Under his protection
398 Words
š¤ Title: The Devilās Gentle Touch
š Chapter 9: Under His Protection
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Rain poured over the streets of Mumbai like the sky was grieving something no one could name.
Aanya stood under the broken shelter of the bus stopāshivering, her bag clutched tightly to her chest. Her phone had died. Her driver hadnāt shown up. And the man whoād promised to pick her up?
Dev Raichand was nowhere.
She didnāt know that a gunfight had broken out just fifteen minutes away.
She didnāt know his car had been blockedāhis men outnumbered.
But someone else had seen her.
A black SUV slowed near the curb. The tinted window rolled down, and a man with a scar across his left eye smiled.
āLost, sweetheart?ā
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She took a step back.
āNo, Iām fineāā
Before she could finish, the door opened and two more men stepped out.
Wrong neighborhood. Wrong time.
Wrong girl.
But before they could touch her, a single sound sliced through the storm.
Bang.
One man dropped.
Bang.
The second.
The third never got the chance to scream.
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Aanya turned, gaspingā
And saw him.
Dev Raichand.
Soaked in rain.
Gun still smoking in his hand.
Face unreadable.
Not angry.
Not furious.
Murderous.
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She ran to him, without thinking.
Crashed into his chest.
His arms wrapped around her instantly.
She was sobbing. He was shaking.
Not from the cold.
From what he could have lost.
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āI told you to wait inside the college.ā
His voice cracked.
āMy phone diedā¦ I thoughtāā
He cupped her face, eyes wild.
āYou thought what? That this world would be kind to you because youāre kind to it?ā
Tears fell down her cheeks.
But then, his tone softened.
āYouāre under my protection, Aanya. That means no one touches you. No one scares you. Not while Iām breathing.ā
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She stared at himāhis soaked shirt, his trembling fingers, his burning eyes.
Then she tiptoed and kissed his cheek softly.
āIām safe now.ā
He pulled her closer and held her like she was made of glass.
And right there, in the middle of a crime scene drenched in rain, blood, and secretsā¦
He whispered,
āYouāre not just under my protection, jaan.ā
āYou are my protection.ā
- Writer
