Mumbai, India
October
Aryan's POV
"Aryan?"
"Huh?" I glance up from my phone, feeling a pang of guilt wash over me as Vivek's voice interrupts my thoughts.
"Yeah?" I respond, trying to shake off the unease that lingers in the back of my mind.
"I've been calling you for the last 10 minutes, man. And you've been glued to that phone all day," Vivek says, irritation evident in his tone as he stands at the door.
I roll my eyes, feeling a twinge of annoyance at being called out. "That's an exaggeration," I mutter under my breath, my gaze flickering away as I pretend to focus on loading my pistol.
But deep down, I know he's right. I've been staring at my phone all day, unsure of what to say to Amaira. The events of last night replay in my mind like a broken record, leaving me feeling unsettled and uncertain.
I can't believe we were both so drunk that we almost kissed. The thought sends a shiver down my spine, a mixture of excitement and apprehension swirling in the pit of my stomach.
Part of me wonders what would have happened if she hadn't pulled away at the last second. But another part of me knows that it wouldn't have been right, not in the state we were in.
We - I mean she just said yes to the alliance, what would she have taken of me if I had kissed her last night? A pervert who can't keep it together after being drunk? I don't know.
Things are already awkward enough between us as it is. We haven't exchanged a single text all day, and I'm at a loss for what to say to her.
I turn my attention back to Vivek as he scoffs and moves to stand in front of me. "Seriously?" he says, his tone filled with exasperation.
I don't respond, instead focusing on loading the bullets into my pistol and securing them into place. "What do you want?" I ask, finally looking up to meet his gaze.
"It's only 5 o'clock, man. Relax. No bar or pub is going to be open this early," I remind him, slipping the pistol into the waistband of my trousers before shrugging on a leather jacket to conceal it.
"But it's a long-time criminal we're dealing with. I don't want to take any chances," Vivek mutters, his expression serious as he fusses over his appearance in the mirror.
"Relax, Vivek. We'll get him today," I assure him, offering a pat on the back in an attempt to ease his nerves. But he remains silent, lost in his thoughts.
"I'll go meet the others," I announce, making my way towards the room across from ours. I knock on the door three times, but before anyone answers, I hear a door slam shut at the other end of the hallway.
As I turn towards the sound, the door in front of me swings open, revealing a familiar face. "Karthik," I acknowledge, feeling a twinge of surprise as I nod in recognition.
I hadn't expected to see him here. We've worked together twice before, and both times, let's just say we didn't exactly hit it off. Karthik is more of a lone wolf, always making impulsive decisions that nearly derail our plans. But luck always seems to be on his side the plan was a success. Despite the warnings from our superiors, he did what he did.
And also, to be honest, I've never seen him crack a smile.
"You," he responds tersely, his expression blank as he holds the door open wider.
"Well, well, we meet again," I comment, trying to keep the atmosphere light as I step further into the room. My eyes land on a man surrounded by makeup artists, who must be an impersonator of Shakib.
"How have you been, Karthik? Everything good?" I inquire, not bothering to look back at him. But as expected, Karthik's response is less than friendly. Like always.
"Fuck off, Aryan," he mutters, annoyance evident in his tone as he heads towards a table where a phone is buzzing incessantly. "What do you want now?" he snaps into the phone, clearly irritated.
Turning my attention to the man being primped by the makeup artists, I introduce myself. "Myself Aryan. And you must be?" I ask, trying to make conversation.
"Jay Mathur," the man replies, barely moving as the artist works on his eyebrows, thickening them to what seems to turn him more into Shakib.
Before I can say anything else, Karthik brushes past me, nearly knocking into me in his haste. "Watch where you're going," I mutter under my breath, but he just offers a sarcastic smile before disappearing out of the room.
Just then, Vivek enters, wearing a suit jacket as he looks around the room, his expression serious.
"And you've met Vivek," I gesture towards my partner for today, hoping to break the tension in the room. Jay's eyes widen slightly as he nods, his gaze fixed on the makeup artist working on his eyes.
Yesterday, while I was out with Amaira, Vivek met these people and discussed the plan.
"And where's the woman who'll be joining us?" I inquire, scanning the room, but there's no one here who seems like they'll be accompanying us.
"Why?" A voice interrupts from behind me, and I turn to see Karthik leaning against the door frame, a hint of challenge in his eyes. I raise an eyebrow at his question, puzzled by his sudden interest.
"I mean...am I not supposed to know my teammates?" I respond, stating the obvious as Jay and Vivek watch the exchange in silence.
Karthik stares at me for a few moments before finally speaking up. "She doesn't like people in general, and she doesn't want to reveal her identity to anyone, including us," he explains. I furrow my brow, wanting more information, but Karthik seems reluctant to elaborate.
