Chapter 8 : Battles and Bandages

What just happened? Why was I breathing so heavily? Why did he affect me like that? My chest heaved as I tried to catch my breath. I couldn't understand it. First of all, why did he come in there? And why does he always have to annoy me so much? The worst part was, I didn't even say anything to him!

I quickly changed, locking the door this time, just to be sure. I had been so flustered earlier that I didn't even think to lock it. I never imagined someone would barge in like that. After I finished changing, I rushed out of the trial room and went straight to find Tanu. We were leaving, and I was determined not to stay in the same place as him.

When I spotted her, she was sitting at the food court, looking angry.

“What happened?” I asked, concerned.

She looked up at me and gestured toward the group sitting nearby. “We have company,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

I glanced over at the table, and my heart sank. There he was. Vikrant. I shut my eyes in frustration when I saw him. He was sitting with his friends, shaking his head at something they said, and they all laughed. My temper flared.

“Did they force you to sit here?” I asked Tanu, my voice low and threatening. “Tell me, and I’ll literally cut their throats.”

Tanu widened her eyes and laughed. “It’s not like that, Anshi!” She pulled me into a seat beside her, and I looked at her in surprise. She was blushing slightly, which only made me more confused.

Before I could ask her what was going on, the boys all stood up and came over. To my dismay, Vikrant sat beside me. I didn’t even glance at him. The air between us was thick with tension, and it was the most awkward moment of my life.

Finally, one of his friends, Karan, broke the silence with an exaggerated apology. “We’re sorry,” he said, but his tone was playful. “But we blame Vikrant for everything.”

I still didn’t trust them, and I wasn’t about to let it slide. I asked them, politely but firmly, “Can you tell me what you actually did with Aaradhya?”

For a second, I forgot that I was referring to myself in the third person, and corrected myself, “What did you actually do with me?”

The boys looked at each other, and Karan shrugged. “We didn’t mean to make her uncomfortable, but yeah, we kind of... bullied her,” he said, avoiding eye contact.

“But not in a harsh way,” another guy, Aryan , added. “It was just harmless fun.”

Tanu raised an eyebrow. “Harmless fun?” she repeated. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

I glanced at Vikrant, still not looking directly at him. Karan’s smirk grew wider. “Vikrant, though... he did something that definitely deserves a mention.”

At that, I heard Vikrant curse under his breath, and my eyes shot up to him, but I quickly looked away. I was still furious, but I wasn’t about to let him see how much he was getting to me.

I took a deep breath and Rohan asked , “What about the proposal video?”

I could feel my face heating up, and I didn’t know why. I’d never been embarrassed by something like this before. I didn't even do that ?!

Just as I was about to say something else, my phone pinged with a message. I glanced at the screen, and it was from Daksh. He had taken care of the video.

I smirked. “It’s okay,” I said. “It’s been taken care of.”

The guys all looked confused, and I could tell they were all checking their phones. To their shock, the video was nowhere to be found.

I leaned back in my seat, my smirk widening as I watched their reactions. “How did she manage to pull this off?” he muttered under his breath.

They all dramatically bowed, except for Tanu and Vikrant. Tanu was giving me a knowing smile, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

Vikrant, however, was still looking at his phone, clearly frustrated.

The boys apologized again, this time more sincerely, and I accepted their apologies with a nod. But I could still feel Vikrant’s presence beside me, and it made me uneasy.

We had eaten together, and the conversation turned more genuine. I found out that they weren’t as bad as I had initially thought, but I still couldn’t stand Vikrant. He was sitting next to me, trying to act all casual, but I could feel his eyes on me.

As the meal came to an end, Tanu said, “It’s getting late, and the rain has stopped. We should go.”

I nodded, relieved. We said our goodbyes, and the boys all extended their hands for a handshake. Tanu and I exchanged a look, and we both shook hands with them.

When it came to Vikrant, I ignored him completely.

They all burst out laughing, and I couldn’t help but roll my eyes.

We made our way to the underground garage, but something caught our attention. A scream echoed through the parking lot, and we all froze.

I turned to Tanu. “Did you hear that?”

She nodded, her expression serious. “Let’s go.”

