As soon as I got out of the washroom with the lady guard behind me, I halted as soon as I heard sounds of muffled sobs from the rest room beside the washroom.

Though I didn't want to get myself involve myself into more mess...
but as soon as I heard a muffled scream, I held on to the door knob and opened it slowly and swiftly making sure to not make a sound.....

What I saw in there made me stand still.... I couldn't even move a single fibre in my body.

A man covering a girl's mouth with his palm and.....and.....molesting her...
I can see her exposed upper assets and before I could assess what was happening,
the man was lying on the floor with blood oozing out from his right shoulder.

Third person POV :

The female guard stood astounded behind her Master's secretory. Though this is not something new for her to see, but she surely didn't expect this young girl standing in front of her to remove her pistol from holster within a flick of seconds and the man is lying on the floor unconscious with blood pooling around his body. 

Lakshmi looked at the gun in her own hand and then looked up at the man.

She started shivering at the thought of killing or hurting someone to an extent that they bleed....
She wasn't this cruel....
And she wasn't in her senses to accept that she was the one who did this....

With trembling hands, she moved the right slit of her dress and placed the gun inside her holster thigh belt.
She looked at the girl who is still crying looking at the unconscious man on the floor and then at Lakshmi. That girl was really not expecting any of the things that were happening to her....

" why did you come here when you can't even protect yourself?
Do you think that someone will be there to save you all the time ? " she said looking at the girl who is staring at lakshmi with fear in her eyes , she looked like she was in her early 20's with a platinum blonde hair.

The girl stopped sobbing as soon as she looked at someone behind her saviour and guard.

Lakshmi too turned around following her gaze and found Alexander with his men standing near the room entrance.

As soon as Alexander heard someone groan through his chip placed in his ear....
he knew that lakshmi was in trouble as she has the other chip placed in her ear.

When he reached the place via using the tracker installed in her chip,
he was again amuzed to see a man bleeding and partly unconscious bleeding on the floor.

He heard lakshmi speaking on the chip earlier to someone while he was on his way towards her and he knew that those words might exhibit her as strong but she is internally messed up and assuring herself that it's okay....

He stared at the platinum blonde haired girl for a brief minute and left the place along with lakshmi,
by placing an arm around her shoulder.....
He didn't knew why he felt like assuring her that ' it's fine ' with these small signs..... Maybe he saw still too young for this...

' He was not a good man....
Yes...
He is not a good man..... ' lakshmi assured herself that what she has done was right and has to be done...

She knows the pain of being touched forcefully.... She knows how it would feel like after that touch...
as if leeches sucking in to blood
Every second would be painful....

The moment she saw that girl,
she saw herself in her....
.
.
.
.
As soon as they both settled down, Lakshmi was back to keeping a facade which she mastered more after staying with Alexander.

Alexander slowly turned his head back and looked at the one person he was expecting.....

Arjun Singh Rajput.

As soon as Arjun entered inside,
there was a pin drop silence after seeing the 'capo dei capi' at a gathering after 7 years.
He was silent for all these years,
but his rule over the under world has never stopped nor has his power weakened.
They knew better not to come in his sight at all....
Some of them were sweating
Some were trembling with fear
Some were having anxiety attack
As they remember how he made his men kill the mafia lords in a gathering seven years back.
That day was a blood bath in the history of mafia....
His presence was enough to get everyone in the room terrified......

Arjun strode to a glass room kept in middle at a height. Outsiders can't see what's happening inside.....

As soon as he sat on his royale mahagony chair , he indicated everyone to sit.

He has only come for her....
His eyes are only searching for her...

But he couldn't find her as her back was facing him and her hair is Red, which could be least expected.

After a couple of minutes ,
his eyes still unable to find her...
He indicated viraj to start for the search and half of the men left the glass room to the security room....

They can't alert Alexander nor Lakshmi. 
All the entrances of the building were blocked by his men now.

His still kept on searching each and every table for her. His eyes wouldn't want to stop until he find her.... because he knew that she is here.. somewhere.....
He knows it.....
.
.
.
.
.
Food was placed on the large table but Lakshmi didn't even move a muscle....
How can she eat after what she has done?
Though Alexander said her that the one she shot was taken care by his Men....but still....

Alexander heard her stomach growling and he served a plate for her.
Everyone witnessing them both knew that they were more than a boss and secretory.....
That's what they thought....

" the strong one survives
The weak ones die
This is what you have been teaching my daughter and as well as your son.
What's the use when you put on a false strong facade and don't even follow them ? " Alexander said slowly to her and lakshmi being disturbed mentally was offended for being called 'weak' , she snatched the plate from his hand.

