It's been a week since the crying issue and arjun dosen't leave any chance to know who made his wife cry. As stubborn as Lakshmi, she wouldn't say it out....

Arjun had already contacted his PA to get the footage of whom lakshmi might have met that day.

It's noon and he is still working by skipping his lunch.

There was a knock on his door and he knew it would be his wife... She entered in and tried to smile...key word 'tried'. Arjun really wanted to destroy what ever is bothering her soo much that she couldn't even smile her heart out seeing his face.

He couldn't even read her like before, she has been hiding everything from him... It's as if she is slowly building bridge between them... He was scared, scared at the thought of loosing her...

'Did she hear something about me? Does she want to leave me? Did she fear me ? Does she not want to stay with me anymore? '

All these thoughts clouded up arjun's mind .
" eat it " lakshmi said softly but with fear.... He crumpled the document he was reading due to frustration from past one week which he couldn't hide anymore ! .

Lakshmi got scared looking at her husband behaving wildly... Fisting his hand and gritting his teeth. His nerves popped out on his forehead and she knew she was playing with his limits... She gulped down and though she knew that it's risky step. She tried.

She went to his side and sat on his lap and tried to put her hands around his neck but arjun pushed her off him and she feel down loosing the balance. The side of her head hit the table edge in the process and it had blood coming out from the cut.

Not wanting to stay there anymore, lakshmi didn't even turn her face to look at arjun. Not that she is angry of him but she right now dosen't want to stay near him... She crawled away from him uptil certain distance and then stood up running towards the door....

Arjun was in trance seeing what happened ... He didn't do it intentionally. He scolded himself for the outburst and looked down at his wife who is crawling away from him with fear. But what caught his attention was the trail of blood on the floor where she is crawling... His heart pained looking at her like this... It was beacuse of him!!! He scolded himself for hurting someone who is most valuable to him...

He thought of killing the one who made her cry but what about himself? He hurt her...

As soon as lakshmi reached the door, arjun caught hold of her from behind and lakshmi knew that she wouldn't be able to escape him. She pulled her long bangs infront of her face while struggling to get away from him...
Not that she dosent want him to see the art work on her side of forehead but she didn't want her to be seen weak..

But some where in the depths of her heart she knew it's a lie beacuse she hid them not wanting to see her husband sad...it was unintentional...she knew that because he could never hurt her....

Arjun observed her every moment and for first time ever he cried for another woman.... His woman... His wife...
He hurt her and she is lowering her head and covering her face and pulled her hair in front too to make sure that he wouldn't see it but he saw everything.... From her blood till the attempts of her not wanting to hurt him with her pain....

A lone tear made its way down his cheek and he hugged her. Ofc he didn't apologize but his actions were truthful than mere words...

He made her sit on his lap and moved her strands to behind her ear. He took out a first aid kit from the lower cabin and cleaned it up. Though the cut is small, the blood loss was lot which trailed up till her neck from the sides of her cheek. After cleaning her up, arjun kissed her forehead.

They ate in silence.
But not a peaceful one...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After an online conference, arjun fisted his hands again with anger dwelling inside him. This was unbelievable to him that there was an insider who gave out the construction  files which had site plans on them!
This was his companie's and his sleepless nights hard work! Anger was woozing out of him at the mere thought of some insider leaking out the project which hosted trillion dollars in it.

He talked with his secretory and then to his right hand man to make sure to catch that person.

He left the study after making it upside down.

He needs his wife now...orelse he doesn't know what he might do... She is the only one who can tame him... Her mere presence even from a far can make him feel at peace....

He was going down the stairs but stopped as soon as he saw his wife in the garden alone , from the window.

He went out and stood behind her. She was unaware of his presence... As soon as she felt hands around her waist and breaths at the nape of her neck, she stiffened but the minty wild cologne from him soothened her tense form.

" I'm soo upset today dear " arjun said expecting someone to say him that eveything will be alright... Especially from his special someone...

" hmm " lakshmi said and arjun grunted at his wife's disinterest in his worries... She was never like this before....

" wouldnt you ask me why ?" he asked hoping that his wife would ask him, thinking that she didn't listen to him properly...

Or maybe he is convincing himself with these reasons....

" tell me about it " Lakshmi said facing him completely, with concern in her eyes which melted arjun's heart and took away his part of burden...

" someone leaked out the construction plan files " arjun said holding his wife to himself and looking into her eyes... Trying to find solace...

" really?!
Have you lost it? " lakshmi asked slowly looking at arjun with worry... She knows how much this tender was important to him....