We ran toward the sound, and as we approached, we saw a girl struggling against men who was trying to drag her into a car. Without hesitation, we all sprang into action. Tara went straight to the girl, trying to comfort her, while the rest of us took on the men.

“Let her go!” I shouted, my voice echoing through the garage.

The man holding the girl sneered. “Stay out of this, princess,” he said mockingly.

Big mistake.

I didn’t wait for anyone else to act. My feet carried me forward, and before he could react, my fist connected with his jaw. The satisfying crack of bone reverberated through the air as he stumbled back, releasing the girl.

“Who’s the princess now?” I spat, glaring at him.

The fight erupted instantly. The man with the weapon lunged toward me, but I sidestepped his attack, grabbing his arm and twisting it behind his back. He screamed in pain as I disarmed him, tossing the weapon across the garage.

“Nice move,” Vikrant said, appearing beside me. He blocked a punch from another man and retaliated with a powerful uppercut. “Didn’t know you had it in you.”

“Shut up and focus,” I snapped, ducking under a wild swing.

The other boys joined the fray, taking on the remaining men. Tanu was helping the girl, pulling her to safety while tanu kept watch.

One of the attackers charged at me, but I met him head-on. I landed a solid kick to his chest, sending him crashing into the side of the van. He groaned, clutching his ribs, but I wasn’t done. My anger was a raging inferno, and I wasn’t stopping until I made them regret every second of this.

“You really don’t know when to quit, do you?” Vikrant said, glancing at me as he dodged a punch.

“Not when it comes to scum like this,” I replied, grabbing another man by the collar and slamming him against the van.

“Careful, baby ,” he teased, blocking another attack. “You might actually impress me.”

I rolled my eyes but didn’t respond. My focus was on the fight. Another man came at me with a crowbar, swinging it wildly. I ducked, narrowly avoiding the blow, and delivered a swift kick to his knee. He collapsed with a scream, and I didn’t hesitate to grab the crowbar from his hands.

“Breaking bones is my specialty,” I said coldly, swinging the crowbar with precision.

The man yelped as it connected with his arm, and I heard the satisfying crack of bone. He dropped to the ground, clutching his arm in agony.

“You’re scary when you’re angry,” Karan said, glancing at me with wide eyes.

“Stay out of my way, then,” I shot back, my voice sharp.

The fight continued, the sound of fists meeting flesh and the occasional grunt of pain filling the air. I was relentless, my movements precise and calculated. Every punch, every kick was fueled by my anger and determination to protect the innocent.

At one point, I felt a sharp pain in my side. One of the attackers had managed to land a hit, but I didn’t let it slow me down. I turned on him with a feral grin, grabbing his arm and twisting it until I heard the sickening snap of bone.

“Oops,” I said mockingly. “Guess I don’t know my own strength.”

“You’re insane,” Vikrant muttered, shaking his head as he knocked another man unconscious.

“And you’re annoying,” I retorted, slamming another attacker into the side of the van.

Despite the chaos, there was an odd sense of camaraderie between us. The boys were clearly impressed by my skills, and even Vikrant seemed to begrudgingly acknowledge my prowess.

“Remind me never to get on your bad side,” Aryan  said, dodging a punch.

“Smart choice,” I replied, grabbing another man by the collar and delivering a knee to his stomach.

By the time the fight ended, the attackers were either unconscious or groaning in pain on the ground. I stood there, breathing heavily, my fists clenched at my sides.

“You okay?” Tanu asked, rushing over to me.

“I’m fine,” I said, brushing off her concern.

“You’re bleeding,” Vikrant pointed out, his voice unusually serious.

I glanced down at my arm, where a shallow cut was bleeding slightly. “It’s nothing,” I said dismissively.

“Nothing? You were about to get hit from behind, and I had to save you,” he said, his tone almost accusing.

I rolled my eyes. “Thanks, I guess. But I had it under control.”

“Sure you did,” he said sarcastically.

The boys exchanged amused glances, clearly entertained by our bickering.

“Can we focus on the girl?” I said, ignoring Vikrant.

The girl was sitting on the ground, shaking but otherwise unharmed. Tara was comforting her, speaking in soothing tones.

“We should call the police,” Rohan  said, pulling out my phone.

As we waited for the authorities to arrive, Vikrant leaned against the van, watching me with a smirk.

“You’re full of surprises, baby ,” he said.

