The iron gates smashed open as she raced the jeep into the posh bungalow. There was a water fountain right in the middle of the garden with many trees and shrubs surrounding it. The walls were painted cream and black with many sculptures embellishing it. Men in black suits with guns were guarding the bungalow as if a dominant personality resided inside. 

She stopped the jeep right in front of the huge entrance of the bungalow and leapt down from it, her long hair swinging about.

An averagely tall man marched out of the house and peered at her with a raised brow as his eyes widened with fury and nerves popped out of his forehead. The red plain shirt and black jeans stuck to him with a cigarette burning in his hand. Piercings all over his body and the tattoos had made his built look much more striking.

"When would you learn to use the gate properly!" his voice roared through the entire place as he covered the distance between them.

"Your selection is worst, even for the third time," she muttered, turning her head towards the broken gate, touching her upper lip with her tongue. "Damn, it wasn't enough, I should've driven even faster," she added with a grimace.

"This is the third time you're breaking my gate this week," he reminded wrathfully her by taking a gape at the gate.

"And I'll break that record too until you get a worthy gate," she assured with a sneer.

"It's not your bank balance that dies with the gates," his voice was almost a whisper as he tried to control his temper.

She heard someone behind the man. Ram was walking towards them with his phone in his ear, barking at someone. His voice desisted as he saw them both standing and staring at him with perplexity.

Murmuring something on the phone, he tossed it towards the man standing behind him. It almost fell from the man's hands but he caught it, as if instinctively.

"Pari's men attacked our club and destroyed half the stuff there," Ram growled as his hands clenched into a fist, his breath hard.

"Was Angad counting his white hairs then?" her sarcasm didn't hide the ire in her voice.

"It was unexpected and Angad was... drugged. They attacked him first with your drug and sincerely, they are rots to do that. It is even concerning how they got it. This time, there was a new team of assassins which they claimed to be better than the last ones you killed. This darn Pari," he scowled as rage flowed through his whole body.

Pari was a trained assassin but wasn't much perfect without her strong team which always worked for her. The team was resilient and were people with numerous skills in weapons and combat.

The previous time when Pari had attacked them with her old crew, Krado had defeated them in a blink, but he wasn't sure if this time she could as the crew was even stronger. She nodded thoughtfully, her brows raised as if amused.

"Elijah, keep my chai ready, I'll be back after assigning Pari's chores- disposing of her crews' bodies," she announced with a grin playing on her lips and turned towards her jeep.

"You get the chai by my hands when you return, Krado," Elijah calmly said by going behind her.

"Aha, you know I love a reward," she laughed, turning her jeep on. He chuckled and moved back towards the stairs as the jeep began to move out of its locus.

"Krado, I'm also coming!" Ram called from behind and ran towards his car. He was followed by a few more men and they got inside an SUV as they followed Krado's course.

They went through the busy road filled with local people buying things from the vendors and shopkeepers. Everyone's eyes turned toward them as they went past them. Her car honked, making people run away from the road. Irked, her eyes looked about the place; the shops took over into the footpaths, making pedestrians walk on the road.

Her legs pushed onto the brakes as a figure crouched in front of her jeep.

A child was struggling to get on his legs when his mother almost dragged him out of the way of the jeep. The child and his mother stared at her in horror and they shook visibly. Her eyes gaped at them nonchalantly for a while and her lips drew into a soft smile and their eyes opened aghast.

They moved away, giving way for her to race past. As her jeep moved ahead, many shops suddenly closed shut and some people howled at her. She ignored them and her eyes stared ahead, focusing on the road, trying to not hit another pedestrian again.

She abruptly turned towards a deserted road and Ram and his men turned towards the other road. Pressing her leg onto the accelerator, the jeep barged into a black gate that opened to a large dank bungalow.

Her new hobby of breaking gates was growing into her now.

Men began running towards her with guns and sharp weapons as on drive. Everyone dropped the weapons and ran for their lives as they saw Krado jumping out of the black jeep. Many howled in agony and ran out of the huge bungalow while a few stayed still or ran to their boss.