' He did wrong
He is punished '
She thought and kept the fork inside her mouth. Her taste buds exploded with the tastiest spices wandering in her mouth.

It didn't even take a minute for her to stuff 4 more veg balls inside her mouth. ' I have to go on a world tour and taste all the food too '....she thought looking at the unknown dish in her plate.

Alexander knew that she didn't eat much in the noon as he saw her filled plate on the island....
What bothered him more was the fact that she didn't place it in the dish washer.

Lakshmi took a piece of lemon and chopped onions. She has a habit of consuming her food with onion and lemon...especially if it's street food... or most probably with every food...

She squeezed the lemon and looked at people on the circular couch staring at her and then looking away....

She wouldn't give a single f*ck about what they must be thinking as she knew that they knew she wasn't eligible for her post nor was she allowed to sit along with them.
This didn't really bother.
She is already outcasted then why not eat food the way she wants.

Though Alexander wanted to put some manners in her head but he knew that she is doing with an intention to irk everyone and she wouldn't change it for anyone.
He let her be the way she is......

" Is it good with lemon? " valero
( Alexander's friend)  asked lakshmi. He knew about her .
He dosen't give a fuck about these double standard people and this little girl daring to eat without an etiquette is funny .
They will get along well.

Before he could say another word, Lakshmi squeezed lemon in his plate saying " eat, it will be super " and continued eating from her plate.
Valero gave a lopsided smile at Alexander and ate from his plate .

" it's good " valero said and lakshmi nodded without even looking at him. Everyone observed her ignorence towards Valero and they were shocked...because he is considered as a psycho in underworld.... Almost everyone has seen him smiling with content while killing people....

" don't you think she is not fit to sit beside you with such an attitude " a woman spoke and lakshmi looked up to see whom she was talking to. It was a girl in silver romper paired with a lacy shimmering bralette peeking out. Sure she is a sexy piece.

She was staring at Lakshmi and lakshmi sighed in exhaustion....
" look beauty
Why bother all these?
Serioulsy
I can give you a comeback
But I don't want to use my brain for useless things.
You want to sit here
Then come and sit. " she said patting in her place and the lady looked in her eye for few brief seconds.

" you know squeezing lemon is not all bad, you get vitamin C from it and I'm sure that you know it's benefits too as you seem a smart lady.
Come , let's share a piece of 🍋 lemon in this wonderful gathering hosted by Mr. Alexander " she said and squeezed a piece of lemon in her plate by bending impossibly on the table. 

That lady just looked at everyone with uneasiness and everyone on the table had internally agreed that this girl is quirky and smart. She used Alexander's name so no one can deny..
The lady ate it and for a second she was amazed at how different it tasted. The combination was great . She ate another piece and looked at Lakshmi who was giving her a soft smile.

She squeezed some in Alexander's plate too while he just kept on eating...

As soon as arjun's eyes spotted the red hair girl again for the third time and was about to move away,
he was stopped by her actions .
The red head was squeezing lemon in a man's plate. That man had a serpant tattoo behind his ear....
He is Alexander....
but his men didn't find lakshmi at that table....

As soon as half of the face of that woman with red hair came into his sight...
He froze...
All the while she is sitting right beside him...
This red head is lakshmi....
His heart beat raised seeing her......

Within no time he got up from his place and went out of the glass room, descended steps with a faster pace... He can't wait anymore...
He wants to see her, talk to her....
It's been a month....
A month without her....

As soon as he reached the table where she is sitting, he saw Valero talking to her casually and she was replying to him but her eyes on plate...
.
.
.
.
.
" lakshmi "
As soon as lakshmi heard that voice and her name.... The fork in her hand slipped and fell in her plate.
She didn't dare to raise her head.
Dream.... Dream.... Nightmare it must be.... Please......

" lakshmi " she heard again and everyone around the table were already standing looking at the king. They all didn't understand why he is looking at Roberta and calling Lakshmi.

Alexander and valero too stood up but didn't bother to bow to Arjun.
Lakshmi was the only one sitting on the couch with her head down.

Her adrenaline was at peaks and in the next second she already jumped to the other side of the couch without even wasting a minute. She knows that he wouldn't let her go if she is caught... Not to forget that she ran away and she dosen't want to get beaten again. She knew that she can't depend on Alexander as he holds less power compared to arjun.

All of them were shocked seeing her jump , even arjun.
' did she just jump over the couch and ran away? ' he thought seeing her bare back with white fur scarf which she threw aside , removed her heels while running and threw either aside frantically running more faster than before while Arjun was walking slowly following her path with his long strides.

