Radhika's POV

I waited for him at the dinner table but he didn't come. I ate my dinner quietly with Mariam aunty as Sam had already eaten with Mathew so she wasn't here. I was feeling sleepy after eating but I wanted to wait. He never comes home this late nowadays, so now I am a bit worried.

I switched off the lights and got inside the covers. He will be home in some time, something must have come up. I assured myself and tried to sleep but I couldn't sleep. I signed in relief when I saw the door being pushed open and there he stood in all his fine glory.

"You are awake." It sounded more like a statement then a question.

"I was waiting for you." I replied.

"You should have slept, it's already 1 in the night."

"I can't sleep without you."

He smiled his heartachingly beautiful smile, hearing my words and climbed up on the bed, sitting next to me.

I leaned closer to him and cupped his face, as I kissed him softly telling him how much I loved him. He kissed me back madly, passionately and ardently taking me under him. He ran his hands over my body and I smiled surrendering myself to him.

Out of the blue he pulled back," Let's just sleep."

I frowned,"Why? Are you okay?"

"No just not in the mood, let's sleep." His tone, crisp and cold filled me with worry.

His tone was so cold and dismissive that it hurt me instantly. He usually talks to me in a deep, husky voice filled with so much depth of his feelings for me.

"Is something bothering you?"

He looked at me and smiled," No, baby nothing is bothering me."

I scooted closer to him and placed my head on his chest wrapping my hand around his midriff," Are you telling me the truth?"

He carressed my head," Of course. Why would I lie to you?"

Yes, you don't lie. You are many things but not a liar. You always have been honest with me, good, bad, worst. You have never been two-faced.

"Do you miss going out?"

I lifted my face up from his chest, " Sometimes I do, but I know it's not safe and I am paranoid about getting in trouble again. I don't want anything to happen to the baby."

I still get chills when I think about what we faced in the last three months. I could have even miscarried with all the stress and tension I was dealing with, but somehow God was kind to us but I will not take that for granted.

"Nothing is going to happen to you or the baby." He assured me.

"I know, you won't let anything happen to us ever." I said honestly.

He kissed my forehead, " I thought it would be nice for us to go out for sometime. I mean you told me about how you used to go out and have fun after college. You told me that after college you felt like you were imprisoned in your house."

"I did feel like that." I nodded in agreement.

I only tasted Freedom for real when I was in college other that that, I have always lived like a caged bird.

"I don't want you to feel like that here...."

I cut him off," I don't feel like that here, I have you and I have our family with me. I have Mariam aunty who loves me like her own daughter then there is Sam who is like the sister I never had. I am also very excited for the baby to be here, he will complete our family."

I know the risk we are at with my so called Father and brother on a run. Also I have made peace with the truth of my life, I have found my happiness in Arjun and this family who have loved me, taken care of me when I was too heartbroken to take care of myself especially Mariam aunty.

"There must be some places you must really love, tell me about them...."

"Yeah you know there was this Cafe that I used to go to with my friends, it was very near to my college and I loved the chocolate chip cookies that lady used to serve. Then there was this small shop run by an old lady who used to make some beautiful dresses. She had the best skills but poor thing, she was so weak and frail. I also used to go to this garden near my house and it was so beautiful with so many colorful flowers and there used to be so many children playing, I loved playing with him."

He kissed the tip of my nose," You look really cute when you talk, go on."

"Why are we talking about all these suddenly?" I asked him curiously.

"Because I love hearing you talk and I thought it would be nice for you to reminisce old memories. Tell me about your favorite place."

"Oh, my favorite place would be the library where I could just sit all by myself and read my book in peace."

"Well, I never thought you to be a nerd...."

I frowned, "Nerd? I don't think so, I just liked Charlotte Bronte, Emily Bronte, Jane Austen...."

"No wonder you are an old romantic!"

"You are making fun of me!"

I was offended by the way he said it.

"No, I am not making fun of you. I find it adorable because I was never like that."

"How were you in your college?"

"I was the smartest kid on the block but I was too cool to be a nerd. I was more interested in playing than studying."

"Playing with girls?" I said although I hate to think about him with other women.

He smiled,"I meant playing football, girls too but that wasn't on the top of my list that time." He carressed my cheek," I would love to look at your pictures when you were in college. You must be very pretty and I am sure the guys must be crazy about you."

