AR FF~Set Ablaze~ part-14 page-110 28/07 - Page 23

Part-4

Armaan looked at Victor Mackenzie sitting across him at the end of the long conference table. He and Victor had a contract for some malls which Armaan now wanted to break because of the way victor worked. He wanted to take all the decisions in regard to the malls they were building but when you worked with Armaan Malik, it was he who took all the decisions and they were all absolutely right. Armaan knew that Victor was a very arrogant guy and there were a lot of people who were scared of him but Armaan wanted to break the contract between them anyways, though he would have to suffer heavy losses but that was nothing if it gets him rid of this arrogant ******* who thinks he knows everything about everything.

"Mr. Malik I hope you have signed the contract and have brought the papers with you."

"Of course I have the papers with me. All of them."

"Good. But there are some changes that I want to make in this project."

Armaan knew it. He knew that the moment they'll start the work Victor would start poking his nose into everything and would try to act all authoritative. He waited for him to go on.

"I don't think that Claire will be a good designer for our malls. We need to hire someone more experienced and somebody with an established name in the industry so that it would add to our mall's prestige. Somebody like Nick Collin."

Victor looked at Armaan who just nodded his head. Victor smiled and went on with his rambling, "I don't think that we should have this mall in this location. We'll have to change the location as well."

Again Armaan didn't say anything.

"I think we'll have to build the kids section on the 3^rd floor and we can't get Sam to supply the stuff. We'll have to hire someone else. I think….

"Oh, shut up." Armaan finally spoke up.

Victor was so shocked that he actually shut up and sat staring at Armaan with disbelief in his eyes. He looked as if someone had slapped him hard across his face.

He finally composed himself and spoke, "Let me make one thing very clear Mr. Malik. Nobody, absolutely nobody tells me to shut up…"

"I just did." Armaan spoke in an amused tone.

Victor looked angrily at him and spoke in an angry tone, "You are forgetting Mr. Malik that we have a contract between us."

Armaan smiled at him. "I can never forget that contract between us and this is exactly what I think about your contract."

Armaan opened the black file lying in front of him and taking out an envelope he slid it across the table towards Victor. Victor looked from Armaan to the envelope lying in front of him and than reached out to it and picked it up. He opened it and its contents fell out of it. Victor was horrified when he saw the contract lying in front of him…..torn in pieces. He looked at Armaan, enraged.

"What the hell is this supposed to mean?" He bellowed at Armaan.

Armaan stood up and walked towards where Victor was sitting and than placing his both hands on the table he towered over Victor making him lean backwards in his chair, intimidated by Armaan's powerful presence.

"I just broke the contract we had. And anyways I had never signed it so it was never really official. Now I want you to leave my office this instant coz am so not in a mood to call the security and get you pushed out of here and make it tomorrow's newspaper's headlines. So are you going to leave?"

Armaan stood up straight and moved aside indicating to Victor that it was time for him to leave. Victor stood up angrily, pushing back his chair and roared in an angry voice, "You are going to regret your decision."

With that he left the office and Armaan shook his head and sighed in relief .

Just than a knock resounded on the door.

"Come in"

Armaan stood with his back towards the door and he heard his manager's voice behind him.

"Sir I needed to talk to you about the factory that we have in Manchester."

"What about it?"

"Sir we can't shut that factory."

Armaan whirled around to face the manager and looked at him with his eyebrows raised, was this man trying to defy him. The manager gulped as he looked at Armaan.

"Sir….err…actually there are like 1000s of workers working in this factory. They all will be rendered jobless. We can't do this to them."

"Alright than you can pay for the losses and I won't close the factory."

The manager looked at Armaan now seated on his chair and looking at him intently.

"Sir….

He trailed off not knowing what to say.

"Look that factory is running in losses. I don't see any reason to keep that running. It would be foolish to bear the losses just so that I can provide employment to all these people. My business is not for charity, so am sorry to say that you'll have to get the factory closed within the next week since we have already issued the notice to the workers."

When the manager did not say anything Armaan repeated himself, "We have issued the notices haven't we?"

"err…no sir."

"You're fired."

"Sir I am really sorry but I just wanted to save those workers and….

"…and you did exactly that. The workers won't be thrown out. Some of them will be working in my other factories and the rest will work in the mall project but am afraid you have lost your job. You are my manager…your advice is more than welcome but just advice, you are not allowed to take decisions. That's my job and I don't like people who poke their nose in everything and don't know how to mind their own business and now I want you to gather your stuff and leave the building within next 20 minutes and make sure I don't have to repeat myself or else you won't be able to get another job in the whole city."

