I stared at him for further elaboration, but he kept staring at my face with a blank expression. "What do you mean by that?" I took another step back, and that caught his attention. He moved forward and suddenly panic raised over me.

"Can we get in your room and talk like civil individuals?" He sounded stern as he took two steps at a time, standing inches away from me. His eyes scanned the people glancing at us.

"I... don't..." I was going to oppose, but he leaned further into my ears.

"Choice is yours... you walk on your own or there is always chloroform." I widen my eyes. Was he threatening me? I glared at him, and the smirk soon lapped his spirit. I wanted to punch his nose. "So? What's your choice kitten?"

Without providing him with any answer I started walking towards my room. I heard a small chuckle escaping from his throat, making me fume in rage. What did he think of himself? Arrogant-fool!

I unlocked the door getting inside and soon he followed my steps. I shut the door behind me and faced the devil in my life. "What do you want?" He was scanning my room, I frowned at his action.

"Can I have a sit?" He raised his brow and without waiting for my permission made himself comfortable on the bed.

"Can we just get it over with?" I folded my hand around my chest, staring at him in fury. "You can't keep threatening me," I warned him but he seemed disinterested in the conversation. "Are you listening to me?"

"Can you show me the dress you wore last night?" He looked straight into my eyes.

"What?" I was appalled, "we were going to talk..."

"Dress, kitten!" he demanded, I stared straight into his commanding orbs.

"You can't keep bossing around me." I groaned, "people might work on your fingers but I am not one of them. You have no right to jump into my life and..."

"I said, I want the fucking dress!" His jaw was clenched, his fist squeezing the mattress on which he was seated. A wave of panic reached me, and sweat formed on my forehead. I nodded vigorously, rushing into the washroom for my life. His furious orbs were on the verge of cutting me into pieces. He was making my doubt clear. He wasn't a normal businessman, there were things involved, illegal things.

My eyes were searching for the blood-red dress though tears weren't cooperating with me. Those set of hungry orbs were making me anxious. He was going to kill me. I somehow managed to grab the dress before he could lose his patience. I rushed outside, he still was sitting calmly on the bed as if he wasn't fuming in rage from within. I could see the veins around his fisted knuckles.

The minute he glanced at the dress, he pulled it away. Scanning it with uttermost interest and soon the furiousness faded away, a devil-smirk played on his lip. He seemed content, satisfied with himself. I lowered my gaze not wanting to trigger the angry lion. I heard his footsteps walking out of the room. I waited for a minute before rushing towards the door and before I could lock it.

The door was pushed open and my heart jumped out of my ribs. Surely, he wanted to kill me. I stared at him with frightened orbs, his large hands slowly reached to my cheeks and I shut my orbs in fear. I heard him growl but I kept my eyes shut maybe it was much better not to see blood oozing from my body. At least it won't pain that much if I simply stopped the vision from reaching me.

"Fuck it," he groaned as I felt a small peck on my forehead. And soon I heard those footsteps fading away. My mind trying to decode things as my heart was finding it hard to calm down.

___

I wanted to share about the matter with someone but I was clueless if anyone would understand the matter. Diya was staring at me with her curious gaze, her stare questioning me, urging me to express the things troubling me. I sighed, but I couldn't!

I could get a glimpse of the guard at the corner, his orbs were set on my each action. I had pulled myself into a dangerous territory and I had to get out of it on my own. I couldn't pull Diya into it.

"Aachal," she sighed as I avoided glancing at her and concentrated on the plate before me. "I can feel that something is troubling you," she was staring at me with concern. "You need to stop worrying or it won't be good for your child."

I glanced at the bump, it was raising with passing day. I had to worry about the child shaping inside me. I was so engrossed in everything around me that I had forgotten to calm down and take rest. Maybe if I don't keep interrupting in Mr Oberoi's life, he would stop  bothering me. What if it was his trick to pull me away from his daughter life?

"Are you listening to me?" Diya was offering me a glare.

I gave a slight nod, pressing a smile at her. "I get you, Diya. You're worried about my health. I am fine, just overwhelmed with things happening around," I offered her an assuring smile.

"You doesn't need to," she grabbed my wrist and squeezed my knuckles. "I brought you here just as my supporter, you don't need to stress yourself up."

"Things aren't turning as planned, Diya."

"You're right," Diya stared at me in concern. "Our first event was cancelled and we have to arrange the event again. It could really affect our reputation. We weren't able to accommodate the event behind the closed walls, what if Mr Oberoi dismiss us? What if he no longer trust us with the event?"

"Nothing of that sort it happening," I sighed on seeing her getting worried. "Stop troubling your mind with overthinking and let's finish with our snacks and carry on with the work." Diya nodded in approval attempting to shove off her thoughts.

____

A hall was arranged on the top of the building. It was still under construction, lots of detailing was remaining yet they allowed us to use it for night.

Mr Oberoi was standing before us, his stern orbs fixed on us while the manger of the resort was explaining us some detail about the place. "If you had inquired clearly, we could have arranged the event here, last night." He passed a fake smile in our direction. "You shouldn't had to cancel the event due to cold," he passed a glance at Mr. Oberoi.

