The Mafia's Collateral

Part 10

Deep's P.O.V. 

I sat furious in my car. No one said a word. Avinash sat silently and the driver drove the car without uttering a single word. Reaching my building, I got out and went straight inside. Avinash and Arohi followed me behind. I entered my apartment and unbuttoned and removed my blazer. I flung it on my sofa and went straight to my bar. I made a drink and gulped it down in frustration. I turned around and looked at Arohi whose eyes were glued to the ground with a frown on her face. "Where are your bodyguards?" I asked. She was silent. "Answer me!" I shouted. She flinched. I took a deep breath and asked her again calmly, "Arohi, don't test my patience. Answer my question." She said without raising her eyes, "I ditched them." I clenched my fists and asked, "Why?" "Because I wanted to hang out with Danny," she said softly. This girl is sending me mad. "Well if you want to die with Danny, you could've just told me. I wouldn't have hired those two bodyguards for you," I said irritated. She kept her head and eyes down. "Look at me," I said. She didn't listen. "Arohi, I told you already, don't test my patience. Answer me," I said sternly. She raised her eyes at me which was filled with tears. It pained me. I sighed. I walked up to her and said to her, "You know that you have to be more careful Arohi. I told you already. Why don't you understand? Do you know what was my state when I found out you ditched your bodyguards? I left the hospital only because of my worry about your safety. I searched all around for you and when I couldn't find you, I went mad. Please Arohi, don't do this to me." My eyes began to tear up and I pulled her tightly to my bosom. I hugged her as if my life depended on her. I closed my eyes tightly and my tears dropped. After hugging her for a while, I stepped back and asked her cupping her face, "Why didn't you come to meet me today?" She looked at me with a frown and said, "I'm sorry. I won't disobey you ever again. I promise." I hugged her again and this time, she hugged me back. I found peace in her. "Why do you do such things? Do know how worried I became?" I said broken.

I never behave like this in front of anyone. Neither do I behave so for anyone. But Arohi, I am so concerned about her. I don't want to lose her. I don't want to spend a moment without her. Why can't she understand this? I have never gone so insane for any girl before. I hardly even care about Ishika. It is she that always sticks to me like chewing gum. I hugged Arohi tightly. Breaking the hug, I said to her, "Go and sleep." She turned around and began to walk towards the door. "Wait!" I stopped her. She turned around and looked at me. "I said go and sleep," I repeated. "Well I have to go home to sleep right?" She said. "No. You will sleep here tonight," I ordered. She looked at me nervously. I understood. "Don't worry. We won't sleep in the same room or bed. Go to the guest room and sleep," I said. I was still a bit annoyed with her but I didn't want to tell her anything. She walked towards me and my heart began to race. As her footsteps came closer to me, my heartbeat increased. Soon she walked past me and went to the guest room. I took a deep breath and tapped myself slightly on the back of my head. I made another drink and sat on the couch. Slowly, I sipped it to forget all my pain. My arm was paining very badly. After that drink, I went to my room and removed my shirt. Looking at the bandage on my hand, it was covered in blood. This is going to be hard. From childhood, I never learnt anything about how to tie a bandage. I took out the old bandage and sat down with a first aid kit. God help me. I took out the antiseptics and rubbed some on the wound. I hissed in pain. I began to cold sweat. Looking at myself in the mirror, I said, "Wow Mr. Deep Raichand. You are great. You can take a bullet for Arohi but you can't take the antiseptic's pain?" "Can I help?" Arohi voice came to me. I turned around to see her standing at the door. She walked inside and kneed down in front of me. "I told you to go and sleep," I said irritated. She took the bandage from my hand and began tending to the wound. I reluctantly moved my arm away from her and avoided meeting my eyes with her so I won't get weak. "Are you still angry?" She asked softly.

I looked away silently. "What can I do to make it up to you?" She asked. "Go and sleep," I said coldly. "No I won't. Not until I take care of your wound," she said stubbornly. She placed some cotton on the wound and was about to tie the bandage when I got up and walked to my bed leaving her there with the bandage in her hand. I sat on my bed with my swelled face. She looked at me and shook her head. "Why are you punishing yourself?" She asked, "Why can't you just allow me to tie the bandage?" "Because I told you to go and sleep. Do you always have to disobey me? Why can't you just do what I say?" I said frustrated. She got up and came to me. Sitting with me on my bed, she held my hand to tie the bandage once more. I jerked my hand away from her. She held on to it tightly once more and looked at me angry. "Behave yourself! I am giving up my sleep here to do something good for you and you want to play stubborn," she said. I looked at her and said nothing after that. She tied the bandage for me and I just sat and watched her. She looked so beautiful. When she was finished, she got up and placed the first aid box on the dresser and walked out the door. I regretted all that I just told her. I shouldn't have scold her. I wore my bedroom robe and sat by the window looking at all the tiny lights of the other buildings as far as my eyes could see.