He took her heels which she threw,  earning gasps from multiple people. Who would expect the king to collect a woman's heels....

As soon as lakshmi reached near the entrance, she saw the lift a couple of steps away and she sprinted on her tiny legs towards the lift. Before she could step out, two huge men stood infront of her dressed in black, blocking her. She looked at guns in their hand and Eagle tattoo on their dorsum of hands.

She tried to get away by squeezing herself in the corner and they blocked it with their hands. Being short helped her as she crouched and ran under one of the gaurds arm.

Those gaurds knew better not to touch the queen. Arjun nodded at them and they moved away with an ease that they will be alive.

Lakshmi reached the lift and clicked on it multiple times. It didn't open and she remembered that Alexander had access! not her!

She turned around frantically and looked at arjun with her racing heart and sweating body,
he is walking towards her slowly as if she is his prey . She looked to left and right and then ran to the left.

Within a minute
She reached the end.
It was end.
No rooms.
It was just a long blind-end corridor.
No stairs....

She was about to turn around when she felt someone standing too near to her back.

Though she stopped running but her heart raced more than before.... Her muffled inadequate breaths could be heard in the white corridor. She gulped and moved more towards the wall and she felt him moving along with her....

Arjun couldn't even believe that it's her....his brain was filled with unknown fear for her when he didn't knew where she was or was she even breathing....
That thought itself made him succumb to pain....
Pain in heart couldn't be quenched by alcohol nor be forgotten....

In the blind end with the wall in front of her while he stood right behind her...very close to her.... He couldn't smell that natural jasmine scent of her body anymore....

She is here
Right infront of me...

He felt as if he found it...
As if he found a part of him....
Which he yearned for....

As soon as lakshmi felt his hands around her waist , she tried to move away but he tightened his hold on her and pulled her more into him and lifted her a little, settling her bare feet on his shoes....

' Please
I won't hurt you
It hurts me more to see you hurt
I will kill myself before I d...do something like that again...
No....no....no.....no again
Please come back to me ' he cried out speaking in himself....

" bastard leave me! " lakshmi screamed loudly that arjun loosened his hand around her waist but didn't let go. She turned around in his hold and pushed him away. He removed his hands but stood near to her.

He expected Red eyes
He expected tears....or atleast anything from her face but there were none.

Lakshmi saw him searching in her face and she snickered.
" what?
Searching for anger or pain in my eyes?
Why ?
So that you can ease yourself that I still have something for you?

You know what?
I am not angry and I'm not sad...
I don't have anything left for you... " as soon as she spilled out those words, arjun was shocked.....
' she is not angry...... '
' she is not sad......'
She dosen't even hate me..... I can clearly see that in her face... Or is she hiding.....

" Lakshmi
Are you fine? " this was the first thing he asked and she scoffed....

"why don't you hate me after all this?" he asked and she looked at him with blank orbs. He was scared for a second to see those once lively orbs now blank.....

" arjun,
I gave up
You should too
We are not meant for each other.
Save this bullshit emotional drama.
I fear you
Do you get that?
The moment you sow those seeds of fear in me
Was the moment when the bond between us started to break....
Now I feel nothing for you
Except fear " Lakshmi said looking into his eyes....she fears him more than anyone.... After all she faced him and his wrath.....

As soon as arjun heard her saying that she has nothing for him in her, his heart pained more....
' how can she have nothing for me any more? when she herself said that she loves me....
We both it said to each other...
All those kisses and laughs were the proof that we were in love...
All those mornings she stayed awake with me until I complete my work is a proof that she loves me....
All those times she took care of me when I'm sick, or tried making some new dish is a proof that she loves me....
She cared for me
It's a proof that she loves me....
Maybe she is angry to accept the fact... She is hurt....by me....
ofcourse she will pretend that she is not in love with me...
Yah that must be....' he thought and looked at his wife.

" get lost
Don't ever come infront of me " Lakshmi said sternly and tried to move away but was held back arjun with his grip on her arm.

She glared at him angrily....
She will not allow anyone to treat her the way he treated her.
She tried to loosen his grip by glaring at him but he didn't....

" lakshmi
I have asked you many times
Many times I have asked you lakshmi.
I didn't even belive what proofs I've got in the first. I wanted you to say with your mouth and you stayed quite. You stayed silent.....

It hurt me soo much that day lakshmi, I cried alot....
Alot for the love that I started feeling not too long ago and started cheating on me again....breaking my once broken heart, once again....

