Her pants came out as gasps as she backed away trembling into the dark wall, her eyes brimming with tears as she watched Prinku and Arjun engulfed among gun fires and shouts.

This is all your fault. Her hand clasped around her mouth trying to soothe the sobs closing around her throat.

You killed them.

Her fingers clawed her head, trying to silence the voices inside her head.

"Over here!" She heard a shout. Her legs scrambled to running into the dark, hoping against hope that this was the right direction. She slammed into a wall. The footsteps seemed closer and closer.

Tears spilled uncontrollablly. Half of her wanted to stay put and run back to Prinku and Arjun while the other half made her skin crawl at the thought of being chained back in the cell.

She patted the brick wall searching for a ladder or anything to hoist herself up. The footsteps drew closer and closer, her pants grew more desperate, she looked behind and shadows rushed towards her.

Fear creeped inside her curling and tightening around her gut, knocking out her legs from beneath her. She curled into a a trembling ball pressing against the wall so hard, her spine cracked.
She was trapped. All that just for her to be trapped like this bewildered animal she has turned into.

She clamped down hard onto her teeth to stop them from chattering, foot steps shuffled closer, ducking her head, into the crook of her arms, too scared to even see them come at her.

"Here!"

Her heart froze and fresh tears poured out, and she bit her lips to not make a sound.

"I've got her!" A man yelled, strong arms jostled her up flashing a light on her face, blinding her.

She struggled, " let me go!" she screamt trashing.

The hands did let go, only to be replaced by firmer ones.
His scent hit her first. His familiar cologne mixed with his own scent enveloped her.

" I got you Anika." He whispered.

Anika jerked away in shock but his grip never failed.
"It's me" his lips pressed against her ears, as she froze " it's me. Am here. And I've got you."

Anika turned around, shadows casted on his face, every neve ending throbbed inside her, as she sunk into him without a word.

" I got you baby" he whispered. His hands wound around her body, entrapping her like an unbreakable sheild, as he picked her up, holding her to his chest.

" I got you..." His voice seemed slurred, the lights dimmed and she vaguely remembered him running while holding onto her before she, almost happily passed out.

****************************

Something damp touched her face her eyes flew open, body tensed and her clothes drenched in sweat. Her eyes hit a clothed roof, voices and clanks filled the air around her, she got up, all her senses on alert.

Shivaay

He was there, he had held her, where was he now?
She looked around frantically, she appeared to be in a small tent, sitting on a soft cot with a warm blanket wrapped around her. The noices hadn't stoped and she tensed as a pair of footsteps drew closer.

She clutched her blanket tight as her tent's flap drew aside. A young man dressed in khaki with a gun strapped around his arm peeked in.

" Oh..mam you are awake?"
She stared at him motionlessly.

" I'll..uh.. be right back" he saluted scurrying away.
Anika looked around. The front of the tent seemed to face a lot of the crowd while the back door flapped gently in a cool breeze.

Feeling too hot, she pushed away the blanket and slowly got to her feet, pushed away the flap and stepped out.

Pitch darkens surrounded her, the sky above rumbled a warning of rain.

Dark shadows of the tree branches swayed with the wind.

A meadow of tall grass stretched in front of her, dimly lit by a fading moon. The smell of rain thick in the air. She stepped forward, letting the grass tickle her feet.

Her lips lifted, feeling the cold forest floor beneath her bare feet, her fingers tickled as she coursed them through the delicate grass strands.

She stopped right in the middle, as the wind picked up speed around her, drying her damp skin. She wrapped her arms around her body, inhaling deeply.

She heard a shuffle behind her and spun around abruptly.

" Anika?.....Anika!!" Shivaay's outline waved at her.
Her body reacted faster than her brain. Her feet moved according to their own. She ran and didn't stop until her arms threw themselves around him.

Shivaay let out a small oomph as she collided into him, he picked her off the ground, before wounding his arms around her.

" Anika" he breathed, setting her down. They stood there among the gusts of wind, swirling around them.

" Shhhh.. it's alright baby it's alright" Shivaay cooed running his hands through her hair.

Until then she didn't realise she was crying, more like wailing as she clung onto him.

Her knees gave out and she dropped, pulling them both onto the soft grass bed, hidden from the rest of the world.

He pulled her onto his lap, as she cried out her soul.
Her body shaking, and her breaths coming out as loud sobs.

" Shhh..Anika.. you're safe now" he murmured.
She shook her head on his shoulder. He  pulled apart, wiping the stray strands of hair from her face.

Her sobs turned into hicups as she gazed at him for the first time, he wiped her eyes, tucking her hair behind her ears, she stared at him all the while, her eyes not leaving his face.

Her hands trembled as she reached up cupping his face. Shivay sighed

" I thought I lost you" he murmured, she pressed her forhead to his. He closed his eyes leaning into her touch.
His hands ran up and down her spine, trying to soothe her down.

" What happened to you in there?" He whispered, parting a little.

He watched as her gaze fell to the ground. Her sobs had halted but the silent tears seemed endless. He caught her chin making her meet his eyes. " Whatever it is, whoever it was I will end them" he murmured, his voice laced with so much tenderness that it made his threat seem lethal.

" Anika..." he brushed away tears.
" I left her..."
" You lef-..."
" Prinku! Shivaay!" She thumped his chest " I just left her there to die and ran so selfishly"

He gripped her shoulders "you've done everything you could Anika. You've done more"

" You don't get it!" She shook her head trying to get off him but he only tightened his hold.

" Anika..prink-"

" It should've been me in there instead of her." She wiped her tears angrily. " I should've been in there, and she should've been here! With you!"

" Anika" he shook her until she looked at him " Prinku is fine. No one is going to lay a finger on her till I go and kill all those mother fuckers"

" How do you know that!"

He sighed " because she's got someone in there with her now. Arjun"

Anika blinked at him " how...how do you know Arjun..?"

He tucked strands of her hair behind her ear " I just do..I'll explain it all later. For now I just want you to be alright" his eyes looked pained " be ok Anika.." he almost pleaded.

She reached up her fingers brushing his jaw " I really can't loose you again" he whispered pulling her so close to him that it almost hurt, but it still wasn't close enough for her.

Her fingers skimmed across his cheeks and he fisted the hair at the nape of her neck, pulling her head down while his tilted up. Anika closed her eyes, inhaling his scent that swirled around her, enveloping her.

His eye lashes brushed across her cheeks, before his lips pressed a kiss, just below her eyes. She exhaled hoarsely.

Her grip tightened on his face, her mind felt blank and she liked it blank. She refused to think how this man whose lap she was sitting in was the cause of all her sadness a few days ago. That he was the same man who mad bluntly told her to stay out of his life and whom she had loathed.

Her mind focused only on his lips that left a trail of wet kisses along her jaw. He kissed the edge of her jaw and inch away from her lips.

" Am never letting you out of my sight" he whispered, he kissed an inch closer to her lips " never"

They both paused , staring at eachother, breathing hard. Shivaay leaned in, before his lips brushed, something beeped. Anika gasped in surprise.

" Just my talkie" Shivaay assured her quickly, reaching to his behind pulling out a walkie talkie.

A train of  voices buzzed out, he listened intently before switching it off " we need to head back" he stated.

" Wher- oh!" Anika yelped as he hoisted both of them up, and began walking back to camp "to get my sister back"