Chapter 45

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LadyMeringue

@LadyMeringue

Chapter 21: The Aroma of Love


A/N: Hey there everyone! :D :D Here is the next update! :D :D The chapter is quite lengthy though so please do bear with the length. :) :)

Not keeping y'all for long now,

Happy Reading! :D :D


The first rays of dawn broke across the sky as Ishaani took in deep, even breaths, throwing her arms around her pillow. She snuggled deeper into her bed while her toes curled around her blanket, pulling it higher.

After their star gazing session the previous night, Ranveer had carried a sleepy Ishaani back home and had forced her to have her dinner before letting her make her way into her room. She'd tried putting up a tantrum, none of which Ranveer entertained as he made her sit upon the table not unlike the way her father would make her do so back when he was alive, eventually ending up feeding her when Ishaani looked too clumsy to get the food into her mouth properly.

He'd then carried her back to her room once they were done eating and made her sit up for fifteen minutes by which she'd fallen asleep on his shoulder anyway. Ranveer had then laid her down and had tucked her into her bed, pushing away the stray strands of hair from upon her face before kissing her forehead. He'd left the lights dim enough just the way she liked it before finally shutting the door behind him.

Exactly six minutes later, the alarm beside her beeped outrageously. Ishaani felt her brains vibrate with the shrill sound, smashing the offending device shut blindly as she now slept on her stomach, groaning into her pillow tiredly. She tried to ponder upon how it could be half past five in the morning so fast even though it had been her habit to get up this early in the morning since years now.

She wondered whether getting up so early for the skydiving training was even worth it when she could have simply shut up and taken three more hours of sleep. But she knew that now that she had given her commitment, she couldn't get out from it especially after everything Finch and Monica had done for her.

Cursing her luck, Ishaani finally pushed herself out of bed and opened her eyes groggily, her vision taking some time to clear before the first view of the beach met her eyes, the burnishing water glittering in the distance while the sky remained opaque. Smiling to herself sheepishly, Ishaani quickly made her way to the washroom, the build of the same captivating her interest immediately.

Pulling the toothpaste and striking a neat line across her brush, she couldn't help but take in the appearance of the chic black marble-built washroom that made her stare at the interiors in awe. Sometimes, she had a hard time believing that it was the same Ranveer who once lived in a small room in the servant's quarters who had created all of this with his own two hands. Her heart suddenly felt the pride that she'd always feel for him back when he never feared to pay the price of his dreams even then. But the price he had to pay for achieving the impossible was nowhere worth the pain he had to live with.

But when was life ever fair?

Her thoughts eventually brought her back to the path where she could either let go and begin trying to live a happy life with Ranveer or else cling on to her past with Chirag and succumb to it eventually. Even though she knew what she wanted, she knew that she was too spent from try letting go. And then begun the same mindless musings upon whether there was any possible way where she could really let go apart from simply fantasizing about magically erasing the chapter of Chirag from her memories once and for all. She was brought out from her thoughts rudely when she realized that she'd been brushing her teeth for five minutes, the foam beginning to stuff her mouth.

Gargling her mouth clean after flushing at her foolishness, Ishaani swiftly completed the rest of her toiletteries and made her way to the dining room in a pair of black tracks and a pink spaghetti top, the aroma of toasts and pancakes reaching her instantaneously. Minutes later Jennifer left the kitchen with a food-laden tray, her face brightening up when she saw Ishaani.

"Ah, Miss! You're early!" she exclaimed, setting the tray in front of Ishaani. She forwarded a plate of walnut pancakes and put a quick coating of honey upon it, Ishaani nodding her head in gratitude. The smell only got more and more tempting by the passing seconds, her stomach growling in approval as Jennifer handed her a glass of orange juice.

"Where's-?" trailed Ishaani, looking around the room to search for Ranveer but even before she could take his name, Jennifer understood the question. She gave her a warm smile.

"Sir should be back anytime now. He's gone for his morning run," added Jennifer when Ishaani looked confused, the latter relaxing momentarily before getting hit by a sudden bolt of curiosity.

She wondered why the question had even come to her in the first place when she knew how he'd go to the forest for stretches of obsessive running for an entire day without telling anyone at home. It had helped him finally lose the limp and make his lungs stronger after his accident, a habit that also kept him extremely healthy in the further years to come. She wondered whether it was a habit that he still maintained.

"Jogging or obsessive running?" asked Ishaani inquisitively and Jennifer cocked her eyebrow, looking puzzled.

"Sorry?" questioned Jennifer instead, not understanding her question entirely. Ishaani smiled, knowing that she'd have to give Jennifer a better descripttion for her to understand the question.

"Does he return back home looking like his legs are going to fall off, his lungs are on fire and he hasn't been getting enough air?" Ishaani emphasized about the three most obvious traits that she'd notice about him whenever he'd return back from his escapades. She'd always be the first one to find him and on several instances she even had to support him to his room and sit with him for atleast fifteen minutes until his breathing came back to normal.

"Yes, yes!" exclaimed Jennifer as her eyes widened even though she didn't look entirely surprised. She knew that the two of them were a lot more than just best friends and business partners. Ishaani gave her a small smile.

"His habit hasn't changed even now then. Ah, he's here!" she added as the back door opened, revealing a panting Ranveer almost doubled up in a pair of khakhi tracks and a white t-shirt. Hee looked up to see Jennifer and Ishaani at the table, surprised with the latter's presence.

"Isha- Isha-" began Ranveer, trying to gulp in enough breath at the same time but gave up when Ishaani got up and quickly made her way towards him. She held his arm and brought him towards the table, making him sit down first.

"Breathe!" she ordered when Ranveer opened his mouth to speak again, glaring at him. He shut his mouth and decided to listen to her since he could feel his lungs burn anyway.

"Ishaani! You're early!" he exclaimed once his breathing had returned back to normal while Ishaani signalled Jennifer to prepare a round of pancakes for him. She reclaimed her seat and smiled at him.

"Haven't chucked the obsessive running then?" asked Ishaani jovially and Ranveer gave her a sheepish look. 

"It's what keeps me healthy," replied Ranveer rather cheekily before noticing the look upon Ishaani's face. She wasn't impressed.

"Yeah, don't sleep for three days and then obsessive run like a maniac. Brilliant!" she added sarcastically and Ranveer rolled his eyes at her, surprised that she was still stuck upon his insomnia episodes. He'd been sleeping properly for almost four days now, and catching up on sufficient sleep for almost six out of seven days.

"Oh come now, Ishaani. What if I hadn't taken to obsessive running in the first place? I wouldn't have been been standing upon my feet today," he reasoned and Ishaani was taken back to the nostalgic day when he'd finally decided to change his life, God having given him the strength to stand upon his feet at long last.