"Jay is the only one she has talked to, and they know what to do. So I think there is nothing in you meeting her," he adds, though his explanation leaves me with more questions than answers. Nevertheless, I decided to trust his words and focus on the task at hand.
"It's done," the makeup artist announces, pulling my focus to Jay, who stands up and stretches before turning towards us.
I glance at my phone, contemplating whether to message Amaira. Eventually, I decide to change her contact name to 'Aira' and tuck my phone away, turning my attention back to the group.
"Looks good," Vivek comments from behind me, and I nod in agreement. Karthik joins us, his eyes lingering on Jay as he twirls and bows sarcastically before heading towards the refrigerator.
Clearing my throat, I begin assigning roles. "So, I'll be a VIP customer, Vivek will be Jay's bodyguard, and..." I trail off, turning to Karthik for his role. "Server," he responds bluntly, looking ahead. I can't help but make a sarcastic comment under my breath, but I keep it to myself.
"Let's get this done," Jay declares, heading towards the door, and we all follow suit. Just as we're about to step into the elevator, Karthik stops behind us, engrossed in texting someone.
"You guys go ahead, I will come in another car with the Sa— the woman," he says, walking away without waiting for our response.
Vivek nudges me from behind, and I step into the elevator, hoping that everything goes according to plan.
Samaira's POV
"Stop panicking. You are stressing me out along with you," Zia mutters, annoyance evident in her voice as she types furiously on her laptop.
I immediately halt my pacing to look at her. "Well, easy for you to say," I snap back before resuming my stress-induced walk.
"It isn't my mistake that you hid your identity and your side profession from your soon-to-be-fiance," Zia snaps back, glaring at me.
Yesterday, when I returned to my room close to midnight, I was met with two fuming and overbearing individuals. Jay seemed chill, not questioning much. But Karthik and Zia bombarded me with questions until I finally gave in and spilling everything (Not everything tho). Zia seemed offended that I didn't mention Aryan was the person I might be marrying who is also her friend.
Karthik, on the other hand, was fiercely protective and possessive, expressing concern over me being out drunk at that time of night, even though he didn't know I'd be marrying Aryan. Zia and I have covered it up, pretending to be friends.
But Karthik dropped a bombshell, revealing that Aryan was also involved in this mission to catch Abhishek. Now, I'm panicking over the possibility that Aryan might discover my true identity, despite being covered in this burqa.
Zia will escape which she was so happy about. I on the other hand not so happy.
Though Karthik is convinced Aryan won't find out, I'm still unsure, and the uncertainty gnaws at me.
"As if you didn't hide about your side job," I mock Zia, but she doesn't reply, her typing growing more furious. The door opens behind me, and I turn to find Karthik standing there.
"Let's go," he says, walking out with the same brisk pace he came in. Zia glances my way. "Don't forget the pistol," she reminds me, pointing to the one Raj sir had given us through Karthik for safety reasons. I take the gun and tuck it into the waistband of my jeans. Feeling uncomfortable, I wait until it's time to go out before putting on the burqa and covering my face.
I glance at my eyes in the mirror, where blue contact lenses give me a different look. Hurriedly, I catch up with Karthik. Once we're out and in the car, I clear my throat. "What did you say to Aryan?" I ask. Karthik glances my way before looking out of the window. "I said you hate people and you're private about your life," he answers.
It's true, but the fact that Aryan didn't press me for more information bugs me. "And he didn't question it?" I press further. "I didn't let him," Karthik replies, a smirk playing on his face.
"You don't like him," I state, noticing his change in expression. His smirk disappears, and he turns to look at me. "I didn't say that," he says, a hint of offence in his tone.
"Oh, but your little smirk says something else," I retort, and he quickly schools his expression into a blank stare. "We don't get along," he says as if that should explain everything.
"Sure," I reply, looking out of the window as we pass through the busy evening traffic of Mumbai.
In about an hour, our car comes to a stop behind the bar, and I spot a familiar figure – it's Aryan.
He looks different from yesterday night.
Don't go to yesterday night. My conscience warns me.
And I immediately put a halt to my train of thoughts, let's not dwell on how Aryan looked devilishly handsome yesterday in that white shirt and black trousers. Also not on that almost kiss we had yesterday night.
I shook my head to get the thoughts thrown out of my brain.
Aryan was talking to Jay and another person whose face I don't recognize with his back towards us.
Panic floods through me at the thought of being so close to Aryan. So close yet so far. Or I know you but you don't me kind of way.
