Part – 8
Pushing his hands discreetly away from her hip, she walked up to Huda.
"They are asking everybody to join on the dance floor, do you want to dance" he asked her casually.
"Sure" holding his hands she walked towards the dance floor even though she always hated dancing at any event. She was not a great dancer and she hated being the center of attraction.
But to escape the cool assessing eyes she would even endure the dancing.
While dancing, she looked over and found him at the bar his eyes on her, mockingly saluting her with a drink in his hand.
She turned her head immediately away from him and concentrated on dancing with Huda.
After a couple of dances with Huda she felt someone tap Huda's shoulders. It was him taking over, yet again. Huda graciously stepped aside leaving Naina trapped with Rajveer.
His hands were firm as they held her and guided her across the floor. Her breath caught in her throat as it took her back in time when he had held her like this once before.
Taking her in his arms his other hand slid against her waist to draw her close to him. To make it worse as if on cue they were playing a slow song.
As the song played he moved with her on the dance floor.
Without her being aware they were now dancing in a corner of the floor. They were barely moving as their eyes collided with each other. He looked down at her with an expression she couldn't fathom. She didn't know how it had happened but her hands were around his neck as his hands snacked around her hips.
Naina felt her pulse racing as he made her more aware of him. His breath fanned the hair at her temples as the drifted from behind her ears.
He danced gracefully. He did everything perfectly like a business deal, he did this perfectly too.
She stumbled and Rajveer pulled her back steadying her. She came back to her senses and tried to pull away from him but he wouldn't let go.
"Rajveer, Please leave me" she said softly.
There was no response from him as she dared to look at him. His face was arrogant and hard as granite without an inch of warmth in them
Once I would have done anything for this man, she thought.
Rajveer thought about the last time he had held her like this. It was after his friend's wedding when they had danced closely with each other. She had been like liquid gold in his hands at that time.
Right now, she was unyielding and unmoving.
"Why don't you relax? I am not going to do anything on the dance floor!" he said softly against her ear.
"I didn't think you were" she said quietly as she looked up at him.
"Didn't you" he asked mockingly
She was spared from answering as the dance came to an end.
Pushing away from him she immediately headed towards Huda.
Huda was lounging on the bar drinking with some of his business associates. Seeing Naina he straightened up.
"Huda, I am tired. Can we go home?" she said without permeable.
"Sure, let me collect my car" saying he placed his half completed drink on the counter and said good bye to his associates and both of them headed towards the entrance.
Naina refused to turn around to look at Rajveer.
*********************
"Sir, Miss. Naina Walia is here to see you" said his ever efficient secretary.
"Send her in after five minutes" he said looking at the clock. He was relishing this. Finally, he had her where he wanted at his office and at his time.
Naina sat in the plush couches in front of his office as his secretary had gone to inform him of her presence. His office was located in the center of the Bombay business district. He owned a 30 storey building in the middle of Nariman point. His office was facing the ocean.
The opulence of her surroundings did not matter to her nor did the beautiful painting in the wall sooth her nerves.
She picked up a magazine from the neatly arranged pile in front of her. She flipped through the pages to calm herself but all she saw in the pages of the magazine where images of Rajveer.
Why isn't he leaving me even in the form of a magazine? She asked herself silently.
Putting back the magazine on the table she looked around. "Welcome to my den said the lion to the lamb!" She thought wryly. She felt like a lamb being pulled in to be slaughtered, the thought bought shivers across her body. Pulling her sari around her she sat on the edge of the chair waiting for Rajveer to see her.
She had stayed awake the entire night and finally in the early hours of the morning she had decided that she would talk to him and tell him to leave her alone.
Hence she was here in his lair.
Precisely at five minutes the receptionist opened the door of his office for her to go in.
"Sir" she called to indicate that they were entering his office as she opened the door for Naina.
Once Naina stepped in the ever efficient secretary silently closed the door behind her and got back to her cabin.
Naina stood inside the door staring at him. He was sitting behind a beautifully carved rosewood desk. The room suited the man; the inconsequential thought came to her.
There were wall to wall windows behind him. He had pulled the shutters down to avoid the sunlight from coming through.
Rajveer watched her with hooded eyes as she stood starring at him with apprehension.
Naina stood frozen, not moving inside the room.
He watched her with an amused expression playing on his face, the apprehension she was feeling could be clearly seen in her eyes.
Coolly he said, "What brings you here, Naina?" he asked starring at her.
Slowly coming out of her reverie she tried to steady her voice as she answered "I wanted to tell you to stay away from me"
He got up from his chair and strolled towards her, his eyes flicked over her again, taking in her features. She was dressed in yellow again. Her long hair was left loose today. On her slender wrist she had a black watch. As always, her dressing sense was understated.
He was walking towards her. With a purposeful stride that alarmed her. The same dark, heavy lidded eyes and the arresting gaze was fixed on her now. His expression was totally shuttered and unreadable.
Shivers went through her body. She had come here to tell him to leave her alone. The past few days she had avoided him everywhere. He felt like a panther waiting to pounce on its hapless prey.
There was no where she could hide. He was not going to show his anger now. He was more interested in playing a more enjoyable game with her.
She wanted to turn around and walk away from here as fast as she could. But the dark panther like eyes held her frozen to the spot. All she could do was clutch her pallu tightly in her hands.
Pulling herself together she said tightly, "From now on, Please Leave me alone! I don't have anything to say to you or to do with you" and her voice sounded low even to her own ears when she finished telling him.
Anupamaa
Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon
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