

He's prompt to respond, ordering around his subordinates to empty the site as quickly as possible. Then he retreats quietly, and doesn't glance back.

"My phone." I repeat to the driver.

There's fear in his eyes that I didn't see previously. He picks up the phone from the floor and politely hands it to me. I dial my eldest brother's number.

He picks up on the third ring.

"Taranya, I'm in a meet-"

"I'm stranded at a construction site. Rudra is with me. And he's unconscious." I inform him. "The cab I hired had failed brakes."

He hangs up immediately.

"Ta-Tara," I hear a stammered voice call out to me, causing me to bend to the owner's level. Rudra is still panting harshly through his mouth. The mask must make it difficult for him to breath normally. "I- I need some privacy." He requests.

"Sure," I murmur and gently lay his head on the seat. "Let's find a place to sit." My invitation extends to the driver.

"That's no problem. I can just ask for a lift and leave." He offers, a tremor in his voice.

"I insist." I reply. "My brother will pay for the damage."

"It's okay. It's not that it's your fault-"

"It is." I blink.

He understands surprisingly quick. "Oh."

"Yeah, let's find a place to sit. We've been through a lot in the last few minutes." I suggest, my hand motioning for him to take the lead. He complies and we find a spot in the open building, on the hard concrete that pokes into my ass. God, this hurts.

Silence prevails between us. My eyes often stray towards the car. Not a minute passes and I see Rudra getting out of the car. His back to me, a water bottle in his hand. He walks away from the car and removes his mask before bending over to splash some water on his face.

"Is he your bodyguard, Princess?"

I tear my eyes off Rudra. "No. But he's someone who protects me."

"That's a relief." The driver sighs. "Can I confess to something?" He suddenly asks me.

I frown at the weird request but permit him with a nod.

"My daughter saw you in the news once. I think it was the day of your birthday. I still remember the shine in her eyes. She couldn't stop looking at you. At first, I thought it was admiration, she is the same age as you." My brows shoot up in surprise. I thought him to be in his early thirties. Maybe not. "But then realised it was envy. She was envious of you. She craved to live a life like you. And as a father, I felt sad. But deep inside, I understood her desire to live a life of a princess. And thought to myself, if my daughter ever gets a chance to live a life like yours, I'll be the happiest man alive." He murmurs, his eyes crestfallen as they settle on me. "Now I realise, I'll probably be the most paranoid man alive. To be in constant fear of someone hurting my little girl will never let me sleep in peace. I want to apologise to you. On behalf of me and my daughter. We really thought poverty is miserable. No." He shakes his head. "Power is just as miserable."

I lower my head to the ground, feeling vulnerable to even exist in this moment. The screeching of tires causes my head to snap up. Yuvraaj flings the door of his black Maserati open before it barely even stops. I get up on my feet as he strides to me, meeting him halfway and throwing myself in the safety of his arms. He embraces me fiercely, and I feel his body tremble. I don't know if he is furious or scared, but I tighten my arms around him, holding him until he calms down.

When we pull away, his rough, calloused hand comes up to cup my cheek and I feel his eyes rake down my body, searching for any injuries.

"I'm fine." I tell him. Maybe just a little cuts and bruises here and there, but other than that, I'm absolutely fine. He pulls me back into his arms, as though reassuring himself.

This time we pull away because Rudra walks up to us. I don't even get a moment to comprehend before my brother is slapping him in the face that sends the latter crashing to the ground.

"Bhai!" I bellow in disbelief and rush to help Rudra when he grabs my arm and yanks me beside him. "Bhai, what are you doing!? He saved me!"

Yuvraaj ignores me. "How many times did I tell you to not pull her into your plans!?" His voice carries a force that trips me on my feet. It's like a cackling of a thunder, vibrating even the depths of the earth with its power.

"He didn't-"

"I'm sorry." Rudra apologises, getting back on his feet with a slight sway.

I frown. "What-"

"I shouldn't have. I'm sorry, Princess." He bows his head in my direction.

"What are you talking -"

"Get inside the car." Yuvraaj looks down at me, his eyes challenging me to defy.

"But-"

"Get inside the car, Taranya." He enunciates, as though it's a warning and not an order.

I swallow the thick bile of protest crawling up my throat. My eyes move to Rudra, confused as to why he's owning up to the mistakes I made. I should be the one getting blamed. He lifts his head and blinks slowly, compelling me to oblige.

