With every approaching step, Randhir's eyes fumed in anger.. His grip tightened on the knife.. Rita, who wasn't aware of the approaching tiger kept narrating her story in order to gain his sympathy.. Sanyukta who was waiting outside his cabin, grabbed a water bottle and gulped some water.. Her eyes casually fell inside the cabin, she could see through it via the curtains that was left slightly open.. The moment her eyes fell on Randhir's hand, she splurged out the water she had in her mouth.. Her eyes popped out in fear.. She immediately dropped the bottle and rushed towards the door.. By now, Randhir had placed the knife on Rita's neck.. Sanyukta pushed open the door and barged inside.. Their cabin was inside another closed enclosure due to which whatever that happens inside wasn't audible or visible to the other staff whose seats were pretty far..

Rita was struggling hard in his grip.. He was almost choking her hard, she was finding it hard to breathe.. "Mam please save me.. This man has gone insane.." She hushed.. Sanyukta rushed to her rescue and tried pushing him away from her.. But he was too strong to handle.. Randhir pushed her away and turned to look at her "Hey you! Just stay away.." He roared.. His voice sent sudden chill down her spine.. She had seen him act wild many a times before it wasn't something new but today he was acting mad.. So damn mad.. It was as if someone had triggered something inside him that wasn't to be disturbed.. It was a similar feeling she had experienced whenever someone reminds her of the past.. Sanyukta had no idea what to do and where to go.. She stood up and rushed upto him before it was too late.. She held his cheeks with both her hands.. "Randhir.. Stop it.. Please.." Her eyes were full of concern.. There was something in her eyes that was trying to drive his madness away from him.. She uttered again.. "Please Randhir.." This time her eyes were moist.. He loosened the grip on Rita.. His eyes looked down to see the way she was holding him like a baby.. That was totally an unusual feeling.. She was gently caressing his cheeks to calm him down.. That moment, just froze..

Trying to take full advantage of this ceased moment, Rita released herself from his grip and tried to run outside.. Randhir surpassed her in a jiffy and stood before her.. "Aise kaise bhag jaoge aap bina charity liye Rita ji?" His madness was now taken over by a witty smile.. Rita looked at all the corners and said in a frightened voice "Sahab.. Mujhe koi charity nai chahiye.. Mujhe already blood cancer hai.. Pata nai aur kitne din zinda rahungi mein.. Aur aap mujhe abhi maarna Chahte ho? Please sahab mujhe Chod dijiye mein Chali jaungi.." She pleaded.. Randhir now flashed a smile at Rita.. "Aap aur kitne din zinda rahoge yeh mein bataunga.. Aap fikar mat kijiye" He looked at Sanyukta.. "Dash.. Zara woh first aid box nikalna mere cupboard se.." He ordered.. Sanyukta obeyed his orders just like a robot..

Sanyukta passed the first aid box to Randhir.. He grabbed it at once and pulled out a big needle from it... "Chalo baito.. Dash tum bhi bait jao.." He signalled both of them to sit.. Rita had no choice but to obey him.. Randhir pulled out his mobile phone and dialled a number.. "Doctor please get into my cabin.. I have a blood cancer patient.. She is looking very pale and unhealthy.. We need to have her blood tested.." He disconnected the call.. "Don't worry doctor is on the way.. He would take just 2 mins to examine you and then you ll be free.. Agar tumhe blood cancer hai toh trust me I ll do everything to get you cured warna.." The knife shone in her eyes.. He pricked the needle in her nerves in a flash and drew a sample of blood.. "For now, this should be enough.." He winked.. Sanyukta had no idea what was going on.. She was experiencing something pretty new.. "Who is this guy? What is he doing?" She found it hard to understand him.. She looked at Randhir, he tried much to avoid her eyes but failed prominently.. In a way, she had calmed him down big time.. Had he been left in the mood he was in, by now he would have transformed into a murderer.. Her eyes, her voice, not sure what, but something in her calmed him down.. Sensing the seriousness of the situation, Rita slowly pulled herself away from Randhir and Sanyukta who were now lost into each other.. She pushed open the door and rushed outside.. Randhir followed her but Sanyukta stopped him from moving.. She held his hand tight.. However tip of his knife, drew a cut in Rita's fingers eventually landing in Sanyukta's hand too.. It bled instantly.. But she had to save her life.. Hence she ran even faster without minding the cut.. Cut in Sanyukta's hand scared Randhir.. He was tensed.. He immediately pulled his hand kerchief and tied it along her hand.. Sanyukta pushed him away.. "You've scared the hell out of her.. She was already dying and you made it worse.. I don't know what to say but seriously you are disgusting.. You don't trust anyone.. You don't even know the meaning of trust.." Sanyukta spilled hard words at him.. "You just tried to kill her? Agar help nai Karna hota na toh Bol dete aap.. Aise karne Ki kya zaroorat thi? You're evil.. You're totally evil.." She said those words and dashed out of the room.. Doctor came in to collect the samples from him and left.. Her words kept ringing in his ears.. Nothing had affected him so much than his past, but now her words were pricking him from inside.. "She wasn't dying.. She was just pretending.." He mumbled..

