𝟐. 𝐀𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐞?

"unse mili nazar ke mere hosh ud gaye."

She fixed the plates of her baby pink saree, before wearing a pair of simple platform heels.

She had worn decent, light weighted makeup, with a delicate necklace around her neck which her sister, Sakshi had gifted her on her birthday, along with small earings.

Giving herself a last glance through the mirror, she went outside her room before hanging her purse on her shoulder.

Aakriti always chose simplicity in this modern world. Expensive bags, clothes, and jewellery didn't please her.

"Hey bhagwan! You look so beautiful, Aakriti!" chachi praised her while she walked towards her with a smile. She took kohl from her eyes and applied it behind Aakriti's ear to keep evil eyes off her.

Shivani descended the stairs by the time, and she was wearing a simple black kurti. She seemed completely unbothered and uninterested in going.

The four of them soon departed from the house and headed towards the venue. The driver finally stopped the car at the entrance of the reception hall, while they got off the car and made their way inside.

"Aakiii!" Aakriti heard the familiar voice of her sister. "Sakshi di!" Aakriti exclaimed and embraced her in a hug.

They broke the hug and started talking like two kids who just met after a long time.

"Sab theek hai na? Tu kaisi hai?" Sakshi asked while Aakriti opened her mouth to speak.

[Everything's fine? How are you?]

But before she could say anything, she felt a hand on her bare waist, making her immediately flinch and turn around.

She met the eyes of Arjun Rastogi, her brother-in-law, who was as usual, looking at her with lustful eyes.

"J-jiju," Aakriti stuttered and plastered a fake smile on her lips, taking a step back from him.

"Kaisi ho saali sahiba?" Arjun asked with a smirk.

[How are you, dear sister-in-law?]

"I'm fine," Aakriti replied, trying to find some way to avoid him. And thankfully, she heard her father's voice from behind and she immediately turned around.

"Papa," Aakriti muttered and hugged her father, who smiled and hugged her back.

"You're looking so beautiful, Angel," her father praised, making her smile.

She spotted her brother behind her father, who was busy speaking over the call. She went towards him, "Bhaiya, even papa is busy in elections but look at him, he is talking with all of us!"

Aryan shot her a death glare and slid his phone in his pocket, "Tu ja na yaar, tujhe kuch nahi pata toh bola bhi mat kar."

[Get lost, you shouldn't speak if you don't know anything.]

Aakriti felt a pang of hurt in her but she shrugged it off by dramatically rolling her eyes, while Aryan immediately walked towards Sakshi.

"Why is bhaiya always pampering di only? What's wrong with me that he is always irritated with my presence?" Aakriti thought, before plastering a fake smile on her lips again.

She immediately felt two palms on her eyes and she knew who it was. She removed the palms and turned around, "Surily! I'm so happy!"

Surbhi, her best friend, hugged her and nodded, "Exactly, dude! I thought tu kabhi nahi milegi mujhe!"

[Exactly, dude! I thought you would never meet me!]

Aakriti chuckled and shook her head. Surbhi and her have been best friends since they were in eighth grade, and after finishing school, they barely met and always found excuses to meet each other sometimes.

They went inside and greeted the other guests who were familiar to them. The reception party had started, and Aakriti was only looking around and the tables where the food will be served.

"Khana kab chalu hoga yaar?" Aakriti whispered to Surbhi, while she nodded.

[When will the food be served?]

"Exactly! I'm already hungry now!" she whined, while both of them made their way towards the boy who was standing behind the counter.

"Bhai sahab, khana kab chalu hoga?" Surbhi asked shamelessly, while the boy standing behind the counter nervously smiled, "Just ten more minutes, ma'am."

[Bhai sahab, when will the food be served?]

They both nodded with a disappointing look and went back to the main area of the hall where everyone was busy in their own world, meanwhile, the poor bride and groom were standing on the stage like statues, accepting gifts from everyone.

"Surily, let's go and click some pictures in the garden outside, it's beautifully decorated," Aakriti suggested, while Surbhi nodded.

They exited the hall and went towards the garden outside, before pulling out their phones, and started clicking each other's pictures.

They flaunted their curves and outfits, ignoring the eyes of all the boys who were staring at them.

"Marriages are meant for boys to eye girls, who cares?" Aakriti thought, while continuing to pose in front of the camera.

Surbhi's phone suddenly started ringing while she excused Aakriti. "Aakii, just a minute, dad's calling."

Aakriti nodded while Surbhi went to the parking lot outside because it's hard to speak over the call due to the loud music banging in the venue.

Aakriti pulled out her own phone and began walking randomly while using it. She didn't even notice when someone bumped into her, causing her phone to fall against the ground, her phone's display dead.