"What if you hadn't gone in place of me to the factory in the first place? You wouldn't have had to go through a lifetime of suffering in those three months," countered Ishaani as she stared at him pensively, the line of thought not entirely new. She'd pondered upon the same thing for months after his accident when she'd see him die every single day under a pain that belonged to her, not him.

"Everything happens for a reason, Ishaani. If I wouldn't have had that accident, I would have never realized my love for the share markets and found my ambition in life. I made it my aim to never stop running again after this or take life for granted," confessed Ranveer as he met eyes with her, his face now pale. She could see the ghosts of his past still haunt him. She knew that it was an integral part of his life and something he'd never be able to get over no matter what, and the fear of that incident had become the driving force of his life.

"I didn't-" began Ishaani rather guiltily, not wanting to stir back memories from the incident. But she knew that this wasn't just about the unfortune incident anymore. It was about the striking resemblance of his past and present. 

He was handicapped then physically; he was handicapped now emotionally. 

He was still holding on to pain because it was the only thing that kept him sane in a world of insanity. He needed a push not unlike the one Love had given him back then that made him bleed out upon the canvas the way he did. But before she could say anything, Ranveer cut across her speech, sighing softly.

"What ifs are good to ponder upon but often destroy the peace amd sanctity of your present because you spend too much time thinking about a future or reality that doesn't exist. Whatever happens, happens for a reason irrespective of whether good or bad. Every what-if changes the outcome of one's life. It may be favourable now but the end might not be so. Who knows? Maybe we're walking towards the best ending even though we don't realize it amidst all the trials."

"But some fairy tales don't have a happy ending in spite of its infinite alternatives. The ending is always the same," remarked Ishaani quietly before both of them fell silent, the implied meaning of their statements had not gone amiss.

Neither of them noticed Jennifer re-entering the room and placing a plate of pancakes in front of Ranveer. It was when they'd exhausted their line of thoughts and Ranveer had finally snapped out of the reverie first did he see the food of plate, ogling at it as though it had appeared like magic. Ishaani laughed at his expression before he gave her a sheepish look, both of them tucking into their meal at long last.

"You sound like Sarah," exclaimed Ranveer after an indefinite amount of time. and Ishaani couldn't help but blush in spite of herself. The comparison made her heart gush with pride for it was a comparison she'd made to herself back when she'd read the book first. But the fact that Ranveer chose to remark so made her extremely happy even though the fate of the lovers in the book wasn't a happy one.

"Well, we're not that different from Ben and Sarah now, are we? I can see the striking similarities between the two stories. What you wrote as fiction ended up becoming your reality," concluded Ishaani and Ranveer flased her a smile in return, not surprised that she had managed to figure out the obvious. The old Ishaani may have been naive and gullible but the Ishaani in front of him was a woman who had seen life at its hardest, experience being her teacher.

"The irony of life. I would never have published the book had Ritika not told me to as her dying wish. And the biggest surprise was the raving hit that it became. Honestly, I was not expecting that kind of response. Not that I really even cared about it back then," added Ranveer with an apologetic look, hoping not to come off as a pompous ass. Ishaani's graceful smile made him relax, her expression one of understanding. She decided to make a little confession of her own now that they had touched upon the topic at long last.

"That book saved my life in more than one way, I guess. I stopped using the scalpel a week after finishing that book. Sarah gave me the strength to pick up the pieces of my life and move forward, keeping you alive in my memories for everything I achieved from that point forth. And see how that worked," she confessed, eyeing Ranveer apprehensively. This was another tfact he had no knowledge upon. When Ranveer offered no comment on the confession, Ishaani knew that he needed another shocker to snap him back.

"Co-incidentally, the book was what made me figure out your identity."

"How?" asked Ranveer as he inched ahead upon his seat, his eyes now inquisitively boring into her own. It was the last thing he was expecting her to say considering how he'd specifically used a pen name whose identity behind nobody could figure out. Ishaani smiled as she began recounting the tale.

"Ian-Hake Parish. I'd had an episode with the scalpel for the first time after four years at the beginning of the month. I'd reached breaking point by that time, and I had a rather funny hallucination," she admitted as Ranveer now gave her an intrigued look. 

Ishaani hesitated whether or not to tell him about the dream before she did without excluding any detail while Ranveer listened to her in silence. The moment Ishaani reached the point of their kiss, however, Ranveer was amused to note the blush with which she continued narrating until she drew towards the conclusion.

"By the end of it, it just clicked. Everything. And when I ran over to the storeroom and went through the dedications and the anagram, everything just made sense even more - the pain, the love, the story, the characters. Everything. All the three symbolisms behind the anagram made me even more determined to seek you and to make amends with you again. It's what gave me the courage to believe that perhaps you still loved me even after everything that had happened and it gave me the courage to finally stand in front of you when I had to. Look at how that turned out," she ended slightly breathless, falling back into her chair tiredly at the end of her monologue. 

"I didn't know that the book was such an integral part of your life," spoke Ranveer with stunned disbelief after some time when Jennifer returned back to clear away the plates, both of them knowing how bland and lame his response sounded in comparison to her monologue. Ishaani shot him a woeful smile at the surprise evident in his voice.

"How could it not be when it bled of us?" asked Ishaani of him that earned her a keen look from Ranveer, who didn't say anything further. He was saved the energy when Ishaani spoke aloud suddenly once again.

"Is that why you were reading the part where Sarah spent the night at the beach in dilemma of whether or not to accept Ben back into her life after everything that had happened between them the night you came back from jail? Oh yeah, I was took to reading from that point forth since you were pretty much unconscious and I didn't have anything else to do," she explained when Ranveer's jaw fell open in surprise.

"When will your habit ever go of nosing around with other people's things?" asked Ranveer as he rolled his eyes at Ishaani, the latter not saying anything. She shamelessly grinned in return as they both stood up, looking forward to where Ranveer was going to take her next.

"Just out of curiosity, when did you pen this?" she asked out of curiosity when Ranveer led her outdoors, taking a detour towards the gardens. Once they'd seated themselves upon the bench near the back wall and had admired the nature around them for some time, Ranveer chose to reply calmly.

"A few months after the 26 July floods. Remember those funny dreams I'd told you about? I got my inspiration from them." Ishaani shot him a small smile, her mind going back to the incident and how it had changed the course of their lives in yet another way. She wondered what life might have actually been had he not had so many near-fatal incidents in the first place.

In a way, it was death that had always bridged the gap between them every single time, ironic as it was.

"Was the climax always meant to be this or did you change it later on?" asked Ishaani when Ranveer took her hand into his own, putting her head upon his shoulder. They watched the sky brighten a little more with every passing minute, the birds singing their melodies nearby while the trees bloomed radiantly with leaves, the adjacent bushes a mix of colourful flowers all over the place.

"It was always meant to be this," replied Ranveer simply and Ishaani nodded her head, suddenly feeling a strange anxiety course through her veins. The thought of what awaited them on the 30th left her with a bittersweet taste in her mouth.

