"Miss Mehta? What are you thinking?", Mr Khanna snapped at me."And why are you blushing?" clear cut confusion was evident on his face.

'Busted!'

'It was a dream. A godforsaken dream.'

'My stars! Avni, what type of outrageous shameless dreams do you see.'

My cheeks heated more, the baffled look in Mr Khanna's eyes made me more guilty. Bloody hell! What was I thinking? His arms, which were wrapped around me made me more nervous.

"uh! I- Iandyou.", I stuttered pathetically. My holy stars! Have some mercy on your best friend.

"I don't understand gibberish Miss Mehta.", Mr Khanna said bringing my face closer to his.

"Sir?", DD's voice came and once in my life I was not thinking to strangle him. I was literally grateful to him for interrupting us. Bless you, DD.

But I don't think I can say the same about Mr Khanna. He had a displeased face which he perfectly masked behind his emotionless façade. Hah! No one can escape Avni Mehta's sharp eyes.

"Change.", he ordered and slammed the door behind him.

Jerk!

Few minutes before he was saying I look so ravishing and now he's saying to change. Bipolar son of a bachelor.

~~~

I changed and moved out of the room to the hall. Mr Khanna's little gang was chatting with Naina di and Mrs Khanna. 

"What are you talking about?", I asked smiling politely, but that was a wrong move. Everyone stopped chit-chatting and all gazes centred on me.

Sweet little innocent me?

"So how did it go?", Liza and Naina di asked simultaneously, an evil grin on their faces.

"What?", I played the dumb efficiently looking away.

"You know what am talking about Avi.", Naina di gave me a challenging look and I gulped nervously.

"I don't know, I'm saying the truth Di.", I stressed the word truth, just like the way a 5-yr old child tries to convince her mother on getting caught with chocolate.

"Oh stop it, don't trouble my daughter.", Mrs Khanna came to my rescue and I breathed a sigh of relief."Child, have you and Neil decided your wedding date?"

"I don't know.", I said but quickly corrected myself when I saw the suspicious faces."I mean we still need to finalize that."

"Ms Mehta is right mother. Before this wedding, I need to sort some pending matters which are more important than this event."

Of course, his work is more important than wasting time and resources on this "event".

"Oh, God! Neil what can be more important than your wedding.", Liza smacked Mr Khanna right across his head. Mr Khanna didn't even flinch.

"Her safety is important than anything Liza and you should know that.", I felt a tug at my heart, just when I think he can't be more lovable, he says something making me fall for him more.

"Wait, am I missing something?", Mrs Khanna asked and I cursed that psycho for the millionth time today.

It happened within a second. One moment we were going to give a statement to Mrs Khanna and the next moment there was a blackout. Someone grabbed my wrist firmly and my anxiety decreased instantly."Don't leave my hand."

Warmth flooded my chest, Mr Khanna was holding my hand tightly.

James and Charles's shadows appeared right behind us. Mr Khanna cursed under his breath and took out a glinting object from somewhere, the darkness didn't help me to recognize what was it and when reality struck me. I gasped.

'Holy mother of Jesus! Gun!'

"Stars!", I breathed out. Beside me, I felt Mr Khanna stiffen, he must have realized my shock.

"Stay calm Miss Mehta and under any circumstance do NOT leave my hand.", his grip on my palm tightened and I squeezed his hand back in response."I won't."

"Sir someone deliberately cut the power cable.", James said and Mr Khanna's grip on my hand tightened, even more, it felt he was afraid. Afraid for me?

Mr Khanna doesn't get afraid of anyone. It can't be possible on the face of the earth.

"James, go and check it.", Mr Khanna ordered in a low voice.

It's been few minutes and Mr Khanna's non-existent patience had reduced to half." James, it's been 3 minutes and 41 seconds. What the hell are you doing?", he shouted on the poor bodyguard through the communication device and instantly all the lights lit.

I blinked rapidly in order to adjust my pupils but Mr Khanna didn't seem to be in any such problem. He was barking orders on his mobile and that's when I realized we were standing in his study.

How did we get in here?

As soon as the call ended, Mr Khanna ran his gaze over me."You are fine.", he breathed but everything in me knew it was not for me, it was for his assurance. He gave a look to Charles and he moved out.

"I'm fine.", I whispered to him."Is everyone else fine?"

"Everyone's safe.", he answered resting his forehead against mine.

"And you?", I mumbled.

"What about me?"

"Are you fine?"

"Don't worry about me.", Mr Khanna mumbled, a sudden rage erupted in me. How can he say that?

"How can I not worry about you?"

Mr Khanna's eyes sparkled with curiosity," And why pray will you worry about me?"

"What do you think? I don't lo..", I bit my tongue immediately stopping myself.

"You don't what?" Mr Khanna pulled me towards him more."Tell me."

"Tell you what?", I said looking away nervously but shortly Mr Khanna's hand reached to my face making me look into his eyes."If you won't be safe then how'll you keep me and my maa secure?"

Hurt flashed in his eyes." That's who I'm to you? A shield for protection?", his words were like a sharp dagger cutting through the silence in the study and I realized how selfish I sounded.

"I didn't mean that Mr Khanna.", I hastily answered.

"Then tell me what did you mean?", his questioning gaze was sending chills down my spine. I tried to move back but he won't let me." Tell me, Miss Mehta, am I just someone for your protection?"

"No."

"Then who am I to you?"

"You first tell me who am I to you", I retorted angrily. How can he expect me to answer him something if I myself don't know his response?

"Don't change the question."

"I am not changing the question. Let's make a deal, you tell me what exactly are we? Enemies?"

"No."

"Or I'm just a responsibility to you?"

"No."

"Or you're just doing all this to get rid of your guilt of demolishing my orphange?"

"No."

"Or..", words died in my throat seeing the deep look in his eyes. He brought his face inches close to me.

"Tell me who am I to you?"

"You..", he stopped and my insides churned in anticipation.

"I?"

"I?"

"You?"

"Oh screw it.", he muttered and the next moment his lips smashed against mine. They say they feel butterflies, hell I was feeling an entire African Savannah in my stomach. I blinked my eyes rapidly to comprehend if this was a dream but no, it was not a dream. He was actually kissing me.

Mr Nirdayi-Chauvinist-I-Don't-do-such-activites-Khanna freaking kissed me.

His lips were warm and tender, he kissed me with an urgency, a passion. I was feeling feverish, his lips moulded with mine like two pieces of a puzzle. Cliché I know, but trust me It's the truth.

And what felt like an eternity later, he pulled back. My breathing was ragged and so was his and with the remnants of breaths, he whispered the last words I could ever expect out of this man.

"I Love You."

asdfghjkljhdkdahjahjd, My God! He said it!

This was the shortest chapter in the entire book but my fav chapter! I don't think I can ever write a better chapter than this.

Hahaahaha I knew after reading the first line, you all would be planning my murder but now I'm sure you'd be loving me more than you did before.

Thank you so much for reading. I really hope you loved it.

See I myself was desperate to update this chapter. Screw the target I wanted to see y'all's precious reaction.

P.S. Do you guys mind the new cover?

Don't forget to vote and comment. I hope my notification slot gets spammed *lol*

Aapki seva mein sadev tatpar