When Chandni woke up the next morning she found the bed empty.

Sabiq was nowhere in sight.

It was only her and her restlessness.

She didn't remember at what time she fell asleep. However she was happy that he didn't try to touch her while she was asleep.

Once again she looked towards the side where Sabiq was sleeping.

The pillow wall that he had created between them was still intact, not one pillow moved from its place.

Raising her hand she touched the empty side which was occupied by him.

It was the first time she was sharing a bed with a man.

It was a big deal for her.

When she had accepted to be his three days slut this thing never crossed her mind. At that moment the only thing roaming in her mind was a chance to live with a Mafia. It was thrilling for her, she has always found solace, her joy in bizarre things.

Bizarre things like having a marathon of horror movies in the night all alone or googling about all those gory and bloody crimes and murders.

Her curious mind would read all the blogs, articles, headlines related to the every new unsolved crimes and mysteries of India. She would make out her own theory on the basis of the evidences she got online and guess who can be the real murderer.

She had thought she would make up a lie whenever Sabiq would try to touch her.It was as simple as that.

But when he touched her she felt like someone had poured a bucket full of ice over her already cold body.

It was not pleasant at all.

She has thought nothing could get as bad as this but she was proved wrong last night.

If she didn't like the way Sabiq touched her yesterday then she loathed the way how Shivoham touched her.

Yes, she remembered his name.

She can never forget it. She can never forget how he has whispered his name.

How he has promised her that he was her future.

How he played with her initially trying to be a good person.

How he suddenly changed and caged her in his arms.

How he touched every part of her body with those filthy hands of his.

How he called her with ugly names.

Chandni cringed in pain and disgust and took her hand back from the empty side of the bed. With a little wince she got up from the mattress and made her way to the bathroom.

Looking in the mirror she met with a reflection who was so similar yet so different from her.

She was pretty but the girl in the mirror was dull. She was brave but the girl in front of her was wounded.

Chandni licked the cut on her lips which he gave her, then she looked at the purple bruise which was forming near her neck.

Her eyes then moved to the bruising red circle on her thin wrist and then again met up with her colourless face.

It was a horrible experience which she wanted to forget about but these are things which always live in your mind. These memories always haunt you.. You can never forget about it and erase it even if you try.

Her naive mind thought that after a few more showers she would feel better. His grasp on her skin and her mind will loose but it didn't.

The water cascading down her body failed to wipe the unwanted and invisible bruises which Shivoham gave her.

Closing her eyes when she tried to embrace the blackness only his words rang in her mind.

"Its Shivoham Shekhawat"

"Your future"

Her closed eyes snapped open and an unknown fear clutched her heart.

His words sounded so true, not at all like the other ridiculous things he had said.

"Your future"

The words of promise repeated.

The promise, the conviction, the truthfulness in his words scared Chandni and she trembled by only remembering the look in his hazel eyes.

Her future could be anything but not him.

Never him.

"It's Shivoham Shekhawat"

"Your future"

"No. It's nothing Chandni stop thinking about him. He was just a fucked up drunkard and molester. He can never be your future."

She said aloud but the only thing which was roaming in her mind was his two words.

"Your future."

"No you are not my future. You are a dirty man who manhandles and molests young girls. I hate you. You can never be my future," Chandni screamed, angrily as the water slid down her skin.

"Your future"

"Shut up!!" she shouted, placing her hands over her ears trying to block out his words.

The words stopped and the only thing which was left was her fear and the effect of Shivoham.

She closed her eyes again and this time no words echoed, his face didn't come. It was only blankness and quietness which she was grateful for.

Her fingers ran to the pendent of goddess Durga which was hanging on her neck. She smiled, holding it tight, praying to her goddess for saving her from that monster.

But suddenly her smile loosened and she opened her eyes.

Chandni looked down at her chest.

There were supposed to be two pendants on her neck. One which she was wearing and the other one which Sabiq gave her.

"Where is that pendent ?"

Chandni whispered.

..............

"This is so pwetty," Renee gasped looking at the beautiful pendent in her tiny hands.

