Forgive me for typo or grammar errors! In the book version, it shall be all corrected :) *yeah Neha, not gonna release just one book*
CHAPTER 7
A sigh escaped her lips as she felt languid strokes on her cheeks. Ingrov purred like a kitten and snuggled towards the comforting warmth when her eyes flashed open in alarm.
She never got up like this. Gulping slightly she realised that she had shared the bed with him throughout the night. Her fears were assuaged the minute she caught his expressionless face. The lump in her throat melted as she realised that his face bore no hint of anger or disgust. The way he touched her was as if he was assessing her.
Ingrov chewed her bottom lip in confusion as her dead teenage dreams began to resurrect. It was easy for Ingrov to forget what all happened with her, if that gave her a new chance at life… then why not?
Sikandar’s fingers stopped and suddenly a growl erupted from him. He cursed in a foreign language and turned back to looking at a very frightened Ingrov. “No no, am not upset on you. Just tell me…” With trepidation settling over his heart for the very first time, he held her chin “Tell me you’re at least eighteen.”
Ingrov nodded vigorously and saw him relax against the frame of his bed. “Ww… why?” She asked and found her being stroked by him again “You’re so young Ingrov…”
“So young…” Sikandar drifted into old memories. He had a huge loving family when he was young. Flocked with brothers, sisters, uncles, aunt and every imaginable relative.
Sikandar never slept much, hence it was no surprise that he had got up at the crack of dawn. What surprised him was the presence of someone else on his bed. He let himself get lost in the memories of his wife when he caught a glance of Ingrov’s sleeping face. A bile rose in his throat as her face, bare from any makeup, looked so juvenile.
These were rare moments when the walls around his were absent. Sikandar was just an identity to the world. Stroking her soft cheek, he sighed. He stopped to look at Ingrov as a paid service. In fact, he never looked at a woman in that way.
“Accept it that I am dead drop gorgeous and you can’t resist me!” His wife slapped his shoulder playfully while he raised an eyebrow and turned aside, hiding the tiny grin.
Sikandar found himself smiling at the old memory. Releasing a painful breath he closed his eyes, stroking Ingrov’s cheeks.
Ingrov was so similar to her. Innocent, young, beautiful, emotional and angels. Both of them. Somewhere down the line Sikandar wouldn’t want a teenage girl to serve a man double her age. It made him puke.
The very reason why Sikandar stayed away from women. With his line of work, either they were willing to bed for money, a bunch of femme fatales or forced teenagers.
Ingrov, was an exception.
“You could have had a different life.” Sikandar told Ingrov who scratched her head. “I didn’t have the time to think. I am not even allowed to think but yes, a different life… sounds beautiful.” Ingrov smiled wistfully at the ceiling and then back at him.
“I..” “But…” Ingrov looked at him in hesitation as she interrupted him “Go on…” Sikandar said, feeling generous. “But I don’t mind what I have.”
“You don’t? Even after having something that ripped you off?” Sikandar mocked at her utopian thinking while Ingrov stared at him, hard. “No.”
Sikandar was taken aback by the sudden strength in her voice “No?”
“I can’t stop what fate or the so called God gave me. But how I react to it, can be different. There are moments when you can’t hold the reigns of your life and then at times, you can. And when you can hold the reigns of your destiny, I swear that my hands will bleed but I won’t let it go.” Tears welled in her eyes.
“Just that one moment, it’s all I need.” Ingrov smiled to herself and found Sikandar to be staring at her, awkwardly.
“Is it possible? To love someone unconditionally, to believe something unconditionally, to hope unconditionally?” Ingrov looked embarrassed as he touched her raw nerve.
“I’ll g.. go…” She fumbled with the edge of the sheet while a mirthless smile grew on Sikandar’s face.
“Stay.”
His one word boomed through the room, the air turned thick and suffocating.
“It is possible.” Ingrov breathed out and fisted her right hand.
“It will hurt you. You should know better.” He advised her. Ingrov sighed and looked around her.
“Sweet pain’s better than regret.”
Sikandar was still amused that she didn’t ask him why he was speaking to her, or why did he acknowledge the fact that he knew she loved him.
He folded his arms under his head and stared at Ingrov. Without speaking a word further.
