12

Parth opened his eyes to see that his older brother Randhir was sitting on the desk, leaning towards his tutor. He frowned and turned to look at his tutor. She was actually quite hot. Perhaps that was why his older brother was so close to her.

After all, Randhir only got this close to girls he found hot.

Parth coughed, causing Sanyukta's eyes to open and Randhir to lean back on the desk.

"You're awake?" she asked, sounding out of breath.

"These are my tutoring hours," Parth said. "So please Randhir don't fuck her here."

Sanyukta frowned.

"What does that mean?" she asked.

She knew that people said the word "fuck" as a swear word out of frustration but she had never understood what it meant when it was used in that context.

Parth's mouth fell open as if he was confused whether his tutor was for real.

"You're such an old aunty!" Parth said, rolling his eyes.

Randhir also stared at Sanyukta with an incredulous expression on his face.

"I'm not an aunty!" she denied. "I'm 22!"

"Pooja, don't worry about the meaning. Parth, if you listen to your teacher then I won't have to entertain her. She's a special guest you see," Randhir told his younger brother with a wink.

Special guest? How was she special? Just because she was Parth's tutor?

"Ready to learn?" Sanyukta asked him, hoping that he was willing to look at the subject now.

"Okay but don't bore me," Parth said.

"I'll try," Sanyukta replied.

"Then I'm off. I'll meet you after class," Randhir told Sanyukta.

Sanyukta nodded and watched him go, a small smile forming on her face. Parth noticed this and shook his head.

"Don't fall for him. It's not worth it," Parth advised.

Sanyukta turned to face the youngest Shekhawat.

"Huh?" she asked.

"I mean it. He leaves all the girls heartbroken in the end. Him and Rehaan. It's what they do... they have sex with girls and then leave them," Parth told Sanyukta.

Sanyukta felt a jab in her heart when Parth informed her. Why did she feel so bad that Randhir left girls heartbroken? It wasn't like she liked him to feel anything.

"Of course. I wouldn't fall for him," Sanyukta scoffed. "I came here to be your tutor, not to fall for anyone."

She turned to look at the material and started to explain it to Parth.

Really, she had come here for a mission, and now she thought that she should get this mission started as soon as possible, so she could end it and leave this weird place that made her feel strange things. She was much better off in the comfort of her own home without any confusing boys playing mind games with her.

13

After class that day, Randhir caught her arm outside the study room and she pulled it off, looking away from him. Parth knew his older brother the best. If Parth said to stay away from Randhir, then surely it would be better for her if she did.

"What?" she asked.

"I came to ask you if you wanted to go out," he told her.

"Out?" she squeaked.

She had never gone out before... not without her family, and even then, she spent most of the time in the car with the driver or at the event they had left their house to attend. She hadn't been on the streets, she hadn't gone shopping, nor had she seen much of the outside world... it was limited to pictures and what she saw at the movies.

Her brother Ankit was allowed in and out of the house as much as he wanted. He was Rehaan's age, but he was also a boy. Boys had more freedom in her house than girls did.

"Yes, out," Randhir said coolly.

"I don't know if I'm allowed," Sanyukta mumbled.

She didn't think that as an outsider she was allowed to leave the house.

"I'm allowing you to come out with me, if you stick with me," Randhir told her.

"Where will we go?" she asked.

"It's a surprise," he said to her with a smile.

"Surprise?" she asked, her eyes wide.

Parth warned her to stay away from him, but his proposal was too good to miss. It had been a dream to roam the streets freely.

"Just come. Get ready and we'll go out," he told her.

She nodded. She was about to go to her room when she stopped and turned around to face him again.

"Wait Randhir?" she asked. "Don't people want to shoot you?"

"What?" he asked, taken aback.

"I mean being the President's son," she clarified.

"Oh. Well, not really. I'm not the president," he said with a shrug. "Dad never goes out without protection, but I always have... and people don't even recognize me. They haven't put me on the media much... yet anyways."

"Yet?" she asked.

"Yes, when I become President, it'll be whole different story," he told her with a smile.

So Randhir was going to be the successor? Or was he just being overconfident? She supposed that she could find out if she spent more time with him.

"Can I make a phone call?" she asked. "Before we go?"

"Yes, sure," he said.

Sanyukta smiled at him and then went to the family phone. She picked it up and dialed Rudra uncle's number. She couldn't call her own home... if these calls were traced, then she would be dead.

