Sanyukta came back to her senses. Quickly regaining her composure, she grabbed a tissue, and wiped her face. Her carefully kohl lined eyes now dark and red with tears, the kohl smudged around, her face now looked like a swollen red blotch.
"What the hell! Are you okay Sanyu?" Shanaya came into her cabin, quickly closing the door behind her, to stop anybody else from witnessing sanyukta's shattered self.
"Yeah yeah. I'm good. I'm all good!" Sanyukta sniffled back.
"Yeah right! People who are all good, have extremely active tear ducts don't they?" Shanaya sniggered.
Sanyukta was strong. Her emotions never got hold of her. Not at least till date, since she moved to Mumbai. But with Shanaya, it was different. The girl knew her for 10 years now. There was no way she could really hide anything from her. But randhir was a painful memory. Sorry, not was, he still IS her most painful memory. And even today, it slashed through her. She didn't want to share it with anyone.
Trying to shake of all the disturbing thoughts she said, "You know what, I think I'm going to call it a day. I mean, there wasn't anything else that was lined up for today right? Maybe." trying to put on a smiling face, she continued, "...we could finally get on with our impending girls night out tonight! What'ya think?"
"Hmmm... (Pouting at her best friend and narrowing her eyes) yeah, you do have nothing planned for you on the work front, so you need to take a break. If you seem fine when I return back home from this shindig...IF... only then we'll think about the girls night out! Get it!"
"Eh. I'm the boss. And I'm the stubborn one amongst us. You know it. And I know. So nothing doing. We're going to freak out tonight! Be there! AND. don't be late!"
Saying this Sanyukta picked up her bag and waltzed to the door.
Shanaya snorted back, "Yeah right. This coming from the queen of late land herself," as she turned to her chirpy Sanyukta, who blew her that sarcastic flying kiss like a pageant winner!
As soon as she saw Sanyukta leave, she wondered, "What could have been so wrong. She's never been this way. But come SGI, and she whimpered. As though, there's something about this company that relates to her, more than just in a professional way." Even though Shanaya was Sanyukta's closest person, she never interfered in matters that the girl avoided. She cared more about Sanyukta than what her inquisitiveness would bring her by to do.
Brushing away those thoughts, she began to clear away the files. Huh. Sanyukta Sanyukta Sanyukta. This girl was stubborn. And she was sure, they were going to turn end up drunk tonight.
Here, Sanyukta rushed to the elevator. Mouthing a quick good day to the staff that greeted her on the way, she pressed the elevator button, glancing continuously at the the LED display. Shaking a leg a bit, as she kept pressing the button over and over again, she muttered, "Come on, and come fast!"
Soon the elevator came by and whisked her away. She wanted to get the hell out of this place. If Randhir wasn't enough, she first wanted to get away from Shanaya. She didn't want her to witness this emotional turmoil, "She works so hard anyways for me, I can't let her paradise fall apart cause of me!"
Reaching the basement she headed hurriedly towards her car. Not even glancing ahead or down. Soon, her foot snagged and she lost her balance. But before she could even articulate what happened, somebody held her hand tight, preventing her from falling to the ground.
"What...ttt..." she was just about to get started with her spit fire mouth, when that somebody pulled her towards him. For a moment she thought... It was Randhir...
But as soon as she steadied herself back, she saw who he was. Siddharth.
"I'm sorry Ms. Agarwal. I know I shouldn't have touched you. But you were just about to trip..." Sid continued visibly hesitant.
"No, no, it's alright! I mean thank you Mr. Sarin. That's really nice of you." Sanyukta said still trying to catch her breath.
"I'll see you around... hopefully" Siddharth shook hands with her giving him one of his genuine smiles.
"Yeah! HOPEFULLY!" Sanyukta chirped back and turned towards her car.
As soon as she was out of earshot, Siddharth felt a hard push on his shoulder.
"What were you trying to do? Looser! We've come here for a deal. Every girl who's pretty HAS to be a prey to your eyes?" Randhir ranted on.
"Whoa! Chill... I just did what I thought was chivalrous! But yeah..." Siddharth bent backwards looking at Sanyukta who was now walking very close to her car, and checking her out from behind with a naughty grin on his face, "...She IS pretty! I mean... REALLY pretty!"
Randhir grunted.
"But really Randhir, did YOU just say that? I mean, I've always been vocal about pretty girls, but did YOU just imply indirectly that Sanyukta Agarwal is pretty?" Siddharth continued, smiling mischievously at Randhir.
Mocking anger and acting as though he'd punch Sid in the face, Randhir quipped, "she's veil. Not pretty. Plus, I don't need a girl to be what I am!"
"Aye aye Capitan!" Sid mock saluted randhir, getting into their car.
Randhir was about to get into the car, when he heard another car engine revved up. Her mere sight was enough to melt him. He smiled faintly.
