Dhvani pov :

Everyone dreams about their college life since their school days... Our parents used to tell us since childhood that we should study diligently till high school as college life is fun...

Everyone thinks that if we get a time machine, we will go to the future.... But if someone asks me.. I would like to go to the past again, I want to live that life again with my parents....

I was 16 years old when my parents died.. My pre-boards were going on.. I was very happy, finally after my 10th board exam we were going to Darjeeling..It was one of my favourite place.. I still remember I was in 7th standard when papa went there for a business meeting.. That time I cried a lot to go with him.. then papa had promised me that he will take me there after my 10th exam....

But that one day took away a lot of things along with my dreams. I never had any plans of becoming a business woman and my mother knew this too... And I know that if Papa were alive, he would never have forced me to do this. He would always give priority to my choice.

But after their death, if there is something that keeps me connected to them, it is a simple pendant and the property and business they left behind: Which I have to handle.. It's not that I am complaining.. But now it feels like my life is no longer belongs to me..

"Oh hello, are you in this world? I have been fcking calling you for a long time..." I came out of my thoughts when my best friend tapped me from behind and came in front of me..

'Avanti Roy.. 22' The only daughter of her parents.. Her family is very wealthy.., what is the meaning of being so rich when the family cannot live together.. Due to work her parents mostly stay out of the country..

Who am I to judge anyone's family, where my own family's boat remains sinking. If ever I feel jealous of some girl's parents, I remember her parents, due to which all my jealousy turns into a disappoint. No offense, okay, I love my best friend a lot... But I don't like it when her parents leave her alone again and again.. 'they can take her along with them, right? Not always but sometimes'

"Nowhere, I'm just trying to understand college life"

"What is there to understand..., college life is sucks.. Every other day they gives us tons of assignment to do... It was better when we were in play group.. they used to give us a page to work on and even that was done by our elders holding our hand and pencil.. "I did not give her any reply and softly chuckled..

After some time it was time for our next class.. so we came and I was lost in my own thoughts looking outside the window..

My father has a perfume brand named 'Vami'. It ran very slowly in the beginning and incurred huge losses. But my father worked very hard and then he entered into a partnership with a Dubai-based perfume brand for a few years. After that, it slowly became famous and then it became one of the most famous perfume brands in India...

Although after Papa's death Mustafa uncle is handling that work.. but the performance of the work has gone down as compared to before....

When he called me and told me this, I don't know from where the business woman near me woke up and I ordered him 'don't take the decision using your lawyer's mind.. think like Papa... Just like Papa did... kill two birds with one stone, do something such that the work gets done and there is no loss''

When my grandfather was distributing his own property to his sons, he had a hotel and a mall. So grandfather asked father and uncle to choose one. Papa refused both of them and said that he did not want a readymade business, he just need some cash.., he wanted to start some separate business of his own...

Grandfather was very proud of Papa's decision.. so he sold his land and gave cash to Papa.. and gave the hotel and mall to uncle..Papa earned money with little money.. and opened 2 businesses in one year, one for himself and one for mummy.. There was a dispute at home because of this.. but papa handled everything.. he opened a perfume brand and opened a modeling institute for mummy....

Models were needed for the photoshoot of Papa's perfume brand. Mom used to send them from her own institute for their trials... So this is how his work continued.. Then a year before his death, he had merged both of them.. which would have benefited him even more.. Because at that time it was difficult to find Indian models.. And no one wanted to work for free.. So, in the name of trials, his work got done.....

Mummy was initially against all this but then papa explained to her that after their trial whatever Add or profit is made because of them then they will get both the money and bonus .. because we do not want to encroach upon anyone's rights..

"listen, I don't want to ruin your imagination. But pay attention in class. If the professor sees you getting distracted during the lecture, you will get punishment or more likely suspended for a weeks."Avanti sitting next to me was whispering in my ear..

Before I could say anything to her, I heard a shouting voice "Avanti roy, first you don't study properly, but you also disturb the girls sitting next to you.. Is this the manners of your."

Our professor was getting angry at her.. and Avanti was left speechless.. Now what should she say.. she cannot take my name and no one wants to argue with this diplomatic professor.. so she had no other option but to quietly listen to his scolding.... I was somehow trying to stop my laughter which could come out at any moment...

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"Yeah, carry on laughing.. I have found a friend who is laughing out loud at my troubles.. I was just explaining to you to save you from that professor and that stupid person scolded me in front of everyone." We were sitting in the college canteen and I could no longer control my laughter and we turned the whole canteen upside down...

Because on one hand there is my non-stop laughter which I have been trying to control for so long and on the other hand she is yelling at everyone in the canteen as if she got scolded by the professor because of them.... Poor them..

"Okay fine, I am not laughing now, stop making such faces." I said holding my stomach which was hurting due to laughing so much..

"Thank you Devi(Goddess) .. I will never forget this favor of yours" she said sarcastically..

I showed my front teeth and gave her a cheesy smile to which she rolled her eyes.. Then she said what must have been going on in her mind since morning... when I told her about my marriage plan..

She looked at our surrounding carefully and said "So you are really ready for the marriage thing.."

"Honestly, as soon as I hear the word marriage, I feel a different kind of anxiety in my body.. as if your body is warning you or giving you a message in its language.." I told her the truth..

"Then don't do it" she made a sad pout..

