Naira entered into the house and sagged down on the couch of the living room.

She bent forward and clucthed her hair tight in both of her hands.

Why did she ever leave the house today ?!!

The fool that she was, ran to his house like a crazy maniac. Fought with him. Got into his car unmindfully in extreme anger and created such crap. Damn, when had she become so irresponsible.

But the way he taunted her, made fun of her, and declared that they would be sleeping together, panicked her to no end, but now she knew. God, he was only joking and she took the meaning otherwise.

Naira paced about in the hall worrying heavily.

She picked up her phone.

Dialing a number she put it over her right ear and waited for it to ring.

It started ringing and ringing, but he didn’t pick up. She felt her eyes water more.

She cut the call and dialled frantically again. It was the mansion’s land line number. He had given her three numbers. His private one, this one and the office one. Ordered her to call anytime then, but he didn’t answer at all now.

She felt tears accumulate in her eyes listening to it ring and ring.
—–
Karthik sat on the couch leisurely, resting his back on it. The landline phone laid in front of him, rang incessantly for the third time. He knew it was Naira.

He kept staring at the phone in wariness and complete detachment.

It stopped ringing, but it started once again. The sounds of it blasted all across, hitting and reverberating back on the walls of the empty hall.
—–
Naira dialled the number for the fourteenth time. She kept pacing the living room almost in tears now.

Karthik leaned front, his hands reached the phone, a second of hovering over the reciever, he moved aside his hands and removed the wire from the back of it. The ringing stopped abruptly.

Naira heard the ringing stop and the line going into sudden unavailabilty. She frowned and pulled the phone aside from her ear and dialled again. The line yet again connected to a dead end. She closed her eyes and sagged down on the couch in dejection.
—–
Karthik kept staring at the phone.

His eyes stayed locked on the reciever. Several seconds passed like that.

A vision of her lone figure in the woods swarm across his eyes time and again.

The affect of it, burned up his hands and legs and he sprang up on his feet in a flash of a second.

“Shit !!” He cursed, and ran up to the front door.

He took the car keys off the wall hanger and punched in the security code.

He found Swayam walking up.

“Sir.” Swayam tried to say, but Karthik cut him off.

“Not now.” Karthik growled.

He charged down and reached his garage. He got inside the car and geared it into motion.

He needed her more now.

He moved the car fast in the night and reached the place and got out.

His eyes moved around the woods and he found not a sign of her.

A slow dread started to creep into his mind as he slid his hand in his hair and pulled at it frustatedly.

Where the hell was she ?!! He looked around.

His phone vibrated.

Karthik looked down at it.

‘She is already at the house’ Swayam’s message read.

A deep rush of relief filled his every vein.

He kept a great hold of control not to turn the car to her house. His arms flexed not to embrace her tight into the depths of his chest forever. It was a wonder how for the first time he saw her, his soul called out in a roar for possession.
—–
Naira’s eyes flew open and she gasped out of the sleep shaking too much. She slid up on the bed.

An image of his body crunched up dead and laying in blood under the out of control speeding vehicle, when he jumped into the car trying to save her, gripped her mind.

The dream propelled her body to run out of the room. Her face controted and scrunched up in extreme pain as hot tears ran down her cheeks with the affect of the hacked up image.

She cried herself to sleep that night….

She determined her will and walked towards her wardrobe, getting fresh clothes, she showered, and got ready. Wearing a red chudidaar, Naira proceeded out to leave.She went into the kitchen and grabbed the gajar ka halwa, she had made, because she was frantic and anxious very much last night and did not go to bed at all after the nightmare. She got into her car and drove off.

Thank god, nobody was at home. If dad would have been there, he would have asked thousand of questions. Now that she wondered, No, he wouldn’t care about her that much. He had very much washed his hands off her.

An hour later of driving around in the traffic of Udaipur streets, she parked the car to halt.The last time she came here, Naira had gaped like a complete loon with mouth hung, of counting how many storeys it had. It was bigger than her father’s office, which was an hour from her.

Naira still did not get out but kept thinking. She gulped hard with ever rising uncertainty. Finally she got out of the car.

See him. Make sure if he is well,and…

Naira looked down at the tiffin with an eyebrow raise, should she give this gajar ka halwa to him ?!! As a sorry for everything about last night, because really she was the one who went to his mansion and not he.

Wouldn’t it be bizarre. Oh, whatever, move your feet, she told herself.

Naira didn’t look anywhere, but walked up to the lift and got in fast, punching in the fifth floor number.

Five minutes she reached the floor. Naira moved to the reception desk.

The girl about the same age as Naira looked up sharply.

“Yes,may I help you ?!!” The girl asked in a sneer looking at Naira up and down.

“I came here to see Mr. Karthik Goenka.” Naira replied, uncaring.

A twist of a mocking appeared on the receptionist face.

“Do you have an appointment ?!!”She asked in a steel robotic voice.