"Other than this deal, we do not know each other!" the words came back to him like a crash... anger boiled inside him. His temper rose. A part of his heart still wanted to be there for her and thought he was the one at fault. But another part of his mind dominated. Why didn't she come back for you? Why didn't she come back to look for you even after that incident? Why did she seem so unaffected by you today? She probably moved on...
The slight thought about the fact that the girl he loves the most in this world, might have moved on life, leaving him behind, exactly where they went separate ways, was enough of a trigger.
Bending down, he tapped the window.
"Sid, listen, you go ahead. I've got some work. I'll see you later at the hotel okay!" saying that he tossed the keys to Sid.
Wondering about this sudden flip in decision in randhir's decision, Sid was just about to question him about it, came a stern reply, "go."
Shutting his mouth, with still a questioning look on his face, Sid looked at Randhir, who bolted out of the parking lot with the fastest speed he could. As though he'd miss something if he slowed down for even a second.
Starting the car, Sid drove out only to see randhir blocking a cab and go away. What could be the reason? And why a cab?
But then Randhir was always like that wasn't he? Unpredictable. Unstoppable. Unthinkable...
"Bhaiyya, uss black gadi ko follow karna hein!" randhir instructed the cab driver.
The driver looked back to wonder why a m young man, looking so expensive in his corporate suit, wearing a ridiculously expensive watch wanted to follow a car, like a desperate stalker.
Patting the driver rigorously, randhir yelled, "chaliye! Mahurat nikaloon?"
The driver instantly sped up the cab and followed the car, keeping safe distance from it, in order to arise suspicion.
Here, sanyukta's heart was already too clouded. So was her mind. She wanted to be strong. She didn't want him to affect her anymore. Trying to declog her mind, she pushed hard on the accelerator, causing the vehicle to move abnormally fast along the Sea Link. But that's what she needed. Speed. Acceleration. Anything to get away from Mr. Sadu...
"What is wrong with her? What is she trying to do? Kill herself? Bhaiyya, aur speed mein lena, uss gadi k driver ko marne ka bada shauk hein." "...haan aur tumhe use bachane ka" quipped in randhir's silly heart, completing that sentence!
Very soon, both the vehicles reached Marine drive. What a place it was. Slowly sanyukta amped down her speed. Already having worried him sick with her killer instincts, randhir too seemed to calm down, when he realized that she was now, safe, and calm.
Just then the car stopped at a plush building. The watchman opened the gate, and gave the customary salaam as the car got in, then closing the gate behind it.
Around two blocks away, randhir looked intently at the car. Getting off the cab, he paid the driver, and mouthed a slight "thank you."
"Saab ji, agli baar agar uss office ki taraf jaate hue peecha karna ho toh uss stand se taxi lena. Yahan se taxi milegi nahi. Aur plz, thoda dheeraj rakhna. Agar uss driver ki utni hi chinta hein, toh jaake bol do na, nahi toh uski bagal wali seat par jaakar bethna."
Realizing how paranoid he had become, randhir felt silly. But immediately putting on a defensive tone he said, "Haan haan samjha. Ab chal ja..."
As the cab zoomed off, randhir started walking on the pavement towards the building where he saw sanyukta's car entering. It was a hot summer Mumbai afternoon. The whole area was quite. Adorned by the sea on one side... the slight breeze brought a little bit of coolness in the otherwise blazing heat of the sun. But none of it mattered to randhir... but everything related to her.
Stopping right in front of that particular building, Randhir squinted at the black marble board that adorned the wall, "ALVERSTON".
Glinting at it, randhir looked around. The sea on one side, a beautiful hedge that adorned the walls of the building, and that word, "alverston", he found himself gleaming at a past memory.
They reached up to randhir's room, kissing with urgency like never before. Suddenly breaking the kiss (to sanyukta's annoyance) he said breathlessly, "shift into my room!"
Giggling, she ran her fingers through his hair, a playful expression on her face.
"Really? Then what about jiggy? Where will he go and stay? Isn't he your roommate?"
"Ugh. We'll just throw him off. Or better he can go and occupy the room you stay in. that way he'll stay in the hostel with kaustuki!"
"Oh... so you're okay with he shifting to the girls hostel. But what if I like my room better than..." Looking around randhir's tad messy room, "...this, you can shift to the girls hostel can't you?"
"Girls hostel? And ME? What do I look like to you? I'm not shifting there. But yeah, you should shift here. It's a pretty good place. Better than yours!"
"Your being such a jerk! So are you saying that going to a girl's hostel and staying there so that you can move in with me is what? Pansies? That is so sexist randhir! I hate you!"
Randhir loved this. While before according to him, girls are supposed to be docile, subtle, and for one, should not stand up against men. But the girl in his arms had changed his perspective. While he loved the lil bit mellow her, what actually drove him crazy about her, was her confidence, her abilities, her ferociousness to stand up against him. She tugged every string of his heart, even as an enemy at the start.
"Ms. Engineer, be sure about your hatred policy. It might really not go down well with me! But re you sure you hate me?" randhir said, a typical smirk surfacing on his fate.
