Writer's POV
"Ohh shit!" Natasha squeezed in horror as she sees Advik falling into unsteady state. Her eyes widen in disquiet so does everyone's who's standing in ample vestibule.
On an reflex, her senses alarmed and she catches his head which was about to hit ground.
"Adi!" Avni runs to his brother. Her senses went numb but her body frightened.
"Oh my!" Shweta palms her mouth in shock.
"Advik!" Neil utter in hasten. His mind get into lump. This is wasn't the retaliation he expected from his only brother-in-law.
Everyone gathers around where Advik is laying, his head on Natasha's lap over the floor.
Avni hastingly bent down and patted his cheeks, "Adi! Hey, Adi! What happened?" Her heart thud against her chest as horror is clear visible in her eyes.
Without wasting anytime, she hold Advik's right wrist to check his pulse. Her heavy heart started to fall in steady rate as she find his vitals running normal which made her brows scrunch in confusion.
Everyone stood silent in nervousness. Waiting for Avni to say something as they watch swap in her expressions.
Her nose flares in anger as she espy something. She narrows her eyes at her baby brother.
Advik eye lens moves under his close eyelids.
'Ohh! So you want drama?' Avni spits in anger in her mind.
"Please, open your eyes. I won't hide anything from you, Tiny." Avni screeches the endearment Tiny in her fake caring and petrified tone.
Guess what?
Her trick worked.
Abruptly, Advik opens his eyes, "I am not TINY." He says in apprehension.
When his tired yet offensive eyes met Avni's raged one, dread overcome his sense, "Shoot!" He mumble in dejection.
'She knows you since better than you Advik.' Advik mentally smacks his forehead meanwhile passing a cheeky smile to his sister.
'Like mother, like son.' Avni rolls her eyes.
Neil takes a relaxing breath. Meanwhile Shweta slaps her forehead in relief. Armaan blinks his eyes in tranquility while Prakash facepalmed watching the dramatic scene.
Natasha sits awestruck by the man whom she caught, to save. Hers palms still on either side of Advik's shoulder.
Avni's anger bubble burst as she pressed her lips and raised her right palm. Advik feels a sting on his cheek while Shweta and Natasha gasps. He palmed his right cheek and watches his sister in disbelief, "Ouch! Dii, why?
"Why what why? You, stupid, are you out of your mind? You just gave me a mini heartattack." Avni rambles in anger meanwhile Advik chuckles in playfulness.
Avni smacks his chest getting irritated.
"Ouhh! Woman..stop! Don't get wild." Advik kneaded his chest, still laying his head on Nat's lap who's watching him with tongue tied.
'Ouch! Woman...stop! Don't get wild.' Natasha's mind repeats his sentence, 'I am all yours.' Her mind automatically added. She gulps.
Avni relaxes and sits across his thighs, "Shut up, Adi." She shakes her head in disbelief.
"Now, if you are okay then I guess, we need to talk." Neil icily states. Avni's head snaps in the direction of Neil.
Advik eyes narrows at his cold voice. He raise his right brow in instinct of getting the glimpse of her sister's husband.
Shweta clears her throat, "Before that, son, kindly sit up." She urges to Advik seeing emotionless yet horror striving face of her daughter.
Advik shakes his head in 'no', "Ma'am, please some moments. My head is aching."
Shweta raise her eyebrows while others chuckles at Natasha's scowl.
"You better get up, youngman. That's my daughter giving support to your head." Shweta voice hints strictness.
Advik instantly sit up on sensing no drama in Shweta's voice. His head snaps towards Natasha, "I am sorry. I didn't mean to--" His voice stuck to his throat when he continuesly saw her face.
Reality perceived him.
Advik heart thump against his chest. His eyes shined. A raw emotion passed through it. He gulp a big time. He is not expecting her to be here. He was way more indulge in the conversation with his sister that he didn't really look to the audience faces.
'Why?' He wanted to question her.
