Chapter 20: Moment of Vulnerability
Ekansh Vardhan wasn’t used to seeing Siara Rajawat like this.
Siara—the woman who could reduce grown men to nervous wrecks with a single glance, the woman who never hesitated, never wavered, and never, ever showed weakness—was trembling in his arms.
And more shocking than that?
She wasn’t pulling away.
Instead, she was gripping his shirt, her fingers clenching onto the fabric as if letting go would mean losing herself completely.
Ekansh exhaled slowly, his grip on her tightening just slightly, a silent reassurance.
Without a word, he bent down and—
Scooped her up.
Siara stiffened for a second, her mind struggling to process the situation. But then, surprisingly, she just buried her face in his chest, her breath uneven, her body still trembling.
She wasn’t just holding onto him.
She was tethering herself to him.
Ekansh didn’t question it.
Didn’t tease.
Didn’t say a single word.
He simply walked over to his Mercedes, opened the passenger door with one hand, and carefully placed her inside.
For a moment, she didn’t let go of his shirt, her grip lingering as if afraid that the moment he stepped back, reality would come crashing down.
Ekansh didn’t move.
Not until she finally loosened her hold.
Only then did he step back and retrieve a bottle of water from the car’s center console. Without a word, he handed it to her.
Siara stared at it, her fingers still shaking.
“Drink,” he said softly.
She didn’t move.
Ekansh frowned, then crouched beside her, gently curling his fingers over hers.
His touch was gentle, nothing like the usual sharp-edged Ekansh Vardhan the world knew. He lifted the bottle, guiding it toward her lips.
Siara swallowed, then obeyed.
She finished the entire bottle in a single gulp.
Ekansh took it back, setting it aside.
Now that she had some water in her system, her breath had steadied just slightly. But the tremor in her fingers still remained.
“Siara,” he said, his voice quieter this time, “what the hell happened?”
She didn’t respond at first.
Her eyes were unfocused, her mind still trapped in the scene she had witnessed—the helpless waiter, the torturer’s cruel voice, the single gunshot that had ended it all.
Ekansh waited.
And then, in a voice that was barely above a whisper, she spoke.
“I… I saw a murder.”
Ekansh’s entire body went still.
Siara exhaled shakily, rubbing her hands against her arms as if trying to physically wipe away the chill.
“I found the waiter’s address,” she continued, her voice barely above a whisper. “I thought I’d go and get some answers. Thought I could handle it.”
She let out a bitter laugh.
"Zyada hi overconfidence ho gayi thi na?" she muttered. (I was too overconfident, wasn’t I?)
Ekansh didn’t interrupt. He just waited.
“I parked a few meters away,” she continued, her voice distant. “Didn’t want to alert him. But then I saw… guards. A lot of them. I should have turned back, should have known something was off.”
Her fingers curled into fists on her lap.
“But I went inside anyway. Took the back entrance. Slipped through without being noticed.”
Ekansh’s jaw tightened.
Of course, she did.
Of course, Siara Rajawat would walk straight into danger without a second thought.
Siara inhaled sharply, as if trying to keep her emotions in check.
“And then I saw him.”
Ekansh’s fingers twitched slightly.
“Him?”
“The man who killed the waiter.”
Her voice had dropped to something almost haunted.
“I couldn’t see his face. He was standing in the shadows, but his voice…” She shivered. “Cold. Cruel. Like he enjoyed watching the waiter suffer.”
Ekansh’s hands clenched into fists.
Siara shook her head, her nails digging into her palms. “He was torturing him, Ekansh. Not just killing. He was breaking him, making him beg. And then, when he was done… he just shot him. Point-blank.”
Her breath hitched.
“For a second, I thought… I thought he saw me.”
Ekansh’s body tensed.
Siara exhaled shakily, looking away. “Maybe he did. Because the next thing I knew, they were after me.”
She let out a hollow laugh, shaking her head. “So I ran. Took my car and ran.”
Ekansh didn’t say anything.
Didn’t move.
Because the thought of Siara—his Siara—being chased down like prey was something that made his blood boil.
It was only when she let out another shaky breath that he forced himself to breathe.
His voice, when he finally spoke, was controlled.
“I already told you I would find the person responsible,” he said, his voice hard. “So why the hell did you put yourself in danger?”
Siara blinked.
For a second, she almost laughed.
Because really? He was lecturing her right now?
Ekansh was glowering, waiting for an answer.
Siara sighed. “I don’t know, okay? Maybe I was impatient. Maybe I was pissed.”
Ekansh exhaled through his nose, his frustration evident.
“You should have called me.”
Siara huffed. “Right. Because calling Ekansh Vardhan would have magically fixed everything.”
“Yes.” His answer was immediate.
Siara rolled her eyes. “Well, too bad, I don't have your number .”
Ekansh stared at her for a second, then held out his hand.
“What?” she asked, confused.
“Your phone.”
Siara hesitated. “It’s… in my bag. In my car.”
Ekansh didn’t say anything.
He simply turned, walked over to her car, and retrieved her bag. When he returned, he held it out to her.
“Phone.”
Siara sighed, fishing her phone out. She handed it to him, watching as he swiftly typed something in and pressed save.
Then, he handed it back.
Her gaze flickered to the screen.
Ekansh Vardhan – Call If You Want to Live
Siara snorted. “Dramatic much?”
Ekansh didn’t smile. He just looked at her, his expression unreadable.
“Siara.”
She swallowed.
His voice was soft, but there was a weight to it. A certainty.
“If anything like this happens again… you call me first. Understood?”
Siara exhaled.
After a long silence, she finally asked the question that had been pressing on her mind.
“…Why are you helping me?”
Ekansh’s jaw tightened.
For a moment, he didn’t answer.
Didn’t move.
Didn’t even blink.
Then, he finally spoke.
His voice was quiet. Serious.
“Because,” he said, “I don’t want to see you hurt.”
Siara’s breath caught.
She stared at him, her heart hammering for a different reason this time.
A part of her expected him to add something.
Something cocky.
Something typical.
Like, “You’re a worthy opponent.”
Or “It would be a waste of talent.”
Or even worse, “You’re too entertaining to die just yet.”
But he didn’t.
He just held her gaze with unwavering certainty.
And that terrified her more than anything else.
Because Ekansh Vardhan was never uncertain.
And yet, right now, he looked like he wasn’t entirely sure what the hell was happening either.
Siara had no idea how to respond to that.
And for once in her life…
She was at a loss for words.