Hearing the feminine voice for the first time among the conversation, RK moved towards the woman, as their gazes remained locked, staring into each other's eyes with the same fierceness.

"Would you like to repeat that, Miss damsel?" RK raised a brow at her, stopping inches apart from the lean figure.

"I personally don't like to repeat things. But I may, in case you have some hearing issues, Mister Knight." Retorted Prachi, as RK frowned at this woman's valour.

"Oh, really. Well, I think it's you who has some issues. Brain issues you see. Otherwise you would've let the cat catch that tricksy tongue of yours the minute you came here, Miss Damsel." RK spoke, jaws clenched.

"Is that anger I see? Or fear I smell, Mister Knight?" Prachi continued with the same tone of her voice.

"Fear? And RK? Woah. Woman and bodyguard, fear and RK - you make strange combinations, Miss Damsel." RK spoke with a pitied expression.

"Hold on a second." It was Aryan who spoke now, walking up to the duo.

"Mister Knight?? Miss Damsel??" Aryan spoke, confused. "Do you people know each other?"

"Oh, please Aryan. The woman's not lucky enough that RK will know her. Well, seeing her audacity, I doubt if she knows me as well." RK looked at Sanjay with narrowed eyes, as sweat beaded on the poor man's forehead, seeing his glare.

"Prachi! Stay quiet. You're new here. Do know that Sir doesn't like people who talk back." Sanjay approached Prachi, whispering close to her ear, as RK held his head high at the description of his personality.

"I apologise, Sir. But I'm not here for him to like me. I'm here for my work, and if he's rejecting me because of some major stereotypical issues he's facing, I'm sorry I cannot keep quiet." Prachi's bold voice responded to the whisper.

"Attitude, huh? You think RK is scared of you. You, out of all people are a threat to my image, Miss Damsel?" RK spoke through his clenched jaws.

"Well, that's what I can see. You're scared because you know you're no match to this woman, Mister Knight. Because you know this woman might soon easily outshine the great knight's fighter image." Prachi still stared at him.

"Don't you think a little too high of yourself, Miss Damsel? I feel you should apologise and thank me instead that you're still standing on your feet even after showing such insolence to me for the second time." RK declared.

"The feelings are mutual." Replied she.

"Oh! Well, then let's see who needs to thank whom." RK crossed his arms across his chest, before lifting one of his hands in the air once and shaking it twice, signalling the rest of the people to vacate the area, as they obeyed him.

"Aryan." He called out, as Aryan went inside the mansion, before coming out shortly later with two long rods in his hands.

"RK..." He spoke, approaching the two figures standing close to each other, eyes never leaving each other's, only to be cut off by RK's hand extended towards him. Sighing once, he handed one of the staffs to both of them, before joining the rest of the people standing at a distance.

RK moved backwards, still staring into her eyes, before coming to a halt a few yards away.

"Miss Damsel, let's see who's got what. You win, you're hired. I win, you apologise and never show me your fragile face again." He yelled, as she stared at him for a minute.

"Too scared?" He yelled again, lifting his rod defensively in front of him.

"Yes. Thinking about your pain when I'll crush your little ego." Prachi replied, lifting her rod before her too, before striding towards him with all her might, as his feet advanced towards her simultaneously.

Striding towards each other with quick, long steps, their rods clashed with each other halfway, as they stood close to each other, all their force applied on their rods pushing against each other, while all their attention was glued to each other's fierce eyes.

Applying almost all his force, RK overpowered her initially, as her steps faltered back due to the force he was applying, while he stood their still.

Running towards each other once again, the rounds of clashing and fighting between them followed twice, before Prachi's rod hit his harshly, making it fly from his hands, before it fell to the ground at a distance.

She once again strode towards him with her rod raised in the air. As Prachi approached him, RK who was standing still earlier, suddenly lifted his hand, catching her rod in a tight grip between his fingers. The intensity of the force applied made the veins of his wrist pop out, while all her force was directed towards him, their breaths uneven due to the power being applied.

Both of them were sure of their victory, however, for the others, it seemed as if the battle would never end. Both the fighting figures seemed to be the perfect match for each other's skills. Both the individuals' power did not seem enough to overpower the other's power, while the determination shining in their eyes was in no way less than each other's.

Suddenly, Prachi's attention seemed to flicker for a moment, and that was all RK needed to mark his victory. He twirled her once through the rod that both of them were holding, as she whirled around once, before her back collided with his hard chest with a great force, as she saw his face through her peripheral vision, which was inches apart from hers. He stared at her, as both of them struggled to snatch the staff away from the other, his arm encircling her body which was leaning on his, his hot breath fanning her neck.

Prachi suddenly lifted her other hand, which moved across her stomach, successfully hidden by the unzipped jacket she wore, her fingers searching for something familiar. The moment her hands clutched the object of their quest, her grip on the object tightened, while the staff seemed to slip from her other grip, as RK succeeded in snatching it away from her clutch with all his force.

