Hey everyone..Thanks for all the love you are giving this story.... I am overwhelmed...
I am glad you all are keeping my request, and commenting so much on the last chapters. Thanksssss....I love you all..❤️
Plz like and comment, and share if you like it. This is my first ff on Wattpad, and I really want everyone to read this and enjoy.
Happy Reading.

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"Ahhh, mera sar..."

Bani gained back her consciousness and opened her eyes slowly. She held her head as she felt dizzy. She sat up properly holding the walls and looked around. The place was completely dark. She knew she was abducted cause she had identified the sweet smell was chloroform there itself. But, the darkness was not letting her think anything rationally. Her nyctophobic self got scared, but she closed her eyes and remembered Veer's shayeri...
"Bani, jab bhi andhere se darr lage, tab ek baat yaad rakhna-
'Wo kya kisiko darayenge,
  Jise ek ittu sa diya dara deta hai..
Usse kya darna,
  Jise ek jugnu bhi hara deta hai...'
Ok?!..."
She motivated and told herself that she was stronger than this. She mustered up all her courage and opened her eyes. The darkness was not affecting her anymore. She smiled and thanked Veer in her heart.

Her eyes adjusted to the darkness soon, and she could see the room properly now. She stood up and tried to find a way to get out of there. It was then when she remembered about her mobile. She quickly checked near her waist and felt her mobile. The petticoat had a pocket on the inside and she had kept her mobile there. She took it out and realised it was switched off. She switched it on covering the speaker tightly so that no sound could be heard. She unlocked the mobile and tried to call Veer, but there was no network there and so the call didn't connect. She quickly put the mobile on DND, changed the lockscreen and homescreen wallpaper to a black cover, and removed the clock from the lockscreen. She also switched off all the notifications and moved the icons of the homescreen to the next slide. When the mobile was locked, it looked as if the mobile was switched off.

She smiled at her smartness and switched on the flashlight to find how to escape. She searched the whole room, but there were no windows or door except the main door, and the main door was locked. She understood that it must be some storeroom of a house. There were not many things in the room, except a locked cupboard, some curtains hanging like a partition, and a chair. She was going to switch off the torch when she spotted a small piece of paper under the leg of the chair. She went and picked it up, and saw that M.A was scribbled on it. It looked like someone's short signature and maybe it was torn off when someone had tried to pull out the paper from beneath the chair. She couldn't figure out why it was there in this strange room.

Suddenly, she heard someone's voice outside the door. She quickly switched off the flashlight and hid the mobile behind the cupboard, and kept the piece of paper in her pocket and stood still. The recorder of her mobile mistakenly got switched on while she was trying to hide it, and every word spoken in the room started getting recorded.

The door opened, and a man entered the room wearing a ghost mask. She could only see the mask and not anything else, maybe because he was wearing black clothes. He closed the door and laughed evilly. His voice was exactly like that of Veer. She became alert.

J: *in Veer's voice* Sweetheart...

B: *murmuring* Veer?!...

The room started filling with fog and soap bubbles came floating around her. Bani didn't understand what was happening. She tried to burst away the bubbles being irritated. The man again laughed and talked in Veer's voice.

J: Saabun ke bulbule.. Bohot uraaye maine, mele mein.. Lekin kasam se, itne romantic kabhi nahi lage..*laugh*

She got a negative vibe from that man. She was feeling that he could not be Veer, but his voice was exactly like Veer which confused her. He tried to burst the bubble in front of her, and she noticed his left hand. Her ring was not there. She became sure that it was not her Veer, it was someone else trying to act like Veer to come close to her. She became furious.

B: Nahi, nahi ho tum Veer... Tum mere Veer nahi ho, tum ek fraud ho fraud...

J: Ohho, itna pyaar, haa?!.. Sahi kaha tumne, nahi hoon main tumhara pati Veer...

He laughed and removed his mask, and her eyes widened seeing his face.

B: *angry* Jai?!...

J: Haa, Jai.. *proudly* Main Jai hoon, the great...

B: To fir Veer ka awaaz copy karke Veer kyun banna chah rahe the?!...

J: Nahi..Galat.. Main Veer nahi banna chah raha tha... *coming close* Main bas uske jaise baat karke tumhare kareeb aana chah raha tha, tumhe apna banane ke liye...

B: *going away* Koshish bhi mat karna... Main sirf Veer ki hoon, aur uski hi rahungi... Shaadi huyi hai meri usse, pati hai wo mera...

J: Kya hain uss Veer mein, haa?!... Tumhare samne jhukta phirta hai, isliye tumhe wo achha lagta hai.. Main kisike samne nahi jhukta...Mujhe Veer nahi banna...

B: Tum Veeranshu ho bhi nahi sakte... Uske jaise banne ke liye tumhe bada banna parega, bada sochna parega... Aur tum jaise chhote soch wale na, nahi soch sakte... Aur Veeranshu mere aage jhukta nahi hai... Wo iss shadi ki ahmiyat samajhta hai, isliye iss rishte main uske mutabik dhalta hai wo... Veeranshu mujhe iss shaadi mein barabari ka darja deta hai...