I blushed," I wasn't allowed to date of course and let's just say I had my face in the books too much to look at someone."

"I would have dated you for sure if you were in my college and I would have chased you till you agreed to be mine."

You wouldn't have spare me a look because I was way out of your league.

"I don't think so, you would have been interested in me."

Not when he was in college with so many women throwing themselves at him and practically fighting each other to have him.

He flipped me over, coming on top of me," I froze for a minute when I saw you for the first time when you fell into my arms. I knew it was different with you. I always knew it, I just didn't wanted to believe it."

"Why didn't you date anyone? You were spoilt for choice...."

He breaks in on me,"Why should I date when I could have what I wanted without dating?! But to answer your question, I was too angry, rebellious and out of control. I did all kinds of crazy shit throughout out my life and it was ingrained inside me that women are good for only a night and I should not be wasting my time....."

"You were taught all the wrong things."

He smirked, "Wrong for you not for me."

"What changed then?" I asked him changing the direction of our conversation because I don't like discussing his shenanigans before me.

He smiled pulling me closer," You love hearing it, don't you?! I fell in love with you even when I didn't wanted to."

"I am glad you did although sometimes I get scared of you." I say honestly.

"Scared of me? Why?" He asked, taken aback.

I looked down,"Scared of you hurting me because I don't think I will be able to take it this time if you...."

"Baby, I am not going to hurt you not this time please trust me."

His eyes held promises so I believed him, I believed every word that came out of his mouth and clung to it.

"Why don't you and I go out tomorrow?! Just the two of us." He said as he lied on the bed and I snuggled closer to him.

"That would be nice." I replied.

"Sleep, baby."

I closed my eyes, basking in his warmth and his protective embrace.

Next day, I got ready feeling giddy and excited because Arjun had promised to take me out. I was wearing a pink long frock that shielded my baby bump nicely. He was ready already in his black shirt tucked inside his dark blue jeans. Damn! He looked hot with his hairs gelled back in a slick way.

I frowned when I saw him tucking his gun in the back," Do you really need to carry a gun?"

"Why take a chance?!" He shrugged.

"But there will be bodyguards already so...."

"I don't feel safe without this." He wore his jacket that covered the gun, he had stuffed inside his pant from behind.

"Okay." I gave up because there is no point arguing with him.

He walked to where I was standing and pulled out something from his pocket," I have something for you." He pulled out a beautiful pearl necklace.

He made me wear it," Don't remove it, okay?"

I looked at him, confused.

"But why?"

"Because I want to see you wearing it, it looks beautiful on you."

I turned to him and laid my head on chest," Sometimes you are unbelievably sweet but weirdly so."

He pulled my face out of his chest grabbing the back of my neck," You called me wierd! Is that a nice thing to say to one's husband?"

He asked me with a evil glint in his eyes.

"I don't know....it's...okay...sometimes."

I said biting my lip and he stared at me blankly but next minute he had me screaming, laughing and struggling to get free as he tickled the life out of me.

"Stop! That's enough! Oh God! Please...."

I begged him to stop his sweet assault and he finally had mercy on me as he leaned down, kissing my forehead," I love you, baby. I will never let anything happen to you."

I hugged him for dear life," I know, I love you too."

When I was seated inside the car, I looked out of the window only to see Arjun in a heated argument with Mark aka Mr Dracula. It looked like they were fighting about something but I couldn't hear because they were standing at a good distance from the car and I couldn't hear even if I rolled the window down.

"Do you know what they are fighting about?!" I asked the driver.

He looked at my reflection from his rear view mirror," I am not at liberty to speak, Your highness."

I frowned, "But you know something is wrong."

"His Highness is getting closer, I should not be seeing talking to you."

I rolled my eyes at his statement but I don't want him to get in trouble so I keep quiet. I watch Arjun walking towards our car as one of his man jumps ahead to open the car's door, he stops him with his raised palm and opens the door himself, gets inside and shuts the door with a bang!

"What happened?!" I asked him.

He turned to me," Nothing."

I see him giving a death glare to Mark who was looking at him with an expression that gave nothing away. Were they fighting?! It looked like they were at each other's throats a while ago and it sure didn't looked like nothing.

"It didn't looked like nothing." I stated.

"We were just talking."

I rolled my eyes at him, "Talking? Are you kidding me? You were screaming at him and he was screaming right back at you......"

" I can't tell you." He replied in a blank tone.