I clench my hands into fists. "The cab belonged to that driver. He needs to be paid for the damage." I point at the man standing behind at a good distance that he was out of ear shot. I see him stand straight in attention when Yuvraaj barely glances over his shoulder before responding with a nod.

I sigh and walk to the black Maserati belonging to my brother. The driver opens the door for me and I get in, resting back as the door closes firmly. I stare through the closed window, watching my brother walk closer to Rudra and grip his shoulder. From the distance it'd look like a gesture of affection, but the furrow between Rudra's brows hints at the pain he's receiving from having his shoulder practically crushed.

I can't believe he's taking the fall of my push.

I thought he was selfish.

That's what Bhai said.

Yuvraaj leans to his ear and says something. I see Rudra nod before his shoulders sag in relief as my brother retracts his hand and drops it to the side. He rolls his shoulder, holding it gently through the pain.

Yuvraaj turns around and stalks to the driver standing meekly in distance. He takes out his visiting card and forwards it to the man. The driver nods at something my brother says and accepts the card with both of his hands. I look back at Rudra, worried to the bone, but then a car arrives for him and drives him off. My stomach drops in the pits of guilt.

I can't believe I've it in me to stand back and watch as someone else took the blame for my mistakes.

I see the driver rush to open the door for Yuvraaj as he walks over. His presence screams like a raging wolf, suffocating me in a cramped space. He leans back and spreads his legs, his eyes outside the window for the rest of the journey.

I'm dying to confess everything. But now that Rudra has already suffered through Yuvraaj's rage, I should talk to him before coming clean in front of my brother. Does he want to hold this over my head like a debt so he'll be free to ask for favours in future? That sounds like a possibility. I wouldn't be able to say no either. By saving my life, along with the driver's, all while jeopardizing his own, he has indeed put me in a debt I can never repay.

We reach the palace and I'm crushed in a pair of arms the moment I step out of the car. Vivaan's cologne and his fleecy, soft sweatshirt makes me nuzzle my face into his chest. I feel dad's hand rest on my head, it trembles as he strokes my hair.

"Let's go inside first," Yuvraaj's voice cuts through the emotional, warm moment like a shard of ice.

I force myself to step out of Vivaan's arms. Agastya wastes no time in pulling me closer as he searches for damage. His eyes drenched in guilt while he looks over me.

"I'm fine. And it's not your fau-"

"Not here. Inside." Yuvraaj glares at me.

I feebly nod and we all enter the palace.

"Who was in-charge of her responsibility?" He doesn't let anyone speak, his question reverberating through the hall like a clock pendulam, announcing the dead hour of the night.

Agastya timidly raises his hand.

"It isn't his fault!" I stomp on my foot, my eyes narrowed furiously at our eldest brother.

"To your room." He points upstairs.

"No. I was stubborn. Punish me!" I state fearlessly, though I'm quivering from inside.

"Oh, I will, Princess. There's time before we come to you." He nods. "For now, go to your room."

"No-"

"Short stuff," Agastya calls out to me using the nickname. He's getting punished because of me for God's sake! He should be swearing at me. "Go to your room. I deserve this."

"But you did nothing wrong! I convinced you!" I whine. "The twins were there, weren't they?" I look at Arush and Ayush. "You guys saw me forcing him to let me go, didn't you? Ayush?" He quickly lowers his head in fear of the consequences. "Arush?"

Arush nods, but then stops when Agastya glares at him.

"Agastya!" I hit him on the chest.

"Go to you room." He avers.

"But-"

"To your room, Taranya!" Yuvraaj shouts.

I flinch and rush upstairs to hide my tears. My phone blares in my hand as I unlock the door and storm inside, slamming it shut behind me. Aggravated because of the ringing, I go to reject the call when the name on the screen traps my attention.

"Are you okay?" I ask as soon as I answer.

"I am. What about you?"

"Of course, I'm fine." I reply. "Why did you do that? I thought you're selfish. You don't care about anyone but you."

He chuckles. "Is what what your brother told you about me?"

"Is he wrong?" I counter.

"No." He admits. "He's right. I'm selfish, Taranya."

"Then why did you save me? Why did you put your life in danger because of me?" I question him.

"Because you're one of the things I'm selfish for."

What!????? I'm screaming 😭 he's so hot.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Don't forget to vote and comment. Makes my day.

Four more to go!