Dedicated to @AmOnASabbatical. Thank you for supporting my work. Guys, check out her writing. Her books are so well written and worth it! <3

This book from here on will be continued in 3rd person with occasional first one POVs. This story is like my seventh one on wattpad and I want to get out of my comfort zone and try a different style. Plus, I genuinely think 3rd person is better for this genre for me.

Chapter 4 - Never Stalk a Girl Without Expecting Consequences

[Third person P. O. V.]

Ahar sent the money Shravan gave home for her mother's treatment. Her younger brother--Laksh--still kept in touch. He normally convinced their Papa to use the money Ahar sent.

She received a text from Shravan the following morning that they should target Manan, first. Why? Who knows. Ahar had no other option than to go to Shravan's house. Again.

"Your place is nice, but can't we meet somewhere else?" she asked as she uneasily glanced around the living room.

"Take notes and talk to Manan with me," said Shravan, disregarding her question.

They settled on the couch. Shravan put his feet up on the table in front of them and yelled his cousin's name. Manan came down with a bright and cheerful expression.

"What's up, bro?" Seeing Ahar, Manan added, "Hello." Ahar just gave a polite smile and nod.

"So, Manan," Shravan called his cousin's attention, "I was thinking that maybe you could help my business out. What'ya say?"

"Yes! Definitely," said Manan excitedly.

"What're you most interested in?" Ahar asked.

"Modelling." Shravan sat up. Ahar and he didn't expect that response. "I'll show you my ramp walk. I've been practicing." Manan ran to the end of the hallway and walked down, pouting. Ahar put a hand over her mouth to suppress her laughter. "Wait, let me put on music!" Shravan facepalmed himself.

That was it for Ahar. She doubled over laughing. Manan put on the song Mera hi Jalwa (My Splendor) and ramp walked. Ahar whistled at him, earning a glare from Shravan. She's so unladylike, thought Shravan. He slightly envied her for knowing how to whistle.

After a while, the wannabe model plopped down next to Ahar. "Am I in?" he asked, pointing to her notepad.

"Um . . . you might need more training. Sanya's a model. I--"

"Bro, get my bhabhi (sister-in-law) here, immediately!" Manan ordered. Shravan raised an eyebrow at Manan's tone. His cousin relaxed and added, "Please. I know she can help me." While he talked, Manan--in his excitement--was moving closer and closer to Ahar.

Being uncomfortable, Ahar kept scooting back to push some space between them. Consequently, she ended up with her side pressed up against Shravan's. Their arms brushed against each other and Ahar quickly moved hers, distracted by the strange feelings she got. For a moment, Shravan too got caught off guard but managed to put on his strict expression. His wedding was next month. The only person who should be on his mind was Sanya.

Seeing how close Ahar was to him, he crankily said, "Sit in my lap!" Ahar didn't know what exactly to do. "Manan, get back to where you were sitting."

"Why me?" retorted Manan. "Why don't you?"

Ahar prevented any further argument by saying, "I'll shift." She sat down on the other sofa. "Anyways, Manan, why didn't you ask Sanya for help earlier?" Ahar casually asked. "I mean you knew she was coming. You could've gotten tips and all." Shravan met her eyes and understood that Ahar was trying to see if Manan already knew. The kidnapping had been pre-planned. Shravan was almost sure Manan wasn't the kidnapper.

Ahar's partner had to be much smarter than the modelling cartoon.

"I came to Harayana the day after Shravan bhaiya (brother) came. No one told me." Manan sat with a hurt look. Why wasn't I aware of this before? I looked at Shravan who seemed deep in thought. "If I had known, I would've been here a week earlier from my college's youth festival."

Ahar slammed the notebook shut and gave Shravan a death glare.

"Really?" she mumbled to Manan. "Did you take photographs at the festival?" Shravan's cousin gave me a nod, but he seemed confused. Ahar wanted further proof of Manan's innocence. He could've been lying. "I think it'll be good to see how you look on camera. Can I--Shravan and I--take a look at the photos?" Manan pulled up photos on his cell phone. Ahar and Shravan huddled around.

Ahar was looking for a date somewhere. Manan had crazy selfies and wacky faces in most photos.

On the thirteenth photo, Ahar told him to stop. It was a large group photo with a large banner behind them. The banner had the date of the day before Sanya's kidnapping and the location of the festival was Delhi. "This was our last day," Manan said with a nostalgic smile. He landed in Harayana the day of the kidnapping.

"You met Sanya once didn't you?" Ahar asked.

