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CHAPTER - 13

YOU CAN'T DO THIS.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Aadya ~

The first thing I felt was the softness beneath me.

The mattress was too plush, the blanket too warm.

Not mine.

My eyes snapped open, my body jerking up as I looked around. The room was large, eerily neat, and unfamiliar. My breathing quickened. Where the hell was I?

And then it hit me.

Rajveer.

The attack.

The gunshots.

The way he had dragged me out of his own so called safe-house and locked me here in his house instead.

The room was large, too large. High ceilings, dark wooden furniture, a massive balcony covered with heavy curtains that let in only a sliver of daylight. The walls were painted a deep charcoal grey, just like his heart.

I threw the blanket off, swinging my legs off the bed.

My heart slammed against my ribs as I stalked toward the door, gripping the handle and twisting.

Locked.

Panic bubbled in my throat, but I forced myself to stay calm. I tried again, rattling it harder. Nothing.

I was trapped.

I stepped back, swallowing the lump in my throat. Okay. Think, Aadya. There had to be another way. I turned toward the windows, yanking the heavy curtains aside.

Glass doors. A balcony.

Hope flared in my chest for half a second before I noticed the height. I was on an upper floor, and the drop was far. Too far.

I clenched my fists.

That bastard.

Of course, he had thought of everything.

I wasn't just being watched. I was being caged.

Anger roared inside me, swallowing the fear. He couldn't do this. He couldn't just take me, lock me away, and expect me to obey.

I grabbed the nearest thing, a decorative metal bowl on the dresser and hurled it against the door. It crashed against the wood with a loud thud, but the door didn't budge.

I was about to scream when I heard it.

The sharp click of the lock turning.

The door swung open, and a man stepped inside. Not Rajveer. One of his men. Dressed in black, face blank, body built like a soldier.

"Boss is waiting downstairs," he said, voice calm.

I crossed my arms, my jaw tightening. "And if I refuse?"

He didn't react. Didn't even blink.

I could fight, but it would be useless.

The nerve of these people.

I stormed past him, my bare feet hitting the cool marble floor as I made my way downstairs. The moment I reached the dining hall, my eyes zeroed in on the man responsible for my captivity.

Rajveer was sitting at the long wooden table, casually sipping tea like he hadn't just kidnapped me.

I slammed my hands on the table. "You had me dragged here like a criminal!"

He didn't even look up. "If I had, you wouldn't be standing here complaining."

My nails dug into the wood. "You locked me in a room, stole my phone, and now expect me to sit here like everything is normal?"

He finally met my gaze, his eyes calm. Unbothered. "No, Miss Sharma. I expect you to stop acting out like a fucking kid and understand the situation you are have placed not just yourself in, but your family too."

Rage surging through me melted and guilt found its way back. "You can't just—"

He leaned back, one brow arching. "For someone who hates me, you require a lot of saving."

The words shut me up. Not because he was right. But because I hated that he was right.

I clenched my fists. "You can't keep me here forever."

His lips curled into a smirk. "Watch me."

All I could do was narrow my eyes at him and continue to stand like that, while he enjoyed my misery.

____________________________

Rajveer ~

I could feel the anger radiating off Aadya. She was furious and I was enjoying every second of it.

She deserved her own misery for acting like a child.

I leaned back in my chair, letting her glare at me for a while. 

"You will not be stepping out of here for a while now." I said, after realising that she could stare at me without blinking for a long time, trying to show that she was not okay with what was happening around with her.

However, I was definitely, completely okay with her not being okay with anything.

Her eyes shot up to meet mine, defiance written all over her face. She opened her mouth to speak, but I refused to let her.

"No phone. No laptop. No calls to your little journalist friends. And absolutely no more stupid investigations." I added, my tone hard. "If I catch you trying to run, I will handcuff you to this chair. Do you understand?"

All she did was still continue to stare at me, her jaw tight, chest rising and falling with each angry breath. Then, she snapped.

"You do not own me. Just because you saved my life does not mean that you own me Rajveer Pratap Ranawat"

I stood, taking a step toward her, my gaze never leaving hers. "Not yet." I said, voice barely above a whisper.

The words hit her like a punch to the gut. I saw the brief flicker of shock cross her face, her defiance faltering for just a moment.

She was not expecting that.

I saw her swallow, but she didn't say anything. For the first time, she was silent.

