Hey guys! Im so sorry its so late and I didn't get time to reply to your lovely lovely comments. Im just so unbelievably busy right know but I still wanted to update. I just wanted to say how grateful I am for each read, each comment, each vote, it means absolutely everything.

I hope you enjoy! Please shower me with your love, support, votes and comments! Tell me all about which were your favourite parts!

And please continue watching Naamkaran at 9pm on TV #missiontrp

...

Neil groaned deeply, splashing water over his weary face. He stared at his red face in the mirror and sighed, his eyes were bloodshot red and his tears sticky and dry.  The constant ticking of the the clock grated against his ears in the jarring silence.

3:00 am.

And he still couldn't sleep. He just tossed and turned mindlessly, unable to shake the nightmares out of his mind. Either those dreaded fears dredged up his throat or it was her eyes, which were a new addition to his constant nightmares, what he felt for her scared him. A lot.

He popped open the lid and emptied out the pills in to his hand. With a gulp of water he took them all in one go, holding his dizzy head. With a heavy breath, he bit back the nauseating effect of the medicines and slipped back in to bed.

Finally a little bit of sleep arriving to his exhausted body.

....

"Avu?"

She closed her eyes tighter, folding her shaking her hands around her curled body like a small child who was trying to protect herself.

"Avu kahan ho tum?" (Where are you?)

His footsteps approached as she intook a sharp breath, trying to regulate her hyperventilating. She tried to focus on the sound of the raindrops hitting the floor, and the way it drenched her hair... as if washing the pain away. She wiped away her tears flimsily, but the fact that she was crying was blatantly evident.

"Oh Avni..." He sighed in despair, seeing her in such a bad state, she tried to smile but her lips quivered and her eyes filled with vulnerability.

He rushed to kneel beside her,

"Avni! What the hell are you doing here!? It's 3:00 am and its pouring with rain! Come inside... now..."

He pulled her sternly but gently by her arms but she pryed him away, with a tenative smile but teary eyes, "I'm fine jiju... mujhe bus neend nahi aa rahi thi... Dhruv so gaya hai na?"

He sighed sadly again at the lies that spilled from her lips, at the constant mask of bravery that she hid behind, alone and scared.

"Of course he's asleep its three am, its ages past his bedtime, infact... Its ages after your bedtime missy!"

She smiled at his antics, the fun in his eyes as he said bad jokes and the way someone who wasn't in anyway related to her by blood looked after her so dearly, she didn't deserve it.

Her laughter was genuine and melted away her facade, slowly she broke down in to bitter sobs finally letting out the pain that was excruciating in her chest.

"Oh avu..." Aarav pulled her in to a tight hug, holding her comfortingly to his chest as she cried sorely. "You know that monster isn't worth my baby sister's tears na?"

"Mujhe andhere ki- ki dhar hai- wo- wo mujhe- wo wapas aaya tho? Mujhe dhar-"

"I know... I know Avu..."  He rubbed her back gently to soothe her, as if she was a small baby. His sister in law was very dear to him, like the sister he never got. "Par tumhe pata hai ki hum sab tumhe kuch nahi hone dooga na? Us ghatiya insaan tumhare aas paas bhi nahi aane dooga... not anymore..."

She nodded silently, whimpering and sniffling back tears and loosening slightly in his arms.

"Thoda better feel ho rahi ho?" She nodded, still hiding her face in his shirt like a baby. "Aaja undar aao warna bukhaar hoga tumhe is baarish mein bet kar..."

He took her inside, turning on the lights and sitting her down on the sofa. He grabs a towel and dries her hair making her curl her nose is distaste cutely,

"Hey chodo na jiju!" He chuckled at her childishness, with an affectionate smile.

"Haan sure... phir tumhe bukhaar padenga aur mujhe sune padega tumhari di se..."

She smiled slightly, she had longed for her relationship to be like her jiju's and di's but that was a dream that she had long left behind now.

"Oi... avu kis soch mein koyi hui hu? Aapki nayi dost ki?"

"Nayi dost?" She forgot all about the incident in the morning, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

"Haan... nayi dost... ab batungi aapki jiju ko yeh nayi Neil khon hai bhai?"

