Looking

"Vedika Vedika." Aditya called Vedika and looked for her in the room but she wasn't there.

"Vedika, Asad and Preesha are ready to go where are you." Aditya was saying. He looked everywhere in the room and then in the balcony, it was empty as well.

He went out of the room and looked in the whole house with the help of a few servants before Asad and Preesha joined him.

"Where did she go?" Preesha asked.

"I dont know I left her in the room and when I went back she was not there." Aditya said worried sick.

——

Somewhere in a dark hut in the centre of farms.

"What should we do with her boss." Rola asked.

"Your job is done go. Payal you stay." The unknown man in black hood said looking at Vedika lying on the floor on a thin mattress wearing nothing but a white sheet covering her body.

"Ok boss." Payal said and others left.

"You made me wait so long Vedika finally I have you where is your Aditya now. Uhu?" The man turned to reveal his face as Aman and removed the hood.

——

"Where is she?" Aditya yelled at the top of his voice at the sarpanch standing in front.

"She was with you in the room how do we know?" Sarpamch said keep his tone in check.

"Lier, she disappeared from the room it is impossible without you knowledge of everything." Preesha said and all the guards surrounded them.

"All of you get out of my house. Do not blame me for your tussel with Aman, he wanted her he paid me and I gave her to him. Now quietly get out or..." he stop and gestured at the guards.

"Tell me where she is I will give you anything you want." Aditya said calming.

"I got what I want so I will tell you." Sarpanch said with dark smug.

"What?" Aditya asked.

"You will know soon. She is not far from here, my man will guide you there." He said and left them with a man who gestured them to come with them.

Within 15 minutes they were silently walking towards the tiny hut in middle of the farm.

"Are you sure he gave us the right way?" Asad asked.

"We have no other option." Preesha said.

Aditya kept moving towards the hut and on reaching they all barged in to see no one but Vedika sitting on the ground dressed weirdly in the blankets, tied and mouth tapped.

Aditya ran and kneels beside her while Asad and Preesha looked around to find someone else.

"Vedika." Aditya Untied her. Being overwhelmed at everything that happened in last few day Aditya broke down and hugged her tight sobbing.

"Aditya I am fine." Vedika tried to comfort him feeling burdened herself.

"Are you ok?" He asked and Vedika nodded.

"He ran away Aditya, he got a call and Payal and him just went." She said.

"Sarpanch must have told him that we were coming." Preesha said.

"We are leaving this place now Vedika we got a car. Police will take care of the rest. We can't stay anymore." Asad said.

Within minutes they were on their way back to the city Bangalore and decided to be back to Mumbai the next day after getting back to normal.

Asad drove the car while Preesha sat on the passenger seat and Vedika sat cuddled in Aditya's arms in the back seat. Still not out of the trauma Vedika was shaking every once in a while but Aditya kept rubbing her back and arms to provide comfort.

This was is it. There were going back after all the hustle and would be safe there.

Atleast that was the hope.

Aditya kissed her forehead taking in that the love of his life was still with him, that Vedika was safe.

"Aditya are we ok?" Vedika whispered in Aditya's arms.

"We are Vedika we are, nothing will touch you now." Aditya said remembering Sarpanch's words.

I got what I want to.

One month later ::::::

After returning from Urvaganj and to Mumbai Aditya spent most of his time with Vedika, escorted her to work and back.

Vedika had nightmares for a week after returning but slowly with help of friends and family everything was good again.

Getting kidnapped and tied up was not something to forget very easily, Vedika often stayed awake for nights but late night calls with Aditya helped a lot, him sneaking in through her windows, making love in the middle of the night sometimes in middle of day but this time, with the protection. None of them were ready for the baby yet and not to forget they both knew that their families would prefer to get them married first. Not that marriage is a condition to get pregnant.

It turned out Preesha was mad at Asad for sticking gum in her hair 12 years ago which he apologised for and now they were good friends and hang out often. Preesha got the job in Private investigating company and lived with Vedika and her family.

Today exactly one month after their return from Urvaganj, Aditya was going to Australia for next match series. Vedika wasn't going but her family along with Aditya's family were going to take off from the flight in a few days.

"Are you going to miss me?" Aditya asked with a smug smile, standing on the airport before boarding.

"Maybe not since you are always here with me," Vedika said showing the the rombus shaped silver locked with their initials V.A. on it.

"Yes you are with me too." He showed the bracelet that Vedika gave him soon after returning.

After a brief hug and kiss on the cheeks Aditya left.

Now they had to live without each other for next month but Vedika had other plans. She was going to surprise Aditya and was going to watch his matches along with their parents, she was going to surprise him in Australia.

She knew Aditya will be elated to see her suddenly and was very excited.

"Ma I am going to the clinic." Vedika said to her mother sitting in the drawing room reading. She felt a wave of nausea but stabilized herself with the help of table beside.

"We have to leave for Australia in 5 days. Is your Visa ready?" Hema asked.

"Yeepsy already done. I asked Preesha but she isn't that interested in cricket and she might have period around then and doesn't want to freak out on everyone. You know she has bad period anxiety." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, realisation hit her.

She has missed her periods, it was more than 7 days over the normal date. She kept her thoughts to herself and left.

Whole day at the clinic was a battle within her mind. Period being late has happened to her before but this time she was afraid of the unexpected surprise.

She was more afraid of the result than of the check up.

Finally lifting up the guts, next day, she bought herself a self pregnancy test kit and headed home.

——

"What? You might be pregnant?"

"Shhhh lower Preesha, ma and pa can't know. And I have to do the test." Vedika said and went inside the bathroom.

Preesha was both nervous and excited for the result but Vedika was just scared.

After 15 minutes or so Vedika came out holding the kit.

" What is it? What is it Di?" Preesha asked getting up from the bed.