Naina had shut the orchestra down and played "Zhingat," hating how close Ahanay and the mother of his child were dancing. The sudden blasting of the song tore them apart and everyone else as if the floor cracked open, threatening to push all of them to the bottom of the hierarchy. That was what the song did to Priya as Naina amusingly watched her look aghast at Ahanay whose eyes scanned everywhere, searching. Who was he searching for? With that longing look?

Quickly, Priya pulled him, and seeing them entangled in what seemed like pure passion from afar, Naina stormed out of the hall, not bearing to look at them anymore. She was wrapped in her own fury when someone else unwrapped her, grabbing her wrist and drawing her attention to cold, cat-like eyes. She didn't protest against his hold for she saw in those eyes what she felt in her own heart, the twisted jealousy of loving someone whom you couldn't get.

"Before you begin," she said, not allowing her to be carried away by those devilish, soul-snatching emotions that reflected back at her in those eyes. "I can make you the Godfather if you behave well."

That was it. She thought that one silly joke would break the flow of emotions that ran through both of them, but it intensified, heightening to the point that his hands shook as he held her wrist. Woah.

"I'm kid---" she couldn't complete that sentence as she was whisked away by what felt like a storm, thrown against the wall as Ohas towered in front of her, his arms caging her. He was breathing heavily, his eyes penetrating into her, a look that made her still. It was in these moments that she could not recognize her best friend, the boy with whom she grew up spitting watermelon seeds on people's cars and stealing coconut cookies from the corner store chaiwallah.

"Do you know what that man is up to?" Ohas said through gritted teeth, his eyes boring into her as he kept her caged in between his arms. Half-afraid that the little bird will flutter away again. "He's going to steal away all our land, our home. Today, he's striking business deals with those rich motherfuckers on what he doesn't even own. He has a habit of laying claim over things he doesn't own." At that sentence, he let his index finger stray over Naina's face before tapping her lower lip. Naina was still, afraid to even breathe. "He used your father to take away all our land and now he will use you."

"Who? My husband?"

That was the dumbest question to ask, but Naina was baffled to the point that thoughts in her head had dissipated into disbelief before they could become words.

"He wouldn't be for long!" Ohas seethed in rage, punching the wall beside her, making her flinch. "Do you think that he or anyone in that room cared about you? Everyone pretended to be nice to you only because you're his . . ." The word was too distasteful for Ohas to take in his mouth and utter it. "Nobody would care if they found out how poor we are. They will see that as an opportunity to walk over us. Don't you see it?" His eyes became large, those cold, cat eyes sucking her in and sending chills down her spine. He cocked his head and smiled wryly. "We're just pawns that they need to strike down to get their prize."

And all this while Naina believed that she was the prize.

"You don't have to be mean," she murmured, still trying to understand what he said. While her heart had begun to take over her head, her husband was robbing her in broad daylight, even asking her to be beside him. She felt like all the Indian fathers who got scammed by their own brothers, foolish. She thought that she was seducing him, but it had been the other way around, him stealing more than her heart and romancing some other bitch. As these thoughts finally started to take root in her stupid, little mind, her chest swelled up in anger.

"You don't belong here," Ohas continued, his voice laced with dry satisfaction as he noticed the shocking realization on her pretty face. "You belong to me, back at our home."

Naina was breathing heavily as she stared up at him, seeing cold, crude desire glinting in those cruel eyes.

"Kiss me," she commanded suddenly, clutching his shirt in her fists. She wasn't an object to belong to him, but she knew that she didn't belong here either. That thought of being unwanted was so scary that she took anything that could make her feel wanted and less stupid. And that person was standing right in front of her, caging her. "Do it!"

Ohas didn't have to be told once again as he roughly pushed her further back on the wall, capturing her lips in his and sliding her silk dress up to feel her legs. His touch sent cold shivers down her spine and her disoriented mind could barely kiss him back. His kiss was harsh and forceful, demanding more from her than she had offered. It felt so wrong when she moved her lips to kiss him back, to keep up with his hungry pace. But she couldn't withdraw now, she knew that she had signed a pact with the devil himself and there was no going back. She was frightened to the bones as she let him kiss her, squeezing her eyes shut and trying not to think of her husband. She tried to suppress thoughts of her husband that bobbed up again and again no matter how hard she pushed them down.

Those thoughts conflicted with the sensations that arose in her body because Ohas was far from a bad kisser. He knew exactly how to kiss to make a girl go weak in his arms. And Naina did go weak in his arms, depending on him to hold her upright. She even kissed him back in a bolder way that made Ohas groan and want more. The only issue was that Naina didn't want anything beyond that kiss and Ohas had his fingers already pulling at the band of her underwear. An accidental snap of the elastic woke Naina up from her dirty trance and she pushed down at his hand, only for him to pin her hands above her head till she was wriggling helplessly like a butterfly inside a bell jar. Shit.

"Hey! Let's not go there," her voice squeaked as she tried hard to appear cool.

"Why? You let him do this," he growled, pulling down her underwear till it was midway hanging on her thighs and a wave of cold air hit her core.

Naina became more alert than before, still squirming against him and quickly confessing before he pulled her underwear further down. "W-Wait! I have never done this. I-uh-hahaha, was kidding about that pregnancy thing." By the look in his eyes, it didn't seem like he was listening. "I'm not pregnant! Him and I, we have done nothing!" Ohas paused, his head cocking to meet her eyes. "I swear on money, we haven't slept together. I was just-just teasing you earlier."

God, she was hating him with every word, regretting that she asked him to kiss her. She had been smarter and braver than this, but the past few months made her feel like a scared, stray kitten that was going to be gobbled by the wolves. Somehow with her wit, she had to get out of this unscathed.

He clicked his tongue at her words and before she could further justify ways to stop him from assaulting her, he grabbed the top of her dress and ripped it apart, her breasts spilling out.

"Now, that is fucking enough!" Naina burst out, breaking free, her rage rising and matching Ohas' own built-up anger. "You have no right to do that!"

She didn't bother covering her breasts, she was too furious to give a flying fuck.

"Only I have a right over you," Ohas growled back, hating how she could raise her voice at him.

"Nobody does- you know what? I think you are stupidly in love with me," she said aloud, folding her hands over her breasts when she noticed his eyes lingering there. "You're jealous that I'm married to someone else, even a fool can see that. You love me, but you're not big boy enough to tell me that."

Ohas clenched his jaw, the mock, dry humour fading from those eyes. "I will never love you."

"Awww, but it can't be just my body," she said, uncovering her breasts and walking closer to him. Her heart was thumping fast in her chest, but she clung to every ounce of courage that her body could muster. If she had to get rid of his hands that were inside her underpants every time he got a chance, this was the only way. She knew that she needed him for a bigger fight against the rich assholes, but not for things like these. She stood so close to him that her breasts touched his chest. Then, she raised her chin up, shameless and strong, "I have never seen you wanting a woman the way you want me."

"Stop," it was his time to say that word as he looked at her, tortured and irritated as hell. "I don't want you."

"Clearly," she said with a satisfied grin at seeing him shiver. He wanted desperately to hold her, but he couldn't, he would just prove her point. "I think I hear someone coming." She pointed towards the open window, her brave words masking her pounding heart. "Leave if you don't want to find yourself in a lovers' quarrel."

"I don't love you," he said one last time before he left the way she pointed, his knuckles turning white in rage as he held at the window sill to jump out.

As for Naina, she didn't get time to even sigh and gather herself before another man stormed inside the room, as angry (if not more) than the one who left.

* * *