I stared at myself in the mirror, a groan escaping from my throat. I despised the idea of attending an event with Mr. Oberoi but I couldn't allow Diya to be trapped in his cage. She was so manipulated by him. I was scared, what if her infatuation land her into trouble. She wasn't aware about the extreme Mr. Oberoi could go. Stepping into his world was dangerous.

Though Diya and I were of same age but I was protective about her. I cared alot about her! I would walk into the fire if it meant, I could save her.

"What got you so invested?" I heard an amused, mocking voice which I ignored. I wasn't in a mood to start a conversation with him. "Must say, you never fail to amaze me." I heard his footsteps and my orbs raised, glancing at him through the mirror. Our orbs meeting one another, I could feel the fire in those black orbs. The longing, carving was visible in those orbs. He never attempted to hide it. As if I was some possession, he aspired.

He came and stood behind me, his hands making their way towards me. I had wore a golden-netted saree. His warm touch sent shiver down my spine, the metallic ring on his finger caressing my soft skin. "I loose control when I am beside you," his warm breath was fanning on my cheek. "You look gorgeous," his compliment made me feel things, I wasn't desiring to feel.

His finger kept drawing pattern on my stomach. I had closed my orbs, I was finding it difficult to breath. And like always I was unable to push him off. For some weird reason, his touch never made me feel uncomfortable. I hated the fact that I longed for his touch.

"I have something for you," he mumbled. He withdrew his hands and intensely I missed it's presence. I felt something cold touching my neck, "I hadn't being planning to offer it back." He groaned at the thought of it, "it was the only memory, I had of you." I felt the emotion, he was attempting to hide. He was desperately trying to act strong, unaffected but his emotions were coming up. "But I can't allow you in the presence of monsters. They need to know who you're so they won't dare to even get a thought of you in their mind."

"Open your eyes," he whispered, his voice turning soft. My heart accelerating, what was he doing to me?

I heard to his soft request, I opened my orbs to glance at his black intense orbs, they soften as our orbs met. For the first time, I felt that I affected him in the same manner he affected me. As if I calmed him down! I shove the thought away as my orbs averted on the beautiful pendent adoring my neck.

My hands unknowingly moved towards the golden pendent. It wasn't something expensive yet I wasn't able to withdraw my orbs from it. That pendent felt familiar as if I had seen it somewhere, the initial engraved in it, bringing some buried memories to surface, from darkness into the light.

"R..." As if reading from my thoughts, Mr. Oberoi mumbled in my ears. "Rose..." It was soft murmur, yet it made my heart flutter. It was the way he called it out. It had no authority, no command, no rudeness but kindness, concern and topmost love. I recollected my those dreams, those flashes when I was unconscious, I had never concluded it for real. Him showing kindness, showing care, love. 

"I will be waiting for you downstairs," he commented. He placed a kiss on my cheek before walking out of the room.

It took me more than a minute to grab my breathe, to calm my racing heart. I stared at myself in the mirror. My mind blank! What was I doing? My face was flushed, a thin layer of pink covering my cheek. I was blushing! What was wrong with me? As I was done cursing myself, my orbs averted to the thin chain laying on my neck. The golden chain having a heart shape pendent, R initial engraved in the centre.

I touched it, the coldness transferring to my warm fingers. Something in it made my heart filled with grief. But at the same time provided me with peace.

"Ma..." A small kid was staring at her mother with concern. Her mother was turning older than her age. Her face had grown due to the hardship she had to face.

"What happened?" The kid inquired as she rushed towards her mother. Trying to hold the heavy bags in her hands. Her mother was exhausted, she needed rest but she wasn't blessed with the time. If she wanted to live, she had to keep going.

Her orbs soften on glancing at her child. She had always stared at her with those black orbs. Orbs that screamed that she felt pity towards her child. Her orbs were filled with more condolence than love.

"I have to go for a work," she mumbled, her exhausting orbs seemed drained of life. "Stay here," she glanced at her surrounding, as if scanning in concern. "You will be safe here," that was a small whisper, muttered more to herself.

The kid stared at her in fear but nodded in understanding. The woman walked away, leaving her behind in the crowd filled with children. It was a playground, numerous kids jumping and playing around, enjoying their childhood but that kid kept staring in the direction her mother disappeared with a hope that she would return soon and take her back to her home.

The pendent tightly fisted in her hand. The only memory she had about her mother.

"Ma..." I touched the cold metal, my orbs brimming with tears. A tear descended from my orbs. I stared at myself a minute longer. A striking realisation making place in my heart. The familiarity, I could understand the mystery behind the chain.

"Ma..." My tears kept flowing down my cheek. That women who had left me in that playground. The only sign I had about her existence as people questioned me about her. A promise that she would return to her child, to the kid she loved the most.

Those memories had only pain inclined to it. Maybe that was the reason I wanted to forget it. Maybe those memories were going to just provide me with grief, sadness, pain.

