.

Aakriti was pacing in the living room with a tensed expression, her hand was busy with mobile as she was trying out his number but it wasn't reachable.

"Mam, sir has arrived!"

The servant came informing as a breathe of relief washed over her senses. She marched till the door and saw his dull face and messy hair with little swollen eyes. Her heart clenched seeing him as she badly missed his smile but somehow managing her emotions blocked his way.

Kabir looked up at her with no mood and tried to change his path but again she stopped him. He calmly breathed in and walked till their room only to her interference.

"Where were you whole night? How could you just leave like that without informing me? And why the hell were your mobile switched off?"

She fired with her question and again he ignored her entering in their room.

Aakriti got angry as she held on his arm and made him look at her.

"I asked something. Where were you?"

Kabir tried hard to not face her but failed, he grabbed her by the arms and pinned to the side by wall. Aakriti gasped at the sudden move from his side, she immediately got the hold of his T-shirt while he pressed his body on hers with mixed feelings of frustration and anger.  He was hurt after her act, she directly showed the divorce papers and didn't even bother about his feelings. She always did this. For property married him and now throwing him like he was some garbage.

"Why are you asking it? Whatever I do! Wherever I go, who are you to interfere?"

He asked in a deadly calm tone. His deep husky voice affecting her and their proximity adding more to her vulnerability. She couldn't rein her emotions with such closeness.

"Be in your limits Kabir! I live here and I have whole right to question you___"

"No you don't have!!" He chided her further and it made her angry. She pushed him back with force and yelled on his face.

"I'M YOUR WIFE!! YOU CAN'T JUST GO WITHOUT INFORMING ME!"

Her voice created goosebumps on his body as his hurt got the peace it wanted. Whatever she says but there's something in her heart for him and in no way he was giving up on her.

Aakriti frowned when he started laughing. He sat on the bed and laughed little loudly. She wiggled her eyebrows in confusion and walked two steps nearer.

"Are you making fun of me?"

He shook his head and laughed but then managing it straightened himself. He stretched his palm them tugged her wrist making her fall on him and then settled on his lap to which he wrapped his arms possessively on her waist. Kabir looked at her intensely, he leaned little growing her nervousness as she felt something else. She was about to close her eyes but felt him blowing air on her face.

"I was hurt!" The deep intense voice brought her back to the senses as she focused on him. He dug his face on her shoulder continuing his statement.

"I thought I'll lose you but now one thing is sure that YOU ARE MINE and I'm not letting you go far from me." His words form shiver through her spine and paced her heartbeats to abnormal speed. Why's he affecting her so badly? Aakriti Goenka never feels such emotions, but this man was making her feel everything that she never had in her whole life.

She wanted to scream at him and make the papers sign but he made her forget her true self.

Kabir smiled at her calmness as his palm traced inside her crop-top. He rubbed her smooth skin of waist with his rough pads while his lips leaving feathery kisses on her nape. Whereas aakriti's palm clutched on his shoulder, she wiggled her face sideways drowning in the trance. She didn't realise what's happening untill his lips came in touch with hers.

She jerked open her eyes and immediately dashed him behind on the bed, jumping on the floor while dusting her clothes.

Kabir was shocked for few minutes but then normalised knowing she won't accept her feelings so easily. He got up and tried to touch her but she raised her hand to stop him.

"Don't!! Don't you dare to repeat such things. I'm not going to trap in your sweet words and fake charm. SIGN THE PAPERS AND GET LOST FROM MY LIFE."

She yelled out of frustration not knowing what's happening with her. One moment she feels good with his pampering and the next moment everything feels like a lie.

Without hearing anything she grabbed her mobile and marched out of the room. He too didn't stop her as at that time she needed alone time which he understands very well.

※•※

FEW DAYS LATER

Days were passing away with a fast speed and the tension between them was growing more. Kabir was stubborn on his place to not leave her and aakriti on her place. She wanted divorce from him by hook or crook. Just because his closeness was affecting her she left his home and came to her father's, after which they also got to know about the tension between them.

Kabir kept his parents far from the situation knowing about his mother's sensitive heart.

Here in Goenka Mansion aakriti was sitting on her armchair. She was deep into her thoughts as his face was again and again hitting in her mind.

'You are mine!'