Do you have any idea?
How much it hurt me to raise my hand on you!
You don't know!
Even while torturing you, I asked you again and again but you stayed quite!
You stayed quite ( a painful sob left his mouth with his voice cracking in the end)

Tell me
Didn't I ask you?
Didn't I give you chances?

It pained me more....
Everyday I came with a hope that all this is a nightmare , but no....
It was not
I have never stopped you from talking.... I wanted you to speak out and say everything is a 'lie' then I would have stopped it....
Because I trust you....
I trust you more than myself......
How do you want me to stay quite knowing that you were with him..." he said with tears pouring out from his eyes , and his forehead with hers, cupping her cheeks.

" but you didn't belive in me " she said and moved those hands away harshly.

She was about to leave him alone again and it scared him. He turned around and held onto her tightly with her back pressed into his torso.

" please
Don't do this
Don't go away. "  he pleaded her with tears falling on her shoulders....

" I'll do whatever you say me to.
I will never lay a finger on you
I will look after you like a queen you deserve to be treated
Please don't le...leave " he said and gulped the painful lump in his throat.

" you have destroyed it arjun
With your own hands.
I believed in you...
More than myself...
I trusted your every step and blindly followed you...

All I wanted was a man who will love me, laugh along with me,
cuddle with me, cook along with me
be a part of my pain and happiness
A small middle class happy family was all I wished for....was it wrong? was it too much?

Though we had an age gap,
though we both were forced into this
but I wanted to work this out because I took My Vows with you.....
I never wanted to be treated as a queen.... I just had a hope of being treated like a wife or maybe a friend.
But you didn't even treat me like a human.....

Even a criminal is served in plate...
But your wife whom you loved was served on floor and made to eat with her mouth like a dog because you didn't belive her....
She died long ago arjun.
The moment you raised your hand on her......you tortured a lifeless body.
You beat her, tortured her, raped her dead body.

The one you are holding onto is no more the one who was holding onto you for every single breath.
That person was dead.....
Even though she could deal with the world but she couldn't deal with her own emotions and heart break.

Her love was too innocent arjun....
Too powerful but too innocent
was her love for you....

She died arjun
She died " lakshmi's eyes were filled with a lot of pain.... Her oldself was no more.... She trusts no one.... She hates everyone....she hated that part of her...

So she became someone
By filling sand and stones in her body
For her only son....who needs her....

Arjun turned her around and gripped her chin tightly as soon as he heard 'dead' from her mouth. He glared at her with anger for considering herself dead....

" lets part away for the best sir " as soon as she said those words, he stiffened.
.
.
.
.
" Ammiiiiiiiiii " as soon as the voice echoed in the long corridor, Lakshmi looked up to see a man holding Ibbu.
Arjun loosened his grip seeing his son. Lakshmi took this as an opportunity and started moving as fast as she can towards her son.
Arjun too walked behind her towards Ibbu.

As soon as lakshmi reached there, she knew that the man holding Ibbu was Alexander's man as she saw him many times in the office.
Alexander's guard bowed to lakshmi with respect while handing over the baby to her.

" why did you bring him here?
What's going on? " she couldn't stop herself from asking that question as her mind was boggling with multiple scenarios.....
She freaked out thinking that a month is almost over..... Does Alexander want to throw her out?  Did he give away her location to arjun?
But that is breaching of deal!

" Abbuuuuuu " as soon as rasgulla saw his father, he couldn't contain himself with the happiness.... He loves his father the most.... He started waggling his hands in air for arjun to take him in his arms.

A weird sense of stimulation coursed through arjun's body as soon as he heard his son call him for the first time... He moved torward Ibbu to take him in his arms but stopped as soon as he saw lakshmi showing her palm to him . " don't take another step towards my son " she said and started leaving him behind.

He felt
Alone
Again

But now that he got her
He wouldn't leave her

He followed behind her as she went to her table. She sat with Ibbu in her lap at the corner of the couch.
Everyone were staring at arjun and Roberta with a kid in her lap.
Arjun squatted to her level and lakshmi flinched thinking that he was about to beat her.

She felt a small tug on her feet and looked down to see Arjun placing her feet into her heels.... His fingers lingered on her feet for a couple of seconds.... She moved her feet away.

She felt..  
A tinge of pain....
But why?

Arjun left from there and went towards the glass door. He ordered his men to get Alexander.

Within few minutes, Alexander entered the glass room and sat opposite to arjun staring into his eyes...

A demon king and a son of Lucifer together in the dimly lit room facing each other with silence and darkness around them. No one dared to sit in the same room with the situation being dense and left both masters alone.

