NARRATOR'S P.O.V
The boulevard was crowded with the folks of the metropolis. Emporium and salon owners sat inside their shops waiting for customers. The street had only one brew shop, howbeit there were plenty of shops just few steps apart from the boulevard. In the day time though some small stands of street food do open but at night there is virtually nothing on the street. The smell of sweet corn was enshrouding the whole street. Not only the sweet corn stall, their were ice lollies hawkers too. The city appeared normal, nevertheless their was a hearsay which was spreading like a fire in the whole metropolis that was the Mafia King has departed. According to certain news channels, Mafia King has passed away due to a heart attack, although they aren't positive regarding it as no one had seen the corpse of the Mafia King. The people of the city were tensed but not more than the hunchback man. The hunchback was anxiously pacing here and there in his chamber as the news he had received the present day had sweeped the land from his feet. In the forenoon his man dashed towards him and informed him that he was unable to locate the dead body of the Mafia King. He had scrutinised everywhere, in every infirmary and even had personally queried the inhabitants near the street as whether they have seen a corpse of a man. Hunchback even interrogated all the muggers and pick pockets who ramble in the street like an owl in the dark, but they all uttered the same thing that is they haven't seen the dead body of the Mafia King. This was now a serious threat for the Hunchback as if the Mafia King is not dead than either the hunchback will die or.....the hunchback will die because no matter what the hunchback will die certainly as the Mafia King doesn't leave the backstabbers so easily. Only if the hunchback knew that the Mafia King is really alive and is coming for retribution.
Nandini sat in her chamber, waiting for her teacher to arrive. She was home schooled all her life. Her brother was very protective towards her and therefore didn't allow her to study in the school. One reason was this too that nandini was a very delicate girl and during the initial days of her school, she was a victim of bullying. However her bullies never harmed her as most of her bullies were boys and they just wanted to be friends with her but their grating voice and truculent conduct just made her scared of them. Hence her dad and her brother resolved to homeschool her, in this way she will get her education and will not have to get terrified of the bullies. So she was waiting for her teacher to arrive. She was closing and opening her books as she was really bored besides her teacher was quite late. She was waiting for her when she heard a knock at the door, she thought it was her teacher.
"May I come in.?? " a husky voice appeared from behind the door. She recognised the voice as it was her new guest.
"Come in. " she said softly. The door opened and the scary guest came inside. His face had a smile. It has been two days since he had been staying in her house. Contrary to his beastly aspect the man was quite gentle towards her. She had observed that he would never raise his voice over her, even when she spilled her chamomile tea on his hand he didn't say anything, he just smiled at her. But he would sometimes act impudently with Martha, nandini will concur to that, but never with her. Besides the man was quite caring towards her as he would always ask her whether she ate her food or not, or if she doze off while watching TV which was her habit than he will switch off the TV and cover her with a blanket. He would never ask her to change the channel whenever she is watching TV, he will just watch what she is watching.
"Did I disturb you. " he asked with a smile as he sat down on the chair near her. Nandini had noticed that he would always sit close to her, perhaps because he wants to make a friend that's why. Nandini had no problem in making him her friend as she had no friends.
"No not at all, actually I was waiting for my teacher. " she said with a smile. The man raised his brow, Was her teacher a male???? If he is, than he will not let him stay alone with her.
"Is your teacher a man.??? " the man asked calmly, endeavouring to keep his possessiveness at bay.
"No she is a girl. " she said with a smile. He smiled. He was about to respond to her when he heard footsteps nearing her room. He looked up to see a pale woman standing on the door. She was dreadfully thin, it appeared as if she is malnutritioned. She had a flat nose and glasses were resting on her nose. She looked like she was in her mid 30s. She came in and her eyes went to the man sitting near nandini. The man could see her drooling over him. He rolled his eyes, this was the reason he despised women they just start drooling over any handsome man they come across. Can't they understand that any male can become handsome after doing gym and all, instead of drooling over six packs if they start loving a man on the basis of his temperament and heart than it would be much better.
"Hii nanu. " the lady said, her eyes never leaving his face.
"Good morning Sara Mam. " she greeted her teacher with respect, but the teacher's attention was not on her rather she was focused on the Greek god sitting next to her.