The breath caught in her lungs, and Aarav noted the way she flushed at merely the mention of his name, the reaction she had to this new friend, he grinned.

"Koi bhi nahi jiju... promise... wo bus mere nayi colleague hai..."

"Hmmm..." He hummed, his suspicious eyes were not convinced but he let it go for now. "Teek hai phir batao kaise tha aap ki pehele din?"

He stirred the two cups of coffee infront of him stimultaneously, as she looked at him in question,

"Coffee? Raat mein kyu bana raha hai jiju... bohot dher hogaya, aap ko sone chaiye..."

"Oh ho! Sach me? Badi badi baatein karthi ho aap Ms Ziddi... you are telling me to sleep knowing very well that you will not get sleep..."

"Haan par aap-"

"Mein kya? Mein jaake aaram se sau jao yeh jaankar ki aap ko sau nahi pa rahi hai?"

She became pale and sullen realising that her trauma meant he was staying awake for her, she hated troubling people, which was why her pain laid hidden behind her smile.

With a deep grave frown she mumbled, "I'm so sorry jiju, please jaake sau jao, mein bhi chalti hu..."

"Hey, why are you behaving as if someone has died? Calm down, Im just staying up late... mein bus itni si meri choti behen ke liye kar nahi saktha hu?" He asked with a loving smile, he sat opposite her on the table, placing a steaming mug infront of her. But she still frowned, guilt wrangling inside of her.

"Oh come on Avu... udaas mat hoja na? Late night gossip nahi kar saktha hum?" A tiny smile broke out on her face at his ridiculousness.

"Haan teek hai kar saktha hai..." Her eyes glittered now, some of the old childish Avni reviving inside her. "What could we gossip about?"

She winked with a mischievous smirk, "Hmm... pehele aap bataiye jiju... Dhruv number 2 kab aa raha hai? I can't wait for more and more kids to call me mausi..."

"Hey pagal ladki!"

"Aaa! No jiju! Don't!" She screamed in hysteric laughter as he chased her around the room.

Small glimpses of her old self surely returned from time to time, but nobody was there to heal her shattered heart, to bring her out of her dark and scary past, to protect her, as she stayed on the run away from the monster that broke her soul.

...

"Thank you Neela ji, aap ki hi wajhe se humhe is NGO ko itna successful bana payaya..."

"Koi baat nahi Shweta ji..." She squeezed her hands reassuringly, with a warm smile. "Hum dost hai na? Phir itni formality kyu?"

Shweta giggled slightly but tears of old memories and rotten pain moistened her eyes, "mein bus yeh chati Neela ji ki ab koi aur ladki ki shaadi ek narak jaise na hogao... ki wo samje saccha pyaar kaise hota hai... aur wo saccha pyaar unko mil jaye..."

Neela felt her chest tighten as she remembers Avni, the way she was permanently traumatised by that monster, "I know Shweta ji... sab teek hogayenge... wo sab bhi aap ki tarah finally koi prakash ji mil jayenge..."

"Hmm... But i hope that they don't have to live with a monster before that... it ruins your life Neela ji... its so-" she choked back a cry, muffling her mouth with her hand.

"I know swetha ji-"

"Mera beta shaadi nahi karenge ab... i dont know what to do.... he doesn't want to listen to me... he doesn't believe me. Neil would be a wonderful husband, i know it, we have raised him to be that way- but he doesn't want to listen to me- he doesn't want to even consider the proposals..."

"Aap ka beta? Neil?"

"Haan, Neil khanna, yaha ka ACP hai wo... maybe you have heard of him?"

'Neil? And a policeman? Could this be the new friend of Avni's that Dhruv was talking about?' Neela thought.

...

Neil PoV

I stumble back in confusion as I'm pushed and shoved around by the huge crowd surrounding all the chaotic noise and mess.

I frown in confusion.

What the hell is going on here?

Sh*t.

Is she in there?

Is she okay?

I saw Avni storm out of the station in the morning and I knew from that fiery look of steeled determination blazing in her eyes that she was up to no good. Now three hours after and she still hadn't returned, I made my way out to look for her.

I can't explain the feeling that flooded my veins. The straining restlessness of waiting around for her to return and being unable to do anything. I was furious she didn't tell me where she was going and when she was coming back, even though she had no reason, or obligation to. Even though i had no right to know.

