The thick silence in the car was killing Karan's patience. He was leaving hope every second. The way Preeta's eyebrows had knitted and her eyes were looking at him with no expression. He was drowning in pessimistic thoughts but there was a little corner in his heart which was telling him to have patience and listen to her.

Preeta was already looking at him with blank face. Her eyes were wandering over him whole the time, when he was proposing her. She looked away when she remembered all the deeds Karan had done in her eyes. There was no single way, this person was sane in any corner of his mind.

Her eyes roamed at the beautiful bouquet of red roses and the black velvety box. She could only guess that there must be some ring or bracelet in it considering the size of the box. She slowly pulled out her hands away from Karan's, who were holding hers tightly. Karan let her go because in this moment he was totally focusing on her face. He wanted to read her.

She took the bouquet and box from his hands and held them while looking at him. Karan's heart started bouncing in his chest seeing her holding the flowers and the little box but he didn't show it on his face.

"A girl whose life had always been full of assignments, tests, friends, parents, happiness, hard work and many positive things. One day her luck betrayed her. She did a mistake. A mistake that caused her life to turn totally opposite. The mistake was to walk that day while returning from school."

Karan was quiet, listening to her words attentively. Preeta was saying every word looking into his eyes without any fear.

"My father was forcing me that morning. The sunlight will be unbearable, Preeta. Let me come to receive you. And I refused him. I was worried about Arjun. His father is always busy working in your company. For my best friend, I decided to accompany him that day just like always. He would have to walk alone all the way home. I was aware of his disease. He was weak. I was worried, if he won't get sunstroke or wouldn't start running to reach home soon. But now I wish so much that I should have heard my father. I should have listen to his plea and waited for him at school. I would have never walked with Arjun that day and I would have never met you."

Preeta's voice was calm but their was a venomous tone in her words. Karan could see his heart drowning hearing her words. But he kept on listening.

"From that day, I have never been relaxed, Mr. Luthra. You can never understand how it feels to be extremely depressed. When you blackmailed me for that photo. I was disgusted, tensed. Thinking, what would happen if you uploaded that photo, what would my parents think of me? I was on the verge of giving up. Giving up my life."

Karan's lips parted at her confession. He was really ashamed of himself. At that moment, he was afraid of getting rejected by her. But now he was afraid of even thinking if he didn't get the future he had dreamed of with Preeta. He realised that moment that Preeta meant a lot to him than any other thing in his life.

"When you told me to not to talk to any boy, I followed. I did it actually because I have always avoided talking to them. I am shy and introvert, Mr. Luthra. I only had one best friend, Arjun. He was my only male friend. But now, even he is not with me. I wish that I should have never listened to you. I should have never avoided him. In those six-seven months of avoiding him, I have lost him. When I wasn't there, god sent him another girl who is better than me. I wish that I shouldn't have ignored his calls and may be he would have still be close to me. I could have a hope being with him. He loves her. She loves him too just like me."

Preeta whispered the last part looking at her lap while Karan's heart clenched. He knew already that Arjun liked Preeta as more than friends but he never knew Preeta too liked him. Even loved him.

His heart was aching badly.

"I miss him. I miss him so much, Mr. Luthra. I have dreamt of a future with him just like you have with me. The dreams have already crushed, Mr. Luthra. I wish that I would never been afraid of your threats. May be I would have been a better person and accepted Prithvi's proposal too."

Preeta had dumbly mentioned Prithvi's name which sparked a fire in Karan's heart.

"I thought you were a kind-hearted girl."

Karan said those words with gritted teeth. Preeta looked up at him and realised what she had done. She felt stupid but kept on being confident and didn't look away.

"I thought, you will at least accept my proposal if I talk to you like a gentleman. I have prepared to ask you this from past months and now I am here, listening to your rambling about another guy's proposal. Guess what, Preeta Arora. You can only regret. Because I won't let anyone take my place. I will be your husband and no one can change that."

Karan said that with glossiness in his eyes. Preeta gasped hearing that but suddenly she remembered her conversation with her brother last night. She internally smirked. She fully turned to look at him confidently.

"You ate wrong, Mr. Luthra."

Karan's jaw clenched. He was losing his mind seeing the hatred and confidence in her.

"Never in a million years, that will happen. Even in your wildest dreams, I will reject you, Mr. Luthra. There won't be a future of us together. You will not be in my future."

Preeta took the bouquet and quietly put them at the back seat. She took the box and instead of putting it back at seat, she handed it to Karan. And at all this time, Karan was frozen.

