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Naina trod as slightly as she could, sneaking into a room. She squirmed her eyes to see through the murk of the gloomy room. Uneasiness creeped into her mind when those old memories ran through her head as she heard the taunting laughter of years past. It was the  same voice which she feared since she was a kid. Angst sidled into her veins, paralyzing her ability of perception.
Terror mounted with every step while she fought a rising panic.

"Ma'am you are not allowed to go there without the Boss's permission." A guard tried to stop her from moving further but words stalled in his mouth as Naina showed him a palm, gesturing him to cut his talk. A shrill scream left her tormented by fear. Terror stabbed right to her chest,as she recognised the tongue, to which the voice belonged to. She swiftly stepped in the direction of the voice to find a man tied to a chair, as blood and gore stuck over his skin like a second layer. Naina gasped sharply as her heart leaped into her throat and spotted that he was her uncle. His shrinking eyes hardened, infuriating at her sight.

"I am suffering all this shit because of you, bitch!" He yelled, clenching his jaw as he felt the bubbling fury in his guts. Naina was still in daze, unable to process her mind. Her heart hammered against her chest as terror stabbed her heart.

"You are and will always be a disgrace to our family. You killed your mother, your father was smart enough to leave you! You are really a bad omen, a bitch who ruins people! All I asked from you was to spend a night and this is what you have done to me."

"Shut up! I don't care who left me, do you get that. I have my husband by my side and I know he would never leave me alone. I am not your mistress or bound to anyone to let them use me! Get that straight in your head." Naina yelled. Anger and pain was so intertwined in her voice as she got triggered by his talks.

"Husband, huh, such a whore you are. You can spread your legs for the man whom you are sold to. When the contract ends you would let yourself get used by another man..." He was unable to complete as a blow struck him by Naina right under his jaw. She pulled him, grabbing his collar in her fist. He shivered as he noticed her bloodshot eyes. She did not care as the slight rasp of material ripping sounded like an echo in the silence of the room.

"Disgusting person I have ever met is you. I should have done this way before, but I still kept respecting a bastard like you because you were a part of my fake family. I agree it was my mistake but I would gladly rectify it." Naina glanced at his eyes, which held fear that gave her a sense of contentment. She knocked him onto his nose to eliminate any vision he might have had. He groaned in pain as blood poured out of his mouth.

"Le-Let me go, pl-please." He begged with whatever strength he was left with.

"You never listened to me when I requested you to stop doing those things to me. You didn't stop hitting me when I requested you not to. You still touched me wrongly when I told you to stop. You gave me all these scars, these painful memories, do you still have the guts to ask for mercy? I had never thought bad for you nor had I done such a thing that you punished me like that!" Naina yelled

"You deserved that." He retorted angrily.

"Then you deserve this." Naina said as she picked up a piece of metal that was lying nearby and lunged it right into his chest. Then suddenly her actions slowed down and all movement stopped like a jammed cine film. She wailed in the air but now it was different. It's because of the affliction she had suppressed in herself all these years.

"Naina?" 
S

ameer called her in concern as he walked in the room, followed by worried Xander. Naina peeked at him, she tried to move towards him but couldn't. She staggered towards him with whatever strength she was left with, as tears drained down her cheeks. The metal piece slipped down her hands.

"What did you do?" Sameer uttered, staring down at her blood covered hands in horror. She glanced at her hand, then at the groaning body of her uncle realising what she had done. Her eyes started getting numb as moisture collected at the bottom lid of her eyes. Her lips parted but words stalled in her mouth.

"What did you do, Naina?"

He bawled, still Naina did not respond to him. She chewed her lips to restrain her cries.

"She's a kid, Sameer. Don't yell at her."Xander spoke, defending Naina.

"Why did you do this? Mana kiya tha na maine apko yaha aane se, phir kyu aayi aap yaha?"

"Reply to me, Naina!" 

"I was ro-roaming..I hear-heard his voice so I walked in the room...he spoke very bad about me...really bad..bad abo..about me so..I..I" She uttered with great difficulty clutching his hand with her shivering hands. She looked up at him as tears filled in her already swollen eyes.

