"How long do you plan to read?"

"As long as I want, Shivaay ." I mumbled, not drawing my eyes away from the book and I could feel his intense staring across the table.

"Donʼt you have somewhere to be?"

"Damn, now I kinda wish I never showed you this place and no, we have somewhere to be, remember?"

"Donʼt be too surprised if I moved in here."
"Letʼs hope you donʼt take it that far." His words dripped in sarcasm, his blue green gleaming at the thought and I simply rolled my eyes before returning my gaze back on my book.

Itʼs already been three days and Iʼve done nothing but visit the library often, more than I should to be honest, but I couldnʼt help myself. Books were my daily dose of happiness.

"Gauri , come on now, we have to go or else weʼll be late."

"God, canʼt I just stay? Swimming is one thing but a beach party? No, Iʼll pass."

"Not like you have a choice anyways, Omkara going to drag you, one way or another, you know that right?" I groaned and looked at Shivaay  as he placed his lower arms on the table with a grin.

I sighed in annoyance and decided to keep reading.

"Speaking of Omkara , can I ask you something?"

"Hmm?"

"About Ishana and him..." I started and I watched Shivaay bite his bottom lip hesitantly before leaning against the chair while shaking his head, clearly not liking where this conversation was going but I didnʼt care.

"Were they like, I donʼt know...happy together?"

"I am not supposed to talk about it."
"Come on, just tell me? I promise I wonʼt say anything."

"No, if Omkara wanted to tell you, he wouldʼve have done so himself and I am in no position to-god, no." Shivaay muttered at the end when I stood up and walked up to him, sitting right next to him.

"I want to know, Shivaay, itʼs bothering me."

"Well I canʼt, alright? Itʼs his private matters and I canʼt disrespect that."

"Itʼs not even like that, Shivaay ." I whined and groaned when he shook his head and turned away, resting his head on the table, extending one of his hands in the process.

"Come on, just tell me?"

"Why do you have to nag so much?" I huffed at his words and went silent for a while.

"It didnʼt seem like he was happy with her. I could mention her name and heʼd get mad-"

"Gauri , he was in love with her. They were in love, alright?" Shivaay looked up and it didnʼt even take seconds for my heart to drop all the way to my stomach.

"Omkara wasnʼt Omkara when he was with her. He was different, kinder, caring and didnʼt even have temper issues back then, and thatʼs saying a lot.

He never lashed out or hurt anyone unless he had to." The lump on my throat tightened as he kept going on.

"He was just...different." Vincent finished with a sigh and for the next few seconds, I just sat in silence, my mind slowly accepting the reality.

He was in love with her. He was different around her. He was a better person when he was with her.

So why does he act the complete opposite around me?

How does he see me?

Why hasnʼt he shown his good side to me?

The answer to my questions were all too simple, no matter how I add them up.

He wasnʼt in love with me. He didnʼt and probably can never love me the same way he loved her.

I wasnʼt her and I could never be her.

And I donʼt expect to be loved the same way he loved her.

I can understand that, but nevertheless, it hurts.

To finally accept the fact that he doesnʼt see me that way and will most likely never see me the same way he saw Ishana.

I was different.

I wasnʼt better, just different.

He could never love me and itʼs not like I expected him to, right?

Did I?

Was I expecting something more?

Was I the only one who was expecting more?

"Gauri !" Shivaay raised his voice and I gasped before looking at him as he stopped waving his hands across my face. "Damn, Iʼve been calling you for a while now, you alright?"

"Ye-yeah, hey, letʼs go. Weʼll be late."

"I thought you didnʼt want to go?" I shrugged off his question and practically marched out of the library, leaving the book I was reading on the table, something I thought Iʼd never do in a million years.

*****

We arrived at the beach party that evening and I was more than glad that Omkara hadnʼt tagged along with us. Apparently, he had something to take care off and would join us later, thank god for that.