"My parents have seen a boy for me, Mr. Luthra. Firstly, I had decided to post pone these proposals and marriage conversations. But now, I want to give it a chance. I want to see the boy, my parents have selected for me. And I am sure he will be the best. I will say Yes and accept him as my husband. Because I want to show you Mr. Luthra, there is no us. There is no future of you and me."

Karan's grip tightened around the box. Saying he was hurt, was an understatement.

He was devastated.

He saw Preeta trying to open the doors. But the car doors were locked. Karan looked at her frustrated expressions.

"Mr. Luthra, unlock the doors. Please."

Karan got closer to her slowly so that there faces were inches away. Preeta leaned back on her seat but Karan caught her chin with his hand. He glared at Preeta and smiled darkly.

"Remember the words you have said to me, Preeta. You haven't done good in rejecting me. This broken hurt will swell with happiness again when you'll be my bride. Your face will be priceless, when you'll see me as your husband. There is definitely a future of ours. We will be together by all laws of god. You will be mine, Preeta. My bride, my wife, my life."

Karan smirked and left her chin. Preeta slapped his hand away and rubbed her sore chin.

"You are being delusional. All they need is a Yes from me and I'll be married, Mr. Luthra."

Preeta glared at him and again checked the door.

"Mr. Luthra. Unlock the door."

Before Preeta could say any other word, the car started itself and drove away from the road. Karan was driving in a very high speed. His jaws were clenched, eyes darkly on the road and knuckles were white, tightly gripping the staring wheel.

"What are you doing? Stop the car."

Preeta shrieked. She absentmindedly hold his forearm and shook it to make him stop.

"Are you crazy? Please stop the car. What are you doing, Mr. Luthra?"

Preeta started panicking seeing the speed of the car.

He has gone mad. I should not have said those things. He is probably going to kidnap or kill me.

Preeta started shaking and looked at the familiar roads. Her heart came into mouth when she realised, he was driving her to her home.

She turned back and shook his forearm.

"What are you doing? My brother can see you."

He looked at her with cold eyes making her flinch. She got quite and leaned back to her seat scared. The fear of Karan was coming back. It was worst this time. He was looking extremely scary.

She was getting frightened seeing him fuming. This man was totally insane.

Karan slowed down the driving and finally stopped to look at her. Preeta instead of looking back, gazed outside the window and her eyes went wide while mouth fully opened.

They were parked exactly outside her home.

She started shaking with fear.

"Ohh my god, You are really crazy. My brother can see you. He will chop both of our heads."

Karan's all anger flushed down as he looked at her mischievously.

"Don't worry, he won't find out that you were meeting your lover."

Preeta glared at him.

"We are not lovers."

"Then why can't he see me? And why you are afraid? Its not that he will harm you too."

Karan smirked while Preeta was looking at their main gate if someone was there or not. She spoke dumbly.

"Are you dumb? He can think of us being together. He will blame you for coming here and me for meeting you."

Karan's heart bounced as he leaned closer to her.

"Then its good for me. We should even kiss. He will found out the truth easily and also will finally recognise his brother-in-law."

Preeta gasped. She slapped his chest, making him laugh.

"This isn't funny. What will he think of me?"

Preeta's eyes got teary being so nervous. She was afraid of the scenario. It could become a tragedy.

Karan noticed her started crying. He sighed and helplessly unlocked the doors. She was really scared. Troubling her more would be the last thing, he want.

Preeta noticed and immediately opened the door but before she could step outside of the car, Karan grabbed her wrist.

Preeta glared at him and told him to remove his hand. Karan pulled her closer and whispered threateningly.

"I will remove that boy from my way. Keep this in your mind. You will soon be Mrs. Luthra, Preeta."

Preeta's lips straightened into a thin line but Karan continued.

"But you don't worry. Leave the marriage to me and focus on your studies. You will not get the time while doing preparations for our wedding."

Karan smiled mischievously and left her wrist. Preeta, without any word got out of the car and shut the car door quietly. Without looking back at him, she kept walking and got into the house.

I will jump off the cliff rather marrying him. Stalking me wasn't enough that now he wants to marry me. God, save me from him. Please. I will simply say Yes to the boy and marry him soon. At least there will be someone who will protect me from him.

____________

Should Preeta have accepted Karan's proposal or she is doing right by looking forward to meet the man her parents had chosen?

Let me know your opinions.