God knows why I'm so bloody irrational when it came to her?!

What the hell was I supposed to do!

She was going after Vikas Agrawal... because of my bet...

Sh*t.

I'm f*cking idiot.

How could I let her do this?

I pushed myself through the crowds of people, shoving my badge in people's faces to get them to move out of the way. My muscles were tense, as if I was bracing myself for the worst. I tried to stop the way my heart was pounding incessantly, but I couldn't.

"Remember this when you dare to even look a girl in the eyes again!" The shrill voice blared with power, with courage. I could recognise her beautiful voice anywhere.

I got more desperate to get there, rage laced my flesh just at the thought of that filthy man.

I wasn't going to let this go wrong.

Finally, I'd almost made my way to the front.

.

Oh my lord.

What is this woman made of?

Is she purposely trying to steal my breath away from me?

There he was. The notorious terrifying serial rapist Vikas Agarwal stood there meekly like a punished school boy, his eyes downcast in shame, his hands were knotted together with rope and his body was scattered with cuts and bruises.

And there she was, as fierce as ever, her eyes spoke harrowing, scary volumes, that could silence anybody. Her knuckles were stained crimson with blood, but I couldn't tell if it was her own or his.

I didn't know whether to laugh at his pityful state or be scared for my life to have this dangerous woman in my station.

All i knew was that she looked hot. And it was making me feel all sort of ways that I shouldn't.

She spat in his face, her anger raw and overwhelming. "Don't even think about underestimating a woman! Do you think our love, our grace, our compassion... is our weakness? They are not our weaknessness, our pain is not our helplessnesss. Our pain is our strength. Our silence is our armour. And our love is our weapon... Just because no woman has dared to defeat you before, don't think we aren't capable. We can destroy you worse that you can ever imagine Mr Vikas Agarwal..."

God.

My eyes were soft with awe at her magical words, her courage, her fearlessness. It dragged me toward her like a magnet, it addicted me like a drug, killed me like a poison, robbed me like a thief.

I couldn't describe it.

She stood there, her teeth gritted in wild rage and small cuts and grazes adorning her face. Her hair was an untame mane of gorgeous curls flying behind her. The sweat made her soaked grey t-shirt stick to her curves making her all the more irresistible.

She carried on punching and kicking the living daylights out of him, and I couldn't help but admire her sexy agility, as her back arched when she skillfully worked her limbs. She had this cat-like alluring grace that was driving me mad.

She looked like a warrior.

And it blew me away.

"You are under arrest Mr Vikas Agarwal" She smirked as she twisted his hands behind his back, making them crack deafeningly.

I threw my pair of handcuffs in her direction, and she looked up in confusion as it clattered at her feet.

"At least use proper handcuffs..." I scoffed, but in reality i was struggling to speak in the trance of her beauty.

"Oho... tho aap bhi aagaya ACP saab..." She smiled, and my heart skipped a beat. Because I'm an idiot.

"Tho dekh? Mein bola na? Mein hi jeet gayi! Aap haar gaya!!!

The anger in her eyes dissolved and they softened, this sweet innocent triumph filled them that made my heart ache in a way it never had before. Her smile was playful, and the lively excitement returned to her hard fierce eyes and it was stunning.

It didn't feel like I lost anything. In fact it felt like I had won the more precious thing of all.

...

Avni PoV-

We shoved Agarwal in to the back of the jeep where we didn't have to see that monsters face. Neil opened the passenger seat door, and signalled inside.

He smirked at me and i just stared back at him, my mouth parted open but my words lost somewhere that his eyes had made me forget.

Where was that fierceness in me now?

How did this guy make the fighter in me melt away to nothing?

"Aisa kyu ghoor rahi ho? Mein idhere ek landmark hoke kada hu kya? Andar bet ja..."

His bit his words, drawling sarcastically but that didn't take away from the sweetness of his actions. He stood obediently, holding the door open for me like some sort of chivalrous prince.

I sighed, chewing on my lip to hide my small smile as I sat inside.

He shut the door, and opened the door on the other side, silently sitting inside and turning the key in the ignition.

Was he annoyed at me?

I didn't realise he would take his loss this bitterly...

