As Victor pressed Sharmila's hand into his, the restlessness and anxiety he felt all morning as he watched her getting treated came down. But soon, another shocking sensation hit him, for which he wasn't prepared for.

A sense of familiarity and belonging. As if this is how it was always meant to be.

Him and her... them.

Without a thought, he raised her hand to his cheeks and pressed it, watching her eyes register his gesture with a mix of anticipation and nervousness.

He could read her eyes and everything she was trying to hide from him, but what if she can understand the turmoil he was going through? Was he so desperate to be bonded with someone, that he is imagining this with the first girl he was emotionally drawn to?

He sighed and closed his eyes, as he gently moved his cheek against her hand, which was warm and smooth just as he expected it to be. Would she feel the same way if he caressed her smooth cheeks with his rough hands? Definitely not!! Maybe he can hug her gently and comfort her, make her open up to him and share her inner most thoughts, just the way he wanted to. He pressed her hand against his cheek which drew a soft gasp from her. He wondered how she would react he kissed her hand, not just her hand but her...

This was crazy!!

He had never given much thought about any girl, let alone think of what sort of a relationship he would like to have, if he happened to find someone. So why was he deep diving into this unknown with his eyes closed, as if he knew this is exactly what he was supposed to do, all along. They haven't even gone on a date or spent some private moments together. What was it with Misha that he feels so sure and natural that his mind and heart are racing way ahead of reality? Was it based on his assumption that she understands him better than anyone else? She would probably freak out if she comes to know what his thoughts are about her right now.

He never felt this calm and content except when he returned home, and watched his mother smile.

Would he and Misha welcome each other with a warm hug, sometime in the future and feel at home?

Whoaaa!! Stop right there!

As he tried to calm his wild thoughts, he felt her other hand on his neck and he opened his eyes reluctantly, hoping desperately that his eyes won't betray him.

Sharmila was surprised how gentle his touch was but there was something else, his eyes.... They were trying to say something, and before she could understand what it was, he closed his eyes.

Maybe it was good... that way he wouldn't notice how flushed her cheeks have become, as she felt the contours of his jaw and face through her fingertips. She could almost hear and feel his erratic breath against her hand and a sweet ache engulfed her, as well as a sudden urge to run her fingers through his hair and pull him closer. Maybe then, she would feel content and blissful, and everything else that her heart was craving for.

Girl... get a grip on yourself, an inner voice reprimanded her. She tried hard to rein in her emotions and pulsing heartbeat, before she succumbed and made a fool of herself. As if to test her further, he pressed her hand against his jaw and she couldn't stop herself from gasping.

Her free hand seemed to have a mind of its own as it moved towards his hair but the plaster on his wounded forehead put a stop to her wild thoughts. As she withdrew her hand, she noticed that his movements have paused, as if he got lost in his thoughts, just like her.

Hesitantly, she touched his neck, but before she could speak, she was shocked to see the conflict and vulnerability in his eyes!

"What's the matter Victor?" She whispered.

Victor cleared his throat nervously. "Nothing..." He lowered his gaze for few seconds and when he looked up again, his face looked calm and devoid of the struggle she noticed earlier.

"I was ... I mean I am worried about you. How is your leg? Remember what Mohsin said. They have made arrangements for you in the safe house for the next few days. Maybe we should go now. You need to lie down and sleep so that you can get better quickly, right?"

She couldn't understand what brought this sudden change, but knowing Victor, there was no point demanding an answer either.

She slowly withdrew her hands from his face and watched his eyes belie the words he just said.

"Sure, let's go. Where is your car?" She asked with a forced casual tone.

He got up slowly, his eyes almost evading her gaze, and said in a low tone,

"It is parked right outside. Still, it is quite a walk and it would be better If I carry you there."

"I can walk, just give me your hand." Sharmila got up awkwardly but the pain in her leg shot up sharply, making her wince.

"Don't be crazy Misha, it would be best if I carry you. Hiding your pain is not going do you any good!"

Sharmila's temper flared. He had some cheek lecturing her about hiding things!!

"You shouldn't preach what you don't practice, you know!"

The fleeting satisfaction she got, as she noticed Victor's face pale at her words, confused and irritated her. She tried to stand up again and lost her balance, but Victor caught her and settled her back into the chair.

Kneeling next to her, he raised his eyebrows, as if demanding to know what she meant.

Sharmila opened her mouth in anger, ready to give a fitting reply but controlled herself. This is not going to work out if she treats Victor like a normal guy.

Instead, she drew a long breath and exhaled.

She reached out and took his calloused hand into hers.

"We second guess each other and everyone else in our profession. But I don't want to do that in our personal life Victor. After everything that happened, I am not sure why you're still so hesitant to open up to me. I mean, I am not expecting miracles... but we were going okay just a moment ago and you suddenly pull your walls around you. How am I supposed to feel?"

