Keshav immediately regained himself and stood straight while standing in the 'at ease' position. His reflex was to block the blow with another blow, but knowing that it was his Boss, he stood in a submissive manner.

"I am sorry, boss." Keshav mumbled, not knowing what he was apologizing for.

Meanwhile, Sneha watched the victim with wide concerned-fill eyes. It further infuriated Viraj.

He grabbed Keshav's collar angrily.

"I gave you one simple task, Keshav. And that is to keep an eye on my fiancee. But what did you do?" He almost shouted while creating a commotion in the silent street. At the sound of it, Sneha's parents and sister came out of the house too, along with other curious neighbours.

Sneha couldn't be more embarrassed about it.

"I successfully protected Ms Sneha." Keshav said gently, in his favour.

"By letting her meet another man, that too alone?" He scolded.

Keshav hesitated as his eyes met Sneha's. He didn't know what to say. He couldn't put Sneha in danger by revealing the truth that Sneha didn't tell him about the man. He had thought she was meeting some girl!

"I am sorry, Boss." Keshav mumbled.

Viraj took a deep breath to control himself. Letting him go harshly, he announced his decision.

"You are fired. Don't show me your face again." He said angrily.

"Boss!" Keshav exclaimed in shock.

Viraj glared at him and dared him to speak again.

"Be glad that I am not ending your life here." He said and then turned around to face a scared version of Sneha.

Walking in her direction in quick and long strides, he almost approached her. Seeing him approach her in anger, she took small steps back. She was very well aware of his temper. She might not have been on the receiving end before, but she had seen him in this mode. And it was scary.

But what confused her more was the reason for this commotion. Just because she met a man? And, if that is the case, why did he hit Keshav? It was her decision!

"Viraj..." She whispered when her father came to her rescue.

"Mr Khatri...let's..." Shankar began when Viraj threw him a glare as well.

"Stay away from this, Mr Bohra." He warned and immediately held Sneha's arm in a strong grip. She could practically feel his fingers digging in her arm as he pulled her toward his car.

"Leave my hand! Wt.what are you doing?" She asked in fear and looked behind her hoping for her parents to help her.

Her father quickly followed them while trying to calm Viraj.

"Mr Khatri, please, let's talk inside... It's very late already! Sir..."

However, Viraj completely ignored everyone in a fit of his anger and opened the door of the co-driver seat.

"What..." Sneha objected again when he pushed her rather harshly inside the car.

"Try coming out, Sneha. I dare you." He warned her when she tried to step outside. She, helplessly, looked at her father, before swallowing her anger and sitting on the seat with a sigh. She didn't want to challenge him.

"I'll be back soon, papa." She assured her father.

"I'll drop her home on Sunday night." Viraj told her father as he closed the door. Without waiting for a reply, he walked towards the driver's side.

Within seconds, he had started driving.

"For God's sake, wear the seatbelt!" He raised his voice as the continuous beep sound irritated his ear. She quickly fumbled with the belt and secured herself as he asked.

Sneha waited for a complete fifteen minutes in patience, awaiting him to explain his irrational behaviour. But when he didn't, she finally gathered the required courage to speak.

"Why are you angry, Viraj?" She asked politely since she knew that being angry right now won't solve anything. Her mother had once told her, during a casual talk, that if one person was angry, the other need not lose temper as well. It would only elevate the tension instead of solving it.

However, he didn't reply. So, she sighed and looked at her lap.

Exactly at that moment, her cell phone rang. She instantly took it out and realized that it was her father. He must be concerned like anything, she concluded. She was about to answer it when Viraj snatched it from her hand and literally, threw it out of the window.

Her gasp and shock were clearly audible to both of them. She just couldn't believe what he did!

"Viraj!" She whined in frustration.

In response, he only looked forward.

'What is wrong with him!' She wondered in concern.

.

.

.

After thirty minutes, Viraj finally parked the car near a cottage on the coastline. The sound of the waves crashing noisily on the huge stones was audible from the distance.