Grabbing the rod from her earlier strong hold, he suddenly stepped away from her, as the force of the snatch caused her to lose her balance, resulting into her falling to the ground before him.

Palm resting on the green floor beneath her on which she was now sitting facing down, she turned her head, only to find RK standing in front of her, with the rod extended towards her, marking his victory, and a slight smirk across his features, marking her vanquishment.

RK stared at her with his head held high, when he saw her moving alarmingly all of a sudden. Prachi suddenly lifted her other hand from under the cover of her jacket, a large object clutched beneath her fingers, as RK stared at her with a slight shock at her actions. Before his mind could contemplate her next move, she threw the knife towards him with all her force.

However, the knife failed to touch him by inches, as it went past him, flying in the air. Startled at the woman's sudden behaviour, Aryan rushed to RK with the rest of the men following him closely behind, while the central figures stared at each other with different emotions swirling in their ferocious eyes.

"Are you fine, RK?! Are you alright?!" Aryan threw the rod from his hands, examining him from top to bottom, his voice reflecting his concern successfully.

"I'm fine. Relax." RK assured the worried man, patting his shoulders twice.

"Get up! Surround her everybody! What the heck was this!? Tell me who are you! How did you even dare to think about hurting him!? Who do you think of yourself!?" Aryan yelled at Prachi, who was still on the ground. Her gaze flickered once between RK and Aryan, before she stood to her feet, surrounded by men from all sides.

"Life saver." Said she, after a long silence.

Before anyone could open their mouth to ask her further questions, she gestured with her head towards RK's back, as the rest of them followed her gaze in slight confusion mixed with the shock and anger that was bubbling inside them.

"And that's how you save the fragile knight in distress, twice in a row." Spoke she, as the rest of them witnessed the source of her attention, due to which her mind had earlier been diverted, leading to RK's victory over her.

A man was lying there flat on the ground, unconscious, a few feet from them, with a knife protruding out from his chest, blood soaking the black T shirt he wore, as well as the ground beneath him, with a gun lying near one of his outstretched palms. It did not take him long to realise that it had been none other than one of the 'bodyguards' he had just appointed for himself.

Witnessing the scene before them, Aryan felt a surge of utter relief and gratefulness wash over him, as the realisation dawned on him. The woman he had considered to be an enemy of his brother, had actually saved his life for the second time in a row. Wait. Second time in a row? That needed an explanation. He thought, turning to face the bold woman standing there, her attention fixed on RK's face, which was turned towards the dead body.

"And you were going to appoint him, I believe, Mister Knight?" RK turned to face her. "Looks like Mister Knight's sense of judgement got defeated this time." She mocked, making him frown.

"Back to the game, Miss Damsel. I won." His expressions never showed neither the slightest bit of shock, nor a bit of gratefulness, as he continued. "Now get lost." He gritted his teeth, as she frowned slightly at his words for the first time.

"I shouldn't be surprised. I'll tell you a new combination I came across - a knight in distress and thanklessness. Not a strange combo now, right? Since you possess both the qualities." Prachi stared at him, who stared back at her with furious eyes. This woman was getting on his nerves every passing second.

"You.. " RK began, only to be cut off by an impatient and worried Aryan in the middle.

"RK. Hold on a sec!" He turned to the men standing behind Prachi. "What the heck was this!? He was a legitimate person right?! He was someone from your so called reputed organisation! Then how did he turn out to be a murderer!?" He yelled.

"Sir... We.. We've no idea. He was a member.. But... "

"Don't give such excuses to me! I had very well explained you the importance of them and had asked for the best quality! This was your best!? Then I'm not even sorry that I've to crush your company! What if something... " His shouts were cut off my someone.

"Nothing would've happened, Aryan. Relax. It's me you're talking about. I'm enough for a dozen like them." RK spoke, staring at the woman, as Aryan stared at the other men with a death glare.

"Sor... Sorry, Sir. We promise it won't happen again. Please give us another chance. We agree that our member betrayed, but it was another member from our company who saved RK Sir. Please consider that." Sanjay pleaded.

"Really? I must appreciate your courage." Aryan retorted.

"Sir please. I still say that nothing could've happened to RK Sir, because Prachi was here. Like I had said, she is the best of the best, nothing can go wrong in her presence. She has just now proved it herself. She's the one you need. Please." Sanjay said, hoping for the man to listen to his pleadings.

"NO." A bold voice yet again filled their ears. However, it was not RK or Aryan, but Prachi who spoke this time.

"I'm not going to work for such a thankless knight." She mocked.

"What makes you think I'd want you to work for me, insolent damsel?" RK retorted immediately, leaning forward, staring directly into her eyes.

"The fact that you're alive because of me yet again." She informed.

"Don't give so much of credit to yourself. Had you not been here, someone else would've. Or better, I'm enough for myself as always. Not in need of women like you for sure." He straightened up.

