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Chapter-2
VIRAT POV
"Are you interested in business?" I ask, recalling her attention to the business discussions.
"No, not really."
"You looked interested in the topics earlier." I respond, admitting fully that I had been watching her.she looks at her shoes. "I have money in a few places, its always good to pay attention to where to invest. I don't find it interesting, I just find it essential." She explains, fidgeting.
"Wow. You're fascinating, Manvi." Priya says, completely bored.
"There you are, Manvi." Aryan, says looking relieved.
"Sorry, I was talking shop and got carried away. I didn't mean to leave you on your own." He apologizes.
"I'm fine." She replies, smiling at her father.
"Is Priya introducing you around?" He asks, smiling at her. Not waiting for an answer he holds out his hand to me, "Virat. Good to see you." Turning to Karan he does the same.
"Have you been introduced to my daughter, Manvi?"
"Yes, I introduced myself." I reply.
"No." Karan replies at the same time."Manvi, this is Karan mehra. A close friend of the family."
"Its nice to meet you." Manvi, smiles shaking his hand.
"Its a pleasure." He replies, smiling back at her and holding her hand longer then necessary.
"Aryan darling, what are you doing over here?" Kriya malhotra questions, standing by her husband.
"Making sure Manvi's alright."
"She's a big girl. I think she can take care of herself."
"I invited her, its my responsibility to make sure she's having a good time."She laughs humorlessly. "Really, Aryan. You are too sweet, but I'm sure Manvi understands that you need to talk to these people. Right, Manvi?
"Yes, of course. I'm fine Mr Aryan." She remarks, looking like a frightened rabbit.
"Well, I'll leave you in Priya and Kriya's capable hands." He smiles and leans forward kissing Manvi's cheek and walks to another group of men."Can I speak to you alone, Manvi?" Kriya asks.
"Sure." She complies, looking like she'd rather jump out of the window.
I watch as Kriya walks away with her and pulls her behind a stone pillar, blocking our view. "Excuse me." I say, to Karan and Priya. I walk to the bar so that I have a view of Manvi. I see Kriya has a hand on her arm and is whispering something to her. Manvi looks shocked and scared by whatever it is Kriya is saying and when Kriya releases her she stumbles from the force. Kriya walks away with a smile on her face and I see Manvi wince at the marks left of her arm. Her eyes are glassy as I approach and I see she's trying desperately to pull herself together.
"Don't bother. I saw everything." I say.He shoulders slump in defeat and I see a couple tears fall down her face. "I have to go. Can you tell Mr Aryan I said goodnight?
"No."
She looks at me stunned that I refused her request. "I'll take you home."
"That's not necessary, thank you."Refusing to let her say no, I gently place her arm in mine and walk towards the exit. "Where do you live?""I'm staying at Mr Aryan's for a couple weeks, until the apartment I'm renting becomes available. I don't know the address."
"What did Kriya say to you?
"Nothing." She responds, wiping away her tears.
"It was something. You're crying about it."
"It doesn't matter." She replies and stops walking. "I can't leave with you, people will talk." She whispers, looking around the room. I don't bother taking my eyes off her, I know they're watching us.
"Then we'll stay. Let's go get a drink." She looks hesitant at first, then nods and we go to the bar. "What will you have?" I ask her.
She looks at the bartender. "Do you have any dark beers?"
"We have an bock, a stout and a porter." He answers.
"I'll have the porter, please." She replies, while he looks her up and down. I narrow my eyes at his actions. Noticing me he quickly adverts his eyes and asks, "And you, sir?
"Scotch." I answer, taking note of his name tag and what he looks like. Tomorrow he won't have a job. He places Manvi's beer in front of her and she takes a greedy gulp. I smile watching her. "You better watch it. You're too small to be drinking such a dark beer that fast."She shrugs. "Can I ask you something?" She asks, looking a little unsure
VIRAT POV
"Are you interested in business?" I ask, recalling her attention to the business discussions.
"No, not really."
"You looked interested in the topics earlier." I respond, admitting fully that I had been watching her.she looks at her shoes. "I have money in a few places, its always good to pay attention to where to invest. I don't find it interesting, I just find it essential." She explains, fidgeting.
"Wow. You're fascinating, Manvi." Priya says, completely bored.
"There you are, Manvi." Aryan, says looking relieved.
"Sorry, I was talking shop and got carried away. I didn't mean to leave you on your own." He apologizes.
"I'm fine." She replies, smiling at her father.
"Is Priya introducing you around?" He asks, smiling at her. Not waiting for an answer he holds out his hand to me, "Virat. Good to see you." Turning to Karan he does the same.
"Have you been introduced to my daughter, Manvi?"
"Yes, I introduced myself." I reply.
"No." Karan replies at the same time."Manvi, this is Karan mehra. A close friend of the family."
"Its nice to meet you." Manvi, smiles shaking his hand.
"Its a pleasure." He replies, smiling back at her and holding her hand longer then necessary.
"Aryan darling, what are you doing over here?" Kriya malhotra questions, standing by her husband.
"Making sure Manvi's alright."
"She's a big girl. I think she can take care of herself."
"I invited her, its my responsibility to make sure she's having a good time."She laughs humorlessly. "Really, Aryan. You are too sweet, but I'm sure Manvi understands that you need to talk to these people. Right, Manvi?
"Yes, of course. I'm fine Mr Aryan." She remarks, looking like a frightened rabbit.
"Well, I'll leave you in Priya and Kriya's capable hands." He smiles and leans forward kissing Manvi's cheek and walks to another group of men."Can I speak to you alone, Manvi?" Kriya asks.
"Sure." She complies, looking like she'd rather jump out of the window.
I watch as Kriya walks away with her and pulls her behind a stone pillar, blocking our view. "Excuse me." I say, to Karan and Priya. I walk to the bar so that I have a view of Manvi. I see Kriya has a hand on her arm and is whispering something to her. Manvi looks shocked and scared by whatever it is Kriya is saying and when Kriya releases her she stumbles from the force. Kriya walks away with a smile on her face and I see Manvi wince at the marks left of her arm. Her eyes are glassy as I approach and I see she's trying desperately to pull herself together.
"Don't bother. I saw everything." I say.He shoulders slump in defeat and I see a couple tears fall down her face. "I have to go. Can you tell Mr Aryan I said goodnight?
"No."
She looks at me stunned that I refused her request. "I'll take you home."
"That's not necessary, thank you."Refusing to let her say no, I gently place her arm in mine and walk towards the exit. "Where do you live?""I'm staying at Mr Aryan's for a couple weeks, until the apartment I'm renting becomes available. I don't know the address."
"What did Kriya say to you?
"Nothing." She responds, wiping away her tears.
"It was something. You're crying about it."
"It doesn't matter." She replies and stops walking. "I can't leave with you, people will talk." She whispers, looking around the room. I don't bother taking my eyes off her, I know they're watching us.
"Then we'll stay. Let's go get a drink." She looks hesitant at first, then nods and we go to the bar. "What will you have?" I ask her.
She looks at the bartender. "Do you have any dark beers?"
"We have an bock, a stout and a porter." He answers.
"I'll have the porter, please." She replies, while he looks her up and down. I narrow my eyes at his actions. Noticing me he quickly adverts his eyes and asks, "And you, sir?
"Scotch." I answer, taking note of his name tag and what he looks like. Tomorrow he won't have a job. He places Manvi's beer in front of her and she takes a greedy gulp. I smile watching her. "You better watch it. You're too small to be drinking such a dark beer that fast."She shrugs. "Can I ask you something?" She asks, looking a little unsure
CID
43