𝟑: 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭

"in jhukti palko ke siwa, dil ka thikana aur nahi."

I threw the glass of whiskey against the floor in anger, my mind racing in various thoughts.

Aakriti Arora.

Not only did her name trigger me, but the way she disrespected me, and the way she told me she doesn't know who I was, annoyed me even more.

Even when she is Vivek Arora's daughter and Aryan's sister, how the hell does she not know me?

Maybe she was scared later that I might ruin her life because she disrespected me, so she pretended that she doesn't know who I was.

The urge inside me to tell her who I was rushed through me but I couldn't do that. I wanted to teach her a lesson when she disrespected me, but my anger towards my bodyguards was even more.

No matter what way she talked to me, my bodyguards tried to ruin her, and I'm glad that I stopped them in time.

"Sir, the vote counters said that..." Nikhil interrupted my thoughts, while I shot my glare at him.

I was drunk, though not too much that I wasn't in my sense. Today was the first day only, half of the locals might have got affected by our campaigns and voted for us.

"What did they say?" I asked, my voice dripping with anger and greed.

"They said Arora's Supremacy succeeds us by thirty votes-"

"So?" I asked, raising my eyebrows. He gulped, "Toh hum kya karein, sir? Aise toh elections haar jaayenge."

[So what should we do, sir? We'll lose the elections this way.]

"Arora Supremacy has made a lot of effort this year, probably. However, I know they won't last long," I said with a smirk, making him frown.

"What?" he asked in confusion, while I smirked even more, "People are not blind. They very well know what the Malhotra Realm has served them with. Don't worry, it's our win."

He nodded with uncertainty and left. I closed my eyes and massaged my temples.

I have the power to crush Arora Supremacy right now. But what I choose in politics is the right way to fight.

There's no way people would suddenly start voting for the party who they didn't vote for the past three years.

And if they win, I'll play my card right on the day of the elections' results.

Aryan Arora's family probably don't know about the rape cases many women have filed against him.

Vivek Arora was indeed a very good leader, but it would have been way better if only he taught some of his values to his son.

Even his sister might not know what kind of a demon her brother is.

Her sister.

Aakriti Arora.

Fuck you, Nirwan.

I pulled out my phone immediately and began scrolling through the pictures of my Aakriti, relief washing through me when I saw a single glimpse of her face.

But her face was coming in front of me again and again. Even when I look at my Aakriti, that Aakriti Arora is flashing back into my brain.

She deserves justice. Indeed she does, but I couldn't think of any other way to suspend my bodyguards and ruin their lives.

But they have families. Families who do not deserve to be punished just because of a man who has no values.

☆

The crowd was shouting while my men tried to calm them down. I climbed the stage and stood on the dial to address the gathering.

Yet another campaign to motivate people why they should choose our party.

It has been two weeks already since we started addressing the citizens to come our way, but it now depends on the words I choose to speak in front of them.

I cleared my throat before starting, "Namaste, main Nirwan Malhotra, Malhotra Realm ki taraf se aap sabka swagat karta hoon."

[Hello, I Nirwan Malhotra, welcome you all from the side of Malhotra Realm.]

They all clapped and some fuckers even hooted.

I cleared my throat again, continuing with my speech, "I'm not here to talk like other leaders and ask you to vote for us. I trust my people enough and I know the majority stands for the right."

"However, no matter if I win or lose, I'll make sure to guide my citizens in every aspect, being a responsible leader for the people who supported me."

"I'll make sure of that-"

My words stopped when my eyes saw her.

Aakriti Arora.

She was...crying?

There was a woman along with her, who seemed in a very poor condition. But what I couldn't understand was why I forgot what I was saying and why can't any single word escape my mouth at the sight of her.

Her eyes met mine and she immediately entered the area, while my guards tried to stop her.

The other woman was covered in blood, and Aakriti's clothes had slight stains of blood too.

My heart started racing in my chest as she looked at me and muttered something, which I couldn't hear because I was on the stage, far away from where she stood.

Without any response to the gathering, I climbed down the stage and walked towards her and the unknown woman with her.

"S-sir," Aakriti said, joining her hands in front of me. My heart pounded even more in my chest looking at her vulnerable state.

"What is happening here?" Nikhil shouted while appearing from somewhere behind me, but Aakriti continued to look at me with teary eyes.