The manager rushed out of the cabin and was out of the building in no time knowing fully well that it was no use pleading with the ruthless Armaan Malik who meant every word he said and never really cared about others.

Armaan leaned back in his chair and chuckled to himself. He simply loved firing people especially people like the manager who always tried to be over smart.

The man was a fool to think that he would simply throw so many workers out. It would have caused a major dent on his reputation which was already pretty bad amongst people but that didn't mean he would risk the ridiculous media and the painful worker strikes.

*Knock* *Knock*

He saw his secretary entering the room.

"Sir your appointments for today."

Armaan gestured her with his hands to go on.

"You have a meeting with Ms. Gupta today and than…

"Hold on a sec. Ms.Gupta…when is the meeting? At what time?"

"1:10."

"hmm…we'll talk about the rest of the appointments after this meeting gets over."

The secretary nodded and left the room. He rolled his tongue and muttered under his breath "Riddhima Gupta…finally."

**************

"Neena do you really think there is anything going on between Sara and Armaan. Sara really has it bad for him."

Neena looked over at her friends looking at her keenly. They were all wives of hot shot celebrities but themselves had nothing to do in their life except gossip and who better to supply it than the social butterfly Neena Orsini. Riddhima was sitting next to Neena waiting for the stupid gossip session to get over. She had to leave for a meeting with Armaan Malik but the current topic was interesting….Armaan and Sara…interesting indeed.

"hmmm…lets see. Sara and Armaan…I don't think so."

Her friends looked at Neena curiously.

"But why not. They both suit each other…though Sara is a better person any day. Armaan no doubt is very handsome and rich but than at the same time he is a ruthless business man and a big time Casanova while Sara is a sweetheart but still she loves him and they are spotted together at many places. So I think they are dating."

"They are not. Sara is not Armaan's type. She can't match him in anyway."

"Who do you think could match him than?"

*beep* *beep*

"Sorry guys but I have to leave. I have a meeting to attend. I'll catch you guys later." Riddhima got up from her chair and after hugging all of them left the house and sighed in relief.

"Hmmm so where were we?" Neena resumed the chat revolving around Armaan Malik's very interesting love life.

"Who do you think could make Armaan..

"Oh ya. There is only one woman who could match him in every way…..Riddhima gupta."

All the women looked at Neena with disbelief written all over their face.

"You gotta be kidding me. She is an angel and he is a devil. Riddhima deserves someone better."

"Oh cummon guys. Riddhima gupta is the only girl who can tame that wild playboy. She is the only woman whose husband or boyfriend wouldn't wanna cheat on. Any man would count his blessings to have her. She can turn the worst playboy into Abelard any day."

They all nodded in agreement, agreeing that Riddhima gupta, the enchantress could indeed tame Armaan Malik.

"But why would she do that, she is never interested in men."

Neena stood up and walked to the window and looked out and saw Riddhima driving out of the parking space and she spoke under her breath…

"Foolish women..they don't know that their men have been roaming around Riddhima like puppy dogs….angel indeed and Riddhima taming Armaan….na….its Armaan who is going to tame her."

**************

"Armaan!!!" Sara entered inside Armaan's cabin without knocking and went and sat down on his table and closed the laptop he was working on.

"Cummon lets go shopping. You promised you'll make up for not attending my birthday so now you have to cancel all your appointments and come shopping with me."

"Get up!!" Armaan spoke angrily to her while she simply gaped at him startled by the angry voice she was hearing for the first time.

"Get up and get out. Knock on the door and when I allow you than come inside and when you do, sit down on the chair not on the table and that too when I allow you to. Now get out."

Sara stood up immediately scared by the sudden change in him. She looked at him wondering as to what brought the sudden change in him. He had never uttered a single rude word to her in all these years. Her eyes turned misty and just than Armaan burst out laughing.

"Oh my god, look at your face. You look as if somebody just hit you with a wet fish on your face."

He picked up his cell phone and clicked her photograph.

"ARMAAN!!!" She tried grabbing the cell but her leg banged in the chair and she slipped and fell on his lap with her body leaning over his.