" no
Not still, I wouldn't let it off my hands" arjun said thinking what he might do with those fuckers when he catches them... How he would torture them and make them ask for death but he wouldn't grant it to them. He will not spare anyone who would meddle with his business...

Lakshmi hissed in pain inflicted by arjun as he was gripping her waist tightly which might leave behind marks.... As soon as arjun heard his little wife hissing, he realised what he did unknowingly... He rubbed immediately on her waist and asked multiple times
' is it paining? Is it paining? ' to which lakshmi nodded a 'no' but arjun regretted his actions... He hurt her twice in a day...

" what should I do to make up to my wife? " he asked even though he knew that she ain't angry which was weird..

" it's okay arjun " lakshmi said softly and tried to move away which didn't settle with arjun. He was perplexed with her behaviour. She is not angry nor she wants to take advantage of the situation which is soo unlikely of her.

" will you tell me what's bothering you or should I find it out my way? " arjun asked sternly in a hard voice which scared lakshmi. She didn't expect him to growl at her with anger... She thought that she was doing a good job at being normal...

She hugged him and expected him to return her hug but he just stood there without responding and sighed.

He has to be patient with her. The little girl sure has a lot of baggage.

" would you always love me? " lakshmi asked trying to ease her heart that he trusts her enough and loves her enough.

Arjun surely loves her, she has become his everything in just months...
But why is she insecure? What made her talk like that? Did anyone insult her or her status?
Arjun thought....

The mere thoughts of those put his mood off... It's been more than 9 months of their stay, though it wasn't good in the start but now they both understood each other... At least he knew this much about this bond between them but what she said had made him rethink where he has gone wrong in making an image of himself in her....

" I will " he said and rested his chin on her head.... He inhaled deeply.

" so you love me? " he asked trying to tease her, looking into her doe like eyes...

" did I say that? " she said trying to act as if it didn't effect her... There was a big havoc internally...

" ok " arjun said and left her... Lakshmi has confused with his action.. As always he should tease her more until she gave up or beat him, though it wouldn't hurt him but still.. But right now he just left her when she said what she said... Didn't it really matter to him whether she loved him or not?
So he didn't love me and those words were empty words?

She stood looking down at the grass and tears filled her eyes with emotions for the first time... For her husband... Who didn't seem to care about her love for him... Though she might be sassy and strong but she is too emotional...

Arjun expected her to cling to him but even after few seconds he didn't hear her moment... That would be anklets...  But there were no sounds from behind him... He turned around to look at her looking down at the grass... He heard sniffing and he sprint on his legs immediately knowing that she is crying....

Why the hell is she crying now!? He didn't say or scold... Damn it... How many times am I gonna make her cry today?... Arjun thought with frustration and reached her. He lifted her head up to see tears were almost about to fall over...
He just wanted to tease her but she took it an another way....

" you know that you misunderstand alot.... " he said and pinched her cheeks tightly and lakshmi started screaming, trying to get rid of him with her small hands... He started laughing seeing his wife's futile attempts....

As soon as he got a call, he excused himself giving a kiss on her head and went to his study.

" sir, we have received a parcel to the office on your name.
I have sent it to your mansion " his PA informed him to which arjun mumbled an 'ok' and cut the call..

He immersed himself in his work and there was a knock on the door. He said ' come in ' to which the maid, ayesha came inside. She kept her head low with the fear of her master. He is a devil only soft to his angel...everyone knows this....

She gave an envelope and said that it was sent by the company driver to which arjun nodded his head indicating her to leave.

He opened the brown envelope which didn't have any address. He was skeptical about it. He then looked at the photos and he was shocked to see them....
These photos are showing lakshmi hugging Vihaan, kissing him..
And there were many more....

No no no no
Control arjun... Control...
This may not be true... This is not true!... Someone is clearly trying to set lakshmi up. Yes that should be it. Otherwise why would anyone send an anonymous post?!
They are trying to break our relation!
I would never believe these mere papers over my wife...

I trust her more than anyone else...

I know what she is and how much she respects this marriage... She never allowed a single men near her after marriage.. Hell not even before marriage did she have a man in her life.  

He immediately called his PA and asked him to find out the person who morphed these photos...

He was unable to get one thing right..the dress his wife wore on the photo was the same Saree she wore when they went for finalize the deal..
So does this mean these photos are real?! Fuck. These photos don't even look morphed... Wait.... Was she forced by that bastard!?

Was this the reason why she was crying all along the week?! Damn it.
I should have never used her as a pawn in getting the deal from Vihaan even after knowing that he was interested in her... I should have kept her away from that a**f**ker...

