Chapter 322 - I am not an idiot!

Even though Shreya extended the file towards Charan, she did not let it go…

She stood there hesitating for a long while. She looked entangled.

"What is it?" Charan asked confused. Between the two of them, Shreya had always been straightforward and bold. So, he was surprised to see this kind of expression on her face. She almost looked guilty.

"I don't know if this counts as a promise… I don't know if this was what you meant. But this was something I did a while back… and I did not mean any disrespect when I did this… I just… This just gave me peace of mind. I did not do this for anybody's sake but for myself… selfishly. So, I will apologize if you feel offended by it."

Charan gave her a peculiar look before giving his attention to the file in front of him. He carefully went through the papers and his eyes widened inexplicably.

It was the papers to the creation of a trust fund whose sole beneficiary was Akira.

The purpose clearly states that if anything were to happen to himself and Shreya, the fund will provide the necessary funds for Akira to finish her education… And after Akira's 25th birthday, the fund will do as per her instructions. There were no conditions… nothing.

Charan was shocked… he did not know how to feel about it. He looked at the date it was created, and it was exactly a week after they had separated. To be more precise, it was exactly a week after the day they both had ended up getting themselves kidnapped.

"Shreya, you cannot do this… I cannot accept it. You do not need to do this…" Charan scrambled for the right words to tell her.

The whole reason he had asked her for a promise is that he wanted to share her responsibilities, not let her take up more responsibilities from him.

But Shreya just shook her head as she said, "Charan, I did not do it for you or not even for Akira… I did for myself. I did it for my own peace of mind. This made me feel safer somehow… more secure in this relationship. I do not know how to say it right… even though I am still terrified to be around you at times thinking of what could happen, doing this makes the intensity of my fear a little less… just a tiny bit less.  It eases the guilt a little bit too…"

Charan closed the file and kept it on the coffee table before looking at Shreya to ask something, "You feel guilty being with us??"

"Maybe… I don't know how to exactly say this… but every minute I have with you guys, it almost feels as if I am stealing something that is not mine, to begin with. And the thought that I might put you guys in harm's way in the process just makes it so much worse." Shreya answered.

"Then what about your family? When you spend time with your uncle and aunt or maybe when you are with Zack, do you feel guilty too? After all, they are also in danger by associating with you?" Charan asked. Even when it almost felt like he was interrogating her… he was just trying to get into her head… he cannot understand this part of her.

"Zack is my employee… he is getting paid. And with uncle and aunt, I do not have a choice…" Shreya answered subconsciously the first thing that came to her head. 

"You mean you cannot walk out on them as you did with us?" Charan asked. Suddenly he did not know how to go about this with Shreya…

"We are expendable, right?" Charan asked looking extremely hurt.

"WHAT? Of course, not!!! How can you even think that?" Shreya asked back with indignation…

"Then explain to me what is the meaning of saying you have no choice with your aunt and uncle but you have a choice with me and Akira?" Charan asked back.

Shreya blinked and looked confused for a long time… before mumbled looking ashamed, "For me… I just… I just think it is not worth the risk!"

"So, you think you are expendable when it comes to Akira and me…?"

"I just feel it will be too selfish of me to ask you guys for something like that…" Shreya mumbled without meeting Charan's eyes.

Charan was getting really pissed but then looking at her so down and about, he couldn't really do anything about it. Especially when he remembered her behavior just after they had come back from the island, he could already guess for Shreya both Akira and him were not expendable but were anything but.

Charan took a minute for himself before pulling Shreya towards himself. He let her sit on his lap…

All the blood had drained from her cheeks making them look pale. Her palms were sweaty.

"I just… I don't know how to say it. But for me, nothing is worth a life… not me at least." Shreya added.

"I am going to get really very pissed if you are going to keep up with this statement!!" Charan said with a lot of fierceness in his voice.

Shreya went absolutely quiet after that. She reminded Charan of Akira when she was very little. Whenever she misbehaves or does something absolutely ridiculous and gets caught, she would look just like Shreya was right now. And all his anger dissipated just like that.

He let out a sigh as he leaned over her shoulders as he said, "I really don't know how? But for a person who is really smart on normal days, you really behave like an absolute idiot sometimes…"

"I am not an idiot!!" Shreya said with conviction looking wronged and offended at the same time.

Charan really couldn't help himself from pulling on her cheeks… He pinched her so hard that they turned red very quickly.