"It's okay." Sameer caressed her face, leaving blood streaks on her face.

"I-I killed him." She mumbled against her breath.

"Are you guilty?" 

"No, he deserved that. He deserved that for saying such things to me. He deserved that for touching me inappropriately. Nobody can touch me witho-without my consent." Sameer's lips tugged a bit as he heard her. He leaned towards her short frame and kissed her forehead.

"Silva, take her to my cabin or my mansion if she wishes to. Take care of her till I come back." Xander shook his head in a way of understanding and held his hand out for Naina to hold but she held onto Sameer. She looked at him with teary eyes earning a sigh from Sameer.

"I have some work, Naina. How can I leave this bastard untouched by me after what he has done."

"He's dead." Xander said in disbelief.

"Not yet. He cannot die before I give him a great death to remember. Take her, Silva." Sameer smirked as he walked towards the howling body of Naresh. Xander held Naina's hand and took her forcibly as she resisted to come out with him.

"Why are you pulling me?" She yelled and bit his hand.

"For god's sake lower your voice! You need to change this blood stained dress of yours. You have hurted yourself too. Just get in the cabin and let me dress these wounds first." He said sternly and gestured to her to sit.

"You hit him really well though." Xander spoke as he wiped off blood from her hands.

"I can hit you too, should I?" Naina snapped.

"You always find reason to fight with me, huh?" Xander asked, adjusting her hair with his hands. 

"Because I find you irritating." She mumbled in a low voice.

"If you feel so, that's great but dear you have to bear me as Sameer is not going to return soon" He replied grinning as she made a bad face. He dressed her wounds and strode towards the closet placed at a corner of the room.

"Don't touch it! It belongs to Mr. Maheshwari." Naina yelled as she pulled Xan away from the closet.

"Are you crazy? I was just picking a shirt for you. Sameer is my friend. I can touch his clothes. You are nobody to stop me." Xander spoke as he flicked her forehead with his fingers and pulled out a shirt for her. Naina grumpily took it and walked away from there.

Xander sighed as she came back wearing oversized clothes. "Tuck it in kiddo." 

Naina looked at him with a confused pout making him sigh again. He rolled her cuffs till her elbows and gestured Naina to tuck the shirt.

"Sameer had messaged me to take you back to the mansion as he would be late."

"No!I will go back with my Mr. Maheshwari."

"Great! Be here then and disobey his orders. You very well know what will be the consequences." Naina held his hand and bit his palm making him wince in pain.

"If you do that again I will throw you out of that fucking window. Wh-What the hell are you doing now? Naina?" Xander yelled.

"Checking how high the drop is, getting ready for an awesome experience." 

"Shut up and let's go before Sameer kills us." Xander spoke, collecting his files and blazer from the chair as he held Naina's hand protectively.

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"Don't touch m-" Naina screamed, flinching away from Xander as he placed his hand on her shoulder. She palmed her face to relax herself as her body shook with uncontrollable fear. 

"It's me, I won't hurt you." Xander said as he sat next to her, holding her palm firmly.

"Listen to me Naina, you are safe and you don't have to be scared of anybody." He said, assuring her. Naina just bobbed her head a bit and slipped herself into his embrace.

"H-He won't return right? Would he?"

"He is dead, kiddo. He will never return." He assured her by patting her head slightly and stayed like that for a few minutes.

"Xan, you are like a teddy." She mumbled as she giggled, snuggling closer to him.

"Do you really like to annoy me, Naina? The whole time you have just fought with me, isn't it enough for the day?" Xander sighed.

"I said what I felt, Xan. You are really comfy and warm so I called you a teddy. You are my friend, why would I annoy you?" Naina spoke as she pulled her lips into a pout.

"Don't look at me with those innocent eyes because I know you are upto some mischief."

"You know me so well Xan. That's the reason you are my best friend." She said, batting her eyelids, making sure that she had put up the cutest expression on her face.

"What do you want from me?" He questioned, narrowing his eyes.

"I wanna play! Let's play something." 

"No ways."

"Please." 

