Rudransh didn't say anything and just heard her. He knew why she chose to stay even though she wasn't valued once. She felt so unloved that she snatched every opportunity at love she got. Even if it was fake.

“And then I heard those rumors. That he was sleeping with his secretary. I did confront him. But you know what he did. He held my hands and looked into my eyes with such sincerity that I couldn't doubt and said ‘I would never do that to you Pihu.’ And I believed him. I trusted him.”

She closed her eyes and cried harder.

“I wish you were here mumma. Mujhe batane ke liye ki wo aadmi mere liye achha nhi hai. Where are you both?”

She yelled and sobbed. Her whole body shook and he caressed her hair.

“What happened to them?”

He asked and she told him what she knew. He heard everything with rapt attention.

“You want me to find them?”

He asked after a pause and she looked at him with a twinkle in her eyes.

“You can?”

“If you want me to.”

“Please do that.”

Hearing her he knew one thing. He never wanted her to use that meek, begging tone ever again. He nodded and helped her up. They reached his room and she stopped him when he was going towards the closet.

He looked at her raising his eyebrow and a questioning expression which turned into shock when she suddenly hugged him.

He gulped. His body felt hot. His heart skipped a beat. She was hugging him. Her arms around his torso, cheek plastered against his chest. He had never been hugged.

“Thank you!”

She whispered, making him nod and run into the washroom. He leaned over the sink and took deep breaths. His heartbeat was wild as if he had just run a marathon.

When his parents didn't give him the attention a child requires because they were ‘busy’ he started shutting off his emotions. Over the years he made himself to be such that he only knew one emotion. Victory.

But she was making him feel things he didn't want to. Things he was scared to feel. He was getting addicted to her. Her jibes, taunts and sassiness amused him. Her effortless seduction turned him on. Her smile made him feel all tingly in his heart and her tears made him want to murder everyone responsible for it. Even if it were him.

He splashed water on his face. She was messing with him. His brain and his heart.

It had been almost a month since Pihu had been staying with Rudransh.

It was bedtime and the two were sitting on the bed with their backs resting against the bedrest, talking. Well, Pihu was talking and he was listening to her. She was telling him stories about her tiffin centre and the ladies that worked there.

Rudransh laughed when she narrated a specific incident.

“She-she really did that?”

He asked between his laughter and she nodded while laughing, holding her stomach.

“Haan. We all were shocked but the situation was too funny.”

He continued laughing imagining the situation when they heard a soft thud. They looked towards the door to see one of the househelps standing there and a file fallen near her feet. She looked shocked.

“I-I am sorry sir. I’ll leave this here.”

She put the file on the table nearby and ran out making Pihu look confused and Rudransh sigh.

“Why did she run like that?”

She asked and he rolled his eyes.

“Because she saw the 8th wonder of the world.”

Pihu looked more confused.

“She saw me laughing Rose.”

He said as if it was self explanatory and she raised an eyebrow.

“So isme shock hone wali kya baat hai?”

“They’ve never seen me laugh.”

“And why is that?”

He now smiled at her and said holding her hand in his.

“Because I've never laughed before. Not the happy laughter. They are familiar with the evil and torturous laugh but this happy and content laughter is a shocker for all of them. You bring out the best in me, Rose.”

She smiled and gazed into his eyes softly. He was caressing her knuckles with his thumb but looking down and whispered.

“I’ve always been ‘The Villain’ for the world. And I always will be. Lekin phir bhi for once, I want to know what it feels like to be someone’s hero.”

She looked at him for a second and then intertwined their fingers with the hand he was holding making her look at him.

“How do you define a villain? Because for me a villain is someone who doesn’t care about anyone. Hurts people and snatches the smile off their faces because he likes doing it.”

He smiled mockingly and mumbled.

“Yeah! That’s me.”

“But you know how I see a hero. He is someone who brings a smile on someone’s face. All my life I was surrounded by people who I considered as heroes. But actually they weren’t. They were just villains hiding behind the mask of heroism. On the pretext of bringing a smile on my face they were just eating me from inside. And then you entered my life like a storm. You were always honest about what you wanted from me. But the most important thing is that you bring a smile to my face. For me you’re my hero, Rudra!”

He didn’t know what to say. His throat felt constricted with emotions. He continued to gaze into her eyes.

His gaze darkened as a jealous expression covered his face. Bringing her knuckles close to his face he asked.

“Did your lover boy kiss you here?”

“He is not my lover boy Rudra. Stop calling him that.”

She frowned but pressed on.

“Did he?”

She gulped at his tone and nodded.

He kissed her knuckles. Once.

“This is for erasing his.”

He then placed another kiss, lingering it a little longer.

“And this is for marking mine.”

She felt her heart skip a beat and butterflies in her stomach. She bowed her head but he put his index finger under her chin and made her look into his eyes.

He then held her wrist, caressing it softly. She felt goosebumps on her arm.

“Here?”

She shook her head and he placed one soft kiss while looking into her eyes. What was he doing to her? Was he trying to make her fall in love with him?

He cupped her face and caressed her forehead asking through his eyes to which she nodded. He placed two kisses making her smile.

Moving down to her eyes he caressed the corner of them and she shook her head without opening her eyes. He placed one kiss each on both her eyelids.

He tweaked her nose and she giggled, shaking her head, making him leave a soft peck with a smile.

He caressed her cheeks next and she nodded. He placed two kisses each on her cheek and then cupped her neck. She opened her eyes and looked into his whole slowly shaking her head.

He leaned in and pressed a long kiss on her neck making her close her eyes and clutch his shirt. He bit her neck making her shriek and look at him wide eyed making him laugh.

His gaze darkened again and he looked at her lips clenching his jaw not even wanting to imagine it.

She understood his unsaid words and shook her head making him smile a little.

“Fucking idiot!”

He chuckled at the bastard's stupidity of not kissing this incredible woman who was meant to be loved in every way.

Cupping her face he leaned in while looking at her lips. When he was just an inch away from her lips she pushed his chest a little stopping him at his place.

He looked at her while she looked down. He could sense the hesitation in her body language and he backed out but pulled her against his chest hugging her close and making her body relax.

A few days have passed since the night he almost kissed her and since then he hadn't made a move knowing she wasn't ready. She thought of him as her hero. He couldn't do anything against that image.

He was working in his study typing furiously on his laptop while she stared at him sipping the coffee she blackmailed him into making after he boasted he made the best coffee.

She was admiring him. His features. The way his eyes narrowed and glared at the screen. The way his forehead was marred with lines and his messy locks fell on his forehead because he had moved his hands in it multiple times. How his fingers worked skillfully on the keys.

Oh how she'd love to know the other things they were capable of. Shaking the dirty thoughts off her mind she looked around trying to find something interesting when a question popped into her mind.
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