"Sara Mam. " she waved her hand in front of her eyes to get her attention. Her teacher glanced at her irked, she just wanted to look at that sexy chap but this girl was just disrupting her.
"Nandini you study, I will go to the other room. " the man stated as he rose up from his seat. The lady looked displeased with his resolution.
"You can stay here I don't mind. " she said lustfully. The man glared at her and stormed out of the chamber. The lady sat on the bed annoyed.
The man sat in the room, waiting for his love to finish her studies. It just have been one hour and he is already missing her so much. Suddenly he heard a knock on the door. He smiled thinking it's his little princess. He sprinted towards the door and opened it. As soon as he opened the door two arms wrapped around his neck. He looked to see it was her teacher. He glared at her angrily.
"What the hell do you think you are doing.?? " the man asked jerking her hands away from his neck. She moaned hearing his voice.
"I have given her some work to do and Martha is also not in the house, so let's just start our little fun. " she said lustfully trying to unbutton the buttons of his shirt. He pushed her away from him.
"How dare you touch me.??? " he said angrily grappling her neck. He started choking her neck. She began coughing.
"You are a characterless woman and I will not let you to come near me or my baby. " he said as he kept applying more pressure on her neck as she struggled to breathe. Meanwhile the sound of the opening of the front door reached his ears. He knew it was Martha, he smiled wickedly. He pushed her on the ground and grabbed her hand and forcibly digged her nails on his arm. She gaped at him with shock. He than slammed his head on the wall and blood started to ooze out from the previous cut on his forehead. She realised he is demented. He than dashed outside and shouted for Martha. Martha came rushing out from the kitchen and nandini too came running out of the room.
"What happened. " Martha asked anxiously looking at his condition.
"Martha, nandini. That lady tried to force herself on me, see she digged her nails on my arm and when I asked her to go away she pushed me and banged my head on the wall. " he said with fake tears trying to gain sympathy of his love. Sara came running outside. Martha and nandini glared at her.
"Sara I never knew you were so cheap. Get out from here and never come back. " Martha yelled angrily.
"Martha this man is crazy. I agree I tried to make advances on him but I didn't force him. He himself did all this. " Sara said endeavouring to keep her point.
"Sara Mam what do you mean to say that he himself digged your nails on his arm and than he himself banged his head on the wall. Why would he do that Sara Mam. You are lying, he already was injured and you hurted him more. You are a bad lady. I will never talk to you. " she stated angrily. The man standing behind her smirked. Everything was going precisely the way he excogitate.
"Nandini I am warning you this man is crazy, just throw him out of your house. He is a psychopath and I don't know why is he doing all this. " she said with worry.
"Sara get out right now, I will ask naksh to pay your salary and you don't need to come from tomorrow. " Martha said folding her arms. Sara stormed out of the house. Nandini turned to look at the man.
"I am so sorry. " she said sadly. The man looked at her in awe.
"You don't need to. It's not your fault. " he said with a smile. She smiled back.
Nandini sat in her drawing room watching TV. She was munching on her favourite nachos as she kept watching her favourite movie Robot 2.0. The man came inside and looked at her to see her focused on the TV. He chuckled and sat near her. He placed his arm on the sofa and stared at his beautiful princess. He brought his face close to her hairs and smelled her, she smelt of jasmine. He softly touched her hairs with his finger tips and he knew she was focused on her movie so she wouldn't feel him touching her. He very lightly began pecking her hairs. Before he could go any further sounds of footsteps interrupted him. He knew it was Martha and he wanted to murder her. Can't she understand that he wants to spend some time with his baby.??? He leaned back on the sofa folding his arms. Martha came inside with a smile.
"Nanu I was buying vegetables in the market when I heard the news that we have found the Vikram Lander and it is undamaged on the moon surface. " Martha said smiling. Nandini looked at her happily.
"What I am going to watch the news right now. " she said as she changed the channel hurriedly. The man chuckled, she was just too adorable. She looked at the news channel to see the news was not on the vikram lander but on something else. She pouted.
"They are not showing my news. " she said pouting.
"Wait for sometime, they will show. " Martha said as she went back to the kitchen. The man glanced in front to find his hunchback cousin on the TV. His fist clenched seeing him. The reporter was standing near him and was asking him some questions.
"Sir you say that he is dead but where is his dead body. " the reporter asked. The hunchback looked at him with horror.
