Clutching the staring wheel tight, Kabir glared at the road and gritted his teeth.

"How could she be so stupid? How she even dared to involve herself with a boy when she knows what her brother will do to her if he gets to know about it?" He growled while taking a left turn making Preeta flinch.

She swallowed and shuddered at the thought. Immediately, looking at him she spoke,"She's innocent, Kabir. It happened anyhow. But she said that she didn't send him any pics. That means, he made a fool of me. Kritika would have been in so much trouble if I would have reacted on this lie. Karan would have lost his mind..."

"He would have killed her." Kabir murmured angrily. Preeta gulped while looking away at the window. There was a thick silence in the car for two whole minutes. But suddenly, Kabir's voice reached her ears.

"That boy being Malhotra's cousin, is making it worst. I am so going to rip him apart. You said, he is of same age as yours. I have a feeling, that Prithvi is also involved in this..." Preeta's breath caught in her lungs but she maintained her calmness in front of the angry man.

"But seriously, what hit that girl's mind? I mean, how could she be angry on you in this thing? You are helping her, alright..."

Preeta looked at him sadly and leaned on her seat. "She just took it on her character. I was just confirming it, wanted to help her only..."

"... Instead, she blamed it on you. What if she denied because she was ashamed? What if the pics had been exchanged already?" Preeta gulped and shook her head with wide eyes.

"Don't say that, please. Pawan wouldn't have pointed it out on me. She wouldn't have been so offended. I think it was Pawan's way to let all the knowledge go to Karan's mind. He doesn't know anything and it would hurt him so much that behind his back, his sister had been blackmailed, his wife had been threatened..."

Kabir sighed and glanced at Preeta in restlessness. "But you should not hide anything from him. Even if its about his sister. He gets worried but its his duty to get worried."

"No. I think we could end this without telling him. Please. He has already been so angry to me because of that day. Not anymore. Now, we just need to save Kritika from this trap." She pleaded while Kabir nodded in understanding. Taking the last turn, he halted the car in front of a coffee shop. He glanced at her for agreement.

Preeta nodded when he looked at her. "Yes, this is the cafe. Mohan uncle had confirmed that he had received her from here some minutes ago."

With a sigh, Kabir got out of the car and waited for his best friend's wife. She was scared, for Kritika. He shook his head while cursing his best friend. That lucky jerk got such an innocent wife for someone so reckless like him.

But Kabir was happy for his best friend. Karan had took so much efforts to win her heart and now, Preeta was worried about his family. There was nothing satisfactory than this.

She had grown fond of his family, his parents, his sister and that's why she was ready to even risk her husband's trust.

"Kabir, there he is." Preeta whispered while pointing at a group of boys who were standing at the corner, outside the shop. They had bear cans in hand, and were laughing around.

"Which one?" Kabir observed each one of the five boys.

Preeta nervously swallowed when the last meeting with Pawan replayed in her mind. She slowly replied,"The one in white tee. He is the only one speaking."

Kabir's jaws clenched while he readied his fist for attack. "Tell me, if he's the one who touched Kritika. I had been watching her growing since she was an infant. I just can't handle anym..." Preeta held his arm immediately with a frown on her face.

She gave him a worried look. "Please, Kabir. Not in front of others. Let him come to us." Saying this, she immediately looked back at Pawan who was now grinning at some joke, his friend had made.

"No. No. I can't let you go first." Kabir rambled but Preeta pleaded him with her eyes. Finally, he stepped back and waited for her to do something.

On a cue, Pawan's eyes fell on Preeta standing far away from him. His eyebrows raised and for a moment, he just kept on staring at her. Following his gaze, all his friends looked at her too and Preeta instantly looked away in nervousness. He said something to his friends which made them laugh immediately.

Still feeling determined to end this trap, Preeta held place and waited for Pawan who was now coming towards her with a smirk on his face. All this time, Kabir had hid himself by standing behind their car which was parked a bit far from the cafe, so Pawan won't get the idea.

Preeta noticed how his eyes were moving around to check if she was really alone or not. With narrowed eyes, he finally reached her. His bruises from last time had healed but there was still a mark on his chin which she remembered, Arjun had given him.

"Checking if my bruises have healed?" Pawan smiled humorlessly while observing her from head to toe.

Preeta couldn't stop herself from glaring at him. "Checking If you can get new ones."

Pawan's eyebrows raised as he leaned closer to her. "You are being too oblivious to the risk, Preeta. I can have your family's name in shame."

Preeta felt angered at his guts and finally tried to execute what she had planned. She sighed and stared at him helplessly. "Look, Pawan. You had been cruel to my Kritika. When you didn't even love her, I don't understand why are you even blaming her. Its not like she's of any advantage to you..."

Pawan laughed and stepped closer while Preeta immediately stepped back. "When did I say its about her? Its about you, Preeta Karan Luthra."

Preeta's eyes turned stunned and she absentmindedly whispered,"What?"

Pawan nodded with a wicked smile on his face. "Its you, Preeta and this Luthra, behind your name. My brother needs you Preeta and if he doesn't get you soon, I would have to use those nudes..."

Preeta's eyes turned glossy but Pawan's words brought confidence in her. She humorlessly laughed at him. "What nudes? The one you had captured in your dreams..."