"Wow, talk about their story beginning from the end then. And then there's the two of us..." spoke aloud Ishaani before trailing off, realizing that Ranveer's hands were suddenly beginning to grow cold, a sign right from the days of his paralysis that he was beginning to feel paranoia. Ishaani didn't say another word as she pulled him up on his feet and got up simultaneously, giving him a warm embrace while he took her into his arms only too willingly. Separating from the hug after an indefinite amount of time, Ishaani let her fingers trail upon his neck as their lips inched closer, barely apart within moments before a voice from behind broke their moment.

"Sir- Oh I'm so sorry, I didn't know..." stuttered Jennifer, looking heavily flabbergasted. Ranveer and Ishaani jumped away from each other, neither looking too happy about the interruption even thkugh they silently interlocked his fingers within each other's.

"What is it?" he asked the caretaker, the annoyance in his tone hardly concealed. Jennifer gave him a profusely apologetic look.

"It was Mr. Finch, sir. He has asked the two of you to be ready since he'll be here in another twenty minutes," she replied before leaving their company hurriedly, Ranveer rolling his eyes at the timing of his other best friend. Feeling a light squeeze of his hand, Ranveer looked beside him to see Ishaani shrug her shoulders at him nonchalantly, gesturing him to return back to the house.

They both knew that they were headed to get ready for the experience of a lifetime.

-x-

Ranveer and Ishaani returned back home at nine in the night, exhausted.

The two of them were picked up by Finch and Monica at the exact stipulated time, the other couple looking just as excited as Ishaani now felt even though Ranveer still looked uncertain about his decision of complying with Ishaani's wish. His mind remained diverted however as light conversation went around the car for the next fifteen minute until they reached the premises of Sydney Skydivers at half past six in the morning. The moment they entered the place, they saw a small group of people standing beside a tall and grim looking man who had his spectacles perched way below the bridge of his nose. On moving further ahead, Ranveer and Finch introduced themselves to the man in question who then introduced himself as their instructor for the next two days, Mr. Smith.

In the next five minutes, Mr. Smith conducted a quick round of introductions for the sixteen people who had enrolled in all for the program before everyone were instructed to be seated. Mr. Smith then begun the session by giving a quick introduction of himself and his achievements, the biggest being the 4000+ falls he'd made himself in his twelve years' worth of teaching experience that put all the enlisted candidates at ease.

The session then progressed to the first phase where Mr. Smith gave a demonstration lecture on the gears and suits used for skydiving along with the kind of altitudes and atmospheric pressures that were to be dealt with when reaching the height of the fall. Questions were then asked by Mr. Smith about what each candidate thought skydiving meant to them and why it was that they were embarking upon the experience of the same, Finch's answer being the best of all.

Ranveer remained a mute spectator for the first three hours as he watched Mr. Smith carefully, listening to every aspect of his speech and absorbing as much as he could even though Ishaani remained as hyper beside him as she'd been during their pottery classes together. Mr. Smith then taught them the basic signs and signals along with the names of the gears and apparatus that they'd be using for their dive, randomly asking anyone at hand to give them the name of any of the discussed paraphernalia and state its uses like was just taught.

Giving a ten minute break to absorb everything that was spoken, the second session resumed with Mr. Smith now moving over to the second phase, beginning with the posture practice that was to be maintained during all times of the fall from a variety of the same. The next three hours were nothing short of demanding and gruelling as the first main rule was practiced - cross arms, head back, knees bent, jump. One tap on the shoulder to open your arms. Second to brings arms to chest as the parachute opened. Legs pulled up beside as chest is raised, hands on either side while the back is arched slightly in the air for primary posture due to atmospheric pressure.

Everyone were made to practice the posture for as long as they could on a skateboard sleeping upon their stomachs. Most of them crashed between five to ten minutes, Ranveer being the only one who managed to pull it to fourteen minutes. It was no surprise to anyone by the end that the mute student of the class had topped them all when the session came to an end at exactly five minutes after one, Ishaani and Finch sniggering away at a flustered Ranveer while mouthing the word 'Prefect Perfect' at him.

Ranveer was about to retort when Mr. Smith walked up to him and commended him for his grit and flexibility, assuring him that he'd have a gala time skydiving before congratulating everybody else upon the same. Ranveer gave the instructor a small smile as he walked ahead and discussed a few more things regarding the safety of all the enrollers and the waiver forms, Mr. Smith assuring him to his best that everything would go off as decently as they could hope for. The weather was beautiful so far even though it could not be predicted.

Taking a quick lunch at a cafe nearby during which the four of them discussed about the demanding training and how tomorrow was going to be another four hours' worth of revision. Their muscles were already beginning to feel a little sore with the rigorous muscle work in spite of the warm-up exercises that they were made to do before the second session came into commencement. At a quarter to two, the four of them split with Finch and Monica heading back home while Ranveer called his driver and asked him to get his car, the driver reaching there at the same time they all made a move.

Ishaani wondered where Ranveer was going to take her as she turned upon the passenger seat to look at him, suddenly feeling exhilarated. Ranveer gave her a wink as he pushed the car into motion and drove along the smooth roads of Sydney, thus beginning their sightseeing tour. Ranveer retraced his route to the way he'd visited Sydney for the first time eight years ago, taking her along all the main attraction spots.

They started off with the Sydney Opera House, moving along the the Harbour Bridge, Sydney Tower, the Queen Victoria Building on George Street that quickly connected to Kings Cross, making sure to take her to the Art Gallery of NSW. It was where he always wanted to take her when he'd first visited the gallery himself. He then took her along the Circular Quay and Darling Harbours where he showed her around a yacht he had recently purchased, Ishaani unable to control her laughter as she asked him whether there was anything he was yet to purchase that made Ranveer laugh as well.

For the sunset he took her to Hyde Park where they sat together and devoured upon a few cones of butterscotch ice-cream, promising to take her to St. Mary's Cathedral and China Town the next day along with a surprise that awaited her during the evening tomorrow. Ishaani looked bamboozled by the end of the day as her mind buzzed with the animated life of Sydney, her heart bursting into fits of joy time and again as this was a life she was beginning to like better and better, wondering whether she could extend her holidays by another week.

Ishaani mused upon how she hadn't taken a single leave in the four years she'd rigorously slogged for, these four days being her first time away from anything got to do with work. It was what she ended up discussing with Ranveer on the way back home before he received a call from Jennifer who had to return back home early for her son had fallen sick, Ranveer granting her two day's leave to take her of her child. She informed him that she'd already prepared the food for the night.

Reaching home at long last, Ishaani plopped upon the plushy sofa while Ranveer took a seat opposite her, both of them fatigued.

"That was one tiring day," huffed Ranveer while pulling off the shoes from upon his legs along with the socks, flexing his toes as though trying to ease the pain away from it. Ishaani stretched her hands lethargically.

