Better ✓

23. A dead end.

"Hello?" Riddhima froze at the too familiar voice. He is back. Rajveer looked at Riddhima confused. They were standing at the quiet parking lot of the building where she lived now. She had called Sejal again but this time her phone went switched off. She couldn't help but call at this number. But her phone lost the network after coming to the basement. She asked Rajveer and finally his call connected on second try.

Riddhima panicked upon hearing his voice. Rajveer answered "Hello" in return. Riddhima snatched his phone from his hand and cancelled the call. Rajveer got confused looking at Riddhima's panic stricken face. She tried to smile at him while handing him his phone back. "Must be a wrong number or maybe she is still at work at some party. I'm not sure about this number. " She glanced at her phone nervously while thinking about what must be happening in Goa. Rajveer saw a hint of fear in her eyes. It looks like she is suddenly too tensed. "Don't worry, she will be fine. I can call di if you want. " "No need. I'll call her if in case I couldn't contact Sejal. Thank you for dinner." Rajveer sensed something was wrong but decided not to ask further. "Good night Riddhima." "Good night", she passed him a weak smile.

Vansh casted a disappointed glance at the phone. There was some male on the other side, most probably a wrong number. "Why did you delete call history?" Sejal opened her crossed fingers and released her breath. It was not Riddhima's call. "I can do whatever I want with my phone. " "You cannot hide Riddhima from me forever. I will find her ultimately. " "She is not here." "You both were together at railway station. " Sejal thought if she will directly deny him than he will not believe her. Why not accept it? "She is in my contact and you will never find her. I won't let you. " Vansh's men gestured him that they found nothing. He snatched Sejal's purse from her to check it. "Jerk". "I know she is here in Goa. I will find her. " "Give me my phone back. It contains my professional contacts. " "You won't get it." He slammed the door shut behind him. "Asshole" Sejal mumbled. She locked her door and sat on her couch.

Riddhima couldn't sleep at all. How could she, when Vansh was looming over Sejal? She saw Sejal's incoming call. She answered it without speaking anything. "Hello Riddhima?" She sighed in relief. "Where are you? Has Vansh gone? " "Wait! It was you who called. He must have understood. What...." , Sejal started blabbering, walking back and forth. "It was Rajveer. My call was not connecting. " Riddhima interrupted her nervous ranting. "Thank God." What happened?" "He knows we were together at the railway station before leaving Mumbai. Don't call at that number again." "Sejal, I have a plan that can atleast misguide him for some time. Tomorrow he will come for your office for sure. If you can somehow manage to get there right now......"

"I'm back home. I hope he doesn't see through our cheap trick. My phone is with him. I deleted your contact and call history. Tomorrow I will get that sim disabled. Infact don't call me at all till six months Riddhima, we will have no contact till then atleast. " "What? How can I...." "We don't know each other Riddhima ,till Vansh gives up. He will watch my each movement completely, maybe install a camera in my appartment. There is no other way, he will be able to find you. It was pure luck that we got saved this time. Please, I beg you even if it takes a year. "

"Okay Sejal , we will wait. I promise." "Goodbye" . Riddhima's eyes stung with tears. Even if Vansh is not here, he still managed to make her alone. She will have to live alone and forget Sejal's existence, the only person who loved her as much as she does. She was truly her sister. She is not afraid of Vansh. She would never be. He cannot cage her. By now, she knows how to get out of his and his family's clutches. If they used her weaknesses against her to break her, she knew very well how to return the favour. But she wants a life of peace, if not love. Is it too much to ask for? Most probably, Siya is awake that is why he is after her. She knew this day would come. She knew he would regret, but it is not enough. She cannot bring herself to forget and to forgive. She went to washroom and splashed her face with water. Looking at the mirror, she vowed inside her mind that she will never cry over the same person ever again.

"Boss, the number you told us to trace is from Delhi, under the name of Rajveer Mehra. There is no call from this number before. " "Hmm ... It must be a wrong number." "And boss Sejal's phone number is registered under the name of some local here." Vansh's brows raised. "When was the sim connection taken?" "Much after they left, that means she had another number. " "They must have been contacting each other through that. I want every movement of Sejal to be followed closely.....Aangre , thank you. You can go back to VR mansion tomorrow. I'll take care of it here. " "Boss, I will not live there now. You know we are divorced." Vansh gave a sigh. "Okay Aangre, do whatever that suits you."

Riddhima couldn't find her phone. She was running late. She was scrabbling around the bedsheets. "Where is the damn phone?"
Rajveer was waiting in his car , outside the entrance of Riddhima's building. "Should I call her? ....No. She will think, I'm trying to hit on her. She is late. Has she gone already? Is everything okay? " Finally deciding to go inside the building, he got out of his car, when he saw Riddhima rushing outside. Riddhima was zipping her purse, praying to get an uber ride ASAP. "Hi", Rajveer stopped Riddhima just in time , she was going to pass his car. Riddhima saw Rajveer clad in a formal white suite. "Good morning" Riddhima smiled at him. "I'm pretty late." She rubbed her forehead awkwardly. "I can see. Get in the car, I'll drop you. " "Huh?", Riddhima didn't want to face him right now. She was not ready with her excuses for her behaviour last night. "I'm also going to hospital today. " Rajveer told her. "Okay...um.. thanks" .

"You can increase the speed". Riddhima was amused at Rajveer's behaviour. Last night, he was flying through the streets while they were going for dinner. "You told me to drive slow yesterday. " "I was not getting late then. " "Yeah right. Is your sister alright?" "Yes." Riddhima peeped at Rajveer . She knew that he was waiting for a more elaborate answer. She didn't want to lie to him. The way things are going, it feels like her past will be exposed soon. "There were some personal reasons but now everything is okay. " "Umm ..... Rajveer. Please don't mention any of this to Roma. Sejal won't like that. " Rajveer glanced at Riddhima for few seconds before turning his attention back to road. "I will not. Just tell me if you are in any kind of danger. You can trust me. " Riddhima smiled. "You are like your sister. She also told me a similar thing. Don't worry. There is nothing that serious. "

Sejal was getting a continuous feeling
that someone was watching her, following her. She remained nonchalant. She didn't expect Vansh to act so fast. She had rented a small cabin in a building. There were many people like her here , who were self employed or were working for startups. She entered her office which was in complete mess. Riddhima was right.

Vansh looked at the letter. The only thing that belonged to Riddhima, found in Sejal's office. In the letter, she had asked Sejal to never try to find her or follow her. "I cannot put you in danger, because of me. Vansh will come to find me. He can use you against me. I don't want you to suffer because of me. You have a good career here. I will fend for myself. Trust me, I'm much better now. You will always be my sister. Maybe in few years, I will meet you again. I love you Seju. I have cooked your favourite cookies for you for one last time until we meet again." She had written down their childhood memories as if saying a final goodbye. She is not living with Sejal also. She is gone from Goa, for how long, he had no idea. She is alone without anyone. He could feel her through her words. The pain with which she had written this. He was ruffling through his hair in frustration. There was no link left to search her. He had reached a dead end again .......

Hello everyone! What do you feel about the story so far?
Do you like its pace?
I had a question for all of you , especially Riansh lovers, what do you feel about Ridhveer?