She strode into the huge bungalow and walked past many guards who were holding their breaths or either gasping. Some informed their boss about Krado's arrival and stood in their positions as she tramped past them. Her legs walked through the building as if they knew it from childhood.

Her face was a real example of fury as men shivered under her presence, not moving an inch. She kicked a wooden door open and saw a gorgeous girl sitting on the sofa with a bottle of whiskey. She wore black shorts and a yellow crop top with her gold chains and rings glistening as she moved. Her long straight hair swayed about till her waist as she leaned over slightly to Krado.

"Why don't you learn even after all these times?" Krado hissed at her by walking closer to her.

"It's not always the child to blame, the teacher can be the blame too," the girl laughed, drinking the whiskey. "You want one?" she offered Krado by turning towards the multiple bottles of alcohol placed inside a box filled with ice.

Scoffing, Krado took a cigarette, smoked and blew it at her face.

"A teacher is helpless if the child is hopeless," Krado inhaled the smoke as she took a step towards Pari.

Pari's face was a visible red of shame and rage as her hands clenched onto the unbreakable glass of bottle in her hand.

"Oh, there's your loving partner, Ram," her gaze moved to Ram as he dashed into the spacious room with a few men following him, holding vicious weapons.

"Now I know you have lost your sanity," Krado laughed at her comment sardonically as Ram stood behind her with his gun ready to shoot Pari.

"Where's that new-"

Before she could finish her sentence, a sharp knife swished above her head as she went on one knee.

"Your new crew, huh? Too slow," Krado said with a mocking laugh as her legs straightened.

She looked around and a four-member crew in black and pink outfits surrounded her. Ram and his men were fighting a few other men of Pari who were trying to keep them away from her. Her eyes turned sharply as one of the men in the crew ran towards her with the knife aimed right at her abdomen.

Before he could strike her, her legs flung in the air, making her flip. The man stumbled as her gun shot its bullet at his head when her legs touched the floor. As the man fell, the others raced upon her with their weapons dangling on their hands, gilding them.

A man tried to stab her with his sword as he ran past her, but unluckily, he had his own sword pierced into his stomach. She had dodged, held his hand as she turned and twisted it ruthlessly and pushed it onto his chest.

He groaned clutching to his heart and the next one rushed to her with a spiked brass knuckle before the injured one fell. She bent down and he missed his shot, successfully. But her eyes noticed her strand of hair dangling from his knuckles.

Red-eyed, she jumped up from her position. Putting all her rage, she punched his throat with her bare hand and her leg flung to his face, making him kiss the marble floor. He stood up right away and rose at her, yelling.

With a lunatic laugh, her legs sprung to the corpse of the sword man. Grasping the sword in her tiny hand, she flung it around like a king in war.

It cut across the man's neck, letting his head roll through the floor. The men shuddered at the scene but she had a vicious smile that welcomed violence like a maniac.

"What, scared?" she cackled at the men like a madcap enjoying the moment. Her attractive laugh made their hair stand up, but they doubted if it was out of fear or lust.

They shook themselves and two men ran towards her with an axe and a long dagger. The axe flung above her head and she kicked the man's wrist, making his axe fall from his grip. As the long dagger pierced into the air, she leapt over to the man, crawling over to his head.

When the dagger moved again, it was too late for him to retract; it pierced into the axe man's throat, making him lose his breath right away. She pierced a tiny piece of glass into the man's head one after another blow and blood began to tide out. He yelled with agony and another man ran towards them with a spiked whip. He aimed it at her, but she pulled the dagger man's hair as she jumped off his head and he fell with the whip striking his throat.

As he lay immobile, the whip came to her again. She bent as the whip went right above her face, dropping its target- her throat.

"That was close," she whispered, straightening up.

The man walked towards her slowly and as her mind calculated, her hands threw a knife at him. But it flew away as his whip touched it. Grinning, he flung it over her and it stroked her shoulders like a snake's fangs.

Grunting, she got its end with her hand before it went back to its owner. Blood seeped out of her hand like a river as the sharp edges scraped her hand ruthlessly. Groaning at her sacrificial move, she yanked the whip at an excessive strength that his legs were swept off, making him bang against the floor.