J: *angry* Tabhi to kaha, ki main Veer nahi hoon... Na main apne aage kisiko dekh sakta hoon, naa hi apne barabar kisiko dekh sakta hoon... Mujhe to koi aisa chahiye, jo mere aage jhukke rahe, meri baat ka loha maane, mujhe apna maalik maane.. Aur tum abhi wo hi karogi...

B: *confidently* Kabhi nahi, kabhi nahi maanungi main tumhe...

J: Soch lo.. Maanlogi to baksh di jaogi...

B: *smiling mockingly* Tum mujhe bakshoge, tumhe pata hai tum kya keh rahe ho?!... Lagta hai muh ki khaai hai, isliye seedhe dimaag par asar hua hai..

J: *shouting* Chup, chup ab... Bohot bakli tumne, ab meri suno... Tum to yaha ho, par Veer bahar hai... *coming close and looking at her lustily* Agar aisa ho ki wo aj mar jaaye, to tumhari jawaani ka kya hoga?!... Tab to Veer bhi nahi hoga tumhe bachane ke liye, tab to min tumhe apna bana hi lunga... Bas Veer ko marne do...

B: *masking her fear with anger* Aisa kuch karne ke baare mein sochna bhi nahi...

J: *holding her jaw* Tumhe pata bhi nahi hai tumhe paane ke liye main kya kya kar sakta hoon....

Before Bani could answer him, his mobile rang. He took it out from his pocket and looked at the screen. He left her and quickly went out to attend the call. She had seen 'M.' flashing on his mobile. She went towards the door and tried to hear him.

J: Yes Mam...

His voice faded away. She tried to join the dots in her mind. "Uss paper mein likha tha M.A, aur Jai ke mobile mein bhi caller ka number saved hai M. kehke... Kahin ye dono same to nahi?!.. Aur fir, usne kaha Mam, matlab ye jo bhi hai ek ladki hai... Oh god, kaun ho sakti hai??... Anyways, maybe I am just overthinking... "

She stopped thinking about that mystery lady. Her mind went back to what Jai had said about Veer few minutes ago, and fear gripped her heart again. She tried to find a way to go out, but failed. She started tearing up.

B: *talking to herself* Maine bohot koshish ki, lekin yaha se nikalne ka koi raasta nahi mila.. Pata nahi Veeranshu kis haal mein hoga... Hey Bhagwan, please, uski raksha karna, please...

She sat on the chair devastated.

B: Veer shayad waha khatre mein hai... Main haar gayi Bholenath, main haar gayi...

But the next second, she remembered Veer's words in the morning.
"Tum Bani Sharma ho, the strongest, bhul gayi?!... Koi mamuli ladki nahi ho... Arre, chutkiya marke tum badi se badi problem ko handle kar sakti ho... Aur, sab kuch theek rakhne ki guarantee main leta hoon, kisiko kuch nahi hoga, haa.."...
"Main humesha tumhare saath rahunga, humesha..."...

She wiped off her tears and cleaned her face with the pallu of her saree and sat straight. She scolded herself, "Nahi Bani nahi... Rone ki koi zarurat nahi hai, Veer ko kuch nahi hoga... Usne vaada kiya hai ki wo humesha mere saath rahega, to use kaise kuch ho sakta hai??.. Kuch nahi hoga use... Veer itna yakeen karta hain mujhpar, mujhe uske liye strong rehna hi parega... Bani, it's time to be THE BANI SHARMA and show Jai his real place.."

She recalled all their moments of the day and smiled. She remembered him saying, "Tum jaha jaogi main tumhare pichhe pichhe aaunga, nahi leke jaogi follow karta huya aaunga, par aaunga zaroor..."... He had promised her to fight her every problem away.

B: Aa rahe ho na tum, mujhe dhundte huye?!... Pata hai mujhe... Follow karte huye, right?! *chuckling*... Kaise nahi aaoge, promise jo kiya hai mujhse... Kya kaha tha tumne, *talking in his style* "Tum kisi pareshani mein rahogi to main uss pal uss pareshani se larunga".. Ab, THE VEERANSHU SINGHANIA apni Sweetheart se kiya hua vaada thori todega? Kabhi bhi nahi... *wiping the unshed tears and smiling sadly* Jaldi aaao yaar Cutu, main pareshan ho rahi hoon yaha...

          ***********************
Veer stopped his car inside the jungle, and looked at the building. It was basically an old bunglow which looked really worn out. He saw 4-5 goons guarding the gate. ACP had warned him not to directly go there and start fighting as the police team guessed that there would be many goons inside. The area was infamous for drug trafficking, and so it was possible that Jai was also connected with the traffick . Hence, fighting him alone would only cause Bani's life in trouble which he didn't want.

He slowly walked towards the bungalow and tried to look for some way to get inside the bungalow without anyone's notice. It was then that he spotted a fire alarm sensor at the backside. He smirked and hatched a plan. He quickly called the ACP to ask about the whereabouts of the police team, and told him the plan. The ACP agreed to it, and he cut the call.

