<<Pretty smiles are deceiving.>>

Arjun

I locked the door of my room as I made my way to the washroom to take a cold shower after all the sweating.

I took off my clothes and stood under the shower, turning it on.

Ragini is a good company. She talks a lot. That's a different thing that her mouth gets zipped in front of the boss. Well, not her fault.

The last few weeks have been very tiring for all of us brothers. Because of bhai killing Jai Shekhawat, his brother has gone crazy and he's doing what not to make us regret killing his precious little brother.

Regret?

Mafia's don't regret killing!

I'm tired but I can't say this to anyone. In fact, we all are tired because of the non stop working these days. I have to admit that this Karan Shekhawat is giving us quite a tough time. He isn't letting us sit from the day his brother is killed. He just keeps doing this or that to get on our nerves.

Though he hasn't succeeded in any of his doings.

The Maheshwaris aren't called the King of the mafia world for no reason.

He's out of the country now. After his men broke into our house, he had to run for his dear life but, till when? One day or the other, the prey has to come under the claws of the hunter.

I got out of the shower putting on my clothes. I took a random car key from the drawer and left my room.

As I reached the hall, I saw Kabeer putting some sheets together. I walked up to him and sat down beside him.

"What are you doing?" I asked looking through the sheets.

"Ah! I have an assignment to submit tomorrow and it's still not finished." he replied in a tensed voice.

I rolled my eyes as I fell back on the couch, scrolling through my phone.

"You know you don't have to do all this. You can get the degree without doing all these formalities." I told him as a matter of fact.

He shook his head as he continued with his work.

"I don't want to see my poor principal at gun point." he said running his hand through his hair.

I chuckled at his words as I looked at my phone for time. It was showing 1:18. I stood up and started walking out of the house.

"If bhai asks, tell him that I'm at a friend's." I shouted to Kabeer.

"He knows everything already." I heard him say.

Yes! He knows everything!

I walked to the garage and clicked on the open button on the key remote. I heard the sound of unlocking one of the cars at the extreme left corner and walked to it. Yes, I forget which key belongs to which car and this is my way of knowing which car I would be driving that day. I don't have any interest in cars and all. I have better things to remember. Ryan is very fond of different cars though.

I drove out of the house to the city, leaving the mountains behind. I drove for about half an hour and stopped the car as I reached my destination.

"Francis Girls' School"

I kept looking at the main gate of the school, impatiently tapping my fingers on the steering wheel.

As the clock struck two,the gate opened. Some minutes later, students started walking out and school buses also came out of the school.

I scanned my eyes through the crowd of the girls for the one I was looking for. As my eyes fell on her, I moved the car near her. She was with her new friend Bani Singh and they were laughing about something. I stared at her for a while before I honked. She got startled and immediately looked in the direction of my car.

And there, her pretty smiling face turned into a face full of horror.

I signed her to sit in the car as I opened the door to the left of my seat. Without wasting a second, she came and sat beside me, gently closing the door after.

We didn't exchange any words and I drove away from the school. The glasses of my car were black and nobody could see us through it until they focused on the front glass and not everyone has the guts to do it.

"How's the school going?" I asked with my eyes at the front.

"Go... Good... It's a little bit difficult to adjust in between the semester. Changing school in between.."

"You wanted to stay in your previous school?" I stopped her from speaking further as I turned to look at her.

"No... no... Not like that. I was just..." she gulped, looking down at her hands which were resting on her lap.

"Did you make any friends?" I asked turning my focus back onto the road.

"I have made one friend." she replied, fidgeting with her fingers.

"Oh! What's her name?" I asked as if I didn't know her name already.

"Bani"

"Oh!"

We sat in the silence throughout the drive. I stopped the car in front of the hotel building and got out of the car, signing her to do the same.

We walked inside and I gave the car key to Evan to park it in the basement. I then walked to the receptionist. Without asking anything, she handed me the key card. I took it from her and entered inside the elevator with Naina following behind.

As we reached the top floor, I swiped the key and we entered the penthouse. I locked the door behind and then looked at Naina. She was looking around with amazement and nervousness.

"Go and change your clothes." I said pointing in the direction of a room.

She didn't ask anything and started walking in the direction of the room I showed her but stopped as I spoke.

"There's a landline in the room. Call your parents and tell them that you're with me and will not be coming home today!" I told her.

Her face turned pale at my words but I didn't care as I walked to the other room to change.

I changed into a t-shirt and trackpants before opening the large glass door to the balcony. I got settled on the couch and lit up a cigarette I got from the room. I kept smoking, looking at the view of the city. The penthouse was on the twenty-seventh floor so I could clearly see the vast city. I could see the mountains too.

I looked at my left when I heard some noises. Naina was standing there, looking at something in the flower pot kept in the balcony. She changed into a tshirt and pyjama.