"Yes it is. Isn't it my Choco pie," Shivoham cooed at the little girl in his arms.

The four year old beamed when her favourite person in the world called her with her favorite nickname.

She looked up at her hero and gave a heartfelt kiss on his left cheek,"Renee missed you so much hero. Renee is happy to meet you," she said with that heart melting smile beaming on her baby lips.

Shivoham chuckled at his little mouse. She was clingy since the time she saw him today. Especially when she saw the wound on his shoulder. The ugly wound scared his baby so much that her eyes filled with tears as soon as she saw the cut and soon enough the whole Shekhawat estate was filled with her cries and hiccups.

"Choco pie please don't cry sweets. It's just a small wound. It's not even hurting me," Shivoham hugged his favorite small girl close to his heart and whispered.

When she didn't stop crying he picked her up, settling her little figure on his hips, moving her side to side and cooing sweet words of love to her as she cried on his shoulder while lightly touching his teared skin with her little fingers.

"Hero is hurt. Renee not like it," Renee hiccuped between her painful

cries. Her voice cracked more as she saw dry blood on his broken skin.

Poor little girl was meeting her favourite person after almost a month and finding him injured and knowing that it must be hurting him was too painful for her.

Renee knows how much it hurts when you get a zuzu (wound) as she herself got a zuzu yesterday while playing.

She placed kisses on both of his cheeks hoping it would decrease his pain to some extent.

Shivoham smiled at the little girl's gesture and spoke in a sweet tone which was only reserved for Renee.

"Hero is not hurt, choco pie. Hero actually likes these cuts and pain."

Renee's brows pulled together hearing him. He likes zuzu.

"Hero likes it. Why ?" little Renee asked, looking at him with confusion and large drops of tears in her big brown eyes.

Shivoham had chuckled at her innocent face and placed a long kiss on her chubby red cheeks,"Because a cute kitten has hurted him and you know right how much your hero likes cute kittens."

"I do I do"Renee moved her head up and down in affirmation and asked about the little kitten,"but where is little kitten hero. I not see her," she asked, looking here and there in search of a furry kitten.

"Put me down. Put me down," Shivoham put her down when she wiggled in his arms, telling him to put her down.

The few servants who were witnessing the loving moment in the living room were astounded. Their lord never behaved like this, let alone spoke to someone as sweetly as he was doing with this little girl. However the old servants who have been serving him for years now know what special place this girl has in Shivoham's heart.

Shivoham looked amused as Renee started searching for the little kitten behind the sofa or under the stairs while looking like a bundle of cuteness in that grey monkey onesie.

"Baby Renee come here," he said, opening his arms for the little curious girl. Renee pouted when she couldn't find the furry kitten anywhere but nonetheless she obeyed her hero and walked to his arms softly, being careful of not hurting him or his zuzu.

Shivoham rested her head on his shoulder and started playing with her curly hair,"Choco Pie you know right how much I love kittens?"

"Yes I know. Renee also loves kittens. Lots and lots," Renee exclaimed, opening her tiny arms wide telling him how much she loves furry kittens. After all they are so soft, soft cuddly bears.

Shivoham chuckled at his bundle of beans. Only she can make him chuckle let alone smile. She is really precious to him. He placed a kiss on her curly hair.

"So my little Renee I met this cute and wild little kitten last night. She is the one who hurted your hero."

"She hurted my hero! She is a bad kitten. I not want her now," Renee said, shaking her head, making her small curls slap her chubby cheeks.

Shivoham smiled at his little bean and softly asked her,"Indeed she is a bad kitten. Look, she hurted your hero when I only told her to come with me. I will give you lots of things you will be happy with but what she did. She scratched me off with her long nails and ran away from me, now you tell me is it fair ?"

"No it's not fair," Renee jumped, turning to him she placed her tiny hands over his shoulder and told him in a serious tone,"Renee thinks kitten deserves a pun..pun is" small Renee fumble in pronouncing the big word.

"Punishment ?"

"Yes!!" Renee exclaimed. "Hero, you punish the furry kitten for hurting you. Hurting someone is not good, not good," Shivoham chuckled at his little mouse and made a face as if he was pondering over her suggestions.

