"Would you mind dancing with me?" He inquired, his orbs staring at me with curiosity. "I won't bite you if that's what you're thinking about," he justified as he extended his hands towards me. I was going to deny but the interruption from Mr Oberoi made me to change my plans.

"She isn't interested," he answered in behalf of me.

"It would be better if you let her decide," Mr Chopra commented displaying his annoyance towards the individuals he claimed as his friend. Mr Oberoi arms got wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer towards him. "We don't want another girl to run away getting afraid of your dominant nature," he muttered passing Mr Oberoi a mocking smile.

"So, what's your decision?" Mr Chopra had full confidence in himself as he extended his hands towards me once again. I passed him hesitating smile.

"Hadn't I made it clear..." Before Mr Oberoi could complete, I interrupted him.

"I would love too," I passed a smile in Tanmay's direction. Putting my palms in his, his lips turning into a broad smile as if he had won a trophy. His orbs averting to Mr Oberoi for a moment before dragging me along with him into the dance floor. A soft melody was playing in the background, I kept my hands on his broad shoulder. It felt as if everyone over here was taller than me. He passed a sweet smile as he wrapped his arms around my waist, keeping enough space between us.

"Aren't you afraid of the lion staring at us with pure rage?" Tanmay Chopra almost chuckled glancing in the direction.

"You aren't afraid of him as well," I commented not desiring to answer his question. It really amused me, there were only few individuals who weren't intimidated by Mr Oberoi's presence. Tanmay Chopra was one of those few individuals.

"We share a past," he commented. "I knew him years before he turned into the famous Mr Oberoi," he continued. "His frame, his power don't intimate me because I know the person behind that facade."

"You're his childhood friend?" I inquired, a person that was aware about his childhood. His mysterious past! "Why had you teamed with Mayur to harm him? To attack..." I kept it incomplete. I had my doubts about who their target was! His curious gaze were fixed on me. For some unknown reason, he was amused by my every action. He found me funny! I groaned at the thought of it!

"I know him from childhood, I did considered him as my friend." He paused, that beautiful smile fading for a minute. "But for him I wasn't! He kept his distance, he was always like that! Than he did something which made me realise, he could never be my friend." I stared at him in interest, what had he done? I wanted to know!

"What had he done?" I inquired, his orbs had turned hard, orbs fuming in rage. The anger, frustration, annoyance that he hide behind his charming smile, friendly nature. At this moment I felt intimated by the human standing before me. He was different from the conclusion I had arrived onto. He was dangerous, very dangerous.

"He had separated me from someone who was dear to me," he was gritting his teeth. Attempting hard to hide the rage fuming inside him. "And I have planned to take his source of life from him." A devil smirk formed on his lips. I shivered at the slight of the monster luking inside him.

"You're going to kill him?" I couldn't help myself from sounding stunned. He wanted to kill Mr Oberoi? That was wrong! Killing anyone was wrong!

"Killing him won't kill him," Tanmay Chopra swing me around, making me realise that we were on the dance floor. I was turned in a way that I was facing the audience, his back touching me. Numerous couples were dancing on the floor. My orbs coming and stopping on Mr Oberoi, he stood in the corner. His orbs locked on me, his black orbs were staring at me straight. Fuming in rage, annoyance yet I didn't found him dangerous. I was intimated by him the manner the person beside me was scaring me. "But killing someone close to his heart would, harming the person on whom his life depends would destroy him."

The fear within me intestified at the mere thought of harm crossing Riddhi. She was his target because he wanted revenge on Mr Oberoi.

"Harming an innocent human would put you under same scale as him. You won't be any different!" I pressed, attempting to put some sense in his foolish brain. Revenge wasn't a solution! It was a grave which would eventually pull him into it.

"I am not any different," he hissed in my ears. "I am as much of a monster as he is," he continued. "And I am going to prove him the same," with that as a final statement he walked from the dance floor. I was stunned to react, I kept staring at his retreating figure. He wanted to destroy Mr Oberoi so he had used Mayur in the plan. He was behind Riddhi's life! I shook my head as I scanned the surrounding, Ronald was walking towards me but my orbs were trying to find Mr Oberoi. I needed to inform him about it.

"Ma'am..." He bowed his head in respect as he came and stood beside me. "Are you fine?" He was staring at me in concern, worry.

"Where is Mr Oberoi?" Rather than answering his question, I questioned him back.

"He had some unfinished business to attend," Ronald muttered. "So he had asked me to drop you home," he finished.

"I had something to talk with him..." I trailed off as I recollected that Riddhi was alone at home. It was risky for her! She was alone at home surrounded by humans who could be labelled as strangers. "We need to go home," I sounded urgent. Ronald stared at me for a minute longer, he seemed concerned but rather than questioning me, he provided a small nod.

•••

Our destination to back home was filled with silence. I passed a glance at Ronald, his orbs were fixed on the road before us.

"Is Riddhi safe with his nanny?" I couldn't help from expressing my worries.