"Kaise tha mera big arrest? Bohot dramatic na?" I tried to start a light conversation, I don't know why his silence bothered me so much, but it's disappointment felt like a stone weighing down on my heart.

"Hm... bohot nautanki hogaya... mujhe nahi pata tha ki itni badi sherni aap ki undar chupi thi..." He chuckled, his low husky laughter and made my hairs stand on end. I almost sighed in relief knowing he wasn't blanking me.

"ACP Sherni aur ACP Bandar... hum bohot mast team hone wala hai na?" I grinned at him, the thought of us working together made excitement bubble through my veins.

"This is not happening again." The cracks in his voice pervaded with stern authority, his eyebrows drawing together in a frown and his chiselled jawline clenching in irritation. He managed to look hot even when he was being irritating.

"God ACP thoda humble raho... you shouldn't take defeat this badly... Are you miffed at me?"

Was he seriously annoyed at me for arresting Agarwal before him?

This man.

"Yes I'm miffed at you... I thought you were smart ACP Mehta..." He still averted his gaze from mine, staring out on to the road in excess concentration, his eyes flared slightly.

"What do you mean?" My voice lowered in confusion, as I wrung my hands together nervously.

"What do you think I mean!?" He looked over to me, his big eyes were adorable as he yelled out in exasperation. "Do you think it was smart to leave without telling anybody where you were going?  Do you think it was smart to chase a criminal on your own for a stupid bet? This isn't a game, take it seriously Avni.... What if he hurt you?"

I almost gasped at the sincere worry in his eyes, it had been so long since i had seen it from anybody. It almost made me give up my resolve right then and there and forget the promise I had made to myself to never fall for a man again.

I bit down on my lip to stop me from smiling like a soppy teenager, I bit so hard that could taste the blood lace my tongue.

...

Neil Pov

"I know its not a game Neil... but It's going to be dangerous anyway right? I'm used to danger."

I look at her in a spark of worry, the thought of her in danger did something to me. My pulse raced uncontrollably, wrenching in my lungs.

"Used to it? Used to it meaning?"

She looked up at me as if she was broken out of deep thoughts, a puzzled expression on her face. She gave me a long sideways glance of question,

"Um... ACP saab... I have signed up to work on the police force... not some nursery. I know what risks I am taking..." She raised her eyebrow with scoff, even when she was being annoying she managed to look hot.

"Oh really? I thought you ended up here by accident since you behave like a nursery child anyway..."

She gasps at my comment and I could see from the gleam in her eyes that she was ready to pounce at me like the tigress she is.

"I do not behave like a child!" She exclaimed with a huff, pouting cutely as she stubbornly crossed her arms over her chest and looked out the window.

Exactly like a child.

"Well then next time don't risk your safety and then I won't call you a kid... I'm telling you if next time if something happens to  you-"

She pushes my arm gently and playfully with a small innocent smile, and reached up to ruffle my hair adorably.

Just her touch was enough to leave me senseless.

"Areey baba- mujhe kuch nahi hoga... tum ho na mere saath... " She fluttered those long lashes at me, with painfully pretty smile on her tempting lips. "jab ACP Khanna meri partner hai mujhe kya ho saktha hai?"

Oh lord.

Did she not realise how those small simple words did so much?

It made my heart flip like a somersault and all these butterfly feelings churn inside of me. I couldn't help but break out in to a huge smile, admiring each one of her fierce yet somehow ever so delicate features.

She was being crazy anyway. She didn't need me. She didn't need anyone. She was so strong. It was spellbinding. It was so beautiful.

Why didn't she see it?

"Stop trying to butter me up madam... I'm not letting you have anything to do with him anymore..." I glared at her, seeing through her mischief.

She wasn't going to go anywhere near that monster again, not on my watch.

She pouted again, with those soft sweet eyes that made my heart melt in to a puddle.

"Shut up! You can't tell me what to do... I will interrogate him! I caught him na?!"

Interrogate him?

Is she mad?

Him and her in a locked room. What all could happen?

It is her job though.

Why am i so desperate to keep her away?

Well I can't let her risk her safety... Thats just basic humanity, right?

"Oh no your not...." I raised my eyebrows at her dissaprovingly, my voice challenging.

"Oh yes I am Mr Khanna...."