Frowning in anger he told her “I am no Hero nor Dark Lord, get those fantasies out of your little head.” Ingrov smiled a little and giggled “I am well aware that you aren’t a fantasy.”
He raised an eyebrow in response and Ingrov showed her bandaged fingers “Pretty much a reminder of reality.” She commented wryly. His face hardened and he looked out of the french windows, his eyes locked with the dull orange sun of dawn.
“Demanding, inhuman, forceful, painful…”
“Don’t put the onus on yourself, if I’ve felt for someone then with the feeling I shall rise or perish.” Ingrov half smiled. “And I am not the exact damsel in distress. Aren’t all of them innocent virgins?”
Ingrov humoured herself with her situation and her eyes followed his gaze. “I want to stay in dawn, forever.” Her whisper was loud enough for his ears.
They both knew, once morning stepped in… his sudden gentleness, her sudden strength… all would fade. Neither would dare to admit that there was something in the air, magic coupled with tranquility that made them confess what they had in their hearts. This haze would soon disappear along with her dreams.
A sudden urge to hold on flooded through Ingrov. She knew that this Sikandar existed too. She needed to hold him, to touch him, to not let this man disappear but didn’t she know reality?
“Can I hold you?” Her words were a painful plea. Tilting his head slightly he saw the sudden anguish in her eyes.
“What happened?” He asked, stretching his muscles slightly.
The desperation in her eyes made him beckon her. “Come.” He said and found her tiny frame flung on his. As her right hand grasped his shoulder in a death like grip and a bare slim leg wound around his hip, Sikandar looked down to find her pressing her face in the hollow between his neck and shoulder.
Had he been the man before he would have showered her with sweet nothings or… nothing of this sort would have happened in the first place!
He smelt her fright and sighed, they both knew it was coming.
Once the morning would set in, this tenderness would disappear and he would treat her as a non existing being. No matter how much her heart would long to be along with his, she wouldn’t be spared of a second glance from him.
She looked at his chiseled face with an insatiable longing.
Heard the gentle thrum of his heartbeat as she laid her head, albeit hesitantly, on his sculpted chest.
Her lungs expanded as they caught a whiff of his musky scent.
Her eyes rolled back as his mouth plundered hers, his taste so exquisite that it sent her straight to the heavens.
Her fingers trailed along the slope of his neck, memorising the smooth skin beneath the pads of her fingertips. His warm, moist breath fanned over her upper lip, making her sigh once more.
Ingrov absorbed every inch of his. She knew well enough that this man would never love her back. She knew well enough that this would be the only time when she would see the shade of his she always imagined, for wasn’t it this part of the man she fell in love with?
Going back to her words, she held on to the moment for as long as she could.
Burying her head to the pillow she vowed to not see the caramel eyes once he got up from the bed. The morning had set in, replacing tenderness and passion with intensity and chill.
Gone were the words, the gestures, the meanings. All that remained was the broken Ingrov and the heartless Sikandar.
She closed her eyes, not willing to slip into the role of a prostitute in wanton longing for her client, rather a lover in wait for the return of her unrequited love.
How she chose to behave would be in her hands. Her profession would never come in her way, never again.
Tears slipped out of her eyes against her will as she heard the slight rustle of the bedsheets and the strike of his heel against the wooden floor. He walked out, as always.
Not that she minded. Today’s conversations gave her a life to live.
There probably would be a moment when he would end everything, that would be in his hand.
But she would never go back to her old live, she would run forever if that was necessary. For this was in her hands.
So absorbed was she with trying to cope up and be oblivious to the pain that she would receive on getting the previous Sikandar back, she completely missed that one conversation hadn’t just changed her.
He stood against the door, watching her curled into his pillow… as if grabbing onto the last remnants of his softer side.
Against his will, his heart constricted in his chest.
That conversation changed him as well.
---
Arjun sipped his chai in complete silence till Cacophonous Karan made his way. Arjun rolled his eyes and waited for the daily news to break, this Karan just couldn’t stop his mouth… just like Sa…
“Shera? All ok buddy? Listen, guess what! The scandal on you has been lifted!” Karan jumped while Arjun frowned and shook his head. “No Karan, this is just a cover up.”
