The prolonged silence was hard to bare.
" Tell me Meenakshi! Do you like him?"
"W-why are you asking this question?" Meenakshi fluttered her eyelids in confusion.
"I questioned first." Vijay replied.
"No, I don't."Meenakshi looked down, fidgeting with her fingers.
"Thank lords."
Meenakshi looked back at Vijay who had a worried expression marring his face.
"Why?" she asked.
"Meenakshi! Are you mad? He would crush your heart into millions of pieces without even thinking once if he gets to know that someone likes him. Especially you."
Meenakshi heaved a sigh as if it was a common answer.
"I know. And I have tried my best to act well with him! But he doesn't care."
Vijay felt bad for her.
"Hmm. I understand. Our heart is more twisted and stubborn than we expect. Dhruv's is more like a stoned one." He stated.
"Do you like someone?"
Vijay smiled sheepishly at her.
"Yeah. Actually,I have a girlfriend."
Meenakshi didn't know why, but she felt quite excited to know more. Vijay was the only person kind enough to share a conversation with her.
"Oh. That's so sweet. What's her name?
"Ananya"
"It's a beautiful name. I'm glad you have a soulmate. Do you plan to get married?"
Something churned in Vijay and he immediately withdrawn his smile. His eyes told a melancholic story and Meenakshi felt how the atmosphere had changed into a dense one.
"Umm... Did I-I say something wrong?" His sad expression made her feel guilty.
"No... Actually-"
"I don't ...I don't know if we have a future together or not." Vijay sighed, his face getting dimmer each time.
Meenakshi touched his shoulder. She felt extremely bad for him.
"It's ok! If you don't want, then we won't talk about it. Just know that I'll be there to listen."
Vijay nodded and mumbled a Thank You.
"Btw, how come you work with-umm-him?"
"Why can't I?"
Vijay arched an eyebrow amazed at her remark.
" Uhh...You know, you're quite different, more human as you said. That's why."
"Ah! Yeah, actually I know Dhruv from a long time. We've worked at same place in our struggling days. And somewhere his leadership skills and motivation inspired me a lot."
"Inspired to kill?"
Vijay chuckled at her question.
"No,no. Actually the condition in which I was born and brought up was terrible. The part of life we've lived in was no less than hell. In order to survive, we need to do things we're not very proud of. I was hesitant to step into the smuggling business, but starvation forces you to make sin. So, I got involved with it."
"But, didn't you think of leaving it later?" Meenakshi asked.
"And get myself killed? Sorry,but my life is precious to me."
Vijay smirked.
"Huh? But why would you get killed?"
"Leaving Dhruv's gang is not a joke! One of Dhruv's absolute rule is that once you step into his dark world you're not allowed to get out of it. And trust me when I say that the punishment for breaking the rules is death penalty."
A sense of fear crept down her spine upon hearing what Dhruv could do. His words reverberated back in her mind.
"Don't try to mess with me or expect anything from me. Else you'll be counting your last days on earth!" she remembered what he said.
Meenakshi thought of it to be a shallow warning. But now she knew that it was an open threat. One that can really come into reality if she makes a wrong move. One wrong move.
Vijay observed her facial expressions.
"He threatened you. Right?" he questioned. More like an obvious statement.
Meenakshi who seemed to be lost in her chain of thoughts snapped out of it and looked at him, horrified.
"How do you know?"
"I guess I've spent enough time with him to know what he can do to people."
"Oh. So, should I be careful?" She asked.
"If I was in your place, I would've done everything in my power to stay away from him. Close to Dhruv's means close to your own grave."
The images came back. The dream. Her own dead body. Meenakshi started to shiver in fear.
"Hey.Are you alright?" Vijay asked out of concern.
"I-I... I'm fine." she assured him.
"Should I bring some water for you?" he asked.
***************************. ***************
"Breathe!" She inhaled the air around her to relax her stressed nerves. She skimmed her fingers to fix her short one-piece and her hair that cascaded down her shoulder in smooth, brown curls.
Heaving a sigh,she knocked on the huge door.
A voice signalled her to come in and she strutted inside with her high heels clinking on the marble.
The room was brightly lit, the LED lights on flashing from the ceiling automatically as she walked in.
She breathed in the air mixed with tobacco, digging back her old days when she used to hate this smell.
"What are you doing here?" Dhruv puffed out the smoke while checking his phone.
"Want to spend some time with you." She approached him with slow steps, swaying her hips in fashion. Her arms snakily wrapped around his chest and she rested her head on his back.
Dhruv smirked at his reflection and swiftly turned at his back, grabbing Veronica by his waist. He pulled her face closer, taking in her scent and leaned over her neck.
"Satisfy me." He whispered,more like a command from his side. Lisa smiled with joy.
"I'll make you a drink." Veronica touched his bare chest throwing seducing looks at him. She walked towards his private bar and started with her job.
A wierd sensation crept up her spine and she turned back to find his sharp gaze focused on her.
Veronica felt scared for an unknown reason. His expression was extremely alarming and dangerous. The same look he gives to his enemies, half of them accepting defeat by just falling under his stare.
She thought to drop the idea and moved back to her work. After filling two glasses with expensive scotch, she handed one glass to him.
Dhruv stared at his glass for a moment before speaking.
"Veronica. Baby, why not drink together?"
Veronica's eyes shined with Dhruv's attention towards her. She felt acknowledged again. Her three hours of hardwork on looks and make-up had paid off. She walked back to make herself a glass,but a hand stopped her.
"Take a drink from my glass."
Dhruv's command was very clear cut. Veronica gulped in the lump of her throat.
"Umm-ok. You first take a sip,then I will." she replied.
Dhruv forwarded his glass at her.
"You first."
Veronica dilated her orbs , completely baffled of Dhruv's sudden response.
Did he know? She thought.
"Come on!"
His command startled Veronica from her contemplation.
With trembling fingers,she grabbed the glass. Dhruv keenly watched her ,his gaze very calculative of her every move. She drawed the glass close to her lips but stopped there.
"Drink!"
Veronica forehead soaked in sweatbeads. How was she supposed to drink this? She wanted to throw the glass out of the window and run away. But there was no escape. Either way she was going to invite her own death. In hands of Dhruv, it'll be much worse.
Luckily, someone opened the door and entered Dhruv's room at that moment. Dhruv snapped at his right hand panting in front of him.
"Iqbaal! Have you forgot the rules? How dare you enter Dhruv's room without his permission?"
"Forgive me, Dhruv. But I had to barge in. There's something important." Iqbaal defended.
Dhruv narrowed his eyes at him. His nose was flaring with anger. He thought to punish Iqbaal later.
"What is it?"
"Meenakshi! She's missing!" Iqbaal said.