But not aware of the inner turmoil going inside her brother; Avni places her hand over his shoulder. Advik jerk up to the touch.
"Relax, Adi! It's me. I think, you should fresh and up. Have some food and then we can talk." Avni suggests with a beating heart because of the authoritativenss Neil's voice held when he asked Advik to have some good amount of conversation.
But to her luck, Advik just nods his head without any drama or tantrums. He didn't uttered a word as he stands up with clenched jaw leaving sitting Natasha on the floor.
Natasha's felt heavy. She didn't knew, this man is Avni's younger brother. Infact, she can't recognise his face.
A night happened and then; both were vanished into thin air for eachother.
Avni left with perplex Advik along with the head couple of the Khanna family. While Neil and Armaan rooted to their spot in comprehension. Watching their baby sister in her bubble, they tried to apprehend her calculative thought which made her shut.
Armaan bent down while Neil took a more predatory step towards his sister. They perceived something in her eyes which they never saw.
Natasha snaps her head to the direction of her shoulder at the physical contact. Her vertebral column relaxes as she find the hall vacant but only the Khanna siblings there.
Armaan raised his right brow, "Nat, there's something we don't know?" He asks in protectiveness.
Natasha eyes flickers from Armaan to Neil who's still standing and waiting for her answer. She don't want to involve them in her matter; personal matter, because she doesn't want her brothers to take anymore tension. Especially, when she can handle this by herself.
"Ofcourse not, bhai. It's just that I didn't thought someone can carry same dramatic trait of mom in this whole world but I guess, there...bhabhi's brother. I was just in utter shock with this blunder." Nat swiftly lied to which Armaan nods.
When she look towards her elder brother, who's just staring at her; she smiles at him. Hoping he wouldn't question her.
Neil nods as well in understanding making her take a relaxing inhale.
"When things goes out of your hand, do tell me." Neil orders before turning around with oozing cold dominance.
Nat pressed her temple and close her eyes in uncertainty. The restlessness she couldn't able to hide all of sudden; was visible to her elder brother.
Armaan took a sharp breath and made her little sister stand on her feet. He playfully flicks her nose to which she giggles. Armaan smiles at her and hugs her shoulder.
"Sweet pie, you know right! We cannot hide things from our brother for long time." Armaan doesn't want her to get tensed.
Nat nods her head in agreement, "Bhai, sorry for hiding things from you guys, but you know, I can handle it. Believe me."
"I believe you. Just remember your brothers are always there for you when your pea size brain doesn't works." Armaan ruffles her hairs.
Natasha groans in annoyance and push Armaan away making him chuckle, "Bhaiii!"
Armaan smriked at her. Now his little sister is back, "What? Ohh..I forgot that facts hurts." With that he starts to walk to entrance door.
"I hate you." Natasha grumbles in vexation.
Armaan stuffed his right hand in pocket meanwhile raise his other in air as he waves while walking to door, "Feelings are mutual, sweet pie."
Natasha stomp her foot making Armaan gruffly laugh. Very little.
(A/N:- Bhai has lega toh marr ni jaega. Thik se has de yaar!😒)
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Neil Khanna
I stare at the person who literally turned my prediction wholly upside down today's morning.
Advik Mehta.
I never knew when Avni described her brother as action-packed one; she was stating the truth. I thought she might find the teenage boy overly excited when we're in college, but alas, she actually knew better.
He is way dramatic as mom.
Avni just told him the truth and he dismissed her while asking me. He wants to talk to me.
Alone.
Advik is standing near glass window of guest room meanwhile I, on the chair. My left foot over my right knee while I analysed the boy.
Advik is boring hole into the carpet. Who will say that this is the same boy who created chaos this morning. And now I understand what Avni meant, when she said 'he is a lawyer.'
"You, Mr. Khanna, do you really love my sister?" Advik questions gravely making me chuckle gruffly.
I stare right into his eyes which is boring wholes on my head, "Yes. I do. I love her." I shrugs off.