The surprised look on Pawan's face was satisfactory. Preeta felt like pressing him more. She gave him her sympathetic look.

"Pawan, you know your brother is being wrong and you shouldn't involve yourself in his games. I know you have lied to scare me..." She saw his face turning blank but she continued,"… Kritika loved you. Whatever issue is there between me and Prithvi, you and Kritika have no role in this. Was it so wrong of her to love you, to fall for you?"

Guilt displayed on Pawan's face but he hid it immediately by glaring at Preeta.

"... My brother loves you even now. What about him?"

Preeta's voice locked in her throat at his words. She stared at him in blankness. Shaking her head, she looked at him helplessly.

"Its different, Pawan. I was already engaged to Karan. Prithvi's feelings needed a stop. I had told him, made him understand. I wanted him to be my good friend that he was. But he ruined it. But you don't be like him. You can be different." Preeta pleaded but Pawan scoffed angrily.

"I don't need your lectures. Just tell me why are you here or just get lost." He muttered while glaring at her.

Preeta blinked tiredly and gave him a pleading look. "You don't have any pics. So, now end this issue. She won't disturb you anymore, nor you should disturb her ..."

"Hey, hey, Mrs. Luthra. Keep your suggestions to yourself." He sneered while Preeta flinched.

"You are no one to tell me what to do. What if I don't have the pics? I can have them later, or maybe today. How will you protect her?" He smirked when Preeta's face turned disappointed.

But this time it was enough for Preeta. She had gone through this situation before and now, she won't let this culprit enjoy her nervousness. She glared up at him.

"What do you think of yourself, ha? That you will do anything that comes to your mind. Even if it includes stalking a girl, clicking her pics. I am warning you, Pawan Malhotra. Get this to your thick head..." Preeta pointed her finger at him. "If by any chance, I see you near my Kritika, I will have you locked up."

She gave him a hard stare and was about to turn around when Pawan grabbed her wrist all of a sudden.

"How dare you threatened me, you bitch! Last time, you did this too. But that time, you had your bodyguard friend. Now, who will save you from my..." Just as Pawan was about to complete his sentence, Preeta pushed him hard on his chest.

She gave him a brief smile of victory. "Even, this time I have my bodyguard friend."

Pawan's eyes turned confused as he gazed at her in a shock. Suddenly, from the back of the nearest car, a man came out who had wore formals. He wasn't the same guy but he was more muscular and broad. Pawan gulped while glancing back at Preeta.

"You slut. How many guys, you have been collecting behind your husband's back?" He yelled when Kabir had finally jogged to them.

He immediately left her wrist and Preeta rubbed it while scowling at the shameless boy. Seeing the rude gesture, Kabir's anger touched the roofs as he lunged at Pawan with full stamina.

"You touched her. I am going to burn you alive." He roared while Preeta stepped back in worry. Kabir threw a hard punch on Pawan's face when he noticed him running away.

He grabbed his t-shirt's neck and glared at her. "So, this is what your parents had taught you. Blackmailing girls, touching married ladies, is this what your mother taught you?"

Pawan gritted his teeth and pushed at Kabir's face with force but he didn't budge. "Same did that Luthra. Look now, he gets to fuck her." This made him earning an another punch on chin.

"Come, you rascal. Let me show you what happens when you harasses a girl." Kabir held his collar and starting dragging him towards the car.

"The police will show you properly. How to be a good stalker, a better one? So, those girls you stalk, their brother won't be able to find you..." Pawan stopped in his tracks and looked wide-eyed at Kabir who was dragging him mercilessly. The mention of police wasn't threatening when he had a rich father who will have him bailed in some hours.

But what about the proofs. His phone had photos of other girls, his home was dirty because of the late night party. His father loved him and had always helped him whenever he had got stuck in fights but this was about girls. He himself had a sister at home in Delhi. What if this muscular guy reaches her through police? What if his father won't help him in this case? He had already been angry to him because of his careless decision about shifting to Chandigarh to accompany his cousin, Prithvi.

This encounter with police may block his career. What about his plans to abroad? If Kritika would file a complaint against him, it would be mentioned in his college records. This may all affect his efforts. This may all make it worse. He had to stop it.

Pawan immediately held Kabir's elbow. "Okay. Wait. Wait. I got it..." He panted while clutching his stomach with another hand.

Preeta gasped at his reaction. Was he really giving up? She saw Kabir halting in his steps and glaring back at Pawan.

"I won't disturb her." He repeated while Kabir again made a move to punch him. But he stopped when Preeta reached them.

"Do you really have her pics?" Pawan shook his head with a groan.

"I lied obviously. Kritika had always been worried if her brother would know. I wanted him to know of her deeds. How she seduced me and got herself into this? It would have been fun seeing him fuming at her..." A slap hit hard on Pawan's cheek as he groaned while rubbing it.

Kabir gripped his jaws and pushed his nails in his skin. "What did you say? I see you have a great interest in Karan's life. His sister, his wife. Let me show what he does to the people, who gets overly interested in his life..."

Pawan sighed and glared at Kabir. "Okay. Fine. But I am telling you, Preeta. Kritika hates you. Soon, her brother will too. Its better you make your way towards my brother or..."

Kabir looked at Preeta while gritting his teeth and gave a final nod.

"Call police."

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