Chapter Fifty Nine.
Ira’s mother and Ritika both their eyes wide with the horror of what they thought was about to happen.
But it wasn't Ira who fell.
Deepak collapsed to his knees, his face contorting into pain. He let out a groan as his hand fly to his shoulder where blood was already blooming through his shirt.
Ira stood frozen, her chest heaving as she sucked in panicked lunges of air. Her hands were shaking so much she had to clench them into fists.
Through the haze of her terror, she looked past the reeling Deepak toward the doorway.
There, stood RV.
His face was stern, his posture rigid and that same professionalism. He held his weapon, which is still pointed toward Deepak.
Ira recognized him instantly.
"RV?" Ira’s voice was barely a breathless whisper.
"Hello, Ma’am.." RV said. He cut a look of absolute detest toward Deepak on the floor.
"My deepest apologies for... this thing." He gestured to Deepak "I looked away for a single minute, and I didn't see when he breached the perimeter."
Ira gulped, the reality of the situation sinking in. Behind her, her mother and Ritika were paralyzed with confusion, wondering how Ira knew this stone-cold man and why he was calling her Ma'am.
"And who the hell are you?" Ritika demanded. RV cut his gaze toward Ritika for a second...a cold dismissive look...before ignoring her entirely.
"We will take care of him.." RV said, turning his focus back to Ira.
On his cue, a group of men appeared. Hoisting a sobbing, mumbling Deepak off his knees. He was clenching his bloodied shoulder, his head lolling as he muttered incoherent delusions under his breath.
Ira watched the men haul Deepak away.
"Hey! I asked you a question! Who are you?!" Ritika yelled, her anger masking her trembling.
RV stopped and looked at Ritika one last time. "I only answer to Ma'am." he said grimly, "She is my Supreme. I'm to answer to her and serve her.
Ritika shivered, a cold chill racing down her spine. The weight of that word..Supreme..hit them all.
Ira was stunned.. Answer to only her?
"Maa, Ritika, this is RV. He is... the head guard from–"
Ira’s explanation was drowned out by the sound of high performance brakes. Every head in the foyer turned toward the street.
RV’s stoic expression crumbled instantly, he gulped, his eyes widening with a genuine fear as he watched the driver’s door open.
"Devraj.." Ira mumbled..
"Shit.." RV mumbled, his shoulders tensing.
Devraj didn't even bother to close his car door. He erupted from the vehicle, dashing toward them with a terrifying speed.
"Si–"
RV never finished the word. Devraj’s fist connected with his jaw in a brutal force. The sound of the impact was sickeningly solid.
Ira’s mother shrieked, and Ritika’s jaw dropped in horror.
RV didn't fight back, he didn't even raise his hands to defend himself. He simply let his head hang in a gesture of respect, a thin trail of blood beginning to leak from his split lip.
"What the fuck happened?!" Devraj roared, he was furious.. "What was my fucking order? I told you not to take your eyes off her for a single second! You are lucky...you are so goddamn lucky...that he didn't hurt her!"
"I am so sorry, sir.." RV whispered, his voice steady despite the pain.
"Get the fuck out of my sight!" Devraj snarled, his eyes burning.. "And take care of that bastard.."
RV nodded sharply. "Yes, sir." He turned to Ira one last time, bowing low with a bruised humility.
"I am so sorry, Ma’am. " With that, he turned and walked away.
The moment RV was gone, Devraj’s focus snapped to Ira.
The air around him practically vibrated with the effort he was making to suppress his rage.
He stepped into her personal space, as he grabbed her wrist to inspect the bruising, his eyes scanning her face for even a microscopic scratch.
"A... are you okay?" he asked, he was trembling a bit.
Ira, still reeling from the violence she’d just witnessed, blinked in stunned silence.
She felt a surge of that cold familiar dread and instinctively pulled her hand away from his heat.
Devraj’s face darkened, a flicker of pained possessiveness crossing his features.
He reached out and captured her hand again, pulling it back toward his chest.
He didn't let her go. Instead, his fingers tightened, not enough to hurt, but enough to make it clear that escape was no longer an option.