I shivered as I stepped out of the van, a cold breeze brushing against my exposed skin and I couldnʼt help but regret the fact that I was only wearing a white sports bra with a long flowing turquoise skirt. But then again, this was a beach party and what else was I supposed to wear?

"Fuck off before I rip your eyes out, man." I heard Rudra hiss at some passing males who were staring at me before.

They exchanged glances and only left, not really wanting to go up against Vampires.

Nobody did and there was not a single person in town who couldnʼt recognize the Oberoi's brothers. Guess that had its perks. The party started seconds after we arrived and everyone was now throwing and hurling beer cups everywhere as the music blasted through some speakers, almost making my ears bleed.

This was getting too wild already.

"Be careful, alright?" Shivaay mumbled, tangling an arm around my shoulders and pulling me closer to him.

"Iʼll be fine, thanks."

"I know, just saying." He suddenly leaned to kiss the side of my forehead and I was a little taken back by his gesture but decided to brush it off.

I watched him leave into the crowd and get immediately surrounded by some hot girls as they pulled him into a dance, twerking and shaking god knows whatnots.

"You know youʼre missing out on all the fun, right?" Ananya said out loud as I passed her by and I let out a sigh.

"The whole point of this whole experience is to enjoy while it lasts...for you, of course." she showed off her pearly white teeth and I narrowed my eyes at her.

"Why not join us?" Jai was already dancing behind Ananya as she swayed her hips and I shook my head but then started to have second thoughts.

Enjoy while it lasts, hunh? Of course that was true.

What else was going to happen? A vampire was going to start having feelings for me? And of all the vampires, Omkara Singh Oberoi was? What the hell was I even thinking...?

"Screw it." I muttered and pushed my way right into the crowd before dancing to the music myself. And for once, it felt amazing. To dance and enjoy myself without getting drunk.

I was in my right mind and I was... enjoying myself. After dancing for more than 15 minutes straight, I squeezed myself through the crowd and made my way to the table of drinks, grabbing a coke and gulping it down.

I scanned around my surroundings and my eyes landed on none other than the infamous asshole, who was now walking towards the beach, wearing a black leathered jacket with a white plain shirt under it.

I watched him come to a stop halfway and swiftly slip off his jackets and shirt, then his pants to reveal a knee length short. I had to rip my eyes away from his toned arms and muscles, my heart slightly skipping a beat at the sight.

Seeing that he was now scanning around the place, I quickly averted my gaze, turning around and taking a deep breath, trying to calm down my nerves.

Just as I took a step forward, my nose bumped against something hard and I looked up to face Omkara , who was now narrowing his eyes at me, swiftly scanning me from head to toe as I let out a sigh.

"Whatʼs with the outfit?" Of course the first thing heʼd do is get upset with me. After all, I wasnʼt Ishana , right? No, no, he wasnʼt so kind and caring around me.

"What about it?"

"Youʼre barely wearing anything." He mumbled and I simply rolled my eyes ignorantly, grabbing another drink.

"And?"

"And, I donʼt like it." Omkara took a step forward and grabbed my cup away before I could take a sip and I let out a huff in frustration.

"This is no better than what everyone else is wearing, Omkara . Stop trying to find reasons to argue with me and leave me alone," I raised my voice and my eyes caught on some girls who were now taking pictures of Omkara , making my blood boil even more.

"Now if youʼll excuse me, people are waiting for me." I lied before he could even speak and was about to walk past him when he grabbed my arm.

"Youʼre not going anywhere wearing that. Wait here, Iʼll bring my jacket." And with that, he left but I didnʼt even waste a second to bolt towards the crowd again.

It was already starting to get dark and I made my way towards Shivaay  and a bunch of girls, who were now surrounding him as he simply danced to the music as well.

His eyes immediately caught mine and I watched him smile a little before mumbling something between the lines, "sorry, but I have to go." to the girls. I heard them groan and whine as he walked up to me and I couldnʼt help but blush a little.

I know for a fact that Shivaay  would choose me over anyone in a heartbeat and to be honest, thatʼs the type of guy I wanted in my life.