"Do you really think I should punish her ?" he asked, tapping his finger on his chin, acting doubtful.

"Yes!! Punish her." little Renee was sure. She has already started to think about the ways to punish the kitten who hurt her hero.

Renee will not give her milk to drink, she will make her drink tea, bitter bitter tea.

Or better she will not give her Renee's famous soft cuddles that would be a good punishment for the kitten for hurting her hero.

But to do all that she has to find the kitten first.

"Hero, where is the kitten? Tell me pwease." she asked him innocently not knowing what hideous things were going through her hero's mind.

Suddenly something changed in Shivoham.

His silent aura which was radiating love and warmth to his dear girl suddenly turned into a dark one.

It scared the little girl who was in his arms and she flinched seeing darkness reflecting in his eyes.

"Hero..." Renee whimpered, her lips quivering indicating she was about to burst out crying.

Her whisper brought her out of his heinous thoughts and he looked at his darling.

Guilt embraced him the second he saw tears in her eyes and he hugged her to his chest again, "Oh my angel I am so sorry." he spoke feeling really sorry.

"It's kay. Renee is not mad at you. You tell Renee, where is the kitten." Renee said, pouting a little while hugging him back.

"As I said my choco pie she ran away from me but don't worry I am planning to get her soon and punish her for hurting me, for rejecting me," he said.

He was saying those words so sweetly that no one could guess what was actually running in his mind. What kind of things he was planning to do with this little kitten.

She has not only scratched his skin but his ego too.

He has never followed any woman; it was always them following him. His one look was enough for any woman to do whatever he wanted them to do.

Women of every kind, married, non married, old, young everyone wants to get under him at least once but that girl.

She rejected him as if he was some kind of roadside goon.

He accepts he was a little harsh to her. But it was all because of alcohol. If he was not drunk last night he would have handled the situation much better that like any other woman she would beg him to fuck her.

He lost her because he lost his calm, his sense. Now no matter what he isn't going to lose his calm again and get her. And after getting her show her what one gets after rejecting and running away from Shivoham Shekhawat.

"Sir," he snapped out of his thought when one of the maids called him. "What" he snapped at her not liking that she disturbed him while he was thinking about her.

Renee once again flinched at his tone. He rubbed her back in comfort and in a normal tone asked the maid why she was disturbing them.

When the maid forwarded her hands to pass him a gold pendant he was confused for a second and then he realized to whom this pendant belonged.

He snatched it from her hands.

Shivoham remembered how this pendant was residing beautifully over her ample chest. He clutched it tight under his fist as if feeling the warmth of her skin through the pendant which had touched her.

He brought the golden pendant close to his nose and inhaled it deeply. It was smelling of her skin.

This pendant was touching her skin, it squeezed out the smell of her, the warmth of her. He kissed it like he was kissing her chest.

She has started to become his drug that he wants to inhale again and again until he doesn't find a new drug to get addicted to.

"Show me," he opened his eyes coming out of his reverie hearing little Renee.

She snatched the pendent from his hands. If it was someone else he would have growled but he only smiled at Renee whose eyes were sparkling seeing the gold pendant.

Shivoham admired at the way his Choco pie was gushing over the pretty pendant. His eyes filled with adoration for her and his mind slowly clouded with obsession for her.

Time passed like that with Renee telling him about everything and nothing and him listening to it patiently until George came to them, disturbing them.

He smiled at the little Renee who was rambling about some barbie movie and then passed an invitation card towards Shivoham.

"The Gala authorities this year want you to be their main guest," George informed him about the fundraising gala events which were about to take place in two days.

Shivoham was surprised for a moment because firstly he never attends any fundraising gala events and secondly his grandfather has always been their main guest.

Nonetheless he opened the invitation and read it.

One thing caught his attention and his body went rigid, almost immobile.

He was not the only one who was the main guest of the gala night.

His eyes stuck into this particular name and all kinds of emotions vanished away from his face. The only thing which left was blankness with a hint of burning anger.

Along with him the great Mafia King, Sabiq Malik was a main guest of the gala night.

