Karthik sat on a plush red sofa chair, a large rectangular mahogany table seperating him from the man who was sitting opposite to his vision. It was Mr. Singhania.

Must say, the old man hadn’t changed much since Karthik last saw him. He was the glowering, pitiful, sore loser, who fumed up and threw a fit at the business meet held in London last year, when Karthik had taken away the deal that Mr. Singhania almost got his greedy hands on. But, right under his nose, Karthik had won it with barely there presence of his in just about ten minutes.

Karthik did not come here to fight, nor he wanted the mud slingling of their business to get in the way, he was here, only with the motive of a concliatory act. A cover to his real motives. He was very close to his goal and he wasn’t going to let it go that easily.

Mr. Singhania, leaned back in his chair, assessing him, his scowl now turned into a deep hue displeasure at Karthik’s invading space in his house and office.

Karthik let the envious glare glide by as he thuttered all kinds of possibilties of something of the truth appear on his face and eyes. It was the thing he learned from his father. Never let the human in you take over in business. It’s the survival of the fittest and the hunters are too many. It’s your choice to be the hunted or the hunter.

“Why do you want to get married to my daughter ?!!” Mr. Singhania asked, his voice curious as hell.

Karthik smiled now, only a little but it did not reach his eyes.

“Are we really talking about marraige here, Mr. Singhania, or is there something else I might expect from you ?!!” Karthik asked in return, trying to decipher what thoughts might be swirling in that shark mind.

Karthik closed his palms together, waiting for the gleam to appear in the old man’s eyes. Yes, there it is, the greed taking over his face. Karthik’s jaw ticked, caught you now, didn’t I.

“I’m I to be expecting something ?!!” Mr. Singhania asked, in return.

Satisfied with the question and how he managed to stir the conversation to his stride, Karthik turned a little in his chair, his head tilted to the side, he stared at his secretary, Swayam.

Swayam in turn took in the silent approval of his boss, took out the five paged printed document out of his black case.

He put the papers on the table.

“Legal documents of the product, its formula, design of the cover, costs and prices that you lost the international deal in London last year.” Karthik declared firmly, his voice never strayed a tone higher.

A minute later, the old man seem to come out of the trance.

His brows came together in a tense brooding. Surprised but a rather much more doubtful glide of emotion took all over his face.

“Why ?!! What’s in it to you ?!! How are you letting go this ?!!” He looked down at the papers again, and back at Karthik’s face.

“I don’t think you should think twice with such a gold mine offer.” Karthik’s eyes and voice turned as cold as an ice glacier.

“I rest my case then, I can’t let you get married to my daughter without you telling me what’s in it to you.” Mr. Singhania, countered his answer in a much sharper tone.

Karthik sighed and shook his head.

“Well, you caught me, now,” Karthik assented, his voice full of well deceited appreciation.

“I want to be the silent partner in this project. You were right that day, I couldn’t stand a chance in your terrioty, I need help.” Karthik pushed a sore topic, where a weakness was hidden.

“Finally, you got to your senses did you ?!! Business is for people like me. I warned you before, that you’ll be falling down from the high soon but you didn’t listen to me.” Mr. Singhania sneered.

“Yes, I’m falling down, and I need help.” Karthik said rising, exasperated, he turned around but not before observing him stiffen in his seat.

Swayam too scrambled up from the chair, he took the documents, put it in the case and almost turned around too.

Karthik walked at leisure. Counting. One. Two and three.

“Where do I sign ?!!” Came the question, and Karthik smiled inside in triump.

He turned around rearranging his face into a doubtful frown.

“Are you sure ?!!” He asked.

Mr. Singhania got up from his chair, he stood straighter and walked towards Karthik.

His eyes a shade more colder and his face still a stern mask.

He held out his hand a second later.

“It’s a deal.” He said firmly, in finality of a decision.

Karthik’s stance too got cut edge. He took hold of his hand and shook it.

“It’s a deal.” Karthik repeated, accepting a challenge and also finding his victory.

Karthik got out next from inside the study, he let the victorious pleasure course through him. He stood by the door a second, but when he was about to move forward, the door from beside him pushed at his shoulders, making him to stagger a little.

Annoyed he pulled the door hard, just as immediately a soft wool of weight fell on his chest. He staggered again but he steadied by holding the weight by his hands.

Karthik looked down, his vision occupied a dark midnight shiny hair laid on his chest.

Then amusingly, he heard a curse.