"Can we dance?" I asked and watched his eyebrows shoot up in surprise.

"Really? Gauri Kumari Sharma wants to dance? Shocking." He teased and I rolled my eyes with a chuckle before wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him closer.

His body was now pressed against mine and I took in his warmth as we moved slowly, even though it was a pop music that was now playing on. I didnʼt care and Iʼm guessing he didnʼt either.

Before long, I was just hugging him, my face burying in the crook of his neck as I breathed in his cologne and I could feel his body get more tensed at my reaction.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, why wouldnʼt I be?" I lied and gasped when someone gripped my wrist before I was practically ripped away from Shivaay.

I spun around to look up at Omkara , who was now glaring at Shivaay , causing goosebumps to rise all over my body.

His jawlines were locked, his eyes flickering in anger and I attempted to brush away his hand but he only tightened the grip.

"Weʼre leaving." He turned around along with me and I was about to say something when Shivaay  spoke.

"Omkara -"

"Brother or not, Iʼm warning you. Donʼt screw around with her." Omkara suddenly spun around, taking a step forward towards Shivaay and my heart raced at the sight.

"I wasnʼt screwing around." Shivaay's voice turned all serious and I watched Omkara's hands ball into a fist, causing me to panic.

Why was he getting so mad anyways?

"Omkara , letʼs go," I held his upper arm, tugging it but he didnʼt even budge, instead he just glared at Shivaay , his eye growing a shade darker but Shivaay  stood his ground, his eyes showing nothing more than sincerity and loyalty.

"Omkara , please, I want to talk." I mumbled softly, squeezing his arms slightly and I caught him glance down at me before turning around and dragging me along with him.

I could only glance back at Shivaay , who was now giving me a small smile as he shook his head, a sign that he was alright.

"Whatʼs your problem, Omkara ?" I raised my voice, jerking my hand away and stumbling back to bump against the table of drinks.

"Whatʼs my problem? Whatʼs your problem?!" he shot back, bolting towards me and placing his hands on either side of my waist on the table, making sure that I had no chance of running away. Ha, fat chance.

"I wasnʼt the one who got mad over nothing now was I? Is it fun to get mad with me for no reason, is that it?"

"And I wasnʼt the one fucking around with someone else the moment you turn your back on me for only a split second." he cocked his head to a side and my jaws dropped open at his words.

"What is your problem, Omkara ?!" I couldnʼt find anything better to say. I was just shocked and confused as to why he would exaggerate the situation this much.

"You, you are my problem, Gauri !" His tone only got colder and I watched his eyes grow a shade darker.

"Iʼm trying to make us work, Gauri . Iʼm trying to make things work with you."

"Make things work-there is nothing to work out between us, Omkara ." I folded my hands across my chest and frowned at him in both confusion and annoyance.

"Stop-just-" Omkara huffed in frustration before covering his face with his hands and letting out a sigh in exasperation.

I was about to say something else too but stopped when I heard a few girls groan and my eyes snapped towards the crowd.

I noticed Ajay, Rudra , Parth and Abhay digging their fangs into some girlʼs neck, sucking them hungrily and I could feel my eyes widening at the sight.

They were doing it in public? Why? It was already getting dark, we were supposed to go home.

"Omkara , what are they doing?" I asked softly, my eyes not leaving the girls as I watched the painful expression grow on their faces as they just stood still, letting them do as they please.

"Feeding," Omkara murmured shortly, standing up straight and glancing at the crowd as well.

I noticed that almost all the Oberoi brothers were now feeding off of someone, let it be a girl or boy, they didnʼt care.

"They must be drunk." Omkara sighed and my eyes widened when I noticed how the people just stayed still as they were preyed on.

"Ca-can you stop them?" "No, we were talking-"

"Please, I-I donʼt like it." I started to stumble on my words and I know that this isnʼt the first time Iʼve seen them feeding, but it was a lot more ruthless and I knew that werenʼt holding back like they did before.