"Are you going to come out?" Karthik's voice breaks through my thoughts, and I nod feebly, pulling the burqa back to cover my face. He opens the door, and I step out, nearly stumbling if not for Karthik's steadying hand. "You are already miserable," he whispers, his gaze fixed on my feet as I regain my balance.
I say nothing, feeling the weight of curious gazes on me. Faking a need to adjust my burqa, I peek out from under it, whispering anxiously, "Are they looking?"
Karthik nods silently. "Keep your head down or act like you're shy or something," he advises, sensing my panic. Why am I so unstable? I'm not even that afraid of facing Abhishek.
"Or maybe you could take cover behind me and stay behind me," Karthik suggests as a last piece of advice. I peek through my lashes, and true to his words I see two curious gazes in my direction, then I hide behind Karthik's towering figure like a shield.
As we approach Aryan, he speaks thoughtfully, "And this must be the woman. Shakib's fake wife or mistress?" He doesn't bother to look at me behind Karthik. He stands grounded in his spot. Maybe trying to make me not uncomfortable.
"Wife," Jay interjects, correcting Aryan's assumption.
"Wife," Aryan repeats the word, and I try not to seem more suspicious as I step out from behind Karthik and stand beside him.
"So she knows the plan?" Aryan asks, to which Karthik gruffly replies, "Yes. Now let's go." Aryan lets out an amused chuckle at that and I know Aryan shares the same kind of relationship with Karthik as I do. Everyone starts moving in, and I trail behind them at a leisurely pace.
There's a guard at the door who immediately lets us in when he sees Aryan. Once we're in the back hallway, we hear obnoxious laughter at the other end. "That's Shakib," Jay says confidently as if he could recognize that voice anywhere in the world.
"Okay, so, let the woman be inside somewhere safe until we get Shakib out of the bar," Aryan decides, coming to my side and opening something beside me that I didn't notice– it's a restroom.
"You can stay here for some time while we deal with Shakib," he says softly, his voice devoid of any roughness. I nod and step into the closet. As he closes the door behind me, I catch his eyes barely through the mirror in front of me, and I immediately look away from it and I hear the click of the door closing shut.
"Get your shit together, Sam," I murmur to myself, wiping my sweaty palms on my clothes.
My phone buzzes, and I have to lift the whole burqa to take it from my jean pocket. I realize my burqa actually has a pocket. "So stupid, Sam," I mutter to myself as I unlock my phone.
There's a string of messages from Nithya. I tap on her name,
YOU SAID YES?!?!?!?
How?!?!
When?!?!
Why didn't you tell me????
Aryan's father just called and told the news.
And your father said we could have a small engagement function at home. Here.
They are planning for next week to this week.
My throat tightens when I read that my father has already decided on the engagement without even consulting me.
I reply to her first message and then with an 'Oh' to the last one. I had a tiny inkling that Aryan might have informed his parents already, but I don't understand why he didn't tell me before he did. Sighing, I switch off my phone and put it back in my burqa pocket this time.
Jay comes into the room sometime later and asks me to follow him as they are done packing Shakib away from the bar.
I look surprised and glance at the watch on my wrist. "This soon," I mumble, and Jay nods, leading me in the direction of the room. Once inside, it's just him and me.
Jay outlines the plan. "We'll stick to the plan. You stay by my side. Aryan will be on the other side, Vivek acting as the bodyguard and Karthik as the server who'll move in and out of the room. And I think Abhishek might be drugging him or something—"
I cut him off, alarmed. "Drugging? Don't we need him alive to find out what he's done in and out of prison?" Jay pauses, considering my words. "Right. Maybe he'll just make him lose consciousness. Once we have Abhishek vulnerable, we'll cuff him and get him out of here."
I nodded, absorbing the plan. "What if he has guards?" I ask, a bit worried.
"That's a risk we'll have to take. The extra men in this room will be taken down by me, you, and Vivek, while Aryan and Karthik handle the ones outside," Jay explains.
I nod again, understanding the stakes. "What if we fail?" I ask hesitantly.
Jay's eyes turn sharp, "We don't have a choice, Samaira. We need to get him if you want to see your sister and if I want revenge for my sister," Jay says firmly, sending a shiver down my spine with his determined tone.
Before I can respond, the door opens, and I instinctively lower my head. "Surprise, surprise. Abhishek will be here in the next 15 minutes," the newcomer announces, making my heart race with anticipation.
"Get your shit together, people," Karthik commands before leaving, followed by Aryan. I steal a glance, only to find the newcomer's eyes on me. I quickly look away, but Jay steps in front of me, shielding me from his gaze.
"She's not comfortable, so try to look at her less, Vivek," Jay says firmly. "I will be right back." Vivek exits the room.