"My muscles feel sore right now," she remarked crankily, breaking her knuckles. Ranveer yawned softly, stopping halfway when he caught Ishaani staring at him rather sweetly. Both of them remained silent for sometime before Ishaani announced suddenly.

"I'm hungry."

"Jennifer has made us dinner," replied Ranveer instantly as he made to get up, but Ishaani shook her head.

"No, I don't want to eat something a little more traditional."

"We can go to an Indian restaurant. There's a great little place close by-" began Ranveer, racking his brains for an alternative before Ishaani shook her head once again, cutting across his speech.

"I want to have homemade food."

"Do you even know how to cook?" asked Ranveer after some time as the silence between grew thicker, Ishaani staring at him expectantly for a response. His response left her flustered as she recollected the only two times she'd ever cooked and the outcomes of the same.

"I've only ever cooked twice and both the times were for you. We both know how that turned out," added Ishaani grudgingly, suddenly embarrassed at her own request. Ranveer didn't look even remotely abashed as walked towards her and pulled her chin up gently.

"Fine, I'll teach you how to cook. Come with me," he insisted when Ishaani made to protest, the latter still shaking her head decisively. She tried slapping his hand away from her own when he made to catch hold of them and pull her up.

"What? No!"

"Yes!" countered Ranveer as he finally caught Ishaani's hand into his own and pulled her up from the sofa.

"You don't know how to cook, but I do. Besides, we have all the ingredients at home. Jennifer loves making the Indian cuisine even though I'm the one cooking almost always. Maa's made me an all-rounder, remember?" he added when Ishaani made to protest yet again but fell silent upon his statement, remembering all the times she'd laugh shamelessly at his feminine approach.

She couldn't stifle the laughter that left her lips anyway at just the mere thought of how he'd once danced in front of her in a saree when he was drunk. She nodded her head at him once she sobered down, letting him lead her into the kitchen that was comparatively larger to the one back at the Parekh Mansion. They both made their way towards the counter now looking at each other with a mixture of amusement and excitement, their tiredness suddenly forgotten in the light of what awaited them next.

"So what are you going to teach me?" asked Ishaani and Ranveer didn't have to rack his brains too much, the answer finding its way readily upon his lips.

"We'll start simple. Dal, rice, roti and bhindi."

"That doesn't sound so simple," commented Ishaani with her jaw dropped, wondering whether Ranveer was serious or was just trying to pull her leg. Ranveer didn't say anything further as he took her hand into his own and pulled her further into the kitchen, giving her a reassuring look.

"Just follow my lead."

"I'm in no state to learn anything more for today," protested Ishaani uncertainly but Ranveer only strengthened his hold upon her hand, giving her an firm nod.

"You don't have to learn anything. It's as simple as you could hope for it to be," he explained and Ishaani gave him a halfhearted look, knowing that he wasn't going to listen to anything she had to say now. So she decided upon the only option left.

"Okay, what do we start with first?" she asked. Ranveer gave her a small smile, pulling upon one of the cabinet doors open and bringing out an airtight box of rice, putting it upon the counter.

"The easiest of the lot - rice," he replied and Ishaani pulled out a saucepan from within another cabinet, waiting for the next set of instructions.

"First take a cup full of rice and put it in the saucepan. Take some water in it and rice your rice in a strainer. It's not necessary but its advisable that you do so," he instructed and Ishaani did the same, first uncertainly but getting a little more confident when Ranveer gave her an approving nod. Once she was done with the same, Ranveer continued.

"Okay, that's good to go. Now take some water to it - usually in the ratio of 2:1, with two cups of water to one cup of rice. Now put in on the stove and bring it to heat." Ishaani did the same, turning to look at him the moment she was done.

"Okay, what next?"

"While we wait for it to boil, we start with the bhindi," replied Ranveer as he opened the fridge and pulled out a couple of vegetables required for the same, handing them over to Ishaani. Ranveer gave her a smile and signalled her to take them near the sink, giving her the next set of steps.

"First take the ladyfingers, and a tomato, onion and green chili. Wash the tomato and the ladyfingers well," he added and Ishaani set the onion and chili on the dry side and washed the remaining vegetables as instructed. Bringing all of them back to the counter where Ranveer now stood with a cutting board and knife in hand, he gave her a nod.

"Now, dry each ladyfinger with a kitchen napkin and remove the head and the tail. Split it into half vertically," he instructed, giving her a demonstration of how it was to be cut. Ishaani nodded her head and took over from him while he watched over her, commenting every once in a while whether she was doing it right or no. When she'd finally completed doing the same, he handed over to her an onion that he'd already peeled the first layer of.

"Now chop the onion and tomato well enough - we don't want them too fine but not too big as well. Watch me..." he added as he began chopping the onion, Ishaani peeking with interest when she noticed Ranveer's eyes begin to water.

"Can I try?" she asked with enthusiatism and Ranveer contemplated her question, wondering whether or not to hand it over to her before he decided to let her try. Cutting was where the art of cooking lay, his mother always told him.

"Ofcourse," he replied, handing over the knife to Ishaani and walking away from the vegetable that was making him cry effortlessly. Ishaani picked up the knife and followed his lead as she chopped the onions decently, to Ranveer's extreme happiness. She was almost three quarters to chopping the tomato the same way when the inevitable happened.

"Ouch!" she shrieked as the knife fell away from upon her hand, the index finger of her left hand bleeding. Ranveer rushed ahead, quickly taking her by the arm and bringing her towards the sink as he turned on the water and washed away the blood from upon her hand, knowing that it was going to take a few minutes till the bleeding came to a halt.

"Shit, I knew this would happen. Put some ice on your finger and then get back here," he asked of her as Ishaani opened her mouth to speak, her eyes upon the cutting board. Ranveer knew what she was going to say.

"This is almost done so I'll finish it. You just check the rice before we start with the bhindi," he added when Ishaani still looked uncertain, the latter feeling her spirits fall slightly. She pulled out a cube from the fridge and applied it upon her finger, the bleeding ceasing in a few minutes. Ranveer walked up to her once he was done chopping the remnants of the tomato and the green chili, putting a band-aid around her finger that he'd retrieved from the first aid box in the kitchen. Ishaani gave him a grateful smile as she picked off the lid with a cloth, both of them watching the contents within.

"There's quite some water here," remarked Ishaani and Ranveer nodded his head, bringing over a pair of tongs now.

"Pick it up with the tong and throw out the water through a strainer and refill it with new one. You do that to rid the rise of the extra dirt," he added when Ishaani gave him a confused look that quickly changed into one of understanding as she did what he asked of her. Returning back to him, Ishaani gave him a questioning look before he spoke once again, suddenly feeling like a teacher.

"Now fill some water again and add some salt and butter into it. You can even add ghee in the rice of you want," he let her know as Ishaani followed what he said, opting for ghee instead of butter to his utmost astonishment and yet, glee. It was how his mother would make rice for him.