Where the hell did this door come from ?!! she said almost resting her head on his chest.

Karthik’s body locked up in tight muscles. The voice was soft, husky and sweet.

A second more later, he got the eyes, innocent light brown eyes stared back at him surprised. His now narrowed eyes travelled down, to the nose, cheeks and then settled on the full, red, luscious lips.

Her hand caught his shirt in a tight grip, he looked down at the delicate hand, then his eyes came up to her eyes.

They were strayed to the side, her eyes widened more in fear.

Karthik saw it. Felt it. He did not like it, the deep frown marring her face. His hands tightened on her waist.

The hand on his chest clutched more as she pulled hard, she moved back to the wall and Karthik fell on her covering her completely with his much larger frame in a tight embrace.

Her eyes again strayed sideways, then she closed them tight and burrowed her head inside his suit, inside his shirt and onto his skin.

He felt her lips on his collarbone. His blood stirred and heated. His hands went down softly and slowly down her waist, and his fingers moved inside her tshirt, settling on the softest skin.

He glanced around at her blooming cheeks but her eyes pulled at his and stayed locked. Not one had the dare to look deep into his eyes, most of them were afraid, merely of his presence let alone see like this at him. This petite thing was staring up at his eyes, trying to penetrate inside his everything, she was trying to burrow a crevice at the walls around his mind and thoughts.

His breath was falling on her forehead, and hers was warming the skin over his neck. The short pants coming out of those luscious lips were disturbing the every fibre of his cell.

The photograph of hers, that dugged an imprint on his mind, did not do justice to the reality of her. No, it failed to show the sweetness. It failed to show everything that he was seeing now. He took in a very affected breath and stepped back a couple of inches more.

He turned around and took out his glares from the suit pocket, he put it on over his eyes as he walked forward.

The girl shouldn’t affect him. The petite sweetness did not held the power to make him vulnerable again. No. Never. The darkness was his.

He walked to outside of the house, his stride took him to the Audi R8, but, just as he was about to open the door of it, his body straightened. A slow cool breeze flew past him and his head turned to the side instinctively, he thought to turn around but he shook his head and got inside his car.

Karthik wasn’t going to do anything until the marraige happens without any hitch. He didn’t want Mr. Singhania to foil his plan, his daughter already had the land under her name. Now, he just have to make it under his possession.

Karthik’s mind worked frantic forming a plan already. He had to make her sign the documents, but how ?!!

After having lunch, Naira and her mumma retired in the hall.

When the housekeeper, appeared before them. The round chubby face of Mrs. shah, looked thorougly fearful. The elder woman had always worked in their house. But, her usual cheery smile wasn’t graced over her features, except she had a drawn up anxious expression. She hesitated near the door of the large hall. Her hands wringing helpless.

“What is it, Mrs Shah ?!!” Naira rose up, and moved towards her.

Her mumma too got up from the chair.

“Sir is calling you two to his study.” She said in tremulous tone.

Naira tried to pacify her.

“There, there, now, Mrs. Shah, take deep breaths, yes , good, like that.” Naira took deep breath and expelled out, the sweaty woman followed suit.

After almost calming the woman a little, Naira enquired about the reason of her concern.

“Now, please tell me, what has bothered you and made you this frightened ?!!” Naira enquired.

“Sir looked so angry. Is he going to fire me ?!!” Mrs. Shah asked, her eyes puffy red now.

“Mrs. Shah, calm down. I’m sure that is not the matter. We are not going to let you go. Never at all.” Naira reassured the flustering woman.

When she was much calm than before and convinced that she still had her job, Mrs. Shah turned around and hurried away.

Naira sighed and looked across at her mumma. Her eyebrows screwed in a bewildered expression.

Why was her father calling them to the study ?!!. He never did call upon her, he didn’t care before to talk to her, but suddenly now she was summoned to his study along with her mumma. Why ?!! What urgent matter had come upon abruptly.

A heavy layer of dread spread over her heart and mind like a thick dark blanket. Something not good was going to befall on them. She could feel it.

Naira reached her father’s study with her mumma fast at her heels.They entered into the study.

Her father was behind the table, in his chair, with his suit hung over the back of his chair. His eyes reading out papers and documents from a file.

Naira glanced at her mumma in a worried expanse of a dread.

“Papa.” She whipered, it travelled through the thick silence.

Her father’s head jerked up. Her mumma hurriedly went to his side and stood stiff by the chair.