"So what can I do.. but that contract idea seemed right, so I agreed.. and anyway it is just a matter of a few days, my work is done and the contract/marriage is over" I simply told her..

"Oh so it seems so simple to you" I just nodded

"If later... he or you, yourself doesn't want to end the marriage.. then?"she said apprehensively..

"What nonsense are you talking about, if I had to do something like this then why would I have agreed to this contract.. I would have done it directly" I forced myself on the words and told her..

"Okay, you won't do that.. but what if he doesn't want to over?" Now I was irritated…

"Enough now, I don't want to talk about this any more. I will meet you tomorrow after the next class. I have to go for some work, I won't be able to meet you." Before this matter could get out of hand, I left the place in a hurry... Despite not wanting it, my attention was repeatedly going towards what she was saying.. because somewhere I too am afraid of that but I will not let this happen.. I'll make sure about it..

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Somewhere in Delhi..

Hriday thakur pov>

I was going towards the hospital after checking some office work.. ever since dad has regained consciousness, he wants to meet me and talk to me.... These days are hectic as the workload has increased and there are other tasks to be completed too.

My mafia matter has also got a bit delayed because I have postponed two meetings consecutively.. And if I don't attend the meeting today, I will definitely get a call from godfather(italian mafia boss) and as per the rules, I will have to pay for my carelessness....

Carelessness in their eyes, how would anyone know that I have a lot to deal with.. These days I have not been able to rest peacefully.... First there was some problem in delivering the goods related to the mafia, then Shivansh's work also had to be completed.. Now dad's health is bad.. don't know what else is going to happen next....

I came out of my thoughts when my driver applied the brakes suddenly.... "Can I know the reason why you suddenly pressed the brakes?" I asked politely but my voice was not at all polite...

"I think there's been an accident on the other side of the road, which is why the cars are drifting towards this side.." My driver 'Rishab' looked at the other side of the road and said..

My personal bodyguard 'Lorenzo' looked in his direction and said "Maybe that's why there is so much traffic."

"People don't know how to drive...yet I don't know how they get the license" said Rishab shaking his head in disbelief..

"This is their new way of disturbing the mental balance of other people" Lorenzo expressed his own thoughts..

No one can tell from their words that they also has Underworld connections... Right..? because sometimes I too get into thinking how can they live simply after murdering or supplying illegal goods to others.. Yes, I agree, I also do all that, but I cannot live a normal life like others after all that sin i have committed...

Once when I was on a mission... a member of the Russian mafia group saw my face and I had to pull out the breath from his throat without even wanting to. After separating his head and body into two pieces...Terrified right.. if this is what it sounds like.. I did this with my hands: so imagine what I would have been through..

I am not like others.. I don't know how people can be happy after killing someone.. I have laid down a million corpses, but the satisfaction that should have come, the peace that I have been searching for till date, I do not get it yet.... because in the life of people like us, happiness and peace lasts only for a few moments....

But till date I have never killed any innocent person nor have I ever thought of killing one.... Anyway, why kill an innocent person when the world is full of so many bastards...

I had now reached the hospital.. went directly to dad's ward where he was lying on the bed. But he was looking better than yesterday... His face was pale, he smiled at me and gestured me to come towards him and I went near him and sat next to him...

He was struggling to hold my hand, so I grabbed his, lightly with my hand... "How are you feeling Dad?" I sounded casual..

He lowered his oxygen mask and said, "Well, I am still breathing... but I don't know what will happen next."..

"We are not sure about the next moment either..." I was putting his oxygen mask on him again when he caught my hand in the middle and said something which I had already guessed...

"Get married my son"

"Dad!"

"I am not asking too much.. I just want to see you settled... Forget the past… think about the future"

"The past cannot be forgotten, Dad"

"I know... we get lessons from the past which can help us in building our future" I clenched my other fist, this past word itself was enough to awaken the demons inside me.. but I have to control myself in front of dad..

"Think about it son, I don't have much time. I am not demanding grandchildren son, that will be your decision. But I want to see my daughter-in-law, sit with her, talk to her, know about her as if she were my own daughter..." There were tears in his eyes, it was clear that he was trying to stop himself from breaking down in front of me.

Meanwhile the Dr. and nurse came and started doing routine checkup but the whole time dad's eyes were on me.. he was requesting with his eyes that I should respect his words..

The doctor did a checkup and asked dad some questions and then he turned towards me and gestured me to come out... Before going out, without turning around I said, "Dad... I will definitely think about it."

We were standing in the hospital lobby.. "I won't say that his condition is not better than before.. but it is not that much better either.. his heartbeat is decreasing day by day.. To put it in simply .. he has only a few months left.. I'm sorry" saying this he went away from there.. and like always I do not show any emotions...

After talking to the doctor, I was standing in the parking lot and smoking. Then Shreyas came and I told him every talk that happened with the doctor and with dad...

"So are you ready for marriage?"He also lit the drug and blew out thick smoke..

"You know how many complications happen in marriage life and... more important than that is my profession in which I have no trust in my own life, so how can I endanger the life of an innocent person?"

"So what do you want to do"

"Dad never asked me for anything.. This is the first time he has asked for something and that too for me" I took a deep breath....

"I heard you are going to Italy tomorrow. Till the time you return from there, I will find a solution to this problem.. okay"

I hummed and nodded my head in yes and took a deep drug and exhaled the smoke in the air..