"Thank you. Though, I wasn't feeling uncomfortable," I say lightly to Jay. He doesn't respond, simply taking a seat on the couch. I join him, and soon Vivek returns.
"Karthik asked me to keep these here," Vivek says, gesturing to the drinks and chicken dish which looks delicious. Clearing my throat, I change my voice before speaking, "Most Muslims don't drink, you know," I say softly, a stark contrast to my usual tone and voice.
Vivek chuckles. "I guess we're lucky then. Shakib did drink," he says before leaving the room
*
"Mohammad!" a rough voice greeted from behind us, making Jay straighten his spine and sending goosebumps rippling across my skin. We both turn around simultaneously to face our target.
Abhishek. Just as expected. He stood there with four other people, presumably his bodyguards, and Vivek.
"Abhishek," Jay greets back in a gruff voice and steps forward. They shake hands, and Jay gestures for Abhishek to sit on the couch. They walk past me, but I linger for a few more seconds at the door, expecting my twin to follow. "Fathima?" I jump at Jay's voice.
Fathima? Oh right, that's me. Act normal, Sam, I tell myself.
I turn around and answer in a meek voice, keeping my eye on Jay. "Yes?" "Why are you standing there?" he asks. I don't answer; instead, I walk over to him. He holds my arms, our eyes briefly connecting, and we both sit together opposite Abhishek, who is assessing us with his eyes.
"You've brought your wife," Abhishek states, without questioning. He stares at me intensely, and I keep my eyes locked on him. Just as I'm about to answer, Jay's hold on my hand tightens. "She isn't feeling well, so I decided to bring her along with me," Jay answers calmly, acting affectionate as he starts rubbing his thumb on my knuckles, as most couples do.
Abhishek's face immediately turns to concern, which I'm sure is fake. "What happened, Fathima?" he directs the question at me, but once again, Jay answers, shocking me with his words. "She's... four weeks pregnant. So I didn't want to leave her alone," Jay says. My grip tightens on his hand, and he winces slightly, tossing a smile my way as I glare at him from under the burqa.
Abhishek's eyes turn surprised as he looks between us. "Congratulations, Shakib!" he says with a fake smile. Jay nods in thanks, and I follow suit.
"So, coming to business," Abhishek starts, clearing his throat. One of the men behind him comes forward with an envelope and hands it to him. Jay lets go of my hand and leans forward, acting attentive. Just then, there's a loud thump from the other side, catching Abhishek's attention. Jay immediately jumps in, "Don't worry, it's just my men moving around new furniture for the bar," he waves it off. But something changes in Abhishek's demeanor. He sits more rigidly, and something in his eyes changes, in a more evil way.
Then he removes two photographs from the envelope, and my heart pounds in my chest. "I'm not here for the normal dealings," he says and slides the two photos forward towards Jay, who looks at them tentatively. I take a peek at the photos, and my body turns cold at the faces in them.
It was my twin, Amaira, and my cousin Rhea.
"The one on the right has run away, and I want her back. She has stolen some crucial info about my dealings," Abhishek explains, pointing at my sister. My hold on the couch tightens. "The other one is planning to send me back to jail, which might not end well for me this time around. So she should be..." Abhishek runs his thumb across his neck, indicating to kill her.
Abhishek knows...Rhea? And Amaira as runway?
Jay stares at the photos for a long time, and so do I. Then Abhishek clears his throat, dragging our eyes to him. "So?" he raises a suggestive eyebrow at Jay. Jay throws the photos on the table with an easy smile as he leans back. "It will be done," he announces. I see Abhishek's eyes turn slightly surprised. Then he lets out a chuckle and leans forward, picking up the sabotaged drink. "Cheers?" Abhishek asks. Jay picks up the drink in front of him, and Abhishek tracks his movements with his eyes. "Cheers," Jay says in a fake happy tone, raising the glass in Abhishek's direction.
Jay takes a sip from the drink, but Abhishek doesn't. He just stares at Jay, the glass lingering at his lips without a sip. Then, I notice a shift in Abhishek's demeanour. He lets out a humourless chuckle and places the glass back on the table. Immediately, my senses heighten, and I see Jay lowering his glass too. Abhishek stands up and points a gun at Jay.
"I knew something was fishy from the minute I stepped in," Abhishek says, his gaze shifting to the ceiling. Jay and I both stand, realizing that our plan has taken an unexpected turn. Abhishek's men follow suit, pointing their guns at us. I hear a click behind me, and I know Vivek is also aiming his gun at Abhishek.
