Ishani was still sitting on the floor, and as she raised her head and looked up, she met his gaze.

Kriti was warning her: "You are in big trouble, Ishani." Should Mr. Vikrant ever discover that you are the one who played a fool upon him into marriage, he will have you killed.

Ishani felt chilled through to the bone. She believed; she was sure Vikrant knew everything.

She moistened her dry throat. Meanwhile, she became still more frightened. She did not expect to come standing before Vikrant so soon. Vikrant glanced at her deep-throated voice and said, "What is wrong?" Why are you staring like that? Did you never see me before, or are you looking at me now with some other eye? His look sank further into the face of Ishani as he talked.

Ishani heard Vikrant, and her life stuck in her throat. Nevertheless, she gathered courage and stood up and gazed at him with horror-struck eyes. As Vikrant looked at her, she quite naturally threw her head down in alarm and sealed her lips. Vikrant was glancing up and down at her. His gaze upon her today was much different. He saw her ponytail, her large eyes, her pink lips—he had never before, perhaps, been looking so attentively at her.

Having bowed her head and shivered, Ishani was stammering, "Do you have some misunderstanding?" I am not what you think I am. You are not talking about the right person... Her voice faltered.

Vikrant was watching her pink lips quiver. Then he smiled crookedly and talked. What misconception? Who am I thinking about? What wrong thing do I think I am thinking? Ishani gulped, looked at Vikrant, and went down to her head once more. At that moment she came close to shedding tears.

His face flushed cold, and Vikrant gazed upon her. "What's the matter? Why aren't you answering? So much attitude you demonstrated yesterday. Where did that attitude go? Is all your heart gone dead? Or is it something that you did not want me to know anything of—but I know? It is on account of that you are talking silence because you are afraid. I expected that, had I kidnapped you to this place, you should have been furious with me, but now you are weeping like a little babe. Are you this weak?" He was saying this and drinking his coffee as he gazed at her.

Ishani listened to his indirect words but would not uncover herself. Gathering a little courage, she raised her eyes and told him, "I am not crying." I'm very angry with you. How dare you get me kidnapped? And do you not know that kidnapping is a crime? The police will arrest you in case I file a case.

Vikrant once more drew the cup of coffee to his lips, and as he did so, he smiled crookedly, and, pushing himself up, went to the adjacent couch and sat there and stared at the girl who continued to have her head covered. A sly smile played on his face. Ishani wished to get away as soon as she could—not at all to trust him—and so when she began panicking, she said, "Sir, now. When you stop me, I will grumble that you have kidnapped me. Then you will know what you will have to endure. I will not be withdrawing my complaint in the future. So, with that, she walked to the hall door.