"It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog". -Mark Twain.

ADI'S POV

-17 years ago -

A 12 year boy was seated in a chair amidst numerous guests, who were there to attend a birthday party. He was bored and disinterested, to be seated in these childish parties of kids.

He groaned seeing his grandpa immersed in a deep conversation with his buddies. He was waiting for all this sham to be over, so that he can go home to his baby sister.

He was lost in his thoughts, not noticing the birthday girl with her parents had already arrived on the stage. He came out of his thoughts abruptly as he heard the guests singing a birthday song.

Finally!!! , he huffed relieved.

He stood up from his seat and wandered his gaze towards the stage. His breath hitched in his throat, seeing the girl tittering and clapping merrily on the stage, wearing a white princess gown.

He couldn't take his eyes away from that little ball of sunshine who was now beaming happily at her father while feeding him a piece of cake.

Her dark mid-waist length tresses, bounced as she jumped happily clapping her hands while her father fed her.

His cold heart warmed at the angelic sight In front of him, as his lips curled up unbeknownstly. He could see her almond shaped eyes glittering with happiness as she received presents from her little friends eagerly.

He felt a strong urge to go near her, and feel her rosy cheeks and her delicate skin in his hands. He wanted her to feed him the cake as lovingly as she fed all her friends.

He gasped suddenly at his train of thoughts, shooking his head he took his previous seat at the corner.

But he couldn't help but take a quick glances, sneakily at the goddess on the stage.

Few minutes passed and the guests started to disappear but his grandpa was not at his sight. He groaned as his stomach began to grumble with lack of food. He summoned all his willpower, trying not to reach out to delicious cake which was nearby.

'I can atleast have a bite of cake and that way I can have a clear look at my angel', he thought for a moment.

'No, no, Adi. Remember all girls are stupids'. He berated himself.

"Hello, cute man", he heard an angelic voice near him, his heart responded for it even before he could look at her.

He was greeted by a pair of striking black eyes, which were looking at him warmly.

"I saw you were sitting alone, so I brought you this", she extended a piece of cake towards him smiling.

His body erupted with cute little tickles seeing her smile towards him. He was unable to look into her warm eyes anymore as his heart began to crazily jump in his chest.

'Calm down you silly organ, she is just a child', he chided mentally.

"No, I don't like sweets", he replied in a arrogant tone, fiddling with his thumbs nervously.

'You love sweets', his conscience mocked him at the same time his stomach let out a grumble.

He heard a hearty laugh nearby. He glared at the girl making her to muffle her innocent laughs.

"You are so cute", she said before she held a cake near his mouth urging him to eat.

'I'm not cute; all the girls in my school call me handsome', he thought in his mind.

"Now, it's my birthday today. If you don't eat I will be very sad", she pouted.

"I'm not cute...", he opened his mouth to refuse her but she stuffed his mouth with the cake. She chortled at his face which was now coated with the same.

He swallowed his pride and gulped down , staring angrily at the girl who was laughing at his expense.

She stilled seeing his face changing its colors and began to run towards the mansion still laughing at the boy who was behind her.

He was fast to catch her within seconds.

"Why did you do that?", he asked still holding her wrists still annoyed at her.

"Ok, I'm sorry", she held her both ears apologetically. " I will help you to wash up", she said innocently holding his hands and leading him towards a room.

His anger vanished instantly at the contact, same cute tingles erupted in his belly.

"You came with your parents?", she asked him while he was cleaning up.

His face lost its colors and a lost look crossed his features. She noticed it instantly as she was a good mind reader, as her father called her.

He swallowed the lump in his throat,
"My parents passed away in an accident recently. I live with my grandpa", he answered as a raw pain erupted in his heart.

He suddenly felt a soft body pressed into him, thin arms wrapped around his figure rubbing his back.

"Don't feel sad, papa says my hugs will comfort him while he is sad, so let me hug you", she whispered, wrapping her hands around his back.

A sudden warm feeling erupted in his chest, almost forgetting all his sadness as she rubbed his back soothingly. His heart felt at peace after so many days.

"I have something for you", she said taking a step back from him. He instantly missed her warmth.

She opened some cabinets of a lavish room and took out a box out of it.

"What is this?", he asked curiously.

"This is a magic box that my dad designed for me. There is a gift inside for you", she beamed, giving that box to the boy.

She showed him the tricks to open the box and he saw a weird locket inside it.

He frowned at her. "What's it"?, he asked the girl still confused.

"It's a special Locket, that only my dad makes. See he gave me one for my birthday", she said showing him the locket that she was wearing.

He still didn't understood why someone makes the locket with compass in it.

She made him to bend to her height and
tied it around his neck.

"Dad says it will always keeps you happy", she said patting the locket which was dangling in his neck now.

"Ira, sweety what are you doing here", her father came inside the study room seeing his daughter with a boy.

"Dad, he is my new friend. He was sad so I gave him a locket", she said clapping her hands proudly.

Her dad was taken aback by her words.
But he knew the boy, the only son of his dearest friend.

He smiled at the boy, patting his head lovingly. He had seen something in the
young boys eyes, that made him to trust the boy with his prized possessions,

--both the locket and his daughter.

"You should protect this with your life son", he said to the boy seriously.

"N....no....d..dad.....please don't..leave me", I snapped out of my thoughts as I heard Ira whimpering in her sleep.