'Pyaar kiya hai tumse aise hi thodi na jaane dunga tumhe. Agar Maine tumhe khoo diya toh khud ko bhi kho dunga fir tum chaho toh bhi dhund nahi paogi mujhe!'

(I love you and I can't let you go this easily. If I loss you then I will loss myself. After that if you call me again and again then also I won't come back.)

'Leave your stubbornness aakriti and accept that you love me!'

'Fine! Do whatever you can! I will see how much do you hate me!'

His voice constantly reverberated in her ears which made her frustrated like hell. Aakriti yelled with irritation and stood up from her place.

"WHY!!! Why just he can't let me live in peace? I can't give up easily. He has to accept his defeat and divorce me!!"

She stated gulping down the saliva. Little did it hurt her but she ignored her pain taking it just a short time attachment.

Ignoring everything aakriti walked outside. She was passing from the corridor when heard Abhilash yelling at someone and she couldn't stop herself from eavesdropping.

"I was fearing for this day only! You'll be happy knowing about this news right? I tried, tried to give every good values to my daughter but failed, See did what you have done years ago. I regret loving you Maya! I__"

Before he could speak further the mobile dropped on floor. Aakriti peeped in and the next moment ran inside with a horrified expression.

"DAD!!"

She yelled and supported her father who was about to hit the ground. She carefully settled him on the bed and patted his cheeks but he was no longer conscious.

"Dad? What happened? Please open your eyes!" She called him as fear stroke in her heart. She looked here and there to reach for his mobile as hers wasn't with her. From the other side maya got panicked and started calling for him.

'Abhi!? Are you there? Abhi??"

Aakriti's mind heated up as she has heard the argument but didn't care to know who it was. She grabbed the mobile and yelled at the person who was her mother.

"Who the hell are you woman? I'm warning you if anything happened to my father then I'll make your life hell!!"

Before a reply could come she hung up the call and reached up for doctor.

"Uncle??"

Her head snapped towards the door as she saw him there. For sometime her tears welled up and she felt like crying.

"What happened to him aakriti?" He asked and called abhilash. Kabir splashed some water on his face and fortunately got some movement from abhilash's side.

"Dad? Are you fine?"

Kabir brought out his mobile and was dialling someone when aakriti spoke out.

"I called doctor! He'll reach in sometime!"  He looked at her for sometime and nodded.

"Aakriti! Kabir!"

They snapped at him and both grabbed his palms.

"Please don't speak anything uncle. And aakriti you! What happened to him. Were you again arguing with him? Why can't you understand his condition aakriti? Atleast care for your father." He politely said but it hitted her badly. Why always everyone blame her? She was also tensed for her father and here getting scolded. If there was her granny then she would have did the same.

"He's my father!! Do you thing I can do anything to risk his life? How the hell did you even thing about it? Dad was talking to someone on call, it wasn't me__"

They both stopped as the doctor entered in the room. Aakriti got up and gave space for him.

Once done with the check up he prescribed some medicines and came out followed by aakriti and Kabir.

"What happened to him doctor?"

Both of them stated at the same time and exchanged looks with each other.

"His BP was high nothing to worry. But take care that he won't stress up himself. Take care both of you!"

Suggesting them everything he walked out. Aakriti turned to look at her father who was resting with closed eyes. Tears welled up in her eyes as she sniffled little which didn't go unnoticed by Kabir.

"I'm sorry! I thought__"

"It's not new! Everyone thinks me wrong and blame for whatever wrong happened. I'm happy that you also did the same, atleast your fake concern and love vanished." She stated bitterly before walking inside the room.

Kabir felt guilty for his act. He didn't mean to hurt her but it happened unintentionally. He shook his thoughts and saw aakriti hugging her father, he could see her suppressing her emotions which she always do.

※•※

The crowd clapped as Kabir smiled and thanked them. It was a business meeting which he has kept in a restaurant. From the crowd one girl came stood beside him, he smiled at her and nodded his head.

"So the deal is done Mr. Shekhawat." One of the man said as they signed some papers and soon they all left.

Kabir sat on his seat and asked the girl to do same.

"Finally we did it sir!"

She cheered up as he smiled and took the bite of momos in his mouth.

"Sir what about the other offers? I mean, those are too good. You will get a chance to explore more." She brought out the topic to which he hummed.