He smirked evilly and told to himself, "Jai Mathur, it's time to show you who the real villain is...".

             ***********************
Bani was talking to herself when Jai again entered the room. She quickly stopped talking and stood up. He looked at her and laughed.

J: Pagal ho gayi ho, jo akele akele bak rahi ho?!...

B: *mock laugh* Main nahi, tum pagal ho gaye ho.. Mujhe uthake le aaye, bina ye soche ki ekbar agar Veer ne tumhe apne saamne paya to tumhara kya haal karega... Ye pagalpan nahi to aur kya hai!!...

J: Haa, hogaya hoon main pagal, tumhari sharir ko dekhke... Kya kamal ho tum, ufff... Ek baar bas tumhe chhune ka mauka milne do

B: *enraged* Shut up... Apni gandi zubaan apne paas rakh 2 kauri ke dhaabewale... Pichhlibar kya hua tha, yaad hai na?!...

J: *getting angry* Abbe oye...

B: Dheere... Waise, ye tumhara aka hain kaun?!... Matlab, tumhari naa hi itni himmat hai aur naa hi itna akal ki tum akele ye sab plan karo... Koi to hai tumhara maalik...

J: Main kisika ghulam nahi hoon...

B: *shouting* Ho tum ghulam...

Jai grabbed her jaw and held her hands in her back, and pushed her against the nearby wall. She tried to use her legs to hit him, but he put the chair in front of her and stood up with his knees on it, still holding her.

J: Mujhpe chillayegi tu?! Mujhpe?!... Chillana hai na, chilla... *lustily* Ab main jo karne wala hoon, usse baas teri cheekhe hi niklegi...

B: *angrily* Don't you dare...

He looked at her in a disgusting way and started to smell her bare shoulders. She turned her face unable to bear this.

B: Stop it Jai...

J: Abhi to shuru bhi nahi hua hai, Jaaneman...

He left her jaw and traced his hand on her bare shoulders and neck. She tried to remove her hand from his grip, but he didn't let her.

B: *shivering voice* Jai don't touch me....

J: I will.. *holding the hem of her blouse* Ye kapda bada disturb kar raha hai, let me remove it...

B: *shouting* No no no....

Suddenly, the fire alarm started ringing. He left her getting tensed and went out hurriedly. She held her blouse tightly to herself and sighed in relief. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes, but she quickly wiped it and continuously told herself to stay strong for herself and for Veer.

The door opened and Bani closed her eyes again thinking it to be Jai when she heard the most soothing voice, "Bani, Gharwali??..."... She turned and saw Veer standing there with a tensed face. They both saw each other and ran towards each other. They hugged each other and he kissed on her head numerous times. But the moment he touched her shoulder, she moved back. He looked at her confused, and she covered her awkwardness with a smile. He let it go and smiled back.

V: Tum theek ho right?!...

B: Haa I am fine... Mujhe pata tha, tum zaroor aaoge *smiling with tears*.... Maine bilkul bhi tension nahi li, aur to aur andhere se bhi nahi dari... I stayed strong...

V: *going closer to her and kissing on her forehead* I am so proud of you Sweetheart...

He patted on her shoulder and she turned away quickly. He realised that Jai might have tried to touch her and so she was reacting to any touch like that. He clenched his fist in anger, but maintained a calmness on his face. He touched her covered back and she didn't react this time. He sighed and went in front of her.

B: Tum yaha aaye kaise Veeranshu?!...

V: Fire alarm...*wink*

B: *widening her eyes* What?! HOW?..

He told him how he managed to sneak in.

~Flashback~
~~ Veer went towards the backside of the bungalow and hid there. He quickly collected some leaves from the jungle and gathered them on the ground near the fire sensor. He lit the leaves, and the smoke activated the fire sensor. Everybody started running trying to find the fire. Amidst this, Veer climbed the pipe and reached the balcony. He broke the balcony door and entered a room whose door was not locked. He opened that door and came out in the corridor, and saw Jai exiting a room in the corner and running downstairs. Jai had forgotten to lock the door in hurry. The moment he went down, Veer ran and entered the room and saw her standing there. ~~

She smiled hearing his story. She was going to answer him when they both heard the sound of footsteps. Veer quickly hid behind the curtain and Bani turned towards the door. Jai entered the room and advanced towards her angrily. Veer got a notification in his mobile and checked it. He came out and stood in front of Bani. Jai looked at him shocked.

J: Tu yaha?! Kaise?!...

V: *with an evil glare* Kyun? Shock laga??!... Koi baat nahi, apne maut ko samne dekhkar aksar logo ko shock lag hi jaata hai...

Bani smiled. Trust this guy with his comic timings, he will never fail you... Even in this serious situation, he was being calm headed and replying patiently... Damnnnn....

J: *trying to sound confident* Tu aur mera maut?! Huh, kuch bhi...

V: Lagta hai tera yaddas kamzor hai... Anyways, main achhe se bata raha hoon, Bani ko apne dimaag se nikaal de...