"It is okay?" she asked when she saw his slightly surprised look, and he couldn't help but give her a huge smile.

"Perfect. Put it on a gentle simmer and cover the lid. Don't play peekaboo with it," he scolded when he saw the antsy look on Ishaani's face, giving her a stern look when she looked like a student caught doing mischief. He continued. "Just leave some extra water on the lid so you get an approximate time about when the rice will be cooked, that should be around 15-20 minutes."

"Aye aye, capitaine," replied Ishaani cheekily and Ranveer gave her a lopsided grin, pulling her attention back towards the impending task at hand now.

"Now let's come back to the bhindi. Take a pan and heat some oil in it..." he began as he handed over to her a pan and showed her where the oils were kept. Ishaani picked up a bottle of sunflower oil and put a little in the pan, stopping when Ranveer nodded his head.

"Now fry the onions till transparent and then add the green chili and tomatoes. Saute them for a couple of minutes till the tomatoes become soft," he continued and Ishaani did the same, only looking up at him once the aroma grew stronger, the vegetables sauteed.

"What next?" she asked as Ranveer walked over to another cabinet and pulled out a box with different dried spice powders labelled neatly. He handed over the box to Ishaani, who looked hesitant once again.

"Add all the dry spice powders one by one, that's the most important," he replied as he gave Ishaani the spoon, giving her the list of ingredients that went into the pan next. "Stir it all well and then add the okra," he added once Ishaani followed his steps meticulously, bringing the sliced ladyfingers beside her that she put into the pan.

"Mix them all well and add salt. Place a lid with a rim on the pan and pour some water on the lid just like with the rice. Keep the stove on either medium or low flame and keep on checking in between so that it does not stick to the bottom of the pan," he instructed further and watched Ishaani work in silence, the heat in the kitchen getting a little stifling even though the aroma of the freshly cooked Indian food kept coming stronger and stronger.

"Done."

"Go check the rice simultaneously," he reminded and she pulled off the lid once again, turning to look at him a little worriedly.

"There's still some water in the pan."

"Wait for it to drain off then," replied Ranveer reassuringly and she relaxed, giving him a goofy grin. "When done, the rice will be firm but tender. It is fine if it's slightly sticky but shouldn't be gummy."

"Gotcha," she replied rather eagerly before realizing that Ranveer was watching her with an extremely amused look upon his face. She blushed sheepishly, knowing that it was better to admit what he already knew.

"This is really interesting!" she exclaimed as Ranveer gave her a list in her hand. Ishaani looked at him, puzzled.

"The fun begins with the dal and the rotis, but let's start with the dal first. I always keep the list of ingredient on hand so that I don't have difficulty finding it," explained Ranveer and Ishaani read the list of ingredients to herself.

"What the hell just hit me?" asked Ishaani as she stared at him blankly, Ranveer unable to control laughing at her bizarre expression. Firing a well-aimed slap on his arm, Ishaani crossed her arms across her chest and Ranveer raised his hands in surrender.

"I'll tell you that soon, Sunny! First shut off the okra and the rice, they're both done. For the rice, turn off the heat and let stand a few minutes, covered. It'll steam the rice just a little more." Ishaani did the same, staring at the two dishes as her eyes grew dewy finally at the thought of finally cooking something right in her life even though half the credit went to Ranveer for supervising her.

"That's a dual success," she exclaimed once she walked back to him even though the implied meaning of her statement didn't go amiss by either. Ranveer wiped away the tear that had fallen away from her eye and cupped her face lovingly with his clean hand.

"And that too under fifty minutes. Did you manage to get a hang of the ingredients?" he asked once they separated, both of them heading to wash their hands.

"Yes, I did. Mala taught me to distinguish between the different spice powders and ingredients like that. Should I get them?" asked Ishaani once they were done.

"You'll find the pulses in the cabinet below, the spice powders are here and the rest in the cabinet above and the remaining ingredients are in the fridge all labelled either on packets or bottles," replied Ranveer as he headed towards the station to clean it while Ishaani extracted the extra ingredients required for the same. The moment she brought back the extras, Ranveer gave her an impressed look.

"You know, you are pretty good for a first time learner," he commended as she flushed at the compliment, unable to bite back the cheeky retort that left her lips.

"As long as there's no bhaang leaves and peanut butter around, I'm alright I guess."

"In your defense, the cookies were delicious and the kadha worked perfectly because I didn't get a fever again. Just a few snags here and there, that's all," he added as both of them recollected the aftermath of the snags, one undesirable while the other definitely so. Ishaani didn't shy away from saying the same even though she slyly rephrased her line of thought, winking at Ranveer rather shamelessly.

"Yeah, one just nearly snuffed the breath out of you and the other one your senses."

"Alright, this is never going on end," replied Ranveer, knowing where the conversation was headed while Ishaani pursed her lips at the retort that was so readily sitting upon her lips. He continued, snapping back into teacher mode.

"Let's make a push now. Wash the pulses well and then add 2 cups of water and pressure cook for 2 to 3 whistles." Ishaani pulled out the cooker from below and did the same, silently waiting for her to be finished with the task while Ranveer sat upon one of the counters, watching her patiently. His heart felt a strange joy course through it, the feeling different and strange after years of pain and bitterness.

"Good, now let's get to the rotis while we wait for the dal to get cooked," he spoke once Ishaani had completed the first round of steps to his satisfaction, getting down from the counter. Ishaani gave him an eager look.

"What do you want me to get you?"

"Just the flour that's in the cabinet and the vegetable oil on that counter," he replied and she quickly fetched the same.

"Now take some flour in that cup, that should come up to around 250 grams. Now place the flour, water and salt in a bowl and mix them properly together. No, not like this..." he corrected when he saw the mess Ishaani was making. And suddenly he was spooning her with his right hand trailing along her own until he held her hand within his own and pressed the half-made dough firmly with a little more force. Ishaani shut her eyes, distracted by his breath upon her neck.

"See, like this. Knead it properly - firm yet gentle. Yep, now you're getting the hang of it," he whispered with satisfaction as he let go of her hands and let her knead the dough on her own, the texture still looking a little faulty in both of their opinions.

"Is the dough supposed to be like this?" asked Ishaani, thankful that their proximity had increased for the kind of adrenaline she felt course through her in those few minutes were enough to send shivers down her spine.

"No, put a little more flour." 

Ishaani watched him work upon the dough diligently, taken by a sudden urge to create a little mischief in the classroom after all the sobriety. She put her clean hand into the flour box and pulled some flour out of it, slapping it across Ranveer's face suddenly. He let out a cry of outrage, stupefied at being caught off-guard.

"In the dough, not upon my face Ishaani!" he complained reproachfully while Ishaani added some extra flour in the dough, finally bringing it to rest decently. She put her hand into the box for the third time and caught Ranveer on the opposite side of his face this time, managing to get both of his cheeks flour-stained along with her forehead and nose as they got into a struggle.