I smirked, leaning back against the wall. I'd expected her to fight back, to snap again. That's what she always did. 

But silence? Silence meant she understood.

And that? That was exactly what I wanted.

I left Aadya in the living room, her silence feeling like a strange victory to me. She wasn't snapping back, wasn't fighting me, and that was the first step in her understanding where she stood.  Too bad, her silence was louder than her screams in my head.

But now, it was time to deal with real problems.

I made my way to the lower floors, where Vijay and Vansh were already waiting in the study when I walked in.

The problem? One of the warehouses on the outskirts of the city had been compromised. There had been a leak. The lower-tier men, who were supposed to be working for me, were skimming off the top, taking money without my permission, selling alcohol and weapons on the side. They thought they could play me, and that was the first mistake.

"Report." I asked.

Vijay's eyes met mine, and he nodded. "We found out their names."

"Where are they?"

Vijay motioned to the map on the wall. "At the warehouse on the outskirts. We've got eyes on them."

"We are going to pay them a visit." I muttered.

I was pissed, and when I was pissed, things moved fast.

Vijay nodded, his face as grim as mine. "Ready when you are, Boss."

I turned to Vansh. "You're with me."

Vansh didn't need more than that. He was always quick to follow orders.

We reached the warehouse in no time. The place was dark, abandoned-looking, a perfect place for rats to hide.

I stepped out of the car, my men falling into line behind me. I could hear the sound of footsteps inside, low and hurried.

I could hear voices inside. They were laughing, talking like they hadn't just made the biggest mistake of their lives. 

" Boss... We... we didn't mean it," Rajesh stammered, his eyes wide with fear. "It was just a little extra money, nothing serious."

The men inside froze when they saw us. They weren't expecting the Boss to walk through the door. No one ever expects the Boss.

Rajesh, one of the men I'd trusted, took a step forward, his face pale with fear. "Boss, we—"

Before he could finish, I raised my hand, cutting him off. 

"You thought you could steal from me," I said, my voice low. "You thought you could take what wasn't yours and get away with it."

Rajesh's eyes darted around the room, panic setting in. He opened his mouth to speak, but I didn't give him the chance. "You broke the rules. My rules."

One of the other men, tried to speak up, but Vijay was already moving, shutting him down with a look. "Shut it."

I walked slowly toward him, my footsteps echoing through the cold warehouse. "You think I didn't notice? You think I don't pay attention to everything that goes on under my name?"

Rajesh started to back away, but he was trapped. There was nowhere for him to run. "We didn't mean to—"

I grabbed him by the collar, lifting him off the ground. "I don't care what you meant. You sold my goods without my approval. You put my business at risk, and now you'll pay for it."

I slammed him into the wall, the impact rattling the old brick. His breath hitched in pain, but I wasn't done with him yet.

"Do you understand the problem now?" I growled, my face inches from his. His eyes were wide with terror, begging me for mercy that I wasn't willing to give.

I could hear the others shifting nervously behind me. 

I released his collar, letting him slump to the ground. He gasped for air, his hands trembling as he tried to steady himself.

"You put my entire operation at risk," I continued, pacing slowly around him. "The men under me are loyal, and you are nothing but a rat trying to scurry away with what's mine. But you won't get away with it. Not on my watch."

He opened his mouth to beg again, but I wasn't listening.

I signaled to Vijay. He didn't need to be told twice. He stepped forward, dragging one of the other men towards me.

"This one too?" I asked.

Vijay didn't answer, but his face said everything. He was already taking care of business.

I turned back to Rajesh, my eyes narrowing. "You had one job. Stay loyal. And you failed, rather miserably."

I motioned for Vijay to step aside. "Take care of it."

He moved quickly, his hands precise and brutal. The three men didn't have time to do anything but react to the pain. But there was no escaping it.

I watched it all with cold detachment. They had brought this on themselves.

When it was done, the warehouse was silent except. Blood was pooling around them, staining the concrete. They could never steal from me again.

I didn't feel satisfaction. I didn't feel relief. I didn't feel anything at all. The job was done. They were a problem no longer.

I turned to my men. "Clean this up," I said. "Leave no evidence. Make sure this doesn't reach anyone's ears. If anyone talks, they'll end up like them."

Vijay and Vansh nodded, moving without hesitation. They knew the rules.

Loyalty, Power, Control. It was all part of the game. And I played it better than anyone else.