Arjun hit the desk with such a force that the wooden table had a crack across the whole length... Anger was fuming out of him...

His anger increased as soon as he realised that his wife didn't mention about such a crucial matter to him.
Why didn't she? He thought...

Maybe maybe... Did she feel that I would hate her after she being touched by him? I would never do that!
Maybe she was forced by Vihaan to not to tell me... Yah... Something is wrong... This must be it... I will have to find this out as soon as possible.

~~~~~~~~

It was 7:00 pm by the the time arjun was done with his work but he was unable to get those pictures out of his mind. He took a shower and dressed up in casuals.

He went down the stairs and then into the kitchen to prepare dinner.

After he was done preparing the dinner, he arranged them on a silver tray and ascended up the stairs.

He heard giggles of his wife and baby and he felt good... His heart swelled with warmthness of those sounds.
A sense of belonging which he craved for....

He went inside and then kept the tray on small table. He inhaled the jasmine sent mixed with baby scent...
He looked at his wife who is still immersed in taking selfies with the baby...

" ahmm " he cleared his voice and lakshmi turned around looking at her husband who was about to sit on the bed...

Arjun looked at lakshmi's phone which is an old model. His wife deserves the best. That's what he thought...
" lakshmi, which phone do you like? " he asked, if she dosen't have any preference then he would get her a personalised phone....specially made for her....

" no! I love this phone, this is my first phone my parents bought me... though it maybe old but it still looks classy ok... " lakshmi said... Ofc she has sentiments attached to things... Her father forced her to buy a better phone but she would choose this phone over anyother better or costly phone... because that was the first phone her after 12th mom bought her even though her dad said said her mom to buy a Nokia dabba phone for her. 😔.

" but you are my wife and you deserve the best " arjun said, clearly not liking the way his wife being addicted to low hand stuff.

" arjun
I don't deserve the best from you
I deserve the best you " she said looking into his eyes...he gulped as the intensity of the situation... All she ever needed was him to be with her and that's it...nothing more, nothing less...
She dosen't care for his money or fame...

He smiled at her and bought the tray on to the bed. He handed lakshmi her plate filled with potato fry , dal and rice. Lakshmi's eyes bulged out seeing potato fry.. It's the best dish in the world after Panipuri!. Arjun smiled seeing his wife happy with the potato fry....sure his wife doesn't need costly stuff to make her heart happy....

He fed the baby with milk and the baby was sucking, making cute sounds... Lakshmi fed arjun in the process as she knew that it would take for the baby to complete the bottle...

Arjun's heart and stomach were filled with those small hands feeding him with care.

" I'm not getting potato in the rice " arjun said taking in another morsel that lakshmi fed to him.

" Nah , I'm keeping one piece in every morsel, you should eat more dal... potato is all carbs na " she said and ate 4 pieces in single morsel...this rat..
He thought

Buy the end of the dinner, there were all smiles and babie's incoherent blabber.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Next day morning arjun was working in his office and he was disturbed by a knock. He said ' come in ' and the maid that he appointed for the baby came in... She is the only working maid in here for a time period. The rest of them come in the early morning and do their work and leave.

" sir, this has been sent by the company driver and handed over by PA sir " she said and he nodded after which ayesha left.

This brown envelope had a symbol of the private investigator who works for him. Ajay.
He removed the seal and took out a CD. He placed it in his other laptop which had high-end security system.

There were 2 files in the CD. He clicked on the first one and he was shocked seeing it.

As soon as the video started playing, the color drained out from arjun's face.
' I love you Vihaan ' lakshmi said and Vihaan too hugged her back saying
' I'll get you out from there lakshmi, I know that you don't want to stay in that place where he hurt you too much.... We don't know when he will become monster again, I'll get you out of that hell soon " hugging her tightly..

" hmm take me away from here ' lakshmi said and they both kissed.

.Arjun was numb.

He clicked on the other video and it showed lakshmi walking to the back of the forest with something in her hand...the video isn't that clear...After a few minutes, a man came....its Vihaan. She gave a file to him and he took it. He kissed the top of her head and she hugged him tight and they departed.

Wait.... That green file... It's the tender file!... Which had all the plans of the construction site.
She was the one who leaked them?
She was the one who gave them out?
Was that the reason why she stiffened when I go her about the my worries...

Arjuns hands were shaking with anger and betrayal...
Why did this happen? How could this happen?

Before he could even think ,
his legs started moving towards the one who betrayed him...