"S-sir, inke saath galat hua hai. Please aap kuch kijiye! Inhein hospital bhejna hoga!" Aakriti cried, trying to support the woman who was slowly getting unconscious.

[S-sir, something wrong has happened with her. Please do something! We have to send her to the hospital!]

I ordered my guards to help the woman and call an ambulance right away to take her to the hospital.

"What happened to her?" I asked in a calm tone to Aakriti, who wiped her tears.

"S-she was harassed, sir. Please help her," Aakriti requested again, while I closed my eyes.

Why am I feeling so weird? What is happening?

I nodded while opening my eyes again, "She'll be fine. I'll make sure she is okay."

She nodded and looked down while biting her lip. I continued to stare at her without blinking, my brain getting clouded by her thoughts completely.

My thoughts were snapped open to reality when I heard the sound of an ambulance. I saw Aakriti walking towards the ambulance.

"Wait," I stopped her while she turned around to face me, her light brown eyes making something move inside my chest.

"Ji?" she asked, making my heart race even faster.

"Do you know who did this?" I asked her, while she widened her eyes slightly.

"N-no," she muttered, and I could detect from her face that she was lying.

"You're lying, you know who did this, don't you?" I asked, taking a step closer.

Her family is full of politicians, so why did she run and come to my campaign to seek help?

This was a perfect chance for Aryan Arora to help this woman and gain his good name in the public, but he didn't do that.

"My brother, Aryan Arora. H-he harassed her," she replied, making my eyes go wide.

"And nobody stopped him?" I asked, while she shook her head, a lone tear escaping her eye.

"No, he was alone with her and I saw him beating her in his room. I was scared to tell anyone, so when he left, I helped the woman and brought her here so that I could seek help from as many people as possible," she replied, and I felt something happening inside me again.

Something about her fascinated me; probably her words and confidence.

"And you didn't even fear how your brother would react when he finds this out?" I asked with a sly smirk, while she shook her head.

"Hum humesha sahi ka saath dete hain, fir chaahe woh humare bhaiya hi kyun na ho, insaaf sabka barabar hoga," she said fiercely, making my smirk widen.

[I always stand for the right, no matter if it's my own brother, justice is for everyone.]

She thinks and speaks better than what I thought of her.

"Neta ho ya aam insaan, aur chaahe pradhan mantri bhi ho, koi bhi law se uppar nahi hain," she confidently admitted, making me nod.

[No matter if it's a leader or a local citizen, and no matter if it's the prime minister too, nobody is above the law.]

"You look strong. But sadly, your brother is in a condition to win the elections," I said, trying to see her reaction to the information.

"If my bhaiya wins, he'll surely ruin the entire Lucknow. And I have no shame in saying that. I'm not involved in politics but I'm a normal citizen," she replied, while I smirked again.

She's smarter than I expected.

"Don't worry, I'll handle this. Thank you for reporting," I said, while she nodded once again before thanking and turned around to walk away.

☆

"Woh khud tumse madad maangne aayi?" dad asked me while the bartender served both of us a glass of wine.

[She came to seek help from you on her own?]

I nodded and took a sip, while he did the same.

"Par woh toh Vivek Arora ki beti hai na, woh tumse madad kyun legi?" dad asked again, frustrating the shit out of me.

[But she is Vivek Arora's daughter, why would she take help from you?]

"Uske bhai aur baap ki tarah nahi sochti woh. Sabse alag sochti hai," I replied, looking away at the dancers who were dancing in front of us.

[She doesn't think the same way her father and brother does. She thinks differently from everyone.]

These sluts disgust the shit out of me, why can't they fucking understand that I'm not bothered at all when they expose their breasts?

"Anyways, glad that you helped her, now coming to the main topic why I called you here," dad continued, and I observed a shift of tone in his words.

"If it's another discussion about marriage, I'm out," I warned, while he chuckled.

"Look, Nirw, it's been seven years and-"

"So? I don't care if it's seven years or seven hundred years, I considered that I don't want to get married and that's final. I'm not a widowed father that I have to get married again for my child," I snapped, while he sighed and offered his empty glass to the bartender, asking him to refill it.

"Nirw, you don't have a child. You need to get married," dad complained, while I closed my eyes in irritation.

"So you want me to get married for a child? And even ruin the life of that woman and my child too?" I asked, my anger reflecting in my tone.

