My Wicked Love.|AR|Chapter 9 (Pg70)|01.07.14| - Page 21

"Mom!" I wake up, panting heavily, my eyes wandering everywhere. I am in' my room? I look to the side to see my clock saying it's 12:55 AM. I close my eyes to control my erratic heartbeat. It was just a dream. Just a dream. Nothing else. I pull my hair back behind my ear and start going to the bed, when all of a sudden I see a shadow on the floor. Someone is standing in my balcony! What the hell! I am about to scream bloody murder when I use my brain. I look around for something similar to a weapon, but the only thing I can find was is a pen. Well that would work. I don't care what I use as long as it's sharp enough to be called a weapon. I grab like five pens and pencils and slowly and carefully walk towards the intruder. As soon as I get close enough, I see the shoulder of that person and ram the weapons into it and hear the man yelp with pain. He turns and looks at me with anger and is about to run when I grab his collar and try pulling his mask from his face, but he resists. I try one more time before he takes hold of my throat and pins me to the wall and raises his fist to punch me, making me close my eyes. I wait for the pain, but feel nothing. I open my eyes and see his fist less than a centimeter away from my face. I try searching for his face in the dark, but can't see anything.

"Who are you?' I cough it out because of his hold on my throat. He isn't choking me. It's like he's warning me to stop or else he'll actually kill me. He says nothing but slowly shakes his head and after a moment he leaves my throat and quickly jumps off the rails before I can catch him again. Shit, I have to stop him! He could be stealing things for all I know!

"Bro! An! There's someone in the house!" I shout and the next second I see lights switching on. "He's running! Hurry!" I run out of my room and see Bro running out the door to catch the intruder. I stand at the door with An and watch as Bro fails to catch the man and comes back.

"He's too fast. Ri, where did you see him? Tell me what happened exactly."

"I woke up and saw someone standing outside my balcony. I took a few pens and stabbed him with it and tried to see who it was, but he ran away and I called you two and yeah." When I finish, there's a frown on Bro and An's face.

"Are you sure you didn't see anything else?" I shake my head.

"It was too dark for me to see anything. He was wearing a mask." Bro nods and scratches his chin like he does whenever he's thinking.

"Don't worry about it Riddhima. Go to bed and make sure your windows are closed. I'll talk to the Sheriff about this. Okay?" I nod with a smile and hug Bro.

"An," I say breaking the hug, "please take care of Bro. I know he's gonna stay up all night because of this." She smiles at me and nods reassuringly.

"Don't worry. Now you go back to bed. Atul and I will take care of this." I smile and go back to my room. I spend God knows how long in my bed, tossing and turning. Like damn! Who was this man! And why did he come here? He freaking had me by my throat, but didn't do anything to me? Like, the f**k? There's something I'm missing here. What? I don't know, but I'll figure it out eventually. With this thought, I go back to sleep.

'

I walk down the stairs in the morning, ready to go to college. When I see the sheriff sitting on the sofa with Bro.

"Sheriff Hopson?" he looks up.

"Hello dear. Good morning. How are you?" he asks with a warm smile. Jeremy Hopson is a 51-year-old man, but his body shows no sign of it. He is more like a father to me. Ever since Mom died, he's taken care of me. He's one of the main reasons I never felt the absence of my biological father. I love him to death!

"I'm fine Dada, how are you?" I ask as I give him a big hug.

"Sexy as ever," he jokes, making me giggle.

"So, why are you here so early?"

"Atul told me about the intruder last night," his voice turns stern and grave. "What happened?" I think about the time from last night and become serious again. I tell him everything that happened last night and he listens carefully without interrupting me.

"Did you see anything? Anything at all?" I shake my head.

"It was way too dark for me to see anything." He nods slowly, thinking over everything I said.

After a while he finally says, "Okay then. I'll leave now. But if you find anything, and I mean anything, gimme a call. Alright?" I smile and nod.

"Don't worry Dada," he smiles and then pats my head.

"Alright then kiddos," he stands up, "I'm gonna leave now. If you need anything, just holler at me. See ya," he waves and looks at the picture of Mom at the wall for a minute before he leaves.

