The Mafia's Collateral

Part 86

Deep's P.O.V.

I left my office and decided to take a walk around the campus. I left with two of my bodyguards following me. As I reached the auditorium, there were some commotion going on inside. I looked inside and saw a batch of students preparing for something. There were decorations all over the placing making it messy. I stepped inside and Arohi caught my eyes. A teacher came to me and said, "Welcome sir. These students have decided that they want to prepare for their graduation themselves. I hope you don't have a problem." All the students stopped their work and looked at me silently. "Of course not. In fact, I am very proud of them that they are portraying such amazing leadership qualities. Keep it up," I said. I turned around and left feeling pleased. I actually forgot that graduation is coming closer. This means that Arohi won't be here anymore. My girl's graduating. While walking through the corridors, my phone rang and I stopped. I looked at Avinash's name flashing and I answered saying, "What's up? How are your preparations coming along?" "I have a problem," he said. "What?" I asked. "I have prepared everything but I'm worried that Ananya won't come," he said. "Leave that to me. She will come," I said. "Are you sure?" he asked. "Yes, don't worry. I will bring her," I said. "Ok then, I'll hang up. Thanks," he said. I smiled and hang up the phone. How am I going to convince her now? I have to make a plan. I looked at my phone and sent a message to Arohi saying, 'I have to leave the campus for some urgent work. I am leaving the car for you. You can go home when you are finished.' I sent it and left the campus. I went back home and straight to Ananya's room. Entering, I saw her standing by the window and looking outside. "Hey," I said grabbing her attention. She turned to me surprised. "Deep, what are you doing here?" she asked. I sat on her bed and sighed. "I am here to tell you that you are having dinner with me tonight," I said. She frowned and said, "I'm not in the mood." "I am not going to hear any excuses. Please, for Arohi's sake, for my sake, come along," I said.

"What do you mean?" she asked. I smiled and said, "She's graduating in a few days from now and I promised that when she graduates, I would speak to Uncle Navin about our relationship. I want to have dinner with you tonight to discuss about that." She smiled and came and sat next to me. "In that case, I will surely help you," she said. I looked at her anxiously and said, "Really!" She nodded. "Great! But promise me that no one get to know about this. It's our secret," I said. She nodded. "Your job is done Mr. Avinash," I said in my head. I smiled and looked at her. "I'll take your leave then. See you tonight," I said. "Bye," she said. I got up and left. As I walked out of the apartment, I called Avinash and said, "Your job is done. I'll bring her." "Thank you so much Deep! I owe you one," he said. "Yes you do!" I said and giggled, "Bye." I hang up the phone and as I was about to walk, I saw Arohi coming to me and froze to my spot. "Oh God! Where has she come from? If she goes and meet Ananya, my entire plan will be flopped. What do I do?" I thought in my mind with her approaching footsteps. Before she could reach me, I walked up to her and held her arm saying, "Hi!" "What are you doing here? Didn't you have some urgent work?" she asked. "Amm..yeah...it's finished so I thought that I would come home," I said nervously. She looked at her watch confused and asked, "Which urgent work is this that has finished so quickly?" "Umm... why are you studying that?" I said nervously side hugging her, "Let's go. I have something to show you." "At least let me put my bag in my room," she said. "Do all that after. First, come with me," I said pulling her away. I carried her to my apartment. I just have to stop her from meeting Ananya before tonight. Reaching my apartment, she asked, "What do you want to show me?" "It's in my room. Come on," I said and we went to the room. She looked around and faced me. "What?" she asked. She dropped her shoulders asking, "Deep, what is this?" Idea! I smiled and took a step closer to her. "Nothing, I just wanted to spend some time with you," I said softly. I held her hand.

She pulled it away and said turning around annoyed, "I don't want to talk to you." I smiled and went and hugged her from behind. "Madam Mafia is angry with me. I'm sorry," I said. She remained pouting angrily. "Arohi, I have something to tell you," I said. I held her shoulders and turned her to face me. "I have been wanting to tell you this for so long," I said. She looked away and asked, "What?" I joined our foreheads and said, "I love you." I waited for it and she smiled. My smile became wider. She pushed me away and said, "You are too much! You won't even let me remain angry." I held her hand and pulled her close to me asking, "If I was angry, would you have let me stay so?" I wrapped my arms around her waist and said, "You going to graduate soon. That school will become lifeless as before without you." She rested her hands on my chest and said smiling, "I can't be a student for the rest of my life, right?" "Is there no other way that you can spend the entire day with me?" I asked. "Do you have patience to handle me all day long?" she asked. "I don't handle you. I tolerate you," I said teasing her. She looked back at me and punched my arm. "But did I ever tell you that I love tolerating you?" I said. "Can I go home now?" she asked. I pouted sadly and asked, "Do you have to?" "We can have dinner tonight also," she said. I frowned and looked at her silently. "What's wrong?" she asked confused. "Nothing, I have some other commitments tonight so I won't be here," I said. "Where are you going?" she asked. Good point! Where on earth did Avinash even plan this? I didn't even ask him and he didn't tell me. I released her and she stepped back. I took out my phone and looked at the time. It was half four which means that I have about three hours. "One minute," I said to Arohi. I called Avinash and asked, "Where do we have to go tonight?" "Oh! I'm sorry. On the heliport of the building," he said. "Heli...what? Couldn't you find a better place?" I asked. "It's my date. I will decide where I want it. And besides, if you see how I transformed this place, you wouldn't be complaining," he said.