J: *laugh* Tch tch tch, ghatiya baat... Cheap... *closing his eyes and touching his own chest making a lusty face* Dimaag nahi, Bani mere dil mein hai...

Veer could not control himself anymore. He grabbed his collar and pushed him against the wall.

V: *dangerously* Dil, gurda, kaleja, phepda, saale sab nikaal ke bahar fek dunga... Dubara se tune agar Bani ka naam liya apne iss gande zubaan se itne casually, to I swear tu zinda nahi bachega...

J: *pushing him* Ye chal kya raha hai, mera muh mask se chhupake tere awaaz se baat karne ke baad bhi teri biwi pehchan jaa rahi hai ki wo tu nahi hai, aur tu yaha mujhe dhamka raha hai... Dono ko eksath yaha khatam kar dunga main...

V: *punching him* Saale do takey ka dhabewala, tu mujhe maarega?!... *beating him* Pehle zinda to bachke dikha...

He got up and ran away from the room hearing sound of police siren. Veer held Bani's hand and was about to get out, but she stopped him.

B: *hurriedly* Ek minute Veer, meri mobile...

She quickly went towards the cupboard and picked up her mobile. She switched it off and kept it in her pocket and held his hand again.

V: *impressed* Smart, Gharwali...

B: Thanks, ab chale?!...

V: Haa...

They went out of the room and ran downstairs. They came out of the bungalow and saw the goons already caught by the police team. Jai could not be seen anywhere. Veer looked around and alerted the police.

V: Wo saala chepu champak cheapad Dhabewala idhar hi kahi chhupa hua hai... Check the whole area and hunt him down...

The officers nodded at him, and he went towards the car holding Bani's hand.

On the way, he tripped on a stone and left her hand. He looked at his leg with pain and then looked back at Bani to see Jai trying to make her unconscious with chloroform again. He pulled Bani towards himself and launched at him. He punched him in his stomach and he fell down. He kept kicking him while shouting curses at him. The police officers came there hearing his voice, and saw Veer hitting Jai mercilessly. They went there and made Jai wear the handcuffs.

Veer was going to beat him again when he heard a thud sound behind him. He turned and saw Bani lying unconscious on the ground. The police officers went away with Jai, and Veer ran to Bani. He sat on his knees and heard her murmuring something while extending her left hand towards him.

B: Veeranshu...

He held her left hand with his right hand, and cupped her face. She was trying to open her eyes.

V: Bani, main yahi hoon tumhare paas... Bilkul tumhare saath hoon...

B: Veeranshu...*closing her eyes*

V: Tum theek ho na??...

He pulled her up with her head and hugged her, and she fainted in his arms.

He picked her up in his arms, and went to his car. He made her sit in the passenger seat. He quickly called Dr. Chopra from his mobile. DD had given him her number for any emergency. She picked up after two rings.

Dr. C: Hello?!..

V: Hello Dr. Chopra, this is Bani Sharma's husband Veeranshu here...

Dr. C: Oh yeah... Yeah say...

Veer told her what had happened in short.
V: ......so Dr., what should I do now?!...

Dr. C: Umm ok, see I think she again fainted because maybe the quantity of chloroform used was in excess... You do one thing, take her home and make her drink haldi doodh whenever she gains back her consciousness...

V: Ok Dr. ...

Dr. C: And regarding the incident, try to divert her mind now... This thing is very traumatizing for any woman, and since she has a panic attack history, this could affect her in a worse way... So now, don't let her think about it right now... First make her comfortable and happy... Once she has settled down around you, slowly make her speak about the things.. Don't ask her directly, NEVER... Keep doing things that would make her blurt out and speak out her bad experience... It is very necessary for her to talk with you, otherwise she might get another panic attack... She should not keep it hidden in her heart for long...

V: Oh ok Dr. Chopra, I got it...

Dr. C: Listen, you need to be very calm and patient with her... Don't shout at her or behave rudely... She may be stubborn at times, she may act like a spoiled brat, she may shout or even hit you, please tolerate those... Though I literally doubt if she will do any of these, cause she is Bani *chuckle*... Anyways, pamper her endlessly and take care of her like a baby, and most importantly, keep giving her strength and make her feel important and special... Don't ignore her... Follow all these until she becomes normal after speaking out everything... This is all I need to say...

V: I understood Dr. Chopra... Main sab cheezon ka khayal rakh lunga... Thanks...

He cut the call and sat in the driver seat and drove off.

               ***********************
They reached the Farmhouse and Veer quickly went to unlock the door. He came back and picked Bani in his arms and went inside. She had started to gain back her consciousness by then. He took her upstairs to his room and made her sit on the couch comfortably. He moved her hair strands behind her ear slowly. She opened her eyes and kept his hand on his chest and murmured, "Veeranshu". He knew what he was supposed to do now, distract her, and the best topic for that would be 'her first priority' thing of the party. He put on a smile on his face and replied back softly.

V: *cupping her face* Tum theek ho??.. Ofcourse theek hogi.. Uski baahon mein jise tumne chuna hai...

B: Matlab?!...

