I peeled my eyes open to stare up at a ceiling, my vision becoming more blurry as I squinted my eyes, trying to adjust to the new lights.

What happened?

With a painful groan, I sat up, ready to get up from wherever I was but froze when I noticed veer staring right at me, causing me to gasp before I crawled back on the bed.

Wait, bed?!

"What-" my breath hitched as I stared at the unfamiliar sheets on my legs before I darted my eyes around the familiar room.

No, no, it canʼt be. "How..." at this point, I could barely say anything and veer just sat still on the chair, right in front of the bed I was sitting on, his elbows firmly resting on his lap as he cocked an eyebrow at me.

"It was about time you returned back to me, donʼt you think?" his cocky attitude somehow pricked my nerves and I sent him a deadly glare, trying to remember what happened.

All I remember is him backing me into a corner and then what happened? Did he drug me? Compelled me? When did I black out?

"You wonʼt get away with this." I finally hissed at him, anger bubbling inside of me at the sight of his calm behavior.

Veer only tightened up his interlocked fingers and slightly brushed his thumb against his lips before narrowing his eyes at me in both amusement and suspicion.

"But I did," he suddenly leaned back against the chair and I shot him a million daggers.

"Twice, might I add." He tilted his head to a side, humoring himself in the process and I scoffed at his bold statement.

"You really think you can get away with this, donʼt you? The hell is wrong with you?! Why are you doing this to me?!" I started snapping, grabbing the nearest pillow and hurling it towards him but he easily caught it and let out a sigh, dropping the pillow on the ground before standing up.

The moment he straightened his figure, my confidence crumbled to pieces and I could feel myself slowly backing away as he started taking slow, painful steps towards me, almost making my blood freeze.

"Oh sweetheart," his sickly sweet tone only made me tremble more but I stood my ground, gripping the bed sheet as he placed a hand right next to my waist, leaning closer to my figure as I pressed myself against the headboard.

"Because itʼs you, I am doing this." He finished, placing his free hand on top of the headboard, gripping it tightly as he closed in and at this point, I just glared right up at him, hoping it would somehow intimidate him and cause him to back off but then again, this wasnʼt just any guy weʼre talking about.

"Omkara is going to find me." My voice was now cracking and I could feel the hot tears burning in my eyes but I held a firm gaze as Veer gave me the most fake surprised look before he let out a chuckle, shaking his head in pity.

"Funny how you keep depending on that one person you were dying to get away from." His words seemed to get to me somehow but I decided to ignore them, knowing very well that he was just trying to tick me off.

"Move." I started to push him away, ready to slip past him when he spoke again, this time, his breath hitting the back of my neck.

"You wanted me to help you get away from him, donʼt you remember, sweetheart?"

"I said move!" I snapped, giving him another push but stopped to let out a huff in frustration when he didnʼt budge, instead, a grin crept up on his face and his amusement only caused my anger to rise up.

"You didnʼt say please." "Fuck off."

"Guess youʼve grown quite an attitude now, haven't you?"

"I learned from the best." I hissed at him one final time before slipping right past him, ready to take off but stopped to think.

Why should I even bother running away again? Heʼs never going to let me leave anyways, and wasting my efforts trying to outsmart vampires was never my plan A.

"Why? Not going to even try running away?" I turned to face Veer and frowned at him before turning away.

"Iʼm hungry." I finally said bitterly, folding my hands across my chest.

"At least she can eat now. Last time she came here, she wouldnʼt even look at us." I heard Karan say from across the table as I took another bite of my pasta, ignoring Varun and Karthik , who simply chuckled at his statement.

"Think Omkara taught her a thing or two about toughening it up a little, huh?" I almost stopped chewing on my food but continued, trying my best to ignore them.

Okay, letʼs be honest. I might be putting up a brave face in front of them right now, but god knows that I am shitting in my pants right now, considering the fact that I was surrounded my psychotic vampire killers.

God knows what they could do to me.

I was lucky to be alive till now.

"May I be excused now?" I finally said, looking at Veer, who simply shrugged as I stood up.

Reluctantly, I made my way outside and without even thinking straight, I started heading towards the main door, putting all my final hopes on a miracle.

"Going somewhere?" Karan appeared out of the blue, ruffling up his hair a bit as I gave him a pleading look.