We returned to the estate late at night after making sure that the other consignment went through.

But it was too quiet.

My men were stationed at their posts and there was no sign of any movement around, until Ishaan, one of my fiercest warriors came running to me.

"Boss, that girl is a mess, she somehow fucking managed to confuse the guards I had stationed outside her room and is now probably trying to escape." He muttered.

I exhaled sharply, running a hand down my face. Of course, she had.

Of course, Aadya fucking Sharma had managed to slip past my men, despite being locked in the most secure part of my estate.

I turned to Ishaan, my patience razor-thin. "How long ago?"

"Five minutes, max." He was panting, clearly having sprinted to find me. "She timed it right when the guards rotated. Slipped past the new ones before they even realized what was happening."

I almost smirked. Clever. Stupid, but clever.

But she had underestimated me.

I leaned against the hallway wall, arms crossed, waiting. 

The building was designed to confuse intruders. She would be crossing his hallway again in the next five minutes.

I heard her before I saw her—the soft shuffle of her feet against the floor, the careful pause before each step, probably checking if anyone was near. Then she moved again, heading straight for the staircase.

Three... two... one—

She crashed into my chest.

A muffled gasp. A sharp intake of breath. The sudden tension in her body as she realized exactly who she had run into.

I smirked. "Agar aapki night walk ho gayi ho toh chalein? Mai khud drop karunga aapko kamre tak jisse aap dobara confuse na ho jaayein."

(If you are done with your night walk, shall we go? I'll drop you to your room myself so you don't get confused again.)

She stumbled back, her eyes wide, but the surprise quickly morphed into defiance. "Hatiye."

I didn't.

Her fists clenched, her chest rising and falling with quick, furious breaths. She was already plotting her next move, probably debating whether she should fight or run.

So predictable.

"Aap koshish kar sakti hain Reporter Sahiba," I said, voice calm, even. "Par aap jaa kahin nahi paayengi."

(You can try as much as you want, but you're not going anywhere.)

She didn't disappoint. She struggled. Thrashed. Dug her nails into my forearm as she tried to break free.

"Let. Me. Go." Her voice was sharp, each word dripping with venom.

I barely felt it.

Instead, I hooked an arm around her waist, yanking her against me with ease. She fought harder, a wild, desperate attempt to escape, but I had dealt with worse than an angry journalist with more guts than self-preservation.

Aadya growled, actually growled, and dug her nails deeper into my arm. "You can't keep me here like some hostage, Rajveer!"

I tilted my head, pretending to think about it. "Hostage? No, Miss Sharma. A hostage is someone I keep for leverage." My lips curled into a smirk. "You're just a headache."

Her knee shot up toward me, but I caught it easily, gripping her thigh. "Nice try."

She gasped, struggling even harder, but I wasn't letting go.

"This is kidnapping," she snapped.

I sighed, finally getting bored of her attempts. "No, this is protection. If it were kidnapping, you'd be unconscious in a cell somewhere instead of getting a private room in my home."

She bared her teeth, eyes burning with defiance. "Oh, how generous of you, Ranawat. I should be grateful, right?"

"That would be a first." I muttered, already dragging her back through the hall.

She fought me the entire way, but I didn't give her an inch.

Instead of her own room, I took her straight to mine.

Her confusion flickered for half a second before realisation set in.

Her voice lowered, slow and cautious. "Rajveer... what are you doing?"

"If you keep acting like a child," I said, shoving the door shut behind us, "I will be treating you like one."

Then, with little effort, I tossed her onto the bed.

She bounced, hands slamming against the mattress to steady herself, her lips parting in shock before that fire in her eyes reignited.

"You—"

"Enough."

The command shut her up.

I leaned against the door, watching as she tried to process this new reality.

"You had your chance to stay in your own room," I said simply. "You ruined that. Now, you stay where I can keep an eye on you."

She stood up on the bed, glaring at me. "I am not sleeping on your bed."

I smirked, amused at the outrage flashing in her eyes. "You can sleep on the floor if you want," I said, shrugging off my jacket. "Makes no difference to me."

Aadya shot to her feet instantly. "You can't be serious."

I unbuttoned my cuffs, rolling up my sleeves with deliberate slowness. "Do I look like I'm joking?"

She clenched her jaw, her breathing heavy. "Rajveer, this is insane. You cannot—"

"I can," I cut her off smoothly. "And I have."