I walked over to her but she didn't notice. I stood beside her and found her looking at a butterfly sitting on the flower. She was smiling at it. As she tried to get a hold of it, the butterfly flew away from the flower. Her eyes followed it and then landed on me as the butterfly sat on my shoulder.

She looked shocked at my sudden appearance.

I looked at the butterfly on my shoulder and threw it harshly. It died from the impact.

I heard Naina hissing and looked up at her. She was horrified and I didn't miss the tears that escaped her eyes.

"Did you inform your parents?" I asked.

She didn't answer and was still staring at the dead butterfly.

"Can't you hear me?" I asked louder this time.

She shuddered before looking at me with fear written all over her face.

"Did you call at your house?" I asked again.

"Ye... Yes..." she replied timidly.

I nodded as I walked closer to her. She stepped back until her back hit the small railings. She was about to fall but I pulled her through her waist, making her body dash with mine. She closed her eyes in fear.

I took hold of her chin and made her face me. I pushed my lips on hers and devoured her like crazy and as usual, she didn't respond but stood there unmoved. I groaned as I bit on her lower lip before pulling away. Her lip was bleeding.

"Are you hungry?" I asked irritated, getting inside the room she came out of.

"A little..." I heard her murmuring.

I sat down on the bed and took hold of the landline. I called the staff for food.

I then looked back. She was still standing at the same place.

"Come here!" I said patting on the bed.

She walked timidly and sat down beside me.

I sighed as I held her hand and pulled her closer. I stared at her for a while. She has a pretty face and a prettier smile. I don't know why but whenever I see her smiling, I feel weird and end up doing something unpleasant.

I met her around twenty days ago in her previous school. I went there to meet the principal because we wanted the school land to build the parking for our bar near it. It was a very small school. Only around five hundred students must be there and we wanted the principal to shut it. He was adamant on giving it to us but we made him give up in our own way.

Anyways, she was studying in eleventh grade there. I made her take admission in a bigger and better school. A girls' school!

Her parents know about my interest in her and obviously, they don't agree but poor fellows can't do a shit about it. They got no power, no money. Nothing! She belongs to a lower middle class family and I've warned them very well about the consequences if they tried to do anything against me. I know they don't have the guts. Even if they had, they couldn't harm a nail of mine.

She is not the first girl in my life though. I have dated a few girls before. They all were from the mafia backgrounds but the flings didn't last long.

She... She is different.

Her innocence, her calmness gives me a different kind of sensation. It's weird to explain.

I just want her!

Want means not in bed but I need her with me. It's just fucked up!

I think she's going to last a little longer.

I don't meet her very often. It's just the third meeting from the time I've first met her. She don't talk much to me.She's still a minor though. She'll turn eighteen in a month.

I shook my head and made her sit on my lap. She was just staring at her hands. I tucked her hair behind her ear and made her look up at me.

Maybe, I need to be a little gentle with her.

"Last time you told me about that Harshit boy..." I started.

"Oh... Don't know what happened but their family suddenly left the city." she said with confusion.

I chuckled inwardly at her naive self.

I coiled a few strands of her hair around my finger. Last time when I met her, she cut her long hair to shoulder length. I wasn't happy about that. When I asked, she told me that the Harshit guy said that she looked beautiful in long hair so she cut them.

The bell rang and I got up, putting her on the bed. I walked to the door and opened it. A man was standing there with our food. I told him to keep it on the table near the kitchen and he left after that.

I walked to the room and my phone started ringing at the same time. It was Yuvraaj bhai.

"The food is here, go and eat." I told Naina before walking to the balcony.

"Hello" I said picking up the call.

"That Shekhawat shit is here!" I heard bhai saying from the other end.

Damn! That motherfucker!

"Where?"

"Our man just informed that he is back in the country. Landed half an hour ago." he informed.

"Dude has the guts to come back this soon!" I said rolling my eyes.

"If stupidity had a face." I heard him say.

"What is bhai saying?" I asked.

"He's excited!" he replied and I laughed.

"Expected"

"And bro, leave that little girl alone. You can at least wait for a month." he said.

I knew he must be throwing his hand in the air, dramatically.

"Shut up!" I said as I took a seat on the couch.

"Okay, I'm hanging up now. I need to know about where he's going and what he's about to do. He needs to pay for his stunt. Not everyone has the time to enjoy like you." he said in an irritated voice.

I laughed and hung up. I looked back into the room and found her standing right behind the couch with a plate in her hand.

"Your fo... food..."

I took the plate from her and she went back in. I was now looking in the direction of the room.

She took out some books from her school bag and started reading something after settling down on the bed. She was looking focused and was giving different expressions every second. I did nothing but just stare, forgetting to eat.

"Next time when we meet, I'm going to make you mine!" I mumbled, staring at her small figure.

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Thank you for reading.