She bent down to pick her phone up while cursing under her breath. She stood up and looked up to meet the eyes of the person.

A shiver ran down her spine when she saw a tall man; so much taller than her that she couldn't even imagine.

The man's dark gaze was piercing in hers, but she gathered up her courage.

"Aankhein hai ki buttons? Takkar lag gayi toh sorry bolna chahiye na!" she spat, crossing her arms over her chest.

[Do you have eyes or buttons? You should say sorry if you bumped!]

The man, who was the one and only Nirwan Malhotra, stood still like a stone, glaring at her.

"Why should I say sorry?" he challengingly asked, his tone cold and deep voice sending yet another chill down Aakriti's spine, however, she remained unaffected.

"Arey, phone ka display ud gaya humare, sorry bolte toh maaf kar dete! Ulta humein hi bol rahe hain?" she spat again, and this time, Nikhil stepped ahead.

[My phone's display died, if you would have apologised, I would have forgiven! But you're instead talking back?]

"Excuse me, miss. You can't talk to sir like this!" Nikhil said, while Aakriti chuckled, looking at all the other bodyguards of Nirwan.

"Kyun? Aap sab chele hain kya inke?" she asked bravely, glaring back at Nirwan.

[Why? Are you all his servants?]

Nirwan, on the other hand, ignored her and walked past her, leaving her standing dumbfounded. She saw all his bodyguards walking away too, and that was when anger engulfed her.

She turned around and rushed towards Nirwan, blocking his way again, "Excuse me! Pay for the destruction you caused!"

Nirwan stopped again, sighing in frustration, "It's not my mistake. You should stand at a place and use your phone."

"Oh, so you're teaching me now? I was busy, you could've seen me engrossed in my phone and changed your direction of walking. It's your-"

"Ma'am, please mind your language," Nikhil interrupted again, and Nirwan chuckled.

"Nikhil, ask our men to pay ma'am for the destruction I caused," Nirwan said, his gaze still fixed on Aakriti.

She sighed and Nirwan walked past her again, heading inside the reception hall, followed by Nikhil.

Aakriti looked at his bodyguards, "Laiye, paise dijiye is nuksan ke!"

[Give me the money for this loss!]

The bodyguards exchanged a look with each other, and then, one of them stepped ahead and caught Aakriti's wrist.

"Excuse me, what are you-"

Aakriti was cut off when the other bodyguard covered her mouth with his palm, and all of them dragged her outside the venue.

Aakriti looked around to spot someone, but since the function had started, there was no one in the garden.

They dragged her to the SUV parked in the parking lot, and she saw Surbhi still busy talking over the call.

She tried to shout and move her hands, but Surbhi was standing there facing her back.

The bodyguards pushed her inside the car and one of them forcefully covered her mouth with a cloth.

As soon as she inhaled the weird smell from the cloth, she started feeling dizzy.

My eyes snapped open when I felt my body numb. I was lying on the floor, and I immediately sat up, my eyes widening when I saw all those bodyguards standing around me.

I was in an unfamiliar room, which contained the strong smell of chocolate scent. The entire vibe radiating from the room was full of negativity, and the area felt more like a basement than a room.

"Who are you all?" I shouted, while one of those bodyguards held the pallu of my saree.

Hey Mahadev, what is happening here? Why did these men kidnap me?

I know I'm not anywhere around the reception party's venue. I don't even know where that man is who bumped into me.

Such a bastard, he asked his bodyguards to kidnap me?

I tried to stop him from pulling my pallu away from my body, but he was so strong. He pulled my pallu harshly, resulting in my saree to tear.

Tears welled up in my eyes when I realised what they are about to do with me. One of the bodyguards caught my arm and pulled me on my feet, and the one holding my saree began to roll it off me.

"Please, humein jaane dijiye! Hum-"

[Please, let me go! I-]

I was cut off when I realised I was now only in my blouse and peticoat, and looking at the lustful eyes of all those bodyguards made me feel even more disgusted and weak.

Mahadev, please save me! Please do something and save me!

Can't someone come as a blessing and save me from these monsters?

I don't want to get hunted by these poachers. I don't want to lose my innocence.

Sadly, this is the harsh reality of the society. No matter if a girl wears a bikini or a saree, men only care about a woman's body.

I tried to hide my revealed waist while tears streamed down my cheeks.

I closed my eyes tightly, reciting Mahadev's name under my breath, that was when I heard the loud sound of a door kicking.

I immediately opened my eyes and saw the same man; the one who bumped into me.

He walked inside, his aura dominating and scaring everyone. All his bodyguards lowered their heads.