V: *holding her hand that was on his chest* Matlab ki, uss song battle ke last round mein jab kisi ko chunne ki baari aayi, tab apni so called priority list ko bhulake Mrs. Sharma tumne sabse pehle mera naam liya, mujhe chuna... Apne pati ko... *whispering happily* Ek minute, main abhi aaya... Araam se leto haa...

Veer went out of the room. She sat properly and thought about the Jai incident. She had understood what he was trying to do, he was trying to divert her mind so that she wouldn't think about the incident. She smiled at his care and decided to let him do what he wants.

He came back with a glass of turmeric milk.

V: Gharwali.. *sitting beside her and putting a cushion behind her head* Ek second, ise yaha raho, aise araam se *making her settle*... Waise, aj you were very strong, tum theek ho na?!... Chalo, jaldi se ye doodh peelo, chalo... *holding the glass near her mouth*

B: *scrunching her nose* Mhm...

V: Bani, tumne aj sabke upar mujhe chuna hai, iska matlab main hi tumhari first priority hoon... *smiling* Apne patidev ki har ek baat maanni hi paregi..

He tried to hold her nose and make her drink the milk forcefully, but she moved back whinning and pushed away the glass.

B: *sitting up* Mmmh, ise hatao, main doodh nahi peeti...

V: *sternly* Dekho, tum agar nahi peeogi na, to main keh raha hoon, main kuch karlunga... Fir baad mein mat kehna ki, matlab....

B: *settling back* Kya karoge tum, kya baad mein na kahu?!...

V: *coming close* Main kasam se kuch kar lunga...

B: *confidently* Kya karoge tum, wahi to main puchh rahi hoon?!...

V: Kiss...*looking at her lips* Apni patni ko kiss karlunga... *bringing his face closer to hers*

B: *trying to sound confident* Aisi himmat nahi karoge tum...

V: *chuckling* Hhaha, main aj kuch bhi kar kos lunga.. Pata hai kyun?! Kyunki main aj bohot khush hoon... Tumne mujhe itni khushi di hai, mann kar raha hai ki yaha pe main zor zor se chillau.. *dramatically* Actually, mch, mat piyo... Bahana mil jayega, mauka mil jayega apni patni ko gharwali ko pehli kiss karne ka, aaa

Before he could complete his word, Bani took the glass from his hand and started drinking the milk. He smiled and sat back happily.

B: Mmm..*trying to show him that she is drinking*

V: *sighing* Yaar ye biwiyan bhi na...

He looked at her cutely while she finished the whole milk.

She finally finished it and gulped it down, and turned towards him. He held his forehead and looked at her.

B: Aur... Aj, maine uh tumhe haat isliye diya, kyunki, tum mujhe waha dikh gaye aur tum ek strong player ho, sirf isliye...

V: Bakwas... Shut up... Tumne mujhe chuna, sabke upar.. Tumne mera haath thama... Inkaar kiya na, toh *coming closer to her face*...

B: *holding the glass in front* Doodh peeli hai maine...

He smirked taking the glass from her hand and kept it on the table. He then touched the upper part of her lip to clean the milk moustache, and she tried to look at his fingers, trying to absorb the giddy feeling in her stomach.

V: Relax .. *taking his hand back* Main kuch nahi kar raha, kyunki tumne aj sabkuch kar diya Bani, haa!!... Wo sab aise baithe huye the, tumne unka haath nahi liya mera haath liya... Shock laga unhe, mazaa aa gaya, chehra dekhne wala tha unlogo kaa... *chuckling*

B: *sitting straight* Veer plzz, ye mat bhulo ke wo sab abhi bhi meri priority hai...

V: Really?! Itna sab hone ke baad bhi tum wahi aatki huyi ho?!..

B: Obviously Veer... Matlab, they are my priorities, FIRST PRIORITIES...

V: Tum abhi bhi wahi keh rahi ho, ma.. *stopping and thinking* Actually farak nahi padta... Kyunki tumne mera haath pakad kiya, mera.. Tumne mujhe chuna, so it's okay... *smirking*

He tried to hold her hand but she instantly removed it.

B: Uhh, maine sach mein tumhe nahi chuna... *trying to prove her point* Tum mujhe waha khade huye dikh gaye, isliye maine tumhe haath diya.. That's it...

V: *smirking* Achha?!...

B: *turning away* Haa...Yeah...

V: *tease* Oukayy...

B: *trying to hide her blushing smile* Yeah...

He slowly bent towards her to see her face, and saw her smiling.

V: Haasi..*clicking his fingers* toh phasiii...

She turned to look at him faking seriousness.

V: Ab dekhna tum, tum dekhlena.. Ab tum mere pichhe aaogi, mujhe dhundogi, aur kahogi ki tum mujhe apna first priority maanti ho, tumne khud mujhe chuna hai...

B: No..

V: Ha..

B: Nahi..

V: Haa..

B: Nahi..

V: Nahi??!..

B: Haa..

V: *happily* Haa, dekhliya?!..

B: *widening her eyes* Nahi..

V: *smile* Haa hogaya..