They didnʼt even hesitate to dig their fangs inside anyoneʼs neck and for the first time, it felt like they were feeding to kill.

"Gauri , look at me when Iʼm talking to you," I felt hands grip my cheeks and turn to meet piercing blue eyes.

"Itʼs not nice to ignore someone whoʼs standing right in front of you."

"Can you tell them to stop? Why isnʼt anyone running away?"

"They are all compelled, alright? Now can we talk about it and-"

"How can they just do that?! Tell them to stop, itʼs not right!" I gripped both his hands that were still resting on the table and I heard in huff in frustration before standing up straight.

"Itʼs none of my business. I canʼt stop them from feeding, itʼs already dark and plus, the people came here on their own free will.
Nobody forced them to be here."

"You know that itʼs still not right, they wouldnʼt have wanted this. And even if they did, itʼs still not right." I argued and I watched Parth suck on some random guyʼs wrists, blood oozing out of his hands as the painful expression on his face was now making it hard for me to even keep staring.

"How sad, nothing I can do though, so let it go." "But-"

"I said let it go, Gauri ." I took a deep breath and bit my bottom lip hesitantly before looking at him with slightly teary eyes, causing him to flinch a little.

"No, donʼt do that, donʼt put on that face." He groaned and I kept silent, my eyes only growing wider at his words and he let out another groan before resting back his hands on either side of my waist on the table.

"What do you want me to even do, Gauri ?"

"I donʼt know? Ask them to stop?"

"We can leave somewhere else until itʼs over. Maybe grab something to eat and-"

"No, I want you to stop them, alright? Theyʼve had enough to drink and enough slaves or blood bags or whatever back at home so just please, tell them to stop." I begged and I watched him give me a long look before sighing.

"Fine, whatʼs in it for me though?"

"Nothing." I held in a breath as he closed his face to mine.

"Too bad for the people then." He whispered, his eyes not leaving mine and I frowned at him before biting my lip angrily.

Seriously, this guy is all about give and take isnʼt he?

"Thatʼs not fair!" I said softly yet harshly and my breath hitched when he leaned in even closer, his lips brushing against mine, causing shivers down my spine.

"Lifeʼs not fair, Gauri ." He mumbled, his eyes flickering onto my lips and my eyebrows tightened at his words.

"Omkara , please-"

"I already said no, I ainʼt changing my mind, Gauri."

"Please, it would really mean a lot to me if you do." I closed my eyes at the sound of another painful scream that was now barely audible due to the music.

I found myself reaching up to rest my palm on the side of his cheeks and I noticed him slightly flinch at my touch, making my heart skip a beat as well.

"Come on, Gauri , can you just let it-"

"Please." I mumbled out for the last time and Omkara stopped to look at me, his eyes not leaving mine for even a second and I watched them soften slightly.

"Damn, alright." He leaned back, standing up straight and my heart raced at his words.

"But stay here and donʼt move till I come back." He warned and I nodded, watching him leave into the crowd.

I smiled a little and mentally gave myself a pat in the back for not giving in until I got what I wanted.

I guess Omkara decided to let it go this time too or else it wouldnʼt have been this easy. I turned to grab a drink and was about to take a sip when my eyes caught on someone literally getting dragged through the beach, only a few distances away from where I was standing, causing my heart to drop.

Wait, whatʼs going on?

"Hey..." I choked out, my breath suddenly hitching when I noticed the figure who was getting dragged, her arms and legs throwing up everywhere as her kidnapper roughly jerked her to a side.

There was no doubt, it was Ananya , and I squinted my eyes to see who was dragging her but it was too dark now and the shadow hid his face too well at this distance.

"Help!" I heard a faint sound of her voice and my eyes widened as I took a step forward, ready to start running but I couldnʼt move.

My feet refused to move. I was scared and shocked, it all happened too fast and I am still trying to figure out if this was real or not.