How come Mr. Oberoi knew about the chain? How he had it? Though I was finding pieces of the puzzle but with each piece came numerous amount of other questions. Was I that close to him as a child to give him that precious thing?

I was forced to halt my thoughts as I heard a knock on the door, followed by Ronald authorative voice. "Ma'am, boss is waiting for you."

I groaned at the thought of attending the event but I forced my leg out, I wasn't left with a option.

•••

We walked out of the car. The luxurious car was making me uncomfortable, I took a breath of relief as I walked out of the car. A very grand building came into view as I kept my high-heeled feet on the ground.

Ronald had kept the door open for me, I passed him a nervous smile. For some unknown reason I trusted him better than Mr. Oberoi. He bowed in respect as he closed the door and walked towards the car. I frowned as he got into the driving seat and drove off. Wasn't he going to attend the event with us?

"What are you staring at?" Mr. Oberoi's husky voice whispered into my ears. His hands finding its way towards my back.

"Isn't he going to attend the event?" I inquired, attempting to express my worry.

"Why? Do you want to be his companion rather than of me?" He was annoyed, I glanced at his furious orbs.

"I was asking..." I mumbled. As I stared in front of the building. Numerous people kept walking inside, a huge crowd accumulated on the entrance.

"There are reporters," I sighed in displeasure. I didn't wanted to be the part of the limelight. I rather wished to be invisible in the crowd.

"They won't bite you," he mocked. I passed him a glare. Reason I desired of Ronald presence. He wouldn't have mocked me rather helped me out.

"Come... We don't have the whole night," he pushed me towards the crowd.

I stumbled on my way as I attempted to match his phase. He was twining with me. The entire guest had wrapped themselves in black. He was wearing his usual, the pair of black shirt with a pair of black pants. I found it next to impossible to wear one colour entire his life.

We kept moving infront, the minute reporters recognised our presence. Flashes were directed towards us. Numerous camera was set on us, lights were so bright I wasn't able to see.

"Mr Oberoi..."

"Mr Shlok Oberoi..."

It was echoing in the air. People were rushing towards us. Why people provided him with such attention? It was only going to bost his ego! I groaned at the thought of it. He was already so full of himself.

"Mr and Mrs... Oberoi," one among them spoke, shutting the voice. She had the authorative voice, her loud stern voice, halting the rest. "Nice to meet you again," the mock was visible in her tone.

Those bright flashes were making it difficult to glance at her face but somewhere I recongnized the voice. I had heard it before, somewhere. It had the same commanding tone, same sternness.

"I never adored meeting you," Mr. Oberoi roared like a lion. He was loosing his calm. His grip tightening on me was an indicator of him loosing his patience.

"Unfortunately, feeling aren't mutual." She whispered and suddenly her features came into view. The light was fading away, her face was wrapped in a scaf. She was attempting to hide her face. The only person in the crowd, attempting to hide her identity from the world.

"Move," Mr. Oberoi seemed no longer interested in entertaining them. He was fuming in rage, desperate to get out of their orbs.

"How long had you being married, Mrs Oberoi?" Her orbs were directed towards me. "I hope you don't despise my presence like your beloved husband." She was mocking at Mr Oberoi. The only person who wasn't affected by his status or his aura. Who wasn't afraid to question him! To stand on ground against him!

Who was she? Somewhere I could feel that her presence was troubling Mr. Oberoi. He was intimidated by her! It was making me curious. Who was she? Someone from his past? Someone who could trigger him.

"Why did you hide such a beauty from the world?" She commented, I could feel Mr. Oberoi's hands pulling me towards him.

"Don't..." He glared at her, "don't you dare," his tone had the warning yet he kept it incomplete.

"Boss," Ronald stern voice grabbed our attention, "the questions are done for the day." Ronald walked towards us, shielding us from the reporters before us.

Mr. Oberoi calmed himself down as he grabbed me towards the entrance of the building. I was too confused with the things happening around. The interior of the building, halted my thoughts for a minute. The interior was breathtaking, I had to forced myself to not drool over the beauty before me. As a person who loved art and beauty, I always found it mesmerizing to glance at the art created by the artiest, I appreciated it!

"Finding it so out of league, right?" I heard that familiar, rageful voice. I glanced at the soul. She loved mocking me, humiliating me for some weird reason.

"Her presence isn't good for your reputation," Anaya's orbs directed towards Mr. Oberoi. "I always thought you had a better choice," she shook her head in disappointment.

"I do have a best choice," Mr Oberoi smirked, "the reason you are standing there and she here." I stared at him with widen orbs. Was he supporting me over her? How could that be possible! Maybe, he was just defending his decision. As he had rejected her and claimed to be married to me. She was among the few who was aware of his lie. The lie that I wasn't his wife.

"You had made the biggest mistake of your life and soon you will regret it," there was enough confidence in her voice as she walked passed us. She seemed different from her regular self. The woman that was going to marry Mr. Oberoi feared him, he intimated her but the woman standing before me was fearless. What was the reason behind it?