That wasn't the reason behind the cancellation of the event, I wanted to tell it out loud but I shut my mouth. If I opened my mouth, it would put me in more trouble.

"Thanks for your cooperation," Mr Oberoi gave a slight nod, gesturing to him that the conversation had ended. The manager passed a last glance at us as he walked away. "Keep in mind that you don't create more trouble." He groaned, I could feel his orbs fixed on me but I avoided glancing in his direction. I had planned to avoid his existence.

Suddenly I was forced to turn by someone, a warm slap was felt on my cold cheek. My brain was attempting hard to register when I felt another slap on my cheek.

"What are you doing?" I heard a loud growl and soon I felt a warm hand wrapped around my waist.

"This!" Anaya was standing before me, her beautiful set of orbs were staring at me in accusation. She pointed at the picture in her hand. "What is this about?" She was staring at me with disgust. "I had concluded her as a cheap woman, someone who won't mind settling into cheap business to earn money but today I understood that she won't mind selling herself for the money."

"Stop uttering disgusting things about my friend," Diya was fuming in rage. "What do you know about her to put such a allegation on her? Who are you to judge her?"

"What should I do after seeing this?" I gasped as the picture in her hand came into view. It was a picture clicked last night, I was in a close proximity with Mr Oberoi. I was facing the camera, wearing the red sleeveless gown, while my orbs were closed in pleasure. Mr Oberoi had his face nuzzled in the crook of my neck, only his orbs were visible.

"How could you do this with me?" Her accusing orbs were directed at Mr.Oberoi. "If you wanted to do such things, couldn't you do it behind closed walls? What was the need to degrade me? Are you aware, what the world around me is going to think about this?"

"The world don't care about your existence," Mr Oberoi groaned as he pulled the picture from her hand. His orbs scanning the picture, thoroughly. "Who brought this to you?" Anaya kept her mouth shut not wanting to respond. "I am asking you something," he took a dangerous step towards her.

"I don't know..." She lowered her head in submission. Even after being the person who wronged her yet he was in control. Indicating the aura he held! "I don't know about the person, it was couriered to me." She mumbled, avoiding eye-contact with him.

"I will like to meet the courier man," Mr Oberoi muttered as he directed Anaya to lead the way.

____

The image of that picture kept flashing before me. I felt humiliated, I wasn't able to glance at myself in the mirror.

"Aachal," Diya's voice brought me back from those flashes. "Drink it," she passed a glass of water.

We were sitting in our room, silence prevailed around us. Diya hadn't voice a word about those pictures, neither I had the courage to mention about it.

"I..." And finally those threatening tears rolled out of my orbs. "I..." I was attempting to form a proper word. I wanted to provide justification, explain the reason behind my action. Yet I had no reason to justify it. I had committed a sin and I was aware about it.

"You need to allow yourself with rest," Diya sighed as she walk towards me. "We can have the conversation, some other day?" She suggested, I gave a slight nod as I took the glass in my hand and took a sip of water. My dry throat was in need of the cold water.

"Don't you have any questions attached due to those pictures?" I inquired after a minute of silence. I wanted to know about her views, what was going in her mind?

"I had known you for more than a decade," she muttered. "I know who Aachal Das is," she paused for a second. "Some random picture doesn't have the audacity to define her, label her."

Numerous tears rolled down my cheeks as I hugged my best friend tightly. "Thank you..." I was able to roll down just few words. I was in a condition where I was doubting myself, I was questioning my character but her faith in me shove me off.

"Stop letting others words affect you, Aachal." She pressed a kiss on my forehead. "They don't know you so they won't ever be able to define you." She passed me an encouraging smile.

____

"Do you think the engagement ceremony would take place?" I expressed my doubt as we walked into a hall that was filled with numerous guest.

Mr. Oberoi couldn't afford cancelling the event, again. That would spoil his reputation but I doubted if Anaya was convinced and was ready to sacrifice her life.

"You said the marriage was a deal," Diya shrugged her shoulder. "I don't think that she would have any problem with that," I shut my mouth as those pictures flashed in my brain. Who had clicked it? And what was the motive behind it? To degrade Mr.Oberoi? Maybe because no one had any personal grudges towards me.

"Hi, Aachal," a very familiar masculine voice, made my heart to beat loudly due to anxiousness. I wanted it to be my mistake.

Diya's widened orbs were indicating that I hadn't mistaken. It was him! But what was he doing here? I wasn't in a state of mind to entertain him.

"You..." Diya expressed her displeasure mixed with shock. "Mayur.... How are you?" She attempted to mask a smile at him but one could tell that she was faking it.

***

A/N

I hope you all are enjoying reading the book. There are some changes made, old readers might find it. I would request to go and read previous chapters if you had read this book a year back, if you're a new readers you might continue reading from here.

Thank you for waiting with patience for the chapters. It was only due to your wait and constant asking for the chapters that I was motivated to continue writing the book. Lots of love!