“What do you mean?” Karan flopped beside Arjun, gulping his chai in a second. For a second Arjun frowned at the empty glass, then he shook his head “I can’t understand, it’s one week since that incident and whatever proofs and evidences you and I collected and submitted. It just doesn’t make sense. For a case that took just one officer and rookie to solve within seven days, how could the nation’s specialist force die in that. Case has just begun…”
“Bu…” Karan was stopped by Arjun
“No buts… convince me. Convince me that a commando, an ammunitions expert and a top notch criminal journalist got blown up just like that.” Karan was left speechless as he couldn’t formulate any reason.
“So now… what Shera? What’s your agenda? Going behind Roshni bhabi’s death or your team’s?” Arjun had confided about his past to Karan, revealing certain sections.
Arjun shook his head, his blood pounding into his head. “Shera… you ok?” Karan stood up “Yeah am..”
“Shut up. Simmi! God where does this girl go! Wait…”
As Karan sprinted off to get an aspirin, Arjun held his throbbing head. “Aai...” he muttered as the pain seemed to intensify by the moment. He remembered a man calling him and sprint off when Karan was near.
Fighting through his blurry vision suddenly it made all the sense! The chai waala was a new fellow and Arjun could swear that his drink was spiked. His vision steadied but Arjun knew that he had lost control over his senses. Bursting into a run, he followed the chai waala as far as he could.
---
Sikandar watched the computer with morbid interest. He hated it when life was predictable. Arjun’s uncanny ability to see through things, in spite of him being drugged, irked Sikandar.
Just as he expected, Arjun followed the bait knowing very well that he had been a spy.
Sipping into his black coffee, he looked on that Arjun was following the chai waala.
Now the rest would depend on the spy, if he was good enough then he could lead Arjun to the trap. If he wasn’t, he would receive death by Arjun.
A small smile tugged on Sikandar’s lips as he noticed that it had been fifteen minutes since Arjun began his run yet he hadn’t lost out on the spy. Sikandar bit back a curse, he should have instructed for the drug dose to be higher, Arjun might have been an ACP but he had been trained to an extent which could put a RAW agent to shame.
Samrat Anand
Sikandar laughed in his room and played with a paperweight, didn’t he know that man well enough?
He thought if Arjun would be enough to catch on to his thought process.
Little did he know that underestimating Arjun would be his biggest flaw. Little did he know that Arjun wasn’t alone.
---
“What’s our plan?” Kapoor munched into an apple as Verma released a breath.
“Sikandar’s going to Club Noire day after night. The orders pre requested are five Russo-Baltiques, two Dom Perignons and a… what the hell.” Verma stared into the list and looked at Kapoor.
“What?” Kapoor asked “He’s ordered for a Virgin Daiquiri!” Verma looked flabbergasted.
“Wait, in between heavy vodkas and champagne, what’s a mocktail doing?” Kapoor said.
“Exactly! And this is mostly a woman’s choice, recent statistics state. Won’t be from the opposite party cause someone from the Russian mafia would settle for a light Vodka, the least. This is from Sikandar’s end.” Verma’s eyes shone bright as a plan set in.
“No, I am not going as a stupid disguise into the club. You’ve made us servants in that Shekhawat’s case. That man was crazy and had certain disorder, he was looking at me… like ME as if I was a piece of meat! We’re not…”
“Not waiters, fine.” Verma said in surrender. “Thank God…”
“We’re going to be escorts.”
Kapoor spat out all the coffee on Verma’s face.
“What the f***!” Kapoor spat out. “How can we…” “Surely we can. I mean we have fantastic bodies…” Verma said nonchalantly, wiping out the coffee stains with a tissue.
“Shut the f*** up Verma, you’ve lost your senses. We’ll be waiters.” Kapoor said dramatically.
“Please, as escorts we’ll have a larger access to people.”
“Of both genders!” Kapoor completed.
“We’ll say we’re taken and we’ll point out to random people.” Verma shrugged.
“And what if both are acquaintances?”
“We’ll say we were being a tease!” Verma countered.
“I don’t care about men because all are sh*theads, but women are dangerous, you know that right?” Kapoor put out.
“So?”
“Dangerous, desperate and needy ones. Anyways, so is Sakshi on front here?” Kapoor asked.