He raised his right brow in impressive manner, "You're way confident with this cold attitude of yours." He smiles at me. Not forget to mention, sarcastic smile.
Automatically, my face masked with emotionless cover. This is interesting.
"You left my sister after marrying her. For seven fucking years." His voice comes really low as if he is controlling himself.
"Did Avni told you everything?" I asks in monotonous.
He again smiles at me, "Did you told her everything, Mr. Khanna?" He retorted darkly.
He really is impressive.
"No." I answers because he is the first one I ever come across with, who catched my half-truth. That too, in a young age. Even Neela mom and Ashok uncle believed me.
Yes, Avni still have doubts that I am hiding something from her; but that's because she can read me inside out.
"Then how can I believe you with my sister? You say that you love my sister and you didn't mind telling her the whole truth?" He asks with a rage in his eyes.
'I already like him.'
I huffs lightly before standing up and stuffing my hands on my pant's pockets.
"Adi, lis--" Before I can start myself, he interrupted me.
"Tsk tsk, Mr. Khanna. That will be Advik or Mr. Mehta for you. Only my family calls me Adi." He says in a serious tone. This boy really got a good amount of confidence in him.
When he passed out this morning; I thought he might got stressed out on seeing my dark demeanor but boy no! He was pulling a dramatic stunt.
Avni fed me that it was Advik's way of introduction.
But he need to learn, from whom he is talking to.
"Okay! Mr. Mehta, you gotta listen to me now." My voice oozing authoritativenss and dominance as I gruffly states.
"I am all ears, Mr. Khanna." He literally tried to match my tone.
'Avni, your brother is getting on my nerves.' I grown internally. I itch my forehead with my right hand's index finger.
My eyes darkened extra from its original shade. A tint of anger flowing accross my eyes. I clenched my jaws.
Before answering I shove my hand back into my pant, "Easy there, Mr. Mehta." I threatened him with my gravely hard, dark voice. It was utterly calm to make his body prickle in horror.
That's exactly how you should be.
He slightly nods to hide his agitated state; making me take a deep breath.
Control, Neil. You gotta win his trust.
"Ask me whatever you want to ask?" I give him the good space to get mingle in the conversation.
Advik take a sharp breath before meeting my eyes, "Why? Why you haven't contacted her? And yeah, don't answer saying that family would've got to know, because you are 'The Neil Khanna'. And let's just believe what you said; but didn't you ever got a time or chance to meet dii? Not even once in this seven fucking years? You could have met her after one year...or two or three or four...but no, you didn't. I can't gulp this, you...I mean you, wasn't able to meet the woman whom you married. As powerful as man you are, I can't stand with it." He exclaims in frustration still utterly calm; trying to regain his anger.
A small but proud smile stamps to my lips as this man is impressing with his analytical approach.
"Mr. Mehta, in this span of seven years, my wife has been attacked for more than the twice of years we have stayed apart, even after I not even for once tried approach her." This is what not even my family members knew except me, my secretaries and Avni's security team.
I see the change of dimension in his pupil while he took a moment to comprehend what I just dropped.
"More than fourteen times?" I heard him murmuring underneath before his analytical approach questions me showing his dubiety and scepticism for what I just said, "You're lying. This can't be true. If she would've been attacked for this many times, I would've known." He shook his head as he desperately states, but it sounded more like question to me.
"I said tried."
He looks up from the floor again as he was calculating something, "How? Give me proof so that I can relate to you."
"What you really want me to say?" I asks monotonously.
"Events? Or anything which connects me with dii's any pulled up action dreadful against her."
I let out a breath. This guy is really tough to go with. No one dares to question me this much. I can really see a whole different person in him.
"The day after I left her, her car was met with an accident, but it wasn't the one. They tried to abduct her. My team saved her at that instant. I was the one who ordered them to show her car crash as an competitive move."
"I still don't believe you."
"A truck was about to hit her on 22 of July, year 2017, but she was saved by a man who's in his late forties which coincidentally happen to be Ms. Sophia Khan's father." I says without a pause.
