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Naina looked out of the window with a smile plastered on her face. She was wearing a simple white gown with her hair braided loosely. While Sameer was busy typing on his phone. A scream escaped from Naina's mouth when she heard a gunshot and the window shattered into many pieces.

"Naina!" Sameer screeched, pulling her close to him, his eyes raged with anger seeing her hand as warm blood gushed out of the exposed wounds. Sameer pressed her arm a bit so that he could remove pierced glass pieces else it would cause infection. She yelped in pain resting her head on his chest. He quickly did the first aid without speaking a word.

"Khaza, stay here. I will be back teaching these bastards a lesson." Sameer spoke as he was about to leave but Naina clutched his arm nodding in the way of no and stiffened listening to the loud gunshots noises which were echoing in the air.

"I-It's not safe. Please don't go." Naina stuttered, Sameer took off his arms from her grip.

"Stay here." He uttered as he kissed her shivering hand by which she was holding his palm and went from there. Before he left he instructed a few things to his men, who stood surrounding the car as they held their guns. The noise of gunshots echoed in the isolated street which made Naina's mind go numb. She clutched her nuptial chain and mumbled prayers so that her husband does not get hurt in all these happenings. The surprise attack silenced her laughter and made her eyes dull. Every blast to the gentle air was the one that laid her warm hands so very cold. It was as if that sound had become the murderer, a brutal shout from the coldest of lungs.

"Ma'am, are you fine?" The driver asked in pure concern as he noticed her shivering. She nodded her head in a way of yes meekly and opened the door as the gunshots voice subsided. She looked around and stiffened seeing the dead bodies. She held the door of the car for support, as she wasn't able to stand straight. A deadly feeling etched her heart seeing corpses and pools of blood. Her heart was racing, she shut her eyes tightly. She just wished to erase all these scenes from her mind. A choked cry forced itself up her throat and she felt a drop of sweat run down her cheek. Never in her life has she seen such a disturbing scene

She opened her eyes in a jerk as she felt strong arms wounding around her petty body. Naina rested her head on his rock-like strong chest as she sobbed. Her fists curled up his shirt, it was closed so tight he can feel the sweat trapped inside them. She had never seen something like this even in her worst nightmares. "Calm down Naina," Sameer spoke in his icy tone as he held her gently in his embrace. Naina just hummed in response as she was scared to speak anything. He handed his gun to his men while instructing them something which Naina did not understand. A new car arrived at the location where they were. Sameer gestured Naina to climb in the car and settled himself in too. The driver started driving while Sameer pressed a button and a divider was put up between them and the driver. Naina was oblivious to all this as she was touching her banded hand as tears rolled down her cheeks. She was still trembling in fear as the happenings flashed in her inward brain.

"Are you still scared Khaza?" Sameer questioned in an assertive tone. Naina looked at him with teary eyes, she wanted to speak but quickly closed her mouth and nodded her head in the way of no. She never wanted to portray herself as weak in front of anybody.

"From me?" He asked again, she looked at him with a questioning look and swiftly nodded her head in the way of no.

"I-I was scared for your well-being. Those people were dangerous. They could have harmed you." Naina replied to him in a low voice.

"Nobody could harm Sameer Maheshwari in this world." He replied. Naina stared at him for a few seconds, and then averted her gaze as she nodded her head a bit, drowning herself in a chain of thoughts.

Sameer's voiceover

I stared at my wife as she was lost in her thoughts. I admire everything about her. I felt lost and confused, but at the same moment felt happy and certain. Her emotions were not easily hidden on her innocent face. Her pain was evident in the crease of her lovely brow and the down-curve of her full lips. But her name, her eyes, it showed her soul. Her eyes portrayed pure innocence. I could see wind-stirred waves in her eyes. If one were brave enough to enter their depths, all else would blur and you'd fall so deep in love that you'd choose to stay there, no matter what. Of that, I'm completely sure. They were a deep pool of restless gold, an ocean of hopeless grief.

As I looked into her eyes I knew, all the beauty of the universe could not even hope to compete with her simplicity. She would not let the world break her. She did cry but made sure that she does not show her vulnerable side before anybody, not even me. She is the prettiest woman I have ever seen but the fact was I can never love her.

I stared at her, who was still weeping. My heart seemed to be clenched as I looked at her banded hand. All these things were new to her and I knew she would take time to get along with this harsh cruel reality.

Voiceover ends

Sameer wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, gently rubbing her arm. Naina didn't resist his sudden pull, despite the heaviness in her stomach, her heart fluttered at the feeling of being so close to his sculpted body. She sunk into the warmth of his side, appreciative of the simple gesture as she needed this at the moment. His touch made her feel safe somehow, her future within its walls seems a little less bleak. He held her head against his chest as he touched her wounded hands making sure that he did not hurt her.