Victor felt guilty but at the same time afraid that she will probably run to the hills if he revealed everything he felt about her. They were still at the beginning of a relationship. But he didn't want her lose her trust in him either.

" I am sorry If I hurt you with my behaviour. Trust me when I say, sometimes it is best not to know everything about your man." He chuckled nervously and continued in a softer tone, "But, I promise you one thing. I won't do it again. Can you give me sometime so that I can explain everything clearly to you?"

She watched him closely and nodded her head. Relief flooded his eyes before the familiar sparkle returned and her lips curved automatically in response to his changing expressions.

He lifted her hand gently to his lips and kissed her, as if thanking her.

Every ounce of resentment she felt towards him few moments ago blew away in a puff.

She knew what a temporary blissful bubble they were in right now, away from chasing the culprits and putting their lives at risk, but she wanted to enjoy and make most of it, while it lasts.

"Now, Can I please carry you up to the car Ms Sethi?"

Before she could say yes or no, he gently lifted her in his arms. She felt embarrassed. She must be smelling horrible... with the dusty clothes thanks to their adventures at the warehouse, and the medicines applied to her wound. As he kept watching her, she looked away.

After taking a few steps, he paused, and asked as if he just remembered.

"By the way, we are still on for our date, right? When do you want to go and where?"

"Why have you stopped walking?" She asked in response.

"That's not the answer to my question sweetheart!" He drew her closer, forcing her to look at him.

"Don't you think you are taking advantage of my situation now? Me stuck in your arms..." her lips quivered.

He looked at her in mock hurt, even as his gaze moved involuntarily towards her lips.

"I asked a simple question."

Sharmila suspected the worst, Victor was standing perfectly still as if he was cherishing every moment of carrying her.

"Should we go now, me in my limping and smelly legs and you with your bloody bandana?" She mocked him, still unable to understand why she was avoiding answering his question. Her heart was pulsing rapidly again, as she felt his warm breath against her forehead and their bodies so close to each other.

"Who said... You smell beautiful. You don't even know how intoxicating..." He stopped speaking, as one of the cleaning maids walked in with a mop and bucket.

Silently, Victor carried her to the car and a warm glow spread on Sharmila's face which had nothing to do with the blazing sun outside.

====. ====.

DJ's Mansion

A few hours earlier

The mocking phone call from Victor left a sour taste in Loki's mouth. He couldn't meet Zoya's gaze as she shook her head in exasperation.

"He beat us again, just as I feared!" Her mocking words hurt his wounded ego further, but he was in no mood to reply to her.

"No one knew about my plans in the Warehouse except Gulshan and few of his men. Who leaked this to Victor?" He heard DJ muttering to himself.

Loki looked sharply at Suraj Chacha as he poured a glass of water for his mother, who was still lying down on the sofa, exhausted and weak after their long argument earlier.

An argument that she started, when she heard DJ speaking to Gulshan. But that surely meant that she didn't know about it beforehand. Or was it? He looked shrewdly at his mother again.

There was only one way to smoke the rat out of its hole.

"How can you say so confidently that no one in this house knew about your plans? They must have overheard everything you said to Gulshan. These walls have ears Bhai! Didn't I tell you that someone in our close circle was a mole? This just proves it once again." Loki declared with a glee in his eyes, happy to point out how his brother's misplaced trust caused this setback.

"Loki... you don't understand. I waited till everyone was in bed, and made sure I was all alone when I spoke to Gulshan last night."

"Wow!! Finally, you admitted it Bhai!! You want to keep me away from all your plans and trust your cronies than your own brother. Well, I hope you are happy now. When will you ever realize that you can never defeat Victor without my help?"

"Trust me Loki, I wanted to involve you, but your seemed too busy in pacifying your girlfriend!" DJ replied with gritted teeth, before letting out an annoyed sigh for his slip up.

But the damage was already done and Loki's face coloured at his brother's insinuation.

Zoya's nostrils flared even as she chuckled loudly.

But Loki wasn't going to let his brother off so easily.

"Last night? Then who was it that I heard coming up the stairs in the morning? Those footsteps were heavy, just like yours."

"It was me, I warned Victor about your plans in the early hours." Suman replied in a low tone but her gaze towards her sons was defiant and steady.

Loki didn't understand why his heart felt so heavy and betrayed, even though his suspicions turned out to be true. He walked dazedly towards his mother as DJ watched them both with incredulous eyes and stood still, as if he had lost the sense of where he was, and what he was supposed to do.

"Now that we are here, let me explain everything because I am tired of watching you both bicker and blame each other!"

She ignored Zoya's derisive snigger and continued, "I kept tabs on Nirmala Ji and her whereabouts for my own selfish reasons, even though she strictly ordered me not to come anywhere near her daughter Arunya" Suman's voice shook as she fought back tears.