"Why...why are we here?" She asked as for a fraction of a second, the thought of him killing her here and discarding her body in the sea, flashed through her mind. But then she thought otherwise. His behaviour up til now with her had only proved to her that he wouldn't hurt her...not physically at least!

As he came out of the car, she did too. Holding her arm again, he pulled her inside the cottage. As soon as they entered the house, which had a golden touch with well-furnished housing, he made her stand in front of him.

"Do you have any idea that as soon as the flight landed here, I drove directly to you? I actually thought you were waiting for me. I didn't even have supper thinking we'll have something together and that you'd be happy to see me. But, instead of finding you missing me, you were busy meeting another man for a romantic night out!" He finally released his anger.

It took a moment for her to process his words.

"Romantic night out?" She asked with narrowed brows.

"Wasn't it?" He asked in return.

"No, Viraj! I met him to return something that belonged to him. Don't assume anything illogical."

"Illogical? If it was just to return something, why did you sit with him and order beverages?"

"It is basic etiquettes! He is a...friend and I had to clear some balances..."

"Stop lying, Sneha! I know who that man is and who he was to you a few weeks ago!"

She went dumb on that.

"Now tell me, why did you meet him without my permission?" He asked sternly.

"Your permission?" She asked, confused by his choice of words.

"I don't think I made this clear to you before, Sneha. But, I'll clear it now. You will not talk to any man. You will not meet any man. And, you will not think of any man that is not me without my permission. Fix this in your mind." He stated.

She just looked at him with a blank expression. However, a million thoughts ran into her mind.

Was it his possessiveness, narrow thinking or his insecurity speaking, she wondered?

"Why?" She whispered.

It infuriated him further.

"Because I am going to be your husband, damn it! You will think only of me!" He asserted.

"And this rule applies to your wife only?" She asked instantly.

"What do you mean?"

Sneha took a deep breath before throwing her question at him.

"I didn't say anything when you met your fiancee! So, you can meet her in the middle of the night but I can't meet anyone even for a valid purpose?"

"You are my fiancee." He corrected her statement.

"I mean Nupur. Didn't you meet her in the middle of the night?"

"I didn't hide it from you. I clearly told you about that meeting."

"But you didn't ask me. And, I would have informed you too if you were here. Your phone was unreachable, you told me yourself."

"If you really would have called me, you would have known that my phone was very much available since the morning."

He caught her there because she had not tried calling him.

"You still met Nupur without asking me." She returned to her argument.

"If you had an issue with it, you could have told me that day itself!"

"It was your choice, Viraj. I do not want to control whom you meet or talk to! And, I expect the same from you too. We should trust each other, at least this much!"

"Trust is gained, Sneha. And, what you did today broke the little trust I have in women." He declared while referring to his mother subtly.

"I didn't break anyone's trust, Viraj! I just met him to return something..."

"What? What was so important that you couldn't wait to ask me for it?"

"First you tell me. Why did you meet Nupur that night?" She insisted.

Viraj scoffed.

"Because she was upset with the fact that my father broke our engagement. And for your information, when I reached home, she had already passed out since she was too drunk. So, she slept in the guest room and the next morning, she was escorted to her mother's place safely. We didn't even talk about anything or shared any meal as you did with that man."

"I don't believe you, Viraj. Why would Nupur leave without talking to you...She must have talked to you in the morning."

"I would not lie to you on this, Sneha. Loyalty in relationships matters the most to me. And you don't know Nupur. Unlike you, she has a very good habit of not disobeying me. If I ask her to go home, she does that. No questions asked or arguments."

Sneha wanted to scoff at it. Good habit?

"Then why not marry her, Viraj? If she understands you better than me, then isn't she the one for you?" She asked politely, in a convincing tone.

Viraj ran his fingers through his hair in irritation.

"Don't engage in useless conversation, Sneha. I like you and so we are getting married."

