Chapter 4

Arjun

The conversation I had been forced to stay in, was taking my attention away from Radhika. Since her arrival here, she has been a center of attention among them, my brother doesn’t even care as he’s talking business again, but I do, and it’s hard to keep myself in control, especially as she's becoming a target for these perv heads to hit on. The way they’re looking at her, talking about her, and touching her is making it awfully uncomfortable for her to deal with. 

I just wish she simply walks out of here but she couldn’t until my brother dismisses her or another maid takes her place, neither can I tell him to dismiss her because he would question me, which, obviously I have no answer for.

If these men weren’t important to my brother this much, I’d have hardly given my actions a second thought and would have killed them to death by this instance. “Hey, Baby, I am waiting for a while now….for my refill?” Wang Lei ordered her. If I know him well, he is a drug dealer who supplies all sorts of weed all over Asia. Besides that, he’s a high class womanizer, from teenagers to old women. There aren't any women he laid his eyes on and haven’t slept with. His day cannot end without having sex, no doubt why he’s targetting Radhika. For many reasons I hate this cranky old pervert but he is making it personal now by touching her wrongly. “Don’t be scared, little bunny, it’s my way of saying thanks,” Wang said. 

My eyes flung to him furiously, the motherfucker spanked on her ass as others were laughing like he’d done a great job there, how dared he?! I wanna get up, go to him, and twist his both hands till it comes off from his shoulder-joints and breaks the mouth of his that he used to call her little bunny. She isn’t a plaything neither do I let her be.

I got up from my place to show him his, but a hand on my shoulder halted me, my brother Vikram’s two fingers silently waving for me as an indication to sit back as he was conversing with a french man, why? Does he know what I was going to do?  And when did he see me? I never ask him the intention behind his actions through the mouth or talk back to him if I don’t agree with him. That’s how I’ve been raised, it’s a way of showing respect towards him and sometimes I wish it was another way around.

“I gotta say, Vikram, you own mouthwatering things that I bet, must be good in taste too,” An old man who is all set to lay in grave any moment said. The abrupt change in my brother’s expression; dead cold to burning fire is enough to tell that this man is done for his life. Whether my brother actually owns something or not but if it’s in his territory, he won’t let someone have it either, that’s the same for Radhika. She’s nothing to my brother, he barely knows her but she lives and works in this house, so there’s no way he would tolerate this misdemeanor towards her. 

“Get out!” Brother yelled out at her. Her startled face and confused expression say she is processing what wrong she has done that my brother yelled at her for when she is not at fault. Just leave, Radhika! She was staring baffled at him.

“Man, don’t be so harsh on such a darling, we don’t mind her presence, to be honest, we are enjoying every bit of it,” Wang added fuel into a fire. Brother stood up angrily as he strode towards her, clutching her arm, he dragged her out of the room. I almost sprinted behind them. I couldn’t let my brother hurt her.

*****

Radhika

Before I could register it, I had been dragged out by my arm by him. I felt my back hit a wall, realizing I had been pinned against it, almost becoming a sandwich between him and the wall. Each of my organs is screaming terror internally.  I didn’t have the strength to see his face. If I did, I am gone for sure.

I could feel his alcoholic breath fanning against my side face, there was something about it that I didn’t feel disgusted at all as I felt when I was inside with those men. I mistakenly looked up in his black orbs and my heart took a speed in ultra fear, the fire of anger was present in them. My oxygen supplies might get cut off too due to the closeness amidst us. He looked like he would kill me any moment now. I averted my face from him, even my saliva got heavy to slurp down my throat. I heard the door creaking open and someone walking near us.

I heard Arjun’s voice and felt a little relief wash over me. I glanced up at him in hope that he would save me, “It’s not her fault.” At least, he is with me.

Nevertheless, there was no difference or countenance on Boss’s expression. His eyes never left me and all I was doing was praying inwardly. “Leave.” He commanded Arjun, the authority in his voice is sufficiently enough for Arjun to return. He seemed as if he wanted to say something but he didn’t utter a word, he looked at me helplessly and then his brother before he walked away. 

“Who are you?” He asked me. Why does he want to know who I am? Is he planning to kill my entire family too? No! He can’t involve them in it as well! Not when whatever happened back there isn’t solely my mistake.

“P-P-Please, let me go, I didn’t do anything,” I stuttered badly.

“Answer me,” He simply ordered in a hissing tone. I noticed my internal organs shutting down because of terror spreading across my body. My eyes got heavy and I didn’t know when I fainted off, feeling strong hands around me.

.

.

.

It was a hefty head, blurry vision, and dry throat that woke me up. Thankfully as I scanned the surroundings I came to know I am in Alisha’s room but she was nowhere to be seen. I glanced at a wall clock in front of me, realizing I am already super late for my duty! 

I hastily left the bed and ran inside the shower, freshening up, I hooked my hair with a small clip and got in my uniform when I came across the door’s knob, the last night’s horrifying events ran through my head including some questions. What happened after I passed out? Who brought me here? Should I head downstairs? What if I bumped into Arjun or his brother? How can I be able to face them?

You will come to know everything there once you go down, girl, there’s no time to waste in thinking, I cannot hide myself anyway it is their home at the end of the day. I headed into the living room, meeting another busy day and busy people rushing to their work but I didn’t miss out on the weird and angry looks they passed me, I even caught them gossiping something about me. What did I do to them to receive this now? Where do I go? What should I do? Why things are flowing in the opposite ways?