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Naina rose from a heavy slumber, she was aware of the coolness of the air and its loamy fragrance. She rubbed her eyes lazily as she swayed between pleasant dreams and reality. Waking up can be harsh, especially if your dreams are better than reality, she thought to herself. She remembered falling asleep in her husband's embrace. He did call her as they reached Nanu's mansion but she was too tired and exhausted at that moment. She clung to him, having no option left, Sameer picked her in his arms and took her to Nanu's house. He made her sleep in their room, whispered something to her, and left as he kissed her forehead softly before he left.

Naina walked towards the closet, as she knew there were some spare clothes of hers kept. She took out a simple kurti as she hesitated to wear any western dresses in front of Nanu as well as Sameer. Though she knew they wouldn't have any issues with her dressing sense, she did not choose to wear those because of her reserved mentality.

She walked downstairs, it did feel awkward to be awake at midnight. She noticed Sameer and Nanu discussing something. She passed a smile seeing Nanu at which he just nodded his head a bit in response. She walked towards the kitchen to make tea for herself and Nanu while filtering coffee for her husband. It was a really difficult task for her to make these things with one hand but she managed to make it somehow. Placing them in a tray she took them to the living room where Sameer and Nanu were present. Nanu held the tray from her hand as he noticed her come.

"This was not required, Naina," Nanu said calmly.

"Ac-Actually I was making tea for myself so I made it for you too. Mr. Maheshwari does not prefer tea so I made filter coffee for him." Naina replied with a genuine smile. Nanu just bobbed his head in the way of yes while Sameer stared at her.

"Is it paining?" Sameer asked her with a poker face. Naina nodded her head in a way of no quickly. She excused herself and walked back to their room.

Naina's voiceover

The cool air hit my face gently swaying my loose hair strands. I like drinking tea and reading alone. This loneliness is a vice on my heart, squeezing with just enough pressure to be a constant pain. It kills me every day just a little bit more, taking what was once my inner light and replacing it with darkness that overshadows each moment. I have always been left alone or I must say I prefer being left out because I feel inferior to people.

"Tu manhoos hai aur manhoos hi rahegi." Taiji and even my parents used to taunt me this way, adding on more abusive, indecent, and rude words. I never had anyone in my life after Nani died whom I could rightfully possess as mine. I am married, my heart did flutter with slight contentment that finally I would have a person who will be bound with me by the sacred ceremony of marriage but my only hope was crushed into millions of pieces. The marriage which I assumed to be bound with love and care was replaced by a forced bond bound by a mere contract.

Loneliness is the fuel of my nightmares, the reason I struggle to breathe when a new shock comes. I feel that I need nobody in my life as I am used to living life like this but when I see a mother with her child, a girl with her lover, or married couples enjoying their loving life, I realize that even though I like being alone, I don't fancy being lonely.

Voiceover ends

She smiled painfully, got up from the balcony, and walked into the room. She placed her cup of tea on the table, went towards the closet to take another dupatta as the one she was wearing had been stained by tea mistakenly. She heard the crick of the door but did not turn as she knew it would be her husband. She took off her dupatta and placed it on the table while choosing a simple dupatta for herself. While she was searching her hand touched a chilled metallic thing making her withdraw her hand quickly. She blinked her eyes to see what she touched. It was a gold necklace, with some reddish-black spots on it. It had been decorated with an array of polished diamonds, tempting emeralds and rubies, attractive amber, and majestic moonstones.

Naina was stupefied seeing such a marvelous necklace. Never in her life had she seen such a beautiful necklace. She held it in her hand while shuddering to see the dried blood spots on it. To whom did this necklace belong? Why was it kept here? At the very next moment, she yelped in pain. She looked at the rashes in her hand and at the person who just snatched it was no other than her husband.

"Who gave you the right to touch anything which belongs to my family? Stay in your limits, do you get that!" Sameer screamed.

"I-I was just taking my dupatta and noticed this.." Naina said as tears coursed down her cheeks. Her eyes were fixated on her hand which had rashes and even blood oozed out from her delicate palm.

"Shut up! You have no right to touch anything related to my family. You have no fucking rights to touch anything of my mother! Who the hell are you? I have told you before too and even now I am making this very clear, you are my wife just for the world. I have no feelings for you and will never have any feelings for you. You should learn to stay within your limits and stay away from your personal life. Dare you to touch anything related to my family!" Sameer said in a cold voice that pierced directly into her soul.