"Ahem..ahem…err…I guess I'll come later." Riddhima who had just entered the cabin turned around to leave allowing Sara and Armaan to continue whatever they were doing. Armaan stood up immediately. "Riddhima please wait. Err…its not what you think it is. Sara was just…

"Riddhima don't you think you should have knocked on the door or send Armaan's secretary in to let him know that you are here. I mean that's how its done…

"I would have surely done that Sara had Mr. Malik's secretary been on her desk and as for knocking on the door…well I would have done that too had the door not been open already. But its okay, I guess I'll leave now and you guys can continue whatever you were in the middle of."

Riddhima turned around to leave when Armaan darted towards her and spoke, "Riddhima please. I apologies. Its not your fault and I don't know why Rosie is not on her desk and as for Sara…well she was about to leave."

Armaan turned towards Sara and gestured her with his eyes to leave seeing which she stomped out of the cabin rather dramatically but now without giving Riddhima a dirty look. She wondered what was Riddhima doing here? It was not that she didn't like her…it was impossible to not like her but Riddhima had sort of beaten Sara everywhere. She had taken her place in Hollywood. Before her she was considered the most beautiful heroine in Hollywood along with being the best actress but Riddhima had taken away both the titles and had recently won the Oscar as well and now she was in Armaan's office. What was that supposed to mean? This was one place that Sara couldn't afford to loose.

"Please have a seat." Armaan closed the door and walked to his seat and Riddhima too sat down in front of him.

There was an awkward silence between them when Riddhima finally spoke up, "So? I am really excited to get started. Where are these hotels going to be?"

Armaan composed himself and taking out a file handed it to Riddhima and smiling he spoke, "My favorite country in the world, India."

Riddhima's head jerked up and her blood froze. Her fingers tightened around the file and she looked wide-eyed at Armaan. She repeated his words in her mind and when they finally registered, the file slipped out of her hands.

"Riddhima, you okay?"

When Riddhima didn't respond Armaan stood up and went and sat next to her. He shook her by her shoulder and handed her a glass of water.

"What's the matter?"

Riddhima looked at him and realized that she wasn't alone in the room. She got hold of herself and stuttered, "In…India. Why India?"

"Is there a problem working in India?"

"No…no…not at all. Well its just that…err…I am not exactly fond of that country since I have some bad memories attached to it…ah…I actually did some shooting there and the crowd wasn't exactly friendly." She gave him a weak smile.

Armaan chuckled and spoke, "I think I know what you mean by the crowd being unfriendly. They are all star-stricken and the crowd there must have stalked you for autographs and stuff but nothing like that will happen this time. We'll have bodyguards okay so relax and since you are working with me I will personally make sure that you have a comfortable stay there."

Riddhima smiled and tried controlling the raging emotions in her…she didn't want to go to India…it was her past and anything could go wrong there but she had no other option.

"Riddhima we have to announce this in press." Riddhima snapped out of her thoughts.

"Announce what??"

"Our partnership, these hotels we are going to build and the location….everything. My lawyer met your lawyer yesterday and they have worked out the contract so now we can sign it and make it official."

"Yes. Alright."

Armaan looked at Riddhima and narrowed his eyes. There was something definitely wrong with her today. She looked pale and….scared. But why?? Was it the fact that they were going to build the hotels in India but than how can something as minor as an unfriendly crowd make her this frightened and she should be used to it. He had read a lot of articles about her being stalked by men in newspaper than how come she was scared of the Indian crowd so much. They were a lot better than the crowd here. Something is definitely fishy here. Armaan looked at Riddhima's lost face and wondered what could it be.

"So when do we announce this all?"

"Today."

"You should have told me before Armaan. I would have to cancel my shoots now but anyways where is it?"

"Its at hotel Radison. I'll pick you up at 8. So be ready. I want us to go together."

Riddhima nodded her head. Armaan picked up the file that she had dropped on the floor and gave it to her along with a pen and spoke, "So?? Are you going to sign the contract?"

Riddhima smiled at him and bent down to sign it but she stopped and looked up at him and spoke, "Armaan do we really have to do this in India?"

Armaan looked at her and was about to say something when Riddhima spoke again, "No forget it. Its okay. India is fine. I have no problem." and with that she signed the contract and handed him the file.

They both shook hands and Riddhima walked out of the cabin and bumped into Sara.

"Oh I am sorry." she immediately apologized and Sara smiled in return and spoke, "Its me who should be apologizing to you. I was pretty rude to you in there. I think I was just embarrassed and was trying…

"Its okay Sara. Trust me its fine."

