Sunaina's POV
"Do you really want to be with me?" My ears still refusing to process everything that has happened.
"Yes Sunaina...I want to spent the rest of my life with you." Those blue eyes of Arjun were warm. It was hard for me to think that those warm eyes doted someone like me. No matter how much happy I was at the moment, I knew that we are about to split some day- either it's because of the attacker or when this story will reach its climax.
"You know all along that I won't be able to live here forever right?" I asked him slowly trying to enunciate every word properly for him to understand.
"Can't you just stay?" His eyes were moist. Was he scared of losing me? I held onto his hand and looked at him.
"No matter how tempting that offer seems to me, I can't stay here forever. I have a family to take care of." My eyes were getting wet as I started to open up to him. "They need me. I can't be selfish." Suddenly, his words reminded me of my parents whom I haven't seen for such a long time. I knew that the time was paused in my world, but I can't keep them like this forever. I have a home to return to. Arjun seemed to have quietened at my words. Its very normal for him to react like this. I was about to hold on to his hand again when I heard someone speak in front of us.
"Young madam and master, Our milady is getting worried about you two." I looked at Preeti's butler who was standing there. His face didn't show any expression at all. That's a common trait of butlers I guess. "Its already very cold out here. Please come down." He said those words and left for downstairs again. I looked at Arjun and our eyes met. His gaze on me was taking my breathe away.
"I think we should get down." I said trying to ease the situation.
"Hmm. Let's go." He stood up beside me and looked at me for one last time. Not understandin what to say, I decided to go downstairs. I was about step down on the stairs when I heard him say.
"I don't care." I turned around and looked at him. My silence was enough to show that I wanted to know what he meant.
"Even if you don't stay forever...let's just stay till you are supposed to stay for." His words took me aback.
"What do you mean Arjun?"
"Let's get married and stay till you can return to your home. Atleast, I will get the happiest time of my life. Let's just do whatever we can until you have to leave." His genuine voice was resonating through my ear drums. "Let's get married, go on dates. Go to parties as a couple. Let's wear couple rings."
"But what will happen once I leave? Arjun you are not thinking this throug-"
"I AM THINKING THIS THROUGH" Arjun shouted.
"But Sunaina, being with you is something that I want to do now."
"And what are you supposed to do once I am no more here? Do you know how badly you will be mocked by the paparazzi? Do you know how many times, the reporter will try to slander both you and me. Worse...no one will be willing to be married to you again. Also if we get married and I leave after that, how on earth will you cope up?"
"I will wait for you." His words surprised me once again. This time, Arjun came closer to me and gave me a tight hug.
"My heart says that we belong to each other. Whether in this world or that world, you will find your way back to me. I am sure of it."
"So you will wait?" He nodded in reply.
"Even when you know that there's a chance that I might never return?" He nodded again.
"You are mad." I hugged him back.
"Correction! It should be madly in love with the prettiest girl." I smiled at his sweet words and hugged him once again. I wrapped my hands around his elbow and we both went downstairs. I was happy. I didn't know how long will this happiness last but I wanted to enjoy this moment as long as it will stay.
(Preeti's living room)
Preeti, Arjun and I settled down on the couch before Arjun started to discuss his plans with us.
"So how have you decided to catch the culprit?" Preeti asked.
"I have drawn a few conclusions from everything I have heard about so far." Both of us stared at him in anticipation.
"First, the reason he tried to kill me was because he knew Sunaina had feelings for me. Right?" We both nodded in agreement.
"So either this person is the reason you are here or this person is another creation of the book."
"So?" I asked.
"So...here's the deal. If it was the creation of this book, then the villain would have showed his face long back. I am assuming this because if he was someone from the book, then your best friend would have been able to see it right? Since she is the author."
"Wait! How did you-?"
"Oh you being the author? It wasn't any rocket science. I went through those notes that you used to sent to Sunaina." He looked at me and gave me a wink.
"So this means that he is from our world?" I was getting impatient at this point.
"Probably and maybe he/she is someone who either wants to possess you or destroy you."
"How can you tell Mr oh so great Psychologist?" Preeti sarcastically asked him.
"Well again...it's not rocket science. Every time the attack occured, damage was done to me. But in every case, Sunaina was left unscathed." I lowered my head on hearing this. Indeed, I was the reason for his sufferings.
"Hey!" He hugged me and pulled me by my shoulders. "Its ok. Its not like you appointed a killer for me. He took it up on himself." I puffed my cheeks in irritation.
"Don't joke about such stuff idiot!"
"Oh wait. From killer I remember" I looked at Preeti who took a yellow colored file from Shawarma's hands and placed it in front of Arjun. "I did some research on my own accord and look what I found out." I looked at the file that had the title 'About Karan Singhania'
"Is it?" She nodded and clarified my doubts. "Since he looked like your ex, I doubted that he also came inside this world like you but to my surprise, he had everything. Even his childhood pics were present. There's no way that he is not from this world."