"As you say," I said and hang up. I looked back at Arohi and smiled. "Who was that?" she asked. "Avinash," I said. "Show me," she said. I rolled my eyes and said, "Are you serious?" "Yes, show me," she said. I sighed and gave her the phone. She looked at my last call and Avinash's name was first. She lowered her eyes and gave it back. "What has gotten into you? Why are you behaving like this? Don't you trust me?" I asked calmly holding her shoulders. She frowned and said, "I'm sorry. I know you must be thinking that I'm interfering your life too much but I don't want to lose you. I trust you but I don't trust other girls. Especially after seeing Sonia." I cupped her face and looked at her saying, "No one! And I mean, no one can come in between us. Arohi, how many times do I have to tell you, I love you and only you. If you can't be with me, then no one else can be with me. Your place is permanent." She hugged me and rested her head on my chest saying, "Perhaps I needed this reassurance from you." As I was hugging her, I began to think if I should tell her about Avinash's plan. But she might sell me out. If she goes and tell Ananya in her excitement, then the entire plan will flop. But I also didn't want to hide anything from her. "Will you let go of me now?" she asked. "I don't want to," I said. She rested her hands on my chest and pushed me away saying, "I have to go home and change." How do I stop her now? She pinched my cheeks and turned around to leave but I held back her hand again and stopped her. She turned back to me and sighed. "Deep, I have to go," she said. "No you don't have to. You just want to leave me," I said with a fake pout. I let go of her hand and went and sat on my bed with my fake anger so that this keeps her back. She came and sat next to me. Hitting me with her elbow, she said, "Hey." She leaned forward and looked at me besides her and asked, "Are you angry?" "Why do you care?" I asked. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "No! No matter how hard you try, this time, I'm not going to agree," I said. 

She sighed and remained silent. After a while, she said, "Mr. Raichand, I wasn't talking about leaving you. I am only going home." I wasn't liking this at all. I guess I'll just tell her the truth. I turned to her with a frown and said, "I'm sorry." "It's ok," she said. "Not for not letting you go. For something else," I said. "What?" she asked. "Actually, I wasn't letting you go because I didn't want you to meet Ananya," I said softly. She turned her body more to my side and asked, "But why?" I lowered my eyes and said, "I lied to you more than one times today. First was in the campus when I said I had some urgent work. I didn't have any. In fact, I came home to talk to Ananya." "That's ok but why?" she asked. "Last night, Avinash realised that he can't live without Ananya. He has planned a surprise for her tonight to clear up all their misunderstandings and start off afresh. Knowing Ananya, we both knew that she wouldn't be convinced to go and meet him so I had to come home and make her agree to have dinner with me tonight but in fact, I am carrying her for Avinash," I said. I looked at her frowning face silently and was waiting for her to burst out on me. "And why didn't you want to tell me?" she asked calmly. "Because I thought that you might go and sell out our plan," I said. She rolled her eyes and held onto my arm saying, "Do you think I am that stupid?" "Yeah..." I said as she turned and looked at me in awe. "I mean...no," I said. "Hmm..." she hummed and smiled. She rested her head on my shoulder and said, "I understand that you think that I would become overexcited and sell out your plan but I know to remain calm as well." "I know," I said. She raised her head and looked at me. "And what are you planning for me?" she asked. "Is there any special occasion?" I asked. She pouted and looked at me asking, "You really don't know what's coming up?" I got worried. "What?" I asked cautiously. "You really don't know? Or you are joking with me?" she asked sadly. Oh God! What is coming up? I smiled nervously and said, "Of course I know what's coming up!" She looked at me with a straight face and asked, "What is coming up?"

"Umm...uhh...am...your...birthday?" I asked. "I don't want to talk to you!" she said pouting angrily and got up. She stomped her foot on the ground and walked out of my bedroom. I ran my hand through my hair and groaned. I laid back on my bed and looked at my ceiling. "What is coming up?" I asked myself. What a fate I have! I just pacified her and she is angry again! How does she expect me to know what is coming up? We have only now started our relationship and she expect me to remember dates! This is the biggest problem with women! I held my head and remained there digging into my brain to try and remember what was coming up and if I had the slightest idea. 

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