“Erm.. yeah.” Verma gave an uneasy smile while Kapoor glowered in anger.
“Kappy, listen will you!? SO we’ll go there as escorts…” Verma chose to ignore Kapoor’s pointed look “And we’ll shadow Sikandar. Our plan is to isolate him and kill him. I’m contacting someone, he’s an encounter specialist, he’ll cover the bodyguards and other men while we go in for the big chase. Let’s remind you that for this specific week nothing will happen. At the end of the week will the specialist terminate the men and we go in to nab Sikandar.”
“How will this be a success, back up plans and…” “Don’t you trust my IT skills Kappy? I’m sabotaging the interface that he uses. Also… I’ll make him busy by making him suspect his own people.” Verma smiled.
“So you’re gonna implant a false chip on one of his associates and drop a hint to Sikandar regarding that and he’s gonna be busy?” Kapoor repeated.
“Precisely! Well actually that’s Sakshi job. Anyways, it’ll take Sikandar around thirty six hours to decode the chip and then he’ll understand that it was a false one. None of his movements were recorded and history has proved that a frustrated man has been known to commit mistakes.” Verma chuckled.
“Brilliant. Oh, by the way… we do need Arjun. I’ve found a reason as to why Arjun’s being targeted. Also… he might help us with the final act.” Kapoor smiled. Turning towards the laptop Kapoor frowned at the new information.
“What happened?” Verma asked.
“Arjun’s following Suspect 32.” Kapoor yelled while typing furiously on a laptop. Verma stretched and yawned “Interesting… but who’s the backup.” Sakshi asked.
Sakshi turned aside to tie her hair when Kapoor said “None, going on his own.”
“WHAT!” Sakshi and Verma stared at Kapoor in shock.
“Dude I know I am fabulous but you’re giving me all the wrong vibes by staring at me like that.” Kapoor joked to receive death glares. “Okay fine, so what?”
“Is Karan or anyone within his periphery circle?” Sakshi asked while Kapoor nodded negative.
“Ok, Kappy… I want you to head out to collect information on Sikandar. Stagnant, no action at all. In fact make yourself an obvious journalist researching about the dark depths on the underworld. You see, he is intrigued by those who tend to hide more.” Verma ranted and frowned.
“I’ll go behind Arjun. This is definitely a trap, who would run slowly enough to let a cop catch him!” Sakshi growled and sprinted off.
“Hmm...” Kapoor sighed and turned back to the laptop.
---
“Karan, 32’s running probably towards the Bus Depot, seal him there.” Sakshi mouthed the orders as she zoomed through the city in a bike.
“And Arjun?” Karan asked.
“I’ll handle him.” “Hell no! He wasn’t even supposed to know you lived till you all nabbed him.” Karan voiced his protest and Sakshi sighed.
“I know Karan but I really need Arjun now. He has a history and something tells me that if we dig the history we might be able to know what exactly happened. There’s no use of this goose chase. Reasons restore and destroy everything.” Sakshi rationalised her thoughts and her voice choked as she spotted a tired Arjun leaning against the wall. She frowned as he seemed to be sweating profusely.
“Karan… does Arjun have any sort of heart condition?” “What? No… why…”
“Nothing, nab him and contact Kapoor if necessary. Arjun isn’t safe here. F***.” Swearing, she cut her cell and hovered gently behind Arjun.
Sakshi knew that it was a risky attempt to follow Arjun. His innate instincts could spot her any second. To Sakshi’s horror Arjun clutched his chest and collapsed on a nearby bench.
Schooling her fear she cupped his warm face and patted his cheeks constantly “Arjun…”
“I’ve… cc… catch that man. Oh!” Arjun groaned and caught her hand in a vice like grip. He was unable to recognize Sakshi as she had worn sunglasses and a helmet which covered her face, entirely.
“He’ll be caught, now let’s go.” Sakshi handed him a faux identity card while a groggy Arjun nodded and sat behind her.
“I know you… I know you?” Arjun mumbled along the way. Biting back a cry, Sakshi drove to her safehouse and lead Arjun to a room.
The world spinned for Arjun as he tried to make a sense of things.
Except the only thing which flitted around his memory were the filtered moments with Sakshi. A lazy smile tugged his lips as memories of her enchanting eyes flooded him.