Naira’s mind derailed at that. Appointment ?!!

“He is my to be fiancé.”Naira said in a very weird voice, because it still was strange to her to get married soon to a stranger.

The receptionist, snorted out a laugh. Naira’s face twisted in a scowl. What was so funny ?!!

“Certainly.” The receptionist agreed in a mock.

Naira’s eyes narrowed. A firmness entered into her demeanor. Naira leaned in and narrowed her eyes.

“Call him and say that, Naira Singhania , has come to meet him.”She said succinctly, and in a no nonsense voice.

The girl stared at her, but she took the receiver to the ear and connected a call. She nodded her head and still looking across at Naira in a cool narrowing of eyes. She put the receiver down.

“He is in a conference. You have to wait near the waiting lobby as all the interviewers do.”She pointed out.

Naira’s curious gaze swirled around to the closed office. Conference ?!!

She sat down with a great stuttering sigh on the couch. Her eyes strayed towards the shielded glass wall of his large rectangular office.

Why was she doing this ?!! She asked herself, but her mind stayed ever mute and unanswerable.

Karthik was frustrated. The reason to it was, he couldn’t find out who was responsible for destroying the breaks of his car. Who was bent on killing him ?!! It seemed like a carefully laid out plan.

Karthik had the conference end in a success, and waited back in the office for the foreign delegates to leave. It was a two hour long meeting.

He loosened the tight clutch of tie around his neck,and walked by the large glass walls of the window. He glanced around and moved forward several steps to the door, but his form froze and his hand stayed glued to the tie. His feet back step slowly, without actually turning around, his body moved to the view of the glass walls, his eyes went back to the red flutter he had over looked. His eyes looked sideways, and narrowed.

He turned around and moved closer to the glass wall.

His left hand went up and stayed attached to the glass wall.His eyes became a warm swipe over the huddled figure on the couch.

The phone buzzed through the reception area, Karthik picked it up.

“There is a girl here, Sir, in the lobby, wanting to meet you ?!!” The receptionist’s voice travelled into his ears.

“Let her wait.” Karthik clipped, and cut the call.

He leaned back on the chair. The eyes large and almond abruptly moved towards his side and peered. Karthik straightened, he felt the stare pierce into his eyes.

He leaned back, and sat there staring, moving his gaze all over her, for more than an hour. He could see whatever happens outside his cabin, through the glass wall but the person on the outside could only see his shadow and nothing else.

Morning went away and afternoon came in, still she didn’t move away from the lobby. He sat there staring at her and his posture got stiff more and more when she refused the refreshment and even the lunch offered by the office assistants.

He had ten cups of coffee, still looking across at her. Her eyes lost the sparkle and now only disappointment was seen in them.

Naira waited and waited, and a deep burn of humiliation stung her.What was she really doing here ?!! The reality of her situation started to dawn on her. There was nothing here. Nothing.

What did she really expect, that someone for the first time in her life had understood her or connected with her, she had so many dreams of having a lovely wedding and a even more of a beautiful marriage, but she never expected this.

She was fated to be ruined, in between two people who only knew business to deal with but rather than have a care for others. A wave of disappointment and mortification coloured her face. Remembering the moments of little things about him Naira got up to leave.

“Hey, you’re being called in his office, now.”The porcupine lady announced out loud from behind her.

Naira turned around, and froze her with a black glare. She started to wonder if she should go into the office at all, but well now, you don’t want to meet me then so be it, she thought and turned around and walked out.

But, as she turned around the floor,her arm got caught by a strong grip of a hand and was turned around in a spiral.

“Always have the habit of creating a scene, don’t you.” Karthik glared down at her.

Chapter 24
The fight !!

“Always have the habit of creating a scene, don’t you.” Karthik glared down at her.

Naira couldn’t do anything but stare open mouth, but she closed it when he pulled at her hand and made her walk all the way to his office.

“Let’s get this over with once and for all.”He muttered down at her.

“But, I…”She started to say, but when he looked down at her, the very breath caught in her throat.

From the corner of her eye, Naira saw the receptionist stare at the two of them in a gape.

Naira struggled to get out of his strong hold on her right arm.

He pushed open the glass door and got her in his cabin.

Karthik got closer and closer and Naira moved back and stuttered to a stop when her legs hit the large table. She leaned away as he got closer.He put both of his hands on either side of the table and caged her to it.

“Why did you come here ?!!”He asked in a burning tone.

Naira blinked a little at the sharpness of his question.

“I was just passing by.”She said stuttering.

“You were just passing by ?!!” Karthik asked a little amusingly.

The tightness of his face softened a little. A smile turned the corner of his lips up a little.

“Yeah, I was just driving around and…” Naira started to say again, but he cut her off before she could speak any further.

“You were driving around and found your way to my office ?!! Like an hour drive from your house ?!!”He asked.

“I didn’t drive to your office. I was going to my father’s office. It’s just an hour from here.” Naira said ever nonchalantly, tilting her chin in the air.