“You’re here. I was waiting to talk to you since all day long.” He said, his voice a deep soft loving tone.

Naira blinked, he was waiting to talk to her ?!! Her throat closed up, as she felt an immense wealth of tenderness pass through her.

But, I was waiting for you to say this since how many years, papa ?!! Her mind whispered a loud cry. A blink of an eye, remembered the thousand nights she waited up for him. Waited for him to lift her up in his arms and smile at her once, but he glided past her without even giving her a glance, a smile, a care, a love, a glimpse of affection. No. Never. Her smile often used to diminish with that snub, leaving her heart broken and in tears.

Naira blinked away the pained memories and smiled, really feeling the joy dispersing.

“Come, here, closer. Why do you stand so distant near the door ?!!” He asked and signalled her to come forward.

“Yes, papa.” She mumbled, and moved towards the table, smiling a wide one, feeling somehow relieved.

“Look, here are some patterns and designs for cards, which one do you like ?!!” He asked her out of the blue.

She looked down at the cards on the table. They were five different cards. Brown. Blue. Yellow. Red and plain white. Her eye turned bewildered and speculative. The cards looked auspicious.

She lifted her confused eyes at her father’s smiling ones.

“They look like wedding cards. Are we attending any function soon ?!!” She asked innocently, her voice not a notch higher than average normal one.

With that, her father threw his head back and guffawed hard.

What was happenning here, only she didn’t know about ?!!

“A function we’ll be going, she asks.” He stated and chuckled lightly and turned his eyes to hers.

“It’s your wedding we’ll be attending.” He concluded in finality.

Naira’s wide smile clipped out, leaving her lips pale and her face drained.

“You’ll be married two weeks later.” her father went on.

“I’m not getting married.” She blurted out.

No. Never. It’s not going to happen. Come whatever may. She was never going to let go of her dream, now this close to her hand’s reach.

A complete silence fell around the study.

Naira reluctantly looked up at her father. He stared back.

She stayed stern, though a deep rake of shivers darkened her mind and body.

“Why ?!!” He asked her simply, leaning back in his chair.

Why ?!! Her mind vibrated the question incredulously, why because, he didn’t ask or consult or even thought about her while deciding her wedding date.

“I’m not getting married, papa.” She said firmly, still blinking back the coming tears at bay. Her voice wavered a bit, but not her words.

Her father’s stare sharpened at her tone, her mumma looked on helplessly, never uttering a word, she stared at Naira, pleading with her to consent.

I will never be forced, Naira stared too !!

Her mumma rushed forward as a rescue.

“See the time, Naira, We’re keeping your father from his work.” her mumma crossed the distance and moved towards her husband.

“Do you want tea ?!!.” she asked.

Right then, a whip of sound vibrated all over the walls, and a pained moan of a heavy cry splintered apart the floor.

“Mumma !!” Naira screamed, and fell on her knees.

Her mumma lay on the floor.A hurting groan coming out of her lips. Naira’s throat rose bile rising sobs. Immense tears flowed down her cheeks. As her chest pained crying.

She looked at her father, whose hard powerful hand clenched, the hand which gave the hurting slap.

“How many times do I have to tell you, I don’t need tea.” He sneered down, raising his foot to kick her mumma.

Naira jumped and clutched his foot in a tight hold of her hands.

“Please !! Papa, don’t do this.Please.” Naira begged brokenly.

“Creating useless daughter to raise her voice against me !! How dare you make her grow up like this.” He growled ugly words to her mumma.

He stopped and glared down at Naira, then his eyes turned colder as he smiled and looked around.

Naira’s body froze when he took hold of a glass vase from the table.

She heard her mumma’s painful moans, as he raised it up and flung it down in slow motion.

“Alright. Alright. I will get married in two weeks papa !! I will get married. Please don’t do anything to mumma. Please, Papa !!” She screamed and screamed, closing her eyes tight, feeling her heart die out.

Naira could do nothing. It was her fault. It wouldn’t have happened if she had agreed.

“Get up.” He ordered.

Naira glanced down at her mumma with new fresh tears flowing out of her eyes.

“Leave her there.” He ordered again.

“Take this card. I like the white one.” He waved it, and put that in her hands.

Naira heard her mumma moan, she immediately tried to move towards her, but her father clamped his hand on her wrist. Hard. Biting.

“Mumma.” She cried heavily.

“Leave the room.” Her father warned again.