"Like this?" she asked notoriously as she slapped yet another bit of flour upon his face, quickly running away the moment she knew he was going to give her a chase now.

"Why you- Ishaani, come back here!" he yelled, grasping some flour in his hand. He ran around the kitchen with Ishaani looking behind and sticking her tongue out at him childishly.

"You look like a white monkey like this!"

"Aha, cornered fair and square!" exclaimed Ranveer when he managed to pin her against the wall at long last, Ishaani unable to find a way of exit as his eyes bore into her own hypnotically.

"Ranveer, not my face please!" she begged while trying to shield her face by covering her hands against it. Ranveer lessened the distance, eyeing her curiously.

"Oh yes, your face definitely," whispered Ranveer, his flour-stained fingers trailing along her neck. Ishaani gasped. Shutting her eyes at the sensation, she felt Ranveer lean in with his hand cupping her face slowly, his stubble prickling the other side of her face. She was certain that her face had been stained whiter by the way his cheeks were rubbing circles upon her own delicately, her lips parting involunatrily. She could feel his warm breath get closer until he finally ceased to breath, their lips now barely apart. She felt them brush against her own, her own inching ahead in anticipation. 

And then the whistle went off shrilly. 

Both of them jumped apart at the sudden disturbance, disoriented at what was happening before Ranveer regained command first.

"Take either a spoon or a pan stick and allow the steam to escape before opening the lid," he spoke rather quickly as Ishaani flushed, pushing him away slightly. She made her way back to the stove and let her fingers trail where he'd applied the flour upon her face while Ranveer appeared moments later, wiping away the flour from upon his face with a napkin.

"Now open the lid and let it cool slightly. Let's get to making the dough balls now," he added, walking over to the mould with the dough in it. Ishaanj quickly making a couple of smaller, even-looking dough balls before Ranveer picked up the cooker and walked towards where the mixer was connected.

"Now blend this in a mixer to a smooth mixture and keep it aside once done. Meanwhile, take another cooker and combine the yam, peanuts and dates, add enough water and pressure cook for 2 to 3 whistles. Allow the steam to escape before opening the lid and keep aside, just like with the dal." 

Ishaani nodded her head, recollecting how his mother would make dal during the several times she'd be in his room when she would be cooking. Working from memory, she realized that she was just as efficient when she finished the job quicker than Ranveer had expected her to, the latter dumbfounded look. Once she was done, he brought ahead the rolling board.

"Now let's make the rotis. Just roll it on the hand with a little oil and dust it with flour. Then roll it flat on the surface like this." He gave her a demo by flattening out one of the smaller dough balls with the rolling pin, Ishaani looking at him in stunned disbelief as he picked up a second dough ball and repeated the same thing for her better understanding.

"How the heck did you make them so round?" asked Ishaani the moment he was done with the second dough ball, Ranveer unable to control smiling at the look of sheer astonishment upon her face.

"Practice, Princess Moon," he replied, snapping Ishaani out of her stupor. She narrowed her eyes at him upon the word Princess Moon even though she was eager to give it a try. 

"I'll go and sort the cooker out," offered Ranveer as the third whistle blew in the distance, Ishaani nodding her head not unlike an excited child when Ranveer handed over the rolling pin to her. Returning back after fifteen minutes during which he brought back the blender and the other cooker's contents together with the rest of what was going to be required, he found Ishaani staring at the flattened doughs in shame. He peeked further to see what she'd done to them, shaking his head rather good-naturedly when she gave him a nervous look.

"Ishaani we want them round, not like Sri Lanka. Alright, you follow the rest of the instructions for the dal while I sort this out," he sighed and she accepted only too willingly, moving over to the stove beside which she found everything ready for her. All she had to do was assimilate now. Twenty minutes later, she stood staring the dal simmering happily.

"Done."

"I've sorted the rotis out. Now heat the pan, put some oil and slap the flattened dough on the pan. Flip the side when the dough's got a brown colour although avoid the black spots. Do the same for the other side, but some more oil or ghee according to your preference and then take it off," he instructed as they switched sides, Ranveer watching out for the dal while Ishaani began making phulkas with much more ease than she had with flattening the rotis in a perfect circle.

Another twenty minutes later saw both of them standing beside each other tiredly, staring at what they'd cooked like proud parents. Ranveer put his arm around Ishaani, who actually seemed to be crying for a reason he couldn't really determine.

"You've cooked an official meal," he whispered while kissing the crown of her head. Separating themselves from each other, Ranveer pulled out a tray and a few pieces of crockery to serve the dishes into.

"Now last minute tips - fluff the rice with a spoon or a fork, and let it sit for a few moments to dry out and lose that just-steamed texture. Put the coriander leaves dressing on both the bhindi as well as the dal and the rotis with a little oil on top," he advised before finally carrying a tray of warm, fresh homemade food into the dining room. Quickly serving each other with a little of all the dishes while Ranveer brought out a bowl of curd and two glasses of juice alongside, Ishaani took a bite from her plate rather worriedly even though though her frown changed into a radiant smile a few minutes later.

"You know, this actually tastes bloody good!" exclaimed Ishaani when she had a taste of all four dishes, smiling from ear to ear.

"Well, we made this with love so it had to taste good, no?" he remarked and both of them shared a look of silent understanding, feeling happier than they'd felt in ages. They continued to have their food with the same contentment, thanking God for giving them the privilege to enjoy such a sumptuous meal in the other's presence.

They'd had a lot of dinners together but this was indeed going to be the most memorable one of all. They continued eating, feeding each other and sharing a lot more laughs on the way as the aroma of love found its way into their hearts through their stomach.

-x-

The next morning dawned with grace as it found Ranveer and Ishaani making their way towards the former's office in his Audi, Ishaani looking rather excited. The moment the car drew into the premises of the RV Group of Companies, Ishaani looked out from her window and let out a low whistle, unable to take her eyes off of the huge eighteen-floor commercial complex.

"I've seen your castle, let's see the empire now," whispered Ishaani as she turned to look as Ranveer, who now had a modest look upon his face. Directing the car towards the spot reserved for him, both of them stepped down from the car and slammed their sunglasses upon their eyes simultaneously, the sun shining a little too brightly in their opinion at eight in the morning. They were due to reach the skydiving center at half past ten, giving them ample time on hand to sort out their affairs.

"Be my guest," was all Ranveer told her graciously as they stepped into the premises, the receptionist springing upon her feet at RV's sight. He walked past her without another word except shooting her a polite smile, Ishaani enjoying the experience thoroughly. She noticed that the receptionist looked close to fainting.

She was finally getting the chance to see how people working for RV reacted to his presence. She had come to believe that her staff was perhaps a little too dramatic when it came to exaggerating about her cold, bitchy behaviour even though it was something she didn't remotely regret. It was what made her the woman that she became today. The greedy world never understood the language of love; only power and money.