Sanyukta spoke to herself all the way out of her office.. "What does he think of himself? Is he God or what? Disgusting totally disgusting.." In her own world, She failed to notice the person approaching and dashed upon him.. "Oh oh.. Careful Miss.. Sanyukta.." She looked up to see who it was.. "Remember me?" He asked.. "Of course I do.." She flashed a smile back.. It was Parth.. He had come to meet Randhir..

"Is everything okay? You were talking to yourself?" Parth queried.. "All because of your friend.." She was angry..

"Randhir?" Parth questioned.. "Aur Kaun!" Sanyukta sniffed.. "What did he do now?" Parth was worried.. Sanyukta explained the things that had happened inside his cabin.. Parth's expression changed when she finished.. "He is just unbelievable Parth.. Just when I think he isn't that bad, he does something to prove me wrong.. How can he behave so rudely with a girl and that too a cancer patient? He is such a..." Even before she could finish, Parth stopped her "Enough.. Not a word against Randhir.. Not even a word.. Understand?" His voice sounded firm.. He dragged Sanyukta to a nearby coffee shop.. "Parth leave me.. What's all this? Both you buddies have lost it.." She sighed..

"Sanyukta for Gods sake stop blaming Randhir.. You don't know what he has gone through.." Parth pleaded.. "I know it.. He is a bloody psycho.." The moment she said it, Parth yelled "I said enoughhhhhh..." Whole coffee shop turned to look at them.. Sanyukta was shocked to see Parth that way.. What followed was a quick recap of Randhir's past, the way he had got cheated, the reason why he hates her name so much and the way he had been offering his salary to help the real cancer patients.. At the end of it all, Sanyukta was numb.. "According to Randhir, even the word trust cannot be trusted.. He has gone through so much... If he says she's lying, I would dare not argue because I know he must be right.. It's okay if you can't say good things to him but please don't hurt him.. That's all I ask you.." He left the place.. Sanyukta sat there speechless..

She had no idea how long she had been sitting there.. When she looked at her watch, it was already 5 PM.. She realized that she had left her bag in her cabin.. She slowly made her way back to her cabin.. Usually Randhir stays in his cabin till 6 but today he was missing.. Sanyukta found his chair empty.. All her words sounded rude to herself.. She had no idea how she had said those words to him.. "I have just lost a person who was there Atleast to hate me.." She said to herself.. When she picked the hand bag from her cabin, her eyes fell on the paper that was lying on her table.. She pulled the paper out of its cover.. It was a medical test report that said "Patient Name - Rita. Blood cancer - Test Result - Negative" there was also a note beneath it.. "I told you.. She wasn't dying.. She was just pretending.."

She felt a sense of guilt, occupying her as a whole.. "It isn't just me.. He has experienced more pain than me.. I just gave him some more.. Shittt.."

That evening, Sanyukta reached her flat, but her eyes were fixed on his flat.. It wasn't locked from outside.. That meant, he was in.. She let out a sigh of relief.. "He is home" She closed the curtains, as she knew it would remind him of his past.. At 9 PM, Randhir peeped through his window to find the curtains closed.. "She isn't home yet?" He pulled out his jacket from the cupboard, wore it quickly and rushed outside.. Next second, he was on his way to her apartment..

TO BE CONTINUED.. Hello dears, hope you liked today's update of CF.. I ll update ABM tonight ya tomorrow.. Do leave your precious comments as they hold a special place in my heart and motivates me to write more.. Kindly visit my FB page and let me know what you feel about my write ups ☺️https://m.facebook.com/aishwaryaravipage?ref=bookmark Love you all #Ash