The Mafia's Collateral

Part 17

Arohi's P.O.V.

I looked at Mafia in disbelief at his words. I didn't want to think what was coming to my mind. "You..you...love....me...as...as...a...friend...right?" I managed to ask in my shock. He held my shoulders tighter and stared into my eyes and said, "No Arohi. I don't just love you as a friend. I can't love you just as a friend. I love you more than that." I couldn't believe my ears. He loves me! My eyes welled up and I knew that this was not possible. He can't love me. And I can't love him. What about Ananya? I can't deceive her like this. I stepped back slowly from him and said shaking my head, "No...no...this can't be. You can't love me like this!" He looked at me with his eyes narrowed and began to proceed closer to me but I raised my hand and stopped him. "Don't! Don't come closer," I said. My back steps were stopped when I was against the bed and didn't have anywhere to go. I dropped on the bed and ran my hand through my hair. This cannot be happening. "I can't love you Deep. I can't love you. I don't feel the same for you. I don't love you," I said to him. He looked at me hurt and said, "Don't say that Arohi. I know that you love me. I have seen it in your eyes. Don't lie to me." I closed my eyes tightly and had a strange pain in my heart while telling him this. My tears dropped from my eyes and I held on to the blanket of his bed tightly with both my hands to control my increasing heartbeat. I stood up and looked at his eyes. They were desperate. I felt so hurt and said after a deep breath, "I can't love you sir." His eyes showed his disbelief and hurt. I looked at away guilty and began to walk to the door when he held my hand stopping me. My feet halted and I closed my eyes. "Please sir, let me go," I requested. If I remained there with him for a moment longer, I would become weak. His grip tightened. My tears dropped. "So you don't love me?" he asked annoyed. I opened my eyes and remained silent. His hand let go of mine and he said, "Fine. Do you want me to be with your sister?" I turned around and looked at him taken aback. 

He looked at me with hurt all over his face with a mixture of anger in his eyes. "Answer me, is this what you want?" he asked softly making the anger inside him be heard. I nodded. My heart raced. My stomach had butterflies. "Yes," I said sounding unsure. "Fine! If this is what you want, this is what you will get," he said to me furious. He walked up to me and held my shoulders and said to me infuriated, "But then, don't come back and tell me that you don't feel any difference seeing me with your sister." He pushed me back and I stumbled. He looked away from me angry and didn't even take a step forward to help me from my stumbling. "What are you still doing here? Get out!" he yelled. I turned around sad at hurting him and with tears dropping from my eyes, I began to proceed to the door. I was stopped halfway when I got another shock. Ananya came into the room with a shocked face. She looked at me with disbelief and I stopped. I didn't know how to react. Did she hear what Mafia told me? Did she hear our conversation? Her eyes left mine and went behind me to Mafia. I turned around and looked at Mafia with fear in my eyes. He was facing both of us and looked at me without any emotions on his face. Doesn't he care if she heard what just happened? I turned back at her and froze to my spot. She walked slowly to me and my fingers automatically began to play with each other in my nervousness. Reaching to me, she asked me, "What are you doing here? And at this time?" Her eyes were narrowed at me. "I...I was...I...was..." I stammered when Mafia came behind me and held my shoulder. I looked at him shocked and he looked at Ananya with a small smile. I held his hand and shrugged it off. "Ananya, sweetie, is there a problem? Are you alright? So late, you are here? What's the problem sweetheart?" he asked. I looked at him shocked. Ananya blushed at his words. He called her sweetheart and sweetie?! "Arohi only came here to tell me about you," he continued. I dashed my head to him. She continued with her blushing. It was making me annoyed a bit.

I looked at Mafia and frowned. "I came to tell you goodnight," she said softly. He smiled and left my side and went to her. Before he could go any closer, I went in between and smiled, blocking him. "Ananya, shall we go now? He is very tired. And you also must be very tired," I said. She looked at Mafia and smiled and said, "No it's ok. I came to meet him." Mafia held my hand and pulled me out from in between both of them. I looked at him surprised. He smiled and without even looking at me, stared at Ananya and went closer to her. He held her hand and carried her closer to his bed. He made her sit there and I looked on furious. He didn't even remember that I was in his room. They both sat and began whispering thing to each other and I stood in my same spot looking on with an angry pout. Mafia's eyes came to me and he said, "Arohi, I want to talk to your sister in private. You can go back to your room. I will meet you tomorrow." I looked at him with my mouth in an 'o' at his statement. "No, it's ok. I will wait on Ananya," I said annoyed. "Oh come on Arohi! Ananya is not a little child. And if you still are not satisfied, I promise you that I will walk her back to the apartment," Mafia said. I looked at him like are-you-serious with an arched eyebrow. Ananya got up and came closer to me. Smiling, she whispered to me, "Arohi, go home, Deep is with me. He will take care of me." I pouted and looked at her sadly. She held my hand and began to push me out of the room. While leaving, I noticed Mafia on the bed with a smirk on his face. Ananya shut the bedroom door and I turned around. While walking back to our apartment, all of the thoughts about what just occurred ran in my head. Mafia's confession, Ananya's appearance, Mafia ignoring me, Ananya telling me to leave the room. It was all sending me mad. I was beginning to feel frustrated. God knows what must be happening between them in that room. I reached back at our apartment eventually and went inside. I went to the table and sat down and began to ran my hand through my hair.