"Hero," Renee's voice brought him out of wherever he was and he looked towards his Choco pie.

"I think you should punish furry kitten by taking her everything. Then she will not have anywhere else to go and will always be with you. You close her in the house or better chain her like our pet Blazzy," Renee said absentmindedly, playing with the pendent.

Shivoham's lips tilted up into a wicked smirk hearing her suggestions and he said lovingly.

"Of course my Choco pie."

..............

When Chandni came out of shower she found a bundle of clothes sprawled on the mattress.

It was all women's wear and they were all ethnic clothes. What shocked her more was that on the side of the mattress few paper bags were kept inside it was ladies undergarments.

She remembered Sabiq saying last night that he will get some new comfortable clothes for her.

Going through the clothes she realized all the clothes were from the best ethnic clothing brands of India and South Asia. They were of the best quality and she wouldn't be surprised if it cost a fortune.

She wanted to simply deny wearing this clothes as even if she tries she would never be able to pay him back for the clothes but she had no other choice.

Giving up a small sigh she picked a pretty black kaftan dress which was a little less expensive and costly than the other dresses.

The undergarments were little smaller than her size which was making her irritated however she managed somehow.

After changing, she left her hair open and applied a concealer on the bruises of her wrists and neck before going out of the room.

As she approached the dining room her heartbeat got wilder as she realized the person whom she was about to see was murdering someone last night, trading woman for the money.

She was about to eat a meal which he earned from that money, she was wearing a dress which he had bought from that money.

Entering the dining room she saw a grand wooden dining table in the middle of the room. A glass chandelier with candles lighting on them was hanging from the ceiling.

Only one person was occupying the dining table, that was Sabiq.

He was sitting like a King on the head of the table.

Her steps turned slow as she approached him.

Her hands were turning clammy in nervousness so she clasped them behind her back and walked to him with her eyes down.

All the time she could feel his eyes on her which only made her shiver more in fear.

She was about to sit on the chair which was farthest from Sabiq but before that he called her name.

"Chandni"

She shivered again when he shouted her name.

He was looking at her with his studying eyes. She was afraid of him getting to know about what happened to her last night. What if he does the same to her. She didn't want to repeat the same incident.

Sabiq looked at the girl who had suddenly turned so quiet since last night.

He thought it was because of the things she saw last night, especially seeing him trading girls, which has left her in a depressed and fearful state.

"Come here," he commanded and she erased the distance between them.

He held her soft hand in his rough ones when she stood beside him. Sabiq frowned when she suddenly flinched on his touch.

He looked up at her as she tried her best to not meet his eyes.

"Why are you so nervous and scared? You were not like this yesterday," he asked, calmly.

Chandni only shook her head and whispered,"I am not nervous and scared."

"Are you sure about this ?" He asked with his one brow arched to which she only nodded her head in yes.

"Alright," Sabiq sighed unsurely and freed her hand from his grasp. Leaning back on his chair he looked at her from up to down, beholding the sight of her.

She was looking so beautiful in a black kaftan with her brown hair open.

Extremely beautiful.

"You didn't apply Kajal?" he asked when he noticed her eyes were vacant of any line of kohl.

Chandni didn't get why he was asking her this but nonetheless she shook her head in negative.

"Hmm,"he hummed and nodded his head as if thinking about something deeply.

Chandni didn't utter a word and stood beside him like a statue.

"Chandni I am very hungry, go make something for me to eat," he spoke suddenly and Chandni snapped her gaze to him in shock.

She looked at the breakfast that was set on the dining table, eggs, breads, pancakes, juice, coffee everything was there. What does he want her to make now ?

"I don't want to eat all this. I want to eat something from your hand. I mean something made by you," he said after reading her thoughts through her eyes.

"Then what about this food ?" She asked, gesturing to the food on the table. "Don't worry about this food, there are people here who can finish it off. I know the value of food, I am fortunate enough to have four meals a day and I'm grateful to god for that. I am not going to waste the food," Sabiq spoke, truthfully.

The way he spoke those words made Chandni believe in the genuineness of his every word.

