"People are looking at us. Is someone hurt?"
She asked in a slow voice and he smiled caressing her cheek.
"No. Everyone is ok. No one is hurt."
Her gaze fell on his arm and she said.
"You are hurt. Aarish you are bleeding!"
She looked at him in panic and he spoke.
"Aah! This! Ye kuch nhi hai. Chhu kr nikal gyi."
"You-you are hurt. You need bandage Aarish-"
"Saisha! I am fine. It's normal. Meri job hai ye. Hota rehta hai."
"Can you for once accept that you're hurt or feel something without bringing your job in between."
She yelled with tears falling down her eyes and he sighed.
"Ok fine! Let me drop you home. And then I'll get my bandage done. Ok?"
"Nhi! You're coming home. Mai bandage kr dungi. Please don't say no."
He nodded for her sake and took her to her home.
She was so shaken up that he held her hand to walk her inside. Her father was surprised to see her coming home holding his hand.
As soon as she saw her father she ran to him and burst out in tears. Aarish explained them what happened.
Saisha asked him to sit down for bandage. He tried denying but even her mother insisted and he sat down while her mother who was a doctor cleaned his wound and bandaged it.
All the while they shared an eye contact. She looked so scared and vulnerable that he wanted to pull her in his arms and assure her that everything would be fine.
He thanked her mother and then turned to Saisha.
"I am going to put you under police protection. The attack was definitely meant for you. And there's a possibility ki aap sab mai se kisi pr bhi attack ho. It can be the thief. Mai ghar ke bahar bhi do officers ko post kr dunga. Please try not to go out of the house for some time. Shop bhi kuch time band hi rakhe toh better hai."
Everyone nodded and he left not before giving Saisha another look.
As promised two officers reported to them in an hour and stood outside the house guarding the place.
The next day Saisha remembered that he wanted to talk to her regarding something before the whole attack fiasco happened.
She dialled his number and he picked up on the second ring.
"You wanted to tell me something yesterday. What was it?"
"Yeah! I forgot! Umm- I'll see in an hour. Tumhare ghar pr hi milte hai."
She hummed and waited for him. He reached in an hour as promised.
"Arre sir. Kuch pata chala kya?"
Her father asked and she bit her lip. What would he answer now?
"Nhi sir. Nothing new as of now. I wanted to talk to Saisha regarding her safety measures."
Her father nodded and Aarish went with her to the terrace.
"Kya kehna tha aapko?"
She asked expecting a proposal anytime. But what he said made her smile vanish.
"I found the thief of the earrings and ring."
She looked at him wide eyed.
"Kaise? I mean who is it?"
He took a step closer to her and smirked.
"You see! She was not a very smart thief. Pehli baar gloves nhi pehne. Aur dusri baar meri baat sunke gloves toh pehne lekin apne pure haath cover krna bhul gyi. Bhul gyi ki she has a tattoo which is a very big identification mark."
He said holding her wrist softly and tracing her tattoo at the side of her wrist and she looked down embarrassed.
He gave a slight tug on her wrist pulling her a little closer and whispered.
"Kyu kr rhi thi ye?"
She didn't hesitate and answered honestly.
"I wanted to see you. I really really like you Aarish. Maybe even more than that. And I genuinely want to be with you."
"How many times do I have to say this Saisha? We are not possible. Mai nhi kr skta ye commit knowing that being with me would bring you into danger. Don't ever do anything like that again just to get close to me."
She looked at him for a long time without saying any word but just pleading with her eyes. When he looked away and left her hand making distance between their bodies she nodded.
"Ok! If that's what you want then fine. Nhi milungi aaj ke baad aapse. Aaj ke baad for me you will only be the officer who is investigating my case. Aaj se aap phir se mere liye sirf ACP Aarish Shekhawat hai."
She said and ran down the stairs to her room making him close his eyes in frustration. Did he do the right thing? Could he have handled it better? Could he have been with her but still kept her safe?
The next two days Aarish thought only about this. Has he done the wrong think letting her go? And in the end he realised that he didn't want to live without her. He wanted to see her. Every chance he could.
And so he decided that he was going to confess his feelings once he finds the thief and present him in front of her family.
They were trying to get a confession out of the attacker about who had sent him.
"Sir! Wo bolne ko taiyar hai."
One of his officers came and Aarish got up in a hurry. Fucking finally!
He pulled the man's hair dangerously looking into his eyes.
"Speak! Kisne bheja tujhe?"
"Sir please mujhe jaane dijiye. Mai usse nhi jaanta. Mujhe bas paise mile the uss ladki ki photo aur location ke saath."
"Kisne bheja tha?"
He repeated his question and the man spoke.
"Rakesh."
"Kaun Rakesh."
And the name he took left him shocked.
"Rakesh Sabarwal."
No! That was not possible. He thought she was safe at home. But the attacker was there. Living with her. Rakesh Sabarwal. Saisha's uncle.
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