B: Nahi..

V: *laugh* Haa hogaya...

B: *turning away* Maine nahi kaha..

V: *laugh* Tumne abhi haa kaha...

B: Maine nahi kaha..

V: *laugh* Tumne abhi haa kaha...

B: *setting the cushion* Maine nahi kaha..

V: *laugh* Tumne abhi haa kaha...

B: *keeping her head on the cushion* Maine nahi kaha.. Ahh..

V: Bani tumne abhi haa kaha.. *laugh*

B: *holding her head* Ss ahh.. Maine nahi kaha...

He smiled and looked at her. She looked back and couldn't control herself anymore and smiled blushing. He laughed happily seeing that, and sat back looking at her, covering his nose with his two fingers to stop smiling. She set the cushion properly again and settled comfortably while giving him a serious look. He kept gazing at her intensely. She closed her eyes and folded her hand near her chest.

He smiled thinking that finally he was successful in diverting her mind, and shifted closer to her. She smiled at his cuteness, but then she felt his intense gaze on her, He looked up to find him staring her continuously, and closed her eyes cutely unable to take the feeling.

He smiled and turned away happily, and she opened her eyes to look at him. He was thinking how to make her feel happy and comfortable, and she was busy staring him.

After few minutes, she realised what she had been doing, and turned away blushing. She got up and told him to change, and herself went to freshen up in her room.

               **********************
Bani entered her room and kept her jewelleries and other important things in the closet, and then entered the washroom. She discarded her clothes in the laundry bag and got in the shower. She was in dire need of a warm soothing shower to calm down her mind.

As the warm water touched her body, her muscles relaxed. The wall that she had made around her washed down. Tears started falling from her eyes. She applied soap in her neck and shoulders, but the disgusting touch of Jai refused to get washed off. She silently cried under the shower. She was tired of staying strong at every point. She now needed someone who could hold her in his arms and say her that it was okay to be weak at times. She needed an assurance that whatever happens, somebody will support her through that. She knew that Veer was there for her, then also she couldn't manage to let herself breakdown in front of him knowingly. So, crying silently in the shower seemed the best option to her still now.

She tried to calm herself down. "Bani, everything will be fine.. You can handle everything, no need to cry.. Be strong.." she told herself and came out of the shower. She wrapped a towel around her body, wrapped her hair with the hair towel, and stood in front of the basin mirror. She looked at her bare shoulders. Jai had touched her there. Sobs came out unknowingly.

Just then, Veer knocked in the door, "Bani...". She covered her mouth so that he couldn't hear her. But Veer being Veer, he heard muffled sobs from inside the washroom. He sighed sadly and went to sit on her bed. She quickly wiped her tears, and washed her face. She looked at the mirror and told to herself, "You are Bani... You are strong... You are the strongest woman.. You have gone through many things and were able to come out of those successfully... You will come out of it too... You don't need anyone, you are enough youself....".

She wore her black sleeveless nightsuit and looked at the mirror for one last time. All her night kurtas had a deep back, she wanted to wear something covering but she didn't have anything. She sighed and went to unlock the washroom door.

               **********************
Veer was standing in front of the mirror in her room and setting his hair when he heard the washroom door unlock. He turned and saw her coming out with a towel in her hair.

V: Tumne abhi shower li?!...

B: * without looking at him* Hmm, I needed it...

He was going to ask her why but then stopped understanding what she meant and sighed. She had already gone in front of the mirror and was checking the small wound near her elbow. He turned and saw her bare back. There was a cut on the left side, and it was bleeding. He brought a clean handkerchief from his room and kept it on the wound.

She was applying medical lotion on her wound when she felt him touch her back. She quickly turned in reflex.

B: Aah... *turning angrily* Ye kya harkat hai, kar kya rahe ho tum?!..

V: *smiling* Chance mar raha hoon... Khoon beh rahi hai, waha behosh hoke gir gayi thi to chot lag gayi hai.. Saaf

B: *trying to touch it* Ek minute, ouh.. *in pain* Oof...

V: Ahha... Chalo palto, main saaf kar deta hoon...

B: *stopping him* Main khud kar lungi, mujhe tumhari zarurat nahi hai..

V: Sweetheart tum itni bhi khubsurat nahi ki meri niyaat bigad jaaye..

She gasped at him. He smirked and pulled the towel from her hair. The hair covered her back. He saw her back from the mirror and nodded.

V: Ab thik hai.. *trying to touch the wound from her front* Ab kar loon?!..

She moved back and closed her eyes. He understood that she was being uncomfortable and turned her around. She looked at him through the mirror annoyed.

V: Main bas help kar raha hoon Bani..

B: But...

V: *looking at her through the mirror* Sweetheart, ek kaam karo, waha samne dekho.. Tum mujhe dekho, main tumhe dekhunga.. I swear main kahin aur nahi dekh paunga fir, ok?!...

The words did something to her. She stared right into his eyes, and he also stared back intensely.

He took the lotion from her hand and moved her hair, and applied the lotion on the cut.