I slowly moved towards my bed, towards her sleeping form, keeping aside the same locket she gave me on her birthday.

I gently rubbed her forehead coated with sweat beads in a wet towel, and made sure the IV tube was not out of the liquid yet.

As I began to move away from the bed she clutched my hand tightly not letting it go.

"It's alright sweetheart. I will stay here", I caressed her forehead leaning back on the headrest of my bed still holding onto her hand.

My heart chimes, seeing her cold hands that fits perfectly in mine as I gently rub them. I stare at her pale face, reminiscising the day I met her after 17 years.

I was returning home still busy on my business calls, when I saw my angel trying hard to balance her hold on the slippery road before toppling into the bushes.

My lips curls up as I remember, her annoyed yet cute face when I lifted her up in my arms while she stubbornly refused.

My fiery queen.

But it felt so right, having her back in my arms after so long. It was the same silly tingly feeling again.

I always kept a track on her, even after she left our village. I'm sure she never
remembered me, nor the locket she gave me. But it was always a source of warmthness, whenever I missed my parents and in my low-points.

My gut wrenched, as my body freezed remembering the events from yesterday. I should have taken the matter more seriously when she told me regarding the mysterious things.

I clenched my hands remembering those bastards from yesterday.

He is going to see hell on the earth, I thought remembering the man we captured yesterday, who is not yet opening his mouth.

I felt a light brush on my hands, to see my angel staring at me with those striking back hues.

She is finally conscious.

"Where am I?", she whimpered trying to sit up on the bed, staring at the unfamiliar surroundings around her.

"You are in my room, on my bed", I said supporting her to lean back.

"You didn't inform my family right?", she asked worriedly. "How long was I out?".

"Calm down, there is no need to worry",
I say holding onto her hands.

"You were unconscious for 12 hours,
and yeah, your friends have informed your family that you have left for the city due to an emergency".

Her brows furrowed at that. " My mom will not believe that".

"I know, I texted her through your phone", I said meekly expecting her outburst.

"Oh! Thanks", she said looking lost.

I huffed knowing clearly what was in her mind. I turned her face towards me
gently.

"Please don't stress yourself by thinking
heavily. I know it's difficult but for now you should concentrate on healing your
wounds".

She closed her eyes letting out a small relaxing breath leaning into my hands unconsciously.

"Your wound was not so deep, the knife just grazed your back. But you lost a lot of blood. The doctor will shortly come to examine you", I said.

"What about your grandpa, does he know"?

"No, he rarely visits this wing. But Hita knows, we cannot hide anything from her hawk eyes" I said trying to lighten up her tensed nerves.

"I'm hungry", she pouted staring at me innocently.

"Ok, wait a second I will prepare some porridge for you", I said laughing at her
cute face.

"Don't laugh at me, I don't know from how long I'm out. I need food for my brain to work", she said throwing a pillow at me.

My wild cat is back.

"Alright woman, now stop acting like a kid", I said dodging her weapon.

"Now stop glaring and Open your mouth", I said holding a spoon in front of her mouth.

"No, I can eat myself. Give it to me",she said stubbornly refusing to open her mouth, crossing her hands like a wild kitten.

"Now darling, you already know I'm not the one to back away from a fair challenge", I said smugly at her.

She raised her eyebrows at that, turning her face away from me.

"Goodness Ira, stop acting like a brat and let me feed you", I said irritated by her tantrums.

She snapped her neck suddenly in my direction, with her eyes raging furiously towards me.

"What did you te......." I didn't allow her to speak as I stuffed her mouth with food.

"Y...ou.....mmmmmm....", she tried to speak but her words were muffled with her mouth full of food.

"Now, be a good girl and swallow", I smirked at her fierce face which was now burning crazily.

"You... you... stupid...annoying.. jerk...,
who taught you to pull those silly tricks", she said shivering in fury.

"A wild-cat thought me", I said feeding her another spoon.

"I'm sure you are very close with cats and dogs", she said smirking. " I can see their influence in your behavior", she grinned satisfied by her comeback.

I smiled at her. As the same flames returned back into my body, the ones she lighted with her mere presence 17 years back.

But somehow somethings never changes and its same with me. Even the
time couldn't cool those flames that she lit in me, with her innocence when she was mere 9 year old girl. If not any less they are burning brighter even now.

The heart is such a black-box, it doesn't know what's wrong or right. You can't make it listen to you. It only knows how to beat and it knows whoever owns it.

And I know who owns mine.

It's the same old feelings back again, but this time too strongly with a name and I'm not a fool to not realize what the name is, I know what the name is.

I can go to any length to protect what's mine and I'm going to stand in front of any harm that comes in her way from now on.

I will ensure this is the last time, a single drop of blood flows out of her body uselessly. I will offer myself to the fate before any harm touches her.

Because I know without her in my life now, my days will be empty and my nights darker and longer than ever, and I don't want to feel those same feelings again, which I felt during my parents loss.

"Adi... Adi... where are you lost", I look into the eyes of woman, who is now my end and my beginning; my distraction and my muse.

"What's that on the table?", she asked furrowing her eyes on the locket, which has become my solace from the day the same cute angel handed it over to me.

☆☆☆☆♡☆☆☆☆

《here is the link to that puzzled box, u can see it in pin interest,, just to help ur imagination》
https://pin.it/27Lq90l