"He loves her a lot, doesn't he?" An says. I smile faintly. Dada loved Mom since college days. They were the best of best friends and they would've gotten married too, but Mom fell in love with Dad and they got married before Dada could tell Mom about his feelings. Although he knew Mom was insanely in love with Dad, he never stopped loving her. When she died, Dada was shattered, but he made Bro and I his life because we have traces of her. It's hard to believe someone can love someone else so much without expecting anything in return. I wonder how life would've been if Mom and Dada had gotten married. Maybe Mom would be alive today'

'

"OMG Ri! Are you okay?" Nikki runs up to me and hugs me as soon as I enter the classroom the next morning.

"Yeah, Nikki, I'm alright," I am so confused at the moment. What's going on? Nikki breaks the hug and holds me by my shoulders.

"I heard some idiotic moron broke into your house last night! Did he do anything to you?" How the hell do these people know about all this! Damn, shit spreads like fire!

"Yeah, someone did break into my house last night, but nothing happened to me,"

"Did you find out who it was?" Muskaan inquires.

"Nope, don't know who it is. That ass ran away before Bro could catch him.

"Nothing got stolen? Like, absolutely nothing?" Muskaan asks with her eyes wide open.

"Nope. Everything is intact, which is very weird."

"The f**k? Someone breaks into your house, but steals nothing? That's ridiculous! Are you sure someone even broke in?" Abhi asks incredulously and I just give him a look.

"Dude. That bas***d had me by my throat. I'm pretty sure I didn't dream it!" I blast on him, making everyone look at me. He puts his hands up to show he didn't mean to offense me and I know he didn't, but I hate when that happens! I know what I f**king saw! Don't tell me I dreamt something when I didn't! I know Abhi is hurt by my sudden outburst and now I feel super bad. "I'm sorry Abhi. You know how I am. I didn't mean to blast on you like that, but I know I didn't dream all that. Plus Bro ran after that man last night so I know it wasn't my dream."

"It's cool girl. I believe you, but it's just weird, not to mention creepy," he says shrugging.

"Yeah," Nikki starts and I look at her, "why would a man just break into your house and not steal anything? That makes no sense! There's gotta be a reason for it," I nod, thinking about everything she says.

"Well, you all will find out who this intruder was when he gets caught, but for now, please go to your seat." I hear someone talk angrily and I know it's Armaan. I smirk and turn around to see him facing me with his arms across his chest and he is looking right at me.

"Sir, we still have three minutes until the bell rings," I smart off to him.

"I don't care how many minutes are left until the bell rings Ms. Gupta. This is my class and you will do what I say or you will get out of my class. Is that clear?" he snaps. I say nothing and stare at him, trying to figure out what's up with him. This is the first time he's ever snapped. I mean, he's gotten mad and everything, but is the first time he's actually "snapped". He just has this look in his eyes that he's going to murder me if I even dare to say anything to him. Instead of coming up with something, I just shut up and go to my seat.

Soon the bell rings and Armaan takes roll and starts writing things on the board.

"Alright guys. The third nine weeks is about to end, which means you all have a project to complete. I am going to assign you a partner and you are going to have to work together to finish it. Note, I am not going to change your partner for any reasons. I'm going to hand out a sheet which has all the instructions on it. Everyone's project is going to be different and it's going to be due on the 24^th. Any questions?" Oh my God.. Project time! Lord help me! I really hope he pairs me with Nikki or someone. There is no way I'm going to be paired up with someone I do not like. I listen carefully as Armaan calls out the pairs. I am super upset because I haven't been paired with any of my friends and only one other person is left in class'

"Riddhima and Aaron." I look back and see Aaron looking at me with a devil smirk on his face.

History time! Aaron Johnson is my ex. We went out like a year ago, but I didn't exactly like him. I mean, we were friends and everything, but I only went out with him because he was a nice guy. Or well, at least I had thought so. A few weeks into our relationship, he started acting like a douche. He wanted sex and not only that, but he wanted to videotape it. I may not be a virgin anymore, but I do have self-respect. Right after he said that, I broke up with him and ever since then he's been trying to get back with me, though I do not have any intentions of doing so.