"Not exactly. I just had a glimpse of her. All the adults and relatives were too busy meeting her. It was right before the day she left," Manan said. "My bad luck I never got the chance to meet her. Get married soon, Shravan bhaiya (bro), for the sake of my career." He laughed at his own small joke.

Shravan's expression hardened. Sanya's horrified look when he had gotten hit on the head flashed across his eyes. He tensed up and excused himself. Manan was lost as his older cousin went out the glass doors of the living room to their deck. Ahar decided to wrap things up.

"Is it possible for you to send me some of your pictures?" she asked, earning a frown. "So, I can forward it to Shravan's company. The higher people will decide if they want to give you a chance or not?"

He did as she asked. She excused herself and went out to the deck.

Shravan glanced over his shoulder and stiffened seeing her. He knew that Manan wasn't smart enough or motivated enough to kidnap Sanya. That was why he wanted to get Manan out of the way. Ahar's partner is much smarter, he finalized. His code name is "priest," after all.

"I forgot about Manan's college thing," he said casually.

Ahar didn't even have to ask. For some reason she felt like Shravan knew. He targeted Manan first, maybe already knowing that Manan couldn't be the culprit. She still gave Shravan the benefit of the doubt.

"Just for clarification, I think we should ask shopkeepers near the ice cream shop, if they saw your cousin that evening," suggested Ahar.

"And waste time?"

"What?"

"You want to waste time rather than moving on to the other suspects," he said turning to her.

Ahar couldn't understand his stupid behavior. "I'm just trying to make sure," she replied.

"Why exactly are you so persistent on helping me?" Shravan was a very straightforward person. He couldn't help but ask what occupied his mind.

Ahar was about to bring up the priest when she realized that Shravan wouldn't understand. He would probably think she was a fraud or something, after him for his money. The modern society didn't believe in priests.

She lied, "I'm a writer and this'll give me nice love story to write."

Shravan took a step forward, closing a lot of distance between them. Ahar was startled by the action. Shravan didn't look happy. He pointed his index finger at her.

"If you're lying to me, I swear you'll regret it," he warned.

Ahar narrowed her eyes at him. She raised her hand and clasped it around the finger that was threateningly pointed at her. She brought it to the side, so she could clearly look at him. She felt weird just holding his hand but chose to ignore the fluttery feeling inside her.

"If you're done, can we go and check the shops?" she asked.

Shravan's anger transformed into a puzzled stare. Ahar released his hand, turned, and walked back inside through the glass doors. What game was she playing? He really wanted to know what she was planning. One important quote went through his head: Keep your friends close and enemies closer.

He decided then and there that he had to befriend Ahar. If she wasn't comfortable around him, she would always be on her guard. That could never allow her to have slip ups in his presence. He had to break down the enemy's cautiousness.

"Shravan, you're a genius." He patted himself on the back for being so smart and walked inside.

Ahar was at the door, waiting. "Ready?"

"Let me grab my keys," Shravan said brightly, though he was faking it. She raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He was plain weird to her. They rode on Shravan's bike, much to Ahar's dismay. Reaching the ice cream shop complex or the crime scene, Shravan realized he left his phone at home. They had to share Ahar's phone which had Manan's forwarded photos.

Showing the photo to everyone, they attained no answer that said Manan was there. Ever.

One shopkeeper even commented, "Who is that monkey?" The shopkeeper's wife was sitting next to him. She let out a laugh of agreement.

Ahar chuckled. "His cousin," she said pointing to Shravan.

Shravan slapped her hand down. "He's--someone I know," said Shravan.

"The wedding's next month. You need to know your relatives, now, Shravan," Ahar said playfully.

"Wedding? Congratulations," the shopkeeper's wife said to them, "God bless you two."

Ahar quickly shook her head.

Shravan rolled his eyes. "She's not my fiancé."

She was helping him look for his fiancé. The one she kidnapped. Shravan could never marry someone like her--a plain Jane writer.

"Oi, Tanne sharam na aave parayi chokri ke saath shaadi se pehle ghoom te (don't you have any shame hanging around with another girl before your wedding)?" the wife asked, horrified at his statement.

"She's--" keep your enemies closer, "She's a friend." Ahar was shocked by his answer. "And, ma'am, please mind your own business." Shravan already hated these people and they just made it worse. "Ahar, let's go. We got our answers." He walked back to his bike with her quietly following behind. Ahar didn't know what to expect out of Shravan. She declared him as a bipolar disorder patient (in her mind). "Manan is innocent. Do you need more proof?"

