Neil's POV

"Now, do you believe me?" I asked in a low voice.

I remember X2 giving me an info check on her every day for the past two months. Nothing seemed wrong until I recieved a call.

"Hello?"

"Code Red."

"SPEAK NOW!!!"

"She's been taken to a hospital-" Those words alone made my way back to Aditi, and I couldn't just brush the tightening feeling off.

"W-what happened?"

"A rod fell on her, and her arm seems injured."

"She is awake, right?"

"Yeah, but still it doesn't seem an accident."

I paused my questioning, letting him continue. "The rod wasn't supposed to be even there. It wasn't needed. It was a simple cuisine shoot. They double-checked the lights. Something seems fishy. Do you remember the Luthra case? Same situation, an actress, just she died from the cemetery incident. It wasn't supposed to be there, but it was."

"Okay, the city hospital is where she at?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, your work here is done. Get rest for a few days."

"Thank you, Sir."

I was so angry at her, she never believed me once. Saying it was some sort of obsession? I just wanted to protect her from anything or everything but she wouldn't let me. I didn't realise what I felt until my emotions got the best of me and I said something so delicate, so fragile, 'I like you.' I had confessed.

I didn't want to go back to her anymore. She wasn't like Aditi but she was like Avni. They were different. She was closed off while Aditi kept her heart in the open. She was stubborn but Aditi wasn't the one to nag. Aditi was fresh and lively, yet she died. And Avni, I didn't know about her. She never once let me in, so I thought it would be better to just stay away. She didn't want me in her life, so I better don't force my care on someone.

But my heart would feel scared often. Losing Avni like I did Aditi, the thing I couldn't imagine and wouldn't want to, ever.

I did what I could do. I put X2 on duty, spying on her. Rather, the people around her.

Even if I can't be with you, I'll still protect you.

As much as I wanted to look at her fuming, I couldn't. Instead, my voice was low asking if she believed my words now.

"Huh?" Her eyes were glistening.

Were they tears?

"Do you believe now that I was serious for once? I wasn't playing around."

"As much as I like to believe it, I can't. Why would anyone try to hurt me?"

I felt frustrated, she didn't believe me still. "Right." There was this urge to yell at her for getting herself hurt, but I saw the glistening eyes.

"You can cry all you want. No one will judge." As if I triggered her, she sat up, blinking rapidly.

"I am tired, that's all." She retorted, "Why would I cry?"

"I don't know. People have their reasons." I shrugged.

"I don't have a good enough reason to cry." She said in defence.

"I don't believe it, but okay." I rolled my eyes.

"And why don't you believe me?" She asked.

"Would you be able to answer if I asked you the same question?"

Silence.

"See? People cry and they feel hurt. That's what makes us human." I said, softly.

"Emotions makes us human. People feel hate, love, anger, guilt, pain...and all of them. You, me and every one of us with these traits is human. Humans feel. "

"Sometimes we have to look past the feelings and makes ourselves strong for the sake of people who are there for us." She sternly replied, eyes still watery.

"Did you just use your film dialogue?" I smiled at her.

Her lips gaped, "You watched it?"

"And if I did?" I quirked a brow, "The film can be watched by anyone. Why you are so shocked?"

"I thought you weren't my fan."

"I am not your obsessive fan for sure," I said glancing at anything but her.

"You may consider me anything besides that. I'm not some psycho, Avni." My voice came out soft than I intended it to.

"Listen, I am sorry to bluntly saying anything hurtful, I was-" Her eyes trailed down at her hands, she didn't want to continue.

"Apology accepted." I grinned, "Does it pain a lot?"

She hummed, "They said I need surgery."

"And when is it?"

"Uh, Piya will sign the papers tomorrow probably so, I have to wait."

"Why not today?"

"She is busy at work. She is working on a project, that's why."

"Oh, and Piya who?"

"My best friend."

"Okay, can't your other family members sign it? No one is here yet. Do they not know?" I tried to ask, casually.

"No, they don't know. I don't want to disturb them with stuff." Her voice was rough.

"Stuff? A rod fell on your arm and you got injured! It isn't just stuff and also, the reporters probably already know by now." I switched on the news channel.

"Actress Avni Raichand gets injured on the set of an ad shoot."

"The Loophole fame, who played the role of the secret spy, Avni Raichand recently got into an accident."

"A metal rod severely causes injury on the upper arm of Actress Avni Raichand. Recently she's been transferred to hospital and getting treatment."

I heard her sigh. "It is a daily occurrence, doesn't affect me anymore."

I switched it off, "Yeah, it can reach up to your family members and they will know."

"It won't. They are busy with their work."

"Fine if you say so. But I'm going to talk to the doctor about the surgery and maybe if needed I'll sign the papers." I stood up from my seat, and the pain she felt was visible.

"You don't need to. Piya will do."

"Sure she will but that will result in more pain for you to endure. I don't know how much it does, but I guess a lot." I stated and heard her hum at my response.

"Neil!"

I turned around, "Hm?"

"Thank you for your concern. But I still don't want the stuff you did back. I am safe on my own." She put on a forced smile.

I scoffed, "Sure, I can see it myself."

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