Terrorized By Love [ON HOLD]

Chapter 9: Her Protector, Her Criminal

They spent the rest of the day passing time. Aditya and Laksh played cards while Mahima sat outside watching them. When they got a phone call, Laksh would take the phone and go to the side of the hut, away from Mahima, so he could talk about the details about the kidnap without informing Mahima of the truth.

Laksh went inside to sleep first, while Aditya stood guard outside. Mahima sat with him in the cold, shivering.

"How long will we be out here?" she asked, her teeth chattering. "I mean running away from the terrorists?"

"Go inside. It's cold," Aditya answered, looking ahead.

"The terrorists must give up, right?" Mahima asked, ignoring him as well.

"Stop asking so many questions," Aditya replied, turning to glare at her.

"You aren't so scary I realized," Mahima pointed out, this time smiling.

Aditya held the gun up, but Mahima grabbed his hand, stopping him.

"Don't threaten me with that again. I know you won't kill me," she told him confidently.

"You are mistaken," Aditya replied and pushed her hand off his. "I am very much capable of killing you."

Mahima started to giggle and Aditya shot her another glare. Why was she laughing so much? Her cheeks turned a faint pink shade and she looked ahead, still smiling.

"Can I speak to my father?" Mahima then asked.

"No. It's dangerous," Aditya replied.

"I miss him," she admitted. "But I'm glad you took me away from there."

"You're glad?" Aditya asked incredulously.

Who in their right mind would be happy that they got taken away from their home? She was happy leaving her life of luxury for a place like this? She must seriously be out of her mind.

"Yeah," Mahima murmured. "Dad's nice... and mom is nice too... but brother..."

She shuddered at the thought of Dinesh.

"Your brother?" Aditya probed.

"Nothing. Nevermind," she answered, ignoring the thought of him.

She didn't want to talk about it. It was too scary and painful for her, and for some reason, she was starting to care about what Aditya thought about her. She didn't want him to think anything bad.

"You should go inside," Aditya informed.

Mahima shook her head.

"I'll go inside when you go in," she told him decisively.

"Me? Why?" he asked her, confused.

"I feel safe around you," she answered. "You saved me... from the terrorists and from your own partner."

"Right..." Aditya murmured and leaned back against the front wall of the hut.

Mahima leaned back too, and she closed her eyes. She didn't know how she fell asleep, but her head rolled down onto Aditya's shoulder. Aditya was about to push her off because she was seriously distracting him from his job, but he wasn't able to. He didn't want to disturb her from her sleep.

So he wrapped his arm around her and continued to remain alert, while allowing her to sleep next to him.

The next two weeks passed like this - they would spend their days together. Mahima would try to talk to him, but he would reply with minimal words. Yet at night, they would hold each other and sleep, almost like they needed each other and wouldn't admit it.

Then at the end of the two weeks, everything changed.