"Somebody help, get off me!" I could barely hear her faint screaming and without warning, I screamed for help too, darting my eyes at the crowd of people but they were too busy to hear me out, some of them still drinking and drunk dancing while the rest were being fed on by the vampires.

I could feel my stomach tie itself to a knot before I finally made a decision, realizing that there was no time to lose.

I ran to help her.

I struggled to run, my already sore feet pushing forward, my panting only getting louder before I finally reached up to Ananya , her legs scraping on the beach as she struggled to break free.

Without warning, I grabbed her legs and started dragging her to the opposite side from her kidnapper, who gripped her hair, roughly jerking her away from me but I held on as well.

All Ananya could do was let out painful screams as we both pulled her to our side and with a growl, I used all my strength to yank her towards me, causing him to lose him balance and free his grip.

With a sob, I watched Ananya get up and grab my hand, sprinting to the other side as we both ran, ran for our lives.

"Ke-keep running!" I finally breathed out, barely being able to keep up as we both kept running, Ananya already sobbing and crying as she kept charging forward, brushing her messed up hair away from her face as a gush of wind brushed against our faces.

Suddenly, two large hands covered my mouth before I was jerked behind and I muffled out a scream, kicking and struggling to free from his grip as I dug my nails into his hands.

"Stop, let her go!" Ananya cried and started to run back to me when I shook my head, using this chance to bite the skin on his arm, tugging it as hard as I could, causing him to hiss in pain before freeing his hands from my mouth but tangling an arm around my waist before I could sprint forward.

"Run, just run and get help!" I wanted to believe in my own words but I knew that I was holding back.

Of course I didnʼt want to get left behind but if both of us got caught, itʼll be the end for her and me.

"Run! Just ru-" a hand clutched my mouth again and
I watched Ananya come to a halt before turning around and bolting towards the people, most likely to warn Omkara or one of the Oberoi brothers.

"Let go, you fucking creep!" I hissed and spat, jerking my body away and was about to turn around when he forcefully grabbed my hair so hard, it caused a painful scream to escape my throat.

"Now, now, sweetheart, relax." I shouldʼve known it was him, I should have known.

"Veer..." I instantly crumbled at his touch as he wrapped an arm around my shoulder, pulling me into his body, his chest pressed against my back as I stood stiff in my position.

"Now thatʼs a good girl." He mumbled and I was about to say something when he gripped my hair tightly and started dragging me along with him, the sudden force making me cry out in pain as I struggled to keep my balance.

"Veer, please..." I choked out and I froze when the sound of thunder bellowed across the sky. It didnʼt even take seconds for the heavy rain to start pouring down and I heard Veer's curse something under his breath before he started to hurry his pace, roughly pulling me into to the nearest bush.

"Help! Somebody help-" a strong stinging sensation on my cheeks made me freeze and I slowly turned around, covering my sore cheeks, tears already threatening to spill as I stared at him in disbelief.

"Why donʼt you shut the fuck up and play nice, huh ?" he growled, ripping my hands away and forcing me to sit down on the ground, right behind the bush.

I was still shocked and stared at him, trying to ignore the burning sensation on my cheeks as I watched him rummage through his pockets before picking out a Vervain bracelet.

"Please..." I started to sob but he gripped my wrists before slipping the bracelet on and shooting me a glare again.

"Next time it wonʼt be a slap so why donʼt you shut the fuck now?! I killed his girlfriend once, I wouldnʼt hesitate to cut another pretty little face again, sweetheart!" he raised his voice and even in the dark, I could see the anger and hatred gleaming inside his blue eyes, making my whole body tremble at his words.

My breath was caught between my throat and I opened my mouth to scream but nothing came out, causing me to cower in fear instead.

"Weʼre staying here until the rain stops." His eyes softened as he watched me hug myself to stop shaking, my already soaked body trying to find any comfort in my own arms but it was no use.

I canʼt get taken away again, I canʼt. I just canʼt. I brushed away a fallen tear and looked at him and his eyes swiftly moved from my thighs to my eyes, making my heart drop.
God, no.