She pulled it towards herself and in no time, she was the wielder of the wild beast. The man stood up sluggishly and moved towards her as his hands searched for a pocket knife out of his pocket. A grin brushed her lips as the man fell, the whip at his throat.

Yawning, she took out her two guns and turned towards the men Ram and his team were battling. Every man of Pari fell as Krado put her gun back into her pocket. With a mocking grin, she twisted towards Pari.

She was quivering as all her mighty men were killed by an insignificant girl just in a few seconds. Her breath began to harden as Krado walked towards her with a wicked smile.

"They weren't that great, but better than those chickens you brought last time," Krado laughed, taking a bottle of whiskey from the icebox.

She stared admiringly at it for a while, battling with her mind on whether to drink or spoil it. Sniffing, she bit the bottle's cap and spit it at Pari's face. It made a slight scar near her right eye as its edge scraped her face. She drank half of its contents and gawked at Pari.

"Got any excuse for being so miserable?" Krado crowed, her mouth giving out her attractive laugh again.

Pari yelled and fell with her blood oozing out of her forehead as Krado cracked the bottle at her head. She cried and yelled again as Krado threw another bottle at her head. Clutching to her head, she became smaller, enduring the pain as it kept growing. Krado threw the bottle's neck in her hand away, wincing at the pain from her suicidal act with the whip. She had to tend it soon, her mind scolded.

Krado squatted down to Pari and stared at her with thoughtful eyes. "I'm showing mercy at you again. My hands can't get your blood on them, it'd stink my entire life," she muttered with a grimace, her eyes soft, somehow.

"It is only beginning, Kritika. He'd come after you and I'd kill you with my own hands!" Pari scowled at her.

Her face went rigid at hearing her actual name from Pari's lips. She grasped Pari's neck and choked her with red eyes.

"You will suffer, Kritika!" Pari yelled again under the limited air she had. Her face grew red and there was barely any air left in her. The hand left her neck suddenly.

"Heh," Kritika snorted with a leer. "I dare you to, Aditi," she mumbled by piercing a glass piece at Aditi's shoulder. Aditi howled as the pain seared through her. Getting up, she began to rush out of the building, her lips smiling victoriously, her eyes sullen with thoughts.

Kritika's phone rang and her eyes gazed at the screen. Expressionless, her hand pressed the button, her voice uttering the hello.

"Krado, I have made arrangements for your stay at Lagra. It's a growing village so nobody can suspect you as much. And well, it is apt for your task as you did mention," she heard Elijah on the other line speak as she wiped the blood off her dusky face and hands.

Her steps faltered suddenly as the words lurked in the call. Clearing her throat, she embraced herself to sound nonchalant.

"You do remember that I'd take a long while, right?" she asked gravely and heard Elijah as he kept speaking through the phone to her. "Alright, I've finished everything here and as always, Pari stays alive," she muttered gleefully as she heard a satisfying response from Elijah, making her smile.

Mumbling a quick bye, she cut the call and hopped into her jeep. Her mind ran through the Lagra she visited months ago, making her heart ache at the man she met, asking herself why.

Biting her lips, her eyes took the greatest efforts not to water. However she tried, her emotions never stood at bay when it came to him. Taking a deep breath, she clenched her fist, letting her nails dig deep into her palm, letting her injuries from the whip bleed, making her emotions confuse with the pain.

She looked down at her bloody cream shorts and black sleeveless t-shirt.

Choti maa will kill me for this.

She sighed and tied her long hair into a bun, her cut hair falling apart like bangs. Sighing, she revved up the engine, her mind battling with all the thoughts in her mind.

Her eyes moved to Ram and the men walking out of the bungalow through her rear glass.

Your loving partner.

Her hands clenched onto the steering wheel, blood oozing out softly again, her face flushing with fury at the words Pari or Aditi had remarked about Ram.

Her eyes felt soggy, her movements slow at a large amount of blood she just lost within the hour. She hastily rode the jeep out of the place, desperately wishing to get to her Choti maa who'd tend to her.