Ira’s gaze drifted past his shoulder, watching the car carrying a bleeding Deepak disappear down the street.
A shiver racked her body. She hated Devraj’s control, she hated his obsession, but the truth settled in her stomach, if it wasn't for him, she would be gone. Kidnapped. Or worse....
"Devraj Singh Rathore.." Ira’s mother whispered..
The sound of her mother’s voice snapped Ira back to reality. She felt the heat of Devraj’s grip on her skin and, with a sharp tug, she pulled her hand away again.
"Thank you, Mr. Rathore." her mother said, her voice trembling but sincere.
Devraj turned his head slightly, giving her mother a stiff, respectful nod, the polite mask of a gentleman.
"Maa..." Ira said, turning toward her mother..
"Excuse me. I want to talk to... Devraj."
Her mother eyes searched Ira’s face, then flickered to the towering, intense man standing at their doorstep. After a few thought, she nodded slowly.
"Get her inside to rest, please, Ritika.." Ira said.
"I will." Ritika promised, casting one last wary, lingering look at Devraj before leading Ira's mother to the living room.
Ira stepped across the threshold and pulled the door shut behind her. She was alone with him now, the air cooling the sweat on her skin. She turned to face him.
"How did you know to have men stationed at my door?" her voice barely a soft rasp.
Devraj gulped, his throat working visibly. Up close, his eyes were so bright with intensity it felt like they were burning into her.
"Listen.." He started, the words catching in his throat. He let out an heavy sigh, his shoulders dropping just a little "I am an insecure man, Ira. I will admit that. But... I have known for a while about Deepak. I knew he was disturbing you. I knew he was a threat."
Ira’s eyes widened,"You knew? You knew he was stalking me this whole time?"
"Yes... and it bites me that I can't just pull a trigger to his fucking head." Devraj whispered, his jaw tight. "I'm a businessman, Ira, not a killer. I... I got my guards to stay on watch at your home to protect you from him." He partially lied.
He had been watching her every move long before Deepak became a visible threat, but Ira didn't know that.
For the first time, a small, involuntary part of her felt touched, grateful that he was helping her behind shadows.
But then, the math started to settle in her head. Her eyes narrowed.
"Wait... if you knew about Deepak, that means you must have been watching me for months. You had someone watching me twenty four seven?"
"I should have known it wouldn't work, even after I went to warn him myself." he said, stepping closer.
Ira blinked, her mouth falling open. "You warned him?"
"Yes, and I am so sorry! I will make sure you never have to see him again, Ira. I promise you that." he whispered, his eyes burning with an intensity that made it feel as though he were trying to pull her into his own soul.
Ira sighed then she nodded..
"But how did you even get here so fast? Your office is at least thirty minutes from here."
"I... I.." Devraj stammered, his usual composure faltering. He couldn't tell her he has a branch office close by, it will freak her out.
"But... thank you.." Ira said softly with a smile...before he could cook up a lie.
Devraj stared at her, frozen. Those three words felt like a victory greater than any billion-dollar deal he had ever closed.
Inside, his heart beats wild, against his ribs. He was exhilarated, high on the rare warmth in her voice.
"I really appreciate you coming on time." Ira said still smiling. "Even though it's creepy. Thanks for protecting me from Deepak."
"I will always be just one inch away, Ira. I promise.." he whispered "I love you, Meri Jaan."
The warmth in the air vanished instantly.
The I love you felt like a heavy chain rattling between them, it was too intimate for her and hearing it from a man she did not love reminded her that she is still trapped. She looked away.
"Please leave now." Ira said.
Devraj felt his heart clench, a pain hit in his chest. "Did I–"
"Please leave. Thank you for helping, but right now... just leave."
He stood there for a heartbeat, his palms fisting at his sides as he fought the urge to reach out and pull her back into his arms.
He nodded slowly, the rejection stinging more than any punch ever could. Without another word, he turned and walked toward his car.
Ira watched Devraj’s car drove of before finally turning back toward the door.
Inside, her mother and Ritika were standing in the living room, their faces etched with a million questions and deep concern.
"I’m not in the mood to talk right now.." Ira said, her voice hollow and thin. She didn't wait for a response, her feet moving on it own as she ascended the stairs.