"What's the matter, ma'am?" Ronald inquired, staring at me through the mirror.

"Do Mr Oberoi trust Riddhi's nanny? What if she cause Riddhi any harm?" Ronald stared at me for a minute before answering my question.

"He had found out every details before assigning her at the position. She had being working for boss from past few years, none of her actions claim she can be of danger."

"What about Buba?" I hesitated before mentioning about her. Ronald face formed into a smile before he shook his head in disbelief.

"Do you doubt her intention?" Rather than answering my question, he inquired back.

"I was just asking... Do you trust her?"

"Boss have full faith in her. She had being the only mother figure in Mr Oberoi's life," he continued. "She won't think of harming or destroying his life."

"So there are none in the house that could be harmful for Riddhi."

"There is none who can harm Riddhi," Ronald pressed, "but you need to be careful with people you trust. I had mentioned it before and I will repeat it again, choose your company wisely." I could hear the concern hidden behind his voice.

"I am not provided with an opportunity to decide or choose. I am forced!" I mocked at my faith. "I am literally dragged from the world, from my family. Only if I had a choice!" I passed a fake smile.

"It was for your safety," Ronald pressed. "Danger is lurking in the darkness, you're not aware about the monster hidden behind the facade of human."

"One of them is your beloved boss," I commented. He was stunned by my remarks, he stared at me in disbelief.

"The monster I am talking about are cruel, more dangerous than boss." He confessed, "they won't think twice before harming you to satisfy their ego. So it will be better to keep distance from them."

I opted to ignore his suggestion and concentrate on our journey back home.

•••

Fortunately no harm was caused, Riddhi was sleeping peacefully on her bed. I walked inside her quiet, dark room. I sat on the edge of the bed as I stared at the innocent princess. She was so unaware of the cruel human surrounding her. People who wanted to harm her, kill her. They were after her blood because she belonged to Mr. Oberoi. What was her fault? She was a daughter of a criminal?

"What's the matter?" I heard a feminine voice, it had exhaustion showering it, a rough edge at the end. Indicating the years she had spent on the planet. "You arrived early," she commented. "Shlok never arrived early from those parties," I could hear disappointment in her voice. As if she didn't appreciated his lifestyles.

"I am not a party person," I commented not glancing at her. I was doubtful about others intention! I wasn't able to trust people living in the mansion.

"I am glad to hear it," Buba kept dragging the wheelchair into the room. "I had come to glance at Riddhi before going to sleep, that had being my routine from past few years. Her arrival had brought new meaning to my life. I had always considered her as my child." She smiled as she moved towards Riddhi's bed. Adoration was visible in her orbs, "the last one in the list."

"Last one?" I inquired.

"The last of my child." She glanced at me, "everyone of you were my child. I had loved looking after your demands and attempted my level best to fulfil everyone of your wishes." She pressed a beautiful smile in my direction.

"My womb couldn't bear a child. It wasn't less than a curse for me. I had dreamt of bringing a child to the world," her orbs descending to my growing bump. "It's the greatest gift from the heavenly Father. Lucky ones are blessed with it! When I discovered I couldn't be a mother, I decided to be mother of those children who didn't had one." She kept narrating her story, those orbs were filled with tears. "I was blessed with wonderful bunch of children. One among them was you," she smiled at me. "I still remember in the condition I had found you," she was staring at me with a sad smile. "The life you had gone through before meeting us."

"In what condition?" I wanted to know about the past. What was that painful about it?

"You had leaned on a tree, clenching a pendant to your heart. I had found you sleeping under the tree." She smiled at me, "you were adamant not to stay in the house. You kept walking out, in the playground. You kept telling us that your mother would come."

Pendant! I clutched the pendant adoring my neck. "This pendant?" I inquired, she squirted her orbs but the darkness surrounding us weren't allowing her weak orbs to glance at it.

"It was given to you by your mother," she mumbled. "You never allowed that pendant to disappear from your sight. Your life depended on it!"

"Did my mother ever returned?" It pain! "Every inquired about my existence?"

She stared at me, her silence was answer to my question. She didn't! She never looked behind! Maybe she never cared or weren't provided with an opportunity to care.

"As days passed by, months gone by. You got comfortable to the orphanage home. You stopped waiting for her. You started making new memories in your new world. You were positive to change, accepting your faith more readily unlike someone in the home."

"Orphanage home?" I inquired, she offered a small nod, a smile playing on her lips. "Who?"

"Shlok," she mumbled. "He had always being the difficult one to handle. He was one of the eldest in the group and also the longest to stay behind, he never left." She smiled recollecting her past.

"What do you mean?" I inquired, I was getting confused with her choice of words.

"Just like yours, he had a past. A very tough one! He kept his distance, he was doubtful about the world around him until you arrived. You were the only one to bring him out of the protective shell, he had built around him. You taught him to smile, laugh..." She paused for a minute longer before continuing, "and maybe even love."

°°°

Any views?
About Tanmay?
Mr Oberoi past?
Anything in general?