"I am not a kid like you. I have taken care of you for the whole day, which was more tiresome than my gym routine. I have no strength left kiddo, spare me for today." Xander said as he laid on the ground.

"If you don't play with me, I will complain about you to Mr. Maheshwari." Naina said with a sly smile.

"Are you threatening me?" Xander squinted his eyes.

"Ofcourse I am! Now get up and play with me. What should we play?"

"Blindfold! You catch me, okay?" He said at which she agreed. Xander handed her his handkerchief and helped her to tie it over her eyes. He sat on a nearby bench, surfing on his phone as she searched for him. Her laughter echoed in the air, she kept mumbling a few things to Xander. She winced as she bumped into someone hurting her nose. Her expressions soon elated, "I got you, Xa... Mr. Maheshwari?" Naina mumbled against her breath as she felt a rough palm on her cheeks. Her face flushed as she could feel her husband's gaze.

"It's great you came back to handle your wife. Goodnight kiddo." Xander said as he left towards the room. Naina lowered the handkerchief and stared as Xander left.

"Are you okay?" Sameer questioned in concern at which she bobbed her head in a way of yes. "You know, Khaza, I've always appreciated your spark and how you overcome all miseries and pains. I like that, you're gonna be just fine." Naina's eyes rested upon the leaves, as her heart fluttered listening to his words. She glanced at him, pursing her lips.

"Apko kuch chahiye, Naina?" He asked her, still caressing her cheek with his thumb.

"C-Can I..Can I kiss you?" 

At first, his eyes widened in surprise. He stared at her for a few seconds trying to reconfirm whether it was just an illusion of his. "Repeat." 

"I-f yo-you do n-not wish t-o it's.." She stammered. And he leaned in, so carefully. He was so close that she could no longer feel her legs. She wasn't able to feel her fingers or chill winds that blew because all she could feel was him, everywhere, filling the emptiness of her heart. Sameer was too close to her as her hypnotizing eyes drew him towards her, he inclined his face toward hers and stopped letting her take the first move. His lips curved a bit as he felt Naina's lips on his. He closed his eyes and grabbed her by the waist to bring her as close as he could. But it was not enough! His hands moved from her waist to her shoulders, then up her neck tracing her jawline. She kissed him slowly yet passionately. Naina's fingers traced a path from his shirt to his hair, and she curled them there in her fist. His lips felt soft against hers. Her every move felt as if he was weightlessly floating in water which was sweet, effortlessly so sweet. He felt a desperate need to touch her all over. Before that she parted away, panting for breath.

"Thank you for everything." She mumbled with a shy smile plastered on her face as she met his gaze. His orbs darkened as his breathing grew deeper. The very next moment, his arm reached for her and she was tugged against his chest as he claimed her mouth. He pinned her against the tree as he kissed her desperately. He kissed the mole on her upper lip, the tip of her nose, her eyelids and then captured her lips, again. Even if he wanted to pull back, he wasn't capable of doing so. He had lost complete control over his body to her. And it scared the shit out of him, because he had never felt something like this before, so beautiful. So genuine. So intense. Naina shivered as she felt his hands travelling inside her top. The coldness of his metal ring made her moan against his lips. He caressed her cheek with his thumb and stroked her hair. Suddenly, Naina pulled back, making him groan in disappointment. 

"Guards are here too." She whispered to him.

"Do you think I care about such things when I have my wife with me?" He questioned with his signature smirk plastered on his face.

"I do! Let's get in the house."

"Why? Do you have some other plans, Khaza?" He asked, pressing himself against her petty frame.

"No, you are getting me wrong. It's cold here so I said. I did not mean whatever you are thinking." She uttered and pushed him away. She ran in the mansion to avoid more embarrassment. Sameer let out a deep chuckle and strode towards the mansion.

"This can't be true!" Xander yelled as the guard informed him something. Naina who had just entered the mansion stood rooted to her spot as she listened to their conversation.

"Silva?"

"Sam-Sameer, actually I need to say something to you. Naina, please don't cry." Xander spoke.

"Will you speak, Silva? What's the matter? Ron, will you tell me what's the matter? Naina?" Sameer asked them but none of them had the guts to tell him the truth.

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