She smirked, cracking her knuckles. Her grin almost mocked my challenge.

Man.

This woman was a force to be reckoned with.

Yet the more she drives me crazy, the more desperately I fall back at her feet.

...........

Avni PoV

He looked so cute as he concentrated on his work, his lips pursed and eyes narrowed with a small frown as he intently stared in to the computer screen.

I picked up the huge pile of paperwork that came with arresting a criminal with a long sigh, this was the boring part. This all felt so useless, this wasn't saving any innocent people, this wasn't protecting the city. This was just keeping the stupid criminal's lawyer's mouth shut for a while.

"Ow!"

Sh*t.

That hurt. I winced as the papers sliced against my hand. I guess the blood on my hands was from my own wounds not from hitting that Agarwal.

"Avni?"

I looked up in confusion and almost jumped seeing Neil appear right in front of me from nowhere, he isn't looking at me. He grabs my hand, immediately making tingles run down my spine. He looks over my hand carefully, his eyes softening with care.

My mouth fell open slightly, in awe of his actions, it felt so foreign, so special.

"You hurt yourself when fighting him?" He looks up at me now and the look on his face kicked me in the gut, his eyes rotted with guilt.

He ran his hand through his ruffled hair, with a panicked expression on his face, cursing himself. "Sh*t. I should have checked... called a nurse, a first aider or something..."

His gaze bore in to my soul, it felt like it was stripping away the guard I had made for myself all these years to protect me from giving away my heart. He looked frustrated, pained, "And have you turned mad? You couldn't tell me? You would have just suffered the pain without telling anybody?"

"But-"

"Shut up now, sit here... I'll bring the first aid kit..." He reprimanded me like a school child, glancing at me in worry apprehension before turning to leave.

I watched his retreating figure and grief clutched at my heart, I couldn't fall for somebody again, I can't- this can't be true. This concern, it couldn't be true... but why did his eyes feel so honest?

"Haath dhedo na yaar..." I felt a hand on the side of my head and looked up to see Neil caressing the side of my hair, his cute eyes filled with remorse. "I didn't mean to get angry with you... Did you feel bad?"

His face made my heart ache in woe, I smiled at him gently, shaking my head no.

"Aap mere partner hai Khanna... aap kuch bhi khedo... mujhe bura nahi lagega..." My heart warmed as he smiled, his eyes creased at the corners and glittered slightly, filled with joviality that I had rarely seen in them. "And I'm fine, the wounds have probably already dried up... you don't need to do anything..."

He looked at me in anger and pulled my hand back in to his, "Don't be stupid... It'll get infected..."

He opened up the box and started rummaging through it, trying to find what he needed.

Neil PoV

I started emptying out the box to find the cotton, taking out all the band aids and the ointments. I picked out the burn ointment as the antiseptic was underneath it.

"No! No please! Please please not that!" She screamed, her voice in unbearable hysteria.

Avni's Flashback

"I'm sorry baby... I'm so sorry... please don't Vidyut..." Vidyut approached her slowly, his grin infected with malice and a broken vase in his hand.

"Its too late to be sorry for what you did...You need to be taught a lesson..."

"Please..." Her sobbing eyes begged mercilessly but he paid no heed, smashing the vase in to her hand. She let out a yelp as the ragged edges dug in to her flesh and streams of blood spilled down her hand.

Vidyut smiled down at his work, loving the agony that he could controll. He leaned down and planted a wet kiss against her neck, inhaling and exhaling slowly against her skin making her tense up in fear.

"Did you learn your lesson baby?"

"Mmm hmm..." She could only mumble with her eyes squeezed shut, frozen in fear.

"Good..."

He took her bleeding hand in to his, she sprung away with a hiss at the anguishing pain of the touch.

He snapped his head to look at her and she immediately regretted her actions.

"Oh baby did that hurt?" His voice was too soft to be genuine, it was scarier than his usual abrasive voice.

"No- I- I'm fine..." She stuttered, backing away slowly.

"No, no... let me bandage it for you..."

She didn't dare to move as he went to get the first aid kit. She could only watch in horror as he took out the burn ointment and squeezed it out on to his hand.

"Vidyut I'm sorry- Please-"

He slathered the ointment all over her fresh wounds, the alcohol seeping in to her bloodstream and stinging so agonisingly that it's unimaginable.

