Hello!

15 minutes.

They have been hugging each other for 15 long minutes. Mr. Malhotra is clinging onto her like a child and she is continuously caressing either his hair or back.

I have not seen Mr. Malhotra this vulnerable like he is being in her arms and for some unknown reasons, it's making me really uncomfortable. Even when he came knocking on my door at 4 in the morning, he still didn't looked this way.

"Ise mai apni tareef samjhu ya tauheen, mujhe kabhi gale lga kar nahi roe."

All of a sudden this dialogue from ADHM rang in my mind and I shook my head to get the thought out of my mind. What the actual hell is wrong with me? I'm thinking way too much and that's why these stupid thoughts are coming in my mind.

I cleared my throat, not able to stand in this discomfort anymore but none of them moved even an inch away. Okay.

I decided to leave myself and turned around only to find Victoria standing behind me with a tray of glass of water.

"Why are you still awake?" I asked her, not putting any effort to lower my voice.

"You both haven't eaten anything, we stayed awake to serve you hot food." She told me and I shook my head taking the tray from her hand.

"Go sleep, I'll manage." I told her and she hesitated for a moment before nodding but left anyways.

"Water." I offered Mr. Malhotra, going close to them and he looked at me with swollen eyes while she continued caressing his hair.

Without breaking the hug, he shook his head in negative and then turned his face back towards her neck, holding her tighter.

"Go sleep." His voice was coarse and muffled.

"But—" "Just go." He sounded annoyed, so I just left without another word.

.*.*.*.*.

Rolling on the bed from one side to another, I just couldn't get myself to fall asleep. I was still concerned about what must be happening downstairs.

I looked at the wall clock and it was 4 in the morning. I took out the newspaper, I had hidden underneath the mattress and looked through his article.

It was clearly stated that they were blaming Manik for treachery from his father and then leaving him alone to rot. So basically, blaming him for everything that his father did to him as a child. And now I know why he is this hurt. The words and allegations were so harsh, that it seemed like there was some personal enmity involved which made me even more upset. I just hope you come out Mr. Naren Malhotra and all this turns out to be worth it.

With a heavy heart, I couldn't resist myself from going out and looking for him. As I was walking in the corridors, I  walked passed a room but stopped as I felt a silhouette. Taking a few steps back, I saw the door of the room slightly open.

Peeking through it, without making a noise, I saw Natasha sitting on the bed with Mr. Malhotra lying, keeping his head on her lap.

He was probably fast asleep but Natasha didn't look sleepy at the least, instead she was working furiously on her cellphone and looked really mad.

She made a call and I stood waiting.

"I don't care who the fuck is that man and where the fuck he works, he has hurt Manik Malhotra and he'll have to pay for it. I want to read the news of his death in the morning newspaper and that's it." My eyes widened at her words  and kept my palm on my mouth to avoid any sound coming from it.

"No." Mr. Malhotra spoke opening his eyes and looked at her.

"Don't get him killed right now, it'll erupt controversies and I just want this matter to die down." He told her and she looked away.

"Natasha. Please." He pleaded getting up from her lap and taking her in his arms.

"Okay fine. Don't kill him but I need to speak to the head of that media house." She instructed on the phone and then disconnected the call.

"I never thought you could be this impulsive. You have always been the sensible and calm one among us." He said smiling a bit.

She is the calm one? She was ordering murder like pizza and she's the sensible and calm one?

She just sighed separating from him.

"He has hurt you, nothing can stop him from paying for that. If not now, then after sometime but I'm not going to forget this." She told him maintaining an eye contact with a straight face.

"He will pay for it Natasha but this is not the right time." He told her holding her hand.

"I know... I just got carried away. I'm sorry." She apologized looking away and Mr. Malhotra smiled again.

"Don't be sorry, I like it... when you are protective. " He told her with a smirk and she narrowed her eyes.

"Shut up and go to sleep." She ordered and without another word, Mr. Malhotra lied down, keeping his head on her lap again.

"Now that you have come, I'm fine. Don't worry." He whispered with closed eyes and she leaned on the headstand clasing her eyes.

"Mom, dad and your masi wanted to accompany me too but I assured them I'll handle it myself and here I was about to commit a blunder." She mumbled and Mr. Malhotra looked at her.

"You were not going to commit any blunder at all. Stop blaming yourself for something you can never do." He told her and she shook her head.

"I was about to get that journalist killed. And it would have been the biggest scandal ever." She told him, looking at him and he shook his head.

"You would have handled that as well." He has so much confidence on her.

"You think of me so highly Malhotra. " She said chuckling and he smiled.

"Totally. You have always been this smart, intelligent and calculative one. You can manage anything and everything. " He told her and she looked away.

"And I was going to mess up today. " She sighed.

"It's just your love for me." Mr. Malhotra said smirking and she narrowed her eyes.

"And who said I love you Malhotra?" She asked raising her eyebrows.

"Nobody has to tell me Khurana, I just know it." He told her grinning.

"Whatever! Close your eyes and sleep." She told him keeping her hand on his eyes and he closed his eyes, while she continued looking at the space with a straight face.

I took my steps back and reached my room with a kind of churning in my stomach. Closing the door behind me, I sat on the floor and exhaled deeply. He was probably with her the whole past week, in their friend's wedding and now she's here too.

And, there is a huge possibility of her being his 'Butterfly'. But then why didn't he called her that even once? He was calling her Natasha or Khurana but didn't use Butterfly even once.

But Butterfly or not, she is still really close to him and that's very much clear with the fact that he could still grin around her even after the harsh article that affected him so badly.

You made him smile Natasha Khurana, he is goofy around you, even when hurt, I think you are closer to him than I had initially thought you were.

_________________________________________

An early update because it's a holiday and I had enough time. So yeah!

And the Bombshell is closer to Mr. Malhotra than Nandini had initially thought.

I don't know for how long I'm going to objectify Natasha as a Bombshell but I can't seem to get it out of my mind, I'm so sorry Natasha.

Anyways, what do you think about this new addition?

Also I have an image of Natasha in my mind, an actress I think would be perfect for this character, are you guys interested in seeing it?

Hope you are liking the story so far.

Love
Aashi❤