The shouting was violence in the air, a way to take the anger from Sameer and transfer the tension in Naina. Naina stood stiffened at her position. He didn't just raise his voice, his muscles tensed and he got right in close for the maximum impact his shouts could have over her. He placed the necklace back in the closet and left the room huffing in anger.

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None of them spoke as they returned to the mansion. As the car stopped, Naina got down and walked inside the mansion. Sameer stared at her leave but did not utter or express anything. He walked into the mansion as he instructed his guards.

"Miss Naina," Kabir called Naina. She smiled a bit seeing him. He walked towards her and handed her a glass of juice.

"Finally, I am glad that my brother has found someone special in his life." He spoke with a genuine smile. Naina's smile faded a bit but she did not show her emotions as she never wanted her life matters to become a matter of talk or entertainment in public.

"Shrikha?" Naina asked him about her.

"She is in her room, preparing for some presentation." He replied and turned as he felt a hand placed on his shoulder.

"What are you talking about?" Sameer questioned in his usual icy tone.

"I was just telling her that I am happy for you as you have found a special person in your life finally as Naina. She's so alluring, so beautiful just like an angel." Kabir commented. Naina was taken aback by his words.

"Kabir," Sameer called his name in a warning tone.

"Let's ignore this man, Naina, and focus on me, sit here," Kabir spoke not paying heed to any warnings. He held Naina's hand gently making sure he did not hurt her banded hand. Sameer glared at him as he touched her. Though he knew that his intentions were not bad, he did not like any other man touching his wife.

"I wanted to ask you something. I am dying to know something. Naina you seriously agreed to that idiotic contract marriage?" Kabir asked with a serious tone, Naina shifted uncomfortably at his question. Sameer snapped his head towards him angrily.

"Shut up Kabir!" Sameer screamed as his jaw clenched in anger. Naina flinched at his tone while Kabir rolled his eyes.

"I was just asking. Naina I am sorry, I did not intend to offend you. I will ask what I want to." Kabir replied.

"This is my mansion and you will have to follow my order. You can't talk in this way with my wife!" Sameer roared.

"And if I don't listen to your orders then?" Kabir asked with a forced smile.

"Then I will kick you out of my house." Sameer said in a flinty tone.

"You-" Kabir pinpointed Sameer,"-will kick me-" he pointed to himself making a horrified face,"-will throw me out of the mansion?" He said pointing at the door.

"I will surely throw you out, Mr. Kabir Ahya," Sameer said as he smiled forcefully. Kabir made a bad face as if he was hurt. Naina was unable to control her laughter, burst into laughter but soon stopped laughing as she saw Sameer's cold look.

"Don't scare her Sameer, she's way too innocent," Kabir spoke at which he received an uninterested look from Sameer. Naina sipped the orange juice staring at Kabir's and Sameer's eye-to-eye fight

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Sameer entered the secret room of his cabin. He had tousled dark brown hair, which was thick and lustrous while his eyes were a mesmerizing deep ocean blue. His face was strong and defined, his features molded from granite. He had dark eyebrows, which sloped downwards in a serious expression. His usually stern expressions had drawn into a hard line across his face. He smirked bluntly as he looked at his prey being tortured.

His eyes held a gaze more fearsome than a tiger. He sat on his king-sized chair eyeing at the man who was being tortured as his men rubbed saltwater on his wounded body making him scream in pain and help.

A thin paper cigarette hung from his bottom lip, a small trail of smoke escaping from the corner of his mouth danced its way to the ceiling. In one hand a gun lay loosely, his fingers were placed on the lion face knob of the metallic chair. His eyebrow raised in amusement as he heard the screams of the man. He was impressed by the work of his men. He did not flinch at the man's heart-wrenching scream, not even a bit. There was not even a single damn thing on this Earth that could make him flinch as he was the man who was known for his cruelness.

Sameer threw a cigarette and stood up. Crushing the piece of lightened paper by his foot he walked towards his men, eyeing the man who was lying almost losing his consciousness on the ice block. His skin had scraped off while his whole body had turned bluish-black. Sameer held his jaw roughly and brought his face close to that man.

"You tried to kill me, I would have gifted you a simpler death for attempting that. But you harmed my wife! I could tolerate anything in my life except one thing and that is people hurting my Nanu and Khaza! Son of bitch like you deserves to be killed most viciously ever!" Sameer said a contemptuous tone and plunged the heated iron breast ripper right into the chest of that man. In the intense silence of the room, the man somehow screamed with his whole body. The eyes were wide with horror, the mouth rigid and open while his face turned pale and he stopped breathing. Sameer's fists clenched with blanched knuckles as Naina's crying face and her wounded hand flashed in his inward brain.

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