I glare at him and stand up to protest. "I'm sorry Sir, but I cannot work with Aaron. I will work with anyone, except Aaron. Please change my partner."

"Ms. Gupta, I'm sure I made it very clear that I am not going to change partners."

"But-"

"Enough!" he raises his tone. "I am not changing your partner for any reasons and if you have a problem you know the way out. Okay?" I glare at Aaron and then reluctantly give him a nod and sit down. Okay, I like Armaan and everything, but he's just being a douche right now. Like, come on now! If I'm refusing to work with him, I've got to have a reason!

I am a very friendly person!

"I am going to murder Aaron if he tries to touch you, Ri," Rahul whisper-yells in my ear. Dude, forget you, I will kill him first!

"That little creep is going dowwwn!" Muskaan says angrily.

"Alright everyone, so come on, get together with your partners. I'll give you your papers now," he says and people start shuffling to get to their partners. I reluctantly get up and walk as slowly as possible to meet him in the middle, though Nikki, Abhi, Muskaan, and Rahul stay with me as if acting like my guards. Aaron comes and stands in front of me with a smirk.

"So Ri. Finally we're together now."

"You mean you're partnered with her for a stupid project," Muskaan snaps at him.

"Who cares Muskaan? Right now she's only my partner for a project. Very soon she's going to be my partner for something else too." I am absolutely disgusted by the unwanted images that come in my mind and I roll my eyes.

"In your dreams, Aaron. Let me get one thing clear. If you come anywhere near me, I am going to get you behind the bars in no time."

"Oh don't worry Ri. You'll come to me this time," I knit my eyebrows together, trying to figure out what this poor excuse of a man is planning. I just shake my head and wait as Armaan passes the paper with all the instructions on it and I look at my copy. My project is supposed to be at least 20 pages long and it's over something I absolutely positively dislike! Plus it's with the guy I hate so much! DID ARMAAN PLAN THIS OR SOMETHING! Like this can't be happening to me!

I spend the rest of the class period, impatiently waiting for the bell to ring. I glare at Armaan for most of the period, mentally thinking of millions of ways to kill him for putting me in a fix. As soon as the bell rings, all the students rush out of the class, but I stay back. I march up to Armaan.

"What the hell Armaan! Why did you do that?" I yell at him. "Why did you pair me up with Aaron! Don't you get it! I don't want to work with him!"

"Riddhima, I think you're forgetting that I'm your professor and I get to decide who gets paired with who and who gets to do what," he says glaring at me.

"Oh, so you are basically doing this to punish me, aren't you?" I see a victorious smirk form on his face as he walks toward me without wavering his gaze. My feet start moving back on their own accord until I hit the wall. He places his hand against the wall beside my face, caging me between him and the wall.

"You have no right to complain, Riddhima. You called for it and now you're getting it. I warned you over and over again to stay away from me, but you didn't listen to me. You played your turn and now it's my turn. Yes, I paired you with Aaron because I know you hate Aaron. You still have time, Riddhima. Stop your games, or else I am going to make the rest of the year a living hell for you," he says in a dangerous, yet sexy voice. I stay silent for a moment, thinking of all the ways to kill him.

"Alright then Armaan. You can do whatever you want to do, and I'll do whatever I'll want to do. Just remember one thing though: you're going to regret challenging me because I get what I want and I want you, so I'll get you," I say determinedly. I mean every single word I say. I want Armaan Mallik and I am going to get him no matter what happens. The look in his eyes changes from victorious to something more dark and passionate. His brows knit together to form a frown and he doesn't say anything. "Now if you'll excuse me, Sir, I have to go to my next class." I push his shoulder away and start walking when I hear him wince in pain. I stop and turn around to see him holding his shoulder and grunting with pain. I watch dumbfounded as he glares at me and shakes his head slowly and then walks out of the classroom silently which triggers a memory.