" you can take back your wife ,
6:30pm at entrance 4 " saying this Alexander looked at arjun who just staring coldly at him.

Alexander stood up and left after knowing that the king wouldn't speak to anyone.

As soon as Alexander left, arjun was perplexed as to why he let lakshmi stay with him and then why is he sending her away now. He could have clearly demanded for her in return....
But he just gave up her as if she is of no use to him.... This act of Alexander rose multiple assumptions and doubts in Arjun's mind.

He assigned his men around lakshmi's table making sure that they wouldn't back out or she wouldn't run away.

As soon as Alexander sat in the couch beside lakshmi,
Lakshmi was already burning in anger.....
She controlled herself but as soon as she saw him entering the glass room in which arjun too was there ,
her rage knew no bounds...

She felt cheated again.
She trusted Alexander....
But again she controlled herself as she knew that there must be more behind the story. She can't lash out at someone who provided for her and her baby....not to forget the deal too...

Alexander didn't speak a word nor did lakshmi....as she knew that speaking infront of soo many people will give away her identity.

After some time,
Alexander excused himself and asked lakshmi to follow him. Valero too was walking beside Alexander.

As soon as they got near the elevator , it opened and all three of them entered.

" what's going on? " she asked looking at one of arjun's Man standing in the corner of the elevator, observing all the three keenly.

" you are going back " he said and lakshmi looked at him with tears brimming in her eyes. She trusted him... She thought of him like a friend.... Even though he dosen't speak much but he has a special place in her heart after seeing who he really is.... She respected him....
She trusted him..
and now it hurts....

Suddenly her body started to give away all that she was holding on to for her sanity till now.... She started laughing out loud and leaned on to the wall.

"why am I even trusting people? " she said and laughed out more on herself. She deemed herslf as an idiot who couldn't even learn from the past she had faced.

She felt herself weak.
She gave up...
What can she do more?
How many times can she be broken and behave as if everything is alright..
She loved him truly
He broke her beyond repair
She believed this guy and trusted him
But he sold her off.....

' Maybe no one is at fault and all the fault was mine. My parents gave me off for my bright future. Their parents took my hand for their son as they believed he was a good man but broken. Maybe if I would have told the truth to arjun, then he wouldn't have raised his hand on me....
Alexander has already warned me before hand but still I stayed.
So the fault was mine all along. ' she thought staring blankly at a corner in the elevator.......

As soon as the door opened, they moved out of the escalator.

There was a narrow hall leading to an exit. Among the hushed voices of the people ,
she walked with baby in her arms....

" go out and wait till he picks up " Alexander said and she nodded without turning back and seeing him. ' What should I turn back and see?
Their betrayal ? '
.
.
.
.
.
.
As soon as Arjun spotted lakshmi coming out slowly with her son, he felt a sense of contentfulness in his body....

He saw her eyes which held no emotions. Those void orbs made his heart quench. Every step of hers looked like she was a walking corpse...
' Why isn't she fighting back?
Why aint she running away? ' all his thoughts broke lose as soon as he saw her staring at him......just gazing at him standing near the entrance with baby in her arms.

Alone she stood there
waiting for thy forth of her future holds for her,
to fall upon her for eternity
and make herself drown into the abyss...
As nothing remained for her to hold on to.....
An empty body
without a soul.

He stood numb for a few seconds seeing her....

As soon as he started moving towards her, his eyes widened looking behind her.

There was a sudden blast and she turned around to look at the large fire that was engulfing the whole narrow hall way and speeding towards the exit and another loud blast casing her to shut her ears. The blazing flames surged faster than before and she felt the heat waves striking on her bare skin with a force.
she turned around to run.

He started running towards her seeing the fire that was ready to take away his life. He saw how much scared she was holding onto their baby tightly in her arms covering their baby from the fire.

Arjun POV :

There was another loud blast...

and everything went on slow infront of my eyes....
She raised her other hand for me to hold on to
while carrying our son.
Tears running down her face....

I ran more faster towards her with my lungs burning due to the smoke engulfing the air.... Before I could reach her, it blasted one more time within seconds.....

The fire exploded out through the exit, making me fall back on to a car with force and fell on the ground on my stoamch, causing me to groan.

I raised my head from the ground to only see her being engulfed into the fire slowly infront of me, with her hand still held up towards me....

Third person POV :

The last thing he saw before she disappeared into the flames was a small hope on him....
that he will save her...
A small hope it was.....
even after the flames engulfed her but her hand still remained out among the blazing for him.....

Along with the fire
She vanished into the flames

with a small hope
till her last breath.........