"Nirw, you're not getting what I mean. Don't you want a better future of Malhotra Realm? How long do you plan to live in this trauma alone, Nirw? I'm not asking you to look for someone. But just for me, please? I'll search girls for you who'll be ready to marry you," he said, while I raced my mind.

Should I agree?

No, I can't move on from my Aakriti. She was my only one and will be my only one.

Nobody can change that fact.

"If Aakriti's thoughts are minding you, then let me remind you as well that she always wanted your well being when she was alive. Watching you like this, she wouldn't feel good, Nirw. Her soul might not be at peace looking at how you're suffering. Just for the sake of your love-"

"Dad, I don't care whoever you get me married to. I will never accept that woman as my wife in any means. If still you want me to get married, I have no issues," I replied, setting my glass on the bar counter and walking outside the club.

I promise you, Aakriti, you're the only one for me, jaan. No matter if my dad finds someone who looks exactly like you, you're the only one who lives alive in my heart.

No one can take your place. Whoever comes into my life will never be your replacement.

I'll make sure my heart belongs only to you.

I can never forgive Aryan bhaiya for this. I never expected him to do such a disgusting thing to a woman.

I always thought he was rude from the beginning, but now I'm actually glad that we are not so close.

Should I tell papa about this?

No, if bhaiya gets to know that I rescued that woman, I'll be in danger. Papa listens to bhaiya and trusts him a lot, if I tell him everything he won't believe me.

And by the time he tries to believe me, bhaiya will brainwash him.

I'm already tensed up by jiju, I don't want bhaiya to behave weirdly with me too. I'm good with helping people silently, and I'll continue to do that.

I hope that woman is okay.

Nirwan Malhotra. The leader of the opposite party.

Just the thought of him is making shivers run down my spine. If papa or bhaiya gets to know I took his help, they'll kill me.

Papa is all sweet and kind until it comes to his so-called politics. He hates the mention of Malhotra Realm's name.

In fact, when I told him I was kidnapped by Nirwan Malhotra's bodyguards, he cursed him a lot even after knowing that Nirwan Malhotra himself rescued me and punished his guards.

But there's no use.

I'm back at chacha ji's house, just one more week is left until the final results of the elections come out.

I genuinely don't want bhaiya to win, he has very harsh and wild plans and the citizens will have to suffer.

I just hope I become a lawyer successfully very soon, so that I can fight against those people too who threaten me.

My thoughts were interrupted when I got Surbhi's call, I immediately received it and placed my phone to my ear.

"Aakii, are you okay?" she asked, while I closed the door of my room.

"Yes, but I'm still worried about that woman. I can never forgive bhaiya for this act of his," I said with a sense of pain and hurt in my voice.

"I discovered that she was really poor and she probably went to Aryan bhaiya to seek some sort of help," she said, while I sighed in frustration.

"This is the reason why females are afraid to fight even for basic needs. My bhaiya and papa are narrow minded, they just want to ruthlessly rule everyone and do not care about the opinions of others," I complained.

We both got engaged in the gossip of other things and didn't even realise when time skipped.

☆

It has been a week already, and today was the biggest day; the day on which the results will be out.

Please, Mahadev, don't let Arora Supremacy win. Please.

Bhaiya doesn't deserve the love and support. Instead, I hope Nirwan Malhotra exposes his reality to everyone.

I put my dupatta on my shoulders, which was matching my blue suit, and went outside my room.

Everyone was there at the venue except me, chachi, and Shivani. We sat inside the car and the driver started driving.

We reached the venue where the locals and journalists pointed their mics and cameras at me.

"Ms Aakriti Arora, do you have to say something?" one of the journalists nearly jumped on me to get my answer.

Ignoring them, I made my way towards the VIP section where only the relatives of the leaders were allowed. I sat down on a chair and the program started soon.

Everyone from the Arora Supremacy party was present, including their voters, but there were really less people on the side of Malhotra Realm, and even Nirwan Malhotra or Ashish Malhotra was not there.

The program was on hold and Aryan bhaiya stood up from his chair and walked towards the stage. He took the mic and laughed looking at everyone.

"Looks like they already accepted they lost," he said while laughing, making his voters laugh too.

Before he could open his mouth and say anything further, we saw a huge group of police entering the venue garden, pointing their guns at Aryan bhaiya.

We all stood up in a hurry, but I knew what was happening.

"Mr Aryan Arora, you are under arrest!"