Suraj Singh took a step forward. "Bhabhi, stop! I... DJ please don't believe this. This is insane" His voice sounded more like a warning than a plea but Suman shook her head.

"Suraj Bhai, please don't stop me. It is time!"

She faced her sons once again.

"Once I knew that you were going to kill Victor at that Villa in Goa, I got in touch with Nirmala Ji. She was at the hospital with Arunya as Major Verma was in critical condition. I can't explain how ashamed I felt to face her that night after all these years, only to explain how my sons were hatching such heinous plan. But I promised her..." Suman wiped her tears away furiously.

"I promised her that I will do everything in my capacity to make sure Victor is safe and I kept my promise. I explained how Loki would be impersonating Victor as the injured IB agent and warned her about it."

"She knew? She knew it was me?" Loki half whispered, as his eyes widened in shock.

"Haan Beta she knew and I felt terrible to put her in such place where she couldn't even acknowledge you and your presence in her life."

DJ straggled towards the nearest chair and collapsed into it, as if all the strength from his body and soul had left him.

"My first thought was to take help from Suraj Bhai, because I trust hm the most but I also realized how futile it was. I knew his loyalty to DJ came before any affection or respect towards me. So, I chose Raju. He was young and greedy, happy to do everything I told him without questions. He approached Ashwin first and explained how much danger Victor was in. Ashwin was already feeling terribly guilty and he jumped at the opportunity to redeem himself. Raju gave him a phone so he could call his boss and the IB team to rescue Victor. Only thing that escaped my calculation was Loki's interference in the whole plan."

"Did you hear that Bhai?" Loki laughed loudly as his eyes glazed with wetness.

"We expected Director Nanda would arrive at the villa with backup and police but of course, he didn't, and you know the rest. It was Raju who substituted the bullets with fake bullets in every gun that he could lay his hands on. Like everyone, Suraj Bhai too got fooled by this, assumed both Victor and Raju were dead and dumped them in the boat before setting it on fire. Raju escaped with Victor, arranged a local friend in Goa to take Victor to the nearest hospital and called me from there, once Victor was out of danger. I made sure Victor got all the medical attention till he was fit to travel back to Delhi. But I swear to god, I never wanted Raju to die. That poor kid!! I don't know how he ended up in the ocean like that!!" Suman's voice shook once again as she finally met the gaze of her trusted aide and brother Suraj Singh. "The rest, I am sure you both can understand, if you put your mind to it. I did everything to help Victor and Ashwin to work against you all along."

Suraj Singh listened to Suman Bhabhi in astonishment as she spun her own version of all the events that happened, but used Raju's name instead of his, to protect him from the wrath of her sons. He knew why she was doing it and how these lies would eventually change her life forever, but watched on helplessly.

What else could he do? She made him promise that he would protect Victor and his family at all costs even it meant she becomes the scapegoat instead of him. His eyes almost brimmed with tears and as he looked vaguely around to control them, he felt Zoya's and Loki's suspicious stares in his direction. He still had a role to play and he will not let his Bhabhi down!

He took a deep breath and made sure his face looked as disappointed as it was meant to be, and said, "You have tried to protect our enemy and even helped him by the looks of it, to work against your own sons? Why did you do this Bhabhi?? I always held you in high esteem. What if something happens to Loki or DJ because of Victor? Have you thought of that? Have you forgotten your own rules and values? When it comes to family and blood, we should stand by them no matter what!"

Suman got up from the sofa and walked up to him.

"I am doing this for my flesh and blood Suraj Bhai! Have you forgotten that Arunya is my daughter? How can I let anything happen to her brother or her family who love her with all their heart?"

Suraj Singh looked mutely at her, unable to fathom words that could express his dilemma and turmoil.

"MAAA!!!" DJ's agonising cry would have melted any mother's heart but Suman some how managed to look nonchalant.

"Maa how... how could you?" DJ's steps were as unsteady and lifeless as his heart as he reached his mother. "You did all this for that chit of a daughter who refuses to even acknowledge your presence, or us as family...."

"Why would any girl from a sensible and respectable family acknowledge that she has a gangster for a brother? Dhano, you may have crowned yourself as the king of the underworld but for everyone outside that, you and your brother are nothing but criminals. And the sooner you realise that, the better. Everyone has to face the justice for their sins, and what Victor has come to do was just expedite what was due for you and Loki."

"Anyone hearing you would mistake you for Victor's mother Maa... truly hats off for your love and protectiveness for that bastard!!" Loki hissed at her. "Do you have any idea how I feel right now? Like an unwanted and ..." he stopped midway as Zoya reached out to him and hugged him tightly from the side.