His answer in a way disappointed her. She had expected him to say that he loved her or something. But in a way, it was a good thing, she concluded.

'I will bring you out of this infatuation, Viraj. You will stop liking me.' She promised herself.

"Now, it's your turn. Tell me why did you meet that man? What was there to return?" He asked curiously.

And, without thinking, she blurted out the truth.

"I had to return the phone that he gave me." She answered while looking at the floor. She was tired from all the questioning and answering.

"Phone? What phone?" He asked.

And then it clicked her. The lies she had bubbled up in the library. However, her expressive face easily revealed that she was indeed hiding something.

She looked up to meet his eyes.

"The phone...that..." She didn't know what lie to say now.

"Tell me the truth, Sneha. Or it won't take me long to drag him here and ask him myself." He warned her.

Her legs started shaking in fear. She wanted to sit and calm herself. If he came to know that she had lied to him in the library, she didn't know what he'd do.

"Please don't ask, Viraj." She almost begged.

"Tell me the truth, Sneha. This is the last time I am asking."

She scratched her nose in fear before deciding to go with the truth.

"I lied to you, that day in the library."

"About what?"

"The smartphone that I used briefly...wasn't mine. Shashank gave it to me." She said while looking at the floor again. Her fist was tightly closed as if she was ready to face the storm.

Hearing her, he couldn't be any more pissed off! Another man had given her something when he was very much capable of it.

"Why?" He asked.

"What?" She asked slowly while giving him a glance.

"Why did he give you the phone?"

"Our engagement was fixed by our families and since he works in another State, he insisted that I take the phone as a small gift from him."

"Why did you take it?"

"He...was my fiance then. And, it would have been awkward if I asked my father for the smartphone for the video call. So, he insisted that I take it. I didn't know he would break the engagement or I wouldn't have accepted it."

"But why lie to me? You could have told me the truth that day. You knew I hate lies. Didn't I clear this on the very first day we met?"

"I...I was scared. At Taj, you clearly told me to say no to the marriage proposal...And, I was afraid that you'd scold me for saying yes. So, I lied thinking you wouldn't know about it."

Seeing her downcast gaze with stiff expression, he sighed. He took a step ahead and grabbed both her arms gently while pulling her closer.

Sneha looked up again in confusion.

"No more lies, Sneha. No matter what mistake you make or how angry I might get, never ever lie to me again. You may not realize it now but lies are the base of every broken relationship. It slowly severs the loyalty in the relationship and finally, nothing is left to hold on to. And, I want both of us to be loyal in our marriage. Only then will it last. Understood?" He said gently as if teaching her about relationships.

He knew why his parent's marriage didn't work. His mother wasn't loyal to his father. This is why she ran away with another man, without even thinking about her little son. He wouldn't ever let his wife do that to him. He wouldn't allow Sneha to run away from him...especially for another man!

For a moment she melted in his words. It sounded so innocent and polite! But she immediately had to remind herself about his true identity. He was a murderer who influenced people and fooled them to get what he wanted. And, right now, she knew that he wanted her loyalty so that she'd be tethered to him and his sick rules forever.

"Okay." She replied nonetheless.

And, to her surprise, he engulfed her in an intimate hug and patted her head gently.

"I know you will be a good wife. I'll make you. You wouldn't be like those selfish women." He said and then kissed her head.

Sneha listened like a robot with a strained face. She concluded that he was really insane and too engrossed in his patriarchal beliefs. If anything, his statement made her want to come out of this relationship as soon as possible.

And, she didn't even try to understand his perspective or why he was being like this.

.

.

.

Viraj entered the cottage again after he left for about ten minutes to get something to eat. Since both of them were hungry, he took the initiative and made sure to lock the house from the outside.

Sneha was sitting on the sofa chair when he entered. She looked at the paper bags and then at him. During her alone time, she took a good look at the little house. It had a hall, a small kitchen and an attached restroom. That's it. It was perfect for a small picnic or night's stay. However, the hall had everything that one might require. It had a sofa set for four people, a king-size bed, a dining table, a television and a study table.