But as Ranveer took her along all the eighteen floors and got her introduced to the various sectors of his magnanimous empire, Ishaani had to admit that her cold, manipulative bitch tag was rather tame in front of the reputation RV had in his office. People jumped off their seats left, right and center as he entered various offices pertaining to different departments, half of them looking as though he might have entered to claim their lives and were looking at Judgement Day.

And as the floors kept on increasing, Ishaani noticed that the employees looked more prepared for his arrival even though they still flinched. They gave him broad smiles that could turn to tears at a moment's notice as they wished him a good morning with such genuineness that it made Ishaani laugh. Ranveer looked unperturbed as he introduced Ishaani to the people he wanted her to meet and vice-versa, the employees looking even more stunned at the fact that he looked rather good-tempered today.

Finally reaching the seventeenth floor, RV walked out of the lift brusquely with most of the members of the top administration jumping upon their seats as though caught in wrong doing, Ishaani keeping up pace. But that was not the only victory. She finally managing to catch how the employees were prepared for him, observing one of them shut their desktop screen quickly when they passed his cabin. Ishaani's fox-like eyes didn't miss what was written upon the screen, understanding what was now being broadcasted across all the departments of the building.

The hawk is on the kill.

Ishaani bit her cheek trying to not laugh aloud as Ranveer finally opened the door to his cabin and let Ishaani pass through first, her reaction identical to his own when he'd entered the same cabin for the same time almost eight years ago during his interview with Mr. Zaveri. Times had changed and his prayer then had been answered in the most unexpected way possible. Not only had he become a big man but he had gotten the exact same cabin that he'd dreamt of even though he firmly believed that the price he had to pay for it was far more than it was worth.

"Holy shit. This is all yours?" whispered Ishaani as RV directed her to take a seat across his desk while he settled into his own. The sun entered the room with the same loving caress that it would years ago while he saw the Harbour from a distance, a serene, reminiscent smile upon his face. He looked at Ishaani, who noticed his eyes brim with a modesty that she always loved about him.

"This was my late father-in-law's office and also where I had my first interview. I'd cycled all the way here because I was nearly nearly broke and had no money for any other conveyance, and you can only imagine how scared and frightened I was. That was the most testing interview of my life where he asked me questions that I'd never even heard of in my life until then and that interview had gone up for almost two hours."

"Wow..."

"I didn't even think that I'd get the job because there were no vacancies at the time and he was rather frank with me. Oddly, it was the only time I used Mota Babuji as a reference for a job and I'm afraid it rather backfired because he grated me across the rocks after that to see whether I was worth the praises that Mota Babuji had been benevolent with, apparently. But I did get the job to my utmost surprise."

"What did you start of as?"

"I got the job of a delivery boy even though it was an outdated profession but I was promoted to being his personal assistant by a couple of months of working with him. He was a man of extraordinary wisdom and wit, and if there's anyone I truly believe to be my mentor after Mota Babuji, it was him."

"I can see the two photo frames behind you," remarked Ishaani gently and Ranveer gave her a small smile.

"It's the only change I've made in this cabin in all these years," confessed Ranveer and Ishaani nodded her head in acknowledgment. He continued. "When I entered his cabin for the first time, I knew that the day I became a big man, I'd make myself the exact same kind of cabin."

"And today, this is yours," remarkef Ishaani, sounding awestruck. Her eyes grew dewy in pride, understanding for the first time in its entirety what peak had Ranveer truly conquered right from scratch. And it only made her heart swell with love and happiness for the man sitting before her as she felt a newfound respect and admiration for him, the feeling overwhelming.

"Ritika handed over everything to me in her will once she passed away, including her interior designing firm that had picked up scale. I handled clientele from there too and used quite a lot of picks for the interior designing of the resorts as well. The office was originally just the sixteenth and the seventeenth floor, but I bought the complex outright eventually," added Ranveer and Ishaani smiled, feeling the same power of RV exude from him. She felt a chill run down her spine, the same chill that legend had that he created just with his name in the stock markets.

"Wow, you have a lot of interconnected businesses," remarked Ishaani and RV gave her a modest smile, pressing a buzzer on his phone. Ishaani waited patiently, wondering what he had in mind now.

"And it's only going to get more so," corrected RV, who was saved the trouble of explaining further as a knock on the door interrupted their conversation.

Being granted permission to enter the room , Ishaani turned behind to see a man in his late-thirties walk in - blond, rosy complexioned and looking slightly rotund in his pinstriped suit. His shoes gleamed while Ishaani took in the green of his eyes, realizing that he was a man of intellect even though he looked rather timid otherwise.

RV nodded his head graciously as the man put down a couple of files upon the table, pulling them close to himself. He quickly went through them with his utmost satisfaction before setting them down and turning his attention towards the latest arrival.

"Jameson, I'd like you to meet Miss Ishaani Parekh, chairman of the Parekh Empire back in Mumbai and popularly reputed as the Queen of Dalal Street," he introduced in a tone that took Ishaani by surprise even though Jameson didn't flinch. He looked as though he'd accepted the fate that he'd die at the hands of his boss one day soon.

"Delighted to make your acquaintance, Miss Parekh," greeted Jameson as Ishaani stood up to shake hands with him, the latter extremely surprised by the confidence that suddenly exuded from his tone while his handshake remained firm.

Ishaani realized in that moment that RV had picked up the most precious of diamonds and had polished them with his own hands to make them who they were today, grilling them into the most trying of fires just like how he'd been brought up as a child. Ishaani could now see what he meant to say at the orphanage; he'd spoken the truth to Baa, not any form of consolation. Maybe that's why he was amongst the most sought-after men to work with today, mused Ishaani further.

"Ishaani, this is Bill Jameson. CEO of RV Financial Solutions," he introduced further and Ishaani nodded her head, both of them breaking free from the handshake with a pleasant smile.

"Pleasure."

"Thank you Jameson, exceptional work," remarked RV, giving the man a gratuitous smile. Ishaani resumed her seat and gave RV a curious look before realizing that Jameson was rooted upon the spot. Ishaani noticed that he'd turned pale, looking as though somebody had either slapped him or had shown him a ghost.

"I'm sorry, is there something you require?" asked Ishaani hesitantly, her soft tone snapping Jameson out of his reverie. He looked first at Ishaani and then towards RV before finally addressed the latter.

"You're smiling."

"Sorry?" asked RV as he cocked his eyebrow at his employee, catching on what the man was trying to say. He quickly covered the smile with a pronounced scowl, mentally slapping himself for letting Ranveer break loose.

"You- you're smiling. This is impossible!" exclaimed Jameson as though he was having difficulty believing his eyes, his voice barely audible. RV gave Jameson a death glare while Ishaani avoided looking at him entirely, afraid that she might actually laugh.