"God, I hate this place! Loki... lets go back to Jersey please" she mumbled, as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Ooh good! I am glad that you have decided not to return alone Zoya! Isn't that what your foster father wanted you to do? Just cut your losses and make a getaway? Sorry dear, but I am an old woman with sleeping disorders and I do get to hear people talking!" Suman smiled apologetically.

Loki looked at Zoya in confusion.

"Don't believe her Loki. I would never ever leave you alone here" Zoya held Loki's hand tightly before turning her blazing eyes towards Suman.

"I know what you are trying to do and it won't work. Don't even bother to poison Loki's mind against me. You have no right to talk about parental love, okay? My Dad loves me far more than you have ever loved Loki!"

"Hmm I am sure he loves you a lot Zoya. After all, you are his golden goose! That's why he is missing you the most and of course my own foolish son, who measures everything in his life in terms what benefit he can get out of it!"

"Enough Maa"

It wasn't Loki but DJ who growled angrily in response.

"I will never forgive what you have done to me, to us. But don't worry. Me and Loki will make sure that Victor will get what he deserves and this time, no one, not even you can stop us."

"I agree Bhai!" Loki laid his hand on DJ's shoulder and pressed it heartily.

"I am glad Beta, that hatred towards your mother have brought you two closer. As to how long you both will remain together, and for what purpose, needs to seen."

"How dare you?" Zoya almost lunged towards Suman but controlled herself.

DJ looked at his younger brother as his mother's words kept ringing in his ears

===.===.

Safe House

10 PM

Sharmila hated to admit but she felt good to be in the safe house rather than her home, where she might have been an extra burden to Pooja in her current state. It also meant she wouldn't miss out any conversations with her team mates, and more time with Victor! Anosha and Jishu fussed over her like she was their best friend and made sure she was comfortable. After a long nap and shower, she felt ravenously hungry and gobbled up the Chicken Pesto that Victor made from scratch. Owing to the hot weather, he too showered and changed into a sleeveless shirt and shorts, just like her. Her eyes feasted on his strong muscular arms as he worked busily in the kitchen. They both were very careful to maintain their casual attitude towards each other, although she wasn't sure how long they would be able to fool Anosha and Jishu's hawk eyes. Mini and Baby Avni's presence was a wonderful distraction. They all spoke to Ashwin via video call and Mrinalini looked more cheerful afterwards.

It was heartening to watch how Anosha and Jishu involved Mrinalini in every conversation and made sure she didn't miss her family, and the bonhomie between them made her feel guilty towards her best friend Sam. She called Sam shortly afterwards, spoke for a long time and somehow managed to convince that she had to hurry back to her hometown again, to overthrow plans of her family to setup another marriage alliance for her.

After Dinner and medicines, Victor helped her walk the first flight of stairs, to avoid any teasing from his friends and carried her the rest of the way towards her bed, making sure he walked slowly in silence.

Baby Avni and Mrinalini were already in bed in the next room, as Mrinalini attuned herself to sleep whenever her baby did, to make sure she had some much-needed rest.

As Victor put Sharmila down carefully on her bed, she mocked him. "Aren't you enjoying this too much? I can walk you know."

He looked hesitantly at the door which was slightly ajar, before sitting next to her on the bed.

She felt a familiar flutter in her chest as she faced him up so close.

His eyes roamed lazily over her tousled hair and neck before settling on her lips.

"I am not going to lie that I am enjoying it a bit." He whispered, "but I won't do it if you are not comfortable."

He turned his gaze away and got busy in arranging her medicines neatly in the box on the side table. She couldn't make out if he was really being honest and got distracted by the soft mop of his hair, as it fell on his forehead.

Her hand went up involuntarily towards his forehead, before she locked it with her other hand and began to crack her knuckles.

As if he could read her mind, he pulled her hand roughly towards his face and let her fingers slide through his hair.

She closed her eyes, reveling in the touch and when she looked into his eyes again, she could see the same hesitation and nervousness, a reflection of her own fear of openly admitting her feelings.

"You asked me to be open and honest with you, even though you..." The rest of his words got muffled as she pulled him closer and he buried his head in the crook of her neck.

As she felt warm breath on her neck, Sharmila felt a slight shiver and snuggled him even closer, her fingers digging hard into his back.

She didn't know how long they remained like that till Victor slowly pulled himself out. He gently pushed her hair away and cupped her cheeks, while his eyes hungrily absorbed every feature of her face, till they rested on her slightly parted lips. She wound up her arms his neck, bent forward and pressed her lips on his cheek. Encouraged by her response, he pulled her face closer, caressed and felt every inch of her face with his lips before resting near her lips.

As he controlled his ragged breath and thudding heart bursting in a heady mixture of anticipation and euphoria, his lips slowly descended on hers.

X==========X