His Solace

Hidden Emotions

Nandini stood in Arjun's embrace, seeking solace, something she needed but couldn't get anywhere else. Her sobs subsided with time, her breath becoming even.

Oblivious to Nandini, Arjun's mind was caught in a whirlwind of confusion.

How did she know that he is a mafia?

How did she know about their marriage being a contract marriage?

How did she find the passage of the basement that only few people knew?

Why was she going to the basement in the first place?

He gently pried her away from his body. His hands cupped her cheeks, raising her face, making her eyes meet his.

For some moments, his eyes searched for something in her eyes, enveloped in complete silence.

"May I ask you something?" Arjun softly said breaking the silence, making Nandini nod in approval though her heart screamed to shake her head in denial as she already anticipated the upcoming question.

"How did you get to know about me being a mafia and our contract marriage?" He asked, proving her prediction correct.

"I came back for you. I will make you mine, Nandini." Alfonso spoke in his menacing voice, sending shivers down her spine.

Nandini wanted to scream, to fight but her body wasn't responding. She stood there as if paralyzed.

"Mai bas aapki hu, Arjun." Her own words echoed in her mind that she said the previous night to her husband.

She wanted to be her husband's forever. She didn't want any other man to lay a finger on her.

Ironically, despite wanting to pry Alfonso away from her body, she was frozen, unable to protect herself.

This isn't how it should be. She can't let this happen. She mustered courage to defend herself, to fight, to not let him touch her.

With all her might, she pushed him away. "I will never become yours!" She screamed on top of her lungs, making his lips curl into a cruel smirk.

"I know from where you are gaining the courage to speak against me. It's because of that bastard husband of yours." Alfonso said, his voice laced with venom.

Nandini's eyes widened. How does he know?

"Looks like your adoptive father didn't tell you the truth, butterfly. You don't even know the motive behind your so called marriage. Such a poor soul." He said with fake mockery, making her blood boil. But his words confused her. Motive behind her marriage?

"Let me clear your doubts. I found out that you were alive two months ago. I threatened your adoptive father, Vedant Sharma, to marry you off to me. But that idiot started suspecting me for your condition when he found you. I guess, you didn't tell him about our past." He said, emphasizing the word 'our past'. She gritted her teeth in anger.

"To save you from me," He continued, "Vedant Sharma offered Arjun Singh Khurana, the ruthless mafia, to marry you on the basis of a contract which states that Arjun will marry you for one year in which he will protect you and maybe even catch me. In return, he will get several big projects from Mehra Industries. After this one year, you both will get divorced." His words made Nandini's breath hitch.

Mafia?
Contract?
Divorce?
Her heart was not ready to accept it.

"You are lying." Her voice trembled, making him let out a low chuckle.