"Just...out?"

"But you just got here." He raised a brow and I was surprised as to why we were even having this sarcastic conversation.

"Look, karan, just let me go? Itʼs only a matter of time before one of the Oberoi brothers finds me and-"

"I still havenʼt forgotten what Omkara did to me because of you." He shot me a deadly glare and I took a step forward, ready to apologize when he hissed at me.

"Donʼt put on that face with me. Last time you did that, I almost lost control." He said with no emotion and I just stared at him in confusion before turning around and bolting back to the room Veer was forcing me to stay in.

"Weʼre moving so get ready." Veer bolted inside the room with a bag and I instantly jolted up in my position before frowning at him.

"Itʼs 8 pm right now and what?!"

"Your prince charming is onto us, and I wouldnʼt want him to find you so soon now would I?" he questioned, opening the wardrobe and I noticed a bunch of clothes inside them.

Were they for me?

"Wh-what do you mean? Where are you taking me?!" I suddenly started to panic and shook my head when veer started stuffing the clothes inside the bag.

"Somewhere very far away, Gauri. Now be a sweetheart and help me pack now, yeah?" my eyes widened at his words and I could feel my pulse racing at thought of moving away. If he manages to take me far away, thereʼs no chance of Omkara ever finding me again.

"Hurry up and-"

"No..." I choked out and before Veer could turn around, I sprinted towards the door, opening it and ready to start running when a hand slammed it back so hard, it caused my ears to ring painfully and my whole body to tremble in fear.

"Sweetheart , donʼt do this right now. I promise to play nice so letʼs co-operate and-"

"No..." I choked out, turning to face him as he
let out a sigh, his eyes piercing right into my soul. "Please, anything but that. You-you canʼt take me away! Iʼm not going anywhere with you! You canʼt just take me away from my home, you canʼt just do as you please!" I started snapping, tears rolling down my cheeks as I started hitting his hard chest repeatedly and Veer just stood still before letting out an exasperated sigh.

"Itʼs not fair, why are you doing-"

"Lifeʼs not fucking fair, sweetheart, get the fuck over it and shut the fuck up already!" he suddenly grabbed my wrists, jerking me closer and I gasped before going silent, swallowing in another sob as I stared up at his cold eyes.

"I donʼt have the fucking time to babysit you, Gauri . So either do as I say or Iʼll compel you into doing what I want. That way youʼd shut up at least." He hissed and I shook my head, my eyes widening at his words.

If he compelled me, there was no chance for me to escape.

Literally, no chance.

"Good, then be a good girl and get ready," he tightened the grip on my wrist.
"Because weʼre moving, am I clear?"

I lowered my eyelashes helplessly and went silent as he closed in the space between us, causing me to press myself against the door but I didnʼt dare to rip my gaze from the ground.

"Did I scare you?" his voice suddenly softened and my breath hitched when two fingers gripped my chin before lifting them up to meet his eyes.

I stared right into his eyes, hoping to find any hint of sympathy and guilt but to my disappointment, there was none. He was nothing but just heartless and cruel.

My heart dropped when I noticed his eyes flickering onto my lips and I could feel my body trembling when his own lips starting inching closer to mine.

My movements froze for just a few seconds before I turned away, causing his lips to brush against my cheek instead.

"You said that we have to go..." my voice was barely audible now and I could feel Veer's heavy breathing against my neck before he took a step back, making me sigh in relief.

"Of course." He smiled a little and disappeared out of my sigh as I exhaled deeply.

That was too close.

"How far are we going?" I asked softly, staring at the black jeep as everyone started getting inside.

"As far away from here as possible, darling." Varun looked at me as he buttoned up his shirt and I looked at Veer , who was about to get in the jeep as well.

"Veer, please." I suddenly felt desperate and found myself grabbing his upper arm. He stopped to look down at me and I clutched harder as he raised a brow at me.

"Please what?" he asked impatiently and I bit my bottom lip, trying to find the right choice of words to say.

"Letʼs stay here? Iʼll be good, I promise. Iʼll help around at the mansion, Iʼll even cook and clean. I wonʼt even try to run away so please," I paused when he let out a sigh in annoyance.

"Please donʼt take my away." I barely said out loud and stiffened when a hand caressed my cheeks.