Her mother and Ritika shared a look.
The moment Ira stepped into her room and shut the door, the dam broke.
Her eyes widened in fresh terror, her entire body beginning to tremble so violently she had to lean against the door for support. She clamped both hands over her mouth to stifle a sob, her breath coming in terrified gasps.
The whole scene replying in her head.
She had almost been taken.. Kidnapped. Her mother had been shoved hard, one wrong step and she might have gotten badly injured. A man had been shot right in front of her eyes.
How did my life come to this?? Tears rolled down her face, as she collapsed onto the floor, finally letting the horror of the day swallow her whole.
~??~
Devraj was in his private villa, he was pacing a long line across the marble floor, his suit jacket discarded and his sleeves rolled up, revealing the tension in his forearms.
The massive glass doors slid open, and Advik stepped into the space, taking in the sight of his friend’s restless energy. He let out a sigh.
"Deepak is in prison now.." Advik said, his voice level. "RV and the boys made sure the paperwork is... ironclad. He won't be seeing the sun for a long, long time."
Devraj stopped pacing abruptly. He didn't look relieved. If anything, his eyes grew darker, a predatory glint flickering in the shadows.
"Something is not right." he growled.
Advik frowned, stepping further into the room. "What do you mean? The threat is neutralized, Devraj. The guy is behind bars."
"Samar."
Advik’s brows furrowed deeper, his confusion evident.
"Samar? What’s up with him?"
"I don’t know.." Devraj deadpanned, his gaze fixed on a point in the distance that only he could see. "But I have a hunch... a massive one. Ira isn't safe anymore. Deepak was a fly, but Samar... Samar is a shark who has smelled blood."
Advik sighed, leaning against a console. "Maybe you’re just overthinking it, man. Your nerves are fried because of the Deepak situation.."
Devraj turned his head slowly, his expression cold and hauntingly certain.
"And how many times has my overthinking been wrong, Advik?"
Advik opened his mouth to argue, then closed it.
He can't find any, because Devraj was never wrong.
"The last time I stepped into Samar’s territory to warn Tiwari to keep his filthy son away from Ira, I saw him. I saw Samar.." Devraj said. "And back then, I was certain... I was absolutely certain he didn't even know who Ira was."
Advik stood motionless, hanging on every word.
"But then I saw him two days ago..." Devraj mumbled, his eyes glazed over as he replayed the scene in his mind. "When he cornered her. The way he looked at her... it wasn't the look of a stranger."
"Wait.." Advik said, the pieces clicking together in his mind. "So you think Deepak leaked her identity? That Samar found out Ira is your woman, through that drug-addled brat?"
Devraj’s jaw clenched so hard the bone seemed ready to snap.
"Definitely. They crawled out of the same filth. Samar knows Ira is mine... he’s trying to get under my skin. But I’m starting to fear he’s aiming for something far deeper than my skin now."
"This is bad.." Advik whispered, pacing a small circle.
"I know Ira is strong, but Samar... Samar is a different breed of monster.
His dangerous side is more chaotic than a whirlpool.
Knowing how he plays the game, he should have struck by now.
He isn't scared of you, Devraj. So why the silence?
Is he just observing her? Or worse..." Advik stopped, his eyes meeting Devraj’s with a look of pure dread. "What if he actually likes her?"
The air in the room seemed to combust.
The veins in Devraj’s neck and arms bulged, snaking across his skin. His eyes turned a shade of amber so dark they looked like pits of fire.
The mere thought of Samar’s hands..or his heart...anywhere near Ira was an insult to Devraj’s very existence.
"Get Arjun Madhav on the line.." Devraj growled..
Advik’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. He took a staggering step back.
"Wait... what? You’re serious?"
"Get Arjun on the line! Now Advik!" Devraj’s eyes were pitch-black now, devoid of any mercy. "The only way to defeat a crazy mafia man is by using one who is even crazier. If Samar wants to play in the shadows, I’ll bring the god of the underworld to his doorstep."
??????
Hiii... Hehehe!!!????????
Bye!!!????????
Next update, tomorrow ????