"Agar use haath lagaya, toh tum sabke haath tod dunga!" he roared on top of his voice while taking off his coat.

[If you dared to touch her, I'll break the hands of all of you!]

He covered my body with his coat and walked towards the man who was standing with my saree.

He punched the bodyguard on his chest, causing him to immediately fall on his back. He kicked on his stomach and crotch, making the bodyguard groan in pain.

He took my saree from that bodyguard and walked back towards me, handing me my half torn saree.

He looked at his other bodyguards with a death glare, "Koi tumhari maa ya behen ke saath yeh sab karega tab pata chalega tum sabko!"

[You'll realise when someone will do this with your mother or sister!]

He turned around to face the other man who walked inside with him just now, "Nikhil, suspend all of them and call the police. Charge a rape case against all of them."

"Okay, sir," the man he addressed replied while pulling out a gun from his pocket. A shiver ran down my spine when I saw the gun.

That man asked all the bodyguards to leave the basement. They all walked outside and now only the man who saved me was remaining inside.

"Who are you?" he asked, while I gulped.

"Aakriti Arora," I whispered my name, my voice getting stuck somewhere in my throat.

His expression softened slightly at the mention of my name, though I noticed his gaze darkening again after a few seconds.

"Do you even know me?" he asked, while I shook my head.

"You are Vivek Arora's daughter, if I'm not wrong," he said, not asked.

"Ji, par hum rajneeti wagera mein nahi hain. Humein yeh sab nahi pasand," I honestly admitted.

[Yes, but I'm not involved in any sort of politics. I do not like these things.]

He remained standing like a stone, while I looked down at my state, tears welling up in my eyes again.

"I want to go back home, please..." I requested, my voice breaking at last.

"Did they touch you?" he asked, while I looked up and nodded.

"They touched my arm and waist-"

"Somewhere they shouldn't?" he asked while cutting me off.

"I was unconscious. I don't know if they did anything that time-"

"Follow me," he cut me off again and turned around to walk away. I followed him slowly and exited the gate of the basement.

Coming outside, I saw a staircase which led somewhere upstairs. I followed him up and realised it was a basement in his mansion.

Wait, I didn't even ask who he is. And how does he know my papa?

Well, obviously papa is a leader so he might know. But who is he?

"Aap kaun hain?" I asked, while I tried to match his pace. He didn't reply and continued to walk ahead of me towards the main gate of the mansion, and I just followed him.

[Who are you?]

We came outside the mansion and I realised it was already morning. Have I been here the entire night?

I'm scared now, they might have actually done something inappropriate with me.

Or maybe not, because my condition and my saree were all okay when I woke up. But then what did they do with me?

He approached his parking lot and called a driver, "Drop her to Arora's mansion safely."

The driver nodded and opened the back seat's door for me to get in. Sitting inside the car, I glanced one last time at the man, still expecting him to answer me and tell me who he was.

But he didn't say anything and turned around to go back inside his mansion. The driver started driving and I numbly stared outside the window.

Mahadev, I hope those men didn't do anything with me. I will end my life if it all turns out to be true.

☆

I stepped inside my mansion and papa immediately ran towards me, embracing me in a tight hug.

Once I was in his arms, safe and secure, I started sobbing, letting my tears flow. Sakshi di and Surbhi were there too, and they both comforted me along with papa.

I tried to look for Aryan bhaiya, but later I discovered he left because of some elections' work.

"Tu theek hai na? Kahan chali gayi thi bina bataye?" Sakshi di asked, while I wiped my tears to stabilize myself to answer them.

[Are you okay? Where did you go without informing us?]

I narrated to them the whole thing that happened after Surbhi excused me to attend the call.

"Par woh aadmi tha kaun?" papa asked me, while I bit my lip.

[But who was that man?]

"I don't know, papa. I asked him who he was, but he didn't respond," I replied, wondering why he didn't tell me his name.

"Who gave you this coat, Aakii?" Surbhi asked, while I finally glanced at the coat I was wearing.

"Oh, that man gave me this coat, he-"

"One minute," papa's voice cut me off while I confusedly looked at him.

"Nirwan Malhotra was wearing this coat last night at the party, I saw him wearing this," papa said, while my eyes widened.

"You know him, papa? You know, he even knew you were my father," I said, while papa's eyes widened even more.

"Papa, who is he?" I asked, while Sakshi di sighed.

"Pagal, tu use nahi jaanti?" Sakshi di asked, making me shake my head.

[Idiot, you don't know him?]

"He is the toxic Nirwan Malhotra, the new leader of our opposition party, Malhotra Realm."