Bound by Blood: A Tale of Mafia and Medicine

12.

It was a half an hour's drive to the boutique, which Aditya had searched to find a perfect sari for his Maa. He halted the car, into the parking area and they both exited the warm embrace of the car, stepping into the cold evening breeze. Aditya couldn't help but notice how the scarf seemed to bring out the twinkle in her eyes, making her even more captivating.

"Ye scarf kisne diya tumhe? Jisne bhi diya hai, manna padega, uski choice badi achi hai" he faked his innocence.

"Hai ek dost"

"Ji Kaunsa dost?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Aapse Matlab?" Soyra frowned playfully at him and chuckled. Aditya was trying hard to concentrate on her words, as he was getting distracted by her sweet laughs. Aditya Malhotra, the prince of the underworld, was getting swept in front of her beauty.

They set foot in the lavish indoors of the boutique, sitting on the counter, being surrounded by many saris. As they sifted through the racks of colourful fabrics, Aditya playfully held up a bright pink sari against himself, pretending to model it. Soyra burst into laughter, teasingly commenting on how the colour suited him surprisingly well. After hours of exploring many fabrics, Soyra's eyes set on a deep red sari, which seemed perfect according to her.

"Aditya, ye red wali kaisi rahegi? Isme zyada heavy designs bhi nahi hai, delicate hai, heavyweight bhi nahi hai, aur iska fabric bahut comfortable hai" Her thoughtfulness about the sari and his mom, warmed his heart. He replicated a smile, nodding and asked the shopkeeper to pack the one she selected.

"Aree tumhe kaisi lagi ye toh batao?" She stopped him. 

"Tumhari choice hai, kabhi galat nahi ho sakti" He replied smirking at her. 

As they paid for the sari, their hands brushed against each other, sending a jolt of electricity through their bodies. Stepping out of the boutique, they were greeted by the sight of a darkened sky, adorned with a tapestry of stars.

"Suno?" Soyra questioned him, gazing deep into his eyes. 

"Kaho?" He immediately replied, ducking down, forwarding his ears to her. 

"Agar aapki izazat ho toh mai drive karu?" She spoke in a low tone, not being sure that he would agree. He straightened himself back and forwarded his keys to her. Little did she know that Aditya never let anyone drive his car, her being an exception. 

"All yours madam" his lips curved into a delicate, enchanting smile. 

"Aaj tera bhai gadi chalayega finallyyyyy" She happily jumped off the stairs of the entrance and made her way towards the parking, which was a few meters behind the boutique lane. 

"Soyra, Dhyan se" His voice faded as she wasn't paying any attention to him. 

As she approached the parking lot, a shadowy figure came across her. By looking at his unsettled aura, she identified him as a drunkard. Ignoring him, she made her way towards the car. But he stood in front of her, blocking her way.

"Mehbooba o mehbooba" She froze at the moment his slurred words entered her ears. Her heart raced, and a mix of fear and anger surged through her veins, fueling her determination to stand up for herself.

"Aye vedya, tuzhya aichi-" Soyra swiftly expressed her disapproval, her voice firm.
(Oye pagal, tere maa ki-) 

He started showing her inappropriate gestures, laughing and teasing her more. It was getting on her nerves, but somewhat her inner 'Marathi mulgi' was awakening. She clenched her fingers tightly into a fist and was about to punch him in the face until a strong pair of arms grabbed her waist from behind, and pulled her into a hard chest. The sudden intrusion startled her, sending a wave of fear rushing through her veins. But as her heart raced, she heard a familiar voice, a voice that instantly calmed her racing mind.

"Izzat se hatt jaa, warna zinda nahi chodhunga" Aditya's cold voice towards the drunkard, sent shivers down her spine. As she leaned into his embrace, Soyra felt a sense of safety wash over her. The strength in his hold reassured her that she was out of danger now. 

The drunkard fumbled away, defeated by the united front presented by Soyra and Aditya. She faced him, still in his strong arms. Their faces were a few centimetres away, she could feel his hot breath fanning over her cheeks.

"Always getting into trouble, are we?" His voice turned dark all of a sudden, she could see a new layer of Aditya in front of her. 

"I didn't do anything" She replied trying to defend herself. 

He didn't pay any heed to her words and made their way towards the car, not leaving his grip on her waist. Opening the door, he made her sit inside and made his way to the opposite side of the car, to the driver's seat. She could feel his rage as he started driving through the small lanes of the city. Being angry that he didn't let her hit the man, she decided not to speak with him and gazed out of the window, ignoring him.

The silence that enveloped the car was deafening, as they stubbornly refused to acknowledge each other's presence. The night stretched on, with neither Aditya nor Soyra making any attempt to bridge the gap that formed between them. 

"Gadi roko" Unexpectedly, her high-pitched voice filled his ears, bringing the car to a sudden stop.

"Kya hua? " His expression turned worried, as he interrogated her. 

"Mujhe bhook lagi hai" She tried to sound serious, making an angry pout, frowning and not looking at his eyes. 

"Uff Soyra, yehi tum mujhe shanti se bhi bata sakti thi"

"Par tum meri baat nahi sunte" She replied with the same pouting words. 

"Kya khana hai tumhe? Yaha se thoda aage, mere ghar ke paas ek acha restaurant hai waha chalte hai" He sighed knowing that she won't listen to him.

 Starting the engine, with his hands on the wheels, he was about to start the car, until Soyra's small hands grabbed the back of his hands, making him stop. 

"Mujhe vadapav khana hai"

"Soyra, yaha nahi" He glared at her.

"Yahi par, vaha dekho, samne he hai zyada door bhi nahi" She pleased him. 

Aditya couldn't resist her, hearing her voice his anger vanished and he stepped out of the car. However, he made sure to caution Soyra to remain in her place before doing so. 

She remained glued to her seat and watched Aditya return with two Vadapavs in his hands. He approached her, handing her the vada pav and settling himself again into his seat. A wave of pleasure ran through her body as she took a bite from her food. 

"Ummmmm" She moaned as the spices mingled in her mouth, unaware of the effect of her voice on Aditya. 

"Are you trying to seduce me?" He was pretty flustered hearing her like this. She being the innocent one, didn't understand his words. 

"What-?" he realized that she was completely unaware of the meaning behind his words. They silently devoured the food and made their way towards her house.