"Hello?" the familiar voice of her father's friend greeted.

"Rudra uncle," Sanyukta whispered. "How is everyone?"

"Speak normally," Rudra said. "Everyone's good. How are you San - Pooja?"

"I'm good," Sanyukta said.

"How's the teaching going?" Rudra asked.

He meant progress and she knew it.

"I don't know how to make it progress," Sanyukta said with a sigh.

"Get on it. You should hurry up," Rudra warned. "The sooner you do it, the more capable you'll look."

"Okay I have to go. I'm glad everyone's good. I'll call later," she said.

"Bye dear," Rudra uncle said and hung up.

Sanyukta went to her room to get ready for her date with Randhir. Maybe Randhir's intention was to trap her to have sex with him so he could leave her heartbroken after. She didn't quite know what it really was... but regardless, the only way out she saw was that she would have to trap him instead. She had to get him to reveal secrets to her.

If he would reveal secrets to her as his friend, then it'd be easier... but if it meant that she would have to get him trapped in a love game, then she would do that too.

To become her father's successor, she was willing to go to any lengths.

14

As Sanyukta followed Randhir outside the mansion, the security guard at the gate saluted at him. He didn't pay him any attention though and continued to walk with his hands shoved in the pockets of his jeans. Sanyukta was nervously holding her hands together and walking beside him.

They walked on the streets for a bit. The Shekhawat mansion was in the middle of nowhere, but it didn't take that long through a shortcut to get into the city. Once they reached the city though, she smiled.

It was nothing like she had imagined.

There were people everywhere - more people than she imagined could have coexisted in one area. She had studied geography and knew about the population of the country, but when she looked at it, she realized exactly how many people that meant. There were vendors at the sides of the roads with tea stalls and snacks.

There were people screaming at each other, fighting on the streets, and smoking. She could smell the scent of paper burning in the air. The roads were dusty and weren't clean, definitely not what she was used to.

She was just staring at everything with awe. Randhir turned to look at her and upon seeing how wide her eyes went, he frowned. Why did it look like she had never been out on the streets before?

"Oh is that a pani puri stall?" she asked, pointing to a stall that looked like it sold pani puri's.

"Yeah," Randhir said, nodding, completely taken aback by how little she seemed to know.

"Can we have some?" she asked him.

"You know it's unhygienic to eat outside food?" he asked her.

She knew. Only hygienic food was allowed inside her house... but she always wanted to know what roadside food tasted like.

"That's why I want to have it! I want to taste what unhygienic means," she told him.

Randhir looked at her like she was crazy but then he shrugged.

"Okay," he told her. "But don't blame me if you get diarrhea after."

She frowned and scrunched her nose with disgust. Ew. Why was he talking about her getting diarrhea?

She followed him to the stall though, where he ordered a plate of pani puri's for her. As she took the first one, she offered it to him but he shook his head.

She plopped it in her mouth and her eyes lit up. It was so tasty! Randhir watched with a small smile on his face as she had the pani puri's, one by one. A little bit of pani puri water ran down the side of her lips and Randhir reached out after she had her last one. He used his fingers to brush the corner of her lips gently, making her tremble.

Sanyukta looked into his eyes, and she lost herself again.

15

He didn't know what it was about her that made him attracted to her. She wasn't simply hot. There was more to her than her looks, and he couldn't put a finger on it. Why did he want to protect her and take care of her? What was it about her that made him want to do all of this?

Randhir took her to a high-end dessert restaurant, where they took their seats and ordered dessert out of the menu. Sanyukta, once again, looked like she had never been out to a restaurant before.

Why did she act like she had just stepped out of her house after being confined her whole life? Why was there so much mystery surrounding her?

"I want chocolate ice cream," she told him.

"Give the order to the waiter, not to me," he told her, studying her expression.

She looked embarrassed.

"Oh, sorry," she apologized.

"It's okay," he said with a smile. "I'll get the cheesecake. I think you'll like it."

"Oh, I love cheesecake!" she said, sounding happy.

After the waiter arrived, they gave their orders. Randhir also ordered cappuccinos for both of them. Coffee with dessert was just heaven and he was sure that she would enjoy it.

"Has Rehaan bothered you again after that day?" Randhir asked her.

She shook her head.

"Nope... but it seems like you won't leave me alone," she said with a smile.

Randhir returned her smile.

