I was dazed to react, I stood there. Staring at Mr. Oberoi with numerous question. What was his devil mind up too? Until I felt a small peck on my cheek. I glanced at Riddhi, she was staring at me with sparkling orbs. I could feel numerous orbs planted on us. What was even happening? Was he doing this for his daughter? Because she wasn't ready to accept that I wasn't her mother?

"Love," he urged. "Everyone is waiting for us," he passed a reassuring smile, his orbs softening in concern. "It's going to be fine," he grabbed my wrist. I was adamant not to move. I wasn't going to take a part in his drama. Not going to make a fool of myself!

"What are you doing!" I couldn't help from pleading with him. How could he announce me as his wife? Wasn't the function arranged for his engagement?

"I can't marry someone else for your father, love." He pressed and I heard more murmurs spreading around.

"What are you after?" We heard a dangerous growl as the human walked towards us. His face yelled that he was disgusted about our presence. "What plans are you forming?" He grabbed hold of Mr. Oberoi collar, Dev was staring at him in anger. "I was against trusting you!" He was yelling, his orbs searching for someone in the crowd. "Dad! What's wrong with you, why aren't you saying a word? Ask him where is my sister? What had he done to her? And why he is putting fake allegation of us being having a sibling?"

Rishabh Kapoor stood in the corner, his orbs were fixed on us, especially me. I felt intimated under his gaze. Shiver running down my spine under his cold stare. As if reading my body language, Mr. Oberoi stood in front of me as if he was attempting to protect me from his gaze.

"Your dad silence should answer most of your question or are you planning to humiliate him further by opening my mouth on the matter?"

Mr. Oberoi passed him a last look before grabbing my wrist and dragging me along with him. I was more than happy to get out of the venue. The attention from the crowd was making me overwhelmed. I always was the invisible one, no one had their eyes on me.

"What are you doing?" I asked as we walked out of the venue. I stood on my ground denying to follow him. He passed me a pointed gaze as he glanced at the surrounding.

"Stop testing my patience, love." He was gritting his teeth, his orbs glaring at me in rage.

"I am not your love neither your wife." I screamed out loud, finally allowing myself to utter my disappointed over the event. "Why are you doing this? Where is Anaya? Wasn't she going to get engaged with you?"

"That was the plan," he nodded. His face devoid of expression as if he wasn't human, he didn't had the power to feel the emotions. "But we had changed in plan," he smirked at me. "Riddhi why don't you go with your nanny?" His expression soften as he glanced at his child. She had the power to bring emotion to his cold heart.

Riddhi shook her head in denial as she nuzzled her face in the crook of my neck. "No," she pouted. "If I leave... She will soon disappear," she mumbled in my hair.

"She won't, I promise you that..." His orbs had the determination as he gestured the lady behind us to grab Riddhi from my arms. Riddhi heard to Mr. Oberoi's order as she allowed nanny to take her away from us.

I looked at Mr. Oberoi straight in his eyes. I needed answers for his behaviour. "You can go back to your room," he shoved me off.

"I am not leaving until I get my answers." I folded my arms around my chest, my orbs staring straight at the person behind my peace. "What was that about?"

"I am not accountable to anyone for answers," he groaned as he was on the verge of walking away.

"You're!" I yelled as I grabbed his wrist, pulling him to glance at me.

"Madam," Guard protested and was on the verge of moving towards me but Mr. Oberoi gestured him to stop. His orbs glaring at me but a smirk was playing on his lips.

"You may leave, Ronald." He was addressing the guard but his orbs were fixed on me.

I heard the fading footsteps and I regretted my decision of stopping him. It was better if I had allowed him to leave atleast I wasn't forced to glance at the dangerous orbs.

"You claim that you're not my wife and yet mention that I have accountability towards you. May I know, why?"

"You can't put a false label on me," I avoided glancing at his orbs. "I am not your wife."

"Yet..." He completed it for me and without wasting a second he walked away from me.

•••

I had locked myself in the room. I was scared, beyond horrified with the determination Mr. Oberoi had about getting married to me. Why was he after my peace?

I heard a small knock on the door, "Aachal, open the door." Diya was pleading with me. "You can't keep yourself locked inside, like that."

"I am not in a state to face him, Diya." I was almost in tears. My hands were shivering in fear. I could feel his power, his determination. He was inhuman and something within me yelled that there was no way out of it.

"You need to calm down," Diya was trying to assure my anxious heart. "You need to have a proper conversation with him. There would be a reason that he acted in that manner," she knocked on the door. "Someone wants to have a talk with you," Diya mumbled. "Just listen to it once and still you feel that you don't want to be part of it, I will support your decision."

I heard her statement, I calmed myself as I brushed off those tears and walked towards the door. I unlocked it and was stunned to find Ronald standing before me, his head bowed in respect as he asked for the permission to get inside the room.

I allowed them in. Ronald stood before us denying to grab a sit. "It turned out in hurry, boss never wanted to do that with you." He sighed as he bowed his head in embarrassment. "He isn't master of dealing emotional stuff. He was forced to ignore his emotions as a child, he was made to hate it and that has ended up in him turning so cruel. The only person that can emerge some emotions in him is Riddhi and he is doing this for her."