"Bad day to wear something so hot?" he had the guts to tease and I could feel anger boiling inside of me as I pulled my already soaked skirt further down my ankles, the thin fabric that stuck on to my skin making me feel highly uncomfortable.

"Youʼre si-sick. The hell is your problem..." I choked out, brushing away a tear that had rolled down my cheeks as I struggled to keep myself together.

Calm down, all I had to do was find a chance to make a run for it. But how? And would Ananya have told Omkara already and sent hel-

"Stop!" I snapped as he moved closer, slipping off his jacket and wrapping it around my shoulders before I could even stop him.

"So now you want to act nice, get off me!" I tried to conceal the fear in my voice but it was clearly evident now.

"Iʼd suggest you keep wearing them, for your own good." He warned, slightly scanning me from head to toe and I cringed in disgust before pulling my body closer.

As he glanced up at the cloudy sky, I heard him let out a huff and I slipped my hands inside his jacket to keep myself warm, my heart suddenly coming to a stop when I felt a familiar object grazing against my fingers.

Is it the knife? Yes, it was, it definitely was.

"No way..." I breathed, my fingers following the trail of carved writings.

"No way, what?" Veer questioned and I snapped my attention towards him before shaking my head, my stomach tying itself into a knot at the thought of him catching me with it. He must have forgotten that he had it inside the pockets.

"We need to leave now." He mumbled, realizing that it wouldnʼt stop pouring anytime soon and before I could say anything, he grabbed my upper arm and jerked me up, pushing me ahead as he followed behind me.

"I can walk on my own."

"Itʼs not about what you want, alright? Now keep moving, I donʼt want you to catch any attention. Get ready to make a left turn when I say so." He ordered through gritted teeth as we started moving faster and I tried to come up with a plan to escape.

As we kept walking further and further, I started to panic and I looked to my right, staring at the sea as I gripped the knife in my hand, my mind already becoming hazy at my new plan.

Was it going to work? I didnʼt have time to think, it was my only chance. I suddenly came to a halt and watched Veer'sturn to face me as I took several steps back.

He and I both knew that I had no chance of running away or out-running him so I did the one thing I was certain would buy me time.

"I suggest that you donʼt anything stupid and co- operate well right now, Gauri ." He warned but before he could take another step forward, I pulled out the knife and turned around, hurling it towards the sea with every force I had left.

"The fuck did you do?!" I heard him growl, pushing past me as he sprinted towards the sea and I used this chance to start running again, throwing away his jacket and slipping off the bracelet, hoping that someone could sense my presence and hear my heartbeat.

I glanced back, my eyes barely focusing on the dark figure that was now in the waters, desperately searching for the knife but I knew that it was no use.

I cried out as my legs sunk inside the wet sand, my legs beginning to ache as I stumbled ahead before losing my balance and falling down, my legs finally giving away.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" I yelled up, looking up at the sky and letting the tears roll out, rain drops hitting my face as I struggled to breathe and stand up again.

Before long, I picked myself up again and started running, my heart beating loudly against my chest at the thought of Veer catching up to me.

No, no, he canʼt-

My face connected to a hard chest and I stumbled back before looking up to face Omkara , who was now staring at me in both shock, his whole face knotting up in concern.

Before he could say anything, I threw myself at him and cried, my body beginning to shake at the thought of Veer almost getting the chance to kidnap me again.

I got away with it and I canʼt believe I did.

"Where is he?" his body started to tense up and I shook my head, gripping his hands as we pulled away.

"I-I donʼt know bu-but donʼt leave me and-"

"Hey, of course I wonʼt." he cut in, pulling me into a hug and it relieved me beyond words that he didnʼt let the anger get the best of him tonight.

Usually he would have just ditched me right here and then run off to find him.

"Gauri , are you okay?" I heard Arjun's concerned voice as we pulled away and I brushed away the tears before nodding.

I hadnʼt even noticed him.