"Of course not," he told her. "There's something about you that pulls me closer."

"What?" she asked, feeling nervous.

"I don't know," he admitted.

"You're going to be your dad's successor?" she then asked him.

"Yes. I mean, Rehaan thinks he will, but I'm sure it'll be me. I have to be," Randhir said, sounding determined. "I can't lose to Rehaan, not under any cost."

"Why?" she asked.

"Ever since we were young, we've always competed. Whether it was for higher grades or our father's time, or who would get to be closer to Parth," Randhir informed. "It was always a competition."

"And about girls too?" Sanyukta inquired.

"Well, yeah," Randhir admitted.

"Aren't you already working for your dad? So surely if you're good enough he'll choose you," Sanyukta said with a shrug.

"I am working for dad. Rehaan is too. And Rehaan's talented too... so dad's having a hard time," Randhir said.

"What do you do?" Sanyukta probed further.

Randhir smiled at her.

"Ah, now that's confidential," he told her. "I can't tell you."

"Why?" Sanyukta asked, pouting. "Aren't we friends?"

"Even if you're my best friend, I wouldn't be able to tell you," he told her.

"What will it take for you to tell me?" she asked him, trying to sound casual, like she was merely curious and not trying to get the information for any ulterior motive.

"You really want to know?" he teased, making her bite down on her lower lip nervously and turn a faint pink colour. "Would you do it if I told you?"

After a few moments of silence, she nodded.

"Yes," she whispered breathlessly.

16

Was the girl in front of him simply curious about what he did for his father or did she have another reason? Surely she couldn't have another reason. A girl as innocent as her was probably only curious.

"One kiss," he told her. "And I'll tell you what I do for my father."

"Kiss?" she gasped.

"Think about it," he told her with a smirk.

He knew she wouldn't kiss him, and he knew he couldn't tell her. So he proposed a condition that would make her back off from asking him.

He didn't know how adamant she was though.

The waiter arrived with their desserts and cappuccinos. Sanyukta seemed lost in her own world, contemplating the kiss option, as she had her dessert.

Randhir's phone then started to ring. Taking it out of his pocket, he groaned. Vidhushi.

"Hello?" he said, answering it.

"Randhir, where are you? I thought we were going to spend time today," she said.

"Not today," he told her.

"But I was ready for you," she said, clearly upset.

"Okay I'll come over tonight. Don't worry," he said. "Anyways I'm busy now. I'll call you later."

"Busy?" Vidhushi asked.

"Doing something for dad," he lied. "Bye."

Then he hung up the phone and groaned loudly again.

Sanyukta suspiciously looked at him. Who was he visiting tonight?

"Who was it?" she asked curiously.

"Nobody," he said, trying to avoid the topic.

"Okay," she said, frowning, and had the ice cream in silence.

After they had their desserts, Randhir took Sanyukta back home.

"You're going out?" she asked, as she watched him turn around to leave the house again.

"Yeah, I have to meet someone," he said.

"Who?" Sanyukta asked.

"Nobody," he told her.

Then he walked off, leaving her confused. Who was he going to meet? Why did it bother her so much? She just shrugged and went inside, her mind stuck on the kiss.

Should she agree to kiss him to get information for her father?

17

Randhir pulled his clothes on as Vidhushi sat up on the bed, admiring his body. He had only been there for a few hours and didn't want to spend another moment here.

He had made a false commitment to Vidhushi. He was using her for sex. It was obvious he didn't have any feelings for her but it was also obvious that she really liked him, so she kept a blind eye to all the other girls that he slept with... according to her, he kept on returning to her anyways. Throughout the years, although he had slept with many girls, she had been the one constant.

"You seem more eager to leave today," she told him, standing up and hugging him from behind.

"I have stuff to do for dad," he lied.

"Rehaan came to see me the other day," she said, her words muffling into the back of his shirt.

"Did you fuck him?" Randhir asked darkly.

"No. Never," she said. "I've only ever been with you... even if you're with many others."

"Good. Don't talk to Rehaan," Randhir replied.

"I won't," she said, "As long as you keep on seeing me like this."

Vidhushi let go of him and he turned to look at her. She glanced down at his lips and he noticed this, but he put his shoes on and just left her house without another word.

As soon as he got home, it was past midnight. As he was unlocking the door to his room, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Pooja?" he asked.