Sara smiled at her and gave her a small hug and Riddhima left.

Sara walked back into Armaan's cabin and saw him engrossed in his laptop. She went and stood next to him and wondered if she should ask Armaan what Riddhima was doing here or not and than finally she decided that she would ask him and so she did.

"Armaan, why was Riddhima here?"

Armaan looked up at Sara and smiled, "We both are going to be working together on the hotels I have been meaning to build from such a long time. She is a 50% partner in that."

Sara nodded her head silently though she didn't like the fact that Armaan was going to work with Riddhima. The woman was magical and every man was crazy about her. She just hoped that Armaan would not be one of those men or else she would loose the chances to win the only man she ever loved. She dismissed the depressing thoughts from her head and grabbed his hand, "Cummon Armaan now you have to come shopping with me. Rosie said that you have no appointments for today except for a press meeting in the evening."

"Oh fine. Lets go."

Armaan switched off his laptop and stood up letting Sara drag him out with her.

They both left the office building in Sara's car.

Riddhima saw them leave. She had been sitting there for quite a while, still debating whether to go to India or not.

She admitted to herself that she was really scared of her past….or rather scared of facing those painful memories again but she knew that now there was no escape. She gripped the steering wheel of her car and laughed out loud.

"Riddhima Gupta, you are a looser."

*********

John banged his hand on the table in front of him. He was sitting in his office from last 3 hours but he failed to focus on his work for even a moment. There was just one thing in his mind….Riddhima Gupta and her beautiful body. He remembered every moment of their love making. Riddhima, who looked so delicate and vulnerable had turned into a wild seductress…a s***, the moment they were on bed. She, who was treated and revered like a holy virgin had made love to him like a wild beast. He would never forget how she had driven him totally insane….she had made him beg her to take him. The way she had moved her hands over his body, every touch, every kiss was so passionate that he would never forget them. It had felt like his first time. He now didn't remember how Erika had felt while making love and he knew he never would. Erika was lost. He would never want her again. It was Riddhima and only Riddhima now. They have had heavy *** last night and here he was craving for her again. She was like an addiction, a drug in his blood now.

He remembered getting up in morning alone in the bed. Riddhima wasn't there. She had left a note saying that she had to meet Neena and couldn't cancel it since she had promised her. He had been disappointed and now he was getting frustrated. He wanted her badly.

He picked up his cell phone and dialed her number. He threw the cell when he once again heard the same message….her cell was switched off.

"Where the hell is she??" He barked angrily.

He opened the files on the table and tried focusing on his work when his cell rang, he immediately got up and picked the cell up hoping it would be Riddhima but the next moment he was disappointed all over again as he saw the name 'Erika' flashing on the screen. He pressed the red button and cut the call. He didn't want to talk to her at that moment….he just wanted Riddhima.

************

Armaan looked at Riddhima sitting next to him, looking beautiful as usual. They were sitting at the press conference, Armaan had called to make the announcement regarding their hotels. He heard one of the reporters aske him,

"Sir why did you choose to work with Ms. Gupta? She is from an entirely different field after all??"

"I think I'll answer that." Riddhima moved the mike closer and spoke into it, "It wasn't Mr. Malik who chose to work with me. It was me who wanted to work with him and he agreed. And yes I am from an entirely different field but I think I'll manage it."

She smiled at the reporter and leaned back in her chair.

"Why did you guys choose India as the location?" Riddhima looked at Armaan, she was also very curious to know the answer.

"I chose India because I love that country. I have been born there and my whole childhood was spent there, almost the whole childhood but apart from that India is a very beautiful country…it's the best place to build these hotels at."

Armaan smiled at the crowd and just than another reporter asked him, "Sir, there are rumors that you and Ms. Sara are dating each other…

"I would really appreciate if your questions are about the hotels and not my personal life coz that is really none of yours or anybody else's business."

Armaan turned to Riddhima and spoke into the mike addressing her.

"I think we have answered all the questions and so we'll take your leave now."

He stood up and so did Riddhima while the reporters tried to get some answers but Armaan and Riddhima were escorted out by their bodyguards.

"Hey Riddhima wait." Armaan yelled after Riddhima who was leaving to go home.

She stopped when she heard his voice.

"I really wanted you to come over to my place for dinner. I told you my sister is a crazy fan so I would love it if you would come with me and meet her."

Riddhima thought for a while and than smiled and agreed.

"So its fixed you are coming with me for dinner."