“And you’re full of crap,” I shot back, earning a laugh from the others.

Despite everything, I couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of satisfaction. I had proven that I could hold my own, and even though I hated to admit it, Vikrant’s grudging respect felt oddly rewarding.

I was about to leave  when I felt a firm hand wrap around my wrist, pulling me back. I turned, glaring at Vikrant, who had that infuriating smirk on his face.

“What the hell are you doing?” I snapped, trying to yank my hand away.

“Stay still,” he ordered, his voice low but commanding.

Before I could argue, he dragged me toward his car. I stumbled slightly, cursing under my breath as he opened the door to a sleek racing car. He reached inside and pulled out a first-aid kit.

“Sit,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

“I’m fine,” I said stubbornly, crossing my arms.

“You’re bleeding,” he pointed out, his eyes briefly flicking to the cut on my arm. “Now sit.”

I huffed, sitting reluctantly on the edge of the car seat. He crouched in front of me, his movements deliberate as he opened the kit. His fingers were surprisingly gentle as he cleaned the wound, and I couldn’t help but notice the slight furrow in his brows, as if he was concentrating too hard.

“You didn’t have to pull me here,” I muttered, my anger simmering just below the surface.

“You wouldn’t have come otherwise,” he replied without looking up.

“You could’ve asked,” I shot back.

He sighed deeply, pausing for a moment before resuming his work. “You’re impossible.”

Before I could retort, Karan appeared, clearing his throat dramatically. I narrowed my eyes at him, but he just chuckled.

“Interrupting something?” Karan teased, his grin widening when Vikrant shot him a glare.

“Shut up,” Vikrant muttered, focusing back on my arm.

Karan ignored him, leaning casually against the car. “By the way, they weren’t the main guys. Just workers under the dealers.”

I froze, my eyes darting between them. “What does that mean?” I asked, my voice sharp.

Karan shrugged, glancing at Vikrant. “Boss will explain.”

Vikrant’s jaw tightened, and he didn’t look at me as he said, “It’s nothing.”

I yanked my hand back, forcing him to stop. “Nothing? You’re clearly hiding something.”

He snapped, his voice low but firm, “Let me finish, or you’ll get an infection.”

His tone caught me off guard, and I stayed still, though my anger didn’t waver. “It’s not the first time I’ve bled,” I muttered bitterly, the words slipping out before I could stop them.

Vikrant’s hands stilled for a moment, and he glanced up at me, his eyes unreadable. I quickly looked away, regretting my slip.

“I’m done,” I said, starting to get up, but he pushed me back down gently yet firmly.

“Sit,” he said, his voice softer this time. “Let me finish.”

I huffed, crossing my arms as he applied the final bandage. When he was done, he leaned back, sighing deeply.

“What do you want to know?” he asked, his voice resigned.

I smiled slightly, knowing I had won this round. “Everything.”

He shook his head, muttering something under his breath before finally speaking. “We’re tracking a network. These guys are involved in sex trafficking, taking girls and selling them.”

My stomach churned with disgust, and anger flared up again. “How can people stoop so low?” I whispered, more to myself than to him.

“They do,” he said simply, his tone laced with frustration. “That’s why we’re after them.”

He finished packing the first-aid kit and stood, looking down at me. “Be careful when you fight, baby,” he said, his voice unexpectedly soft.

I blinked, surprised by his choice of words. “Baby?” I repeated, raising an eyebrow.

He smirked slightly, but before I could say anything else, I shoved him lightly. “Don’t call me that,” I said, standing up and brushing past him.

When I reached the others, the police had already left, and everyone was preparing to leave. I glanced at Tanu, who gave me a knowing look, but I ignored her, heading straight for the car.

This time, I took the driver’s seat, much to Vikrant’s annoyance as I should let my arms rest . “I’m driving,” I said firmly .

The drive back was quiet, the adrenaline from the fight slowly fading. By the time we reached home, exhaustion had settled over all of us.

After getting freshened up, I collapsed onto my bed, my body aching but my mind racing. The events of the day were replayed in my head, and despite everything, I couldn’t shake the memory of Vikrant’s soft words and the way he had looked at me.

With a sigh, I closed my eyes, letting sleep take over. Why couldn't I hate that face anymore ?