He is a good human being to be thankful to the god for the food.

She blinked when the words crossed her mind. She was praising him!

Coming out of her thoughts she looked at him and nodded in return.

She turned towards a maid, asking her to show her the way to the kitchen. Being in the kitchen is better than being near any man.

She asked the maid about where all the cooking ingredients were in the kitchen and after that without even thinking twice Chandni started making rotis and aloo bhujia.

Her hands worked like some machine as she fastly chopped the potato into tiny slices and then started making a dough for rotis.

In nearly fifteen minutes she was done with the aloo bhujia ki sabji and she was making rotis for him when a sudden thought struck her.

Why the hell am I making breakfast for him!

That too with my own will.

He is a killer, a flesh trader. He doesn't deserve a single drop of water from my hand, let alone a piece of roti.

And moreover if I continue obeying everything he said then god knows what he will make me do.

After whatever happened last night she had learned one thing that a man's unwanted touch can never leave your body or mind. It haunts you for a lifetime.

She has experienced this with Shivoham. She doesn't want to experience it with Sabiq again.

Chandni made the final decision.

She will not be Sabiq Malik's three day slut. She will go from here. She has to talk to Sabiq about this right now.

Sabiq hummed a smile as the smell of delicious food greeted him.

Turning his head towards the kitchen he found her coming to him with a plate of breakfast in her hands.

He looked at her with a small mischievous smirk dancing on his lips as she placed the plate before him.

"Your breakfast," she said in a low whisper.

She was about to sit on the farthest chair from him when he held her wrist, stopping her from going away.

"You sit here," he spoke gently, gesturing to the chair on his right.

Without uttering a single word of objection Chandni took the seat on his right.

Tearing a piece of roti when Sabiq ate it with the sabji she cooked, he could not control the moan which left his mouth. It was the most delicious food he had ever eaten.

Within a few minutes he finished half of the breakfast. After every morsel he showered praises on her.

Subhanallah!

Amazing!

There's magic in your hands!

So damn delicious!

After a long time Sabiq was having a delicious breakfast and all thanks to Chandni. He praised her more and more as she sat there silently hearing his praises.

She was shocked to see the glimpse of different emotions on his face. Happiness, excitement, satisfaction, pleasure all at once.

He was smiling like a little kid who was getting his favorite chocolates after years. That smile was so genuine that it made her smile a little.

Chandni's eyes widened when she suddenly realized she was smiling. She was smiling and the reason was his smile.

"Chandni," she looked at him when he called her.

"Hn?"

"Who taught you to cook ?"

"My maa," Chandni answered him in a soft whisper.

A memory of six years old Chandni watching her mother cooking in the kitchen restful in her mind.

"Does she cook better than you ?" he asked again, finishing the fifth roti.

Chandni smiled remembering the taste of her mother's handmade food and said,'' Yes. Her handmade food was better than any nectar for me. I can die to eat from her hands again. She was the best chef in the world for me," she spoke as her eyes drenched with unwanted tears.

"Why 'was' ?" he asked when she mentioned her mother in a past tense.

Chandni turned her gaze to him after hearing his question and answered him innocently,"Woh mar gayi naa. Ab woh nahi hai mere saath."

"She is dead now. She is no longer with me."

Sabiq hand's stopped when he heard her reply.

He looked at her and she was already looking at him with her innocent vulnerable eyes.

Witnessing the vulnerability in her brown orbs did something to him and he felt his heart aching.

He dropped the morsel back on the plate and unknowingly whispered to her softly,"She is still here," he pointed to his heart and said,"With you."

Chandni stared at him almost in wonder. The Mafia King was being sweet to her.

He was consoling her as if he understands her pain.

The time flew away like the soft petals of flowers as they drowned into each other's eyes.

The pain of losing a parent was visible in both of their eyes.

He never told her but she knew he was missing someone just like she was missing her mother.

For a moment she thought to not say anything and ruin this silence.

But she had to say it if not now then later so she said.

"Sabiq I want to go from here"

"Let me go."

The way his eyes turned darker with fury in a single second scared the hell out of Chandni.

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