“Radhika!” I heard Meher calling my name, she walked in my direction with a note and pen in her one hand like she was just done distributing work among all maids, creeping up a smile in a slight fear jogging in me, I faced her, “How are you doing?” She asks, softly as she put the back of her palm against my forehead and neck to check my body temperature.

“I am okay, I believe, just having a little headache,” I replied to her.

“Oh, I will tell Alisha to give you a painkiller for headaches. Although I asked you because last night you faint away in Vikram’s- I mean, our boss’s arms.” She said and all the embarrassment washed over my face. You must be stupid enough to faint in his arms, didn’t you get any other place to faint?!! I scold myself in my mind.

“W-What?” 

“Yeah, he even carried you all the way to your room,” She tells me.

 “Did anyone see us?”

“Of course, it’s not every day he carries a girl in his arms, I am sure you are a topic of discussion for everyone here by now,” 

And now I understood why they were giving me looks and gossiping about me earlier. Is there any ocean nearby? Where I can jump and die? Because I cannot handle this new information. I made my boss carry me and everyone saw us!! Could this day go any worse?

“I am sorry that he had to go through trouble because of me,” I said, feeling guilty.

“No, it’s quite alright, instead, you should thank him for the service he provided to you,” She countered with a wink.

I nodded, giving her a smile in agreement, “I will but he won’t be angry at me, would he?” I asked.

“That’s the strange thing, he isn’t angry at you,” She murmured the words in her mouth, I looked up at her with a raised brow, “Now,” She told me, speaking aloud, “He would be probably in his office, you should go to him after that I have some work for you,” She instructed me the further directions.

“Thank you,”

“Don’t mention, but have to say, within a day you managed to trap both brothers for you,” She again murmured, this time, I was on my way to his office so I didn’t ask her if she said anything to me. While in the final steps towards his office my legs become slow like a tortoise, is it a good idea? What if he’s mad at me after last night, I have no death wish neither should I bother him, right? I almost changed my direction when I realized, later or someday I have to face him, why not now?

Giving fake hopes to my heart that everything would be alright, I walked up to the door and knocked, “Come in,” He replied, I barely pushed it open and first peeked inside, he was seated behind a pure oak wood table on his leather chair with his face occupied by a file in his hand. He seems to be busy, it isn’t the right time to disturb him, I turned to leave when he spoke again, “Are you going to stand there and stare at my face?” He asked, glancing up at me.

I am pretty sure, I didn’t make any sound to get his attention on me then how did he come to know I am staring at him…?

“N-No,” Great, my reply came out stuttering. I ambled slightly in, only till the door behind me can easily get closed by my trembling hands. 

“What are you here for?” He asked, lifting his face up in my direction.

“I-I came here to t-t-thank you,” I anyhow managed to tell him the reason with my face never leaving to gawk at my reflection on the floor beneath me and my fingers are fidgeting together against my uniform.

“Why? I don’t remember any favors I’ve done on you that you are thanking me for,” He said, simply forming a no expression face over him.

“For yesterday, I mean, I passed out right in front of you and you had to carry me all the way to my room,” My voice was damn low, talking about something I don’t have memories of, just heard gossip from people that it happened, it’s an embarrassment. 

The way he looked at me, I doubted if he even heard me a bit. He spins the paperweight from one hand as he abruptly stops and gets up, and gradually sits on his table, using the paperweight as a ball to throw in the air and back into his palm. 

“What’s your name?” He asks all of a sudden.

“R-Radhika,” 

“Ah, that’s you,” He muttered.

I gained little courage to glance up at him, his eyebrows arched up, and his face had a mysterious smile, I didn’t get why. I just told him my name nothing more, then what got him to smile? He slowly snickers, baffling me additionally. He got up from where he was sitting a second ago and made a walk towards me, he halts, placed his hand on the wall right behind me, and leaned down at my height. I couldn’t dare to look anywhere away from his face that was silently screaming greek god to me. 

It wasn’t surprising that both brothers held handsome features that no one could help but stare at them timelessly. I mentally slapped the back of my head, pulling myself out of my thoughts. Thoughts that shouldn’t be in me. I literally stand no chance to be with any one of them. So, I shouldn’t waste my time thinking about the impossibility.

His eyes were scanning me up and down when he felt like he has seen enough, he turned me around and then again made me stand normally, “What happened, b-boss?” I asked, nervously. Baffled at his action.

“What did you call me?” He asks, completely ignoring my question. He closed the distance between us by bending towards me, his scent made up of mandarin, cinnamon, and rosemary reached my nostrils, realizing it was making its way through his Godly physic. I tried my best not to react to it.

“Boss?” I repeated what he wished to hear. I looked up, perceiving the pupil of his eyes had been dilated, I gulped in fear that I angered him, maybe I shouldn’t have to call him that, “I am sorry if I said-”

“No,” He cuts me off, “Dozens of people call me Boss but coming from your rosy lips, sounded like a melody,” He whispers in my ears. I felt a shudder running down my spine as my eyes widened.

“W-W-What?” 

“You were here to thank me, right? I assume you’ve already done it, now you can leave,” He spoke, walking back to his desk. I stood confused for a couple of minutes until my legs showed moments to leave his office.

What was all that?

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