"Go with Arjun , Iʼll be back." Omkara instructed and I shook my head in protest.

Guess I spoke too soon about him not ditching me.

"Please, donʼt, just stay and letʼs go home. I donʼt want to be alone again, I donʼt want to-"

"Shh, hey, just calm down, alright?" two large hands cupped my cheeks and I looked up at Omkara , our voices barely audible due to the pouring rain and the sound of thunder bellowing down on us every now and then.

"I promise youʼre going to be safe now, just go with Arjun. Iʼll find him and-"

"Omkara , please. Just stop, even if itʼs for tonight, let it go..."

"I canʼt." his jawlines locked and I noticed just how much he was holding back his anger now. I could see the anger and hatred slowly starting to flicker in his eyes and I shook my head.

"Please-"

"I said, I canʼt, alright? He went too fucking far and Iʼve had enough! He canʼt get away with hurting you, Iʼll make sure he fucking understands that very clearly." He emphasized through gritted teeth, standing up straight as I grabbed his hands.

"At least take me home..." I begged softly and I heard Arjun  clear his throat.

"I think you should just go, Omkara . Weʼll look for him."

"Yeah, like you guys have done a very good job so far. He is getting away with it every single fucking time and itʼs-" he stopped, suddenly rubbing the back of neck in a frustrating manner and letting out some weird noises from his mouth.

"Fuck!" he spat, hurling his hands away before grabbing my hand and picking me up in his arms.

"Omk-" I stopped when my mind started to get dizzier before it came to a sudden stop and I was already in my room.

Omkara put me down and I stared at him as he marched up to my cupboard and jerked it open, picking out a random white sweater.

I dropped down on the bed, my legs starting to feel heavier than before and I let out a deep sigh, my heartbeats finally becoming more even.

"Three minutes, Iʼll be back, change and rest." He said shortly, throwing the sweater at me and disappearing out of the room.

I quickly slipped on the sweater and stripped off my skirt before making my way towards the cupboard, my legs slightly limping as I felt a stinging pain on my right knee but I didnʼt even bother to check it out.

Instead, I just picked out a random black short and as I was slipping them on, I noticed a huge scrape on my right knee and hissed in pain as the fabric brushed past up the bruise as I slipped on my short.

Just as I sat back down on the bed, Omkara walked in, still shirtless and wet with only his short but I was too focused on what he was carrying.

"Omkara , itʼs fine..."

"Stay put and donʼt move." He mumbled, carrying a dangerous aura around him as he sat down next to me on the bed, pulling up my knee and opening the first aid kit.

I watched him dip a cotton in some liquid bottle and take it out, using his other free hand to take a firm grip around my ankle and pulling it closer to him in order to extend my legs.

He suddenly stopped and I looked at him, my eyes slightly widening when I saw his jawline clenched, his eyes growing a shade darker as the grip around my ankle started to get more intense with each passing second.

"Omkara , that hurts-"

"Why the fuck did you try to help her, Gauri?" he asked sharply and I looked at him in confusion.

"Because she was getting kidnapped, Omkara ...what was I supposed to do? Stand and watch her get-"

"Yes, thatʼs exactly what you should do! The hell makes you think that youʼre strong enough to go up against Veer?!"

"I didnʼt know that it was-"

"Then why would you fucking try to help if you didnʼt even know?! You could have gotten yourself killed!" he spat and hissed at the same time, tightening the grip around my ankle even more and I whimpered in pain.

"Iʼm warning you, Gauri , next time you do something like this, I wonʼt let you slide off so easily either."

"I didnʼt do anything wrong..."

"I asked you to stay and not move till I come back, you clearly disobeyed me and look where it ended you up!" his temper was getting the best of him and I decided not to argue with him.

"Yeah...can you please let go...? Youʼre hurting me..." I mumbled weakly and watched him give me a long look before freeing the grip he had on my ankle.

"Stay put." He hissed as I tried to pull my legs away from him and I watched him grip my legs before brushing the cotton against my scrape, making me hiss in pain but I decided to hold it in.

