PUNARVIVAAH - ARRANGED TO LOVE (L&M #3) [COMPLETED]

SHOT 21

Third person's pov!

Abhay's fury ignited as he realised he had forgotten the phone in the car.

"Damn it! I didn't take the phone from the car," he cursed, his frustration palpable in his tone. He turned to Vaiga, his eyes narrowing with irritation.

"Do you have your phone with you?" he asked sharply.

Vaiga's heart sank as she realised she didn't have her phone either.

"I-I left it in the car," she admitted softly, her voice tinged with guilt.

Abhay's anger flared at her admission.

"Great, just great," he muttered, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "Now what are we supposed to do?"

They spent a couple more hours crouched behind the dilapidated building, the fading light casting long shadows around them. Vaiga's fear intensified with each passing minute. She was in an unfamiliar environment with an unfamiliar man. But somehow, the unfamiliarity had faded in the last few hours.

Abhay Dev Agnihotri doesn't seem like an unknown man anymore.

Her thoughts then got consumed by worry for Kriti. But she knew she had to stay away from Kriti, as Abhay had demanded. It was for the betterment of Kriti.

As darkness descended, Abhay made a decision.

"I am going to go check if the coast is clear," he announced, his tone leaving no room for argument. "You stay here."

But Vaiga's fear refused to be silenced.

"No, I-I can't stay here alone," she protested, her voice trembling with fear. "Please, let me come with you. Please don't leave me here."

Abhay's frustration flared at her insistence, but then he remembered the last time he had decided to leave her alone. If he hadn't taken her along when he went to get water and food, the goons would have attacked her in the car. The memory sobered him, and he realised he couldn't risk leaving her behind again.

With a resigned sigh, he relented.

"Fine, you can come," he conceded, his tone softer now. "But stay close, and don't make a sound."

Relief flooded through Vaiga as Abhay agreed to let her accompany him.

"Arghhh." A yelp of pain escaped her lips. She found it difficult to press her injured foot down, the pain shooting up her leg with each step.

"You are a bundle of nuisance, Vaiga." Abhay muttered under his breath, but it was audible for her to hear.

With an exasperated sigh, Abhay scooped her up into his arms, his movements surprisingly gentle despite his frustration.

As they ventured out into the darkness, Vaiga couldn't help but feel a sense of safety in Abhay's arms. Despite his gruff exterior, she knew that as long as he was with her, she would be protected.

As they approached their car, relief flooded through both Abhay and Vaiga as they saw that nobody was around.

Abhay gently placed Vaiga down on a nearby milestone, ensuring she was comfortable before he went to check on his car.

After a few moments of rummaging through the vehicle, Abhay's eyes lit up as he spotted his phone tucked away in a corner. However, his relief was short-lived as he noticed the battery was critically low, indicating it might die any minute.

"Damn," he muttered under his breath.

Quickly, he scrolled through the multiple missed calls on his phone, his heart sinking at the sight of messages and calls from his parents, Shravan, Mithran, and his personal assistant. Knowing he had to act fast before the battery died completely, Abhay dialled Mithran's number, his fingers moving swiftly over the screen.

As soon as Mithran answered the call, he was bombarded with questions about Abhay's whereabouts.

"Where the hell are you, Abhay? Everyone's been trying to reach you! Your parents are worried sick.!" Mithran exclaimed in a rush.

"Listen, my phone is about to die any moment. I need you to come and pick us up. I will send you my location right now." Abhay wasted no time in explaining the situation, his voice urgent as he spoke.

Without waiting for a response, Abhay quickly shared his location with Mithran and hung up, his heart racing with anticipation as he waited for their rescue.

He took the bottle Vaiga had been holding tightly in her arms, even when he had picked her up and walked out of the building in which they were hiding. He gulped down the last few drops of water, because he was too exhausted after the terrible day.

After what felt like an eternity, the distant sound of a car engine drew closer, and soon enough, Mithran arrived at the scene.

Abhay sighed in relief, seeing Mithran.

Mithran stepped out of the car, his eyes widening in surprise as he took in the sight of a dishevelled Abhay and Vaiga.

"What the hell happened, Abhay?" Mithran asked, concern etched across his features as he approached them.

Abhay spared no time in recounting the events of the day, from their car breaking down to being stranded in the midst of a political riot. Mithran listened intently, his expression growing more incredulous with each passing moment.

"It was a political riot," Mithran explained once Abhay had finished speaking. "A politician got arrested for corruption, and his party members caused chaos in protest. Buses were burned, vehicles damaged, and people injured. You guys are lucky. Only the car got damaged."

"How's things at home?" Abhay asked anxiously.

"Worried sick. And Kriti, it seems, has been acting out since afternoon. She is inconsolable. She keeps crying, looking towards the main door. Your mother was saying she was looking for Viaga. And due to continuous crying, she is having a slight temperature too now." Mithran said, glancing at the young girl sitting on the milestone, who until now had her head hung low. As soon as he had mentioned Kriti's name, she had become alert and was now staring anxiously at him. Mithran was intrigued.

"Damn it! I knew this would happen one day. Didn't expect it to be so soon." Abhay muttered furiously under his breath, but Mithran was able to hear it.

"What are you saying?"

"Nothing. We need to leave," he declared, determination lacing his words as he turned to Vaiga.

To Mithran's utter shock, Abhay gently lifted Vaiga into his arms and carried her towards the waiting car. Despite Mithran's bewildered expression, Abhay made no attempt to explain, his focus solely on ensuring Vaiga is settled in the car, before getting into the passenger seat himself.

Mithran was still gaping at Abhay and Abhay shot an annoyed look at him.

"Damn it! Get in, Mithran."

A/N

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SF❤️