His eyes narrowed, "How do you know? Is Sophia dii is also---"
"She works for me. So does her fake parents." I coldly answers. I hear a animalistic groan coming from my opposite side.
"Why my sister?" Advik's voice held a protective emotion towards his sister. He desperately want to hear things getting settle somewhere but boy! You need to keep patience.
"Because she's my wife."
"But they don't know this."
"But she is one of two from my college time to whom I used to talk." As I completed, my mind went thump.
He let out a exhausting breath and roams his fingers through his hairs.
Expected reaction. Finally.
"You promise me to keep her safe?"
Without delay of even a second; I answer, "Yes." That's the promise, and my promises are meant to be eventful but broken.
"How?" I just stared at him on his question.
"The way I have been saving her since long." I shrugs.
He closed his eyes for a moment. His eyes held so much for his sister; I can straight tell, what he wanted to hear but I want to play along.
I am actually enjoying his way of interrogation.
'Way to go lawyer.' I smrik at his anguished face.
"Can't you be specific for once? I mean, why so much of attitude? How can you stay this calm?" He asks irritably. I raise my left brow at his question.
"You called it upon yourself, Mr. Mehta. I came here to talk to my brother-in-law but you introduced me to the lawyer Mr. Advik Mehta." I shrugs.
"Can we talk on this later?" He asks unnervingly meanwhile hauling from one end of the room to another as I watch him standing on the same spot.
"Sure thing." I says meanwhile turning around and making my way to the mahogany chair.
"Okay! Now please tell me, that my sister is safe!"
I nod my head while I make myself comfortable on chair, "She is. You have my words."
"But how? I mean Desai's now works for mafia. Precisely, work in and with mafia. How would you able to stop them?" He rattles.
I chuckle at his question. Till now, no one asked me this. Not even my family, maybe because they already know the answer but still, one of them still didn't asked me. My wife.
"You boy, you gotta nerves...I see." I say with amusement on his fortitude and courageous nature.
"I think every brother in this world is way more aplomb and phlegm in them, when it comes to their sister." He says with assertiveness.
I twitch my lips downwards while giving a stiff nod, "True."
"So how will you?" He blows as if he is requesting me to answer.
I shake my head at his abrupt behaviour, "Italian mafia." I answers monotonously with a blank look on my face.
I calculate his shocking features as his jaw literally touched the ground. He blinks furiously and tried to speak but nothing came out.
I knew, it would happen. This is my plan A. I know it'll leave everyone in dismay. Terrifying the more it sounds; it gets more darker. The world of dark path where people kill to stay alive, and my case is no different as far now. So, here my faith lead me to the door of king of black hell.
"How can---Why?---No, you can't---I mean this is not the way---how can you---" I cut off the frightened boy infront of me. The terror his eyes pooled with, his horror, dread, perturbed state is what always make me hold myself back from spitting truth to Avni.
"Advik, calm down. I---"
"How can you ask me to calm down? My whole family's life is at the edge of cliff where on the other end your family enemy is standing with gun on our head. And what you came up with? The same what they did to you. Taking the help of most dangerous and no. one criminal family of mafia... Italians!" He freaks getting terrified with every passing second.
I see his legs wobbles as sweats starts forming on his forehead. Hastingly, I get up from the wooden four legged stuff and stride toward him. I held his shoulder.
"Advik, see into my eyes. Okay!" I try to calm him while messaging his shoulder. "Calm down...I know it's not easy to take in, but we can get rid off them with this way only."
His eyes lined with tears of exhaustion and fear, "But jiju, they are way more dangerous. How can I breath knowing that one second we're laughing and maybe in another, would die!" His drained eyes with depletion of things which are seemingly impossible to get solved; says.
The weariness and fatigue I use to carry with myself, this the mirror reflection of the inner me.
But I need to be strong for my family. I can't gamble myself with this exhaustion. I have to be strong.
