Arjun fully deserved that slap and I did not feel even a shred of remorse about it. But the tone he used with the last sentence was the true reason of my anger. You're too important for this bank. I cannot leave you. Sure, everything was logical for him: first, you bet on the patience of your secretary, then you weave praise in her honour. I sighed heavily and cupped my head in my hand. I could not formulate coherent thoughts together.
"How many do you want? "
I saw him frown. "Are you okay?"
"Yes, sorry, I was distracted." Thinking about Arjun Punj was becoming dangerous, plus I had my head in the clouds. "What were you saying?"
"I was just wondering how many soft drinks you want."
Karan merely nodded. He opened the refrigerator under the counter, and brought out my order, placing it in front of me. "Here you go."
"Thanks." I paid the bill, and started to leave. But an iron grip on my wrist forced me to stay there. I raised my eyes to meet his dark ones. I caught a flash of genuine concern, or so it seemed. "Is there a problem, Arohi?"
Karan was the last person with whom I wanted to speak honestly, especially because I was afraid he might misinterpret even the smallest bit of attention that I paid him. Also I was not fully sure that he was the anonymous sender of the orchids, despite the doubts that I had: paying ruthless attention to a girl for months and hearing repeated "No"s isn't a suitable mix for the male pride. I sighed, glancing at him skeptically. "What makes you think I have problems?"
His smile showed his white teeth. "Your eyes are blank. I called you three times and you didn't pay any attention. Only someone who knows you well would know that you have a problem. "
I nodded my head, and I got up from the stool, violently shaking my wrist out of his grasp. "Today is not the day, Karan."
"What are you suggesting?"
He was crossing the limits of my patience. He knew mom because during my move to Mumbai from Shimla, he was the one who helped me find a good place to stay. Karan, in spite of myself, was the first person I'd met here, Arjun and Natz soon after.
"Is this a threat?".
He seemed to be so convinced about what he said. It was only when he turned his back to me to pull the dishes out of the dishwasher that I saw pink orchids in the back pocket of his jeans. This confused me. I connected them immediately with the ones delivered anonymously to my house in the last two days. I was tempted to ask why he had one in his pocket but my intuition told me to let it go.
"Hey, Karan, I want to give you some advice," my voice was not good-natured at all. "Do not try to treat me like a stupid little girl who needs your protection," I concluded directly, before hurrying back to the private room of the pub.
When I returned to the table, Natz was still laughing about what had happened with Arjun. I sank down into the soft red sofa cushions. Purvi grabbed her drink and started sipping.
"She has not stopped doing this a single second since you went to order your drink."
There was nothing funny. "Stop!"
"Wait, let me understand something," interjected Natz leaning forward to grab a drink. She tried to look serious, but her cheeks were redder than the sofa cushions. "You went there to tell him how he is stupid and instead he kisses you in his office? What a plan Madam," she said before she started to laugh.
I was really angry now.
"Sorry Arohi, but I really can't believe all this," she drew a deep breath, as if this would bring her back to reality. "This drink is stronger than me, I cannot control myself."
"Idiot," I threw a cushion at her. "Speaking of Nikhil: I do not want to see him for a few days."
"The morning of the dismissal, I tried to warn you that he knew something about all this but then I thought it was appropriate to let him tell you himself."
I stopped her "Never mind."
"In any case, your Mom would never allow it. She and Arjun's family know each other, right? "
I nodded. "Yes, Mr. D.K. Punj is the owner of a multinational company. He has many branches in foreign countries. He and my mother have known each other since they went to high school and for this reason mom recommended me to him."
Purvi frowned. "And why didn't he hire you in his company instead of recommending you to the bank where his son works?"
"Actually I've asked for a momentary departure from Shimla. "
"That is not the problem," I sighed, letting the fatigue and discomfort overwhelm me. The problem was something else. "I will not have the courage to look in Arjun's eyes, if I decide to go back to work with him."
"If?" Natz emphasized. "Are you kidding? I hope so! You MUST go back to work with him and let him know who Arohi Sharma is. You managed to slap him and tell him what you thought of him. Now that shows you are tough. "
"Natz, no offense, but your advice is not always reasonable," I put both hands on my temples, massaging them. "I do not know how it happened. ... It all happened in an instant. "
"No Natz, when you're angry with someone you don't do this. Not unless you have big problems. "
Natz's black eyes were reduced to two narrow slits. " In my point of view, it is natural that you reacted that way. Believe me, you don't have any problems... Arohi, you like your boss terribly... "
"There's nothing wrong with admitting it," Purvi said.
I did not know what bothered me most: their inquisitorial attitude or the fact that they were absolutely right. "Okay, you win: I am deeply attracted to Arjun...only attracted,otherwise I hate him"
"Now you are the master of your emotions. You need revenge. "
"Really??? "Natz had found her distraction for the night. "How did you meet?"
"Well, I joined a dating site and ..."
"On the Internet? You met him online? "
Purvi hesitated. "He's the chief of a construction company, but I have no idea about tenders. I could always try to ask him, we have a date tomorrow night. " She turned to Natz, pointing. "So I will not be at the centre tomorrow."
Natz nodded and looked at me "What did you decide to do?"
I grabbed a glass and lifted it up. "A toast to us women that we can impose ourselves in every situation. And to me that I decided to get back at Sadu Boss. "
"I like this drink," assented Natz.
When the playing gets tough, Arohi Sharma grabs the hatchet.
***
even though it wasn't the cars fault😭😆
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