She winced in pain but did not move her eyes even once. The touch was making her uneasy, but the care and concern in Veer's eyes were so soothing that it suppressed the uneasiness. They kept looking at each other.

After applying the lotion properly, he smiled at her.

V: Hogayi tasalli?!... Trust me, ek second ke liye maine kahin aur nahi dekha, sirf tumhe hi dekh raha tha...

She turned, took the lotion from his hand, picked up its cap, and went to keep it in her cupboard. She smiled remembering what he told right now. He saw this, and went downstairs whistling a tune.

             **********************
Veer came back to her room with a plate having their dinner. He came inside and saw her standing in the balcony. He called her and she came in.

B: *looking at the plate* Veer, mujhe bhook nahi hai... Please...

V: Tum chupchap yaha baitho aake...

B: Veer please...

V: *sighing* Ok fine.. Mat khao.. Waise bhi, main hota hi kaun hoon, tum meri baat manogi bhi kyun!!.. Sahi hai...

He got up to leave. She frowned and made him sit forcefully and sat beside him. He smiled inwardly.

B: Drama khatam hi nahi hote tumhare... Ye emotional blackmail karna kaha se sikha tumne?...

V: Tumse...*chuckling* Anyways, lo muh kholo...

She was going to deny it but the moment she opened her mouth to talk, he put the spoonful in her mouth. She glared at him but ate the food anyways. He himself took a bite and smiled. Like this, they both had their dinner.

Veer told Bani to go to sleep in his room, and himself went down to keep the plate. He came upstairs after few minutes and entered his room to find her already asleep. He smiled at that and settled on the bed, but a little away from her. He kept the night lamps on and slept.

In the middle of the night, Veer's sleep broke hearing her voice. He hurriedly got up and switched on the main light. She was nodding her head sideways frantically and repeating the same thing, "Nahi..nahi Jai nahi... Nahi...". He realised that she was getting scary glimpses. He scooted closer to her and hugged her from her waist. She touched his hand and instantly calmed down. She muttered "Veer...", held his hand tightly and cocooned herself in his embrace. He smiled seeing her trying to seek comfort from him. He kissed on her forehead, switched off the main light and slept hugging her tightly.

              **********************
The next morning, Veer woke up before Bani and quickly made her favourite breakfast. He then went to wake her up. She woke up, freshened and got ready for office.

Veer noticed that she was wearing a full sleeved high neck top with jeans. He sighed understanding that yesterday's incident had made her so uncomfortable that she was trying to keep herself fully covered. She was behaving normally with him, but he knew she was breaking from inside.

She had her breakfast and left for office. Veer planned a surprise to make her feel special and happy, and smiled.

           ************************
In the office, Bani stayed in her own cabin the whole day and did her work. She didn't even talk with DD saying that she was busy. DD thought that she was really busy and let her do her work.

She came back home at around 7:30 pm. She entered the house and saw a big paper lying on the ground. She picked it up. It read:
"Come to the terrace after changing. I am waiting for you. -Your Cutu😉".
She smiled curiously and went to change.

Veer had arranged a date setup on the terrace. He had decorated the place with some fairy lights, white curtains, and a table in the middle with two chairs. He also had kept some roses in a vase. Soft music was playing in the background. He saw her car entering the Farmhouse and was waiting for her to come upstairs when he heard her footsteps. He quickly switched off the fairy lights and got ready with his surprise.

Bani came upstairs wearing a red casual long dress. She opened the door of the terrace and walked in. She got surprised seeing everything. She was in awe with the decorations and was about to call Veer when suddenly soap bubbles started floating around her, and Veer called, "Sweetheart..". She closed her eyes in fear. This was exactly like what had happened yesterday. He came towards her and started circling her while whistling and playing with the bubble gun. She remembered the terrifying moments of yesterday and started panicking.

B: Ye tum hi ho, tum Veer nahi ho... Dur raho mujhse... Main dobara ye galti nahi dohraungi.. *shouting* Just stop it, bandh karo ise.. Maine kaha bandh karo ise... Just stop this Jai... Bandh karo ise, just roko roko roko ise Jai...

Veer heard Jai's name and stopped abruptly. He realised that something similar must have happened, thus she was thinking him to be Jai. He threw the bubble gun away and stopped the music. She was still shouting in panic. He hurriedly pulled her near and cupped her face, trying to calm her down.

V: *tensed* Bani... Bani, Bani bass... Bani Bani Bani, Bani h-haa m-meri, m-meri taraf dekho...

She touched his right hand and checked for the ring. She felt her ring on his finger and got relieved. He enveloped her in a hug and started rubbing her back and caressing her head with his both hands.

V: Bani... Bani main Veer hoon, Veer... Tumhara Veeranshu, tumhara Cutu... I am so sorry... Bani, main Veer hoon, tumhara Veer...

B: *calming down* Veer... Tum Veer hi ho, tum Veer hi ho...

Veer breathed a sigh of relief and closed his eyes. He kept rubbing her back to soothe her. He himself had got scared seeing her panicking like that.