She clamped the card hard in her clenched hands, as she flew fast running out of the study. If she didn’t go out of the room, god knows what else he would do to her mumma.

Naira ran fast and hard, sobbing heavily, her eyes flowing, she reached her room.

She locked it behind her and bawled her eyes out.

She flung the pair of ghungroos kept near her night stand on the ground. She pushed the music DVD’s from the table,on the floor violently. Still crying hard. She opened her laptop and deleted all her dance videos without giving it a second thought.

She glared down at her laptop with angry tears. Because of this dream, her mumma paid today. Paid so heavily. Paid through blood and beatings. Naira clutched her hair with both of her hands and slid down on the floor.

Broken. Failed. Done. Her form became lifeless and her eyes turned vaccant.

Naira blinked slowly and unclenched her hand. She straightened the card and her eyes moved on the gloden gleaming lines of the card board piece.

“Naira Singhania”

“Weds”

“Karthik Goenka”

Her eyes stayed glued to the name.

Shocked. Bewildered. Hypnotized. Surprised. Speculative. Astounded. With all these things Naira read out the words again. Imagining if her eyes were acting up. But no, the words were glaring back at her.

Naira’s eyes now turned colder. Every cell of her body hated the name with its depth and core.

It’s a business deal then. Her father with that man. This wedding was a transaction. She knew it or why would a stranger without even looking at her, meeting her, talking to her would marry her in two weeks.

Her wounded mind decided and her thoughts strayed to one and only one motive.

It’s time to meet the destructor of her fate. To see the devil written in her destiny face to face !!

Karthik made the presentation in his laptop, he sighed and moved back in his chair thinking about the changes he made.

He got up and paced in the small office, the Udaipur stay seem to stretch too much, he wanted the liberty to prowl in his own territory, but then only two weeks and he will be out of this clumsy place.

His irritated annoyed mood glowered up more, feeling the heat of the day, he moved around and turned to view the morning, the window was sparkled cleaned and it elongated showing the hubbub of the traffic moving to and fro on the read below.

Karthik’s eyes moved lazily over the road, his hands in the pant pockets, he slid his curious gaze across the world.

As his gaze moved away from the cars jammed in traffic, to the green trees, his gaze narrowed straight.

His eyes squinted, his hand automatically raised on the glass and touched its smooth surface.

His breathing grew, as his eyes stayed focussed. Sliding up and down. Settling. Staring. Gaze locked on the flowing tresses.

His blood coursed up high. Jumping to life. Flowing all over his veins.

What the hell is she doing here ?!! He could identify the luscious, curvy figure anywhere in the world. His hands rememberd it.

Since that day he has only wanted one thing.To possess her soul. To leave imprints on it. To leave his mark. To make her his for eternity. Mind, body and soul.

With super human effort which only he could muster up, Karthik sat back in his chair, bringing back his now calm exterior into productivity.

He smoothed out his hair, the phone by his right hand side, made noise of a call. Karthik pushed the green button.

“Sir, there is…..” Swayam’s voice penetrated in the silence.

Karthik cut him short before he could complete the sentence.

“Send her in.” Karthik said the three words serenely.

His ears sharpened on the footsteps sounds walking up the stairs. The soft falls of the moves made him half smile.

Smooth. Soft. Polished.

He turned around in his seat, just as he heard a clear knock at his door.

Polite and reserved, he observed.

“Yes.” He raised his voice.

The door creaked open, and Karthik saw a heeled foot come in, the pale and thin line of smooth shiny skin came into view, then it disappeared into the cover of the skinny jeans.

The tight jeans encased two defined legs like they were made for her skin. The jeans held her waist hugging it tight and Karthik became instantly jealous of it. His eyes moved up slowly. Liesurely. In a caress. In a touch. In a whisper over her body, then finally he settled his gaze on her face.

Her eyes caught his in a stare, and Karthik’s body went super tight as a bow string. His hands clenched on the chair’s handle, recognising and connecting instantly with the darkness in her eyes.

His protective instincts roared up. What had put that in her eyes ?!! His mind growled.

But, he didn’t let out the exterior of his break even a little. He remained as cool as he was.

He waited for her to speak, which was not late in coming.

“Mr. Karthik Goenka, is it not ?!!” She asked softly yet determinedly.

His eyes snapped to hers to take a seat. She hesitated, but sat down on the chair opposite to him.

She looked like a college kid. With a blue wooly coat, a light purple tank top and skinny jeans, with a roughened pair of heels.