"You might be aware that she lost her mother at a very tender age," he sighed as his tone got thicker as if he was holding himself from getting furious. "She carved for motherly love but never got it. She finds it in you," he mumbled.

"For that he didn't had to announce it to the world that I am his wife. Do you have any clue, how my life will be affected due to this?"

"There is danger for your life, madam." He pressed a smile, "he wants to save you from danger." He sighed, "announcing that you're his wife will protect you from those monsters."

"What nonsense!" I yelled at his stupid reasoning. He was uttering anything! "Just to prove that your boss isn't wrong, you're uttering anything on the earth!"

"That bandage on your forehead should answer most of your question." Guard pressed as he faked a smile. "You should stop trusting humans in general, test them before putting them under bad category." He offered a advise as he walked out of the room.

There was a minute of silence before Diya inquired, "do you trust him? He warned not to trust anyone easily," she muttered in between her breath. Silence prevailed around us, longer. I was processing things around me.

"Do you think that attack was for you and not for Riddhi?" She inquired, "the attacker have said something, offering some clue?" She kept inquiring, I shook my head. They hadn't shared a word, I was the one to come to the conclusion that the attack was for Riddhi. Why would it be for me? I had no enemies.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, there wasn't anything that would claim that the attack was for Riddhi. Maybe..." I allowed those information to process. I had blacked out, if they were after Riddhi they could have reached her but they didn't.

"Diya, what if I say that I know the attacker?" I inquired, her orbs widen in horror.

"What do you mean..."

"I hadn't voiced it before because I considered it as my imagination but he was wearing the jacket. The jacket which Mayur wore," I sighed as I allowed those information to sink in. "I had seen the same jacket on the airport, same jacket when he was trying to harm me. I asked him, today and he confessed that he was going to harm Riddhi because he had some unfinished business with Mr. Oberoi." I paused for a minute longer, "could he be lying, Diya?" I choked as I allowed that scenario to shape in.

"Do you think he was lying?" Diya urged me to think about it.

"I was always bad in judging him, Diya. I couldn't help myself from getting manipulated by his actions and words. I don't trust my understanding when it's about him."

"You shouldn't trust your understanding about Mr. Oberoi as well," Diya shook her head. "I don't know, why! But I think you should trust him." She paused, "I won't say he is a decent guy but I feel that you will be safe with him."

"Diya, you hardly know him!" I voiced my disapproval. How could she trust a guy who screamed danger? His physical appearance couldn't change the fact that he had to learn manners.

"You had known Mayur for years before getting married but yet you made the mistake of understanding his true motive and personality." Diya squeezed my knuckles on glancing at my embarrassed face. "I am not trying to humilate you but just pointing out the difference," she sighed.

"I had seen you with Mayur and I have seen you around Mr. Oberoi. There is a protective shell surrounding you when you're with him. He makes it his mission to protect you," she paused. "Whereas Mayur didn't mind your safety, he didn't even cared that you were bearing his child even if his target was Riddhi." She passed a smile, "as Ronald uttered be a judge for yourself rather than coming in their words, judge them for their actions."

•••

I was planning to have a peaceful breakfast after the drama shaping in my life but God was against my plan as I was disturbed.

Mayur walk towards the table, his orbs were staring at me with concern. Was he that good at acting? I always found his care real. He passed me a smile as he grabbed a chair on the table. "I kept asking Diya to allow me to meet you but she was adamant enough not to disturb you."

"I had asked her not to disturb me," I kept my voice calm and collected not wanting to display that he affected me. "I wanted to spent some time with myself," I saw a change in his facial expression before he collected himself and mask a smile at me.

"How are you? And is your injury recovering?"

"You shouldn't be worried about it," I smiled at him. "You should carry on with your mission and not allow my presence to distract you." I paused as I took a sip of the juice. "May I know, why are you after Mr. Oberoi?"

"He is a criminal, Aachal. He has many illegal stuff under his control." He whispered softly as he glanced around us. He didn't had to worry as the restaurant was occupied by us except for Ronald sitting at the corner. He couldn't eavesdrop on our conversation and I was glad that he was providing me with the space.

I nodded, I had got it figured out. His aura screamed danger and building such a big emperor at such an early age was answer on it-own. I rolled my orbs at the thought. Young people were looking after him as their role-model, only if they knew his deeds.

"But that could be the work of authorities," I mumbled. "Why are you getting yourself involved in something so dangerous?"

"I am part of that authority, Aachal." He mumbled as he stared straight into my orbs. "I always worked as undercover agent for the government." He bowed his head, "I was asked to keep it confidential, I had kept it hidden from you. My work started getting in between your safety and I was left with the only option to leave you and I did."

I kept staring into his orbs all I felt was sincerity. Rather than getting my doubts cleared, I was pulled into further confusion.

°°°

Whom are you going to trust? Mr Oberoi or Mayur?

What are your theories? Feel free to share!