The Mafia's Collateral

Part 31

Arohi's P.O.V.

"You are finally going to get rid of me tomorrow," he said. I looked at him hurt. "You have troubled me a lot Arohi Kashyap. I have waited so long just for three words. But now I understand, we weren't meant to be. That's why our story is ending short," he said. I covered his mouth and closed my eyes. "Don't torture my heart anymore," I said. He slowly removed my hand. "Will you miss me?" he asked. I looked up at him and shook my head. "Even I won't miss you. At least I won't have to listen to your endless rants," he said. I smiled in between my tears. He looked at me with a small smile. "Will you really not miss me?" I asked. He shook his head. "Won't you contact me?" I asked. "No one can. And neither can you contact us," he said. "What? So I can't talk to any of you?" I asked. He shook his head. "So does this mean that you all will live like you don't even know me?" I asked. "You have to do the same," he said. I shook my head and said, "I can't do that!" "You will have all my pictures to look at, what will I have?" I said. He thought for a while and said, "One minute." He got up from the bed and went to his closet. I followed him. He opened a drawer and took out a bracelet. He placed it on my wrist. "What's this?" I asked. He moved the shirt from his hand a bit up and he had an identical bracelet. He held my hand and looked at the bracelet and said, "Dad gave me these before he passed away. The one I am wearing belongs to him and the one on your hand is Mom's." I looked at him as he raised my hand and kissed my wrist. "This will always connect us no matter how far apart we are," he said. I hugged him tightly and closed my eyes. I listened to his racing heart. Breaking the hug, I wiped away my tears and said, "Promise me one thing." "Say it," he said. "You will never touch alcohol again," I said. He kissed my forehead and said, "Never again." "I should go now. Dad and Ananya must be waiting for me," I said. He nodded. I turned and walked to the door. I turned and looked at him and then ran out. I went back to my apartment and saw Dad and Ananya. I went and hugged Dad and Ananya at once.

I cried. They caressed my back and consoled me. "I'll miss you guys," I said. I broke the hug and went to my room and locked the door. I leaned against the door and broke down. I sat on the ground and hugged my knees. I got up and went to my bed. I cried until all my tears had dried up. I stared at the ceiling with my swollen eyes. The next morning, at four, my alarm went off and I was still in the same position. I didn't sleep for a second. I snoozed the alarm and got up. I went to the bathroom and took a shower and looked at myself in the mirror. I got ready and took my suitcase. Leaving my room, I saw Sarah and Danny sitting at the table. They stood up and came to me. Sarah hugged me with tears in her eyes and I smiled. Breaking the hug, I smiled and said, "Don't let this donkey trouble you too much. If he does, you just to slap him. You have my permission." She smiled. I looked at Danny. I went to him and hugged him. "You are not crying?" I asked. "Cry? For whom? You?" he asked. I smiled and hugged him. "I'll miss you buddy. You have done so much for me," I said. He pushed me away and said wiping a tear, "Don't make me emotional. It's not good for my image in front of Sarah." I punched him. I went to Dad and touched his feet. Standing up, he rested his hand on my head and said, "God bless you. I am the most fortunate father to have a daughter like you. Always be happy." I hugged him once more. I looked at Ananya and went to her. Her tears were falling profusely. I held my arms out and she immediately hugged me. She buried her face in my shoulder and cried. "I'll miss you. Who am I going to sleep with in the night? Who am I going to tell all my feelings to?" she said. I wiped her tears and said, "Can anyone dare to separate us? I am always with you." I cupped her face and smiled. I turned to Avinash and said, "Shall we?" He nodded. I walked to the door and turned and looked at everyone. I gave them all a bright smile and left. Avinash held my bag as we walked out. I kept on taking deep breaths and swallowing my sorrow. We reached the elevator and I looked at Mafia's lift.

I frowned. I thought about the moment we spent in the elevator. "Arohi," Avinash called me. I looked at him inside the elevator and stepped inside. Reaching the ground floor, I looked around. I never thought that the time to leave here would be so soon and like this. We walked outside where there was a car. I turned and looked back at the building sadly. Avinash took the key from a man and I sat in the passenger seat. He drove off as I looked outside silently. After a while, I asked, "Where are we going?" "To where Deep decided," he said. "I have troubled you guys very much didn't I?" I asked. "Yes you have but when you did, you filled that boring building with life. All of the bodyguards really liked your spirit. Your craziness brought a smile on everyone's face," he said. "I'm glad I could have come to some help to you guys," I said with a smile. "You will take care of my father and sister, right?" I asked. "Any doubt? It's my duty. I am in charge of their protection and trust me, I will lay my life for it," he said. "I don't have a brother but if I had one, I would have wanted him to be exactly like you," I said. He smiled a little. "Are you going to talk through the entire drive?" he asked. I giggled and said, "I am very sleepy. I'll take a nap in a while." I leaned back comfortably on the seat and closed my eyes. "Avinash," I said, "Take care of Deep. Don't ever leave him. You are amongst the very little amount of people he loves and trusts." "You are also one," he said. I smiled and said, "I know but I can't stay with him." "You are very lucky. If you were a girl, I would have been very jealous of you," I said. I heard him chuckling. "And try to smile more. You look good. You know, Ananya calls you a snob. She says that you never smile," I said. "That's not my problem," he said. I opened my eyes and looked at him and asked, "What's your guys problem?" He remained silent. "Fine, don't tell me," I said. I closed my eyes once more.