Her long black hair let loose over her shoulders in waves. The freshness of her face never seem to baffle him.

“You might have forgotten your way, if you don’t even know the person and the face, and go about looking for them.” He lazily asked.

She frowned at the bizzare question, her eyebrows drew together.

“You might not know me as….”She gulped hard and tried to speak.

“I very well know you, Ms. Naira Singhania. I wouldn’t be such a fool to not know the woman I’m marrying.” He replied, his tone all curious.

Seems like he surprised her as her mouth half slid open, the even, white, rows of teeth peaked out .

“Well, I don’t think I’m interested in getting married to you.” Now, a firm tone, snapped his thoughts, as his eyes flashed to her pale brown eyes.

It sizzled with the clash of a challenge he was seeing in her eyes. Her lips thinned out now. Her chin jerked up determined. Her eyebrows a clear, defined decision in manner.

But when his eyes leisured down, his gaze froze in on at her hands. His jaw clenched. Five deep indention marks marred the beautifully pristine skin. The marks were on both of her wrist.

His anger rose pitch high as his body propelled forward, which made her already rounded eyes more huge.

He caught hold of her hands in the more firm tighter hold of his hands.

“What happened ?!!” He glowered, his fingers, sliding over the wounds.

She jumped and jerked and pulled at her hands. But she tried vainly, as he held her more firmer now.

His eyes grabbed her rounded ones. His face very close to hers. Her face blank for a while with unsurity. Then, she scowled and Karthik felt the need to chuckle at her cute scrunching up of her now red nose.

“That’s none of your concern.” She replied in a crisp tone, her manner prim and proper.

“I’m not going to get married to you. I’m not going to be a business transaction between you and my father. That is never going to happen. I’m never going to let it happen.” She said fiercely, her eyes flashing.

Karthik’s body went rigid. Pure burning anger rose up. His nostrils flared. All this while he stayed patient and calm. Let her burst out, but something in him snapped when he heard the disdain in her voice as she said ‘I’m never going to get married to you’.

The disgust filled in the words rubbed him wrong. All over him and his skin.

She wants to make him feel dirty. Alright then, she will get the dirty.

Karthik rose up from his chair, his body straightened, as his gaze narrowed in anger. Directed solely at her now uneasy fleeting eyes.

He walked around the table.
His eyes blazed into her now scared ones.

“Your father sold you to me for fifty crores.” He growled low, her eyes widened and stared surprised at him. Her lips gasped a breath on his.

His heated eyes strayed down to her lips.

His breath mixed with hers, taking in hers into his lungs through his lips from inside her lips.

“For fifty crores,you’re my possession. Mine to do anything or whatever I want. From now on, you move, you talk, you walk, you smile, you laugh an even breath according to when and where I tell you to.” He went on brutally, uncaring of the tears forming in her eyes.

His gaze now taking in the hurt. Taking in the tears. Taking in the hitched pained breath. Taking in the wounded features. He let it slid by him and it cut through his soul seeing all this and being the one for giving her all this.

Then the extreme hurt in her eyes rearranged and changed into a resolve.

“I hate you.” She hissed, through blurring tears.

Karthik smiled a dark unseeing one, as his hand touched her cheeks, wiping out the drop of tear, hanging by her eyelash in the corner of her eye.

His touch cool on her round heated cheek.

He leaned in more, almost touching her lips, his body warmly plastered to her soft one.

“You’ll have something else to say, by the time I’m done with you.” He whispered.

He closed his eyes tight and pushed away from her, his back to her, his both hands held on to the table as if his very life dependent on it.

She didn’t go away. He could feel her.

But then the door vibrated a thud. Thank heavens. He shook his head and straightened up.

He walked towards his chair and slid onto it.

His hungry soul wanted to touch and embrace her innocence, he seem to think he did not just want her bodily. He wanted to know every thought moving in that pretty head. He wanted to know everything that bought a smile, laugh, frown, tears, joy and everything that is her, he wanted to explore her.

Karthik’s jaw set hard. That’s the danger of him getting close to her. Physical cravings can be satisfied but the emotional ones is not what he wanted to connect with hers.

It would destroy him. She would destroy him.

Naira Singhania, you will never be my vulnerabilty. Ever. You’ll never be anything to me other than a namesake wife !!

Precap : Guilty Karthik. The Need to make sure Naira is ohkay. A KISS !!!
The after effects of the kiss !!