Arjun picked up the file and went through it. "Hmm. Its indeed true. His whole family was wiped out. But it was strange or too coincidental that he was out of station that day." His forehead now filled with creases. Suddenly this serious profile of Arjun reminded me of the time when I used to read about Arjun going through his office stuff. Just the way I imagined him to be. It still feels like a dream that he is right beside me.
"Don't stare at me like that. I won't even care even if your best friend and her butler is seeing us. I will kiss you." Arjun said without moving his eyes away from the file. I froze at his words and moved my gaze away.
"Just so you...we don't mind." Preeti chimed in earning a death stare from my side.
"Hmm. I found a lot of interesting things in this file. Thanks." He returned the file to Preeti and she took it with a smile.
"So now it's high time, we expose the real culprit. I think I can guess who is it."
"You do?" Preeti and I asked him in unison to which he simply nodded.
"So how are you planning to catch him?" Preeti asked.
"By making your best friend my wife." He said that so casually heating all my cheeks up. Preeti smirked at this comment and I was sure both were having a gala time seeing my flustered expressions.
"So what's the plan?"
Arjun smiled at us and we looked at him anticipation. Shawarma was about to leave the room when Arjun stopped him.
"You are a part of this too." He said.
"Yeah. I trust you. You have always been off great help. Don't leave the room." I looked at Preeti. Looks like she also found a reason to love Ayu mansion more than this house itself. I smiled looking at her.
"So here's the deal..." We all sat down to listen carefully to the plan that Arjun has chalked out. We knew that it time for us to confront the problem. The bait was about to be set for the fish.
Narrator's POV
Inside the control room of Singhania mansion, Karan Singhania was sitting on his chair. His arms tied with a tight rope such that the marks are very much visible on his wrist and legs. His eyes covered in a blindfold while his mouth gagged ruthlessly. He has grown thinner than usual and his cheekbones are clearly visible. It was evident that he wasn't being fed properly. He tried to get out of his chair when he heard the sound of a news broadcast.
"Good afternoon everyone.
This is Swapna and I am here with the hottest news that will blow your mind away.
The most eligible bachelor of the country has finally decided to tie knots. In an exclusive interview given to us, he announced his upcoming wedding plans with his newly joined secretary Ms Sunaina Mehra."
"It was love at first sight." Arjun's voice was clearly recognisable coming from the television. "I just want to be engaged with her as soon as possible. That's why we have unanimously decided to tie our knots on the 20th of this month.
"But that's just 7 days from now right? Will you be able to prepare everything by then?" The reporter asked.
"Well on 20th we have our engagement and then we will get married immediately on 22nd. We just don't wanna wait anymore." Arjun's voice was beaming with happiness and somehow the happiness was evident on screen as well.
"That's wonderful. So there you go guys. We will be covering the grand engagement of our Prince Arjun Saxena and Sunaina Mehra. Keep an eye on our channel to get the exclusive scoo-"
Karan no longer was able to hear the rest of the news. Suddenly he heard the familiar growling of a man and the next moment, he heard the TV screen shattered into pieces.
"No! No! No! No!" He heard him speak. "You can't do this to me Sunaina! I won't let you get away with this." He sounded angry. This is the person who had held him captive for so many months and giving him meals during the night only. This wedding seems to have triggered something in him. He sounds fierce, like a wounded tiger. "How can you do this to me Sunaina? How the hell can you?" His voice was echoing in the room. Karan was somehow very afraid of this man. This man was solely responsible why every member of his family is now no more with him. He understood it soon enough that this person is not sane at all. Right now, his maniac like smile scared him the most.
"Oh dear dear dear Sunaina..." Karan could hear his voice as he started walking over the broken shards. His footsteps seemed to be slower yet approaching him closer. Karan was shivering in fear now. The man seemed to be standing in front her now.
"Won't you go to congratulate the couple on behalf of me hah?" Saying this, he burst into a laughter again leaving Karan in fear thinking about the uncertain future that was lying ahead of him.
Hello everyone. I am back with another chapter. Like I promised, I will bring a new chapter and progress the story, once it hit 1k and it did. Faster than I expected. This chapter is a bit special to me because I have written 30 chapters in total. I never thought I would make this possible. Thanks to a few of my regular readers, I got the spirit to continue it. I thank you all for giving this book so much love. 1k is a milestone not easy to achieve. Specially for average writers like me. You guys made it happen. Not only this, my book entered into the top 10 ranking of the individual ranking amongst almost 14.5k books. Its a huge thing for me. I love writing and this literally has boosted me up. Thank you for loving my book. Love you guys.