"No," she admitted.

"Good. I really don't know who the pr--kidnapper could be." Shravan almost revealed he knew the code word.

"Why don't you just pay thy kidnapper?" she suggested, though in a joking manner.

Shravan was damn sure she was involved. Her true colors were showing. She wanted him to pay.

"Why should I give them the satisfaction I lost?"

"I'm starting to question your love for Sanya," she confessed, "versus your love for your money. People kill themselves for love and you can't even pay up." Ahar was looking at the easy way out of this.

Shravan however was enraged by her slyness in her sentences.

She acted so rational and innocent when she was the opposite!

"I don't care about money!" he defensively argued. Ahar leaned against the bike, awaiting his wrath. She was beginning to get used to it. "I can give up everything for her, but what's the gurantee I'll get Sanya back safe and sound?" Realizing he was losing his temper, he quiet down. He couldn't have her against him. "I'm sorry," he said begrudgingly. "I'm taking my anger out on you. But you're really the only person who I can share my dilemma with."

Ahar understood how true his words were. She had been extremely angry too when she lost her love--Sasha.

"We'll find her, don't worry," assured Ahar.

Shravan gave her a weird stare. Ahar couldn't comprehend why he always did that. It was as if he questioned the intentions behind her words.

"We should target Shivani next," he said, looking away. "She's the only girl suspect on the list." He figured he had to do his research on Ahar as they spent more time together.

"You can start on that," said Ahar. "I have to get to work."

"I'll pay y--"

"Shravan, please." Ahar hated hearing him say those words. It made her feel so cheap. He would temporarily pay her. Ahar knew she needed a job after he left. She didn't want to lose her ice cream shop job. "I have to get to work." She gave him a firm look. "See you tomorrow."

Ahar walked to her workplace.

Shravan wondered why she didn't take money today. Was she simply waiting for him to hand over everything once and for all? But he had seen pain in her hazel eyes when he brought up paying her. Wouldn't it be easier for her to pretend to help him rather than actually working?

He sulked outside the ice cream shop. Ahar was working alone until eight pm when Anchal showed up. Shravan noticed how much Anchal and Ahar were comfortable with each other. They were peacefully chatting when no customers were there. Actually, Anchal was writing stuff down on papers! Were they planning something?

On the other hand, Ahar decided to give Anchal a vague explanation or lie of why she skipped work.

"Shravan is a friend of mine, so he forced me to go," she told her boss.

Anchal smiled. "You're lying, but it's okay. I'll let you off the hook." He winked and went off to the side. She didn't argue any further. While Ahar worked, Anchal graded papers. Anchal didn't like leaving a girl alone so late to work. He normally spent the eight to eleven shift with Ahar.

They closed the shop together and bid goodbye. Ahar only lived one block away and insisted she could walk when Anchal offered a ride. On the way home, she realized she was being followed. It was definitely a guy because of the height and body built. On purpose, Ahar switched directions. The guy kept trailing behind her at a distance. She couldn't see his face clearly. After going through three different blocks, Ahar walked down an alley to where a nearby girls' hostel was.

She knew that the rebel girls from the hostel always snuck out to smoke this late. With their hockey sticks. She spotted them immediately from the strong smell of smoke. The shadow was still behind her. The girls waved at Ahar, being almost her friends. She sometimes came this way when she dropped off rent. Ahar gave them pleading looks as she walked by. She gestured with her thumb at the stalker behind.

The girls understood quickly. They hid Ahar behind them and remained casual. As the man closed by, they raised their hockey sticks.

The leader of the group yelled, "Attack!"

Ahar kept her eyes closed as the girls beat up the guy.

"Never stalk a girl without expecting consequences," the leader told the beaten up person.

Ahar slowly opened her eyes and went to check the culprit. She couldn't believe it when she saw Shravan's deformed and bruised face. He was curled up in a ball.

"Damn you, Virdee," Shravan sputtered out before falling unconscious.
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How was the chapter? Keep your enemies closer!

Manish Paul as Manan Sethi? Agree or other suggestions?

Manan is innocent. Or so they found so far. Who could be the priest's partner??? XD

Shravan got beat up XD Btw, Sidharth Malhotra's left profile is terrible, awful and just ugh! Making his covers is the hardest, I swear.
I do not know Haraynvi, so pardon my attempts. I am trying to pickup dialect I've heard around in movies. If its incorrect, please guide me!

PLEASE VOTE COMMENT &SHARE!!!!!