“Your father isn’t there in his office. He is out of station, and if you were really going there then, why did you stop here ?!!” Karthik asked again.

Damn, he was good.
How did he know about that ?!!

She sighed, and narrowed her eyes looking up into his eyes. Fine then.

“I’m here to apologize for what happened last night.” Naira said flatly and honestly.

He pushed away from her and folded his hands over his chest.

“What happened last night ?!!”He asked in a cool tone, and his behavior looked like he had forgotten about it.

“I didn’t mean to take your car and..”She started to explain, but he cut her off with the whip of his left hand in the air.

He was wearing white shirt, and a half blazer with a white and grey plated tie and pants. He looked like a cut out hard core businessman.

“You driving around here for that wasn’t necessary.”He said in a cold voice and moved towards the table, and started sorting out papers.

“Why do I feel that you are taking this marriage thing as a serious one ?!!”He said in a dark tone.

Naira’s body went cold at that, and a burn of humiliation covered her skin.

He walked towards her carrying a document in his hand.

“You know what this is ?!!”He asked.

Naira gulped hard, her eyes brimming up a little looking at the paper.

“This is a piece of paper in which your father signed you off to me.”He continued in that terrible tone.

Naira staggered a little. A lone tear escaped her eyes at his sharp stinging of words, but nothing of her pride hurt her, as it was already tarnished by her father. She walked around him and ripped the paper from his hand, and tore it into pieces.

His eyes narrowed at that and looked into her eyes in a cool sharpness.

“I’m not going to be a part of this. I already had made it clear. You’re the one playing around this piece of paper and taunting it in my face time and again.”She said fiercely.

She tore the paper into more of the pieces.

Naira looked up, narrowed her swimming red eyes and rearranged her burning features into a wall of unhurt and threw the pieces into his arrogant face.

“I hope this will silence all your doubts about me wanting your attention and taking this marraige seriously.” She flung the words in the same tone of the disgust as he used at her, and turned around to leave.

Before she could turn around completely, he whipped her around and pushed her against the wall, grabbing and locking both of her hands beside her head.

His face looked angry. Naira’s breath stuttered. His vanilla breath fell on her lips as he whispered out more sharp words.

“What did I tell you, babe.That you aren’t the one holding the wires of control here but me. You are already my possession.”He smiled a little, and Naira struggled more to free herself.

“Do you want me to call your father right away and say that you’re here to break his agreement.I could explain your situation.” Karthik went on again playing at her emotions.

Naira’s heart failed at that and her features twisted into an extreme fright.

Instantly the broken and beaten body of her mother came into her mind. No !! Dad would kill her. He would pour out all the anger and god knows what he’ll do if such a thing happens.

“No !! No !! Please don’t do that. You don’t know what will happen if you do that !!”She cried out loudly in panic.

Karthik’s back went erect,his form froze and he turned around with face all curious, catching the pain and fear in her tone.

“What will happen ?!!”He asked in an abrupt tone of softness.

Naira just stared back into his dark brown enquiring eyes and questioned herself. Would he be an extreme heartless to do that to her ?!! What about when he let down his guard and turned his actual self to her ?!! Was it all a play ?!! Play to make good with her ?!!

How did she ever fall into his play ?!! Naira cursed herself for that,and now he must be laughing at her, thinking that how did she ever saw herself as his equal. Naira felt so small now.

“You don’t deserve an answer to that. You are nothing to me.”She tilted her chin up in the air, and said the words as coldly as possible.

He just stared back at her, trying to see through into her words.

“What is it that will happen ?!!” He asked softy, yet cautiously again.

His left hand slid down and moved around her waist pulling her closer.She moved back, but he held her still in his arms.

“As I said before, you don’t deserve an answer to that.”She said looking down at the floor.

His body seem to turn stone at her reluctance.

“Fine. Be that way,”He said in an impatient tone and pushed her away.

She staggered a little but held her ground firm in only a second of steadying herself.

Naira walked across to the chair and got her purse, all the while keeping her eyes away from his, but she got out the tiffin from her bag and walked towards him.

“Enjoy your victory with this, but know this,I’m never going to let go of my dreams just like that. You can use your fury or hell or hath, nothing could unsteady my will.”She flung the words chastely and threw the tiffin at his chest.

He held the box in his right hand and leaned his body back on the table.

“Just remember one thing, I protect what is mine.”He said shortly and very casually, but the words did not fail to provide it’s profound effect.

Naira stared as her heart skipped a beat at his deep burning tone.

“I’m not yours.”She said flatly.

“You became mine the first time I saw you.”He declared, even more calmly than before.

Naira’s face coloured up and her temper knew no bounds now. She was equally frustrated as well.

“I hate you.” Naira said.

“And I’m glad that we are on the same page.” Karthik said flatly.

Precap : The misunderstanding !!The kidnapping !!and.....................
............................................................
The marriage!!