"You have my words, Adi. There's no way anyone would be able touch any single person of our family." I assure in calmness. My rocketing heart opposing of my outer image.
"Don't we have other way? I mean, legal?"
I took a deep breath meanwhile shaking my head in denial, "No. Think for once, they literally killed my grandparents, uncle, aunt, my security team and the plane's whole god-damn crew; for what? Revenge. My sister and bestfriend was burnt alive by those bloodthirsty pyscho's. My mom was lying on hospital bed for 2, years; fighting between her life and death because of those barbarous Desai's. They're merciless, ruthless and way more dangerous I can be for anyone. And to stop them, I have only one Idiosyncrasy and that's the end of Desai's. For that, I have only one course of action and that's Italian mafia." I answers firmly. The finality my words held and authoritativenss my eyes have; I dare anyone to defy me. And to his good, Advik just shakes his head in understanding.
This is what makes me guilty for claiming that precious soul. I don't deserve her. But my selfishness.
She's so good to be true, and her family is way more than anything I can ask someone to be supportive and understanding.
I smiles at his relaxing yet rational features, "So, now we should talk about your sister."
"And what were we doing till now?" He asks with a hoarse chuckle.
"What about us then?
His eyes goes wide as he put his hands crisscross over his chest in protective manner making me baffle, "Ahhh! Meri izzat! I am a straight man, jiju. Have you told about your sexual interest in male to dii?" He dramatize making me almost laugh at him.
Here comes the playful Advik.
"Adi!" I takes his name in threatening tone.
He smiles at me. A appreciative smile.
"I already accepted you as my jiju."
I raised my brow, "Then what's all this QNA was all about?" I asks icily. I already know the answer but still, better to mend things before it gets out of event.
"Well, that's true whatever I asked. I wasn't able to believe you even after my elder sister ramble the unending list of your outstanding qualities. Plus, I really want to see how you actually are."
'I already knew it.' I wanted to say it aloud but I don't want to destroy his confidence. He needs more practice. But he is utterly good as an intern.
"Okay! We're good then?"
Advik smiles to fullest, "Good? Jiju, more than good. Magnificently good. You're the best I could ever ask for my sister. You brought my old silly sister back. She's so silent after you left. I got to know today why she was changed suddenly." He exclaims making me smile internally.
I didn't show my happy state because I don't see the reason to be abrupt. It's okay. It's a general emotion only. No big deal.
"This is why she called you emotionless." He mutter underneath.
"I heard that." I pointed monotonously to which he replied me with a cheeky smile. I shook my head at his behavior.
"Oops! I didn't meant that way, but I have a question; if I hit you with a vase, would you be still emotionless? I mean won't you feel any pain?" I grumbles in annoyance to his question.
'Is this man is for real?' I just blankly stare at him making his playful smile vanish from his face.
Better.
"Why you answered me? I mean the way she described you, I thought I will not get any answer but you told me."
"Well, you take it as perks of being my brother-in-law." I answer coldly.
"You really are something." He says. And I would like to take it as an compliment.
"I will send you an offer, if you would like to accept it then do tell me later." I command.
His eyes shined and brows furrowed in bewilderment, "What offer?"
"That you will see."
"Noooo! Tell me. Please---"
And without a word I left the guest room leaving behind rambling Advik.
You gotta learn more, youngman.
What I told you was just a part of my half-truth.
There's more.
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3902 words.
Surprise! surprise!
So, here's the third update of the week.
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Advik's drama.
Advik and Natasha?
Neil's hidden truth.
Bond of Neil and Advik.
Which part was more interesting?
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This chapter is dedicated to one of the biggest fan-reader of this book AnamikaMishra859
Thankyou girl. Your constant approach to me, motivates me to write further.
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So here is my another episode of The Billionaire's wife🦋
Hope uhh ppl will like it!!
Please drop ur comment that do uhh ppl liked it or not!!
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Thankyou so muchhhh, everybody. This is overwhelming.❤️