The next moment he realised where he was. Arjun stumbled towards the door and was about to bang it open when the stranger walked in, holding his hand with a startling gentleness.
“Sit, I’ll give this injection and it will help you.” Arjun frowned at the voice, similar yet vague. He pushed her aside and stood up “W… who are you? What a.. re you giving me? How can I trust you?” He barked at Sakshi.
“It’s for your goo…” “Who THE F*** ARE YOU!” Arjun screamed and grabbed her arms, yanking her body right against his.
“Trust me, please.” Sakshi whispered and Arjun stood still. Stifling slightly as she gently pierced the needle into his skin, she shushed him and pasted a bandaid over the prick.
“No… no….” His mind chanted. Sweat broke on his forehead and his fingers trembled as he reached her helmet.
Heck, he could never forget that voice. Of the woman who possessed his heart and soul.
“Sa…” His voice choked and with great reluctance yet impatience, Arjun removed the helmet.
A silent gasp.
Sakshi’s pleading eyes stared right into his diluted and shocked ones.
“Arjun…” Her whisper seemed to have inflicted physical injury as he staggered back, releasing her from his grip immediately.
Lips quivered as they tried to form words but nothing came out.
Hands were extended but were too scared to touch a part of his mental figmentation.
Arjun clutched his wildly beating heart and stared at the woman in front. Hot tears cascaded down his cheeks as reality seemed like the several dreams of his unsung wishes.
Relief couldn’t have been more painful. The organ in the center of his heart seemed to have been brutally torn and snapped to pieces, allowing blood to seep through his body.
Sakshi’s life drained from her as she saw the devastating effects of Arjun seeing her alive. He was standing as still as a stone. Arjun’s eyes were glassy, yet held a storm of emotions.
His bewildered eyes clashed against her guilty ones.
She fumbled in her baby steps towards him.
His breathing seem laboured with every step she took, closer to him.
“Please…” Sakshi whimpered, mortally wounded by the sudden layer of age on his face. Wounded by his plight. Wounded by his storm.
Unable to take more, Arjun collapsed on his knees and held on the the edge of the bed. If this was another cruel joke, he wouldn’t be able to survive it.
“Sakshi…” his voice was akin to that of a dead man.
Sakshi crouched on her knees and muffled her cries. She would’ve taken it all; his anger, his shouts, his cries or his hatred.
Silence, it sliced through Sakshi’s flesh.
Arjun kept on staring at the floor, not daring to look at her. It was so easy, for her to disappear into mist.
Touch. A soft silken palm cupped his bristled cheek and he let out a breath. His body shook as she raised his face to meet hers.
“Please…” say something! Do something!
Her mind cried out as Arjun looked at her in sheer disbelief. The tears hadn’t stopped for once and the shaking became more prominent as a strangled cry tore from his lips.
His cold, rough fingers cupped her cheeks in fright.
“O…” Was all managed to say.
“Ss… sakshi…” His raspy voice broke Sakshi even further.
He now held her shoulders for support and broke down in her lap.
“SAKSHI…” He howled in agony and joy.
She couldn’t do it anymore.
Screw the task.
Screw the people.
Screw Sikandar.
Screw the agencies.
Screw the world.
Breaking apart from the invisible shackles of rules and conduct, Sakshi gathered Arjun near her heart and clamped her mouth over his.
His hands tightened around her in approval and murmured “You’re alive” between their kiss.
She pulled back for a second to affirm his belief. One hand splayed across her waist and the other scissored through her hair, feeling her.
He needed to know that she was alive. He pressed himself firmly against her, fervently praying that this just wasn't an illusion.
Head to head.
Chest to chest.
Torso to torso.
Thigh to thigh.
“You’re alive.” He wept in joy and pressed his forehead to hers.
Sakshi allowed herself to be overwhelmed by the intensity of their emotions and gently surrendered herself to him as he held on to her in a death like grip.
Verma was right, she had underestimated what was between her and Arjun.
Sighing in content as he nuzzled into the crook of her neck and shoulder, not as an act of foreplay but to just imprint himself on her, Sakshi stole a few moments of joy.
Selfish as much it may seem…
The world could wait.
After all she was just a human.
---
Just loved this update mumma. Baaki comment forum main. Lubh u :)
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