"Are you going to be play Mafia today?!"

I grimaced as I asked him. I thought it was our time, our date!

" I am never not playing Mafia."

"But I thought it's our day...."

He took my hand in his," It is our day, just some safety protocols."

I let it go because I know Arjun will never breathe a word if its about his Mafia.

He pulled me closer to himself," Don't think, you don't have to worry."

It's hard not to worry if you just displayed a big show of your infamous temper although it wasn't directed to me.

Throughout the day he insisted that I take him to places that I loved going to and that's what we did the whole day. I took him to the beach that I used to go to with my friends and sometimes alone. We walked barefoot on the beach although he didn't wanted to remove his shoes, I made him do it.

We even went to the mall where I insisted that I wanted to shop as the baby bump was getting bigger day by day. As I stood in front of the mirror inside the changing room, I felt I heard footsteps outside the room I was in. Must be some other woman who came inside to try on clothes, I told myself.
I was almost done trying on the dresses that I took inside with me so I opened the door of my room.

Horror filled my eyes as I came face to face with the man who had his face covered with a black cloth. The whole changing room was empty with no woman inside it. I made a run towards the main entrance of the changing room.

I screamed for help running towards the door as fast as my legs could take me. I was terrified, scared to my bone! I felt so stupid for refusing Arjun when he insisted to come inside the changing room with me.

He overhauled me and the next thing I saw was something being pressed on my mouth and my nose. I struggled in his vice grip but he held me down," Ssh! I am not going to hurt you."

"Let me go! Please...." I meekly protested as I felt drowsy and sleepy all of a sudden.

"Please...I..am..pregnant..my..husband..."

"Baby....my...baby....please...."

I begged him to let me go but he held me tight, muffling my screams  with a cloth on my mouth. I tried to form words but I felt as if I had lost the last ounce of the strength inside me.

The last words I heard were," Ssh! I got you, baby. I got you, baby."

Darkness consumed me completely and the last thing I did was pray to God.

Arjun's POV

As she fell unconscious in my arms, my heart pained for her, it really hurt to see her cry and beg in front of me to let her go before I made her unconscious but it was for own good. I had changed my plan last night only and we were fighting about the same when Radhika saw us from far.

I wanted someone to give that bastard a tip that Radhika was indeed out of the house, it was important for Radhika to be seen on their radar.

I scooped her up in my arms," I am sorry, baby. I am really very sorry for scaring you but I did this for you."

Through the back entrance of the mall, I got out making a run towards one of our cars that was parked at the backside of the mall behind the trees that surrounded the complex.

I opened the car door and made her lie down inside beside Sam who stopped my wife from falling by holding her. I closed the door and turned to Mathew who was sitting in the driver's seat.

" Take them to the outhouse and make it fast!"

He gave me a curt nod and turned his attention back to the road.

"Bhai, I will take care of her, don't worry." Sam assured me.

I smiled at my sister," I know, Sammy you will."

I watched them leaving until they were completely out of my sight. I ran back inside the mall, discarding my disguise on the ground. I took another gun from one of my man. I smiled looking at the woman who was going to play the most important part in my plan.

Seher Singhal, my old friend, wierd coming from me because I don't have any friends except Mathew. She walked to me dressed in Radhika's clothes that I gave her last night without anyone's knowledge.

"Stop with the catwalk! She is pregnant, doofus! Which pregnant woman walks swaying her hips?!"

She rolled her eyes at me and started to walk slow towards me," I see, you are still a fucking old grump." She taunted me.

I didn't reply to her nasty comment because there were more important things I had to deal with. I placed the gun in her hand," Here, all yours."

"Do I look pregnant?!" She asked me, palming her prosthetic baby bump.

I didn't answer her question and took to my heel, hiding myself. I looked at my watch, he should be here in sometime.

After about half an hour, I smirked watching a suspicious man with a grey beard and fake eyebrows. He thinks I won't recognize him! Seriously? He always underestimated me, as a child and now as a fully grown man, he still thinks he can fool me.

I see him walking inside the mall and Seher was on the second floor. I made her stand in a way that she was visible to his eyes. I count the number of men in disguise that followed him, this is going to get messy! One of them has to be Rahil, I don't want that fucking rat to escape.

For a full one hour nothing happened, we make it look like normal day in a mall with a lot of people shopping only difference was that this were my people. I watch him looking around himself restlessly, he still wasn't convinced in my opinion.