"Sweetheart, I wish youʼd beg like that when youʼre sleeping with me." With a glare, I roughly brushed away his hand and watched him chuckle as I balled my hands into a fist.

Okay, I take it back. This guy-this guy deserved the award for being the biggest asshole in the world!

"Iʼm not going." I said softly yet harshly and before I could turn away, a hand gripped my wrist before practically dragging me towards the jeep and hurling me inside.

My knees grazed against the floor as I picked myself up and glared at Veer as he closed the door on my face, causing my heart to pound loudly against my chest.

"Stop! Veer , please! No!" I started yelling and screaming, punching the nearest window but it wasnʼt long before one of the boys grabbed my shoulders, yanking me back and forcing me to sit down.

I fought back the tears but only for some time and soon, I was back to being a mess. My eyes were swollen red, my hair was a ruffled out, my whole body was shaking and as each second passed by, I realized how far away we were really going.

"Karthik ..." I finally look up at him and I watched him open his eyes slightly to look at me.

"Yes, my pet?"

"Can you please tell Veer that I feel car sick? My head really hurts." I said softly, clutching my stomach as Karthik frowned at me in both worry and suspicion. He gave me a long look before tapping the glass behind him and I noticed Veer glancing back at us from the front seat.

Karthik did some hand signs and I watched Veer turn the wheel before the jeep came to a sudden stop. I noticed Veer slipping from his seat before getting out and opening our door and I gulped softly when I noticed him frowning at us in displeasure.

"What?"

"Gauri is feeling sick." Karthik pointed at me before closing his eyes again and I watched Veer let out a sigh before motioning me to get out. Hesitantly, I got off the jeep and gasped when he grabbed my wrist, already dragging me towards the woods.

Where the hell were we? Were we already out of town?!

"Veer, stop! I feel even worse when you do that-" I stopped, clutching my stomach as the bile rose up my throat and without warning, I gagged, throwing up on the ground.

I could feel myself lacking oxygen as I struggle to inhale deeply but with every small breath I took, the gag reflex would trap the air between my lungs, making me feel suffocated instead.

"Relax, youʼre okay." A somewhat soothing voice made me quiver in disgust as Veer pulled my hair back before rubbing my back gently.

"Stop-"

"Get me some water!" I heard him yell and it wasnʼt long before the boys appeared in front of us with a bunch of water bottles. I watched Veer pour some water in his palm before he "helped" me wash my face and mouth.

"I donʼt need your help." I spat with so much venom and growled when he wrapped an arm around my shoulders before using his other free hand to motion Karthik to pour water again.

Just as he was about to rinse my face again, I spit on his hand angrily and he stopped to let out a huff in frustration.

"Iʼll let that one slide," he said softly, yet gripped my shoulders so hard that I almost whimpered in pain.

"Since youʼre sick." He finished off oh-so-sweetly, loosening the grip on my shoulders before grabbing the bottle of water from Varun and washing his hands.

"Weʼre camping here for the night." He muttered under his breath before taking a sip out of the water bottle and hurling it to the ground.

I jumped a little and noticed Varun wrapping his arms around my shoulders from the back before guiding me back to the jeep.

It was 1 am and I was still awake, trying to take any comfort from the little fire Veer had set up for me. Karan and Karthik were already asleep inside the tents they had set up earlier, while Varun and Veer were still awake, staring at me intensely the whole time.

"I wouldnʼt...I canʼt run away. So stop staring at me like that." I hugged myself tighter, edging closer to the fire and stopped when the leaves crunched under my legs.

"But we enjoy staring at you." Veer plastered a grin before sipping some more out of his blood bag. I made a face and turned away, pulling my knees up.

"You want something to drink, love?" Varun teased, holding out his blood bag and I went silent, a lump forming in my throat as I hugged my body even tighter.

"Thatʼs enough, you shouldnʼt bully an innocent girl like that Varun." I heard Veer say but I didnʼt even turn to look at him.

A sudden warmth coated my body and I turned to look at Veer in surprise as he wrapped a sleeping bag around me before sitting down right behind me.

"Youʼre freezing." He simply said before wrapping half of the sleeping bag around him as well and I frowned when I noticed him inching closer to my body from behind.