After he was done, he wrapped a bandage around my knee and I watched him do it gently, assuming that his anger had finally rinsed off by now.

"Howʼd you get away?" he asked softly, standing up straight and I edged further away as he sat down right next to me, leaning against the headboard before resting his lower arm over his eyes.

"We-well Veer gave me his jacket because it was pouring and I-"

"You let him give you his jacket?"

"Yes, but itʼs only because-" "You-let-him-touch-"

"Omkara , it wasnʼt like that, let me finish."

"So I could get more pissed? How about, no." he said sharply and was about to start getting up when I grabbed his hand, interlocking our fingers so that couldnʼt move.

"Just listen alright? He did so because I was soaking wet and it was starting to show off my- and not the point, of course." I stopped halfway when he shot me a hateful glare.

"Was that your attempt to make things better?" he squeezed my hands and I went silent.

There was no pleasing this guy, I swear.
"Iʼm sorry...Iʼve caused so much trouble lately and I...I donʼt know," I finally breathed, my eyelids drooping as I leaned my head against his upper arm.

"Iʼm always putting everyone in danger..." I fiddled with my fingers as he let out a sigh, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and I shivered at his cold touch.

"True, but you know that you can get away with it as long as Iʼm around, donʼt you?"

"Whatʼs that supposed to mean...?"

"It means you know," he leaned his face closer and I pulled away a little as he narrowed his eyes at me.

"You know that you already have me wrapped around your fingers." My eyes widened at his blunt words and I could feel my mouth slightly hung open in surprise.

I would never use anyone like that and to think that he thought of me like that was just... hurtful.

"I-I would never-" I started to choke out but couldnʼt bring myself to say it, so instead, I turned and sat up to leave when he grabbed my wrist.

"But," I heard him say before I was yanked back and I let out a gasp as my nose bumped against his chest.

"I wouldnʼt mind that." I heard him whisper before he grabbed my chin and leaned into a kiss, his soft lips pressing gently against mine as I pressed both my hands on the bed, my heart pounding loudly against my chest.

I felt him grip my shoulders with his other hand as he licked my bottom lip and I let him in as our tongue fought for dominance. It felt like time had stopped for the next few minutes and all I could hear was the pouring rain along with our soft gasps and heavy breathing.

I was already sitting on my heels and I couldnʼt bring myself to pull away so instead, I gripped the bed sheet and let him take over as he sat up on his knees, cupping my cheeks in his hands and I followed his movement, finally gripping his hands that were still resting on my cheeks.

For once, he pulled away first and I was about to say something when he placed a few more pecks on my lips before giving the last one on my forehead, his fingers grazing against my earlobes as he did.

I couldnʼt take my eyes away from his abs and I gulped softly when he backed away a little before sitting down to meet my gaze.

"I really wouldnʼt do that to anyone, you should know that before you-"

"Geez, I was just kidding, Gauri ." He chuckled softly and I raised a brow before giving him a look.

"You think youʼre sooo funny, donʼt you?"

"I think Iʼm hilarious." He suddenly disappeared and I heard the sound of the door locking before I turned to watch him walk towards the bed again.

"Oh, ha-ha, so mature. Why lock the door?" I asked softly and watched him grin before cocking his head to a side and raising a brow, as if I was asking the most obvious question in the world.

"Iʼm sleeping with you, of course. Wouldnʼt want anything happening to you again, now would I?"

"No, weʼre not...weʼre not doing that again. Iʼll be fine, just let someone stand by the door and-"

"Already made up my mind, Gauri , letʼs not waste our breaths tonight, shall we?" he was already getting inside the sheets and I scoffed in disbelief and annoyance.

"Youʼre so annoying and I hate you ." I huffed, slightly feeling happy that he was worried about my safety. But then again, this was probably for his own benefit too, let's not get carried away, Gauri .

"I love you too, Gauri" He mumbled with no emotion in his voice but my heart still raced at his words.