She cried out in pain carnally  like a slaughted animal, unable to hold back her torment.

She had to hide the horrid infection under her sleeve for 4 weeks after that.

End of flash back

Neil's Pov

I looked up at her in paralysing worry. My heart twists in pain and crippling concern seeing her completely distraught. Her gorgeous eyes were so frightened and glassy with these tears that felt like they were stabbing me.

I grabbed her shoulder and shook her slightly to try and get her attention, my heart crashing in panic, "Avni... whats wrong? Avni!"

Her full pink lips wobbled like a baby before she suddenly broke out in to cries, her body shaking uncontrollably and those precious tears running down her red cheeks.

It felt like a punch in the gut.

Why did her tears hurt me so bad?

"Avni... suno... mere taraf dekho... kya hua?" Instinctively, I cupped her cheek, pleading her to stop crying that way.

F*ck. How did I lay my hand on her? I promised that I wouldn't-

"Yeh mat please! Don't put this please..." Her breathing evened out slightly as she gasped out these words, pointing at my hand.

What? This?

"Avni? Kya bol rahi hu? Yeh burn ointment hai... yeh lagaya tho tumhe bohot dukh hoga... mein kyu lagunga? Thats not what you are meant to apply... Avni?"

She suddenly broke out of her trance, and looked up at me, her breathtaking eyes stare at me in confusion. Looking at me as if she was confused how I had ended up these, as I was meant to be somebody else.

"Neil? Tum?"

"Haan mein... aur khon hoga?"

She fumbled for an answer, fiddling with her long elegant fingers.

"And what the hell was that?"

"Nothing." She rubbed away the kohl that stained her face. She suddenly got defensive, her eyes guarding up. There was something wrong, i could read through those eyes. Even I have guarded my eyes this way so many times.

"Avni?" I held her hands tightly, squeezing them, I don't know whether I was assuring her or myself.

Even with her makeup smudged all over her face she was bewitchingly beautiful, i swear she could steal any guy's heart in a second. With these bloodshot eyes and curled in posture she was so vulnerable, raw, like a small child that I for some reason wanted to desperately protect from everything.

The thought of someone hurting her made my breath halt for a second.

Her tears made me want to change this big bad world so that it couldn't hurt her anymore. It made this blazing rage grip my soul, to destroy anything that brought those tears in her eyes.

"Avni... did that Agarwal hurt you?! Tell me he didn't-"

Avni PoV

"No... No of course not..." I could see the sigh of relief stagger through his body, and just the fact that he cared, it meant so much. It felt too good to be true.

It is too good to be true.

"Then what happened Avni... Batao na..." His puppy dog eyes pleaded with me so sweetly that it hurt not to give in.

"Kuch nahi... I know that you are stupid Khanna... so I thought you might mess up my first aid..."

He raised his eyebrow at me, completely unconvinced. I almost sighed, I didn't want to think about that filthy monster anymore. I don't.

"You thought I would put burn ointment in your wound? And you had such a terrified reaction? You can't expect me to believe that?" He scoffed at me, his glare was pointed and unsettling. "Tumhari jaisi ek sherni itni roh roh ke react karega kya?"

"Im not lying!" I lashed out, jumping away from him, Icould see the surprise on his face. "Chodo mujhe... I don't want any first aid..."

I freed my hand from his, I tried to storm away as quick as I could. I didn't want to bring my past in to this workplace, in to this life, especially not when Vidyut is looking for me.

I felt a tug back and looked back to see Neil still gripping to my hands, the raw guilty face of his made the guilt churn inside me.

"Alright... Alright I believe you...at least let me bandage it, warna infection hogayenga..."

My eyes melted in utter awe, as he held my arms gently and made me sit again. He took out the the antiseptic and dripped it on to the cotton, his eyes narrowing cutely in concentration again.

My heart broke in to all these bits I didn't think I could ever fix seeing him.

He dabbed at my wounds softly, so carefully, as if he was handling the most precious thing on earth. He bit his lips, frowning adorably, wincing as he touched my skin, as if it was hurting him. I could swear his eyes were slightly wet, overwhelmed woth concern.

But thats a silly thought.

Stupid.

You idiot.

....