"Shakib doesn't drink." Abhishek reveals the information and my eyes widen, "He drinks coke whenever we meet. Just so you know." He says turning his gaze back to us, his eyes hard and blank.
That moment all I felt was hot anger towards Vivek. How could they miss this detail?
"I didn't want to come today. But I just wanted to see if the police department had already started their hunt for me," he says, tipping his head to the side with a smirk. "I guess they do." He says smugly as his eyes land on each one of us few seconds before looking back at Jay. I try to reach for the pistol inside my burqa, cursing inwardly when I realize it's not easily accessible.
Then, I notice movement behind Abhishek's men and see Aryan and Karthik entering stealthily. Aryan meets my eyes and gestures for me to stay quiet, placing a finger on his lips before pointing at the bodyguard behind Abhishek.
"Well," Jay begins, pulling at his fake beard and throwing it onto the table, simultaneously pulling out a gun from behind him and aiming it at Abhishek with a determined stare, "I was feeling like a coward to kill you while being undercover." Jay's grip on the gun tightens, and I try my best to loosen the pistol from my waistband.
"Now I feel better though," Jay continues with a content sigh, pulling back his wig and tossing it at his feet, his aim unwavering from Abhishek.
"You are a coward, Jay. To run away after I killed your sister. No revenge, nothing? I half expected you to be hunting for me. You sure do disappoint people's expectations," Abhishek mocks Jay, taunting him, which earns him a click from Jay, who removes the safety off of his gun.
I see a slight movement in Abhishek's finger, and I react instinctively, grabbing the glass and throwing it at him which he dodges easily. "Fuck!" Someone yells, and I hear gunshots. When I look back up, Abhishek is already making his escape as others fight off his men. Aryan and Karthik defend themselves from 3 men while Jay kneels beside Vivek whose arm is bleeding out. Without hesitations, I run after Abhsihek ignoring Karthik's protest across the room, "Don't go alone!".
I catch up to him just as he reaches the end of the hallway and grab onto his arm, pinning him against the wall. With adrenaline coursing through me, I used all my strength to keep him restrained, pressing his arm against the wall which was the gun with all my weight. "You're not going anywhere," I growl, my heart pounding in my chest as I hold him down, my eyes locked onto his with determination.
As Abhishek struggles against my grip, I refuse to relent, my fingers tightening around his arm. But then, with a deafening blast, he fires the gun in the direction it's held, causing me to flinch involuntarily. The force of the shot rattles me, and my hold staggers for a moment.
Seizing the opportunity, Abhishek shoves me aside, sending me stumbling backward. I trip over my own burqa, my heart pounding in my chest as I struggle to regain my footing. Before I can recover, Abhishek's fist comes hurtling towards me.
But just in time, Aryan intervenes, grabbing Abhishek's hand from behind. "Step back!" Aryan's voice cuts through the chaos, but Abhishek refuses to yield, quickly raising the gun and aiming it at me. Fear clenches my heart as I freeze, staring down the barrel of the gun.
Aryan's hands hover, poised to act, but he hesitates as Abhishek's threat looms large. With a subtle nod, I silently implore Aryan to comply, knowing that any sudden movement could escalate the situation further. Aryan's gaze meets mine briefly, and I nod imperceptibly, grateful that my face remains hidden beneath the burqa.
Abhishek pulls me along, his grip unyielding as he guides us towards the door, the gun still trained on me. "Stay back," he warns Aryan, his voice laced with menace. Aryan tenses, his concern evident, but he respects my silent plea for caution as I nod at him subtly to stop him from making any move.
As we near the door, another gunshot reverberates through the room, causing both Aryan and me to flinch. Abhishek shoves me to the ground before fleeing, leaving us locked inside. Aryan rushes to my side, his worry palpable as he reaches out to assist me, but I motion for him to halt with a shake of my head.
"I'm fine," I assure him softly and quietly as use my best different voice that wouldn't give away my identity, though my heart still races with adrenaline, I manage it. Aryan nods, his expression tense, we both hear the hurried footsteps approaching and turn our heads in its direction.
"We need to get Vivek to the hospital," Karthik says, urgently running towards us with Jay behind him, holding on to a bleeding Vivek.
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Yo, readers! I hope all are doing well.
Sorry for the late update I was kinda caught up with my final semester project draft deadline. But I am free now until the next deadline so I will be updating frequently. S frequently that you might expect one for tomorrow too. *winks*
I hope you people like this chapter and also comment down your views so that I can know your opinions. I would love to see them.
Vote. Comment. Share. Follow.
Happy Holi everybody!
Also, IPL as started, evening entertainment, do any of you watch it? If so which team do you guys support? Maybe we could fangirl over them together if you share.
Love, Silver