"Donʼt touch me." I hissed bitterly and was about to get up when he wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me back down.

"Iʼm seriously not giving you a choice right now, Gauri . Youʼre going to freeze to death-"

"Thanks for your "concern", Veer, but I would rather take comfort from the dead."

"Youʼre lucky Iʼm not dead then, huh?" he pulled my body closer and as badly as I wanted to just jerk away, my body couldnʼt resist the warmth of his skin.

I could feel his breath hitting the back of my neck and oh-how badly I wanted him to just back away now.

Everything about him was disgusting and him touching me and hugging me like this was simply the worst of the worst.

My thoughts suddenly stopped when I felt something soft and warm press against the exposed skin on my shoulder and I instantly jumped up, my whole body quivering in both disgust and fear.

Why the hell does he keep trying to make a move on me?!

"Can you stop?!"

"My bad, I couldnʼt help it," he suddenly breathed in my scent and I could feel my heart racing faster at his words now.

"Your blood just smells so fucking good, itʼs driving me insane." I started to panic and my jumbled up thoughts caused me to stiffen in my position instead.

"Ve...Veer , can I ask you something then?" I backed away before turning to face him and my heart raced in fear when I noticed that his eyes were now filled with both lust and hunger.

I have to change the topic.

"By all means."

"How did you know that Omkara and the Oberoi brothers had taken an herb that night?" I inhaled deeply, mentally giving myself a pat in the back for asking such a bold question.

"Ah, now that is an excellent question," he rubbed the side of his jawline and I noticed how good looking he really was.

His fixed jawline, his bright blue eyes that looked so good with his disheveled black hair. He was just another one of the breath taking masterpieces that came from the vampire families.

However, his looks could never comprehend that cold, heartless personality of his.

No, he was far worse than most of the vampires out there and-

"There was someone helping me from the inside, obviously." His words snapped me back to reality and my eyes widened in disbelief.

"What-whatʼs that supposed to mean?"

"You know exactly what I meant, sweetheart. How else would I have known?" he grinned, showing of his pearly white teeth and I gulped softly, my eyes still gazing into his.

He was lying. There was no one who could be helping him from the inside! Unless...it was Ishana?

"Youʼre lying to-"

"It could be Ajay or Rithesh, for all you know," Veer started in a teasing tone and I could feel my eyes welling up in tears. "Maybe Parth or your kind hearted Shivaay-"

"Stop." I said sharply, my fingers beginning to tremble at the mention of his name.

"Ah, now that would a shame now wouldnʼt it? To assume that Shivaay was helping me with all this?"

"Youʼre lying. Youʼre trying to play with my head. I already know itʼs Ishana who-"

"Why would I lie? What could I possibly benefit in lying to you right now? Well, apart from seeing you petrified like this-"

"Veer." I said in a warning tone and he simple raised a brow at me.

"What, you donʼt think itʼs possible that it could have been one of the Oberoi brothers behind this? Itʼs not impossible for one of them to be on my side you know? After all, I was pretty much like a brother to them, once." I went silent at his words and just stared at him before turning away to face the fire again.

He was lying. That was all he was good at. Lying and more lying and I am not going to believe a word he says!

"Tell me, sweetheart?" he whispered into my ears and I froze to listen.

"How are you going to live inside that mansion again, knowing that there is a betrayer amongst one of you?"

"Just stop talking and shut up already, Veer." I said with no emotion in my voice and I heard him chuckle darkly at my threat.

"Guess youʼll never know though."

******

I opened my eyes slightly and breathed in a familiar cologne, my whole body quivering at the intoxicating smell burning through my nose.

My eyes instantly flew open and I sat up, parting my face from Veer's neck as he grinned down at me, his eyes flickering in amusement.

"What-"

"You fell asleep." He cut me off as I wrapped the blanket around myself, quickly standing up from my position.

"Stop trying to act nice, Veer-"

"I didnʼt force you to snuggle under my neck, now did I?" I gave him a hard frown, my eyes not ripping away from his as he adjusted his wrinkled up shirt before walking past me towards the boys.

"Youʼre going to drive." I heard Veer say, tossing some keys to Karthik and I started brushing some strands of hair away from my face but froze when I noticed an unfamiliar bracelet wrapped around my wrist now.