I type a message to Seher to do something, attract his attention and make him come to her. I watch her acting like she needs a lot of help walking. Seriously what is she doing in this business? She should have been an actress with those acting skills but she is overdoing it too. Is she playing pregnant or handicapped?!

I smirked as he approached her from behind, and grabbed her but she hit him hard in his stomach with her elbow. She stamped on his feet and turned to him, without giving him any time to attack her, she kicked him in his chest making him crash down.

He tried to overpower her as he slapped her hard on her face drawing blood out from her mouth but she wasn't the one to back down, she stood up and fought back with all her strength.

I admired her but he is a well built man with a lot of experience in combat so I ran towards her aid, as I heard the gunshots being fired and men dropping like flies. We lost a few people but we managed to kill most of his men while some fled.

Just when I was about to reach her, I felt the barrel of a gun being pressed on my back," You made a good plan! But if I and my Father are going to die today then so will you! My sister and your whore should know that you saved her but you couldn't save yourself!"

Rahil! That fucking dog!

I turned my attention to Rehan who was pined down by Seher with the front of her gun pressed against his forehead," Seriously Rehan? Is this all you taught him?! Oh don't you worry, he needs some lessons which I will be more than glad to give him."

I pulled the barrel of the gun down towards me, and I turned to him in lightning speed interlocked my hands, trapping his hand holding the gun and with my leg, I kicked him hard! As he lose his balance, his grip on the gun loosened and I snatched it from him.

"You see, boy that's how it is done. Seems like you didn't learn anything from your old father." I taunted him.

"Where is Radhika?!" Rehan screamed at me.

"Where she should be, quit looking she is not here."

"You, fucking bastard!" He said, gritting his teeth and managed to push Seher out of his way but she managed to punched him in the face knocking his front teeth out when his attention wasn't on her. I signed in relief when she finally had the barrel of her gun pressed against his throat.

"Fucking bitch!" He groaned in pain as blood fell out of his mouth.

"So gentlemen, we have two of our most special guest with us today so make sure that our hospitality is nothing less than perfect."

"You think its over?" He rebuked me.

"It is over, Rehan. It is finally over!"

"Even if you kill me, you can't bring your mother back from the grave! Oh fuck! I can't forget how she screamed that night....." I kicked him hard in his stomach before he could completed his words but that fucking asshole just laughed harder and harder making me lose my mind.

"You know how many men destroyed your mother that night?! Twenty! Twenty fucking men! Oh God! Oh my fucking God! What a sight it was!"

He only fueled my fury, and my blood boiled in rage as I was filled with a fire that can't be extinguished until I make him cry tears of blood each day.

"Even if you kill me...."

"Now who said anything about killing?!" I grabbed his hair as I pulled them from their roots making his head jerk backwards," I loved my mother the most, God knew I did, I worshipped her She was mine but you took her away from me! Why did you do that?!"

The bastard even through his broken teeth managed to give me a bloody smile.

I shook my head, sucking my tears inside, stopping them from betraying me. I won't cry not this time, not when I finally have achieved what I always wanted to.

"What will you do?! Kill me? Common kill me...."

" You will live, you are not dying anytime soon, I know you don't care about your life, you don't care if I kill you but you do care about your fucking son. You will watch him get raped every single day, if you refuse to eat, food will be forced down your throat but you will live to see your son suffer every single day. I will make my men do unspeakable things to him, you had Twenty men rape her right? I will have fifty men raping him everyday! How's that?!" I asked him viciously.

"You will live the rest of your days to watch your son rot, to watch that handsome face collapse to bones and dust, all the while contemplating the choices you made."

I smirked as his face paled and for the first time I saw fear in his eyes. This is it! Relief flooded through my body as I had finally avenged my mother. I took a deep breath to calm down the anger inside me.

As I saw my men cuffing Rehan and Rahil, I thanked Seher for her help.

"Thank you, this wouldn't have been possible without you."

She smiled, wiping the blood that was trickling down the corner of her lips,"You are welcome, at least now I can prove to my Father that I deserve to be the heir of the family not my asshole brother who must be busy smoking weeds and cigarettes!"

I looked her in the eye,"You will be a far better Leader than him, Seher and now as I promised you, I will come down to your house tomorrow and see to it that your Father names you his heir."

To be continued.....