From Strangers to Partners

Chapter 34

Samyra's POV:

I wake up and turn to my side to see Arjun's side empty. He still isn't back from the office, I guess. I look at phone and see it is past noon and get up and get ready for the day. I take a quick shower and put on a plain white kurti with blue jeans. I go down to eat something light (wanting to have lunch with Arjun once he is back) and decide to sit with dad for sometime.

I suddenly realise I do not have my phone with me and have left it upstairs in my room. I quickly excuse myself and go get my from the room and see my mother's constant messages asking me why she is unable to call me.

I immediately call her and am talking to her when all of a sudden I see a constant buzzing happening in my phone notifying the number of messages I am receiving. I turn my mobile data off before talking peacefully to my mother for sometime. I remove the phone from my ear and turn back the wifi on again and see incessant messages from unknown numbers popping up the screen. I open the first one and see a video. I contemplate if I should download it or ignore it since it might just be a virus or a spam or something. For some reason, I download it and press play, only for a huge gasp to leave my mouth.

How did this happen?!

I can feel my hands shaking while I try to call Arjun. I try multiple times but my fingers are unwilling to cooperate with me and I have this urge to throw my phone. I take a few deep breaths before trying again but frustrated, I descend the stairs, not wanting to be in my room alone. As I reach down, I hear a car entering and I feel my pace increasing as I go outside, only to see Arjun getting it of the car and giving the keys to the driver. I feel myself calming down a little but am still unable to make sense of anything. Arjun walks towards the stairs and gives me a smile on noticing my presence but it soon turns into concern on seeing my probable pale face.

"Hey! What's wrong?" He asks me slowly. He takes my shivering hands in his, trying to subside it but it doesn't seem to be working. He drags me and makes me sit on the couch before getting me some water and making me drink it.

"Where were you?" I ask him.

"Umm... I tol-"

"Arjun, no lies, please." I plead him.

"First you tell me what happened to you. Why are you so tensed and shivering?" I open my phone and show him the video. I can see his eyes going wide and he runs his fingers through his hair, clearly not wanting me to know anything about this. I take a hold of his hand and see his bloodied and bruised knuckles. I quickly go and get the first aid kit from the downstairs washroom and sit next to him.

"I am fine." Arjun tries to protest but seeing my glare raises his hands in surrender.

I clean his knuckles and apply antiseptic on it before applying the cream and bandaging it. I keep the box on the table and look up at him to see his concerned face trying to analyse me.

"Now tell me please!" He puts my phone, which is still in his hand, on side and sits next to me on the couch. I turn towards him and can see a lot of emotions going through them, anger, frustration, helplessness, concern and it's making me more anxious now.

"Okay, I'll tell you everything but I need you to promise that you will not get angry at me or upset with me because I did everything to protect you and I know you don't need me to protect you but I couldn't think of anything else. I didn't want you to be a part of it."

"For God's sake, Arjun, you making me anxious. Can you just tell me already?"

"So, do you remember on the day of your birthday, outside cafeteria there were a few guys trying to approach you? And many others wished you? You even had calls from multiple unknown numbers?" I nod my head, not knowing where all this was going.