I stared at the green topaz embedded in the middle and frowned hard before looking at Veer.

"Whatʼs this?" I questioned, holding up my wrist and Veer raised a brow at me.

"Just in case Omkara catches up on your heartbeat."

"Not like he can sense it anyways, weʼre too far away-"

"I wouldnʼt underestimate a pure blood, Varun. Weʼre not anywhere close to their level," Veer stated and I heard Varun scoff in annoyance before muttering something under his breath.

"But thatʼs why we use this more often." Veer added, tapping his forehead before he turned to give me fake smile.

I rolled my eyes and turned around, ready to start leaving again when an idea popped into my head.

Wait, what if I used this bracelet to make a run for it? Or sneak a way out?

Was it possible? Maybe. Worth a shot? Definitely.

"Alright, pack up and letʼs go, it looks like itʼs about to rain any second and I donʼt want-"

"Veer ?" I quickly jogged over to him, cutting him off and I heard him dramatically sigh in annoyance before facing me.

"Can I rest just a few more hours? My head still hurts." I said weakly and he furrowed his eyebrows together, shaking his head immediately.

"Trying to buy enough time for Omkara to catch up on us? Yeah, I donʼt think so sweetheart-"

"I got this bracelet on anyways, he wouldnʼt find me anytime soon Veer, we both know it," I said, folding my hands across my chest and I noticed the guys rolling their eyes.

"Iʼll really get sick if I get in there again. Do you really want me to throw up in the-"

"Oh hell no, you donʼt! Thatʼs a brand new jeep." Varun cut me off and I looked at Veer, giving him a pleading look.

"That look doesnʼt work on me." Veer narrowed his eyes at me and I lowered my eyelashes on the ground, ready to give up, but for some reason, a rush of confidence took over my body within seconds and I looked right back up at him, this time with my best puppy dog eyes and a small pout.

"Just a few more hours," I took a small step forward and I couldʼve sworn I saw Veer flinch at my little act.

"Please?" I added with a weak sigh, giving him another look of plead.

"And you blame me for wanting to fuck her-"

"Alright. You got 3 more hours to rest." Veer cut off Varun and I almost jumped up in relief but managed to hold it back.

"You guys saw that right? He actually got whipped." Karan broke into a short laugh as I sent him a frown before rushing towards the tent.

After getting inside, I zipped it close and I could hear heavy footsteps approaching near the tent before someone sat down in front of it. I assume itʼs Veer's ? But itʼs fine for now, I just have to pretend to sleep for an hour or so before I make a move.

God, I hope this works. If by any chance I get caught, Veer will never let it go.

An hour or more passed by and I could hear someone unzipping my tent, causing goosebumps to rise all over my body.

It was pretty obvious he would check up on me at least once, which is why I decided to wait.

After a few minutes, I heard someone zip up the tent again, causing me to sigh in relief. I opened my eyes and stopped to think.

Okay, okay, relax and think Gauri . How could you possibly sneak out without them noticing at all? Should I just-

I stopped and gasped softly when I heard the sound of thunder roaring across the sky, followed by the sound of pouring rain.

Great, just great. But maybe this way, they canʼt sense my smell? I donʼt know.

"We should clean up now." I heard Veer yell from outside and my movements froze at his command.

"Make space at the backseat so that Gauri can sleep." I heard karan's voice say out loud and for the next few seconds, I heard nothing.

No voices, no footsteps, nothing. Did they leave? Who cares, take the chance now, Gauri!

With trembling hands and a pounding heart, I lifted up the tent from behind, just enough for me to squeeze through and found myself crawling out.

Even when I got outside, I didnʼt dare to stand up nor glance back to see if the boys noticed. Instead, I crawled myself halfway towards a bunch of trees and bushes before hiding behind a huge tree, my uncontrollable panting causing my whole body to tremble and shake in fear.

"Ugh." I groaned, brushing away the leaves and sticks that stuck onto my already soaked clothes and took a deep breath.

At least I made it this far. I peeked through the bush and gulped softly when I noticed Veer and the rest of the guys still talking near the jeep, all their clothes soaking wet in the rain but they didnʼt seem to mind.

I wasnʼt able to hide as far away as I wanted to but they wouldnʼt know that now, would they? Plus, if I was to start running, they might have noticed me and— shit!