Her fists curled at her sides. "I am not your prisoner."

I chuckled darkly, tilting my head. "Really? Because from where I'm standing, you look exactly like someone who just tried to run away and failed miserably."

She sucked in a sharp breath, shoulders stiffening. I could see the fight in her eyes, the war raging inside her between pride and common sense.

But then, something changed.

Her anger faded, just a little. 

Replaced by something sharper.

"You are not locking me in here," she stated, her voice low. "I will not stay in this room with you."

I exhaled, pushing my hands into my pockets as I stepped closer. "And where exactly will you go, Miss Sharma? Back to the room you already tried to escape from? Or back to your apartment, where Ahaan's men will be waiting with open arms?"

She swallowed hard, but didn't back down. "You can't do this."

I stared at her.

"Aap journalist hain na Miss Sharma? Phir aapki vocabulary 'you can't do this' pe hi kyun atki hui hai? Kuch naya sochiye." I teased her.

(You are a journalist, aren't you, Miss Sharma? Then why is your vocabulary stuck on 'you can't do this'? Think of something new.)

Her lips parted, but no words came out.

I leaned down slightly, lowering my voice. "You don't have to like me. You don't even have to look at me. But you will listen to me. Because I am the only thing standing between you and a bullet."

She exhaled, her hands trembling at her sides.

She knew I was right.

Without another word, I walked over to the opposite side of the room, grabbing a pillow and tossing it onto the couch.

"You sleep wherever you want." I muttered, pulling off my watch. "Just don't try anything stupid."

She didn't move. Just stood there, staring at me like she was seeing me for the first time.

I ignored it, unbuttoning the top of my shirt before stepping into the bathroom.

I locked the door behind me, exhaling sharply.

Her mother, brother and Vijay should really be awarded for putting up with her all this time, In fact, I was going to give Vijay a double bonus for his patience and tolerance this year.

I came out of the bathroom, changed and saw her still standing on the bed.

Her hands were on her waist, like she was ready to challenge anything I said again. She wasn't looking at me, just scanning the room, probably trying to figure out a way to make her escape.

I leaned against the doorframe, crossing my arms. "I wasn't aware that you'd find my room this interesting. Aap dekh kya rahi hain, Miss Sharma?"

(What are you looking for, Miss Sharma?)

She turned her head sharply, her eyes narrowing. "Just trying to see what kind of man locks a woman in his bedroom."

I scoffed. "A man who's tired of rescuing the same woman from her own stupidity."

She rolled her eyes but didn't argue. Instead, she shifted her weight, and that was when I noticed it.

The long shorts.

Pink.

With tiny fucking strawberries.

With a white t-shirt—one that was definitely too big for her, a man's.

A man's shirt.

Not mine.

That had to be rectified.

I walked over to my closet, ignoring her gaze on me, and pulled out one of my sweatshirts. It was big enough to swallow her whole, but I didn't care.

I turned back to her, holding it out in front of me.

"I sleep with the AC on all night, Aadya. Wear this unless you want to freeze." I said casually, keeping my voice calm.

She glared at me, her arms crossed. "I don't want anything from you." she snapped.

"Sure you don't." I muttered under my breath, tossing the sweatshirt onto the bed anyway. "But you will change your mind in ten minutes."

I could feel her eyes burning into my back as I turned toward the couch, lying down and crossing my arms behind my head, taking the remote with me. The room was already getting colder, and I knew she'd have no choice but to take it.

Five minutes passed, and the silence was broken by her irritated huff. I heard her walk to the bed and grab the sweatshirt, clearly annoyed. Then I heard her stomp off to the bathroom, and I smirked to myself.

It was exactly as I expected.

A few moments later, she walked out wearing my sweatshirt. It hung loosely on her frame, swallowing her completely. Her cheeks were slightly flushed with anger and she didn't notice me watching her as she stood in the doorway for a moment.

I let my gaze linger for a moment longer than I should have, a satisfied smirk curling on my lips.

She stormed past me without a word, and I glanced over, watching her crawl into bed. But she didn't make any noise, pretending like she wasn't affected by the chill or the fact that she was wearing my sweatshirt.

I closed my eyes, letting the silence fill the room. It felt good. Satisfying, even.

I had won this round.

Hey guys! This is the next chapter. I hope you all like it. To unlock the next one, at least 130 comments are required on this one.

I love you all. Until next time. Byee!!