My head feels dizzy and my ears start to buzz. There's someone digging in my head. I groan as I sit up from my couch and I realise that the digging was actually inside my head. There's a glass of cold water and a cup of coffee on the table. I quickly gulp down the water and it soothes my scratchy throat. Then I have a sip of the hot coffee. Eww it's really bitter. But I still gulp it down to wake up from this sleep. It takes me a hot minute to wake myself up from this daze and realise that there's someone else in the room with me too. I gasp when my eyes land on none other than my very own brother. Armaan Goenka, my older brother and an asshole. Did I mention that he never had a fixed job? Well that's true to an extent. My brother is a part of the New York mafia that's why I cut off my contact with him and also told him to cut off contact with our parents. While I love my brother to death I don't want to get involved with the gang and possibly ruin my good future. I haven't seen or heard from him in three years and now that he's right here in front of me nostalgia suddenly fills my mind. But then reality hits me in the face and I sit up from the couch and stomp towards him.
"What the hell are you doing here Armaan?! I thought I told you to leave me alone so why are you here? And did you just knock me unconscious? How dare you?!" I yell at him taking out all of my frustration from these past few days.
"Whoa slow down with the questions princess. I'm just here to warn you about something and about a debt you need to pay off." He replies with a sly smirk on his face. God I just want to rip off his eyes and wipe off that smirk on his face! But I cool down myself because he's a mafia prince and anger never works on him and it'll backfire on me.
"Alright then spill. I don't have all day so say what you want and leave me the fuck alone!"
"What the fuck? What's with all these contempt feelings? I'm your brother Neha how could you talk this way about me? I'm honestly very hurt right now." The asshole has the audacity to speak this way when he was the one who hurt me first. Bloody fucker if he wasn't my brother I would've killed him right now.
"Cut the bullshit Armaan say what you want to say. Rhea and Nidhi will be back any time now."
"Ahh why yes your two very loyal and loving friends. I wonder how exactly someone like you became friends with someone like them."
"That's because you wouldn't know the meaning of friendship even if it bit you on your ass. And my life doesn't concern you Armaan you left me and my parents so you have no right to come back now."
"I didn't abandon anyone. I left because you threatened me Neha." He says between gritted teeth and his left eye twitches slightly which means I pissed him off. Good I returned the favour.
"Just tell me why you're here Armaan for fuck's sake."
"You know exactly why I'm here little sister. I presume you met Rohan already. Our mother dearest rang me up yesterday concerned about your whereabouts and she also said that the Maliks have a wedding proposal for you. But imagine my fucking surprise when I saw you with Ahaan Malhotra. Damn little sis you do know how to catch the good guys. But anyway long story short your mother sent Rohan here to ask for your hand in marriage but your boyfriend seemed to scare him off. That's why I'm here sis to stop your rendezvous with this snake of a boyfriend of yours." Every word out of his mouth is like a sting to my heart. First I learn that my parents are in contact with him and secondly my mother sent Rohan to marry me. They didn't even bother asking me about it. My blood boils and a rage covers my mind. Who does my family think they are? And who does my brother think he is to tell me to do something?
"Don't you dare speak about Ahaan that way! Who the fuck do you think you are? You filthy vile creature! Just fuck off and don't show me your face again! And you can tell mommy dearest to not to worry about my wedding because I'll date and marry whoever I prefer. Not you or mom's preferences."
"My my is my little sister in love or something? Never thought I'd see the day but well I guess there's a time for everything. I'll come back princess but by the time I'm back if you don't get rid of him I'll take care of it myself. You know I don't make idle threats. Rohan will be back tomorrow and you guys will go on a date and he'll propose to you and you'll say yes. If you don't then your boyfriend will face the brunt of my wrath. I'm sorry sis but I'm doing what's best for you please don't force me to do something we'll both regret. Take care princess." Then he walks away with a final look on me.
I fall back onto the couch when the door clicks shut after him and then I curse aloud. I curse myself and everyone else in my life. I curse Ahaan and I curse Rohan everyone involved in this situation. God why can't my life just be normal. Tears start to form in my eyes when the reality of the situation hits me hard and I realise just how doomed I was. I know Armaan never makes idle threats and he'll hurt Ahaan if it means he'll get what he wants. The Maliks are one of the old English folks with dirty money for the New York bratva. So of course Armaan wants me to marry Rohan. So that he can build his empire. And I don't know in which shell I was living in to not notice my parents being in touch with my brother. That's why they sounded more happy these days. I have no idea why they didn't think of telling me about everything but if they think that I'll back down and be a good little girl and listen to their orders as they fix my marriage then they're terribly mistaken. I'm not the same helpless girl I was a few years back I've grown a backbone these past few years. If leaving alone thought me one thing then it's that never to have less resources. So I pick up my phone and call the one person who can help me get out this mess. By the end of this week the Maliks and my family will learn not to mess with me anymore. I've had enough of bullshit crap in my life and if there's one thing I won't tolerate then it's someone hurting my Ahaan. My man my property. Nobody gets to hurt my man.
**************
An hour later I'm at the location I'm suppose to be in. I look around the people in front of me to find the familiar face. My nerves get the best of me and my leg bounces at a steady pace on the bench just when I'm about to walk back to my car I spot him in a corner getting out of his car. He's wearing his signature suit and pants and a black pair of aviator hides the dark feelings visible in his eyes. As soon as he spots me he stalks towards me with measured steps. He stops a few steps away from me and extends his hand to me.
"Neha Goenka it's a pleasure meeting you after a long time. Please do share what brings you to here to me."
"Pleasure's all mine Zain. I need your help with something. Remember I told you once about my asshole of a brother, he came back and he threatened me with something related to the New York bratva. The Maliks are supplying the bratva with money and resources to help them grow alias. So my brother wants me to marry their heir Rohan so that he can secure his own empire. I need your help to get out of this marriage and to protect somebody with your life. I want your right hand man to protect him. Ahaan Malhotra. Surely you've heard of him. His life is in threat I need you to protect him."
"What you ask of me is a huge favour that you'll need to repay Neha and not with money because I know you have plenty. And you know I rarely get involved with the mafias but for you I'll give it a try. I'll see what I can do about your brother and the Maliks as for your boyfriend I'm sure he's more than capable of protecting himself." I frown at him in confusion.
"What do you mean? And how did you know he's my boyfriend?"
"My darling Neha do you honestly think I don't keep a check on what all my employees do. I keep a record of everything and you don't have to worry about your brother hurting your boyfriend in fact I fear you should do the opposite. Looks like you don't know a lot about your boyfriend but it's not my place to tell. Anyway do we have a deal? My help in exchange for your favour." I think long and hard before I shake his hand.
"But the favour should be something I can give not something out of my reach." He nods in acknowledgement. Then he stands up wishing me good night and he leaves.
The entire time I sit alone on the bench I keep thinking about Ahaan. About what Zain said about him. What is he really hiding from me? How many more secrets is he keeping from me? I honestly don't know if I can take another betrayal from him. I'll have to ask him right away because I can't keep playing this weird foreplay with him. He hurts me and I hurt him back. But now this viscous cycle has to end so I pull up my phone and text him to meet me at a location. By tonight I'll have an answer to every swirling questions in my head.