After few seconds, when they both had calmed down, he opened his eyes. He realised she was not hugging him back, which meant she was still scared. He felt sad for making her go through this again, though unknowingly. He tried to calm her down by saying sweet nothings to her.

V: Bas Bani bas, tumhe darne ki bilkul zarurat nahi hai... ab main aagaya hoon na?!.. Tum safe ho bilkul mere saath ho..I will never harm you, tu-tum janti hi na iss baat ko?!...*guiltily* I am so sorry Bani..Uss Dhabewale ke wajah se tumhe kitna kuch sehna para... Main nahi tha waha.. Tumhe itna kuch sehna para,usne tumhe kitna torture kiya, I am so sorry.. Tum akeli thi, I am so sorry... *determined* Par ab main aa gaya hoon, ab tumhe koi takleef chhu nahi paayegi, I promise you that..  Bas, *kissing in air* bas... *confused smile* Waise, waise ek baat batao... Tumhe, matlab tumhe pata kaise chala ki wo main hoon??...

B: *opening her eyes* Wo, tumne..meri anguthi pehni huyi thi...

He smiled contentedly, and switched on the fairy lights with the remote. The place got brighter, Bani looked around and realised her position. The uneasiness came back, amd she got away from him.

V: *smiling* Tumhari iss ungli wali observation pe *clapping* ek taali to baanti hai...

B: *annoyed* Ye kya kar rahe the tum?

V: *casually* Kya kar rahe the matlab? Apni wife ko hug karke, us-use himmat de raha tha...

He tried to hug her again, but she stepped back. He moved back calmly.

V: Ok, ok...Relax... Calm down... Tum-tumhe uss bubble wali gun se problem thi na, maine use uthake fek diya... Calm down...

Bani looked at him and hurriedly went down. He looked on and smiled sadly. He knew she would be upset and thought of another quick plan to make her happy.

             ************************
She entered her room and closed the door. She sat against the door and tried to stop thinking about yesterday. She took deep breaths to calm herself. After about 10 minutes, when she had finally overcome yesterday's thought, she realised what she did at the terrace. She hit her forehead.

"Shit Bani... Ye tune kya kardiya... Veer ne kitna mehnat karke wo sab arrange kiya tha, aur main waha use akela chhor ke aagayi... Usse theek se baat bhi nahi ki maine.. He is doing so much for me, and this is what he gets in return?! Not fair... I should go and apologize to him right now....".. Thinking this, she got up and went to his room.

As soon as he opened the door of his room, he started singing. She saw him sitting on the chair wearing a hat and with his guitar, and got confused.

Main koi aisa geet gau,
Ke aarzoo jagau,
Agar tum kaho...
(He walked to her and sang the lines smiling)
Main koi aisa geet gau,
Ke aarzoo jagau,
Agar tum kaho...
(He circled her happily while singing)
Tumko bulau, ye palke bichhau,
Kadam tum jaha jaha rakho..
(She saw a way made on the ground with rose petals. He went towards the balcony and signalled her to come, and she came walking over them)
Zameen ko aasman banau,
Sitaro se sajau,
Agar tum kaho...
(She saw fairy lights hanging in the balcony. He sang the lines and she looked at those lights smiling)
Main koi aisa geet gau,
Ke aarzoo jagau,
Agar tum kaho...
(He smiled seeing her smiling and sang)

Main titliyon ke pichhe bhagu,
Main jugnuon ke pichhe jau..
(He swayed to one side and then to other side while singing, and she kept looking at him)
Ye rang hai wo roshni hai,
Tumhare paas dono lau..
(He sang the lines keeping the guitar aside. He quickly pulled out two small transparent cans from both of his pockets, and she looked on shocked. One can had a butterfly and the other had fireflies. She took the cans and opened the lid, and they flew away)
Jitni khusbuain, baag mein mile..
Ha jitni khusbuain, baag mein mile,
Main laun waha pe ki tum ho jaha
(She was looking at those happily when he sang the next lines. He gave her a red rose, and she took it)
Jaha pe ek paal bhi thehro,
Main gulsita banau,
Agar tum kaho...
(He made her turn and she saw a bouquet of red roses kept there. She kept her red rose in it and smelled them)
Main koi aisa geet gau,
Ke aarzoo jagau,
Agar tum kaho...
(He gave his hand to her amd she held it. He took her to the couch and made her sit there and himself sat beside her while singing)

He sang happily, as if trying to convey the lyrics to her in real. She smiled seeing his efforts to make her happy. Slowly, he ended the song looking at her...

Main koi aisa geet gau,
Ke aarzoo jagau,
Agar tum kaho....

-----------------------------------------------------------

Hey my lovely readers, here's a long and important chapter for you all... Hope you all loved it...

Chapter Trivia...
Q. Bani got uncomfortable when Veer touched her bare shoulder or back, but didn't feel such when he touched her waist or covered back; why?!
Q. Will Veer leave Jai so easily and not do anything more with him?!
Q. How do you think will Veer make Bani speak out everything?!

Precap:-
Chal, chal ve tu bandeya, uss galiye Jaha koi kisiko na jaane...