I swiftly pulled back, pressing myself against the tree when I noticed Veer walking back towards the tent.

Did he see me? He didnʼt right? Please, oh god, he canʼt, not now.

"Gauri ? Wake up now, we have to go. The guys are tired of waiting around and itʼs fucking raining," I heard him say out loud and I took deep breaths, clutching onto the bracelet.

"You can just sleep inside the jeep, weʼve already made space for you to-" the moment Veer's voice froze, so did my heart, and I inhaled deeply, preparing myself for whatʼs to come.

"Fuck! She got away!" I heard him hiss and yell at the same time and I held my breath, clutching my mouth to stop myself from whimpering or making any noises.

"The hell?! I thought you were keeping an eye on her?!

"Find her, now!" Veer growled and for the next minutes or so, I stayed still before peeping out to check whether they were gone.

Sure enough, everyone had left and I was about to start running back to the bush when I noticed the Jeep.

Without even thinking straight, I started running towards the jeep, my heart pounding loudly against my chest, threating to rip out as I ran as fast as I could.

After reaching up to the SUV, I opened the door, throwing myself in before shutting the door and hugging myself. It was freezing cold but thatʼs beside the point.

They left the keys in here, thank god for that, I was saved.

I started the jeep and started turning it around before taking off, my hands gripping the wheel as tightly as I could just so I could stop my whole body from trembling. I wasnʼt that good of a driver, especially in this weather, nor did I know where the hell I was going even but I had to keep driving.

I wiped the sweat from my forehead and glanced around the jeep, praying that there was no one inside and stopped when I noticed a phone right next to my seat.

I grabbed it and went through the contact list, praying that there was even one number I was familiar with and froze when it landed on a familiar name. Shivaay. No, no way. It canʼt be, itʼs not the Shivaay I know, it has to be someone else.

"No, stop, thatʼs not it Gauri ." I shook my head before going back and dialing my motherʼs number. I pressed the phone tightly against my ears, praying she would pick up. Please, just this once, please mom-

"Hello?"

"Maa?! Itʼs me, Gauri !"

"Gauri ?! What-"

"Listen to me, Iʼm kidnapped by Veer, please call Omkara and-"

"What?! What are you talking about? Who the hell is Veer and where are you?"

"Mom, please listen! I donʼt have time, just call Omkara and tell him that I am probably out of town by now. I donʼt remember the road we took nor the street I am at right now. All I see are a lot of trees and-"

"Oh my god, Iʼm calling the police-"

"Weʼre dealing with vampires alright! The police cannot handle them mother, just call Omkara ! Do you understand, I want you to call Omkara right now!" I started crying on the phone and I could hear my mother sobbing already and panicking over the phone as she started calling my father.

"Gauri , are you okay? Why are they-"

"Wait! I just saw a sign, Iʼm in the Abc street, I just passed it, you have to call him now and-" I stopped and let out a scream when someone appeared right in front of the road, causing me to completely turn the wheel before the car came to a sudden halt.

The sudden force made me hurl forward as I slammed my forehead on the wheel, hard, making my whole head dizzy and weak.

With a groan, I looked up, trying to make sense of what was what through the pouring rain, and my eyes widened when I saw Veer slowly get up from the ground, causing my jaws to drop open in horror.

Did I hit him?!

I started turning the key and froze when the jeep made some weird noises before the headlights turned on and off repeatedly, making my heart sink all the way down to my stomach.

No...no, no!

"Come on!" I started jamming and jerking the key, turning it to the point my fingers started to feel sore, but it was no use. I slowly looked up and my eyes met Veer's as a sadistic smirk appeared on his face, as if heʼs already caught on my fail attempts.

No, please just-

My hands froze when I noticed him taking slow steps towards me and I quickly reached to lock the doors, shaking my head repeatedly as I continued to work on the jeep.

Why wonʼt it start?!

What the hell is-

"Knock knock, sweetheart." A sudden tap on the glass made me scream as I edged away from my seat, my hands trembling as I worked to start up the jeep again.

Please work, please just work already!

"Iʼll give you three seconds to come out of there, Gauri ." My breath hitched at his words and I slowly slipped off my bracelet before gulping softly.

If only Omkara could hear me now.