"I'm ready to kiss you," she told him boldly. "If you give me -"

"Shhh," Randhir said, pressing his hand against her mouth, and opened the door to his room, pulling her in with him and holding her against the wall.

He locked the door behind them and turned on the lights.

She looked into his eyes innocently.

"You can't say things like that in the hall," he warned, removing his hand from her mouth.

"Can we do it quickly?" she asked him.

Randhir looked at her with shock. She was serious?

18

Why did she want to know what he did so desperately, that she was willing to kiss him? He looked at her suspiciously. She was joking right? She really had to be. There was no way that someone so innocent would willingly agree to kiss someone for information that would have no value to them.

"You're crazy," he told her. "Go to your room."

"But -" she started.

"No," he warned. "Get out."

"That's not fair!" she complained. "You're the one who gave me a condition and I'm agreeing."

"It's not happening," he told her.

"Fine then!" she snapped, her eyes filling with tears. "I'll ask Rehaan."

Randhir grabbed her arm as she was about to leave and pulled her back inside.

"What is wrong with you?" he hissed. "Why are you willing to let go of the things you value for information that you don't need?"

"I just want to know!" she argued.

"Why?" he probed.

"I want to help you," she lied.

"I'm not telling you anything and if you keep on being persistent then I'll have no choice but to stop talking to you," he told her.

"Then I'll have no choice but to go to Rehaan," she threatened.

"Don't you dare," he warned.

"I want to know!" she told him, tears falling from her eyes.

"I'm not telling you," he told her. "And neither will Rehaan. He'll tell you to spend one night with him in exchange for the information. Will you do it?"

Sanyukta's eyes went wide.

"Spend one night?" she asked.

"Meaning have sex," he retorted.

"Yes, I will!" she said stubbornly. "If it gives me the information I need."

"You've lost it!" he told her. "What's wrong with you?"

"I'm going to him. Leave me!" she said, struggling, trying to remove her arm from his grip.

"He'll spend the night with you then throw you away," he told her. "He won't give you any information."

"You're not telling me anything either!" she snapped.

"There's something really wrong with you. You've come here to be Parth's tutor, not to snoop around," he hissed.

She finally removed her arm from his hold and angrily left his room, slamming the door shut to her own room.

She didn't mean it when she said she'd have sex with Rehaan for information. The truth was that she wanted to provoke Randhir into telling her. Rehaan scared her and she wanted to stay away from him... thoughts of kissing Randhir made her feel jittery, not scared. Whereas if she replaced Randhir with Rehaan in her thoughts, it was like her whole body was shaken with fear.

Sanyukta knew one thing... she would have to get this information out of Randhir, no matter what it cost her. As strange as it sounded even to herself, she was willing to lose her identity to Randhir, but not to Rehaan.

19

The next day, Randhir avoided Sanyukta. He thought that if he maintained a distance from her, she would come out of that insane phase she was going through, where she was trying to figure out what he did for his father.

Sanyukta, on the other hand, was trying to get closer to Randhir. The only problem was that he seemed to have disappeared. He spent the whole day outside of the house and it was bothering her.

While she was tutoring Parth, her mind was somewhere else.

"You like Randhir, don't you?" Parth asked, looking up from his math problems.

"No," she denied. "Do your work."

"Yeah right," Parth muttered under his breath. "He does this to all girls."

She felt an ache in her chest as Parth said that Randhir made all girls fall for him.

A few minutes later, Sanyukta asked Parth a question that had been bothering her.

"Who's Vidhushi?" she asked the youngest Shekhawat.

"Oh... his girlfriend," Parth said coolly.

"How come he says he doesn't have one then?" she probed.

"Because he doesn't consider himself committed but he has committed. He just uses her for a good fuck," Parth told Sanyukta. "Oh sorry, sex. Fuck means sex."

Sanyukta's mouth nearly fell open and for some reason, this hurt her more.

"He uses her for sex?" she asked him, her voice small.

"Yeah, but he fucks other girls too," Parth said with a shrug. "Vidhushi knows but she won't break up with him because she's happy he keeps coming to her."

"How do you know so much?" she asked Parth suspiciously.

"I always hear Randhir and Rehaan talking about their kill count," Parth informed. "They argue loudly, so it isn't exactly a secret."

Sanyukta crossed her arms together, feeling insecure for some reason. Why did it matter to her who he had sex with? He could have sex with the world... as long as he stayed away from her, she didn't care.

Deep down, she already knew she was doomed.