"Yeah, it's a big opportunity but I don't want to leave india now, let's not talk about it!" He told with little sadness in his voice. He can't leave her at this time that too after what's happening with them, it will distance them more. First he was excited for the offer as it was a big opportunity for him, he could have explore his skill in many ways but then he had to fly England for almost 6 months which isn't good.

"Anything serious sir?"

His trance broke as he felt her touch on his hand. He smiled and shook away the topic.

"Don't mind sir but you can share if there's any problem."

"Nothing like that Pratiksha! Some family matter. Don't worry!" He told as they both finished and soon left the restaurant.

※•※

''I'm your mother aakriti!! Please for once talk to me!" Maya requested with tears filled eyes while aakriti was numb and blank. It was like her world shattered.

Her eyes went up to her father who wasn't looking at her as he himself was tensed on what will happen after this.

Maya came closer and kept her palm on aakriti's shoulder which got shrugged off next moment.

"Why have you come? Who are you? My mother is dead! And after this I don't consider you my father, Mr. Goenka!" Her words shook him to core. Abhilash hurried up towards her and formed something to say but she cut him before that.

"You and dadi hid this from me! I always carved for love but you both never let me meet my mother. I thought you as my everything but you did the most cruel thing one could do. Why dad? Didn't you feel sorry for me? Not for once you thought about my feelings!" She spoke out with burning pain in her throat.

She had believed that her mother is dead and her father is hiding from her but here what she saw? He was meeting her secretly and never bothered to tell her this. Is she that bad to not love? Did she do any mistake for getting this from her parents? She had loved her father to no end and here he himself betrayed her, kept his mother away from her.

"Listen to me aakriti! It's not like what you are thinking__"

"Please don't! Don't say anything dad, because whatever excuses you will give me, I'll accept it and later it will hurt me. Just tell me once, am I really your daughter?" She paused blinking back her tears then gazed both of them and completed her sentence "because a real father can never hurt his daughter in such way."

She walked away and ran inside her car. The dam of tears broke and she yelled loudly with intense sob. They broke her completely. She never had thought this.

When her eyes fell outside she saw Kabir and her eyes shinned with hope. Little did she felt like sharing everything with him and so she stepped outside the car just to see a girl sitting opposite to him. She saw her placing her palm on his one and later him smiling at her. This broke her to another extend.

Not wishing to talk anyone further she drove her car to where she herself doesn't know.

Aakriti jerked up when she heard some knocking on the door. She checked the place and realised that in anger she drove away to kabir's residence as it was the only place where she could rest peacefully and her father won't come in search of her as he knew the tension between hers and Kabir.

Nothing is hers. Neither Goenka villa and nor this place. She felt like everyone has left him. The person who she loved and trusted the most, betrayed her, her father left nothing to even argue with. And here Kabir is loving her caring for her but she isn't respecting him.

Kabir's thought hitted something in her mind. Memories flooded in her senses and she clutched her fist in anger. How could he be with someone else in her presence? Is he also betraying her?

"Aakriti? What are you doing here?"

The sudden voice broke her trance as she blankly gazed at him for sometime.

Kabir came and sat beside her. He checked her, if she was fine or not and then repeated the same question.

"Did you expect someone else in my place?"

Her direct question confused him. He narrowed his eyebrows and questioned back.

"What? Who will come here? I'm asking what are you doing here, you should be in goenka villa__"

"I will come and go anywhere. Tell if you have any problem." She rudely said but kabir could see her actual state. The dried tear strands on her fair cheeks were telling him the story. She never cry for small things and if she did then there must be a big reason. He decided to ask later.

"Of course not aakriti! You are my wife and this house is yours only. Leave it, let's have something, you must haven't eaten anything__"

"Who told you?" Her voice softened as she spoke out her surprise.

Kabir smiled at her innocent question, he cupped her face and rubbed his thumb on both cheeks. There were lot of questions in his mind but he didn't want to hurt her by asking. Her tears were unbearable for him.

"Your slight view can tell me everything Riti! I don't claim my love without knowing you." His words gave an unknown peace. She hummed unknowingly and let her body move according to him.

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𝐕𝐎𝐓𝐄 𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐆𝐄𝐓 :- 𝟏𝟕𝟓 +