"Would you like me to have your termination letter sent within ten minutes?" asked RV rather tautly and Jameson smiled this time, looking rather relieved.

Ishaani wondered what kind of circus he ran in his office. During her six-month research on the RV Goup of Companies, the employees had clearly stated that they were more than well paid for and received the necessary leaves, benefits and bonuses on time depending upon the quality of the work done. It was no hidden fact that the RV Group of Companies was definitely one of the most employee friendly companies globally. 

The final interviews for the candidates appointed were personally conducted by RV himself where only five candidates getting selected out of five hundred, majority of the interviews not lasting beyond a question. And from what she saw and observed, she realized that the employees within themselves had a very strong bond as they looked at their boss in reverence even though they had only one fear in life - RV himself.

"That's more like you, sir. Good day," he added quickly before practically running out the cabin, feeling the heat of a narrower death glare burn the back of his head as the door shut behind him. RV gave Ishaani an apologetic look, who in turn had a smile upon her face. The scenario was all the too familiar for her.

"Well, I don't blame the poor soul for being surprised. Puneet and Rishi have given me such responses as well. Makes me wonder at times whether I like being this Ishaani or the cold manipulative bitch like I'm politely called by my staff to say the least," she observed coolly, relaxing back into her chair. RV shrugged his shoulders and eyed her keenly.

"I think my staff might have some pretty good names for me as well. But we can discuss that on the way home as well," he remarked and Ishaani didn't bother hiding a look of surprise. She had to admit that he was indeed the hawk his employees claimed him to be.

"I have something important to discuss with you," mentioned Ranveer gravely, but the expression upon Ishaani's face didn't falter. She knew what he was referring to - the unknown Plan B that he'd mentioned at the Heathrow Airport back in London.

"I knew that you wouldn't drop it," joked Ishaani. RV gave her a shrewd smile, forwarding a piece of document in her direction.

"Here you go. This is 1% of the stakes at the Parekh Empire. I want to sell it back to you."

"And?"

"And hand you over 50% stakes of the RV Group of Companies out of my 100% ownership. I want to make you the joint owner of the same." Ishaani didn't look entirely surprised for she knew what was coming her way the moment she saw the 1% share of the Parekh Empire back in her name.

"What do you have in mind?" asked Ishaani as she studied the man opposite her, the essence of Ranveer having long since departed. The man who sat in front of her now was nothing but a mastermind whose pace of thoughts she could surprisingly find herself keeping up with as she let Miss Parekh awaken within her again. RV smiled calmly, putting his own blueprint in front of her just like Ishaani had done during their first meeting back in Mumbai.

"You have a construction company, I have a chain of resorts and an interior designing firm to my credit. Like you know, there are two resorts opening in Mumbai and London respectively for which I will require a construction company to tie up with. And who better to do this with than you? We already have a duopoly in the diamond markets and coming to the share markets, I think we can exchange toffees between ourselves, if you know what I mean," added RV smartly, perching his fingers delicately beneath his chin.

"Why would you do that?" asked Miss Parekh as she leaned ahead in her chair, her posture identical to his own. RV and Miss Parekh entered into yet another tussle of eyelocks, the two manipulators trying to read the others' mind before the former broke eye contact first.

"What do you mean?"

"When I came to you with the offer of a duopoly, I had a motive for the same and a reason to seek you. You don't have any," she added, her tone no longer gentle. She'd gotten into the skin of Miss Parekh. RV gave her a keen look before spoke rather evasively, shrugging his shoulders at the same time.

"Perhaps I could give you the same reasons that you gave me. Financial security, more backing, expansion."

"Really?" commented Miss Parekh and the sarcasm in her voice made Ranveer snicker. He let his hands rest upon the table when he spoke next.

"I can see Miss Parekh with clarity now. Good. You want motive and I'll give you motive. You have an expanding empire and so do I. We've been trying to play it smart but there's going to be time when we'll have to pit against each other eventually. There's no need to really when we can take out competition together rather than be one to each other."

"What are you trying to say?" asked Miss Parekh, beginning to get the gist of what was going on in his mind.

"We may be Ranveer and Ishaani outside the office where we have a history, but at work we are just RV and Miss Parekh who don't give a damn and have no relation to anyone else. We will do anything to get what we want and we both know how that goes. We won't back down like Sharman made DeBeers do when they nosed around and caught a faint scent of our little shindig with the diamonds at the customs. Oh yes I know..." smirked RV and Ishaani raised her hands in surrender. He continued. "But the point is, if it comes to even killing each other out there in terms of competition, RV and Miss Parekh won't hesitate."

"Touche," was all Miss Parekh said, smiling in spite of herself. RV continued.

"But since both of us are smarter than that, why kill when we can become allies and join our resources? You are bloody good at what you do, Miss Parekh. I wouldn't even think about crossing your path lightly, atleast not without having a proper backing. So tell me, Miss Parekh, would you become my equal partner? 50% stakes in both firms - and we have a very good partnership like you've agreed so yourself," he added and Ishaani laughed aloud rather unabashedly. RV giving her a modest look.

"It's a very intriguing offer, Mr. RV. Go on, I'm listening," she added and RV spoke yet again.

"You wanted to get an expansion for the construction firm, you have it now just like I wanted a foothold in the London markets and you gave me that on a silver platter. And we no longer have to worry about funds since together our firms are more than capable of carrying half the load as well. We officially own half of the other's firm and yet we do not merge into a third empire because our individual goodwill in the market is more than substantial for the companies to run successfully on their own. Rulers of the world together, remember? So tell me - do you accept?" 

The room was rented with silence, neither of them speaking anything as RV and Miss Parekh continued to stare at each other, neither of them breaking eye contact until fifteen minutes elapsed. Snapping out of the stupor first, Miss Parekh gave RV a small smile before giving him the tiniest nod of her head, the smile upon RV's face breaking not unlike the blooming of the most beautiful flower. An identical smile broke upon her face as well.

"I do." 

RV pushed his pen towards her direction, giving her a nod of acknowledgement. Picking up his Mont Blanc from upon the table, Ishaani went through the seven-sheet undertaking with utmost caution before she finally capped open the pen and flourished her signature upon all the five spots marked for her to sign, shutting the pen close and pushing it towards RV along with the documents.

"Congratulations, Miss Parekh. You are officially the 50% owner of the RV Group of Companies as well. Shall I get you introduced to the employees of your company then?" offered RV as he got up from his seat and helped Ishaani out, giving her a quick glance. Thanking her stars for the blinds being closed, Ishaani tiptoed upon her feet until her lips were near his ear.

"Not before I congratulate you personally on being the 50% owner of the Parekh Empire as well, Mr. Prefect Perfect."


Constructive criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for any typos. :D :D


Next chapter:
Chapter 22

LadyMeringue2017-02-24 00:17:15

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