"One!" I heard him yell before he started walking to the other side of the jeep and I couldnʼt rip my eyes away from his body.

"Fuck, fuck!" I yelled, jamming the keys one more time, tears of frustration rolling down my cheeks.

"Two!" I heard him yell before connecting his fists at the window and I screamed when the window shattered to pieces, some of the glasses flying inside the seats.

The next thing I knew, Veer had opened the door and lunged towards me, grabbing me by the legs as I started kicking him, crawling as far away from him as possible but it was no use.

With a jerk, he dragged me out and I let out a painful scream as my body came in hard contact with the ground.

"Stop, let go of me you fucking freak!" I yelled, throwing my hands and legs everywhere and as soon as I got up on my feet to run, a hand grabbed my shoulders, yanking me back roughly.

"You sure have some fucking nerve, Gauri," his dangerously low and deep tone made my blood freeze and I gasped when he grabbed my neck from behind.

"Nobody makes a fool out of me and gets away with it, sweetheart, not even you!" he spat in my ears before pushing my body to the ground.

"Veer, please, I-" I started to crawl back when I noticed his eyes growing a shade darker. I screamed when he bolted towards me, ready to start running when he froze before glancing back in panic.

The next thing I knew, he had disappeared from my sight and I froze when a bunch of people appeared in front of me out of nowhere.

My eyes could barely reach up to their faces but my vision had started to become blurry, causing my head to feel dizzy.

"Youʼre okay, Gauri, we got you." "We found her!"
I heard some familiar voices yell before darkness clouded my vision.

******

My eyes flattered open and I groaned, rubbing my temple as I sat up on the bed. Oh, hell. I gasped when I noticed Omkara sitting on the bed, causing me to sigh in relief.

"How-what happened?" I finally questioned, looking around the room, just to make sure I was in the right mansion again. Silence filled the room and I looked at Omkara as he just sat still, staring at me.

"Omkara ?" I questioned and stopped when I noticed his expression. His eyes wear weary, the color on his face had drained away completely, making him look so much paler. But his eyes, his eyes stood out the most. Sadness and guilt filled eyes bore into my own and I flinched a little, waiting for him to say something but he just sat there, not uttering a word.

Truth is, right now? He didnʼt have to say anything for me to know exactly what he was thinking. It was clearly written all over his face.

"Om, Iʼm fine, if by any chance, you are thinking that what happened with Veer was your fault, then donʼt, because itʼs not." I said softly and I watched him bite the inside of his cheeks, flinching a little before I turned away.

"But, if thatʼs not the case then ignore what I just said because itʼs embarrassing when I assume stuff Iʼm not even sure of-" I froze when his hands slowly reached up to my mouth, covering it whole gently.

The next thing I knew, his face was buried under my neck, his other arm wrapped around my waist tightly.

I might not "know" Omkara on a personal level, but I know for a fact that he was hurting badly right now, and that made me feel worse.

I muffled out his name from under his palm but he still didnʼt budge. I started to pull away only to be yanked back into his arms, this time, his hands wrapping around my waist securely and I finally let out a sigh when he buried his face inside my neck, again.

"Om, talk. Iʼm right here." No response and I was about to say something but froze when I felt his jawline clench under my neck, causing goosebumps to rise all over my body.

"Are you mad?" I blabbered out before I could even stop myself and instantly regretted it.

"I was so worried Gauri ," he finally said softly, his temple pressing firmly against my shoulders now.

"To the point where it got so fucking frustrating." He barely choked out, his voice soft and hoarse, making my heart race ten times faster than it was before.

"Omkara -"

"Just the thought of never seeing you again Gauri," I froze when I felt something hot and wet brush against my skin. "Really killed me inside."

Right now, heʼs-

"Iʼll never let him take you away again, so promise me..." he tightened the grip around my waist, refusing to face me even when I tried to pull him away.

"Promise me that youʼll never get taken away from me again..." Omkara's voice was now shaking and I just sat there, loss at words.

"Omkara , look at me-"

"Promise me!" his voice was filled with pain and plead, making me stiffen immediately before I finally smiled a little, slowly wrapping an arm around his neck.

"I promise," I breathed inside his neck and I felt his jawline tighten under my neck before taking slow, shaky breaths.

"Thank you, Omkara ."