"Viraj..." She called for his attention as he placed the bags on the small dining table.

"Hmm?" He asked while walking towards the sink to wash his hands.

"I...have to talk to my parents." She said slowly after making sure that he had calmed down.

He came back to the dining table and sat on the chair. Instantly, he realized his mistake. In a fit of anger, he had thrown her phone on the road! And, this is why she couldn't contact her parents. Instead, she waited patiently for him to return.

"Come here." He said with a sigh and retrieved his phone from his pocket.

In a way, he was happy that he broke the phone. He can now give her a new one. And, she won't be able to deny it like last time. If she could accept Shashank's phone, then she must accept the one that he would give her.

And, he decided to give it to her tomorrow morning.

Sneha sat across him at the table and looked at him hopefully.

"Whom should I call? You father, mother or sister?" He asked as he scrolled through the contact list.

"You have their phone numbers?" She asked, a little surprised.

He looked up at her and chuckled.

"How long will it take for you to understand that getting information is no big deal for me?" He stated as a question.

"Father." She answered his previous question.

Viraj nodded and dialled the number. She carefully took the phone from his hand and placed it near her ear.

After assuring her father about her safety, she cancelled the call and returned the phone to him.

"I'll get you a new phone tomorrow." He stated and pushed the paper bag towards her.

She nodded and looked at the bag with narrowed brows.

"Serve. It's our supper." He clarified and took a comfortable position.

She raised her brows for a fraction of a second before getting into work. Digging into the bag, she removed two plastic boxes and a pair of spoons. She then kept one box in front of him and the other towards herself. Then, she took out the two water bottles and passed him one.

"I got your favourite." He stated as he took the spoon in his hand and opened the box.

Sneha looked with curiosity as he revealed the content. It was mixed sauce pasta! She wanted to laugh at his naivety.

Whatever made him believe that it was her favourite! She wondered. And, then she recalled the last time they ate together. She had pasta and he wrongly concluded that she liked it.

However, she didn't correct him and opened her box too to start eating.

In the middle of the supper, she decided to ask him about Keshav, since the image of that poor guy getting hit was very much fresh in her memory.

"Viraj?" She called for his attention and he instantly looked in her direction. He liked the way she called his name. It was always so hesitant and soft.

"Hmm?" He asked with food in his mouth.

"Why did you hit Keshav?" She asked carefully.

He looked at her in surprise as she transited to a completely different topic.

"He didn't perform his duty properly." He answered and had a sip of water.

"But he did. He was always on time and drove safely."

"It was also his duty to make sure you do not meet any man without my permission. And, ironically, he was the one to take you there. Thanks to your guards that they informed me about the same or I would have never known about it." He said.

She desperately wanted to see her guards now, who followed her like shadows.

"He didn't know it as well. He was compelled to take me because I told him that I'd go alone if he didn't accompany me. It wasn't his fault."

Viraj placed the spoon in the box and looked at her with a blank expression.

"You are concerned about every man except me, right?" He asked in an accusing tone.

And she became dumbstruck again. Why was his temper so short?

"You hit him very badly, Viraj. That is why..."

"Did it appear to you that in that process, I might have got hit too? Keshav is a strong man and while hitting him, my fist got hurt as well!" He asked like a child.

She looked at his right hand. It was perfectly fine!

"The jaw is more sensitive than the fist, Viraj!" She reminded him.

In response, he only glared at her.

"I mean...because of me, you hurt someone who was only trying to do his job. He had always been polite to me." She explained.

"What do you want, Sneha?" He finally asked, unable to understand her real intention. He was too tired to argue now. He just wanted to cuddle with her and sleep. The flight and the travelling were too exhausting and his woman didn't even spare him a kiss to enlighten his mood...or bring him to the mood.

"Don't fire him...please." She requested gently since she knew Keshav's story.

"Why do you care about him? Do you like him?" He asked.