"Umm I.....I.....don't....know about the dead body. " the hunchback said wiping the sweat from his forehead.
"So viewers see, even his cousin has not seen the dead body that means we are not sure if he is dead or not. " the reporter said.
He looked at the TV with a smirk on his face. He rose up from his seat and advanced towards the kitchen. He saw Martha was cooking.
"Martha I have to inform my family, can I use your phone. " he asked. Martha nodded and handed him her phone. She desperately wanted him to leave as she has started to get dubious of him.
He walked out of the house and dialed the number of the hunchback. After two three rings he picked up.
"Hello. " he said.
"The King is alive, hunchback. " the man declared in his dangerous voice. The hunchback began shuddering with fear, it would be no mortification to claim that he was all set to pee in his pants after hearing his voice.
"Elder brother. " the hunchback said in a shaky voice.
"Shut up you low lying jerk. What did you think, you can kill me so easily. You know what hunchback, now I will teach you a lesson. And yes send a car tomorrow for me outside the Vashisht house, and don't you dare try to be smart. If you attack me once again, you better know what I can do. " he warned.
"Elder brother sorry, I......I....won't do this again....please sorry. " the hunchback pleaded.
"Keep your mouth shut and do as I say. " he said audaciously as he disconnected the call. He came back inside and saw his love conversing with someone on phone. He knew it must be her brother. He sat near her on the sofa and listened to what she was saying.
"Brother I have to go to the market. " she said stuffing a candy in her mouth.
"Princess I have told you not to go outside, don't you know the city is filled with bad people. " her brother said on the phone.
"But brother I have to buy my body wash, my body scrub, my body oil and my shampoo and conditioner. " she blabbered. He was extremely furious with her brother as his baby had to literally purchase her necessities. He has resoluted that he will fill his one room of the mansion with just her cosmetics. He will buy an entire shop of the women's cosmetics just for her so that she won't have any dearth of anything. He will get her anything she needs before her even asking for it.
"Ok go with Martha. " her brother said.
"Thank you brother bye, love you. " she said happily as she disconnected the call.
"Martha, brother has said that I can go with you. " she said with a grin. The man didn't fancy that. How can his brother be so barmy.???? How can he just let her roam in the city.??? When she will marry him, he will not let her even step outside his mansion. And why only mansion, he will not let her leave their bedroom. She is so precious, she should always be locked up in a cage so that she can never escape.
Nandini sat in her room, she was getting bored as their was nothing to do. Suddenly she heard a knock on the door. She sauntered towards the door and opened it. She saw her guest was standing there, smiling.
"Getting bored. " he asked with a grin. She nodded. He chuckled.
"What do you really do in this time, I mean do you get bored everyday in this time. " he asked leaning on the door.
"I don't do anything, I just do my homework and watch TV but I don't want to watch TV right now. " she said pouting. The man chuckled, she is just so naive and adorable.
"Do you know a good story, I want to listen a story. " she said as her eyes twinkled. He tilted his head, she was just too beautiful for her own good.
"Yes I know. " he said. She smiled and signaled him to come inside. He came in and sat on the bed, she sat next to him placing the pillow on her lap.
"Once upon a time, their was a monster. He was very cruel and everyone feared him. One day, the monster fell in love with a beautiful and an adorable girl. But the girl didn't knew the depth of his love and madness for her. So one day, the monster took that little girl to his castle and locked her up in his bedroom. The little girl cried and begged for her freedom but the monster loved her madly, he just couldn't let her go. Initially she hated that monster but with time when the monster started showering her with gifts and so much love she started to like them and than she too fell in love with him and they lived happily ever after. " he said his eyes filled with love and admiration. She was literally scared of this story.
"Did the monster granted her freedom to go wherever she wants. " she asked curiously.
"No the monster kept his queen locked up in his room forever. " he stated. She looked at him shocked.
"But why did he keep her locked up in his room. If you love someone, you should care for their freedom. " she said gaping at him.
"Some people are so beautiful and precious that they need to be caged or else someone else may steal them. And if you love someone, you will always do whatever it takes you to keep them confine to you, just you. " he said his eyes manifesting madness freighting the poor girl. If only she knew he was narrating their tale to her. He was that monster and she was that girl.