***************** 

"Bhaiyya, ask Jaggu to give it back!" Pinky complained by tugging Ayush's sleeve.

He was peacefully studying when Pinky ran inside his room carpeted with mud. She looked furious with tears rolling down her plump mud-smeared cheeks. Her yellow frock was brown in colour and looked very sloppy with her braids untied. He stood up and walked towards the girl who was sniffing and wiping her tears.

"Come," he directed holding the girl's shoulders and pushing her out of his room.

They both walked downstairs as she kept complaining about what Jaggan had done to her. He heard all the cute yet cruel mischiefs his nephew did to her. He nodded and assured her to give him a suitable punishment as she kept asking him if he would punish Jaggan. 

He walked out through the front door and saw his fair nephew looking brown with all the filth on his body. There were many pieces of toys fallen into the puddle of mud and Jaggan was scooping the mud with the help of a doll's deflected head and filling the mud inside its body parts.

A nauseated and creepy feeling got inside him as he saw the whole sloppy warzone of toys fighting mud. 

No wonder why the girl was crying, he thought. 

He left the girl's hand and ran towards Jaggan and threw the doll away from him. Jaggan looked up at him with a pout on his lips and tried to get it back. Ayush pulled him back into his house and locked him inside the bathroom.

"You're not getting out of there until you take that dirt off of you and apologize to Pinky," he said as he locked Jaggan inside the bathroom. 

He banged on the door as Ayush locked him inside. Ayush ran down to the girl who wore a smirk of victory and satisfaction. He held her hand and walked her to her house. He looked around for Pinky's mother, but she wasn't there.

"Maa is in the kitchen," the girl spoke in a feeble tone by pulling his arm.

He walked along with her to the house and waited outside to ensure her mother was there inside. An elderly woman came out of the house scolding her daughter by pulling her ears. Pinky began crying and conceded that she hadn't done it.

"Aunty, it was Jaggu! Don't scold her!" he defended Pinky as her mother scolded her. 

Her mother suddenly looked up to see a young man standing at her doorstep and ineptly left Pinky's ears and pulled the saree's pallu, draping it around herself.

"Come in, Ayush. It's been a while since you gave us a visit!" Pinky's mother welcomed him as he stood there looking at them both. 

He hesitated and heard someone walking towards him from the back. He turned to see Mr Prasant, Pinky's father who had returned from his work and was heading towards him.

"Ayush, get in! Let's have tea and talk like usual!" he blithered, grasping his shoulders and pushing him inside the house. 

Ayush removed his sandals and got in with Mr Prasant with a pleasant smile. It had been almost months since he visited them and he was thinking to visit them after the tenants arrived.

They both chatted for a while when Mrs. Prasant had gone inside to make him some tea and Pinky had gone to take a bath. He had asked Ayush about his studies and the exams coming soon. He had casually replied to all his queries and took the cup of tea offered by Mrs Prasant.

"We have sold our second house to another family," Mr Prasant muttered with a grin.

"The one right next to our house?" Ayush asked by looking up from his tea.

"Yes. It feels a lot good after selling it rather than keeping it with us as a burden," Mr Prasant retorted with a sigh. Ayush nodded in response as he didn't know what to say.

"I hope your other house is all set for the new family to live in!" Mr Prasant exuberantly said keeping his empty cup down, leaning back into his chair again.

"Personally, I want to live there! It's looking so amazing now," he retorted cheerfully. "I think I should be going, I've some things to do," he regretfully added by standing up.

Without hesitating, Mr Prasant let him leave as he wished. He already had exams tomorrow and he couldn't stay there and waste any time longer. After thanking Mrs Prasant for the tea, he sauntered back to his house. 

A few boys were leading towards the ground to play cricket and a few men were heading towards the lake for taking a bath or maybe to chatter. They exchanged smiles and greetings with him as they walked across each other.

As he turned to his house, he sneezed suddenly and continued to. His vision felt like a daze as he kept sneezing uncontrollably. Rubbing his nose, he exhaled deeply.

Struggling, he got inside his house and cursed whoever was thinking of him.