"Absolutely! I hate you!" sanyukta said mockingly looking into his eyes.
Pulling her closer, he wound his arms around her slim waist, tightening their grip on her. Slowly his hands moved to the back edge of the back of her low cut kurti's zip, tracing it slowly with the soft touch of his fingers.
The touch of his fingers on her skin was enough to send shudders down her spine. But she wasn't going to give up so easily to his trick. But her brain seemed to numb a bit as she murmured, "randhir," clutching his t shirt a bit tighter.
Realizing the tantalizing effect he had on her, he whispered huskily in her ear, his tongue, inadvertently grazing her earlobe, "the hate isn't yet over farzi. Bring. It. On."
Swiftly, without waiting for even a second more he captured her lips in his. Sanyukta responded back with equal fervor. Her heart beat seemed to rage. Wrapping her hands around his neck and entangling them in his hair, she pulled him closer.
Pulling out for just a minute, she whispered hurriedly, "we'll move in together. But that time it'll be a sea facing house with the name alverston."
Already feeling the heat of having her so close yet so far, he closed the annoying gap between them, he hushed back, "agreed. But for now, just be mine." Saying so he attacked her lips again, there was no looking back now as they closed the door hurriedly behind them, as randhir held her closer and pushed her further into the room to the bed without breaking that kiss...
"Oh ji sahib! Excuse me! Sun rahe hein?" the watchman at the gate blurted, seeing a dreamy randhir, standing near the name plate of the building.
Suddenly, randhir seemed to have gotten awake from his dreamland, to the harsh sun, now glinting on his face as he realized a watchman screaming at him, as he slid down slightly near the name plate.
"Huh, who, accha bhaiyya, ye Ms. Sanyukta agarwal yahi rehti hein?"
"Haan, yahi rehti hein!""Toh... uske. I mean, madam ke ghar par aur kaun... rehta hein?"
The watchman began to give him a suspicious look. Who was this man, who looked so disheveled now, asking where sanyukta lived?
"Haan. Yahi rehti hein sanyukta bitiyaa. Aur haan AKELI NAHI REHTI. Pure khaandaan k saath rehti hein. Kya family hein. Uss bacchi ka koi baal bhi baka karne ka soche, kahi ka nahi chodenge usse!" the watchman exaggerated, faking all of it, since he didn't want sanyukta bitiyaa in any trouble.
"Of course!" randhir said, though not completely buying what the watchman said. The last time he dug information on sanyukta, he got to know that she lives her with her caretaker and shanaya, and the rest of her immediate family is still in Delhi, where the HQ of agarwal automobiles was based.
He began to walk back, defeated look on his face. Just as he was about to take a cab, an idea struck him. Instantly he ran back to the gate, he went to the watchman's cabin and stood at the door. The watchman who was making entries in the log book, looked up, and questioning expression on his face.
"Ab kya?"
There was no reply from the other side. Randhir stood there motionless, intently looking at his face.
The watchman irritated by randhir's stance said, "Bhai, kuch bologe bhi! Aise hi khambe ki tarah kyu khade ho?"
Slowly moving forward, randhir went to the watchman and sat beside him, a sympathetic look on his face.
"Kya chacha, bohot buri halaat hein aapki. I mean, dekhiye na, aap itne nek dil insaan hein ki kya bataon! Aapko toh barabar se jhoot bolna bhi nahi aata. Aapne jis tarah description diya na, usse toh koi asli ka chor bhi samjh jaaye ki ladki akeli rehti hein. App toh jante hein na, akeli ladki, khuli tijori... Mein uske bhai ka best friend hoon. Bas yahi confirm karne aaya tha ki uski security proper hein na. agar aap chahte hein toh Ankit ko khud se phone kar ke pooch sakte hein!"
The watchman looked at randhir. Maybe every time you can't trust your gut feeling about people. But when he looked in randhir's eyes, there was gentility for that girl. He would never harm her.
He smiled and said, "hmm samjh gaye. Sanyukta betiyaa yahin rehti hein. 11th floor par. Saath mein Padma ji rehti hein, unki caretaker. Aur unki ek dost bhi hein, kya naam hein, haan.. shanaya.. wahi.. badi pyaari bacchiyaan hein do no hi!"
"Oh! Good good! Thank you chacha!" randhir smiled effervescently, now pulling out a 500rs note and placed it in the watchman's hand, "please mana maat kijiye. Yahin sochke rakh lijiye ki ab mujhe sanyukta ki koi tension nahi hein!"
Randhir walked away from there. Feeling triumphant. The battle had just begun.
Turning back, he took one last glance at the 11th floor palatial house.
"I will get you. One of these days , I will."
Phew! Finally done! I'm not that happy though with this update!😭 and you guys are probably gonna hate me for this one. But please try to understand, I wouldn't go ahead and write if not for all of you. The updates here on willbe a bit late, but please don't be pissed at me! Now hit the like button fatafat and let me know what you felt about this update! Criticism required too! That will help me do a better job next time!
Love,
Aryana😳
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