"Good for you. I'm hoping I don't get to see faces of men like you again, then." Replied she, as they stared at each other for a long minute with the same fierce eyes, before Prachi shot a glance towards Sanjay, and back to RK, before striding off towards her bike parked in the parking lot nearby. The engine roared to life, as she headed towards the main door, never bothering to look behind her, while RK tilted his head, his peripheral vision landing on her retreating figure.

"Sir... " Sanjay began, pulling RK out of his trance.

"Just go before I do something instead of merely saying now!" Aryan placed a hand on his temples. "Except the three of them, the others please leave as fast as you can."

The men exchanged a worried glance, before nodding among themselves, as Sanjay moved out, followed by the other four, leaving the three bodyguards behind them.

"You're not going anywhere today. The meeting will be scheduled for tomorrow. Come on in, I've something to discuss." Aryan patted RK's shoulder, as the latter shook in head in annoyance.

"I'm hoping you people know your work." Aryan glanced at the corpse lying there once. "Stay close to the door, we're inside." Aryan turned to the bodyguards, who nodded, following his instructions as he entered the mansion along with RK.

______________________________________

"How can I be so irresponsible! It's all my fault! I should've checked all of them in a better way! What if he would've succeeded!?" Aryan yelled, his bold voice echoing in the large hallway.

"Calm down, Aryan. It's not your fault. You had checked all of them. Besides, he couldn't have done anything. It's me you're talking about. All of them combined are no match to me." RK placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him down.

"How do I calm down, Ranbir!? I'm sure it was another of HIS cheap tricks. That man cannot try to kill you all by himself without even knowing you! It's HIM I know! It was HE behind this yet again. And you know how dangerous HE is! It's not the first time something like this has happened! I'm scared now... " Aryan hyperventilated.

"You're the mother among us, Aryan! You can't be scared." RK teased, in an attempt to lighten the situation. "Besides, it was not the first time as you said, that makes it all the less to worry about." RK shrugged.

"You don't understand, RK. You should have accepted the security. HE.. " Aryan began.

"I do understand, Aryan. I know HIM way better than you do. I know how dangerous HE is and how HE can be. But what HE doesn't know, is who I am. RK is not scared of anyone. And doesn't need anyone to protect him as well. Especially not that annoying woman, in case you were about to turn into her spokesperson." RK spoke, as his expressions hardened.

"Okay, fine. I know you don't need anyone. But you have to recruit the rest of them for my sake. Otherwise..." Aryan threatened.

"Otherwise?" RK raised a brow at him.

"Otherwise I won't talk to you." Aryan turned his head to the other side, pretending to be angry, placing his hands on his waist.

"Oh, sometimes I really wonder if you're my best friend, my mother, or my girlfriend, dear boy. " RK teased, pretending to think.

"Shut up, idiot." Aryan frowned, making him chuckle a bit.

"And what was the first time your 'Miss Damsel' was talking about? She saved you from what in the first place?" Aryan interrogated, as his words flitted some images across RK's mind. Images of some recent memory, associated with black, darkness, and the insolent woman, as his eyes narrowed, staring into a far off direction.

"Hello, 'Mister Knight'?" Aryan snapped his fingers in front of him, in order to bring him back to the reality.

"Nothing special, Aryan. She had a chance to meet me while she fought the jokers I was telling you about yesternight." RK informed, as his hand spontaneously lifted itself, his fingers caressing a slight knife mark on his neck, as he remembered the cold touch of the woman who had caressed it in a similar way last night.

"And yet you doubt her abilities?" Aryan raised his brows now.

"I don't. I'm sure. Of her abilities. And of the fact that I don't need her and her so called abilities even in my wildest dreams." RK spoke, eyes still staring in a far off direction, as Aryan sighed resignedly.

"Whatever you say, but if you ask me, I don't know why but I feel that she is the only one who you are safe with as far as bodyguards are concerned. She's already saved you twice, and something tells me she will always protect you whenever you need her." Aryan remembered the only time he had seen Prachi fighting, and had instantly been impressed by her skills.

"Turning into a fortune-teller, are you? Not fair. You should've told me if you were not happy with this job." RK looked at him with a betrayed expression, making him roll his eyes.

"There's no use of trying to knock sense into your tiny head. Come on now, I'll inform the dealer that the meeting has been postponed to tomorrow. Then I've got to check the rest of them, the three of them are still waiting outside. I'll catch up with you later." Aryan informed, fishing his cellphone out of his pocket, simultaneously moving backwards towards the door.

"Bye, busy person." RK waved at him once, as Aryan nodded absent-mindedly, before striding out of the mansion.

RK sighed once, placing his hands on his waist, as something on the table nearby caught his attention. He settled on the large sofa, staring at the object of his attention for a minute, the events of the last few minutes running across his mind, before reaching forward towards it.

______________________________________

What was the source of his attention? Will the thankless man ever meet the insolent woman now?

That's all for today.

Do tell me if you like it or not. And if you do, don't forget to VOTE for it and leave your precious COMMENTS below.
Waiting:)

3000+ words. The second largest one in this book till now. I hope you don't find it small today Angeli_cutiee ;)